Digital Commons Network^™

"To Hold For Themselves, Their Children, And Their Heirs": The Saga Of Mexicano Settlement In The Lower Estancia Valley, 1800-1925, Javier E. Sanchez

History ETDs

This dissertation focuses on the mexicano settlement experience in central New Mexico’s lower Estancia Valley, where local settlers co-opted the settlement strategies and traditions of three successive political regimes and experienced a net gain in land ownership over the course of the Long 19^th Century. It invokes four major themes: settlement, culture, economics, and parentela (kinship). Regarding settlement, it explores the mechanics of mexicano frontier settlement traditions and illuminates how deeply rooted concepts such as presura, an ancient method of settling embattled frontier zones through seizure, occupancy, and utilization by the settlers themselves, are reflected in settlement patterns …

Spravato® Fda-Approved As Monotherapy For Adults With Treatment-Resistant Depression, Rileigh Rahrig, Kennedy Kosikowski, Haylee Whyde, Kiley Devoll, Allie Honigford, Macy Davis, Joshua Honaker, Samantha Mccord, Manoranjan D'Souza

Pharmacy and Wellness Review

Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) is a challenging and possibly life-threatening condition that affects millions of people worldwide. Patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) are diagnosed with TRD once they have tried and failed to respond to two antidepressant treatments at the maximum dose for a full trial of six to eight weeks. Most traditional antidepressant therapies work by increasing the levels of monoamine neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine in the brain. These medications have a delayed onset of action, ranging from two to eight weeks, and often fail to relieve depressive symptoms in a patient with TRD. Therefore, targeting …

Addressing Socioeconomic Disparities In The Treatment Of Antimicrobial-Resistant Infections: The Role Of Pharmacists In Mitigating Barriers, Arin Wade, Danielle Egbujor, Anna Spalvieri, Owen Fox, Marisa Petrunich, Joshua Honaker, Samantha Mccord, Kasie Landin

Pharmacy and Wellness Review

Antimicrobial resistance is an escalating global threat driven by inappropriate antibiotic use and shaped by socioeconomic disparities. Social determinants of health, including limited healthcare access, poverty, low health literacy, and environmental conditions, contribute to higher rates of resistant infections and poorer treatment outcomes in underserved populations. Barriers such as pharmacy deserts, self-medication, and inadequate stewardship infrastructure amplify these risks. Pharmacists, as accessible and highly trained healthcare professionals, play a critical role in combating antimicrobial resistance by optimizing antibiotic use, delivering culturally competent education, and leading antimicrobial stewardship programs across settings. Community and clinical pharmacists are especially well positioned to bridge …

Beyond The Exam Score: An Examination Of The Kenyan Education System, Its Reforms, Inefficiencies, And Impact On Individuals And Society At Large, Olivia M. Pederson

Honors Projects

In Kenya, secondary education plays a decisive role in shaping students’ university and career opportunities as well as their social mobility. The national exam, Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE), acts as a key gateway to higher education and employment. The quality and accessibility of education for Kenyan youth, however, has been impacted by systemic inefficiencies ranging from underfunding and disparities in resource allocation to an exam-centric curriculum. This study takes a qualitative approach, using both purposive and convenience sampling to gather data through a questionnaire sent to university students and adults that have graduated from a Kenyan secondary school. …

Culturally Responsive Teaching Practices At West Valley High School, Fairbanks North Star Borough School District, Connor Lehmkuhl

Anthropology

This research examines the pedagogical model of Culturally Responsive Education and how it is implemented in urban Alaska (Fairbanks). The main objective is to document the voices, perspectives, and opinions of individuals and schools who are engaged and/or interested in Culturally Responsive Teaching Practices at a time when the interest in this topic is growing. As a result, this thesis allows for a better understanding of these practices, as well as of their applicability to existing curricula. The main research questions are (1) What is the current understanding of Culturally Responsive Education among global studies teachers at West Valley High …

Russia's Historical Fate: Mapping Space, Time, And Salvation In Patriarch Kirill's Sermons, Brooke J. Barton

Linguistics

The relationship between the Russian State and Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) during Putin’s regime has been characterized as mutually beneficial. The most influential figure in the contemporary ROC is Kirill, the Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus’, who has worked with Putin to give Russia’s current nation-building project, Russkiĭ Mir ‘Russian World,’ a religious foundation. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine exists within this project, which Kirill has sought to sacralize in his sermons. In this thesis, Barton utilizes discourse analysis to examine how Kirill’s sermons justify Russian imperialism while also projecting a vision of the ROC within the national project. …

Breaking Boundaries: The Function Of Supernatural Women In Arthurian Literature, Emma P. Allen

English

Women in Arthurian literature tend to be overlooked in favor of the knights. This thesis focuses on supernatural women in three texts: Parzival, Le Morte D’Arthur, and King Arthur: Legend of the Sword. Examining the behavior and actions of these women places the male protagonists’ behavior into a new light. Parzival is placed on his narratively correct path by Cundrie’s rebuke. Arthur is given Excalibur by The Lady of the Lake, and is further protected by Nimue, allowing him to survive until the text demands his death. The Mage, a new addition to the Arthurian literature, both protects and advises …

Hyperspectral Remote Sensing Of Potential Mineral Resources At Elephant Mountain, Interior Alaska, Khawaja Ahad Javed

Geosciences

This study explores the application of hyperspectral remote sensing for mineral mapping purposes at Elephant Mountain, Interior Alaska, focusing on airborne and laboratory-based spectroscopic techniques. Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) was conducted using the HySpex imaging system, acquiring airborne hyperspectral imagery over an area of proven mineral resources. The research aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of HSI in identifying alteration minerals, considering the impact of spatial resolution, sensor altitude, and spatial resampling on mineral detection accuracy. A spectral feature-fitting algorithm within the USGS-developed PRISM software was employed to compare airborne-derived spectra with USGS spectral library standards. Laboratorybased spectrometric analyses of rock samples …

The Impact Of Kinesthetic Attunement On Parents And Their Children With Autism: An Exploration, Ritu Shree

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

This study explored the impact of kinesthetic attunement as experienced through dance movement therapy (DMT) with parent-child dyads on parental stress, children’s adaptive skills and joint attention. A qualitative reflective account of parents was also studied to understand the depth of parents’ experience of dance movement therapy with their children with autism. The research emphasized the importance of collective parent-child dance therapy sessions, that especially focused on attunement and connection that built its way up from sensory-motor, social-communicative, and relational play and engagement.

A total of six parent-child dyads participated in the study that lasted over eight DMT sessions. Parents …

Resurrection: Poems, Antonia Felix

MSU Authors Collection

Resurrection: Poems by Antonia Felix explores the inner and outer dimensions of place, nature, and personal ties.

Assessing The Efficiency Of Methotrexate (Mtx) As An Antiviral Drug Against Gammaherpes Virus Replication, Yennifer A. Gaspar Garcia

Honors Projects

It is estimated that ~15% of all cancers are caused by oncogenic virus infections. Two of the top seven cancer-causing human viruses are members of the gammaherpesvirus family: Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) and Kaposi’s Sarcoma Herpesvirus (KSHV). Our lab uses Murine Herpesvirus 68 (MHV-68), a mouse gammaherpesvirus with shares significant genetic homology to KSHV and EBV, as a model system to understand how gammaherpesviruses alter the metabolism of their host during lytic infection to promote their replication. We recently metabolically profiled MHV-68 infected host cells at various time points during the lytic infectious cycle. Our data showed nucleotide metabolism is …

From Answering Questions To Replacing Staff: Analyzing The Effect And Possibilities Of Artificial Intelligence On The Structure Of Organizations, Caleb J. Cissna

Honors Projects

Over the last several years artificial intelligence has risen in commonality, availability, knowledge and usage across multiple industries, including business firms and organizations. Terming the multitude of tasks that are completed by these machines “artificial intelligence” is somewhat dismissive – the broadness of the tasks is unmatched by most any other innovation within the 21^st century. The widespread nature of artificial intelligence today have advanced many organizations, with many using the technology to create competitive advantage for themselves in certain industries, while others have seen it level the competitive field between firms in a given industry. Following this research …

Commencement 2025: Dean G. Marcus Cole’S Charge To The Graduating Class, Marcus Cole

Commencement Programs

Joseph A. Matson Dean and Professor of Law, G. Marcus Cole delivered this charge to Notre Dame Law School’s Class of 2025 during the Law School’s Hooding Ceremony on May 17, 2025, in Purcell Pavilion.

Guidelines For The Creation And Implementation Of A School-Based Vision Program For The Greater Seattle Area, Suzanna P. Gill

Honors Projects

Proper vision care contributes to a child’s ability to perform academically as well as their overall health and wellbeing. Pediatric vision care begins with vision screening, which occurs in public schools in Washington state. These vision screenings allow for possible vision issues to be identified in children. They are not, however, a replacement for eye examinations that help determine what is causing the problem and provide treatment. A substantial proportion of children that are recommended to receive the exams will not, partially because Washington does not require parents to take their children to eye care professionals. These children are more …

Maxim Gorky’S Illusionary Reformation Of Human Nature And The Rise Of The Soviet Citizen: Socialist Realism As A Constructive Force In Mother, Alysia Gayle Meyer

Honors Projects

This paper examines the origins and evolution of the Socialist Realism movement headed by Maxim Gorky, as a defining ideological and artistic framework of the Stalin era. Emerging in response to the experimental avant-garde movements of Revolutionary Russia, Socialist Realism sought to construct the ideal Soviet Reality, reimaging society and its citizens through the lens of collectivism, labor, and ideological purity. Central to this exploration is Gorky’s first major Socialist Realist novel, Mother, which serves as a blueprint for depicting the ideal Soviet citizen. By analyzing the motivations behind this movement and its portrayal of utopian ideals, this study reveals …

Load Forecasting And Modeling For Power System, Han Guo

Electrical Engineering Theses and Dissertations

Accurate load forecasting and modeling play a pivotal role in ensuring the stability, reliability, and economic efficiency of modern power systems. With the increasing integration of renewable energy sources, distributed energy resources, and demand-side management strategies, power systems are becoming more dynamic and complex, making traditional load forecasting methods inadequate. This dissertation introduces two novel approaches to address the challenges associated with day-ahead load forecasting and load modeling.

First, a Diffusion Model-Based Probabilistic Day-Ahead Load Forecasting (PDALF) Framework is proposed to enhance the accuracy and robustness of load forecasting. By employing a conditional denoising diffusion probabilistic model (DDPM), the framework, …

Noise-Embedded Image Processing Based On Quantum Data Encodings, Yayu Mo

Multidisciplinary Studies Theses and Dissertations

Advancements in quantum information have significantly impacted the field of image processing, although challenges remain. Especially in the edge detection and image encoding area, distorted feature and noises would affect the further classification or super resolution tasks. In our work, we conduct researches on two stages to both evaluate the potential of Quantum-based Convolutional Structure in extracting distorted feature and further explore the effects of quantum noise channels on quantum image encodings.

In the first stage, we propose a method to extract distorted edge features by applying shallow layers in quantum convolutional neural networks (QCNN). By combining the advantages of …

Rural And Urban Disparities In Access To Glp-1 Agonists For Patients With Obesity, Christine J. Hackler-Moorman

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

The increasing interest in glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists, such as semaglutide, which are often prescribed as a first-line treatment for managing Type II diabetes, as well as for non-diabetic purposes—such as weight management and improving metabolic health—highlights their potential in preventive care. This promise inspires hope for a future where preventive healthcare is more effective and accessible to a wider audience. Nonetheless, significant geographic disparities in access to healthcare, especially between rural and urban areas, create obstacles that prevent numerous patients from reaping the benefits of these essential medications. In rural communities, challenges like cost, availability, and awareness are often …

Commencement 2025: Speech By Distinguished Professor Of The Year Jay Tidmarsh, Jay Tidmarsh

Commencement Programs

Judge James J. Clynes, Jr., Professor of Law Jay Tidmarsh, selected by Notre Dame Law School’s Class of 2025 as the Distinguished Professor of the Year, delivered the commencement speech to the class during the Law School’s Hooding Ceremony on May 17, 2025, in Purcell Pavilion.

Sex, Skulls, And Selection: An Exploration Of Blakely Island's Deer Population And Their Ecology Through Genetic Sex Differentiation Of Juvenile Crania, Blair P. Graves

Honors Projects

As an isolated landmass with no natural predators, Blakely Island serves as an effective study site for the study of evolutionary factors relating to insular populations of large mammals. A disparity in the adult sex ratio of local deer has been observed, but the demographics of juveniles must still be ascertained through genetic methods. This study aims to further research concerning the development of a replicable and non-toxic procedure through which undergraduate students can identify the sex of numerous juvenile deer crania. Specifically, differing decalcification lengths, DNA extraction kit methods, and amelogenin primer sets were evaluated for relative success in …

New Endowment Aims To Encourage Art Students, Tina H. Hahn

University of Mississippi News

OXFORD, Miss. – When Kay Webber Cochran moved to Washington, D.C., in 1981, she set out to explore a different arts and cultural facility or event every weekend. After amassing 37 years of experiences in the nation's capital, she is expanding that passion by creating an art scholarship at the University of Mississippi.

How The Integration Of Bosnian Refugees In Saint Louis Is A Model For Success For Current Afghan Refugees And Future Resettlements In The U.S., Indira Kar

Senior Theses

Refugee resettlement and integration are vital in fostering inclusive communities, enriching local economies, and promoting cultural diversity while also offering displaced individuals the opportunity to rebuild their lives in safety. Considering the successful resettlement of Bosnian refugees in St. Louis, Missouri, starting in the 1990s, I explored what factors could be attributed to their positive integration outcomes. I found a combination of (1) policy, (2) social compatibility, and (3) cultural values that can be attributed to their thriving community and applied these factors to the recent resettlement of Afghan refugees in St. Louis. While Afghan refugees have found success in …

Dumy And The Nation: How Folklore And Folk Songs Help Compose A Distinct Ukrainian Narrative, Amy Herd

Senior Theses

Historiography and ethnography have played a critical role in the development of modern Slavic nationalisms, particularly in Ukraine. As these studies became increasingly popular in the nineteenth century, scholars and members of the bourgeoisie identified folk culture as the key component for the making of the modern nation. Viewed as an authentic window into national history and tradition due to their limited interaction with the modernizing world, rural folk offered the perfect opportunity to illustrate how Ukraine had always been distinct from Russia and its other historical oppressors. As folk culture fervor gripped the intellectual elite of Eastern Europe, however, …

Imperial Fabrication Of Ethnic Cleansing: Czarist Through Soviet Russian Practices And Policies Responsibility In The Ethnic Cleansing Of Georgians In Abkhazia., George Kane

Senior Theses

This thesis explores the direct correlation and connection between Goergia’s struggles against Russian imperialism and the ethnic cleansing of Georgians from Abkhazia that resulted from the 1990s Georgian-Abkhaz Conflict. After examining the historical and cultural ties of the Abkhaz as one of the many Georgian nationalities, this thesis examines the concerted effort by Czarist and Soviet Russia to separate the two identities in order to further imperial ambitions in the Caucasus region. This targeted separation over decades, along with direct Russian military support during the conflict, would then result in an ethnic cleansing taking place perpetrated by the Abkhaz against …

The Politics Of Perspective: A Comparative Analysis Of The Framing Of Political Violence In German Media Coverage Of Immigration Prior To The 2024 State Elections, Jillian Klostermann

Senior Theses

This study examines the role of German media in framing politically motivated violence and immigration in the lead-up to the 2024 state elections, focusing on three outlets: Thüringer Allgemeine, Die Zeit, and TAZ. Through comparative content analysis of coverage on key incidents, the research highlights how political leanings and editorial choices shape public discourse and influence societal attitudes. Findings reveal stark contrasts in local and national reporting, with local outlets reinforcing confirmation biases and national outlets offering broader narratives. The analysis underscores the critical impact of framing, from emotional appeals to policy-oriented discourse, on public perception and political outcomes. This …

Visibility Without Justice: The Wayuu’S Paradox Of Resistance Amid Marginalization And Systemic Violence, Courtney Kren

Senior Theses

The Wayuu, Colombia’s largest Indigenous group, endure systemic marginalization and various forms of structural, direct, and slow violence, which is compounded by preexisting vulnerabilities such as water scarcity, malnutrition, and displacement in La Guajira, a border region situated between Colombia and Venezuela. These challenges are worsened by state neglect, inaction, and environmental degradation caused by El Cerrejón, Latin America’s largest open-pit coal mine. Despite awareness of their suffering, both the Colombian state and Glencore, the company that owns El Cerrejón, perpetuate these harms, with the state hiding behind protective legal frameworks intended to protect and uphold the Wayuu’s rights but, …

Digital Voices Of The Arab Spring: Mainstream Media, Social Media, And Narrative In Egypt's Tahrir Square Protests, Sofia Nogueira Sanca

Senior Theses

This thesis questions and examines the dynamics between social media activism and mainstream media coverage during the Tahrir Square protests of the Arab Spring, focusing on how these platforms collectively shaped the global narrative and challenged the Mubarak regime's control over information. How exactly did these two types of media coverage work in tandem to contribute to the revolution's success? Through qualitative textual analysis of the events of January and February of 2011, it analyzes the tweets from activist Gigi Ibrahim alongside reports from The New York Times and Al Jazeera English to identify recurring themes, including corruption and suppression, …

“Stories That Are Silenced For Way Too Long” Silence On Sexual Violence During The Holocaust And The Importance Of Accurate Depiction Of It, Adele Blokh

Senior Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to explore and analyze the depiction of sexual violence during the Holocaust in scholarly research literature. Until recently, the topic of sexual violence during the Holocaust has been underrepresented or even silenced altogether. Although the Holocaust has been widely studied, due to the immense trauma and the stigmatization of sexual violence as a social taboo, sexual violence during the Holocaust has not been widely discussed, leaving a gap - sexual violence - in our collective memory of the Holocaust. This paper seeks to identify gaps in the representation of sexual violence in existing scholarship, …

Evaluating The Opportunities And Limitations Of Social Enterprises In Addressing Period Poverty In Rural India, Abigael Hartlieb

Senior Theses

Social enterprises play a significant role in advancing social justice and global health by employing innovative strategies to address health disparities within underserved communities. Period poverty, defined as the lack of access to feminine hygiene products, represents a global health challenge. Social enterprises have emerged as a tool to combat this issue in several countries, including India, but face barriers in widespread implementation in rural areas. This study evaluates the opportunities and limitations social enterprises have in combating period poverty in rural India with a focus on Goonj, a New-Delhi based social enterprise dedicated to bridging the gaps of resources …

“Gray Areas In The Land Of The Setting Sun”: Unresolved Legacies, Contested Identities, And Economic Stakes In The Western Sahara Stalemate, Driss Zaim-Sassi

Senior Theses

While colonialism across the globe has mostly been dismantled following World War II, nations across the globe continue to deal with unresolved colonial legacies and resource-driven conflicts. As a result, we continue to see regional instability affecting vulnerable regions. Understanding the stalemate in the Western Sahara conflict highlights the complex interplay between history, identity, and economic motives, emphasizing the critical need for nuanced approaches in conflict resolution and diplomacy. My research investigates the roles of key factors that sustain the diplomatic stalemate in the Western Sahara conflict through an in-depth analysis of Morocco’s territorial claims, the ideological differences around identity …