Black Faces In White Spaces: Understanding School Belonging Among Black Adolescents At Nais Independent Schools, Letetsia Angelica Fox

Dissertations

Even though the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) has been committed to diversity for the last 30 years, they often focus their diversity efforts on all students of color instead of specific groups such as Black students (Brosnan, 2001). By not focusing on the specific experiences of Black students at independent schools, independent schools cannot truly foster a strong sense of school belonging for Black students because they do not understand the distinct barriers and factors that contribute to the development of school belonging for Black students who attend their schools (Hall & Stevenson, 2007).

This qualitative study sought …

Transparency And Accessibility In State Transportation Performance Reporting: A Systematic Examination Of State Department Of Transportation Websites Under Map-21, Jack Alan Klee

Dissertations

In the United States, all 50 State Departments of Transportation (DOTs) rely on federal funding as a key revenue source for roadway preservation programs. The 2012 Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21) Act introduced a performance-based framework for transportation policy, establishing seven national goal areas that require state DOTs to report performance outcomes. As MAP-21 reaches its ten-year milestone, this dissertation investigates the extent to which state DOTs demonstrate transparency and accessibility in reporting federally mandated performance management results. Despite the centrality of performance reporting to accountability and public trust, systematic evaluations of these dimensions remain limited …

Barriers To Climate Change And Sustainability Action: Nursing Education And Practice, Dawn Marie Smith

Dissertations

Climate change is one of the most pressing public health emergencies of our time and nurses can have a great impact in their current practice and in the education of future nurses (The Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments, n.d.; American Nurses Association, 2023; Health Care without Harm, 2025). Deaths due to rising temperatures, vector-borne illness, and food insecurity related to drought and extreme weather are on the rise (WHO, 2024). It has been estimated that globally over 250,000 additional deaths will be attributed to climate related effects between 2030 and 2050 (Watts et al., 2020; WHO, 2023).

A primary …

Convergence And Divergence Of Opinion About Treatment Of Binocular Vision Disorders Among Vision Care Professionals, Sonia Young

Dissertations

There are three distinct professions prominent in the field of pediatric vision care. They are ophthalmology, optometry and orthoptics. All professions are integral to the detection and treatment of pediatric binocular vision disorders. However, distinct schools of thought exist to describe the best approach to pediatric binocular vision disorders and their treatments. Literature often highlights two opposing schools of thought represented by the “medical” and “behavioral” approaches. While there is academic debate about the merits and pitfalls of either approach, there is a paucity of nuanced perspectives which more closely resemble the ways in which pediatric ocular clinicians approach diagnosis …

“The Thorns Of The Most Severe Virtue”: Education, Religion, And Cultural Power In Michigan, 1798–1855, Kyle Christopher Vanderwall

Dissertations

This project seeks to demonstrate the centrality of education and religion as cultural power levers used by Americans, Odawa, and Catholic missionaries. Though the power of each culture was uneven, efforts to create educational institutions imbued with different denominations of Christianity, as well as continued contestation over land, remade the cultures of all involved. Americans privileged state-building practices, the Odawa acculturated to remain in Michigan when removal policies were enacted throughout the United States, and the Catholic church attempted to proselytize Indigenous communities.

Although the ethnohistorical method needed to be understood in order to write this project, it is not …

Treatment Of Haemophilia A Without Inhibitors: Real-World Treatment Patterns And Clinical Outcomes In The Us., Allison P. Wheeler, Lauren Amos Md, Shveta Gupta, Sylvie Bozzi, Gandarvaka Miles, Kalyani Hawaldar, Andrew Wilson, Gillian Hanson, Emily Cibelli, Amanda Wilson, Siddhi Umarje, Anne-Laure Tardy, Jennifer Dumont, Graham Neill, Alix Arnaud

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

INTRODUCTION: Despite available prophylactic therapies for haemophilia A, breakthrough bleeding and consequent pain and joint damage still occur.

AIM: To provide insights into the unmet treatment needs of people with moderate-to-severe haemophilia A in the US.

METHODS: For this descriptive, observational cohort study, eligible participants diagnosed with moderate-to-severe haemophilia A were enrolled in the PicnicHealth database on or before 3 October 2022. Three patient groups were established to identify: (1) treatment patterns; (2) clinical outcomes by therapy class (standard half-life [SHL] factor VIII [FVIII]; extended half-life FVIII [EHL]; emicizumab); (3) health-related quality of life (HRQoL) using the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measuring …

Uncertainty In Neural Networks: An Interval Approach, Yahriel Isaac Guel

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Neural networks produce predictions but not reliable measures of how much to trust them. A clinician handed an output such as "97% chance malignant" has no way to tell whether that 97% reflects the model's actual reliability on inputs like this one, or whether the same number would have appeared on an image the model has no business classifying. The standard approaches to uncertainty quantification - Bayesian neural networks, deep ensembles, and Monte Carlo dropout - are useful. However, sometimes the uncertainty we need to handle only comes as lower and upper bounds. This raises a natural question: what if …

An Arbitration Revelation? The Evolution Of Ai And Online Arbitration, Emily Bishop

Arbitration Law Review (2009 - Present)

No abstract provided.

Things Montaigne Got Right About Medicine, Stewart Justman

Global Humanities and Religions Faculty Publications

In an article in Perspectives in Biology and Medicine a few years ago, I documented a number of Montaigne’s insights into medicine that have held up over time.  Not everyone was convinced.  Therefore I here augmented my case, adducing several other Montaignean insights and adding some particulars to one or two that were mentioned in the original article.

Investigating The "Party Consciousness": Gender Normativity & Affect In Woolf’S Party Scenes In “To The Lighthouse” & “Mrs. Dalloway”, Chelsea Goodman

English

In 1925, Virginia Woolf wrote in her diary, “…I should like to investigate the party consciousness…where people secrete an envelope which connects them and protects them from others, like myself, who am outside the envelope” (DIII 13). Woolf’s metaphor of the “envelope” reflects how parties have the potential to be places of community and, conversely, of alienation. In literary criticism, Woolf’s parties are often simplified and read as sites of communion. I argue that instead of a suspension of normativity across all characters, which one might expect in a party scene, Woolf’s domestic party scenes solidify, reflect, and enforce …

Mississippi Early Childhood Math Resource Guide: Supporting Mathematical Development From Birth Through Age Eight, Melissa Luckett, Systems Change Lab, Mississippi State University, Social Science Research Center, Mississippi State University

Books

The Mississippi Early Childhood Math Resource Guide is a comprehensive, research-informed digital publication designed to support the development of foundational mathematical skills in children from birth through age eight. Developed by the Systems Change Lab at Mississippi State University's Social Science Research Center, the guide translates evidence-based early mathematics concepts into practical, accessible strategies for educators, families, and caregivers. 

Organized by developmental stages, the guide integrates learning domains, age-appropriate math skills, and everyday instructional practices to promote the use of "math talk" and embedded learning opportunities across settings. It incorporates activities, instructional strategies, and resources aligned to support both formal …

Tiny Tusk Internship: Gut Instincts: A Review Of Literature On The Impact Of Breastfeeding On The Infant Gut Microbiome, Rayla Payne

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this systematic review was to investigate both the short- and long-term benefits that breastfeeding has on the infant gut microbiome. The PICOT question was: In full-term infants, how does exclusive breastfeeding compared to mixed or formula feeding influence the diversity and composition of the gut microbiome throughout the first 12 months of life? For this research, EBSCOhost, CINAHL, and the National Library of Medicine databases were searched to find relevant studies and systematic reviews. Terms such as “breastfeeding and infant gut microbiome” were used to conduct the search. Other terms used included “breastfeeding OR formula feeding”, “human …

Total Intravenous Anesthesia Versus Inhalation Anesthesia For The Prevention Of Post Operative Nausea And Vomiting: A Comprehensive Literature Review, Francesca A. Diflorio

Nursing Undergraduate

Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is a common complication defined as the occurrence of nausea and/or vomiting within the first 24–48 hours following surgery. While nausea represents the subjective urge to vomit, vomiting involves the physical expulsion of gastric contents; both remain among the most distressing postoperative complications, strongly associated with the type of anesthesia administered. According to Timerga and Befkadu (2024), the incidence of PONV ranges from 25% to 30% in the general surgical population and may increase to as high as 80% among high-risk patients. Complications resulting from PONV can further prolong recovery and negatively impact patient outcomes, …

Bridging Care Gaps For Sickle Cell Disease: Examining Case Management And Healthcare Utilization., Lindsey Page

Doctor of Social Work Capstone Projects

Individuals living with sickle cell disease (SCD) experience complex medical and social needs, including high emergency department (ED) utilization, fragmented care, and systemic inequities. Disease-specific case management has emerged as a promising strategy to improve care coordination, patient outcomes, and healthcare efficiency. This mixed-methods case study examined the impact of disease-specific case management on healthcare utilization, patient-reported outcomes, and healthcare providers’ perspectives. Quantitative analysis evaluated the impact of disease-specific case management on ED and inpatient admissions, healthcare-related costs, and the length of stay for inpatient admissions. Qualitative data were collected using interviews with patients and healthcare providers, exploring utilization, bias, …

The Intersection Of Athletics And Online Abuse: A Study Of Cyberbullying Among Student-Athletes., Kate T. O'Bryan

Doctor of Social Work Capstone Projects

Abstract

The current study aimed to identify associations between social media use, cyberbullying victimization, and mental health symptoms experienced by Division I athletes at the University of Louisville. Using an electronic survey methodology, the current study examined individual characteristics such as social comparison frequency, team culture, and sport-level factors (e.g., NIL–based visibility and online experiences of athletes) to investigate cyberbullying victimization frequency among athletes (N =80) and potential relationships with mental health symptoms. Findings indicate that one-fifth (21.4%) of athletes between the ages of 18 and 24 were cyberbullied in the last month, with rumors spreading and mean …

Analyzing Trauma And Behavioral Health Trends: A Study Of Cans Data From Kentucky’S Child Welfare System., Bradley Scott

Doctor of Social Work Capstone Projects

Children who are involved in the child welfare system experience disproportionately higher rates of trauma and unmet behavioral health needs, which at times often go unmet. This study uses a secondary data analysis of administrative data compiled from the Analysis of Screening and Assessment Practice Study completed by the University of Louisville from Project SAFESPACE data organized from the 2022 assessment year across a sample of 3.759 youth involved in the child welfare system. The study found that a youth who was found to be demonstrating an adjustment to trauma is highly predictive of additional traumatic event exposure. Additionally, it …

Electric Charging Arm Mechanism - Echarm, Jacob A. Lewis, Gabriel A. Greer

Mechanical Engineering Student Research

As demand for electric and hybrid vehicles continues to rise, many EV owners rely on home charging in their garages. Gabriel Greer and I’s Senior Design Project, the Electric Charging Arm Mechanism (ECHARM), addresses this by creating a robotic system that autonomously detects a vehicle’s charging port, connects to it, and returns to a rest position when charging is complete. ECHARM is designed as a six-axis robotic arm with wrist and shoulder joints driven by stepper motors through custom cycloidal drive gearboxes. A closed-loop control system using rotary potentiometers ensures precise motion control. At the end of the arm is …

Can Methanogens Grow On Asteroids?, Isabella N. Reimer

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Because of asteroids’ chemical features, they may serve as potential environments for life and are of interest in astrobiology. Dr. Kral’s laboratory studies methanogens, microorganisms in the domain Archaea, as possible life forms on extraterrestrial bodies. Since some methanogens can withstand harsh environmental conditions and produce methane as a waste product, methane production can be used as an indicator of potential microbial activity.  In this study, three methanogen species, Methanothermobacter wolfeii, Methanobacterium formicicum, and Methanosarcina barkeri were tested for growth on asteroid simulants based on the Orgueil (CIE-1) and Murchison (CME-1) meteorites. First, methanogen growth was assessed in the …

The Effect Of Facial Adiposity On Hypothetical Medical Treatments As A Function Of Disgust, Lindsey Duran

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Perceivers are capable of estimating the health of individuals through cues to facial adiposity, with such inferences having accuracy in recognizing worse chronic health among those exhibiting greater adiposity. Nonetheless, these inferences could extend beyond health assessments into subsequent anti-fat prejudice based on perceptions of such individuals as pathogenically threatening. Although potentially functional in ancestral contexts, modern healthcare settings could render this functional stigmatization a liability that results in worse medical care toward those with higher adiposity. In this study, I tasked medical workers to evaluate male and female hypothetical patients at high and low levels of facial adiposity, particularly …

Objects Against Erasure: Literary Materiality In Tommy Orange’S There There And Oscar Hokeah’S Calling For A Blanket Dance, Paige Hinton-Franciotti

Theses & ETDs

No abstract provided.

Teaching Machines To Deter: Exploring Strategic Deterrence In Ai Models, Will Taylor

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This capstone project investigates whether deterrence can emerge as a meaningful strategy within a zero-sum stochastic game using multi-agent reinforcement learning (MARL). After outlining core concepts in game theory and deterrence, the study models a simplified deterrence environment in which two minimax-Q agents repeatedly interact under uncertainty and adversarial incentives. The agents learn from rewards shaped by escalation costs, unilateral vulnerability, and the stabilizing benefits of restraint. Results show that both agents consistently converge toward a conservative, status-quo strategy, overwhelmingly selecting the Maintain action while avoiding both escalation and restraint in most scenarios. This behavior reflects the risk-averse logic of …

Reigniting Identity: Rediscovering My Teaching, Lifelong Learning, And Myself, Rachel Griffith

Master of Arts in English Plan II Graduate Projects

A culmination of two years of work and self-discovery represented through three different types of writing, two academic and one creative. The academic works explore communication and autism in the English classroom, as well as teaching technical writing in practice ways. The creative work is a poetry portfolio that is one of the author's proudest works from their degree track, covering a variety of topics from love to nostalgia to inner turmoil. Together, they narrate three reasons why the author writes, teaches, and lives.

Exploring Exercise Motivation And Mental Well-Being In College Students, Elaine M. Lindesmith, Anqi Deng Dr

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study examined the relationship between physical activity, exercise motivation, and mental well-being among 48 undergraduate students at the University of Arkansas. Guided by Self-Determination Theory, the study used survey data to measure depression, anxiety, physical activity, and open-ended exercise motivation responses. Motivation responses were coded as autonomous or controlled.

Results showed that physical activity was weakly and negatively related to depression and anxiety, but these relationships were not statistically significant. There were also no significant differences in mental health between autonomous and controlled motivation groups, and motivation did not significantly predict mental health outcomes in regression analyses. Overall, the …

'Haven't You Heard? I'M The Internet Girl': Katseye Fan Discussions And Parasocial Relationships On Tiktok, Kristin Tuttle

Journalism Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study examines how fans of the girl group KATSEYE interact with each other on TikTok and explores how their discourse may reflect indicators of parasocial relationships. The study is guided by parasocial relationship literature, participatory culture theory, and the Celebrity Attitudes Scale (McCutcheon, Lange, & Houran, 2002), which identifies varying levels and intensities of celebrity worship and emotional investment. The study addresses two research questions: RQ1: How do KATSEYE fans talk about the group and interact with one another on TikTok, and RQ2: How are indicators of parasocial closeness expressed in KATSEYE fan discourse? To answer these questions, a …

Learning Never Retires: A Fundraising Plan For The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute At The University Of Arkansas, Olivia C. Boykin

Journalism Undergraduate Honors Theses

This professional strategic communication project uses contextual framework of fundraising methods and audience research to develop a strong justification for donor support to programs at The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Arkansas (OLLI) (Jalali et al., 2024). This work models theoretical perspectives of interdisciplinary motives for charitable giving to institutions of higher education and applies them to OLLI 's unique needs. The deliverables of this project will be (i) a scholarly applied research manuscript that provides a background for a fundraising plan; (ii) the fundraising plan, and (iii) evidence-based creative communication concepts, such as print-ready postcards, flyers, …

Against Their Own Interests? Latinos And The Rightward Shift, Marianna S. Visbal

Honors College Theses

This study examines whether Latino voters in the United States are acting against their self-interests when supporting right-wing Republican candidates, particularly in recent elections characterized by increased Latino support for figures like Donald Trump despite harmful rhetoric. While existing literature and public discourse often assume that Latino voters share a clear set of interests aligned with progressive politics, this research questions that assumption. Motivated by underrepresentation in political research and personal observations within Latino communities, I explore how political self-interest is defined and understood. Using qualitative expert interviews with Latino elected officials, journalists, and political professionals based in New York …

Some Things Never Change, Ryely Rogers

Honors College Theses

Some Things Never Change is a coming-of-age play that explores the intersection of memory, identity, nostalgia, faith, and the process of growing up. The play follows two versions of the same character: Young Ryann and Older Ryann. Young Ryann is the eleven year old version of Older Ryan, the young woman she grows to become. This play was born from my own interest in how identity evolves and continues to shape us through adulthood. Some Things Never Change is the culmination of my own experiences, broader themes of self-discovery, and the science behind nostalgia. Through this play I uncover the …

Unmasking Emotional Labor: Visualizing The Challenges Experienced By Human Resources Professionals, Abigail (Abby) Leff

Honors College Theses

The field of human resources (HR) requires a complex balance of advocating for others and enforcing organizational policies, all the while managing its own emotional challenges. This dynamic demands that HR professionals engage in intense emotional labor without sufficient organizational support, the burden of which can lead to burnout, decreased job satisfaction, and psychological consequences. Despite the prevalence of these dynamics, the emotional experiences of HR professionals are under-researched. This literature review explores emotional labor and burnout HR professionals face, evaluates available resources in the field, and examines coping strategies that HR professionals use. The research is applied to an …

Segmented Correlation Consistent Basis Sets For The S-Block, Alexis Ung

Honors Thesis

In the present work, segmented correlation consistent basis sets for the s-block were developed, which can be used to perform quantum calculations exponentially faster compared to the existing general contraction while retaining comparable accuracy. For example, computing the energy of a cesium atom using the largest basis set developed (quadruple-zeta, QZ) can see an 86 times faster calculation of the Fock matrix per iteration going from the general to the segmented contraction. In addition, the first ionization energies obtained for developed basis sets were on average found to be within 2 kcal/mol of the results obtained with the existing generally-contracted …

One Step At A Time: Duquesne University's Thirteenth Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory, Marie Ferrick, Sydney Stahl

Duquesne University Greenhouse Gas Inventories

The thirteenth greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions inventory was conducted for fiscal year 2025 (FY25), which began on July 1, 2024, and ended on June 30, 2025. Assembled by graduate assistants Marie Ferrick and Sydney Stahl at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Science, these findings were compared with those derived from the previous inventories to assess trends in Duquesne University’s GHG emissions. Furthermore, this inventory discusses options for reducing Duquesne’s carbon footprint in future years. Duquesne University’s total market-based GHG emissions were 83,848.97 MT eCO2 for FY25. After calculating the full-time student equivalent and the full-time faculty/staff equivalents, …