Digital Commons Network^™

Dis/Remembrance: Expressions Of Intergenerational Memory And Where Legacy Lingers: American Warfare, 50 Years From Saigon, Eli(Se) Davidson

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Over fifty years from the Fall of Saigon, the United States continues to question its participation in unjust warfare, both as a nation and as a people. This study examines the transmission of war stories amongst families: specifically, what becomes negotiated in the thresholds of memory and narrative, and what might become of those spaces across past, present, and future. While prior discourse has centered on the authority and authenticity of war memory through political discourse, historical narrative, and public memorialization, the role of storytelling within families remains underexplored. This research addresses that gap through interdisciplinary inquiry and qualitative ethnography …

Compassion In A Warrior Culture: Emotionally Supportive Leadership Among U.S. Military Veterans A Phenomenological Study, Peter Hofmann Phd

Leadership Studies

This qualitative phenomenological study examines how U.S. military veterans with leadership experience describe and make sense of emotionally supportive leadership within the context of a traditionally hierarchical and stoic military culture. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with veterans across service branches, the study explores how participants interpret relational leadership behaviors involving care, responsibility, and responsiveness to others’ suffering, and how these behaviors are shaped, constrained, or legitimized within a warrior-oriented institutional context. Particular attention is given to veterans who self-identify with service-connected conditions, as their experiences illuminate how leadership identity and emotional regulation evolve during and after military service. Participants consistently …

Recovery And Evaluation Of A Germanium Infrared Camera, Michael Paszek

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Short-wave infrared imagers made of germanium are a promising way to extend silicon-compatible imaging beyond the visible spectrum. They also use mature CMOS fabrication and readout electronics. This thesis details the recovery, initialization, and evaluation of a germanium focal plane array (FPA) infrared camera system using both a sealed TriWave camera and a modular prototype platform. Functionality was restored to this legacy hardware, and repeatable testing workflows were established for evaluating packaged infrared imagers under controlled indoor and outdoor conditions. The prototype used a custom software interface named Merlott for evaluation, and it followed a standard sequence that included checking …

The Fantasy Of Power An Examination Of Magic In Fantasy Novels As It Relates To Modern Western Political History, Noah Stepp

Theses & ETDs

When examining the genre of Fantasy literature, one can draw a parallel between the political landscape of the author’s time and the conflicts within the fantasy novels that are produced by said author. Using the symbol of magic within these novels, one can understand how the authors of this genre from J.R.R. Tolkien to CS Lewis to Neil Gaiman and JK Rowling perceive the nature of power in a governmental sense. In these novels, these four authors from two very different time periods in the modern era, The World Wars and the end of the Cold War with the beginning …

Freedom At The Polls: Guns, Speech, And The Right To Vote, Matthew B. Russett

William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal

Part I of this Note provides a brief overview of current firearm prohibitions at polling locations and examines the legislative justifications for these restrictions. Recently, an increasing number of states have enacted firearm prohibitions as a prophylactic measure against voter intimidation and disruption. Part II applies New York State Rifle & Pistol Ass’n v. Bruen’s history and tradition test to determine whether these prohibitions pass constitutional muster under the Second Amendment. Indeed, a critical examination of historical voting laws in America shows a compelling history of limiting firearms near polling locations. Part III examines similar themes in First Amendment …

J.R.R. Tolkien’S Creation Of The Modern Fantasy Genre As A Response To Modernity By Way Of A Return To A Past Inspired By The Middle Ages, As Revealed Through The Creatures Of Middle-Earth, Regarding Race, Gender, Empire, And Religion, Jonathan Levitt

Doctoral Dissertations

Fantasy authors existed well before and during J.R.R Tolkien’s time, but he brought a new gravitas to the genre, building upon but disposing of and reconceptualizing conventional notions (such as the presence of fairies) to earn his moniker as the father of the modern fantasy genre. Although Tolkien’s stories are inspired by Northern myths, the world he creates is to be understood as historically real, as it incorporates authentic linguistic and cultural underpinnings of a society informed by his experience as a philologist and professor of Anglo Saxon. The intensity and longevity of Tolkien’s influence on the literary world and …

Romantasy's Inevitable Lasting Legacy, Devon T. Gibson

Honors Theses

The “romantasy” subgenre of YA literature has become influential for its novel combination of romance and fantasy as well as its popularity on Booktok, the book-based subsection of the popular social media app, Tiktok. This connection has become somewhat infamous in popular culture and has been underresearched due to how recently both concepts became significant forces within the publishing industry. This thesis argues that romantasy is a novel and lasting YA subgenre that is not dependent on Booktok to maintain it. The analysis of Sarah J. Maas’ A Court of Thorns and Roses (2015) and Rebecca Yarros’ Fourth Wing (2023) …

Here’S To Screaming And Healing: An Exploration Of Women’S Intergenerational Experienced Trauma Through Performance, Bellah Noelle Crawford

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis contains a glimpse into the inner workings of my process as an actor in approaching the role of Hecuba in The Trojan Women, the application of process in performance, script analysis, and the relevancy of the play’s thematic content as it relates to my artistry, womanhood, and our modern world. Additionally, I will offer insight into the creation of my one person show – Mr. Sandman. I will discuss the inspiration that curated the play, how it finds societal relevancy, and the performative aspect of cultivating a solo theatrical piece. It includes the lineage between both productions and …

Examining Institutional And Personal Barriers To Women's Participation In The U.S. Foreign Service In Comparison To Scandinavian Countries, Isabella R. Thompson

Political Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

What explains women’s underrepresentation in the United States Foreign Service? The United States Foreign Service Act of 1980 claims that the foreign service needs to be “truly representative of the American people throughout all levels.” Women also constitute the majority in such fields as political science and international relations, which often lead to a career in foreign service. If there are no legal obstacles to women’s entry into foreign service and women are the majority in the education systems that lead to a career in foreign service, then why are women not participating? Existing explanations focused on structural factors such …

Collaboration And Betrayal: Pius Xi And A Changing World, Nathan B. Higgins

Honors Scholar Theses

From the negotiations over the 1929 Lateran Accords to the start of World War II in 1939, the Holy See delicately navigated a turbulent diplomatic period. In the preceding century, the Catholic Church saw much of its temporal power decline as European states became more secular, and the pope lost the Papal States during the Risorgimento. Amid the decline in station, the rise of atheistic communism in Russia, Mexico, and Spain posed an existential to the Church, which Pope Pius XI would challenge during his pontificate. To confront this threat, he would work alongside Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany …

Just Roll With It: Literacy And Community Building In Hobby Board Gaming, Mackenzie C. Allen

English Undergraduate Honors Theses

With the rise in popularity of hobby board gaming in the last 25 years, their usefulness to studying adult engagement in literacy has emerged as a new avenue of exploration. Although there has been a large amount of research into how board games can be designed and played with learning in mind, the study of recreational board games in the context of literacy and community is lacking. This thesis explored the means through which board games played in recreational settings act as tools of literacy. Through direct gameplay of 36 games across 6 months, qualitative data was gathered in pursuit …

Reclaiming Suppressed Symbols: Yoruba Iconography And Nuyorican Identity In The Art Of Nitza Tufiño, Ariana Williams

Theses

This thesis examines the work of Afro-Puerto Rican artist Nitza Tufiño through Yoruba iconography, diasporic memory, and gendered Nuyorican identity. Grounded within the cultural and political context of the Nuyorican Movement of the 1960s and 1970s and, this study argues that Tufiño’s visual practice reframes suppressed African spiritual symbols through a woman-centered perspective, positioning Black femininity and spiritual labor as sites of resistance to colonial erasure and racial marginalization. Drawing upon Yoruba-derived cosmologies, Santería, and processes of visual syncretism, Tufiño integrates African, Indigenous Taíno, and Caribbean traditions to articulate a gendered visual language rooted in care, ritual, and collective memory. …

Staging Collapse: Anita Berber’S Cocaine And Morphium As Disability Aesthetic Performance, Blair Summers

Theses

This thesis examines Anita Berber’s performances Cocaine and Morphium within the cultural climate of Weimar Germany, where the body became closely tied to ideals of health, productivity, and national renewal. Through the framework of disability aesthetics as defined by Tobin Siebers, this study argues that Berber transforms addiction, collapse, and bodily decay into a visual and affective language of artistic and political critique. Rather than present the body as disciplined or morally ideal, Berber stages instability, excess, and death through gesture, costume, set design, and music. In doing so, she reimagines the stigmatized female body as a site of agency …

The Racial And Ethnocentric Implications Of Modern Chemical Warfare In Asia, Caitlin Lipscomb

History

This thesis examines the relationship between racial and ethnocentric ideologies and the use of chemical weapons in twentieth‑century Asia. While chemical warfare is often analyzed as a technological or legal issue, this study argues that its deployment was deeply shaped by racial hierarchies that rendered Asian populations acceptable targets for forms of violence considered illegitimate in Europe. Chemical weapons were not merely military tools but instruments embedded in imperial, colonial, and Cold War worldviews. Through six case studies—the Second Sino‑Japanese War, the Korean War, the Malayan Emergency, the Vietnam War, and covert American operations in Laos and Cambodia—this project traces …

Ai And The Ethos Of Education: Reflections On Human Learning Past And Present, Melanie Trotochaud

Yale Divinity School Theses

This thesis reflects on contemporary issues of “Artificial Intelligence” (AI), while also bringing into conversation 12th century Christian mystic and polymath Hildegard Von Bingen and 18th century Humanist philosopher Giambattista Vico. Hildegard’s and Vico’s contexts philosophically and historically share similarities to our present moment: reassessing our humanity and learning in times of technological, economic, and social shifts. Holding up their writing to various conversations about our contemporary world helps illuminate the present. Key aspects of the discussion include what constitutes tools or technologies, the agency we have in choosing to use or not to use them, and how we make …

Reorganizing The Administrative State: Executive Ambition And Legislative Constraint, Jordan Graber

Fordham Law Review

Beginning in the 1930s, Congress enacted a series of statutes granting presidents the authority to initiate reorganizations of the administrative state. Under these reorganization statutes, the president determined any necessary changes in agency organization and submitted a reorganization proposal to Congress, which could approve or reject the plan. Over the next fifty years, the president and Congress worked cooperatively to promote the effective and efficient functioning of the administrative state.

Despite the successful reorganization initiatives undertaken pursuant to these statutes, Congress has not conferred reorganization authority on any president in the last four decades. As a result, the organization of …

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.

The Emperor Julian As The Lynchpin Of Ammianus Marcellinus’ Histories, Sebastian Peavy

Theses & ETDs

Ammianus Marcellinus prized Julian as his hero in his histories. This paper explores this fact through intratextual analysis. It explores the depiction of the emperors and usurpers Constantius II, Gallus, Valentinian I, Valens, Procopius, Silvanus, and Barbatio through the lens of Julian as the central point of comparison. The paper explores Julian’s own depiction in Ammianus, including his domestic policy, his foreign policy, and the rebellion that elevated him to being emperor. The paper explores domestic and foreign policy for Constantius, Valentinian, Valens, and draws parallels between these elements in their reigns and that of Julian as depicted in Ammianus’ …

The Impact Of Ai-Generated Celebrity Endorsements In Political Advertising, Ryann M. Richards

Journalism Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study examines how celebrity endorsements and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) influence voter perceptions in elections. To study the relationship between celebrity endorsements and AI, I used an experiment embedded in a survey with two conditions: one AI-generated celebrity endorsement and one AI-generated non-celebrity endorsement. Both endorsements were for a fictional candidate running for office on a platform of supporting maximum age limits of elected officials. In the celebrity condition, an AI-generated version of Dolly Parton’s voice was used. Participants then reported their perceptions of favorability, trustworthiness, recognition, fandom, and policy support. The results showed that participants who …

An Alternative To Armageddon: O.P. Weyland And The Development Of Tactical Air Power, Paul Wells

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Theorists and advocates of air power argued that aircraft, not ground forces, would become the dominant platform for victory in war. They promoted the concept of strategic bombing, using aircraft to bypass ground forces and directly attack a nation's industrial capacity to wage war, hoping to ensure quick victory and avoid a repeat of the prolonged slaughter in the trenches of WWI. In 1947, led by advocates of strategic bombing, the United States Air Force (USAF) became an independent and equal branch of the U.S. military. The USAF developed the Strategic Air Command (SAC) to meet the requirements of the …

Utilizing 3d Scanning Workflows For Interdisciplinary Applications: Processing, Optimizing, And Deployment Of Digital Models, Dakota J. Garrett

Master of Fine Arts in Digital Media Culminating Experience

This study explores the development of 3D scanning workflows focused on transforming raw scan data into high-quality, application-ready digital models. While scanning technologies have advanced significantly, the processes required for cleaning, reconstructing, and optimizing data remain complex and underrepresented. Through a series of applied case studies, this research examines geometry processing, AI-assisted texture enhancement, small artifact scanning workflows, and the integration of LiDAR with 3D Gaussian Splatting (3DGS). Each project emphasizes the decisions, challenges, and techniques used to move from raw capture to final output, highlighting the importance of adapting workflows based on object scale, material properties, and intended use. …

Misusing Mariátegui: The Strategic Use Of José Carlos Mariátegui By Peru’S Sendero Luminoso, Shaylee Luedders

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Peruvian Communist Party - Sendero Luminoso (SL) was a violent communist guerrilla group that was active in Peru in the 1980s and early 1990s. SL’s guiding ideology was “Gonzalo Thought,” named for the Party’s leader, Abimael Guzmán, who was known to his followers as Presidente Gonzalo. Greatly inspired by Marxism-Leninism-Maoism, Gonzalo Thought also drew heavily from the work of José Carlos Mariátegui, an early 20th-century socialist Peruvian intellectual. One of Mariategui’s key ideas held that the Inca Empire was communist and that living Indigenous Peruvians retained this pre-modern “communist spirit.” For him, this meant that authentic Peruvian institutions and …

“We Have Not Failed Our Country In The Past; We Shall Not Fail Her In The Future.”: The Army National Guard In Peace And War During The Interwar Period And World War Ii, Bearington C. Curtis

Dissertations

This dissertation explores one of the most fundamental questions in the War & Society field of American history: how the American people organize for war and how the citizenry has negotiated with themselves and their government to formulate a compromise that is culturally acceptable and militarily practical. Addressing such an elemental yet sweeping question of how a society organizes for war necessitates engagement with a broad swath of historiography, including institutional history, traditional and new military history, cultural assumptions of race and masculinity, politics, and civil-military relations. By taking a holistic approach, the various interests that shaped American military policy …

Are Brothers Of Italy And National Rally Really Fascist? An Analysis Of Fascism In Europe And Case Study Of Two Modern European Political Parties., Alexander Konuch

Theses & ETDs

This thesis is a qualitative case study of the parties Rassemblement National in France and Fratelli d’Italia in Italy. They have been called fascist by both political opponents and some proponents in the media, this thesis attempts to verify this claim. To do so, the thesis reviews the past 80 years of literature on fascism to create a taxonomy of the concept, since there is not a single academic consensus about what exactly “fascism” is. Using this literature, this taxonomy of fascism is comprised of 12 characteristics, where a characteristic match of 10/12 points would provide substantial evidence to call …

Simulated Battles, Real Lessons: Analyzing The Impact Of The U.S. Navy’S Fleet Problems On Battle In The Pacific War, Jackson T. Volkert

Master's Theses

The historiography of the Pacific Theater of World War II is thorough in regard to its coverage of the war itself. The technology, doctrine, and personnel practices of both the Imperial Japanese Navy and the United States Navy are well understood by historians in the field. In addition to this, a less thorough but still healthy understanding exists as to how the belligerents in question adopted the methods and tactics they used on the battlefields of the Pacific. What currently exists in this field of study places more analytical emphasis on the cultural and strategic level impacts of the interwar …

Revised - The Role Of Gad67/65 In The Therapeutic Effects Of Ketamine And Fluoxetine In Fear-Conditioned Mice, Alex G. Ottimer

All NMU Master's Theses

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a chronic psychiatric disorder and the most common disorder following exposure to a traumatic event. The most commonly used drugs in PTSD treatment are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), though only about 50% of patients respond to this treatment. Previous work in our lab demonstrated the combination of chronic fluoxetine (FLX) and acute ketamine treatment decreased fear response in a contextual fear paradigm in male C57/BL mice. In rodents, fear conditioning (FC) is commonly used in the literature to induce behaviors related to PTSD. The mammalian central fear memory circuit involves a dynamic interplay between …

Kazakhstan And The Middle Corridor Initiative: Assessing The Influence Of China And Türkiye, Delaney Staples

Theses & ETDs

China seeks to change the world by becoming the new global hegemon in the face of waning U.S and Western dominance. The PRC’s primary function to achieve this is its Belt and Road Initiative that commenced in 2013. This global infrastructure project seeks to spread China’s economic model while increasing Chinese bilateral agreements with other developing countries. Turkiye and Kazakhstan as discussed in this thesis are two key components of this initiative, specifically crossing the routes of the Middle Corridor (MCI) that passes from China, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and into Turkiye to reach European markets. These land routes call back …

Living Doll: Puppetry, Performance, And The Art Of Greer Lankton, Madison Lee

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis argues that puppetry is the animating logic of Greer Lankton's practice. Drawing on archival evidence—including letters, planners, and drawings—it recovers an engagement with puppetry spanning childhood through her final years, and applies puppet theory to argue that Lankton understood selfhood as something made, not given.

“One Object Yields Both Grief And Joy”: Death In Elizabeth Cary’S The Tragedy Of Mariam (1613), Valeria Suprunova

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis argues that the dialog between early ancient Roman and early modern English traditions of death and dying helps illuminate the complex relationship between tyranny and death in Elizabeth Cary’s The Tragedy of Mariam (1613) and that death is an inextricable and dynamic element of the text.

They Returned Fighting: World War I, Disillusionment, And The Remaking Of African-American Political Life In New York City, Michael Frank

Theses and Dissertations

They Returned Fighting examines how Black New Yorkers used World War I service, wartime activism, and postwar protest to press claims to citizenship and democracy, even as racial violence, discrimination, and contested public memory exposed the limits of that belonging in New York City and the United States.