Digital Commons Network^™

Frozen Identity: How Rigid Conceptions Of Sexuality Endanger Lesbian Asylum Claims, Mariajose De La Hoz

Northwestern Journal of Law & Social Policy

Bias, stereotypes, and antiquated conceptions of sexual orientation erect systemic barriers for lesbian women seeking asylum in the United States. Decision-makers with a limited understanding of LGBTQI+ identities impose expectations that reinforce stereotypes while discrediting applicants’ lived experiences. This results in adverse credibility determinations that distort evidentiary burdens and deny relief to applicants with legitimate claims. This Note examines how fixed conceptions of identity endanger the asylum process for lesbian women fleeing persecution based on their sexual orientation. Proposed solutions include statutory reforms, updated training for asylum officers, and a shift toward evaluating claims through the applicant’s lived experiences rather …

Stories We Become (April 23, 25, 2026), Lindenwood University

Student Dance Programs & Brochures

Event program for Stories We Become (April 23, 25, 2026), Lindenwood University.

“As Though You Could Never Sink”: Gender Euphoria Through Aquatic Embodiment In The Sun Also Rises, Devan Edwards

Honors Theses

Recent scholarship in disability studies and queer theory (2007-2024) reveals that Jake Barnes's war wound in Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises functions as something more complex than tragic loss. This paper argues that Jake's swimming and fishing scenes constitute moments of gender euphoria, a term borrowed from contemporary transgender studies, enabled specifically by aquatic embodiment. In these scenes, water functions as the physical and symbolic medium through which Jake's war-wounded body transcends the performative demands of 1920s heteronormative masculinity. Building on Michael Anesko's provocative reading of Jake as "accidentally transgendered" (Literature and Medicine, 2015) and Martina Kübler's argument that impotence …

The Boys From Syracuse, Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart, George Abbott

Taylor Theatre Playbills

The playbill for Taylor University's performance of The Boys from Syracuse with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Lorenz Hart, and the book by George Abbott.

Performed April 23-26, 2026 in the Mitchell Theatre at Taylor University.

The Boys from Syracuse by Rodgers and Hart is based on the play The Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare, likely written in the late 16th century. As is common for many Shakespearean plays, he adapted an older story, Plautus' Menaechmi, into his classic farce about two sets of twins, separated by a tragic sea accident, who find each other after many …

Modulating Acute Stress Reactivity: Behavioral Interventions And Caffeine-Linked Stress Physiology In College Students, Kaitlyn Smith

Honors Theses

College students frequently rely on caffeine to manage academic demands, yet its physiological and psychological effects on acute stress remain poorly understood. Although caffeine is known to increase cardiovascular arousal and self‑reported anxiety, little research has compared different caffeine sources within the same individuals or examined whether brief behavioral interventions can buffer these effects. Self‑affirmation, a short writing exercise centered on personal values, has been shown to reduce stress reactivity, but its interaction with caffeine‑induced arousal has not been tested. This within‑subjects study examines how coffee, energy drinks, and a no‑caffeine control influence acute cardiovascular and self‑reported stress responses, and …

Honors Voice Recital

Bailey School of Music Concert Programs

Honors Voice Recital

Professional Commitment As A Mediator Between Proqol, Resilience And Turnover Among Filipino Nurses, Ejay H. Ignacio

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

The current global nursing shortage is a significant issue with substantial implications for nursing practice. Increased nurse turnover will yield five percent of the total annual hospital operating costs, estimated to be around 5 trillion dollars annually, due to the cost of hiring and training new nursing staff. In the United States, Filipino immigrant nurses play an integral part in the healthcare systems to patch the critical staffing gaps. The changing landscape of healthcare system delivery in the US, threatens Filipino nurses to stay at their current jobs. This study aimed to explore the mediating effects of professional commitment in …

Institutional Timidity: Reading Len Rubinowitz Toward A Structural Theory Of Civil Rights Enforcement, Sheldon Bernard Lyke

Northwestern Journal of Law & Social Policy

This Article first documents institutional timidity in fair housing enforcement through Rubinowitz’s empirical account of HUD and then extends the analysis to higher education admissions. It shows that universities defending affirmative action uniformly adopted the diversity rationale while declining to argue that race-conscious admissions correct for bias embedded in their own criteria. These choices did not merely weaken outcomes; they also helped produce the doctrinal frameworks that later constrained them. In identifying institutional timidity as a mechanism of doctrinal production, this Article extends Rubinowitz’s insights across domains and into constitutional law. It concludes by proposing strategies that shift civil rights …

Restrain, Seclude, Repeat: Seeking Solutions To End The Troubled Teen Industry’S Cycle Of Harm, Elizabeth James

Northwestern Journal of Law & Social Policy

Although there is a consensus that children receiving mental health treatment in youth residential programs should only be restrained and secluded in emergency situations, youth residential program staff routinely restrain and seclude children in non-emergency situations, causing significant physical and psychological harm to the child and, on occasion, leading to the child’s death. Current federal and state laws do not adequately regulate this practice, nor correct a business model that wrongly prioritizes profits over a child’s well-being, but private action through 42 U.S.C. § 1983 may provide a powerful remedy to victims of the troubled teen industry and the necessary …

Rationale Behind Subtitle Usage In Non-Deaf Individuals Across Various Platforms, Jenna E. Kasselman

Honors Theses

Subtitles have a long history with the medium of audiovisual communication. Options for viewing media with added text have only increased with technology, and in the age of the internet, more accessible material is available than ever before. While numerous studies have been conducted on the beneficial effects of subtitles for both the deaf and the hearing, little academic publication has been done on the rates of subtitle usage, reasons for usage, and how that usage differs based on what media is being viewed. The current study examines subtitle usage, frequency of subtitle usage, and reasoning for that usage divided …

Second April 2026 Graduate Council Minutes, University Of Nebraska At Kearney Graduate Council

Graduate Council Minutes

No abstract provided.

An Ot Educational Program For Individuals With Upper And Lower Limb Amputations, Laurie R. Spinks Mrs, Cassandra Nelson

Spring 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

An OT approach to reducing prosthetic abandonment with an accessible guide to promote self sufficiency and community connections for individuals with amputations.

Liminality And Space In The Iliad And The Heike Monogatari, Jade Simmons

Theses and Dissertations

Both the Iliad and the Heike monogatari have received scholarly attention throughout the years, though rarely in comparison with one another. A few scholars, such as Tyler Creer and Naoko Yamagata, have attempted to examine the two side by side, but very little work has been done beyond their respective analyses. This is unsurprising as a cursory glance at the two texts suggests that they are too separated by time and space to warrant closer examination. I argue, however, that there is great value in analyzing the two side by side. Indeed, a closer look at these texts reveals that …

Gratitude And The Second Language Writer: The Effects Of Gratitude Journaling In The English Language Writing Classroom, Lauren Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Gratitude journaling interventions have repeatedly been shown to enhance wellbeing when conducted in participants’ first language (Emmons & McCullough, 2003; Sansone & Sansone, 2010), yet no studies to date have examined these practices in second language (L2) contexts. This mixed-methods quasi-experimental study investigated the effects of a six-week gratitude journaling intervention on adult L2 English writers enrolled in an intensive English program. Eleven writing classes (N = 183) were randomly assigned to either a gratitude journaling group or a neutral-events control group, with 123 participants completing all four stages of data collection. Trait gratitude and subjective wellbeing were measured pre-intervention, …

Sudden Cardiac Arrest & Newly Diagnosed Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy In A High School Athlete, Jacob Rolfes, Brent Holtgrewe, Mike Tzianos

2026 Student Academic Showcase

A high school soccer player experienced sudden cardiac arrest during competition and required immediate CPR and AED use. Following resuscitation, physicians ruled out commotio cordis and identified findings consistent with arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy, supported by a prolonged T-wave on EKG while all other laboratory and catheterization results were normal. The athlete later received an ICD and pacemaker, prompting significant physical, emotional, and lifestyle adjustments. This capstone project examines the emergency response, the role of trained medical personnel at sporting events, and the implications of early cardiac screening for adolescent athletes. Through consented family interviews, structured questionnaires, and case-based data collection, the …

The Weight Of Marijuana: Marijuana As A Gateway To Binge Eating, Hailey Proctor

2026 Student Academic Showcase

As many societies move toward the legalization of marijuana the other underlying side effects and symptoms of this drug must be analyzed so that users may be fully informed about the effects of their drug usage. Therefore, this exploratory project looks to evaluate the relationship between the use of marijuana as a recreational drug and binge eating. Throughout the project three main topics have been explored including the adverse outcomes of binge eating and over eating, how cannabis use can play a role in binge eating, and if binge eating can be a contributing factor in initiating the use of …

The Impact Of Prior Abusive Dating Experiences And Gender On Romance Scam Victimization And Monetary Loss, Trevor Rowe

Department of Psychology

Online romance scams are a rapidly expanding cybercrime that affects millions of people each year, financially and emotionally. This study examines an underexplored question: Will individuals with a greater number of abusive partners be more vulnerable to romance scam victimizations and lose more money? Adult dating app users (N = 518) completed an online survey. After controlling for being approached for relationships, those with a greater number of past abusive partners were more likely to be victims and lost more money. In addition, men reported a higher frequency of romance scam victimizations and more money loss.

The Necessity Of Adaptive Sports: Addressing Financial Barriers To Participation In Children With Spinal Cord Injuries, Megan G. Wells

Student Capstone Papers

 Children with spinal cord injuries (SCIs) experience numerous barriers to participation in adaptive sports despite the well-established physical, psychosocial, and developmental benefits of physical activity. Financial constraints, limited awareness of funding opportunities, and the complexity of grant application processes often prevent families from accessing adaptive sports programs and specialized equipment. The purpose of this doctoral capstone project was to develop a comprehensive financial guidebook for families of children with SCIs to address financial barriers to adaptive sports participation, promote physical activity, and improve overall quality of life. Guided by the Person-Environment-Occupation-Performance (PEOP) model, this doctoral capstone project addressed financial accessibility …

Limits To Human Reason, Violette Geerling

2026 Student Academic Showcase

Human reasoning operates on a continuum that integrates rational analysis with intuitive and emotionally driven thought. While rationality is often idealized as logical and evidence-based, irrational thinking is not merely a flaw; it often plays a functional or adaptive role. Drawing on work by Galotti (2008), Michalik-Jeżowska (2019), and others, this paper explores how reasoning interacts with unconscious processes in everyday decision-making, sports performance, and social behavior. Findings indicate that irrational cognitive tendencies, though often maladaptive, can, under certain conditions, enhance resilience, focus, and social cohesion. The integration of rational and irrational elements within human cognition illustrates the complexity and …

Dopamine, Addiction, And Cocaine, Addison Delisle

2026 Student Academic Showcase

Cocaine is a powerful stimulant that strongly affects brain function by altering the dopamine system. This project examines both the short- and long-term neurological effects of cocaine, focusing on molecular, cellular, and brain-wide changes. Short-term use increases dopamine in the synapse, causing intense euphoria, heightened alertness, and impaired decision-making. Repeated use leads to long-term changes, including fewer dopamine receptors, structural changes in the prefrontal cortex and striatum, and reduced synaptic plasticity, which contribute to addiction, cognitive problems, and emotional instability. Drawing on neuroimaging, behavioral studies, and molecular research, this project highlights how cocaine progressively reshapes brain circuits. Understanding these effects …

Understanding Attachment To God And Close Relationships After Perinatal Loss, Alicia Mcconachie

2026 Student Academic Showcase

Experiencing perinatal loss is a singular type of grief that can profoundly affect someone’s thoughts, feelings, connections with others, and sense of faith (Brier, 2008). However, research on attachment processes related to adjustment after perinatal loss is sparse. The parent study from which the data for the current project were taken aimed to assess the psychological, interpersonal, and religious correlates associated with perinatal loss in adults who suffered miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant loss in the past three years. The current secondary study focuses on attachment-related measures and their relationships with posttraumatic growth and stress symptoms. Participants were recruited using Prolific, …

An Exploratory Analysis Of A Regional Nonprofit & Family Services Organization, Alison Schrumpf, Eleri Tye, Hailey Veninga

2026 Student Academic Showcase

Nonprofit organizations are essential in supporting youth's mental health in their communities, and the data they collect allows us to evaluate program effectiveness and how services can be improved to better support their communities. This project aims to evaluate program and provider outcomes, client demographics, and assessment scores for a regional nonprofit and family services organization to better understand client success, program effectiveness, and the impact of COVID-19. The dataset includes client demographic information, programs, zip codes, first and last session assessment dates and scores, discharge types, and provider IDs. To investigate score changes, we are analyzing the correlation between …

Sensory-Friendly Environments In Schools, Jocelyn A. Ashworth, Rebecca King

Spring 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

Sensory-Friendly Environments in Schools focuses on strengthening sensory-motor lab use and building educator understanding to support students with sensory processing difficulties. Implemented at Sparta Elementary School within Belton ISD, with the goal to enhance students' regulation, attention, and participation in daily school activities by equipping educators with practical, sustainable sensory strategies.

Exam Analysis: A Quantitative Approach To Software Pedagogy, Christopher Shepard

Theses

Software engineering exams serve as a tool for evaluating a broad range of skills in the classroom, including theoretical understanding, practical application, and process reasoning. Despite their importance, post-assessment analysis is often overlooked, and the absence of structured reflection by instructors can limit their effectiveness and mask patterns in student performance. By treating exams as data, educators can uncover trends that drive more effective teaching strategies, refine evaluation methods, and work to strengthen student support systems. We conducted a systematic analysis of existing exam data and administered a student survey to determine if student perceptions align with actual outcomes, asking …

The Effects Of Oleuropein In Olive Leaf Extract Alone Or Combined With Calcitriol On The Viability And Migration Of Human Endometrial Cells In Vitro, Katelyn Devereaux

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting approximately 10% of reproductive-aged women worldwide and is commonly associated with pelvic pain, infertility, and reduced quality of life. Current management strategies, including hormonal therapies and surgical intervention, often provide only temporary relief and are associated with recurrence and adverse effects. These limitations highlight the need for alternative, non-hormonal therapeutic approaches that target underlying inflammatory and cellular mechanisms of disease progression.

This study evaluated the effects of oleuropein, contained within an olive leaf extract, and calcitriol, the active form of vitamin D, on cellular viability and migration in immortalized human endometriotic epithelial (12Z) …

When Teachers Can’T Say Gay: Understanding Teacher Allyship In Lgbtq+-Restrictive School Environments, Judith Shaffer

Doctorate in Education

Research consistently shows that school-based support, safety, and inclusion are essential to the wellbeing of LGBTQ+ children and youth. Over the past decade, however, U.S. public schools have seen a sharp increase in anti-LGBTQ+ laws and policies that restrict or prohibit LGBTQ+ equity and inclusion. While the harm these policies inflict on LGBTQ+ students is well documented, far less attention has been given to their impact on teacher allies working in environments where allyship is viewed as inappropriate or unlawful. This phenomenologically informed qualitative study examined how public school teachers who identify as LGBTQ+ allies navigate their professional roles under …

Beyond Measurable Success: An Autoethnographic And Phenomenological Study Of Resilience And Educational Transformation After Incarceration, Robert L. Hudson

Graduate Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine how formerly incarcerated students make meaning of their higher education experiences as a means of navigating systemic barriers, fostering resilience, and reconstructing identity during post-incarceration reintegration. Existing scholarship on formerly incarcerated students in higher education emphasizes barriers, recidivism, and completion outcomes while paying limited attention to the subjective meaning making processes through which students interpret their educational experiences (Abeyta, 2022; Bozick et al., 2018; Donaldson & Viera, 2021). Formerly incarcerated learners have largely been positioned as subjects of inquiry rather than as knowledge producers about their own educational lives. This qualitative study …

Project Evaluation Of A Workplace Violence Prevention Program At A Rural Hospital, Stacy Ochoa-Sofoifa, Yolanda L. Rodriquez, Melissa Bowe, Teresa Mendoza

Publications 2026-present

No abstract provided.

An Examination Of The Value Of Study Abroad When Learning A Foreign Language: A Study Of Differing Student Outcomes. To What Extent Does Studying Abroad Enhance A Language Learning Experience?, Julie Syler

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to articulate the importance of learning a foreign language and examine the value of studying abroad when learning a foreign language, by conducting qualitative research on different study abroad experiences. There is an ongoing discussion of the importance of foreign language learning and whether or not it is a beneficial endeavor. This literature review explores the benefits of foreign language learning to demonstrate their impact and how they occur when studying abroad. Furthermore, this investigation examines how and why study abroad experiences promote language acquisition. The improvements in communication and understanding in a foreign …

How Ai-Enabled Hiring Affects Organizational Health? Challenges And Future Direction, Shiza Hirani

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

In today’s competitive landscape of hiring, organizations are responsible to not only maintain ethical integrity, ensure fairness, and protect job applicants' privacy, but also uphold a more data-driven and streamlined approach to save time per hire. The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into the workplace presents opportunities such as enhanced productivity, efficiency, and creation of new roles. However, the widespread implementation of AI also raises ethical and privacy challenges that can deteriorate organizational health. AI-driven systems can inadvertently introduce biases and black box properties in hiring decisions which can erode trust and transparency, compromise employee privacy, and increase psychological stress …