Digital Commons Network^™

Living In Essex: A Community Needs Assessment, Sue Berger, Ceara Somerville, Caitlin E. Coyle

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

This report describes research undertaken by the Center for Social & Demographic Research on Aging (CSDRA) within the Gerontology Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston, on behalf of the Town of Essex. The goals of this project were to investigate the needs, interests, preferences, and opinions of Essex residents age 18 or older by engaging the community regarding their experiences and needs relevant to the Council on Aging’s (COA’s) objective to identify and serve the needs of all Essex citizens 60 and older.

From Gender-Building To Sustainability: The Evolution Of Toy Advertising And Purchasing Decisions, Camille S. Hernandez

Whittier Scholars Program

For my Whittier Scholars Program senior project, I am exploring the psychological dynamics behind toy purchasing decisions. Specifically, what compels parents to buy certain toys and what drives children’s desires for specific products. As toy marketing continues to evolve, a growing emphasis on eco-friendly and non-toxic toys has emerged, appealing to both parents’ environmental concerns and children’s interest in aesthetics and play value. This shift has been heavily influenced by social media, where platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook play a key role in shaping consumer preferences. Through constant exposure to advertisements, parents and children alike are becoming more aware …

Evaluating Risk And Return Of Corn And Soybean Marketing Strategies Using Monte Carlo Simulation Methods, Johanna Ilves

Department of Agricultural Economics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study evaluates the performance of pre-harvest marketing strategies for corn and soybeans, using Monte Carlo simulation techniques. Given the increasing volatility in commodity prices and the evolving landscape of agricultural markets, producers face growing challenges in developing effective marketing plans that manage risk and enhance profitability. This thesis examines thirteen marketing strategies from 2008 to 2024, including benchmark harvest-only sales and various pre-harvest futures contract approaches. Historical futures price data for December corn and November soybean contracts were used to simulate 1,000 marketing outcomes per strategy per year, capturing a broad range of market conditions. Key performance indicators such …

Treading Lightly: The Ethics Of Instructor Il/Legibility And Neutrality In The Classroom, Marcus A. Woodman

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Instructors in the classroom often describe their experiences teaching as being a performance, which often combines authenticity with boundaries to keep certain aspects of the instructor’s life out of the classroom. For queer instructors, their performance may be especially complicated; since queer identity is less visible than other types of identities, instructors must also weigh whether or not to come out to their students. In our current political moment, where queerness has yet again become a scrutinized topic (especially when in proximity to youth), teachers have an even more difficult decision to make.

This thesis uses queer theory and queer …

Walleye And Sauger Movement And Entrainment In Lewis And Clark Lake, William Joseph Radigan

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Walleye Sander vitreus and Sauger Sander canadensis are both socioeconomically important sportfish species in Lewis and Clark Lake, an interjurisdictionally managed mainstem Missouri River reservoir fishery. Since 2011, adult catch per unit effort (CPUE) of both Walleye and Sauger has remained at approximately 50% of pre-2011 levels. A presumed reason for the suppressed CPUE of adult Walleye and Sauger is substantial entrainment of larval and adult fish resulting from the reservoir’s high turnover rate (7.2 d). Acoustic telemetry was used to quantify adult movement and entrainment and ichthyoplankton trawls were used to assess larval entrainment. Relative importance of factors driving …

Melanated Reflections Through Testimonios: Centering The Experiences Of African American Women Teachers Turned Leaders And Their Implications On Recruitment, Selection, Hiring, And Retention Of Women Of Color In Leadership Positions, Tanya Rochelle Santos

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (2022), during the 2017–2018 academic year, only 7% of all teachers identified as Black or African American, with approximately 76% of that group being women. This qualitative study investigates the lived experiences of African American women educators who have transitioned into leadership roles within P–12 educational settings across the Great Plains Region of the United States. The research explores how their experiences intersect with issues of racial and gender equity, particularly within the broader discourse of social justice in education and educational leadership.

Framed within the theoretical lens of Black Feminist Thought, …

Strategies For Reducing Racial Disparities In Maternal Health Outcomes: An Examination Of The Role Of Doulas, Samavi Rafique

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Comparatively high rates of maternal morbidity and mortality remain a significant concern in the United States, particularly for Black women, who face a risk of maternal mortality that is four times higher than that of white women. Realizing the historical context of this burden requires tracing American obstetric and gynecological medicine to its 19th-century roots, where the medical experimentation of enslaved Black women occurred largely unopposed by the voices of those in power. The legacy of this is embodied in the modern maternal health crisis, marked by stark racial disparities in maternal health outcomes. As non-clinically trained professionals whose supportive …

Gap, Inc. : A Strategic Audit Of Gap, Inc. Company, Amber Hanson, Ike Mcley, Sophie Thomas, Avery Plessel, Kira Pavlik

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The following paper is a comprehensive overview of the company Gap, Inc., a leading global retailer with a diverse brand portfolio that includes Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic, and Athleta. They compete in the Family Clothing Industry through their operation of over 3,352 brick-and-mortar stores along with offering their digital shopping platform to align with changing consumer preferences. Gap, Inc. plans to maintain financial rigor, reinvigorating its brands, and strengthening its platform. Their strengths are found in their expanding e-commerce segment and their strong commitment to sustainability. Through a broad differentiation strategy, Gap, Inc. targets a diverse consumer demographic across …

Carbon Fiber Cv Tripod Axle Design: Husker Motorsports Formula Sae, Taylor D. Boudreaux

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The 2024–2025 HMS Formula SAE senior design team successfully reduced axle system weight, cost, and improved manufacturability using a bonded tripod joint and ±45° intermediate modulus carbon fiber tube. The final design was validated on HMS 25, with no failures under rigorous testing.

Budget:
/="/"> Total project cost was $1,165.64, exceeding the initial $1,000 target due to unanticipated test rig expenses. However, per-axle production cost was reduced from $525.31 to $383.37 through in-house manufacturing, use of on-hand epoxy (DP460), and switching to cost-effective 7068 aluminum. The axle-specific cost was $766.74.

Timeline:
/="/"> Despite early delays from building a torsional testing …

Chipotle Mexican Grill Strategic Audit: An Analysis Of Chipotle Mexican Grill Business Strategy, Garrett Smith, Karissa Hodge, Baden Brumbaugh, Daniel Koland, Ellie Hurst

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

This report outlines a strategic audit of Chipotle Mexican Grill and its business strategy and policies. The report dives into how Chipotle creates strategic value and competes in the fast-casual food industry. Chipotle’s strategic mission, Cultivate A Better World, motivates them to focus on sustainable practices involving farming, emissions, and water stewardship. Despite facing issues involving health concerns, Chipotle has recovered and positioned itself in a strong position for the near future. With its new CEO, Scott Boatwright, Chipotle has to navigate a crowded fast casual industry that faces market pressures from consumers around healthy eating.

Landscape Effects On The Beneficial Arthropod Community In Agriculturally Dominated Environments, Hannah E. Stowe

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Ecosystem services in agriculturally dominated regions rely, at least in part, on arthropods. Environment and biodiversity influence beneficial arthropods in population size, community structure, diversity, and ecosystem service provisioning. Predation is among the most important services provided by arthropods in agroecosystems. Understanding what alters predation and predator activity can support the successful application of biological control and, more broadly, integrated pest management. Land use and edge adjacency, field characteristics, landscape, seasonality, and diel period all alter predatory behavior. Crop fields dominate Nebraska agroecosystems, although interspersed perennial grasslands persist through the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). Such grasslands supply crucial resources and …

A Case Study On Readiness Of Engineers In Agricultural Technology Start-Ups, Katie Marie Mowat

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This dissertation explores the perceptions of practicing engineers regarding the skills necessary to be workforce-ready at agricultural technology (ag-tech) start-ups in the Midwestern United States. A qualitative case study methodology is leveraged, combining both interview and job description data. Given their uniqueness, the study divides the ag-tech start-up industry into two subcases: livestock and cropping systems. The Work Readiness Integrated Competence Model (WRICM) is used as the theoretical framework for this study and informs the conceptual framework and analysis processes. The study identified skills that fit into thirteen distinct categories, which are further grouped into four overarching resource groups. Skills …

Gene Editing Approaches To Improving Grain Amino Acid Profiles In Maize And Sorghum, Joseph Preston Hurst

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Maize grain is deficient in lysine. While the opaque2 mutation increases grain lysine, o2 is a transcription factor that regulates a wide network of genes beyond zeins, which leads to pleiotropic and often negative effects. Additionally, the drastic reduction in 19kDa and 22kDa alpha-zeins causes a floury kernel, unsuitable for agricultural use. Sorghum, closely related to maize, has a similar lack of lysine that can be corrected with prolamin alteration and also subject to the same deleterious kernel texture. CRISPR/cas9 gives researchers the ability to directly target genes of interest. In this research, gene editing was used to specifically target …

Understanding The Context Of Bullying: Examination Of The Healthy Context Paradox And Peer Acceptance For Students With Disabilities, Catherine Mae Carney

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

The purpose of this dissertation study was to examine how perceptions of school climate and social acceptance influence the relationship between bullying victimization and anxious and depressive symptoms for youth with and without disabilities. Students with disabilities are at increased risk for involvement in the bullying dynamic, both by bullying others and by experiencing victimization. Victims of bullying are more likely to experience peer rejection and greater internalizing problems, including higher levels of anxious and depressive symptoms. Research suggests that school-wide efforts to reduce bullying may leave some youth vulnerable to worse psychosocial outcomes, which has been called, “the healthy …

Optimizing Nitrogen Management: Assessing Nitrate Transport In The Deep Vadose Zone And Its Impact On Groundwater Quality In East-Central Nebraska, Muili O. Lawal

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Groundwater contamination by nitrate (NO₃-N) is a growing environmental and public health concern driven largely by intensive agricultural fertilizer applications. The vadose zone plays an important role in NO₃-N transport, influencing groundwater quality and agricultural sustainability. This study investigated NO₃-N leaching dynamics in the deep vadose zone of Water Quality Sub-Area 30 (WQA30) within the Lower Loup Natural Resources District (LLNRD), northeast of Columbus, Nebraska (mean groundwater NO₃-N: 20.3 mg/L), using soil cores from 16 shallow (to 6.1 m) and four deep (down to 25.9 m) across four zones, two with inorganic fertilizer (Zones 1 and 4) and two with …

Using Permutation Groups To Identify Families Of Capacity Achieving Codes, Daniel Welchons

Department of Mathematics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

When communicating over a noisy channel, the probability of message interference sets a maximum possible transmission rate known as the channel capacity. Any family of codes which have rates converging to the channel capacity and arbitrarily low probability of decoding failure is called capacity achieving. Such codes have been known to exist since the birth of information theory, but are difficult to find explicitly. It has recently been shown that the permutation groups of a family of codes can be used to show that the family is capacity achieving on the q-ary erasure channel.

This thesis seeks to apply the …

Environmental Effects On Preweaning Calf Health, Lindsay L. Waechter-Mead

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Neonatal calf health is an important factor in the productivity and profitability in the beef cattle industry, influencing preweaning survival, growth, and long-term performance. The overall objective of this thesis is to characterize risk factors that contribute to health issues in young beef calves. The first objective is to review literature exploring the environmental factors affecting preweaning morbidity and mortality, including hypothermia, precipitation, and wind. Management strategies such as the effect of environmental conditions of calving location, body condition score in dams at parturition, and the impacts of dystocia on calf health will also be discussed. Gaps in current research …

Modeling Degradation In Li-Ion Batteries: Analyzing Single-Cell Degradation And Applying It To Customized Pack-Level, Mohannad Y. Alkhalil

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The rapid expansion of lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery applications in areas such as electric vehicles (EVs), renewable energy storage, and portable electronics has drawn attention to the need for improving their performance, safety, and longevity. As Li-ion batteries become essential across technologies, understanding degradation mechanisms is critical for optimizing design and ensuring reliable operation. This work provides a detailed overview of modeling degradation in Li-ion batteries, focusing on single-cell behavior and its implications for pack-level performance.

The PyBaMM (Python Battery Mathematical Modeling) package, an open-source battery simulation tool written in Python, is used for single-cell simulations. Liionpack, another Python-based library, is …

“Re-Storying” Anne Shirley And The Adhd Child: A Crip Genealogy Of Anne Of Green Gables, Darian Aleyna Wilson

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This thesis explores the contested nature of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), focusing on its cultural and historical constructions. While ADHD has been included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders since 1980, its legitimacy remains a subject of debate across medical, disability studies, and historical scholarship. Using Eli Clare’s critique of diagnosis as a tool rather than a fact, this project examines how ADHD is both pathologized and re-storied within societal and medical discourses. It highlights the tension between medical classifications and lived experiences of those diagnosed with ADHD, particularly in the context of girlhood.

The central …

Queered Tradition: Disidentificatory Practices Of Queer-Affirming Religious Space, Amanda R. Peterson

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Responding to high rates of religious trauma in the United States, particularly for LGBTQ people, this study investigates the rhetorical moves made in protestant Christian spaces to consider what makes these spaces safe and affirming for queer people. Specifically, I consider the rhetorical impact these churches make through not only their space but also their liturgy and online presence, which informs the embodied experience of the space.

Through autoethnographic research, I look at three local churches—Metropolitan Community Church of Omaha, Urban Abbey, and Elevate Church–the first two queer-affirming and the third conservative. Findings show the various church elements negotiated with …

Finding A Choreographic Relationship Between Music And Dance Performance, Grace Dugas

Honors Theses

The choreographic project increase emerged from a choreographic curiosity about how the relationship between dance and music can influence each other within a contemporary dance performance. The choreographer was also interested in whether or not the audience can perceive the choreomusical relationship. The exploration of literature considered the aesthetic, educational, and accessibility differences between dance and music. This is followed by a detailed exploration of related terminology and ideas that choreographers can utilize. Lastly, the literature studied how the audience can perceive the choreomusical relationship presented in a dance performance. The choreographer, with the assistance of the dancers, generated movement …

A “Little” Solution To A Big Problem: A Documentary About The Hattiesburg Pocket Museum, Savannah Humber

Honors Theses

A “Little” Solution to a Big Problem is a documentary film that revolves around the Hattiesburg Pocket Museum and how it positively impacted its community during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Pocket Museum is a small alleyway located in downtown Hattiesburg, Mississippi and is filled with small objects, scenes, and fun activities. The thesis includes interviews with Vicki Taylor, creator of the Pocket Museum, and Lissa Ortego, the first artist to paint in the alleyway. They explain the history behind the museum, the circumstances that led to its creation, and how they kept the museum relevant during and after the COVID-19 …

Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story: A Comparative Analysis Of The Representations Of American Serial Killers In News And True Crime Media, Jenelle Walters

Honors Theses

Serial killers are a subject that have fascinated individuals for centuries in both news and entertainment media. Although research has been done on the representations of serial killers in news media, little research has attempted to connect the representations seen in the news media to those seen in true crime entertainment media. Through the use of four case studies, a comparative analysis was done to compare the framing seen in the original news articles, both local and national, to the framing seen in the later true crime films, documentaries, and series. Although the framing originally seen in the news media …

Investigating Students’ Proficiency Across Statistical Software And Preferences Of Statistical Software Design, Sabrina White

Honors College Theses

This paper investigated students’ perceptions of their proficiency with statistical software applications and their preferences regarding software features. Results indicated that students’ statistical and coding experience, as well as the specific application used, did not significantly influence their self-perceived proficiency. This suggests that it may be more effective to focus on building student skills within a chosen application, rather than tailoring the application to match existing student capabilities. While students showed clear preferences for certain features, favoring clarity over depth, flexibility over safeguards, and built-in checks over unrestricted freedom, these preferences generally leaned toward balanced design rather than extremes. This …

Simulations Of Magnetar Spin-Down Lifetimes Using Magnetic Braking Models, Sophie Wessel

Honors College Theses

The beginnings of magnetar lifetimes are not very well understood. It is important to improve our understanding of magnetar origins in order to investigate possible evolutionary connections to other classes of NS, such as X-ray dim isolated NSs (XDINSs). Here we follow in the steps of another paper1 in modeling the spin evolution of magnetars, utilizing two avenues of evolution: one involving exponential B-field decay, and the other involving suband super-exponential B-field decay. We replicate the results of the paper, utilizing Monte Carlo methods to generate and evolve synthetic populations of magnetars, which are then compared to the current known …

The Shifting Landscape Of Harm: Investigating The Phenomenon Of Concept Creep In Harm Perception, Jefferson Sherwood

Dissertations

Concept creep, the gradual semantic expansion of harm-related concepts (Haslam et al., 2020), is a phenomenon garnering increasing attention in the field of psychology and is examined in the context of shifting perceptions of what is considered harmful. While what is considered harmful has shifted throughout generations, why these shifts happen and what motivates society to accept these broadening definitions has yet to be explained. Up to this point individual differences such as activism, risk, empathy, stressful life events, and dark triad personality have yet to be investigated as potential contributors to the expansion of harm-related concepts. Thus, this group …

Unlocking Potential: How Disengagement And Reengagement Shape Performance And Well-Being, Asha Bradley

Dissertations

Task persistence can become problematic when individuals continue to perform challenging tasks unlikely to yield success. Instead, it may lead to frustration, burnout, and negative psychological outcomes. Recognizing when to disengage from these goals is essential for reallocating resources toward more attainable objectives by shifting focus to a new task rather than persisting on the same one. Ultimately, this promotes emotional well-being and resilience. No previous studies have experimentally examined the combined processes of disengagement and reengagement. This study investigates the temporal and causal effects of disengagement and subsequent reengagement with an alternative task, making it the first to experimentally …

Course Insight Portfolio: Math 1060 Calculus Of One Variable I, Julianne Barnhart, Rayna Elizabeth Maleki, Antsa Rakotondrafara

Publications

We presented this Course Insight Portfolio project as a final assignment for the class Teaching Undergraduate Math MATH 9700 in Summer 2025. It covers the Clemson class MATH 1060 Calculus of One Variable I and is a fruit of the collaborative work of Julianne Barnhart, Rayna Maleki, and Antsa Rakotondrafara.

Development And Practice Of Tribal Community Planning: Ensuring Indigeneity In The Planning Process, Jared E. Munster, Ph.D.

American Indian Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Quotients, Equivalence Relations, And Normality In Non-Associative Algebra With Regards To Loops And Quasigroups, Matthew L. Mulholland

All NMU Master's Theses

This thesis will contain a detailed overview of relations, quotients, normality, loops, quasigroups, and related theorems and varieties. Nonassociative algebra is a relatively new area of mathematics, it came about in the past hundred years, and has started making progress in the past 60 years. In nonassociative algebra, varieties do not necessarily satisfy associativity. Several interesting problems with relations, quotients, and normality arise from the setting of nonassociative algebra. In the language of equivalence relations, quotients, and subsets what are the conditions of normality, or existence of a subalgebra in quasigroups and loops? A quasigroup, Q, is defined to be …