Digital Commons Network^™

Spring 2026 Excellence In Research And Creative Inquiry And Incite Award Ceremony, Office Of Student Research, Longwood University

Spring Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

No abstract provided.

Occupational Therapy For Maternal Pelvic Floor And Mental Health: A Holistic Approach To Recovery, Diana S. Theodore

Student Capstone Papers

Maternal pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) is highly prevalent yet often underrecognized in occupational therapy practice, despite its significant impact on mental health, daily function, and quality of life. Many postpartum women experience symptoms such as urinary incontinence, pain with intimacy, and pelvic organ prolapse, which are frequently normalized or left untreated. Occupational therapy practitioners often have limited training in addressing the complex relationship between pelvic floor function and maternal mental health, contributing to gaps in care. The purpose of this capstone project was to develop a comprehensive handbook for occupational therapy students and practitioners integrating pelvic floor function and maternal …

The Perceived Impact Of Gifs, Emojis, And Photo Comments On Digital Community Building, Katherine G. Hartman

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

This study examines how GIFs, emojis, and photo comments influence users’ sense of belonging within digital communities. Drawing on theories of digital rhetoric and sociocultural relativism, it argues that these visual elements function as rhetorical tools that convey tone, emotion, and shared cultural knowledge. Using a qualitative, survey-based approach, data was collected from 51 participants aged 18–24 about their use, interpretation, and perception of digital texts across social media platforms. Findings indicate that recognition and shared interpretation of digital texts are strongly associated with increased feelings of inclusion, while unfamiliarity can lead to exclusion or confusion. Emojis were found to …

Morphometric-Based Biomass Distribution And Carbon Sequestration Capabilities Of Native Perennial Plants In An Extremely Arid Environment In Eastern Saudi Arabia, Mohamed I. Alzarah, Mohammed M. Elgarawany, Majed A. Alotaibi

Journal of King Abdulaziz University: Meteorology, Environment and Arid Land Agriculture

Understanding ecosystem functioning, the processes of land degradation, and the potential for climate mitigation in hyper-arid environments requires quantifying biomass, carbon sequestration, and the structural characteristics of desert vegetation. This study was done In a hyper-arid habitat such as the location of west of Al-Ahsa International Airport in Eastern Saudi Arabia to study the integrates morphometric characterization, non-destructive biomass modeling, physiological assessment, and carbon stock estimation for native perennial plant communities. Twelve dominant perennial species were assessed across a 5.5 ha site using systematic random sampling. Plant height (cm), canopy volume (m³), basal diameter, projected canopy cover (%), …

Looking For Loopholes: Are Suicide Notes Really Admissible As Dying Declarations?, Marc D. Ginsberg, Hugh M. Mundy

Cleveland State Law Review

The “classic” dying declaration under Federal Rule of Evidence 804(b)(2) is made by a person near death from fatal wounds or illness who makes a statement to a third party about who inflicted the wounds or caused the illness. The rule is based on the belief that persons making such statements are unlikely to lie as the sense of impending death removes “all temptation to falsehood.” Thus, in theory, the dying declaration bears an imprimatur of trustworthiness justifying its admission as a hearsay exception.

Still, the exception for dying declarations has been described as “the most mystical in its theory …

Ad Astra: Now Is The Time To Allow States To Claim Territory In Space, John Swansinger

Cleveland State Law Review

The Outer Space Treaty is based on the idealistic principle that space is the common heritage of mankind and prohibits the acquisition of territory by states in space. However, as space becomes increasingly accessible, this principle has come under threat. Private actors and more developed states are far more capable of accessing space than less developed states. Accordingly, these developments have threatened the basic ideals of the Outer Space Treaty that a vast majority of states have agreed to. This Note will introduce and explore the background and development of the Outer Space Treaty to explain these idealistic principles and …

Impact Of Campus Involvement On Depression Levels Of Undergraduate Students At Providence College, Margaret Fallon, Maggie Murphy, Nancy Nuñez, Caroline Moloney

Social Work Student Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Food Insecurity At Providence College, Jordan Foster, Emma Gilooly, Yessenia Tavarez

Social Work Student Scholarship

No abstract provided.

The Transformation Of Autonomous Faculties: From The Enlightenment Era To Present-Day, Amber Ready

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

This thesis examines the historical transformation of autonomous faculties from the Enlightenment to the present, arguing that the material and technological conditions necessary for autonomous judgment have been progressively eroded through capitalism. Beginning with Kant’s account of enlightenment as the emergence from a self‑incurred minority, this paper shows that autonomy has always depended on social and economic structures that determine who can exercise independent reasoning. Through Marx and Lukács, the analysis traces how commodity production, alienation, and reification reorganize subjectivity and render social relations increasingly opaque. Adorno’s account of recognition, self‑preservation, and the culture industry further illustrates how individuals are …

A Harmonious Legal System: True Justice Through Modernized Platonic Marxism, Cian R. Batarla

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

The Marxist theory of the law is underdeveloped compared to the rest of Marx and Engels works. This can be chalked up to legal systems merely being part of the superstructure, by which the ruling class use to maintain power. In this essay I push back on this notion that the rule of law can be dismissed, arguing that if Marx's true community is to be as such then the addition of a just legal system is not an issue. However, Marx's true community on its own is not enough to satisfy the inclusion of a legal system. Thus necessitating …

Carmen Cuc-Tiul V. Attorney General United States Of America

2026 Decisions

Agency

Redefining Inclusion: The Lived Experience Of Physically Disabled Nurses In The United States, Vanessa Cameron

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of inclusion among physically disabled nurses actively working in the United States, including how those experiences differ based on disability timing—before or after licensure. Current literature largely centers on sensory or learning disabilities within academic settings; thus, this study addresses a critical gap by focusing on inclusion within professional nursing practice.

Significance: Physically disabled nurses remain underrepresented and underexamined in nursing research and workforce discussions. Applying Critical Disability Theory (CDT)—a framework never before used in nursing—this study explores how ableism and inclusion shape workplace experiences and opportunities …

Reimagining Hwe: Preparing Graduate Nurses For Cultural And Safety Transformation, Shanna D. Chapman, Rose Nieves

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

The healthcare landscape has undergone profound transformation in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, revealing critical vulnerabilities in workforce well-being and safety. Recent data indicate that 65% of nurses report high levels of stress and burnout, with 40% reconsidering their career choice, and 67% expressing concern over workload management. These challenges are compounded by staffing shortages, compensation concerns, limited organizational support, and a troubling rise in workplace violence—75% of nurses are likely to experience violence during their careers, with 77% reporting verbal abuse and 25% physical assault, contributing to 10,000 injuries annually and costing the industry $2 billion (Cross Country …

Improving Novice Nurses’ Assessment Proficiency With The Global Minded Three-Minute Assessment Tool, Anita G. Fennessey

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Purpose: Physical assessment is a core nursing competency, yet new graduates frequently struggle to apply these skills consistently in practice, contributing to missed care, documentation errors, and preventable adverse outcomes. This study evaluated whether structured education, coaching, and reinforcement of the Global Minded Three-Minute Assessment Tool (GM-3MAT) within a nurse residency program improved novice nurses’ assessment performance.

Methods: A quasi-experimental design compared intervention (n=21) and control (n=22) groups of residency nurses at an academic medical center. The intervention included live Zoom education with expert demonstration, reference materials, a pocket guide, individualized coaching, a 30-day practice challenge, and performance scorecards. Assessment …

Supporting Independence In Adults With Down Syndrome Through Parent Education And Program Development At Gigi’S Playhouse, Kristen Powlas

OTD Capstone Projects

This doctoral capstone project was completed in partnership with GiGi’s Playhouse Nashville, a non-profit organization that provides free educational and therapeutic programming for individuals with Down syndrome across the lifespan. The primary focus of this project was to design and implement a full semester of curriculum for the GiGi Prep adult education program, with an emphasis on developing foundational skills to support increased independence and participation in daily life.

Course content was delivered through an occupational therapy lens and included topics such as communication, emotional regulation, money management, coping strategies, self-advocacy, job skills, and independent living skills. In addition to …

An Injury Prevention Program For Musculoskeletal Injuries, Kima Esters, Rebecca King

Spring 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

Musculoskeletal injuries pose a significant risk to occupational performance, participation, and overall well-being due to resulting functional deficits. Occupational therapists play a crucial role in managing these impairments and promoting independence to reduce the risk of reinjury, psychological symptoms, and long-term physical limitations while supporting re-engagement in activities of daily living and meaningful occupations. This injury prevention program focused on educating and training healthcare professionals in prevention and management strategies, including postural awareness, work simplification, ergonomics, adaptive equipment, mental health strategies for stress and anxiety management, and sleep preparation to improve patient outcomes and overall quality of life.

Community-Based Program To Support The Occupational Needs Of Middle Eastern Refugee Women Transitioning Into Western Society, Zuha A. Mohammad, Cassandra Nelson

Spring 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

Middle Eastern refugee women resettling in Western societies often experience barriers that disrupt participation in meaningful occupations, including language barriers, unfamiliar systems, financial challenges, and social isolation. These challenges can limit independence and community participation during the resettlement process. Occupational therapy is well-positioned to address these barriers through culturally responsive, occupation-based interventions.

This capstone project developed and implemented a community-based program designed to support Middle Eastern refugee women during early resettlement. The program focused on key areas including system navigation, financial literacy, home safety, stress management, self-advocacy, and community engagement. Educational sessions and practical activities were used to promote skill …

Advancing Athletic Recovery: The Role Of Occupational Therapy In Sports Medicine, Hannah E. Oakerson, Rebecca King, Rebecca Caudrillier

Spring 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

This capstone project aimed to assess whether an occupation-based educational program could improve recovery engagement, self-efficacy, and quality of life in athletes following sports-related injuries. An Athlete Recovery Guidebook was designed, implemented, and evaluated within an outpatient sports medicine setting. The guidebook provided structured education on recovery routines, symptom management, and health habits, while supporting integration into daily life. Findings from pre- and post-surveys and qualitative feedback suggest improvements in recovery knowledge, confidence, body awareness, and overall quality of life following program implementation.

Lindenwood Earns Military Friendly® Gold Designation For 2026-2027, Lindenwood University

Archived Lindenwood Press Releases

No abstract provided.

Vamos A Chismear: The Intersection Of Social Media And Chisme Fostering Belonging Among Middle School Girls, Juana Yumeida Chavez Kawasaki

LMU Theses and Dissertations

Social media engagement among Latinx middle school girls has been increasingly associated with harmful trends, including declining mental health, negative body image, and engagement in risky behaviors. Latinx middle school girls, along with gender minority youth, have often represented a high percentage of users vulnerable to the seductive spell of digital platforms and the subsequent rewiring of childhood. The current study used a qualitative (Creswell et al., 2007) research design featuring pláticas, a method rooted in Chicana/Latina feminist (Delgado Bernal et al., 2023) epistemologies that prioritizes embodied knowledge and resistance. Drawing upon the building blocks of social media engagement framework, …

Maximizing Uinta Basin Oil Well Yield Through Geochemical Fingerprinting Of Produced Water, Troy W. Day

Theses and Dissertations

The Uinta Basin is an unconventional oil play that has, since 2017, annually increased hydrocarbon extraction through modern drilling and fracing techniques with increased frac loading. The primary production target is the Uteland Butte Member of the Green River Formation, which consists of interbedded limestones, dolostones, and thick, organic-rich mudstones. Along with increased hydrocarbon production, volumes of produced water from the Uteland Butte Member have also risen. Water is co-produced with hydrocarbons and is an undesirable byproduct of hydrocarbon extraction. Large frac operations now consistently have highly variable percentages of recovered water volume relative to oil. This increase in water …

Improving Electrochemical Measurements And Informing Future Reprocessing Of Advanced Nuclear Fuels, J. Marvin Torrie

Theses and Dissertations

This research promotes the application of molten salts through developing analytical tools in electroanalytical studies and in the data analysis of vapor pressure data. The electrochemical community lacks standardized, stable, and repeatable reference electrode designs which threaten the reliability of measured thermophysical properties and repeatability of published studies. This work confirms the application of a saturated reference electrode design for molten chlorides systems that outperforms traditional Ag+/Ag reference electrodes. In the field of thermal physical property measurements, vapor pressure data for chloride salts are diffused throughout the literature, uncertainty quantification is absent or limited, and all previous studies rely on …

These Wretched Waters: A New Perspective On The Myth Texts And Visual Adaptations Of The Danaids, Tessa Haney

Theses and Dissertations

Both Greek and Latin texts regarding the Danaids are rife with gestational imagery and vocabulary. This textual focus on chthonic, symbolic aparturience coheres with both Greek and Roman perceptions of femininity. Women in both cultures were socially mandated to marry, have children, and confine themselves to the domestic sphere. The Danaids’ refusal to participate in this system would have been viewed as a breach of cosmic order, and a punishment that grounded the sisters in their 'traditional’ femaleness would have been viewed as a solution to such a breach. While early modern visual adaptations of the Danaid myth lack gestational …

Stitched Together: Mourning And Memory In Latter-Day Saint Embroidery, Elizabeth Finlayson

Theses and Dissertations

As the Church entered into a period of mourning, confusion, and uncertainty following the 1844 imprisonment of religious leaders Joseph and Hyrum Smith in Carthage Jail in Illinois, artists turned to their canvases to grapple with and depict these events. Ashlee Whitaker calls attention to this shift in Mormon art, noting how Latter-day Saint artists painted portraits, landscapes, and commemorative scenes to promote Church authorities and “covenant kinship” as the organization experienced both a leadership crisis and abrupt relocation. Whitaker’s analysis, however, focuses almost completely on paintings done on canvas by men in America such as Danquart Weggeland, C.C.A. Christensen, …

Spring 2026 Student Showcase For Research & Creative Inquiry Program, Office Of Student Research, Longwood University

Spring Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

No abstract provided.

Belmont Literary Journal Launch Event, Jason J. Riley Iv, Audrey Blake, Darwin Canales, Claire Carrillo, Abigail Coe, James Derryberry, Istbra Elmi, Bevan Johnson, Ava Lange, Keira Naab, Bailey Passarelli, Ava Rowland, Leticia Schueth, Samuel Shepley, Margaret Simpkins, Owen Tarro

SPARK Symposium Presentations

Join the Belmont Literary Journal in celebrating the launch of their online publication! This presentation will include insights from the journal’s staff, selected readings from the poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction categories, refreshments, and time to connect with Belmont’s diverse creative community.

Fashion Rebrand Case Study, Hannah M. Berg, Hugh F. Farnum, Keely D. Enriquez

SPARK Symposium Presentations

This research project explores the repositioning of Thread and Theory, a womenswear brand known for its classic and timeless designs, and its place in an increasingly fast-paced fashion market. While the brand has maintained a strong identity rooted in simplicity and longevity, research has recently seen a decline in consumer engagement due to competition from fast fashion brands that prioritize low prices, speed, and convenience.

This research project investigates and explores an alternative approach to competition by shifting Thread and Theory’s focus toward emotional branding rather than trend-based marketing. Instead of trying to match fast fashion, the brand will aim …

The Searcy Story, Elise S. Spinder, Sheeva Chourazghi-Azad, Nate Krammerer, Anna Blubaugh, Sarah Brewer

SPARK Symposium Presentations

This presentation explores the planning and execution of our Honors project: a documentary highlighting local Nashville activists Joyce and Walter Searcy. It outlines our research process, the development of timelines documenting their lives, our collaboration with Fisk University, and the production of the documentary. Housed within the Belmont-Fisk Social Justice Collaborative, our work examines strategies that contributed to the systemic change during the Civil Rights Movement. This inquiry sparked deeper engagement with the Nashville community and illuminated the Searcys’ vital role in fostering community organizing and leading meaningful change. This documentary reflects on what it means to be a selfless …

My Guyanese/ West Indie Culture, Rhian Hodge

SPARK Symposium Presentations

If our desire is to become culturally competent, Hall’s Iceberg Theory asserts that it is important to understand that when interacting with people of different cultures, we only see about 10% of their unique selves. These unique characteristics lie above the metaphorical waterline. The other 90% lies below the waterline, which includes their values, cultural norms, social beliefs, etc. These can all be learned through meaningful interactions and conversation.

Qualitative Dataset On Student Interpretation Of Automated Code Feedback And Programming Self-Efficacy, Mary Benjamin

Michigan Tech Research Data

This dataset supports a qualitative study examining how first-year engineering students interpret automated code feedback and how these interpretations relate to the development of programming self-efficacy.

The study focuses on student interactions with an automated code critiquer (WebTA) in a MATLAB-based introductory programming course. It explores how feedback influences students’ emotional responses, debugging behaviors, and confidence development.

Conceptual framing: Automated Feedback → Interpretation → Self-Efficacy Development