Digital Commons Network^™

The Triple A Approach: Educating Perinatal Clinicians About Trauma Informed Care, Destiny Rosado, Liza Lukasheva

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background Many obstetric and women’s health organizations recognize trauma-informed care (TIC) as a cornerstone of clinical practice; however, training is often sporadic, inconsistent, and difficult to integrate into routine care. The Triple A Approach—Ask, Autonomy, Advocate—is a novel framework designed to facilitate the integration of TIC principles into clinical workflows. This study introduced The Triple A Approach to a hospital-based perinatal unit and evaluated its impact on nurses’ knowledge of TIC principles and application in practice. Methods This quality improvement project evaluated TIC knowledge and capacity among perinatal nurses using pre- and post-intervention electronic surveys. Baseline assessment measured participants’ understanding …

Optimizing Newborn Jaundice Outpatient Management: Evaluating The Integration Of Transcutaneous Bilirubin Screening, Mary Jane Perdiguerra

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

BACKGROUND: Neonatal hyperbilirubinemia affects approximately 60% of term and 80% of preterm newborns in the first week of life and remains a leading cause of preventable neonatal readmissions. Outpatient detection is inconsistent due to limitations of visual assessment and serum bilirubin testing. Transcutaneous bilirubin (TcB) screening offers a noninvasive point-of-care alternative but remains underutilized in outpatient settings. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study using pre- and post-implementation design was conducted at an urban pediatric clinic in Seattle, Washington. Eligible outpatient newborn visits included 108 encounters before and 98 after TcB implementation. Visits with a prior outpatient visit or documented high-risk conditions …

Improving Registered Nurses’ Knowledge In Impulsivity Assessment: An Educational Intervention In Adolescent Mental Health Care, Nein-En Cheng

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Adolescent impulsivity is linked to an increased risk of self-harm, which is associated with higher morbidity and suicide. However, impulsivity assessments are not routinely implemented at the adolescent residential treatment setting. The Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-Brief (BIS-Brief) is a validated tool for identifying individuals at an increased risk of self-harm. The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project was to implement an educational program on adolescent impulsivity, self-harm, and the BIS-Brief, and to evaluate its impact on registered nurses’ (RNs’) knowledge. A quasiexperimental one-group pretest-posttest design was used in an adolescent residential treatment facility. Seven RNs participated in the …

Bridging Gaps, Empowering Futures: Transforming Reproductive Counseling For Women In Primary Care, A Quality Improvement Initiative, Brianna Clark

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

In the US, unintended pregnancies are associated with poorer maternal and fetal outcomes, especially among marginalized groups. Nearly half of all pregnancies are unintended, raising a significant need for proactive interventions. Authoritative bodies now view the incorporation of preconception care as an essential intervention. Many pregnancy intention screening tools are available, but there are no standard practice guidelines or recommendations. Providers experience challenges due to time constraints and ongoing changes inherent in reproductive goals that make pregnancy intention screening complex. To address this, this project implemented an in-person educational training session using a screening tool, the One Key Question, along …

Biases In Prescribing Practices: Examining Physician Stereotyping In Women's Health Counseling Based On Patient Race And Perceptions Of Promiscuity, Jessica Lobb

2026 Research Poster Competition

As modern healthcare moves towards a focus on personalized medicine, an evaluation of current provider practices is essential to evaluating quality of care. Numerous studies have shown that physicians exhibit stereotyping and implicit bias with patients, but much remains unknown about the extent this impacts women’s health counseling. The presence of stereotyping could affect women’s health outcomes, as decisions such as choosing to prescribe hormonal contraceptives have numerous physical and emotional side effects. This study aimed to assess how stereotyping contributes to physicians’ perceptions and medical decisions for women seeking gynecological care. Clinical vignettes were given to physicians showing women …

Adolescent Development Of Pubertal Hormones, Reward Neurocircuitry, And Externalizing Behaviors And Internalizing Behaviors, Amber Jared

2026 Research Poster Competition

Title: Adolescent development of pubertal hormones, reward neurocircuitry, and externalizing behaviors and internalizing behaviors Authors: Amber Jared & Josiah K. Leong  Background: Adolescence is a period of rapid biological and brain development during which changes in pubertal hormones and neural reward systems may increase vulnerability to emotional and behavioral difficulties. Although prior research has documented widespread brain maturation during adolescence, less is known about how specific subcortical reward pathways develop and how these changes relate to hormones and behavior.  Methods:         Using longitudinal data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study, this project examines developmental changes in two key brain …

Impacts Of Rotation, Tillage, Cover Cropping, And Drainage On Soil Health In Soybean-Based Cropping Systems, Tatiane Severo Silva, Lindsay Chamberlain Malone, Matthew D. Ruark, Chad D. Lee, David Jordan, Hanna J. Poffenbarger, Herman J. Kandel, Jeremy Ross, John M. Gaska, Joseph G. Lauer, Laura E. Lindsey, Maninder Pal Singh, Mark A. Licht, Michael Plumblee, Rachel A. Vann, Rodrigo Werle, Spyridon Mourtzinis, Seth L. Naeve, Trenton L. Roberts, Shawn P. Conley

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Recent studies highlight conservation management practices as an effective strategy to enhance soil health. However, results vary, particularly regarding which soil health parameters respond most sensitively to these practices. More studies covering a wide range of soil types and climatic conditions are needed to assist farmers in making management decisions on production practices related to soil health. In this study, we collected soil samples (0–15 cm) from 21 (4–50 years) soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]-based cropping systems trials across the United States (US) to assess the impact of management practices on soil health indicators. Soil indicators included wet aggregate stability …

Autosiq, Liming Zhou, Talukder Z. Jubery, Baskar Ganapathysubramanian, Thomas Lübberstedt, Siddique I. Aboobucker

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Doubled haploid (DH) technology can fast-track crop breeding.Haploid induction yields haploids with only one set of genomes, which are usually sterile.Haploid fertility (HF) is the ability of haploid plants to set seed, and it is a critical bottleneck in DH pipelines.Genetic mechanisms to restore HF hold immense potential in DH crop breeding, yet its phenotyping remains manual, destructive, and inconsistent.While recent advances in imaging and machine learning have improved throughput for general plant traits, no curated image dataset exists for Arabidopsis thaliana that explicitly represents HF.Here, we present AutoSiQ, a dataset and baseline deep learning pipeline for automated HF quantification.AutoSiQ …

Carbon Nanodot Precursors Enable Ultrahigh-Loading Copper Single-Atom Catalysts For Oxygen Reduction Reaction, Prakhar Sharma, Ayanthi Thisera, Matthew G. Boebinger, Jenna K. Rector, Jason M. Unrine, Beth S. Guiton, Doo Young Kim

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Single-atom catalysts (SACs) have attracted significant attention in electrocatalysis due to their high metal utilization and tunable electronic structures; however, their practical implementation is often limited by poor atomic dispersion, low metal loadings (typically < 1 wt%), and insufficient anchoring of single metal atoms on catalyst supports. Herein, we report a simple and versatile strategy to synthesize copper single-atom catalysts (Cu-SACs) with ultrahigh metal loading using citric-acid-derived carbon nanodots as metal-capturing precursors. Through hydrothermal treatment followed by pyrolysis in the presence of urea, atomically dispersed copper atoms coordinated with nitrogen are incorporated into a carbon framework, achieving a Cu loading of up to 20 wt% while maintaining atomic dispersion. Notably, a significant fraction of the copper single atoms exists as Cu⁺–N₂ coordination, which provides under-coordinated and catalytically active sites. The resulting Cu-SAC exhibits promising oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity in alkaline media, delivering a limiting current density comparable to that of commercial 20 wt% Pt/C with a predominant four-electron reduction pathway. Despite this high intrinsic activity, durability tests reveal gradual performance degradation under prolonged electrochemical operation, which is attributed to demetallation and aggregation of …

Proposal Of Metagenomic-Origin Lra-5 As A Precursor Of Active Β-Lactamases Through Tyr69gln And Val166glu Amino Acid Substitutions, Gabriela D'Amico González, María Margarita Rodríguez, Pedro Penzotti, Florencia Brunetti, Barbara Ghiglione, Luke A. Moe, Daniela Centrón, Gabriel Gutkind, Lin Gao, Shozeb Haider, Rachel A. Powers, Sebastián Klinke, Pablo Power

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Wild-type LRA-5, recovered from Alaskan soil samples, shares no more than 33% amino acid sequence identity with enzymes from pathogens like PER β-lactamases. Recombinant E. coli expressing wild-type LRA-5 and its engineered variants LRA-5^Y69Q and LRA-5^V166E showed MIC values equivalent to control strains. However, LRA-5^Y69Q/V166E displayed MICs above the resistant breakpoint for some β-lactams. Kinetic parameters correlated with the MICs, showing that the catalytic efficiency of LRA-5^Y69Q/V166E was comparable to those from class A β-lactamases, such as CTX-M-15, PER-2, and KPC-2. LRA-5^Y69Q/V166E exhibited k_cat/K_m values up to 11,000-fold higher compared to wild-type …

Separation Of Trichothecene Mycotoxins In A Matrix Of Hemp (Cannabis Sativa L.) Seed, And Quantification Of Deoxynivalenol In Hemp Grain Infected With Fusarium Graminearum, Isabelle A. Kagan, Magdalena Ricciardi, Henry S. Smith, Rachel R. Schendel, Robert Pearce, Nicole Gauthier

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Fusarium graminearum, one of the causal agents of ear rot in maize and head blight of cereal grains, also infects hemp (Cannabis sativa L. containing a maximum of 0.3% tetrahydrocannabinol or THC). This fungal pathogen produces trichothecene mycotoxins when it infects maize and cereal grains, but little is known about its production of mycotoxins in hemp. A method was developed to separate mycotoxins deoxynivalenol (DON), 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol (15-ADON), and 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol (3-ADON) in commercial hemp seed and grain (harvested tissue), using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with ultraviolet detection. Results: In HPLC analysis of commercial hemp seed, DON was separated from matrix …

Hybrid Genome And Enzyme Characterization Uncover Novel Glycosyltransferases Associated With Benzylisoquinoline Alkaloid Chemodiversity In Lotus, Hedi Zhao, Xinyi Qi, Yan Liu, Zhuyin Chen, Yifan Wang, Jing Que, Yanyan Su, Ling Yuan, Gangqiang Dong, An Liu, Zhennan Wang, Sha Chen

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Introduction: Hybridization is a key evolutionary force that enriches genetic diversity and is associated with metabolic innovation. Lotus (Nelumbo), comprising Asian lotus (N. nucifera) and American lotus (N. lutea), is both a culturally important ornamental and medicinal plant rich in benzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BIAs). However, the genomic and biochemical basis of BIA glycoside biosynthesis remains poorly understood. Objectives: A high-quality hybrid lotus genome was presented to dissect the formation of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid glycosides and the mechanism underlying their synthesis. Methods: The chromosomal-level hybrid genome was constructed through PacBio HiFi, ONT Ultra-long, and Hi-C sequencing data combined assembly strategies. The metabolite and …

Monitoring Long-Term Water Quality Benefits Of Urban Stream Restoration, Kira Burnett

2026 Research Poster Competition

Urbanization without conscious environmental planning can result in the degradation of stream ecosystems. This tends to result in urban stream syndrome, which is often characterized by increased sediment and nutrient concentrations, decreased biodiversity, more frequent flash flooding, and overall water quality degradation. As such, stream restoration practices are often implemented to address urban stream syndrome. Commonly used restoration practices include applying natural channel design to stabilize eroding stream banks and establishing diverse streamside vegetation to filter pollutant inputs. However, the benefits of restoration are not often quantified due to a lack of post-restoration monitoring, making it challenging to determine what …

Responses To Influencer’S Vlog On Instagram: Nicotine Pouches And Oral Health, Amrusha Ranjith

2026 Research Poster Competition

Despite claims by ZYN, the leading nicotine pouch brand, that it does not partner with social media influencers, influencers with large followings continue to post content depicting nicotine pouch use. Prior research suggests oral lesions are among the most commonly reported adverse events associated with nicotine pouch use; however, public discussions of these outcomes on social media remain understudied. This study examined public discourse surrounding nicotine pouch use and oral health in response to an Instagram post by a popular influencer. Methods: We collected 1,668 publicly available comments from an Instagram post by Emma Chamberlain (@emmachamberlain) using a social media …

Developing Bioassays For Detection Of Residual Herbicides In Compost, Esther Moore

2026 Research Poster Competition

Developing Bioassays for Detection of Residual Herbicides in Compost, the use of synthetic herbicides has dominated the field of agricultural production for over a century. While synthetic herbicide use has resulted in an undeniable boost in agricultural productivity, risks such as environmental degradation and reduced yield of non-target plant species must be considered. Key among these risks is compost contamination, especially from persistent herbicides. After these herbicides are applied, they are absorbed by growing vegetation, consumed by herbivores, passed through the digestive tract, and reintroduced into soil manure based compost. Even after this process, chemicals in such herbicides can remain …

St. Peter’S And The Altar: An Exploration Of Its Transformation And Its Development As The Focal Point Of Sacred Space, Chloe Balkcom

2026 Research Poster Competition

This study explores the evolution of the high altar at St. Peter’s, tracing its history as a ritual focal point within the basilica. Rooted to being the presumed burial site of the Apostle Peter, the basilica served as a primary testing ground for the evolving relationship between altar, relic, and liturgy. Arguably, the altar's gradual formulation in its position from a movable object to a fixed structure, mirrors the actual Church’s broader effort to find its identity, authority, and ritual practice following the legalization of Christianity. Through architectural, material, and liturgical analysis across the centuries, the paper examines spatial consequences …

Disrupted Circadian Rhythms Affect Hallmark Pathologies In Alzheimer’S Disease-Related Mouse Models, Valeria Buzinova

Theses and Dissertations--Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a complex neurodegenerative disease with two hallmark pathologies: extracellular amyloid-b (Ab) and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). Ab is proteolytically processed from amyloid precursor protein (APP) by b-secretase and g-secretase as a monomeric peptide prone to aggregation. Eventually, the aggregate-prone monomers will form dense plaques that are difficult to break down and remove. These plaques begin to deposit into the cortex decades prior to the formation of NFTs and the onset of cognitive decline. NFTs are comprised of hyper-phosphorylated tau. Tau is a protein that serves to promote and stabilize the formation of microtubules. The formation of …

Characterizing The Human Metapneumovirus Matrix Protein And Its Role In Infection, Chase J. Heim

Theses and Dissertations--Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry

Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) causes severe respiratory tract infections in all cohorts, but especially in vulnerable groups such as children, older adults, and the immunocompromised. The matrix (M) protein of HMPV, like the M proteins of other members of the Mononegavirales order, is involved in virus assembly and budding. However, other functions of the HMPV M protein have yet to be elucidated. To investigate these various functions of the M protein, we used a peptide-conjugated phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomer (PPMO) antisense agent designed to block translation of the M gene to reduce M expression during infection. Treatment with varying concentrations of an …

The Physiological And Psychological Effects Of Social Media Addiction: A Mixed Methods Study, Ella Roper

2026 Research Poster Competition

Social media is a worldwide phenomenon that has taken the world by storm; individuals, multimillion dollar companies, hospitals and universities alike are all similar in that there is a good chance they have a social media presence. Needless to say, there are many benefits of social media including connection and networking, however there are also consequences. My study focuses on one of the consequences, social media addiction, in hopes of enlightening individuals to the risks of social media and hopefully inspiring systematic change to make the future of social media a little less risky. I am using a scale from …

Duties To Yourself, Julian Sommers

2026 Research Poster Competition

I will be writing a thesis paper with the guidance of Dr. Purdy so I can graduate from the honors program with a bachelor's within philosophy. This paper is still very much in the planning stages, but we have a rough idea of what it will look like. The broad topic is moral duties one could have to themselves and potentially how that relates to duties you might have to others as well. We are interested in this project because I believe our common idea of morality excludes the self from being regarded as a person. I believe morality focuses …

Resilience In The Wake Of Faith-Based Trauma: Investigating The Role Of Social Support In Complex Posttraumatic Stress And Well-Being After Religious/Spiritual Abuse, Ellen Murphy

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Religious/spiritual (r/s) abuse involves the mistreatment of individuals within religious or spiritual contexts, often resulting in psychological and spiritual harm (Ellis et al., 2022; Johnson & VanVonderen, 1991). Although research examining the potential benefits of religion and spirituality has proliferated, harm stemming from religious/spiritual experiences remains relatively understudied (Ward, 2011). This study investigated associations between r/s abuse severity, complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) symptoms, and psychological well-being. To identify potential protective factors, the moderating role of perceived social support in the relationships between r/s abuse and CPTSD and well-being outcomes was examined. Additional exploratory variables included current spirituality and religiosity, …

Uncharted Waters: Barriers To Ocean Carbon Removal In The High Seas Under Unclos And The Bbnj, Connor Stevens

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

No abstract provided.

Bridging The Gap In Dentistry: Harnessing Behavioral Health To Improve Oral Health Outcomes For Autistic Youth, Serenity Richardson

2026 Research Poster Competition

Background: Autistic children have unique dental healthcare needs. Oral complications stemming from poor tongue and motor coordination, high sensitivity to toothpaste and flossing, and sensory reactions to fluoride, amalgam, and other dental products are common. Autistic youth are also prone to dental-related emotional (e.g., dental fear and anxiety) and behavioral (e.g., noncompliance, disruptive behavior, avoidance) symptoms. There is also a substantial gap in pediatric and autism-focused training for dental providers, and caregivers report significant challenges in finding dental practitioners who treat autistic children. Taken together, autistic youth and their families face barriers to accessing timely, equitable oral healthcare. Unfortunately, delayed …

Arden 2026, Elizabeth Woods, Ivory Alexander, Evie Fletcher

The Arden

An amalgamation of creative student works. Items contained include, but are not limited to, art, photography, short stories, prose, poetry, and other avenues of creative composition.

The Role Of Ombudsman And Social Work Protecting Rights, Roni Alicia Werner

Selected Full-Text Master Theses Collection 2018-

This thesis examines the role of the Ombudsman as an independent and impartial mechanism for addressing complaints, resolving conflicts, and promoting accountability within organizations. It explores how ombudsmen function across institutional contexts—such as higher education, government, and corporate settings—to provide confidential, informal, and accessible pathways for dispute resolution.

The study analyzes key principles guiding Ombudsman practice, including neutrality, independence, confidentiality, and informality, and evaluates their effectiveness in fostering trust and organizational transparency. Through a review of relevant literature and case examples, the thesis highlights how Ombudsman offices contribute to early conflict resolution, reduce formal grievances, and support ethical decision-making.

Additionally, …

Mortality From Or With Covid-19 Infection, Dagan Coppock, Joseph Glowacki, Constantine Daskalakis, John Zurlo, Nikita Jaggernauth, Daniel Taupin

Division of Infectious Diseases and Environmental Medicine Faculty Papers

In this retrospective study, we compared the cause of death among hospitalized patients who died with a diagnosis of COVID-19 across two periods of the pandemic two years apart: an early period (admissions June to October 2020), when the population was immunologically naïve, and a later period (admissions April to October 2022), when an estimated 96% of the population had immunity from prior infection, vaccination, or both. Two investigators independently reviewed the medical records of 100 in-hospital deaths (50 per period) and classified each death as COVID-19 related, uncertain, or not COVID-19 related, using logistic regression to compare the two …

To Examine The Effects Of Integrating Cultural Responsive Teaching (Crt) Into Special Education Classrooms, Nkem Akaemeh

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis writer examined the Cultural Responsive Teaching (CRT) strategies for working with students who are identified with special education needs in particular emotional behavioral disabilities and autism spectrum disabilities (EBD & ASD). The strategies have been reviewed throughout this thesis. It is a very well organized instructional system which considers a number of learning areas namely: academic, social/emotional, and cultural aspects. This method has been defined from a variety of references/writers and supported by a review of the literature. The system incorporates a number of strategies addressing academic, social/emotional, cultural and other areas/needs as indicated in this thesis.

Cit Program Revision, Technology

Program Revisions/Additions

No abstract provided.

Big Data Minor, Technology

Program Revisions/Additions

No abstract provided.

Senior Seminar Elimination, General Education Subcommittee

Program Revisions/Additions

No abstract provided.