Digital Commons Network^™

Strengthening Traffic Safety Laws On The Crow Indian Reservation, Darcy Merchant

Theses and Dissertations

The Crow Indian reservation is located in south-central Montana. The reservation is one of the largest land-based tribes in Montana, encompassing an area of over three thousand square miles. The reservation borders the state of Wyoming to the south and the Northern Cheyenne Indian reservation to the east. The reservation features a comprehensive transportation system that encompasses tribal, county, state, and federal roadways. Drivers and passengers who travel on these roadways are at higher risk for fatal and severe injury-related motor vehicle crashes than those in other reservations. This situation largely stems from the critical absence of targeted traffic safety …

Doctoral Student Mentoring: A Quantitative Analysis Of Faculty And Student Perceptions And Expectations, Laura Margaret Look

Theses and Dissertations

Doctoral student success is heavily influenced by the quality of mentoring and advising relationships with graduate faculty, yet doctoral student completion rates remain at a low rate of around 50%. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the mentoring relationships of doctoral students by surveying doctoral students and graduate faculty who mentor graduate students to identify their expectations for the mentor and mentee in the mentoring relationship. Data were collected from 155 students and 68 faculty in the spring 2024 semester at the University of North Dakota, a Midwest R2 institution. Nonparametric statistical analysis revealed several misalignments between …

Using Machine Learning To Investigate Weather Impacts On Crop Yield For Probabilistic, Climate-Informed Predictive Crop Breeding, Levi Newell

Theses and Dissertations

As the world’s population continues to grow, the importance of food security willonly continue to increase, with some estimates requiring a global increase in food production between 59 and 98% by 2050. The agriculture industry is also a crucial economic driver, with the industry supporting 20% of the state of North Dakota’s workforce, and with a total valuation of $41.3 billion. The economic importance of this industry and the challenges of future growth prompt a need for data driven decision making into the future, particularly with predictive crop breeding. This is the method by which crops are developed that are …

Extreme Environment Tribological Studies Of Multifunctional Materials, Matt Malusky

Theses and Dissertations

This research examines polymer wear behaviors across polyether-etherketone (PEEK) and polylactic acid (PLA) composites in varying environmental conditions. Tribological investigations of ceramic and intermetallic coatings are explored in the context of material selection for lunar operation. In the first study, PEEK composites incorporating ternary nanolaminate ceramics, termed MAB and MAX phases, were tested in varying temperature environments above and below their expected glass transition temperatures to evaluate their tribological performance in comparison to a non-reinforced PEEK substrate. Results showed that under ambient conditions, both MoAlB (MAB phase) and Cr2AlC (MAX phase) ceramics stabilize the friction coefficient compared to pure PEEK, …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Silicon-Containing Ternary Transition Metal Borides For High Performance Applications, Godswill Ngige

Theses and Dissertations

Binary borides are well known for their exceptional mechanical and thermal properties, including high strength, high melting points, outstanding hardness, and excellent chemical stability, making them suitable for high-temperature structural applications such as components in hypersonic vehicles, jet engines, nose cones, and the leading edges of aircraft. Despite these advantages, they are inherently brittle and suffer from low fracture toughness, limiting their ability to absorb impact or resist crack propagation.

To this end, attention shifted to ternary transition metal borides which are materials composed of a transition metal, boron, and a third element. These ternary compounds exhibit a broader range …

Which University Faculty Are Successful Researchers? Developing And Testing Measures Of Research Competence To Predict Faculty Research Motivation And Success, Muhammad Salahuddin

Theses and Dissertations

University faculty play a pivotal role in producing research that leads to positive social change through the creation of new knowledge, enhancement of higher education quality, and improved university rankings. Faculty produce more when they feel competent, autonomously motivated, and acknowledged. Past studies have measured faculty research competencies using self-report scales that may contain biases, potentially leading to significant discrepancies in research outcomes. My program of research – a three-article dissertation – aimed to develop and validate the test-based measures of faculty research competence that can more reliably predict faculty research success. The three studies provide an enhanced understanding of …

Chemical Looping As An Enabling Technology For Low-Carbon Energy Production, Junior Neguieh Domkam Nasah

Theses and Dissertations

Growth in global gross domestic product has historically been tied with high-carbon energy sources. Development of new low-carbon energy technologies is thus key to achieving a de-coupling of energy demand from economic growth. This dissertation evaluates the technical feasibility of a small-scale low-carbon solution referred to as Combined Hydrogen, Heat and Power (CH2P), a synthesis gas to hydrogen chemical looping process. The CH2P process is based on the steam-iron process and adopts multiple batch reactors to convert syngas in a two-step approach. First, the syngas is partially oxidized by reducing Magnetite (Fe3O4) to Wüstite (FeO) followed by complete oxidation in …

Mixed Method Case Study Of The Silver Program: Nohwi Báyáni Bidádadil’Įį - Watching Over Our Elder, Cameron Ray Smith

Theses and Dissertations

This program effects case study provides a comprehensive case review of Apache Behavioral Health Services (ABHS) Nohwi Báyáni Bidádadil’įį – Watching Over Our Elders (Silver Program). The research aims to understand the program’s effectiveness in identifying, addressing, and reducing Elder abuse/neglect/and exploitation. Assess how the program has used the Elder Abuse Suspicion Index (EASI), assess community partners and ABHS staff knowledge/familiarity with the program, and whether the Silver Program is effective.

To achieve the research aim, I reviewed four data sources: ABHS Electronic Health Record (EHR), ABHS internal survey, interviews with community partners, and artifact review of the Silver Program. …

From Theory To Practice: Addressing The Operational Challenges Of School Principals, Darin Murry Scherr

Theses and Dissertations

School principals play a crucial role in the effectiveness of educational institutions, yet many enter leadership positions lacking adequate preparation for operational responsibilities. This Dissertation in Practice examines the challenges principals face in managing financial, staffing, and facility operations and the impact of these challenges on principal retention. Using a qualitative multiple-case study approach, the research investigates the experiences of new and veteran principals within Bismarck Public Schools to identify gaps in their operational preparedness.Findings highlight five key themes: (1) gaps in financial and budgetary training, (2) the role of mentorship and support systems, (3) balancing instructional leadership with operational …

Advancing Human-Computer Interaction Systems Through Explainable And Secure Ai Integration, Ifiok Udoidiok

Theses and Dissertations

As artificial intelligence (AI) systems increasingly shape how humans interact with digital environments, the need for transparency, security, and robustness in intelligent decision making has become critical. This thesis explores how explainable and secure AI techniques can be integrated into modern human-computer interaction (HCI) systems to enhance trust, resilience, and alignment with human operators.

We present three related studies, each addressing a distinct challenge in the design of human-centered AI. First, we apply XAI methods, specifically Local Interpretable Model-Agnostic Explanations (LIME), to deep learning (DL) based CAPTCHA solvers. By interpreting model attention patterns, we uncover exploitable weaknesses in text CAPTCHA …

Targeted Coaching In The Detroit Promise Path: A Thematic Network Analysis Of Current Challenges And Opportunities For Student Success, Maryse Danielle Wilson

Theses and Dissertations

The Detroit Promise Program is one of the many college promise programs operating within the United States that offers full college tuition coverage to students within the city who meet certain residential criteria. Detroit’s population has one of the highest proportions of Black and first-generation students and the lowest average socioeconomic class in the country. From the time of the Promise Program’s launch until now it has seen minor improvements in college degree competition rates, but this rate is still low compared to the national average. The Detroit Promise Path, which is an off branch of the Detroit Promise Program, …

Capital Structure Models And Contingent Convertible Securities, Di Meng

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The 2007-09 financial crisis showed financial institutions are vulnerable during distressed times. As an alternative resolution to a government bail-out, contingent convertible securities (contingent capital or CoCos) were proposed by various researchers. CoCo is a hybrid capital security that converts from a bond to common equity when a pre-determined event occurs. The loss absorption mechanism of CoCo is essential to the financial health of a bank during a crisis as it provides an instant capital infusion when public capital is difficult to access.

In this thesis, we first implement a methodology to calibrate capital structure models for large Canadian banks. …

Exploring Mating Patterns: The Interplay Of Genes, Environment, And Their Evolutionary Outcomes, Sanduni Talagala

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

There is great variation in the reproductive tactics exhibited both between and within different species, which is reflected in how individuals engage in mate assessment, mate choice and offspring production. It is therefore important to understand general mating patterns of populations, the factors that influence these mating patterns, and the consequences they carry, in order to get a more holistic understanding of mating systems. This doctoral research represents a multi-pronged investigation of the factors shaping mating patterns and their consequences, how environmental factors influence mating patterns, and how both genotypes and the environment interact to influence mate choice decisions and …

Characterizing The Targeting Of Toc159 Receptors To The Chloroplast Outer Envelope Membrane And Their Role In The Assembly Of Distinct Toc Complexes, Michael Fish

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Global agriculture and food security face challenges from climate change, population growth, and other human-driven pressures. Enhancing our understanding of plant biology, particularly chloroplast function, is critical for improving crop yield and stress resilience. As the sites of photosynthesis and key regulators of plant responses to environmental cues, chloroplasts depend on the precise import of thousands of nuclear-encoded proteins to maintain their biogenesis and function. While much is known about the core translocon components in the chloroplast outer envelope membrane that form the TOC complex, the mechanisms underlying their targeting, assembly, and regulation remain incompletely understood.

Plastids, including chloroplasts, evolved …

Controls Of Wetland Hydrology In The Zone Of Discontinuous Permafrost, Northwest Territories, Canada, Iain Thomson

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Mean annual air temperatures are increasing rapidly in northwestern Canada, which is among the most rapidly warming regions on Earth (Box et al., 2019). Consequently, permafrost thaw within northwestern Canada is proceeding at a rate not found in the historical record (Pelletier et al., 2017), with areal thaw rates especially high in the peatland-dominated southern margin of discontinuous permafrost (Quinton et al., 2019). Permafrost thaw has caused vast land cover changes and transformed the permafrost underlain forest into permafrost free wetlands over much of Taiga Plains (Carpino et al., 2018; Jorgenson & Osterkamp, 2005). This land cover change has …

Battling Oppression And Crafting New Identities: Case Study Of The Woman, Life, Freedom Movement In Canada, Kiana Habibagahi

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Iran’s Woman, Life, Freedom movement began in 2022, and Canada’s Iranian diaspora– the second-largest globally–continues to mobilise advocacy initiatives in its support. However, no studies have examined the movement’s implications on identity individually or collectively. These gaps fail to recognise the experiences of Iranian peoples in Canada who care deeply for the movement and have been historically marginalised. As such, using a qualitative and arts-based method, my project facilitates the retelling of experiences of young adult advocates (n = 4) in the Woman, Life, Freedom movement. Specifically, I inquired about the perceived development of their collective identities as advocates, along …

Reversible Degradation Of Peptidoglycan By Lytic Transglycosylases, Aaron Devereaux

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Antimicrobial resistance continues to be a burden on the global healthcare system with an estimated cost of billions of dollars and millions of deaths each year. Recently, there has been little to no development on new antibiotics to treat bacterial infection, and any that are developed become resisted to within a few years. Both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria contain a mesh-like layer called peptidoglycan (PG) that surrounds their cells providing strength, cell shape, and protection from their environments. This layer is a polymer of N-acetylmuramic acid (MurNAc) and N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) connected via a b-1,4-glycosidic bond, with each strand being cross-linked …

Unveiling Trauma And Seeking Justice: Exploring Mass Atrocities Against Tamils Through The Lens Of Religion, Culture, And Global Justice, Arrabe Vigneswaran

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This paper examines the mass atrocities committed against the Tamil population in Sri Lanka, analyzing them through the interconnected lenses of religion, culture, and global justice. It explores how Sinhalese-Buddhist nationalism, codified through legal and constitutional mechanisms such as the Sinhala Only Act and state-sponsored cultural erasure, facilitated the systemic marginalization, displacement, and dehumanization of Tamils. The study investigates the legal, political, and cultural underpinnings of these acts ranging from war crimes and ethnic cleansing to potential genocide while assessing the reluctance of both domestic and international actors to enforce meaningful accountability. Drawing on hybrid court models, transitional justice theories, …

The Perceived Frequency And Effects Of Multilingual Communication In Youth And Adolescent Soccer, Simao M. Araujo

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In professional soccer, the topic of multilingual communication has been widely researched; however, there appears to be a gap in the literature concerning how multilingual use is perceived by athletes and coaches at the youth and adolescent level of the sport. In the present study, male soccer athletes ages 10 to 18 years old and their coaches completed a questionnaire in which they rated both perceived frequency of use and perceived effects of using multilingual communication in youth and adolescent soccer. Specifically, these questionnaires elicited quantitative information regarding categories such as tactical advantages, words of encouragement, general expressions, and group …

Examining The Impact Of Early Literacy Interventions On Teachers’ And Parents’ Learning And Perceptions Of Early Literacy Development, Abigael Mary Hogarth Todd Miss

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Parents and teachers play a vital role in fostering early literacy development; however, many require additional training to enhance their understanding of alphabet knowledge and phonological awareness. This study examined the effectiveness of two instructional videos—one on phonological awareness and one on evaluating alphabet books—in increasing teachers’ (n = 35) and parents’ (n = 34) perceptions about these domains and the practical application of information covered in the videos. The 69 participants viewed each video, and results indicated a general decrease in confidence following exposure to these videos, likely reflecting an increased awareness of the complexity of the …

Negotiated Cultural Identity And Belonging Of Self-Identified Indo-Guyanese Immigrant Women, Neta (Goomatee) Deonarain-Gear

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This dissertation examines how young, self-identified Indo-Guyanese women who immigrated to Southwestern Ontario in the 1970s negotiate cultural identity and belonging. Utilizing a bio-ethnographic bricolage narrative methodology, the study explores the impact of postcolonial diaspora and social displacement on these women’s experiences within the "third space" or borderlands. Grounded in relativist ontology and constructivist epistemology, storytelling serves as the primary data collection method through a critical theory lens. Interviews with 12 participants were analyzed thematically and reflexively, revealing how participants construct meaning and navigate cultural identities. The analysis, conducted through feminist, decolonial, and trauma-informed perspectives, offers insights into "psychological homelessness" …

Examining Gender Differences In Heritage Language Maintenance And Loss Among South Asian First-Generation Canadians, And The Effect On Well-Being, Amreen Sangha

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Language is prevalent in various aspects of life. Not only is it often essential for communication, but it also has deep roots within cultural contexts. Specifically, within South Asian culture knowing one’s heritage language is considered to be necessary when it comes to connecting with one's cultural group and identity. Heritage language maintenance can be seen differently within different individuals and have different implications for them. This study was designed to explore gender differences in heritage language loss as well as the role language may play in one’s well-being. Canadian-born South Asian children and young adults aged 10-25 completed an …

“We’Re Here, We’Re Queer, And We’Re Not Going Away” Student Policies And Lgbtq+ Students’ Experiences On Canadian Christian Campuses, Angela E. Gallo

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Research highlights that Christian campuses are often unwelcoming and hostile spaces for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other gender and sexually diverse (LGBTQ+) students. Yet, research, including emerging Canadian research, often overlooks how institutional policies shape LGBTQ+ students’ experiences. Further, little attention is given to the affirming experiences LGBTQ+ students encounter on Christian campuses. Through a collective case study of two Canadian Christian universities involving document analysis and interviews, I explored the discourses that school policies constructed concerning gender and sexuality, LGBTQ+ students’ experiences of exclusion and affirmation, and how policy, alongside other factors, shapes their experiences and well-being. …

Development Of A Stress Response Framework For Understanding Sogie Refugee Health, Arooran Saravanan Ananthavel Murugan

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

As an increasing number of individuals flee persecution on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity expression (SOGIE), Canada has become a prominent destination for SOGIE refugees. The chronic stressors encountered by this marginalized population remain insufficiently studied, particularly in relation to physical health outcomes. This qualitative study investigates the cumulative health impacts of chronic stress among SOGIE refugees through the application of a cell-to-society framework, underpinned by Minority Stress Theory (MST). The study seeks to develop a SOGIE-specific stress response framework that theorizes the processes by which social and environmental stressors become biologically embedded, thereby contributing to elevated …

Credit Risk Modelling With Occupation Times, Hiromichi Kato

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This thesis introduces and studies two new credit risk models: structural occupation time and occupation time hazard rate models. The defaults within the models are characterized in the form of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code Chapter 7 (a liquidation process) and Chapter 11 (a reorganization process). Structural occupation time models assume credit events are triggered as soon as the occupation time, which measures the total amount of time the firm's asset value is below a certain threshold, exceeds the grace period. Occupation time hazard rate models extend the structural occupation time models and may presume that other random factors may lead …

Technology-Enhanced Professional Development For Early Literacy: A Comparative Study Of Online Teacher Learning Models In Kenya, Constanza Uribe-Banda

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Growing recognition of early literacy as essential for lifelong learning, along with evidence that teachers’ mastery of foundational literacy instruction influences student outcomes (Darling-Hammond et al., 2017; UNESCO, 2020), has led to increased investment in teacher professional development. Despite these efforts, many educators face significant challenges in accessing high-quality training, particularly in resource-constrained settings where geographical barriers and limited institutional support persist. This is especially true in rural Kenyan communities, where teachers often work in under-resourced schools with unreliable electricity and internet connectivity yet bear responsibility for laying critical literacy foundations. The present study examines the potential to deliver effective …

How The Story Of Jesus Is Aiding This Generation Of Ucc Clergy To Make Sense Of Their Vocation In A Secular Age, Sheila Macdonald Macgregor, Sheila G. Macgregor Rev.

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This dissertation, an exercise in practical theology, undertakes two tasks. First, it explores the Christology of fourteen active United Church of Canada (UCC) clergy trained and/or ordained/commissioned in the first two decades of the twenty-first century. Secondly, given that their training, and the first years of their ministries, have taken place against a background of overwhelming secularism and unprecedented church decline, it also examines how their understanding of Jesus Christ and his story are aiding them to make sense of their vocation in a secular age. Charles Taylor’s 2007 magnum opus, A Secular Age provides the backdrop for this study. …

Re-Imagining Care For Aging Disabled Adults, Caitlin L. Tizzard

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In Ontario, the landscape of aging is shaped by ageist and ableist ideologies that view older disabled adults through the lens of decline and dependency. Much of the current discourse on aging focuses on reforming long-term care (LTC), reinforcing institutional and carceral responses both within policy and academic imagination. This qualitative study takes a different approach by asking participants how care for aging disabled adults can be reimagined beyond institutionalization. Grounded in intersectional feminist, disability justice and abolitionist praxis, and using a critical transformative paradigm, this research employed Appreciative Inquiry across three focus groups with four participants engaged in aging-related …

Immune Pathway Modulation In Melanoma Using Chitosan Nanoparticle-Mediated Dsrna Delivery, Bethel C. Iwuji

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Cancer is a group of diseases characterized by abnormal and uncontrolled cell division, which typically results in the formation of tumours. Even with advances in treatments, cancer remains one of the leading causes of death globally. Melanoma is an aggressive form of skin cancer which is highly malignant, develops in the pigment-producing cells of the skin, melanocytes, and in the late stages of the disease poses a significant challenge for therapeutic intervention due to its multidrug resistance. The innate immune system is the first line of defence against invading pathogens, including viruses, bacteria, and fungi, and can recognize and destroy …

The Influence Of Self-Efficacy On Support Provision In People With Low Self-Esteem, Daniella Rinaldo

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

People with lower self-esteem (LSEs) tend to underestimate their capabilities and are reluctant to provide support to close others. The literature has primarily focused on how self-esteem affects individuals as support recipients. However, less is known regarding how to improve LSEs’ reluctance and perceived capabilities as support providers. The present research examines how LSEs could be led to be more willing to provide support to a close other through enhancing their support self-efficacy. I also examined whether LSEs (vs higher self-esteem; HSEs) differ in their abilities and perceptions of the support they provide. I hypothesized that encouraging LSEs to see …