Arts and Humanities Commons^™

2025-2026 Annual Report: Leadership, Spirituality & Education, Muslim Student Life

Muslim Student Life

This annual report provides a concise overview of the Muslim Chaplaincy and its initiatives and programs for Muslim students during the 2025-2026 academic year. It showcases only a select few of the programs and accomplishments of the Muslim community at Syracuse University and beyond.

Pinochet’S Upswing: The Demise Of A Democratic Society In Chile, Jacob Behnk

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

In the United States, we tend to view democracy as an inviolable tenet of political life. Our nation’s founding is even romanticized as a heroic fight for liberty against the wicked tyranny of the British monarchy. It is unthinkable that democracy could ever be destroyed, let alone have the citizens cheer on those who engineer its destruction—yet this is the very situation that Chile found itself regarding Augusto Pinochet, a brutal dictator who ruled the country with an iron fist from 1973 to 1990. Pinochet would be voted out of power in a 1988 plebiscite, but still managed to win …

Spiritual Minimalism: Analytical Studies Of Selected Piano Works By Pärt, Górecki, And Tavener, Boran Zhao

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines selected solo piano works by Arvo Pärt, Henryk Górecki, and John Tavener to explore how theological influences are reflected through their distinctive compositional languages. Current studies show that scholars primarily concentrate on their choral and orchestral repertoire, while their piano works have not received enough attention. This study argues that their solo piano works carry the same of theological influence found in their choral and orchestral compositions.

Through historical, analytical, and theological approaches, the dissertation explores how their compositional techniques convey spiritual meanings in selected solo piano pieces. Pärt’s Für Alina and Variations for the Healing of …

Life Without Privacy: The Fragmented Line Between The Private And Public Lives Of Enslaved Women In Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, Justine Casey Costa

Theses and Dissertations

Enslaved women provided the foundation for life and freedom for most children living in 19^th century Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Despite patrão (master) mistreatment and abuse, enslaved women in Rio de Janeiro kept the bustling port city alive and growing. Enslaved women both produced labor and reproduced labor. The exploitation of enslaved women took place by patrões visibly in the streets, and abolitionists exploited their stories through the spread of printed material to garner support for their cause. This thesis examines the fragmented boundary between the public and private lives of enslaved women in 19^th century Rio. Utilizing …

Embodying The Art: Reflections On Process And Performance Through The Mfa Acting Program At The University Of South Carolina, Olan James Domer

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis contains a collection of reflections on each role performed as a student enrolled in the Master of Fine Arts in Acting program at The University of South Carolina. The shows, The Visit, A Raisin in the Sun, Antigone, Twelfth Night, and The Importance of Being Earnest included a combination of undergraduate and graduate actors. Each chapter outlines the processes of an actor in preparation, practice, and performance of a theatrical role. In-depth discussions of audition material choice, faculty feedback, vocal and physical technique, challenges, successes, and points of personal growth are included for each performance. These reflections reveal …

Syllabus: Engl 1010 English Composition I, Sarah C. Bonanno

Open Educational Resources

This is a syllabus for English Composition I (ENGL 1010 FYSA) taught at Brooklyn College during the Fall 2026 semester. This course teaches students concrete and transferable writing skills through the genres of literacy narrative, argumentative essays, and comparative writing.

Fugue State: The Body Politic Of Identity Theatre, Sean Patrick Ryan

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This paper will cover my approach as an actor and a creator in two separate productions during my time at the University of Arkansas. The first is a solo theatre piece that I devised under the tutelage of Michael Landman. This work, Half Brother, is a piece of theatre that takes an abstract approach to exploring the familial and psychological ripples that can occur in the life of a queer person when a parental unit takes on a political and religious identity that is oppositional to the LGBTQ community. It exposes the effect this transformation has on the child, their …

The Integration Of Psychology And Theology: An Examination Of Personality And Spiritual Gifts In Christian Formation, Vocation, And Everyday Ministry, Suzannah W. Driver

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Human beings are created in the image of God, formed through relationship with Him, and empowered by the Holy Spirit to participate in His mission. Yet personality and spiritual gifts are often considered separately, leaving believers with fragmented language for understanding who they are, how they have been formed, and how they are called to serve. Psychology offers meaningful insight into patterns of thought, emotion, behavior, and relationship, while theology grounds identity in divine creation, spiritual formation, and Spirit-empowered purpose. When these perspectives remain divided, believers may understand parts of themselves without recognizing how those dimensions work together within the …

Color Shift: A Graphic Design Process Book Exploring How Color And Motion Influence Emotional Perception And Brand Connection In Affordable Women's Fashion Jewelry, Elizabeth Voight

Theses

This study examines how manipulating color and motion within a single brand identity system influences consumer emotional response and brand consistency. Using a fictional modern jewelry brand, Quanta & Co., the research isolates color as the primary variable by applying nine distinct mid-range color palettes to identical layouts, logos, and structures across both print and digital touchpoints. These collateral assets include jewelry packaging, vehicle wraps, digital advertisements, and an animated logo. A quantitative survey was executed to capture real-time audience impressions regarding brand traits, perceived quality, and the overall alignment of each color variation with the brand's identity.

The findings …

Quiet Relief: Voice In Migraine Packaging, Nicole Allgeyer

Theses

This paper explores typography as a form of nonverbal communication in pharmaceutical branding for a fictional medication called Neura by investigating how font choice, visual hierarchy, spacing, and color function as communicative tools to its viewers. This paper combines the studies of semiotics and branding to create a brand that evokes trust, calm, and clarity through a visual branding system. This study investigates visual signifiers (semiotics) such as color and type through visual analysis and implements the findings into the brand. By researching branding, I was able to create a brand that has a focused demographic and image. In creating …

Ethical Visual Truth: An Analysis On Vietnam War Photojournalism, Anna Lauryn Carmichael

Theses

This thesis examines the ethical dimensions of Vietnam War photojournalism through close analysis of four iconic photographs: Nick Ut's The Terror of War (Napalm Girl) , Eddie Adams's Saigon Execution , Catherine Leroy's Vietnam, February 1967 , and Gilles Caron's Untitled (Who's the Enemy Here?) . Rather than treating these images as transparent documentation, this thesis argues that Vietnam War photojournalism functioned as a contested medium of narrative construction, one whose most celebrated images achieved iconic status by conforming to Western visual conventions and institutional demands, rather than by capturing some unmediated truth. Drawing on the interconnected frameworks of visual …

From Grid To Freedom: A Comparative Analysis Of Canva’S Guardrails And Adobe Illustrator’S Design Flexibility, Caroline Wilmes

Theses

This project focuses on graphic design software becoming increasingly accessible and questions emerging regarding the role of professional designers and the value of industry-standard design tools. This project examines the differences between Canva, a widely used template-driven design platform, and Adobe Illustrator, a professional vector-based design application. Through a hands-on, project-based research approach, the same brand identity was developed in both programs, including a style guide, business card, website homepage mock-up, and tri-fold. The comparison focused on workflow efficiency, creative freedom, typography, color management, scalability, and production readiness.

Findings revealed that Canva excels in accessibility, speed, and ease of use …

Visual Structure, Cultural Memory, And Viewership In Early Medieval Irish High Crosses, Trinity Smith

Theses

This thesis examines how Irish high crosses functioned as structured visual forms through which religious authority and cultural memory were communicated within early medieval Ireland. Previous scholarship has emphasized the theological coherence of these monuments, often assuming a single idealized viewer. This study reconsiders Irish high crosses through the concept of multiple viewership by examining how different audiences may have encountered and understood these monuments. Using comparative visual and contextual analysis, this study examines four case studies: the Cross of the Scriptures at Clonmacnoise, Muiredach’s Cross at Monasterboice, the High Cross of Durrow, and the Market Cross at Kells. This …

The Significance Of Abstract Art In Self-Expression: A Study Developed By Analyzing Kandinsky's Black Lines And Producing Visual Juxtapositions, Keturah K. Bowles

Theses

This paper will contemplate how the creation of abstract art, a creative style born from the Avant-Garde movement of the 20th century by artists such as Wassily Kandinsky, was imperative in the pursuit of artistic freedom. Additionally, it will seek to prove that abstraction is one of the unparalleled genres to utilize for self-expression in comparison to genres that uphold traditional art techniques, such as realism. This theory is further emphasized when considering abstract art in juxtaposition to the art standards maintained by the academy. Moreover, the research conducted to support the proposed theory falls into various categories, such as …

Beyond Affection Meters: A Framework For Relationship Repair Mechanics And Meaningful Play, Christopher B. Del Gesso

Theses

This thesis develops and tests a repair-centered framework for relationship mechanics in narrative games, positioned as an alternative to the affection-meter model that reduces relationships to a single accumulating score. Drawing on eudaimonic media research, relational repair theory, and interpretive-attribution research, the framework argues that meaningful relationship play depends on tracking multiple, potentially divergent relational dimensions; distinguishing repair attempts from repair outcomes; modeling interpretation of player actions rather than fixed action-to-effect mappings; and treating stable, non-restorative endings as legitimate outcomes rather than failure states. A comparative survey of five commercial games, Fallout 4, Tell Me Why, Life is Strange Remastered, …

Web Of Sisterhood: Somehow Connected, Catherine Scott

Theses

This thesis project is about the connection between female community (sisterhood) and art-making practices. This connection is explored through qualitative research, including research in art history, feminism, community interviews, and personal experience. The connection between sisterhood and art-making is expressed through the construction and development, as well as the visual elements, in the final project. Communication and collaboration with women in my community about the artwork and our connections as women shaped how the work would be constructed, as well as the imagery and colors used in the final piece.

Lab Escape, Peter Brauninger

Theses

The core subject of this paper focuses on several key traits of effective horror games. Using a paper and prototype level, the project conducts a thorough examination of horror in the medium to better understand how to develop effective games in this genre. Looking at examples from different media, the objective of this research is to identify key components of effective horror games. Going through the research, we can identify three key traits that are critical to the genre. Within horror games, accuracy of these elements is even more essential. Having the player be constantly tense, and enjoying the game …

Seeing Power: Authority, Gender, And Spectatorship In Charles I And Henrietta Marie With Their Two Eldest Children, Prince Charles And Princess Mary (1632), Danielle Scaramuzzi

Theses

The visual construction, enactment, and legitimization of political authority is the subject of this thesis concerning Charles I and Henrietta Maria with their two eldest children, Prince Charles and Princess Mary (1632), painted by Anthony Van Dyck. Through examination of sovereign representation, gendered body, dynastic continuity, and spectators, this research argues that authority within Northern Baroque portraiture is not established as a single or unchanging entity. However, instead of a monolithic representation of authority, it arises from relational elements, including body language, gesture, space, family relations, and viewer engagement. Although Van Dyck's portrait is generally considered a dynastic image in …

The Bridwell Quarterly, Issues 32 & 33, Spring-Summer 2026, Michelle S. Ried, Anthony Elia

Bridwell Library Publications

No abstract provided.

Common Cybersecurity Attack Types And Zeek-Based Detection Strategies In Iot Networks, Christofer Piedra, Alain Edwards

Florida Atlantic Undergraduate Research Journal

As cybersecurity threats increase in scale and complexity, the ability to distinguish hostile traffic from benign network activity is essential. This research examines five prevalent cyberattack categories that impact IoT environments and outlines detection strategies utilizing the open-source Intrusion Detection System (IDS) Zeek. This study provides practical detection methods designed for scalable, real-time environments by classifying five commonly encountered attacks, namely: Reconnaissance, Denial of Service (DoS) and Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS), Brute Force, Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) and Spoofing, and Botnet and Malware Behavior. For each attack, we analyze the prevalence, operational impact, and associated indicators. We also present Zeekbased pseudocode …

An In-Silico Investigation Of Induced Target Neural Activity Through Simulation-Based Inference Informed Deep Brain Stimulation, James Lee, Ty Roachford

Florida Atlantic Undergraduate Research Journal

Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) is clinically effective for various neurological disorders, yet its underlying neuronal mechanisms remain unknown. Building on previous studies, we used an in-silico Hodgkin-Huxley biophysical model to investigate hippocampal CA1 responses to DBS. Our simulations replicate key experimental findings, confirming robust somatic depolarization at 140 Hz and a more gradual ramp at 40 Hz, alongside distinct transient and sustained voltage profiles. Both frequencies modulated firing rates, supporting the notion that DBS disrupts pathological network activity. Beyond frequency-specific effects, we employed Simulation-Based Inference (SBI) to identify the DBS features needed to suppress spiking and match a quiescent target …

A Comprehensive Overview Of The Quantum Approximate Optimization Algorithm, Vincent Stafford

Florida Atlantic Undergraduate Research Journal

As quantum computing research advances, the Quantum Approximate Optimization Algorithm (QAOA) has emerged as a leading approach to harnessing current quantum hardware for solving complex combinatorial optimization problems. This pedagogical, expository paper outlines the mathematical foundations of QAOA, explains its step-by-step implementation from first principles in a manner accessible to advanced undergraduate students and non-specialists, and explores real-world applications such as protein folding and job scheduling. We also examine the algorithm’s performance challenges, including barren plateaus and circuit depth limitations.

Artist Statement, Zarina Mason

Florida Atlantic Undergraduate Research Journal

No abstract provided.

His 127 Microhistories: A Lens Into The Past — Apartheid In South Africa Syllabus, Marta Millar

Open Educational Resources

The microhistory course introduces students to the study of history by exploring a particular event, individual, or issue, and its legacy. Students will read both primary source documents and modern texts to examine how the topic under consideration was shaped by, and in turn shaped contemporary culture.

This syllabus is for a course focusing on the history of apartheid in South Africa. Students will analyze the political, social, economic, and cultural aspects of the apartheid era. This includes understanding how segregationist policies developed in South Africa, what political transformations led to the implementation of the apartheid system, how different policies …

Chi Meta-Project Ecosystem Overview - Spring 2026, David B. Smith

Publications and Research

This paper offers a high-level account of the Center for Holistic Integration’s (CHI) meta-project ecosystem as visualized in the included system map. CHI provides an organizational structure framed around persistent meta-projects that support and extend individual initiatives across curriculum, scholarly and applied research, infrastructure, artistic production, AI development, cultural inquiry, and external partnerships. Rather than presenting the map as a static inventory of projects, the paper examines how its core domains function as living systems through which knowledge, tools, documentation, participants, and collaborations can accumulate over time. It also considers how CHI-mediated connectivity, institutional integration, and external funding allow the …

Evanescent - Issue 7

Evanescent

Evanescent: A Journal of Literary Medicine is the journal of the Eakins Writing Project, which also sponsors the Drs. Theresa and Charles Yeo Writing Prize. The Eakins Writing Project is supported by the Jefferson Center for Injury Research and Prevention, located in the Department of Surgery of Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia.

Contents:

10 - Editorial Statement

12 - Lap after Lap by Daniel Dashko

14 - The Clinical Chart of Joy by Edoardo Manca (Honorable Mention)

21 - Untitled by Trinh Ta

22 - The Joy (and Sadness) of the Magnolia Tree by Laura DeLoretta (Third Place Winner)

25 - …

Visual And Textual Representations Of Conquistadors And Indigenous Leaders In The Spanish Drama Of The 17th Century, Liz Carolina Villamizar Caceres

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the visual and textual representations of conquistadors and Indigenous leaders in seventeenth-century Spanish teatro indiano, a Baroque dramatic subgenre centered on the Conquest and colonization of the Americas. It investigates how these representations negotiate questions of sovereignty, political legitimacy, and imperial expansion within the Spanish Monarchy. While scholarship on colonial Spanish theater has extensively examined its historical, ideological, and propagandistic dimensions, the contribution of visual culture to the construction of these political representations has received comparatively little attention. This study argues that early modern Spanish playwrights did not simply reproduce existing images but reinterpreted widely circulating visual …

Collecting Data Amid Resistance: Earning Faculty Trust While Revising Writing Program Assessment Practices, Carl Schlachte, Gregory Bruno

Publications and Research

This article examines the process one community college first-year writing program used to revise its exit criteria for the first-semester composition course. The authors reflect on the complexities of revising program policies through shared decision-making practices without pausing the operation or offering of courses. This article, which we imagine will be useful for writing program administrators, department chairs, and committee members tasked with the work of revising writing program curricula or assessment practices, is particularly pointed toward those seeking to cultivate confidence with institutional research in their faculty and colleagues, and to view both data and change initiatives as tools …

Forecast: An Exhibition Inviting Slow Feeling Through Participation In Unstable Weather States, Jo Pollitt, Helena Grehan, Lilly Blue, Peggy Attkinson, Justine Dandy, Naomi Joy Godden, Leanda Mason, Renee Esther Newman, Alexa Taylor, Danielle Gilson

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This paper presents a series of responses from Western Australian based artists and scholars from a range of disciplines including: meteorology, science, education, social work, psychology, art and performance studies, to a year-long exhibition titled Forecast in Gallery 09 at The Art Gallery of Western Australia (AGWA). Forecast is a collaboration between AGWA's Head of Learning and Creativity Research, Lilly Blue, Edith Cowan University's Centre for People, Place and Planet artist-scholar, Jo Pollitt, together with artists Dianne Jones and Eva Fernández. The exhibition invites audiences to contribute to two participatory works: Weather Patterns, a daily changing installation that makes room …

The Orange Mushroom, Liv Wyland

Floodwall Magazine

No abstract provided.