Digital Commons Network^™

Mixed-Member Proportional Representation And The U.S. House Of Representatives: Replication Data And Code, Alex Keena

Political Science Data

The use of single-seat districts and majoritarian rules for legislative elections is associated with many problems in American politics. However, this method of electing legislators to the U.S. House of Representatives can be reformed through acts of Congress. We investigate the potential of mixed-member electoral systems, which have gained popularity among reformers for potentially providing the “best of both worlds." We review the comparative scholarship to clarify the mechanics of mixed-member systems, particularly how mixed-member proportional systems (MMP) balance the representational goals of dyadic, localized representation with proportional party representation. We model an MMP system for the House to see …

Student Performance And Study Habits: A Multiple Regression Analysis, Alyssa A. Zichichi, Zaineb Hedhili Razki

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2026

The purpose of this project is to study which academic and lifestyle variables are related to a student's performance index. In this dataset, the response variable is Performance Index, and the predictors are Hours Studied, Previous Scores, Extracurricular Activities, Sleep Hours, and Sample Question Papers Practiced. The question is whether these variables help explain differences in student performance and which predictors appear to be the strongest.

This study gave us the opportunity to learn how to approach analysis after real-world data collection, and what the expected relationships between our variables should be. We also learned how to find limitations in …

Community Outreach At Healthy Start Coalition Of Osceola County, Ben John

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2026

The Healthy Start Coalition of Osceola County (HSCOC) is a state and federally funded non-profit organization dedicated to providing comprehensive prenatal and postnatal care to mothers and families. This abstract details a professional internship focused on enhancing community outreach and systemic efficiency. HSCOC manages diverse programs, including care coordination, home visiting, risk screening, and Fetal and Infant Mortality Review (FIMR), working closely with regional OBGYN providers to identify and support at-risk participants through evidence-based interventions.

A central component of this internship involved addressing a critical gap in the local system of care: the tendency for uninsured pregnant women to utilize …

Hope Walks Here: Raising Funds And Awareness For Suicide Prevention At Ucf, Tobey Smith

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2026

Student organizations Active Minds UCF Chapter and HOPE at UCF teamed up with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) to host an Out of the Darkness Campus Walk. These campus walks are AFSP’s signature student fundraising series which are designed to engage youth and young adults in the fight to prevent suicide, a leading cause of death. This event's purpose was to raise awareness, promote resources, and support those affected by saving lives and bringing hope. As a community, this walk raised over $20,000 for AFSP and reached over 400 participants. This student-led initiative brought the UCF campus together …

Social Media, Fitness, Gender, And Rhetoric, Emily M. Potts

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2026

The goal for this study was to find how TikTok uses rhetoric to argue about effective workout routines for males versus females and what values or ideologies does this rhetoric help to promote. People tend to take health and fitness advice from social media although it is not the most creditable place. Understanding how people on TikTok use rhetoric to argue about effective workouts for males versus females and what values and ideologies this rhetoric helps to promote is a gap, although it affects a significant amount of people in today's society.

To discover how rhetoric is used in this …

Harvesting Hope In Central Florida With Second Harvest Food Bank, Shayna Caddell, Lucia Hernandez, Correna Bartow, Jonathan Lungstrum, Kevin Wechsler

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2026

We conducted a culture audit on Second Harvest Food Bank, where we examined the organization and its enacted and espoused values. We used the Social Change Model and the 7Cs to evaluate our observations.

We completed this by individually volunteering for 15 hours. We did many tasks including but not limited to, examining donations, packaging meat, and boxing up meals. Throughout our time, our group learned about the different processes this organization uses. Based on concepts from our Intermediate Foundations of Leadership class and our interview with Sarah Heath, Volunteer Lead, we were able to reflect on how Second Harvest …

Leading With Our Hearts, Ananya Agarwal

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2026

This past semester I volunteer with hearts for the homeless Orlando where I performed health screenings on homeless people and contributed to donation drives. Hearts for the homeless has a very rich history. It was founded by a former UCF Student Andrew Aboujaoude, who was also a fellow Lead Scholar. He saw a very large issue in the homeless community that hypertension or high blood pressure was one of the leading causes of death. He created hearts for the homeless to help solve this issue by bringing free regular health screenings to the homeless community of Orlando.  Hearts for the …

Strength Of Association Between High Blood Pressure And Dementia Mortality In Adults, Ryan J. Wells

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2026

Dementia refers to a number of conditions that lead to a decline in cognitive function, with several overlapping symptoms such as a disruptions in thinking, impairments of social abilities, and memory loss being a key indication, among many other signs. These factors may become more apparent as the aging population is at a significantly higher risk. With that being said, it remains important for dementia and its related conditions to receive the attention they deserve to promote the well-being of those affected.

The objective behind the study was to dive into the potential relationship between high blood pressure (hypertension) and …

Beyond The Visual, Allison B. Wallner

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2026

We are surrounded by language and design daily. With the age of technology and social media, we are interacting with it more than ever before. Social platforms such as Spotify, the interest of my research, rely on carefully crafted language and design on their platform in order to shape user behavior. Their goal being to keep user engagement. Throughout my study I explored three main sections: Easter eggs, the AI DJ, and comparing the algorithm of certain shuffle features in order to better understand how such apps bring attention to their features and maintain attention from their users. My results …

Putting Patients First: My Experience Working With Orlando Health, Usman S. Ahmed

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2026

This showcase is a narrative of my experience as a volunteer for Orlando Health. Orlando Health is a non-profit organization that operates a network of general and specialty hospitals across Orlando. Their stated mission is “To improve the health and quality of life of the individuals and communities we serve”. As part of my service, I volunteered at two of their locations: the Dr. P. Phillips Hospital, and the Spring Lake Medical Pavilion. At the Dr. P. Phillips Hospital, I restocked hospital supplies, helped managed patient records, and served as a liaison between patients and nursing staff. At the Spring …

Battling Human Trafficking: How Social Media Advertising Influences Awareness, Cami Dobson, Addyson Jones, Giovanni Gioia, Alexandra Boveil

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2026

In our Principles of Advertising class, our group analyzed an anti-human trafficking non-profit organization, The Lifeboat Project, to create an ad campaign. Specifically, we focused on how to utilize social media in order to reach a target demographic. The Lifeboat Project aims to raise awareness on human trafficking, while also supporting victims through their resources. The purpose of our project was to promote the organization's goal of visibility and prevention tools.

First, we developed our target audience, and created a target persona. We conducted research on the organization and competitors. Using this information, we constructed survey questions, and distributed them …

Trouble In Paradise: Tracking Tropicalization On Mosquito Lagoon Oyster Reefs, Gabriel T. Silva, Maya Kurian, Katherine Manzelli, Kye Pollard, Johanne Hunt, Avarey Johnson, Kiara Cuevas-Gutierrez, Giavanna Harrington, Giles Cherkaoui, Anya Spara, Tai Powell, Jacob Mclean, Ryan Chin, Kriztian Milanes, Nicholas Groves, Michael Theobald, Justin Moya, Melissa Vance, Logan Chapman, Jordyn Delikat

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2026

Climate change has caused average temperatures across the globe to increase and the frequency of freezing events in temperate climates to decrease, leading to tropical species moving polewards. This process, known as tropicalization, has been documented on the eastern coast of Florida as the tropical red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) encroaches into temperate communities once defined by the eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica). Mosquito Lagoon, located within the Indian River Lagoon (IRL) system, is one community that has experienced an increase of 198% in mangrove coverage on intertidal oyster reefs between 1984 and 2017. Although the frequency of freezes has decreased in …

Perceptions Of Social Mobility And Their Impact On Attitudes Toward Universal Basic Income, Casey S. Courtright

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2026

Despite the fact that social mobility has been declining in recent generations, meritocratic beliefs and a desire to maintain the status quo remain high among Americans. This may be in part due to Americans' tendency to be overoptimistic about their economic prospects. Could these inaccurate beliefs about social mobility be related to a lack of support for policies that address income inequality?

The proposed study aims to explore how people perceive social mobility in the United States and the impact those perceptions have on their attitudes toward universal basic income (UBI) policies. To test this, I developed a cross-sectional, quantitative …

Musculoskeletal Stress Markers Caused By Occupational Stress And Its Relation To Sex, Madison E. Torres, Sage Rohrer

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2026

The excavation of the site of San Pedro, Belize, uncovered the skeletal human remains of 46 individuals that were naturally preserved well enough in sand to be studied. These remains belonged to ancient Maya, dating back to the Terminal Postclassic to Historic period (c. 1450–1700 CE), who had been buried under what is now the Sands Hotel. This population was part of a small fishing village. These people likely led a labor-intensive lifestyle, which would lead to the skeletal remains showing signs of Musculoskeletal Stress Markers (MSM). This stems from the theory that the males of this village would carry …

The Association Between Sedentary Behavior And Heart Disease Mortality Rates Among Florida Residents., Umed Norkulov

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2026

This research project examines the association between sedentary behavior and Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) mortality among Florida residents. As heart disease remains the leading cause of death in Florida, identifying modifiable risk factors is a public health priority. This study utilizes an ecological design to analyze age-adjusted mortality rates across Florida’s 67 counties, correlating them with the prevalence of sedentary lifestyles reported via the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS).

Key findings indicate that sedentary behavior exceeding 10 hours per day is an independent risk factor for heart disease, increasing risk by 8% to 18%, regardless of other physical activity …

Punta Gorda, Honduras: History, Culture, And The Heart Of The Garifuna People, Chassidy Diaz

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2026

Along the northern coast of Honduras, where the Caribbean Sea meets lush tropical landscapes, lies the village of Punta Gorda, a place where history, culture, and identity intertwine. Known as one of the earliest Garifuna settlements in Central America, Punta Gorda is more than just a village; it is a living testament to resilience and heritage. The Garifuna people, descendants of West African, Indigenous Caribbean, and Arawak ancestries, arrived on these shores in the late 18th century after being exiled from St. Vincent and the Grenadines, bringing with them a rich cultural legacy that continues to thrive today.

In Punta …

Predicting Vehicle Combat Effectiveness In Ukraine, Griffin Seel, Cameron Cummins, John O'Toole, Andrew Alexander

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2026

The 2022 Russia-Ukraine conflict has been a series of relentless tragedies for the people of Ukraine, as well as the ultimate test for NATO defense initiatives. Today, over 3000 Armored Fighting Vehicles (AFV’s) from across NATO member states have been contributed to the Ukrainian army, doubling the size of its armored divisions since 2021. With vehicles sent in from nations as far away as the United States and Sweden, many are asking which vehicles have proved their worth, what makes these vehicles fit to survive on a modern battlefield, and what lessons can we take from the last 4 years …

The Impact Of Artificial Intelligence On Student Learning Outcomes, Aubrey A. Jung

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2026

This study examines factors that predict the perceived impact of artificial intelligence tool usage on academic grades among Indian college students. Using a dataset of 3614 Google Forms survey responses collected in May 2025 (Kapilavayi, 2025), a multiple linear regression model was developed with Impact_on_Grades (-5 to +5) as the response variable. After exploratory data analysis, model diagnostics, and model selection procedure, the final model retained the variables: Do_Professors_Allow_Use, AI_Tools_Used, Trust_in_AI_Tools, Preferred_AI_Tool, Daily_Usage_Hours, and the interaction term Daily_Usage_Hours x Do_Professors_Allow_Use. The final model was statistically significant with F - 4.578 and p = 1.225 x 10^-9, also having an adjusted …

Archaeological Use-Analysis Of Modified Shell And Bone From The Penny Site, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Karina Nemalceff, Greer Monfries, Amara Martinez

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2026

To better understand the Indigenous material culture from the Penny Site (AD 900-1565) at Cape Canaveral, Florida, we will analyze modified shell and bone remains found in the region.  We will be utilizing 12 modified pieces acquired through the Cape Canaveral Archaeological Mitigation Program as our sample group. The shell and bone tools will be identified by species, then viewed microscopically to determine the presence of marks made during their manufacture and/or use. Comparing archival research to our sample, we hope to discover the past uses of the fragmented modified fauna. We will illustrate 5 of these fragments once our …

Does Dosage Management Of Levothyroxine During Ramadan Improve Outcomes For Hypothyroidism?, John Duran, Dillon Moya, Ethan Cabral, Renan Rodriguez, Mia Ortiz

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2026

Ramadan fasting alters circadian rhythms and meal timing, interfering with the standard dosage of levothyroxine (LT4) on an empty stomach and impact its absorption. The presentation examines whether dosage management of levothyroxine during Ramadan improves the livelihood of patients with hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism, characterized by deficient production of thyroid hormones (T3 and T4), leads to elevated thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels due to reduced negative feedback. Since LT4 is used to normalize TSH levels, disruptions in dosing timing during fasting may result in suboptimal thyroid control. A clinical trial was analyzed comparing regular LT4 dosing with an increased dose of 25 mcg …

Early-Life Stress And Skeletal Proportions In Egyptian Juveniles: A Comparative Analysis Of Upper And Lower Limb Growth, Bonnie Radican

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2026

Childhood skeletal growth is sensitive to environmental stress, and different limb segments may respond to developmental disruption unequally. This study explained whether lower limb bones showed greater growth deficits than upper limb bones in juvenile skeletal remains from the Kellis 2 cemetery at the Dakhleh Oasis, Egypt, a Roman period site (approximately AD 50-450) where nutritional stress and disease have been previously documented. The delta 1mean method developed by Goode et al., (1993) was applied to six long bones – humerus, radius, ulna, femur, tibia, and fibula – in a combines sample of 98 individuals drawn from original measurements and …

What Makes A Listing Worth More? A Regression Analysis Of Airbnb Pricing Factors In New York City, Usman Mujtaba, Krish Maisuria

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2026

The purpose of this project was to explore the use of linear regression in a real-world application, specifically Airbnb listings in New York City. Throughout the project, we learned how to identify and separate useful data points from those that could negatively impact the model. Additionally, we analyzed the final model to draw meaningful conclusions based on the results.

Variations In Dissolved Oxygen Across Vegetation Zones In A Freshwater Marsh, Stephanie N. Lievano, Aliah Wales Miller, Marissa Pratt, Anya Spara

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2026

Dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations are critical indicators of aquatic ecosystem health, yet these levels fluctuate significantly based on the structural and physiological characteristics of dominant vegetation. This study investigated the extent to which DO levels differ among wetland zones dominated by submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), emergent plants, or floating plant cover. It was hypothesized that SAV-dominated areas would exhibit higher DO concentrations than emergent zones due to the direct release of photosynthetic oxygen into the water column. Data were collected across three diel blocks—morning, afternoon, and evening—in a UCF freshwater marsh using a YSI multiparameter sonde to measure DO, temperature, …

“We Learned So Much More About Each Other”: Strengthening Student-Educator Relationships Through Culturally Affirming Practices, Ashley R. Routhier

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

School connectedness serves as a powerful lever for positive student outcomes. Specifically, student-educator relationships provide well-documented benefits, acting as a protective factor against adverse experiences. However, building and maintaining these relationships remains a complex challenge influenced by site-specific conditions. This challenge is further intensified when accounting for diverse cultural and racial backgrounds. Utilizing an improvement science framework, this qualitative study examined educators’ perceptions as they facilitated culturally affirming social and emotional lessons in a pre-existing advisory block at a magnet high school. Findings indicate that factors at every level of the system shape student-educator relationships. Policies emerged as a critical …

Representation Of Indigenous Spiritualities In The Ontario Grade 11 World Religions Curriculum: A Discourse And Textual Analysis, Katelin A. Chavez

Laurier Undergraduate Journal of the Arts

No abstract provided.

The Absent Monster: Personal And Cultural Fears Through Kiyoshi Kurosawa’S Pulse, Gracie J. Huras

Laurier Undergraduate Journal of the Arts

No abstract provided.

Introduction, Jenna Abdel-Kader, Hannah Desjardine

Laurier Undergraduate Journal of the Arts

No abstract provided.

2026 Georgia Southern University Softball Roster, Georgia Southern University

Women's Softball Records

No abstract provided.

2025-2026 Georgia Southern University Women's Rifle Roster, Georgia Southern University

Women's Rifle Records

No abstract provided.

2025-2026 Georgia Southern University Women's Rifle Statistics, Georgia Southern University

Women's Rifle Records

No abstract provided.