Digital Commons Network^™

Finding Our Tempo: Exploring Embodied Synchrony Through Full-Body Play In Children, Sena Beste Ercan, Belén González Mateo, Olga Galí Pérez, Gray Atherton, Liam Cross, Narcís Parés

School of Psychology

This study advances the design of timing-sensitive, full-body interactive experiences supporting both collaboration and individual agency in children’s group play. We investigate how temporal structuring within an improved version of a full-body interactive system influences behavioral and perceived synchrony among children aged 9–10. Prior research has often focused on dyads, required human facilitation, or neglected relationship between perceived and actual synchrony. Addressing these gaps, we conducted a multi-user study comparing synchronous and asynchronous interaction modes using system-logged behavioral data and self-reports. Results demonstrate the synchronous condition fosters higher user performance, tighter temporal coordination, and stronger perceptions of shared movement. In …

Keynote Presentation + Q&A, Kasi M. Guillot

Doctoral Student Association Conference

Kasi Guillot, Ed.D. is a scholar-practitioner and performance strategist whose work explores what happens when research refuses to stay on the page. She earned her Doctorate in Organizational Leadership, where her dissertation, A Connectivist Approach for Introductory Biology Laboratory Courses: An Instructional Framework to Address STEM Education and Workforce Needs, examined how networked learning systems can bridge academic theory and workforce reality.

Rather than concluding with publication, her research became a catalyst. It evolved into the C-Link Framework, a connectivist-informed performance improvement model that integrates systems thinking, organizational behavior, and human performance technology to help leaders translate insight …

Écrire Pour Résister : La Littérature Francophone En Algérie Face Aux Enjeux Politiques Contemporains, Chiraz Amani

Department of French Studies Graduate Student Association Conference

Cette communication propose d’interroger le rôle de la littérature francophone en Algérie dans le contexte politique, social et mémoriel du XXIᵉ siècle, à travers l’analyse d’œuvres contemporaines de Hind Soyer, Kamel Daoud, Kaouther Adimi et Samir Toumi. À rebours des discours annonçant l’obsolescence des études littéraires, ces textes montrent que la littérature demeure un espace privilégié de réflexion critique, de résistance symbolique et de mise en récit des tensions qui traversent la société algérienne contemporaine.

Dans des genres variés — autofiction, roman historique, fiction politique ou récit mémoriel — ces auteurs interrogent les héritages de la colonisation, les impensés de …

Pelvic Health: Lived Experience, Needs And Resources For Women With Pelvic Organ Prolapse, Louise Carroll, Catherine Doody, Cliona O’ Sullivan, Carla Perrotta, Brona M. Fullen

Women+ in Early Career Research Symposium

Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) affects up to 50% of women and can substantially impact physical function, psychological wellbeing, and quality of life. Despite its prevalence, gaps remain in understanding the experiences and support needs of reproductive-age women, particularly within the Irish healthcare context. This thesis aimed to explore the lived experience of women with POP, examine knowledge and care gaps among women and healthcare professionals (HCPs), and develop an intervention to support self- management. A mixed-methods approach was used. A systematic review identified limitations in the use of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) and highlighted opportunities to better capture biopsychosocial characteristics …

“I Don’T Like Girls”: Centring Young Children’S Perspectives On Gender In Early Childhood Care And Education Settings., Chloe Hurley, Judith Butler, Jane O'Sullivan

Women+ in Early Career Research Symposium

Gender development begins in early childhood and is shaped through social interactions, cultural norms, and institutional practices. This paper explores how young children learn, reproduce, and at times challenge gender norms within Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) settings in Ireland. Drawing on Feminist Poststructuralist and Intersectional theory, the study centres children’s perspectives, addressing a gap in ECCE gender research that has largely prioritised adult voices. Using participatory, rights-based methods with children alongside educator interviews and setting observations, the study generated rich, child-led data. Preliminary findings indicate that children largely conform to traditional gender norms in play, interactions and self-expression, …

The Ripple Effect: How The Hse Data Breach Shaped Public Opinion, Mugdha Srivastava, Abhishek Kaushik, Roisin Loughran, Fergal Mccaffery

Women+ in Early Career Research Symposium

The digital world is rapidly evolving, and healthcare systems now depend heavily on data-driven and connected technologies. While these tools bring many benefits, they also increase exposure to data breaches and cyberattacks, raising concerns about privacy, security, and trust. Although earlier research has focused on technical and policy solutions for data protection, less attention has been paid to how major cyber incidents influence public attitudes. This study addresses that gap by examining how a major cyberattack relates to people’s views on data security and trust in digital health. We surveyed individuals about their personal cybersecurity practices and their opinions on …

Gastrocritical Reading Questions: A Tool For Bridging The Interdisciplinary Gap Between Food Studies And Literary Studies, Anke Klitzing

Women+ in Early Career Research Symposium

Interdisciplinary work is increasingly valued in academia but carries intrinsic challenges, among them cross-disciplinary communication and jargon; disciplinary socialisation regarding the creation and transmission of knowledge; lack of a common foundation of knowledge or canon; lack of epistemological self-awareness; and the question of how to train scholars in the interdisciplinary space. Food Studies is an interdisciplinary field, examining food in society from various angles, including history, sociology, anthropology and folklore studies. Most scholars active in Food Studies have joined the field from their respective disciplines; however, there are also a small number of graduate programmes situated squarely in the interdisciplinary …

Énumérer Pour Déjouer La Démémoration, Écrire Pour Pacifier Les Mémoires : Dans Le Ventre Du Congo De Blaise Ndala, Bilel Ben El Asker

Department of French Studies Graduate Student Association Conference

Il s’agit de montrer que Dans Le ventre du Congo de Blaise Ndala s’inscrit parfaitement dans le sillage de « la littérature remédiatrice »[1]. L’auteur congolais porte le fardeau d’un écrasant traumatisme collectif, celui de la disparition mystérieuse d’un groupe de congolais exhibés et présentés dans le cadre de l’exposition universelle de 1958, un traumatisme auquel il n’a pas assisté, puisqu’il a précédé sa naissance, mais qui resterait gravé dans sa mémoire. A travers la superposition de deux récits, celui de la tante disparue et celui de la nièce, l’auteur tâche de déjouer la démémoration, cet effacement …

Am I Walking Straight? Gait, The New Frontier Of Biometric Identification, Ruhi Anand Finn

Women+ in Early Career Research Symposium

Extended Reality (XR) is an umbrella term that integrates Virtual, Mixed and Augmented Realities. Each modality presents new forms of digital experiences, offering unique opportunities, benefits and risks. Additionally, newer iterations of XR leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance numerous applications. This enhancemen is sustained through new levels and contexts of data capture, including continuous biometric data collection (gaze, face and gait) and incidental bystander capture. This paper investigates the implications of XR technologies on data privacy, and the need for considerations of collective social privacy. The paper argues that, given the very narrow definition and categorization of biometric data …

Public Perception Of Risk In Missing Persons Investigations, Harry Lockett, Stefana Juncu

International Journal of Missing Persons

The current study investigated public perceptions of risk in missing person cases. A total of 271 participants were sequentially presented with five fictional vignettes describing missing individuals. Each case included a baseline description of the disappearance being "out of character" and four of these cases were paired with an additional risk factor: substance abuse, depression, dementia, or repeat missing status. The gender of the missing person was also manipulated between participants. Participants rated each case using both the standard categorical scale (Low/Medium/High) and an Extended Scale ranging from 1 to 7 and were also invited to respond to exploratory items …

‘‘If It Bleeds, Does It Lead?’: Lived Experiences Of Media Engagement For Families Of Missing Persons., Sarah Wayland Professor, Loren O'Keeffe, Syadani Riyad Fatema, Amy-Louise Byrne Dr, Elizabeth Paton

International Journal of Missing Persons

The media plays an important role in a missing persons case. Media is a powerful tool in raising public awareness and support, traversing police investigation, family liaison, and the business of media. This article reports on a focus group of seven people with a long-term missing family member, and two focus group facilitators, one of whom was also the family member of a missing person (n=9). The aim of the study was to better understand how people, who have lived experience of a family member missing, participate in media opportunities, to understand impact. Thematic analysis generated five major themes 1) …

Transcending Postcolonial Boundaries In Tierno Monénembo’S Saharienne Indigo, Aviana R. San Souci

Department of French Studies Graduate Student Association Conference

Tierno Monénembo’s Saharienne Indigo tells the life story of Véronique, a woman from Guinea with a past of violence and loss, told through her interactions with the annoying and persistent Frenchwoman madame Corre. Despite these two women’s opposing affiliations with a colonized country and the one that colonized them, the two develop a close friendship throughout the book. Theirs is a relationship that defies the claims laid out in Aimé Césaire's Discours sur le colonialisme that between the colonizer and the colonized, there is only space for negative sentiments and violent actions- never sympathy. The bond between Véronique and madame …

Beyond The Sayable: Wittgenstein, Theory Of Mind And Affective Simulation Of Llms, Haomiaomiao Wang, Lili Zhang, Tomás E. Ward

Women+ in Early Career Research Symposium

Wittgenstein’s distinction between what can be said and what can only be shown frames a limit of propositional language. Affect and aesthetic are not primarily matters of correct description but of how expressions function within shared forms of life. Large language models (LLMs), however, increasingly produce fluent language that resembles such understanding by reproducing the patterns through which people ordinarily talk about emotion and perspective.

This paper argues that apparent Theory of Mind (ToM) in LLMs is understood as competence in the publicly shared patterns of mental-state language, rather than as grounded understanding. Using abstract artworks, we show that LLMs …

Bridging Research And Practice: Your Guide To Implementing Evidence-Based Gender Equality Actions In Computing Education, Alina Berry

Women+ in Early Career Research Symposium

What if you could access proven strategies for promoting gender equality without spending months reviewing academic and grey literature? TechMate makes this possible. This free, open-access toolkit transforms scattered research into actionable guidance (actions) that anyone can use, whether you are a lecturer wanting to make your classroom more inclusive, a department head developing new policies, or a student advocate pushing for change. Actions are structured into four context-based categories and relevant subcategories. Each action comes with implementation instructions, where relevant, with ready-to-use templates, and links to the supporting evidence. While developed for computing higher education, TechMate’s research-driven approach is …

Capital Punishment And Domestic Terrorism: Reconsidering Domestic Terrorism As An Aggravating Factor, Josh B. Starner

Criminal Law Society Blog

Federal law permits the death penalty when an individual commits an offense after substantial planning to cause death or commit terrorism. Yet the ambiguity surrounding the term “terrorism,” particularly in domestic contexts, complicates the application of the federal statute. This Article argues that invoking the terrorism aggravating factor in domestic cases undermines the justifications for capital punishment and risks inconsistent enforcement. Drawing on recent examples, including the prosecution of Luigi Mangione and the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by ICE officials, this Article illustrates how the “domestic terrorist” label can cause harsh prosecutorial discretion, intensify political polarization, and …

Incorporating Instructional Ai Tools In The Classroom – Student Experiences And Perspectives, Da'myah Lanea Buckner

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

As AI technologies have rapidly emerged over the past few years, conversations about their implementation in education have been at the forefront; given this, it’s important to consider student experience. The goal of this study was to elicit perspectives of students in relation to their experience with an AI-powered instructional tool called Packback, which was used for online class discussions. Through various features, Packback provides users with real-time AI-generated feedback on their work. The participants in this study were graduate level SLP students who at the end of the semester were able to share their thoughts about the tool through …

Integrating Hippotherapy Into Interprofessional Stroke Rehabilitation For Aphasia: A Feasibility Pilot Study, Bethany H. Wenger, Catherine Off, Julia E. Mazzarella, Laurie Slovarp, Leah J. Meloy

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Stroke is a leading cause of global disability, with approximately 94 million people living with the effects of stroke worldwide, impacting over 2.5 million individuals annually (Feigin et al., 2025). Stroke-related motor and communication deficits often co-occur, increasing challenges for recovery and increasing social isolation, depression, and dependency (Mitchell et al., 2021). Hippotherapy, the therapeutic use of equine movement, has emerged as a novel treatment approach for neurorehabilitation; however, its integration within interprofessional stroke rehabilitation targeting motor and communication impairments is limited (Koca, 2016; Viruega et al., 2022). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility, fidelity, and …

Forensic Implications Of Hydrochloric Acid (Hcl) Exposure On Dna Preservation In Human Teeth, Shaelyn Zimmerman

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Identity is a human right, and forensic anthropological methods aim to return identity to decedents. DNA methods are considered the gold standard because fingerprints and dental comparison may not be applicable in cases of unidentified individuals or those with no known records. Identification efforts also may be hindered when perpetrators attempt to obscure a victim’s identity with corrosive substances, such as hydrochloric acid (HCl).

Previous studies have shown teeth are an excellent source of DNA. Large posterior teeth are often preferred because they contain the highest concentration of DNA and are more likely to survive taphonomic processes due to their …

Identification And Management Of Necrotizing Fasciitis In A College Football Player: A Level Iv Case Study, Sarah Greene

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

An 18-year-old, male football player presented to urgent care with erythema and edema from his calf down to his right foot, with large hemorrhagic bullae on his anterior mid foot and an abrasion to the medial right hallux. Upon admission to the emergency department, the patient was diagnosed with necrotizing fasciitis and was treated for the condition. The patient underwent three surgical irrigation and debridement’s, was placed on broad-spectrum antibiotics until cultures were confirmed for a tailored approach, and received a skin graft from his anterior lateral thigh. This case involved a multidisciplinary team including trauma surgeons, orthopedic surgeons, physician …

Risk Of Factors Associated With Female Athlete Triad In Rowers: A Systematic Review, Lillian Scully

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Objective: Rowing is an endurance sport requiring athletes to optimally fuel their bodies to be able to perform at their highest capacity.  Coupled high stress activity with nutrient deficiency can lead to increased risk of injury and illness. The combination of low energy deficit, menstrual dysfunction, and altered bone mineral density is known as female athlete triad.  Any singular part of the triad can affect performance, but all three can lead to drastic performance deficits for athletes. The purpose of this study was to explore risk factors leading to diagnosis of female athlete triad in female rowers.

Data sources:  PubMed …

Using Community Based Participatory Research And Ripple Effects Mapping To Demonstrate Multi-Level Community Impact Of A Tribal Public Health Intervention, Eve Christensen, Samantha Morigeau, Chelsea Kleinmeyer, Ali Manuel, Taylor Stewart

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Introduction. Evaluating the impacts and outcomes of interventions is a priority in the field of public health. However, participatory evaluation approaches, especially those able to demonstrate impacts of community-based interventions (which are often complex and intended to address multiple social ecological levels of change), are scarce. Ripple Effects Mapping (REM) is a novel participatory qualitative evaluation method that can be used for this purpose. This presentation describes the application of REM to evaluate impacts of a fall prevention intervention within the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) Health Department. Methods. This evaluation took place within an ongoing community-based participatory research …

Exogenous Carbohydrate Form During Low Muscle Glycogen Conditions Has Minimal Impact On Cycling Performance, Ian R. Matthews, Alejandro M. Rosales Phd, Josey K. Walker, Noah B. Wilfong, Rachel E. Perez, Brent C. Ruby Phd, Dustin R. Slivka Phd

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Background: Skeletal muscle recovery is improved with immediate post-exercise carbohydrate feeding. Little is known regarding muscle recovery and performance when feeding is delayed between exercise bouts. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of varying forms of exogenous carbohydrate on skeletal muscle glycogen recovery and cycling performance with delayed feedings and low skeletal muscle glycogen. Methods: Following 60 minutes of cycling at 65% W_MAX and an overnight fast (12.1±0.4 hours), participants consumed 2.10±0.13 g·kg-1 bodyweight carbohydrate of one of the following: whole potatoes (POT), cooked pasta (PAS), energy gel (GEL), or remained fasted (control, …

Total Energy Expenditure And Water Turnover During A 335 Km Mountain Ultramarathon, Alejandro Rosales, Brooke Stayner, Dustin Slivka, Dale Schoeller, Timothy Shriver, Michele Ravelli, Brent Ruby

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Among the highest empirically reported doubly labeled water (DLW) derived total energy expenditure (TEE) and water turnover (rH2O) values occur during 161km (100-mile) ultra-endurance events. TEE and rH2O of ultra-endurance events surpassing 161km present an anomalous physiological stressor to further detail human endurance limits. PURPOSE: To quantify TEE and rH2O during a multi-day ultra-endurance event. METHODS: Two runners (female [R1], male [R2]) completed 322 km following DLW (2H218O) consumption. Urinary isotopic elimination rates were used to calculate TEE and rH2O. Race-provided GPS monitors measured duration, moving time, and non-activity time. RESULTS: R1 finished in 73.6h (50.3h moving, 23.3h resting) at …

Evaluation Of Silk Textile Waste As An Alternative Source Of Silk Fibroin For Biotechnological Applications, Ndiana-Abasi Sunday, Bogdan Serban, Hayden Scoular

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Silk fibroin (SF) is a structural protein with good mechanical properties, allowing its processing into scaffolds, including films and hydrogels for biotechnological applications. SF is traditionally sourced from Bombyx mori silkworm cocoons and silk textile yarn—sources also relied upon by the textile industry for fabrics. This shared dependence creates high demand for cocoons and yarn, which is met through large-scale silkworm rearing and cocoon harvesting. These practices are associated with environmental and ethical concerns, including a heavy carbon footprint and silkworm killing, necessitating the search for alternative SF sources for biotechnology purposes.

Silk textile waste (STW), with over 11 million …

Race, Sexual Danger, And The Moral Logic Of Punishment In The Registry Era, Edith Meade

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Across U.S. history, sexual regulation has operated as a powerful tool for producing racial hierarchy, defining moral boundaries, and legitimating punishment. From the colonial construction of Indigenous “savagery” to the hypersexualization of Black Americans under slavery and Jim Crow, sexual deviance has repeatedly been mobilized to justify surveillance, punishment, and racial terror. This project argues that the contemporary sex offender registry, widely understood as a neutral mechanism of public safety, is best understood as a modern extension of long-standing racialized narratives that link sexuality, danger, and exclusion.

The purpose of this study is to examine how offender race and age, …

Functional Neuroarchitecture Of Brain Activation And Network Organization In Bilinguals During Native And Second Language Processing, Onila Rasanjala Narayana Mudalige Don

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Bilingual language processing requires the coordinated engagement of large-scale brain networks, yet how these networks dynamically reorganize across native (L1) and second language (L2) use—and how this reorganization depends on language proficiency—remains poorly understood. Traditional fMRI studies often characterize brain connectivity as static, overlooking moment-to-moment fluctuations in network interactions that may be critical for successful second-language processing.

In this study, we investigated dynamic brain network organization in Spanish–Basque bilinguals performing a semantic animacy judgment task in their native (Spanish) and second (Basque) language. Using Independent Component Analysis (ICA), we identified large-scale functional networks engaged during L1 and L2 processing and …

Musculoskeletal Injury Risk In Collegiate Football Players Following Concussion, Elizabeth J. Mangen

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Musculoskeletal Injury Risk in Collegiate Football Players Following Concussion

Context: Concussions are among the most common injuries in collegiate football, with the sport demonstrating one of the highest concussion incidence rates (6.71 per 10,000 athlete exposures). Following a concussion, athletes may experience lingering neurophysiological impairments that affect neuromuscular control, balance, postural stability, reaction time, and cognitive-motor integration. Although athletes may report symptom resolution, growing evidence suggests that these deficits can persist beyond clinical recovery. Such impairments may alter movement patterns and delay muscular responses, increasing the risk of subsequent musculoskeletal injury. Athletes with a history of concussion have been shown …

Lower Extremity Neuropraxia In A High School Football Player: A Case Report, Briiahna Kc Staker, Valerie Moody

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Background: Traumatic nerve injuries occur at a rate of approximately 350,000 cases per year, with 74% affecting males; only 2.4% are sport related. In athletics, acute peripheral nerve injuries (PNI) usually result from compressive forces, stretching, traction, or lacerations and are most common in high-contact sports. Although PNIs are uncommon, 71.3% of nerve injuries in high school sports occur in football, with nearly half of affected athletes missing about one week of participation.

Patient: A 16-year-old male varsity football player was evaluated on the sideline after hyperextending his right knee while twisting his upper body. He reported severe pain and …

Right Anterior Thalamic Stroke Via Paradoxical Embolism Through Patent Foramen Ovale (Pfo): A Case Report, Kyler W. Mack

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Background: World-wide, stroke is the leading cause of acquired physical disability in adults and is the second leading cause of mortality in middle-to-high income countries, with an overall incidence of ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke at 85-94 per 100,000. About 10-15% of all strokes occur in adults aged 25-49 years, with approximately 85% of all strokes being ischemic.

Patient:  A 20-year-old male hockey player presented with facial tingling and balance difficulty. The patient woke up after a nap with a headache and tingling on the left side of his face. First responders noted the patient had left facial droop …

Valgus Extension Overload Injury In A Professional Baseball Pitcher: A Case Report, Reegan Rakel Walsh, Valerie J. Moody

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Valgus Extension Overload Injury in a Professional Baseball Pitcher: A Case Report

Walsh, R, Moody, VJ, University of Montana

Background: Baseball has one of the highest incidences of injury to the elbow as it is most vulnerable during the late cocking phase of throwing. Throwing creates an abutment of the olecranon into the olecranon fossa, leading to valgus extension overload (VEO).  These stresses cause a tensile force upon the elbow, which may lead to cartilaginous degeneration, loose bodies, and many other pathologies.

Patient:  A 22-year-old male professional league baseball pitcher, diagnosed with valgus extension overload, with associated triceps …