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Exploring Policy Change To Support Early Diagnosis Of Congenital Heart Disease (Chd) In New Mexico, Kelsey Carson Leibenhaut

Doctor of Nursing Practice Posters and Presentations

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is not a new or rare problem; it has likely always been a leading cause of childhood morbidity and mortality and clocks in today as the most frequently occurring birth defect, affecting an estimated 1 in 100 newborns (CDC, 2025). Prior to the middle of the 20th century, there was little to be done about CHD, as no treatments existed. Everything changed with the advancement of options for surgical repair of CHDs, significantly prolonging lifespans and improving quality of life for affected individuals. Despite these incredible advancements, babies are born with CHD every day, leading to …

Enhanced Near-Surface Soil Labile Carbon And Microbial Indicators Under Cover Crops And Crop Diversification In Long-Term No-Till Systems, Sainfort Vital, Sutie Xu, Namrata Ghmire, Peter Sexton, Jixiang Wu, Christopher Graham, Lan Xu, Mengistu Geza

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

No-till systems improve soil functions and are widely adopted in South Dakota cropping systems. However, these cropping systems have become increasingly simplified due to reduced small grain adoption, potentially reducing carbon inputs and microbial diversity. Therefore, this study aimed to (i) quantify the effects of crop rotations and cover cropping on soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), and their labile fractions across the 0–80 cm soil profile, and (ii) assess how these management practices affect microbial properties in the topsoil (0–7.5 cm), using a long-term no-till (>30 years) field experiment in South Dakota. Main treatments included a corn …

Preclinical Animal Modeling To Investigate Redox-Mediated Molecular Dysfunction In Traumatic Brain Injury, Brandon Z. Mcdonald

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Impacts associated with traumatic brain injury (TBI) induce a multitude of neurological morbidities mediated by a spread of biochemical dysfunction. Redox stress is a significant contributor to TBI pathophysiology and several redox stress markers have substantial evidence to support their role in diagnosing preclinical and clinical TBI. However, there is a critical need to verify their translational utility through correlations with behavioral, imaging, and molecular modalities. In chapter two, we examined the therapeutic efficacy of an antioxidant treatment (NPC3) using a controlled cortical impact (CCI) mouse model of TBI. NPC3 alleviated glial expression and reactivity while influencing the expression of …

The "Evil Forest" As Threshold: A Computational Eco-Feminist Study Of The Forest In Nigerian Fantasy, Cynthia O. Mbagwu

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study examines the representation of the “evil forest” in Nnedi Okorafor’s Zahrah the Windseeker and Ukamaka Olisakwe’s Don’t Answer When They Call Your Name, arguing that the forest functions as a liminal threshold that catalyses female transformation. Combining close reading with computational tools like TF-IDF keyword extraction in Ruby and sentiment analysis using VADER, the project investigates how pre-colonial and colonial connotations of the “evil forest” are re-imagined in contemporary Nigerian fantasy fiction. By segmenting each narrative into pre-liminal, liminal, and post-liminal phases, the study tracks shifts in sentiment toward the forest and correlates them with thematic developments …

Factors Affecting The Efficacy Of Free Choice Vitamin & Mineral Supplementation Programs, Tanner K. Wansing

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

While free choice vitamin and mineral supplements are widely used within the cow/calf sector, large knowledge gaps exist around the proper management of those supplements. This thesis discusses two factors affecting the efficacy of supplementation. The first interest was the stability of vitamin A when stored with a common free choice mineral supplement. This research addressed a critical data gap by generating information on vitamin A stability within the beef industry, as current data are predominantly based in the swine industry. Vitamin A was discovered to be stable until 4 months of storage regardless of storage conditions, whereas after 4 …

Cytoplasmic Shift Of Interferon Regulatory Factors Co‐Evolved With Jawed Vertebrate Innate Immunity, Vanessa M. Hubing

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The emergence of jaws in early vertebrates introduced a novel feeding apparatus and powerful oral defenses, but it also increased the risk of physical injury and pathogen exposure. Interferon regulatory factors (IRFs) play critical roles in orches-trating innate immunity and inflammation in response to invading microbes and tissue damage, with their subcellular local-ization being essential to some IRFs' function. Our results indicate that IRF members underwent independent expansion and diversification in two distinct vertebrate lineages: jawed and jawless vertebrates. The jawed vertebrate-specific factor, IRF5, has maintained conserved nuclear export sequences throughout evolution, while newly diversified IRF members in jawed verte-brates …

Assessing Trauma Competence Among Title Ix Practitioners: Analyzing Self-Perceived Capability And Associated Factors, Aliena Hansen

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Sexual assault remains a persistent issue on college and university campuses, and the way institutions respond to survivors can significantly influence their well-being and willingness to seek support. Title IX Practitioners are often responsible for responding to reports of sexual misconduct, making trauma-informed approaches essential in their work. However, relatively little research has examined how practitioners perceive their own trauma-related capabilities. The present study examined self-perceived trauma competence among Title IX Practitioners and explored factors associated with differences in perceived competence. Participants completed a survey assessing their confidence in applying trauma-informed principles when working with complainants. Results indicated variability in …

Transforming Theory Into Action: Feminist Frameworks In Reproductive Justice Organizing, Ella R. Mitchell

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

This honors thesis examines how feminist theoretical frameworks can be translated into practical strategies for reproductive justice organizing. Grounded in a reproductive justice framework and drawing on three key feminist frameworks, intersectional feminism, queer feminist theory, and feminist ethics of care, this paper explores how each provides critical tools for understanding and responding to reproductive oppression. Intersectional feminism illuminates how overlapping systems of inequality structure reproductive experiences and political marginalization. Queer feminist theory challenges heteronormative assumptions about family, gender, and reproduction, expanding reproductive justice discourse to include LGBTQ+ communities and diverse forms of kinship. Feminist ethics of care emphasizes relational …

Piano Composition And The Role Of Women In Nineteenth Century Europe, Khang Nguyen

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

In the nineteenth century, women underwent a social transition, slowly obtaining more employment and educational opportunities. The lives of women piano composers were similar, with their status as women affecting their compositional careers. This thesis explores the connection between piano composition and the role of women in the nineteenth century, with a focus on Western Europe. A brief history of Europe in the nineteenth century will be given, followed by an overview on how music and the music industry were gendered at the time. Then, the lives of Clara Schumann, Fanny Hensel, and Agathe Backer Grøndahl will be analyzed as …

Lewis Carroll’S Curious Creatures: Examining Carroll’S Use Of Animal Characters Within The Context Of His Life And Victorian Era England, Nima M. Faunce

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865) has maintained a wide readership since its publication, but many aspects of Carroll’s original intentions and inspirations are lost on modern readers. By examining his animal characters through the lens of his personal life and Victorian England, a deeper understanding of his novel is uncovered. Some of his characters directly reflect individuals from his real life, such as the Liddell family, while other characters provide a window into Victorian beliefs and practices. This paper investigates each of Carroll’s animal characters in order of appearance and determines possible points of inspiration from his personal …

The Consumptive Female Ideal: The Case Study Of “Snow White”, Nayla G. Torres Ruiz

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Tuberculosis (TB), also known as “consumption” or “phthisis,” was one of the most pervasive and culturally significant diseases of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Despite its high mortality rate—claiming more lives than cholera and smallpox combined—TB was widely romanticized in art, literature, and popular culture, particularly as a feminine disease associated with beauty, purity, fragility, and moral virtue. The physical traits of consumption—pale skin, rosy cheeks, red lips, glassy eyes, and a slender, delicate frame—became an ideal of female beauty, one that many women sought to emulate through restrictive diets, toxic cosmetics, and evolving fashion trends, such as increasingly tight …

Hidden Word Treasure Hunt: Design Of Dyslexia Game-Based Intervention, Olivia N. Epp

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

For this creative project, a literacy intervention board game entitled Hidden Word Treasure Hunt was designed for elementary students with dyslexia. Developmental Dyslexia is a neurodevelopmental learning disability which causes reading and writing difficulties. The goal of the intervention is to provide a fun and engaging way for students with dyslexia to practice skills like spelling, phonemic awareness, rhyming, and more. The game includes multiple choice question cards (treasure cards) and challenge spelling cards (key cards), and the student also has the opportunity to practice spelling the words with a whiteboard and marker. The student and SLP can play their …

Ferrari N.V. Capstone Strategic Report, Isabel Pillaii

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

This report explores the strategic position of Ferrari through Porter’s Five Forces, PESTEL, VRIO Analysis, Value Chain, and SWOT analysis. Then the report offers recommendations to the main tensions and strategic dilemmas before finally making remarks on the risks and limitations of this report. This report remarks on the strong strategic position of Ferrari due to branding, and its strong performance in Formula 1 racing and overall product specifications. It also remarks on Ferrari’s exposure to political, economic, and legal risk related to sustainability, supply chain stability, and exchange rate risk. This report recommends that Ferrari continues investing in electric …

Killing The Hot Vampire: Gender, Camp, And The Stakes Of Desire In Nineteenth-Century Vampire Fiction, Ella G. Kehr

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This thesis examines the representation and destruction of the Hot Vampire in nineteenth-century vampire fiction, focusing on Dracula (1897), Carmilla (1872), and The Blood of the Vampire (1897). It argues that these texts construct the female vampire as a figure of excessive sexuality, independence, and deviance which causes both societal (patriarchal) and narrative disruption. In the male-authored texts, the construction of the Hot Vampire is exaggerated beyond the neat bounds of gothic excess and monster theory. The destruction of these vampires also follows this unbound extravagance. The Hot Vampire’s death becomes the ritualized restoration of patriarchal order, which is often …

Ucc Minutes May 1, 2026, Undergraduate Curriculum Council

Undergraduate Currirculum Committee Minutes

No abstract provided.

Informe Del Programa De Border Fellows Kroc Ipj 2024 — Español, Rebeca Cázares Adame

Kroc IPJ Research and Resources

El Programa de Border Fellows del Kroc reúne a agentes de cambio provenientes del ámbito académico, la sociedad civil, el sector público y el sector privado para construir una región fronteriza México-Estados Unidos más inclusiva y pacífica, a través de investigación orientada a la acción y alianzas comunitarias significativas.

La beca, de carácter no residencial, tiene una duración de 10 meses e incluye apoyo financiero y técnico para proyectos diseñados e implementados por los propios Fellows. Este modelo refleja una convicción fundamental: quienes están más cerca de los desafíos que enfrentan las comunidades fronterizas son quienes mejor pueden desarrollar soluciones …

Kroc Ipj Border Fellows Report 2024 — English, Rebeca Cázares Adame

Kroc IPJ Research and Resources

The Kroc Border Fellows Program brings together change agents from academia, civil society, the public sector, and the private sector to build a more inclusive and peaceful Mexico-U.S. border region through action-oriented research and meaningful community partnerships.

The non-residential fellowship spans 10 months and provides financial and technical support for Fellow-designed and -implemented projects. This model reflects a core belief that those closest to border communities' challenges are best positioned to develop effective solutions — and that lasting change must be built on existing community assets and strengths.

Throughout the fellowship, cohort members meet regularly to foster collaboration, mutual learning, …

Influence Of Auditor Experience And Compensation On The Quality Of Key Audit Matter Disclosures: The Moderating Role Of The Audit Committee, Emmanuel Christopher, Ally Adam Mshana

Business Management Review

This study examines how external auditor experience and compensation affect the quality of Key Audit Matter (KAM) disclosures among listed companies in Tanzania, and examines the moderating role of the audit committee financial expertise in these relationships. The study analysed a total of 132 firm-year observations of companies listed on the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange (DSE) from 2017 to 2024, based on the criteria of consistent listing and annual report publication over the study period. Data was analyzed using a panel FGLS regression. The findings show that audit firm tenure, audit fee, and audit committee financial expertise have a …

Perceived Fiscal Exchange And Tax Compliance: Evidence From Large Corporate Taxpayers In Tanzania, Susan Kiyenze, Mariam Nchimbi, Said Suluo

Business Management Review

This paper examines the relationship between perceived fiscal exchange (PFE) and Tax Compliance (TCO) among large corporate taxpayers in Tanzania while drawing on the Fiscal Exchange Theory (FET). The study on which this paper is based employed a quantitative research design and analysed data using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) with a sample of 215 large corporate taxpayers in Tanzania. We find that the FET framework has modest explanatory and predictive power. Perceived Fiscal Exchange (PFE) has an insignificant effect on tax compliance of large corporate taxpayers. This suggests that perceptions of fiscal exchange do not necessarily drive …

The Push-Pull Model's Function In Understanding Public Sector Workers' Inter-Organisational Labour Mobility: The Views Of The Herzberg Two-Factor Theory, Rosemary Selestine Massae

Business Management Review

In the modern world, one of the challenges managers have in maintaining their talented staff is labour mobility. Inter-organisational labour mobility (ILM) has been found to be significantly influenced by co-worker relationships, work-family conflict, monetary compensation, and training and development. The pull-push paradigm was inspired by human migration. Since migration not only symbolises movement across physical locations but also encompasses other routine duties, theory is essential to comprehending ILM. However, to date, no existing study has tested the model under the influence of Herzberg’s Two-factor Theory, in explaining ILM uses the public sector as a major setting of the question …

Perfectionism And Cognitive Flexibility: Comparing The Impacts Of Perfectionism Vs Excellencism On Cognitive Flexibility, Lillian R. Blackburn

Honors College Theses

Perfectionism is often defined as “high standards of performance which are accompanied by tendencies for overly critical evaluations of one’s own behavior” (Frost et al., 1990, p. 450). Although striving for high standards is characteristic of perfectionism, it is also a central concept of the construct of excellencism, that is striving for standards that are both high and attainable. Research has made a distinction between the pursuit of perfection and pursuit of excellence, suggesting perfectionists strive for high unattainable standards, whereas excellencists strive for high yet reasonable standards with more areas of flexibility (Gaudreau et al., 2022).  These differences have …

Front Matter, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

Front matter for Volume 124, Issue 7 of Michigan Law Review

Project Foresight Annual Report, 2024-2025, Paul J. Speaker

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Project FORESIGHT is a business-guided self-evaluation of forensic science laboratories across the globe. The participating laboratories represent local, regional, state, and national agencies. Economics, accounting, finance, and forensic faculty provide assistance, guidance, and analysis. Laboratories participating in Project FORESIGHT have developed standardized definitions for metrics to evaluate work processes, linking financial information to work tasks and functions. Laboratory managers can then assess resource allocations, efficiencies, and value of services—the mission of Project FORESIGHT is to measure, preserve what works, and change what does not.

The benchmark data for the 2024-2025 performance period includes laboratory submissions for a variety of fiscal …

Examining The Relationships Among Child Care Providers’ Knowledge Of Child Development, Burnout, Organizational Climate, And Expulsion Risk: A Brief Report, Juan Wang, Cheri Shapiro Ph.D., Tristan Collier, Jessica Sharp

Publications

Expulsion poses a significant barrier to high-quality and inclusive early care and education (ECE), leading to both immediate and long-term negative con-sequences for children and their families. This descriptive, exploratory study examined whether ECE providers’ knowledge of child development, burnout, and organizational climate was associated with their attitudes and perceptions related to expulsion risk. A total of 309 ECE providers in one state in the South-eastern region of the United States taking part in a program evaluation completed an online survey prior to program implementation. Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to assess associations among providers’ knowledge of child development, …

Hexagon Granite Dovetail Metrology, Nick Campbell, Ian Colson, Jiahao Guo

Mechanical Engineering Capstone Design Projects

This project, sponsored by Hexagon, aims to develop an efficient way to determine defects along the granite dovetails of their Coordinate Measurement Machines (CMMs). The key aspect of the project is to detect any variations in the surface flatness of the dovetails that are larger than two to three microns in height. Developments were made in researching laser interferometry; however, the presence of a crown on the dovetail led to the development of a Go-No Go gauge which uses air bearings to make detections. Mathematical analysis finds that, when the prototype gauge is supplied with about three to four pounds …

Design Of A Nuclear Power System For A Lunar Base, Haleigh Wagner, Emma Sprague, Liam Donnelly, Anthony Nardolillo, Samantha Vallance, Alex Sawyer

Mechanical Engineering Capstone Design Projects

This Senior Capstone project concerns the design and development of a compact fission reactor intended to provide continuous electrical power for a lunar base. The system needed to supply enough energy to support habitat life support systems, scientific operations, surface mobility, and resource processing equipment, while remaining highly reliable, minimally maintained, and easily integrated into a module’s lunar power grid. Early research was conducted into NASA’s Artemis program, prior fission surface concepts such as KRUSTY, and estimated power demands for lunar infrastructure resulted in the following design requirements:

1. 10 to 50 kWe of continuous power (31.2 kWe achieved)
2. Operational lifespace …

Ionospheric Plasma Electron Density Measurement And Theory Using Impedance Probe Techniques, Justin Wellington

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The ionosphere plays a critical role in how radio frequency (RF) signals, like those used in Global Position System (GPS) satellite communications, travel through space. Disturbances in the ionosphere, such as equatorial plasma bubbles (EPB), scatter these signals and cause communication dropouts or navigational errors. To study these conditions, spacecraft use instruments that measure the surrounding plasma directly. One of these instruments is an impedance probe, which applies a small electrical signal to a sensor and determines electron density from the measured impedance.

This thesis improves the modeling and interpretation of impedance probe measurements. A numerical method is developed that …

Understanding The Equestrian Learner: A Sociomaterial Analysis Of Equestrian Learners, Anna Lloyd

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Limited research has been done on equestrian riders actively participating in training programs. To better understand these equestrians, this study examined how elements in their learning environments influenced their learning. Data was collected through interviews with two active, competing adult female members of the United States Hunter Jumper Association. Key findings from analyzing these equestrians’ relationships with different elements in their learning environment include the finding that equestrians shift between viewing horses as material objects or social partners, depending on the context. It was also seen that an equestrian’s skill is not dependent solely on the rider, but is influenced …

Effects Of Beaver Dams On Components Of Riverscape Health And Biodiversity In The Great Basin, Cashe C. Rasmussen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Networks of rivers and their floodplains (i.e., low-lying areas adjacent to rivers and streams that could plausibly flood) have been degraded, reducing the availability of freshwater and habitat for people and wildlife. Therefore, land managers are pursuing cost-effective restoration strategies, including partnering with beavers (Castor canadensis), to promote the health of these ecosystems and associated benefits. However, our understanding of beaver-mediated restoration benefits remains incomplete. Here, we compared locations along streams with and without beaver dams to measure the benefits of beavers in the Great Basin of the Western United States. We measured the effects of beaver dams …

Unpacking Science Achievement: Institutional Alignment And Mediating Conditions In A High-Performing Charter School, Brenda L. Bennett

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This study examined how science instruction was sustained over time within a high-performing public elementary charter school. Rather than focusing on individual programs or teaching strategies, the research explored how schoolwide systems, relationships, and supports worked together to shape classroom practice.

The study focused on one public K–6 charter school in a western state with consistently strong science performance on state-reported measures and examined how institutional, organizational, and classroom conditions mediated the relationship between science instruction expectations articulated in state and charter policy and teachers’ enacted practice.

Results suggested that strong science instruction was not produced through strict mandates or …