Gifted Education Commons^™

Relationship Between Gender And Symptom Severity For Youth Who Have Been Sexually Abused, Zoe Erickson

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Childhood sexual abuse is a recurring problem which negatively affects thousands of children and adolescents every year. This is a traumatic event which can cause distress for individuals post sexual abuse well into adulthood. Because of this, it is important for practitioners to understand what symptoms could be present post abuse, as well as factors that may impact the presence and severity of these symptoms. Using data from the Project SAFE group treatment program including 126 adolescents aged 12-19, this study aims to further examine how factors such as gender of the individual will affect their symptoms post sexual abuse. …

Remotely Close: An Investigation Of The Student Experience In First-Year Mathematics Courses During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Sawyer Smith

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The realm of education was shaken by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. It had drastic effects on the way that courses were delivered to students, and the way that students were getting their education at the collegiate level. At the University of Nebraska – Lincoln, the pandemic dramatically changed the way that first-year mathematics courses looked for students. By Spring 2021, students had the opportunity to take their first-year math courses either in-person or virtually. This project sought to identify differences between the two methods of course delivery during the Spring 2021 semester, regarding interaction with peers …

Oral History: A Tool For The Elementary And Middle Classroom, Jessica Keiser

Senior Honors Theses

Modern historical instruction requires educators to cover broad expanses of history and prepare students for standardized testing. In the push to meet state standards and cover the vast curriculum in short periods of time, many educators have begun to teach to the textbook. Much to the detriment of students, this educational practice has favored periodization and content quantity over the development of crucial historical skills. Rather than adhering to popular education trends, teachers can consider implementing oral history projects within their elementary and middle school classrooms. Oral history is a methodology that employs first-hand accounts to teach about key historical …

Biomechanical Analysis Of Athletes Sprinting With Varying Degrees Of Resistance, Michaela Ott

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Utilizing resistance methods for sprinters is a common approach to their training. In this study, six athletes from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Women’s Track and Field Team ran a series of sprints using a resistance machine to collect data regarding the change in power output, stride length, level of trunk tilt with respect to the ground, and acceleration throughout a distance of ten meters when different amounts of resistant forces were applied to the athlete. It was hypothesized that as resistance increased, power output would increase, stride length would decrease, the runners would become more horizontal resulting in a larger …

Effects Of Socioeconomic Status On Consumer Behavior And Attitudes Towards A Brand’S Image, Abbey Haymond

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

This research seeks to understand more about the effects of socioeconomic background on consumer behavior and its impact on the perception of brand images. Data from people of different SES were compared to understand how they view advertisements intended for different audiences and their corresponding effects. It was conducted by sending out a confidential, voluntary survey to a convenience sample targeting 100 consumers. Consumers were asked to rate statements, on a scale of one to five, for each of the research questions to assess specific aspects of their consumer attitudes and behaviors. The high SES group has a higher average …

The Public’S Preferences In Supreme Court Rationale, William Svob

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Public approval of the Supreme Court has been decreasing in recent years. Given the literature’s consensus that Supreme Court rulings coincide with popular opinion more often than not, the decrease in popularity cannot be explained away by assuming the justices have made a series of widely despised rulings. This raises questions about what exactly the public wants the Supreme Court to do. There is an abundance of research covering the many factors that influence a justice to rule in a particular manner, but there is little written about what the average American believes should influence the Court. This study is …

Message From The President / 3.16.22, Evan M. Glazer

Message from the President

No abstract provided.

Source Of Off-Type Frequencies In Winter Wheat Varieties, Michaela Benes

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The enzyme polyphenol oxidase (PPO) is undesirable in most wheat products due to the discoloration it causes. Purifying wheat varieties through selective breeding is the best way at getting rid of PPO in a variety. The variety NW15443 was planted in both a field in McCook, NE, and in a greenhouse in Lincoln, NE. Individual heads were snapped from the field and the greenhouse seed was harvested in bulk. After completing a PPO test of the seed, it was determined that the percentages of off-type frequencies from the field seed and the greenhouse seed were 11% and 3.6%, respectively. Using …

The Effect Of Store-To-Store Energy Transfers On The Global Dynamics Of Aircraft, Guilherme Mainieri Eymael

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

This study analyzes the energy transfer mechanisms when nonlinear devices (stores) are attached to a linear model airplane. For that, a reduced-order model (ROM) was derived to simulate the first two flexible modes of vibration of the primary structure (aircraft) with one store in each wing. Each store can either be locked or unlocked. When locked, it only contributes as mass-effect, and when unlocked, it adds nonlinearity to the system. Simulations were then performed with either both stores locked, one store unlocked, or both stores unlocked. It was found that the attachment of nonlinear stores in the ROM changes the …

An Evaluation Of Tractors Tested At The Nebraska Tractor Test Lab And The Effect Of Epa Emission Standards Based Upon Average Pto Horsepower And Fuel Efficiency, Dalton Erickson

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Newly released tractor models are tested to ensure they meet advertising claims. This thesis utilizes tractor test data to analyze performance trends in tractors based upon their power take off (PTO) horsepower and fuel efficiency and it evaluates how the average fuel efficiency of tractors was affected by the introduction of emission standards by the United States Environmental Protection Agencies. In conclusion, tractors have shown continuous improvement and growth in both fuel efficiency and PTO horsepower, and emission standards have had a small, positive effect on tractors’ average fuel efficiency.

Tiny Earth, Tinier Microbes: An Experiential Learning Approach To Antibiotic Discovery, Emily Kassing

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Antimicrobial resistance is one of the greatest global health challenges of the 21^st century as antibiotic discovery has slowed even as scientific knowledge about AMR has progressed. At the same time, science education has turned to active learning approaches like CUREs, or course-based undergraduate research experiences, to achieve educational objectives while engaging students in real-life research. The Tiny Earth Project is a global research initiative that seeks to crowdsource antibiotic discovery by recruiting undergraduate students to screen soil samples for antibiotic producers. The goal of this study was to determine the viability of translating the Tiny Earth programming to …

Livestock Performance In Response To High Intensity Rotational Grazing System, Austin Kennedy

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The production of livestock is composed of a variety of factors all effecting the outcome. For grazing livestock, a key factor in production is the grazing management system. Two of the most common grazing management systems are continuous grazing and rotational grazing. There has been evidence found proving benefits of rotational grazing in regard to vegetation productivity, and prevention and restoration of degraded rangeland. However, there is a lack of clear evidence on the relationship between grazing system and production metrics of livestock. Understanding this relationship can provide the necessary information for livestock producers in order to increase their production …

The Broadband Mapping Challenge: An Overview Of Rural Broadband Status And Policy Solutions For Nebraska, Payton Flower

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Broadband, the availability of high-speed internet service for the transmission of electronic data, it is a critical component in the daily life of Americans. However, there is significant disparity in the United States between urban and rural areas in regard to broadband availability and adoption. This issue has created what is known as the “digital divide”, a situation in which lower income, rural residents, and those living on tribal lands are most severely impacted by limited broadband services. “Broadband Mapping” refers to a data collection process that is primarily overseen by the Federal Communications Commission. Unfortunately, a variety of flaws …

A Documentation Of A Year As An Artistic Director For Unl, Philip Crawford

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The goal of this project was to document a year of being an Artistic Director for UNL’s student run theatre company Theatrix. Through this documentation, I will be able to reflect upon and learn from my experiences as a leader, director, and theatre maker.

This thesis will be broken up into eight different parts to outline the eight different stages I experienced as Artistic Director this year: season selection, the 24-hour Play Festival, The Revolutionists, The Thanksgiving Play, Clown Bar, season changes, Based on a Totally True Story, and Lemons, Lemons, Lemons, Lemons, Lemons. Through these eight stages, I will …

Life, Strength, Woman: English Translation Of Julia De Burgos’S Poetry, Alexis Stoffers

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The purpose of this translation project is to make Puerto Rican feminist and political activist Julia de Burgos’s poetry available to a wider audience. Its feminist themes and exploration of powerful emotions are just as relevant today as they were in Burgos’s lifetime. Translating these poems to English in the twenty-first century means a whole new generation of developing women will have access to Burgos’s words. They will feel Burgos’s deep and intricate emotions and understand that it’s okay to struggle as long as they remain true to themselves. A detailed history of Burgos’s life accompanies the translated poems in …

Exploration Of Piccirillo's Trick On Low Crossing Number Knots, Gabriel Adams

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Piccirillo recently discovered a process that can be applied to an unknotting number one knot to convert it into a different knot called a Piccirillo dual. Piccirillo duals have been shown to have the same n-trace and the same sliceness. However, exploration and knowledge of this process is limited. We were able to generate the Piccirillo duals for several low-crossing number knots. We offer the foundation for and explain how to follow the Piccirillo process and generate Piccirillo duals. This talk assumes little knowledge of knot theory and concisely gives newcomers a clear introduction to get started working with Piccirillo …

Γλύκοπικρος & Bittersweet: An Autoethnographic Approach To Studying Abroad In Greece, Margaret Rieckman

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The purpose of this study is to answer the question: How can reflection via an autoethnographic approach promote sought-after outcomes of a semester studying abroad? Through an anthropological lens, I completed field work, kept field notes, and wrote a reflexive blog to navigate the social processes of learning to belong in another place within the context of a multicultural environment of study abroad program with Erasmus students. Through autoethnography as a methodology and a text, I utilized linguistic analysis to identify key themes that represent my transformative experience. The personal, emotional, and intellectual growth I experienced was made transformative by …

Hand Sanitizer Production Distribution Analysis, Regan Monhollon

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

This work is a brief report on the areas reached and the monetary value of the materials produced and distributed by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Hand Sanitizer Production Project in response to the COVID-19 Pandemic. This project was able to produce approximately 190,000 gallons of hand sanitizer, totaling a minimum commercial value of $15 million and an estimated peak commercial value of $166 million that would be distributed both in and out of the State of Nebraska.

This report contains the calculations used to estimate the worth of the hand sanitizer produced shortly before, during the peak, and near the …

Legislative Bill 519: Creating And Lobbying For Original Legislation, Brooklyn Terrill

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

This project reflects the process of writing and attempting to pass state legislation, Legislative Bill 519, as a college student. LB 519 is an immunity policy for certain drug and alcohol charges that would be potentially prohibitive to a survivor or witness of sexual assault reporting the crime. The first several sections cover the process of developing and introducing legislation. These sections cover the process of developing the idea for LB 519 and the thought process behind the language and structure of the bill. It then covers the advocacy portion of passing a bill which includes testifying and lobbying for …

Starvation Diets: The History And Moral Implications Of Prolonging The Lives Of Juvenile Diabetics Before The Discovery Of Insulin, Olivia Thompson

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

This study explores the state of diabetology before Frederick Banting’s discovery of insulin in 1921, when juvenile diabetes was a terminal diagnosis. The widespread misunderstanding of the disease at the hands of physicians and scientists culminated in improper treatments and erroneous anatomical literature about diabetes until the age of discovery in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. More extensively, I examine the controversial work of 20th-century physician Frederick Madison Allen, who attempted to prolong the lives of juvenile diabetics by subjecting them to a rigid starvation diet by way of experimental trials lasting from 1915 to 1922. This diet …

Dancing And Poetry: A Study Of The Whirling Dervish Dance Through Rumi’S Poetry, Tasneem Huq

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

This exploration investigates the influence of Rumi’s book of poetry, Mathnawi, upon the Sufi practice of the Whirling Dervish dances. It argues that Rumi’s Mathnawi underlies the choreography of the Whirling Dervish dances. Each step of the dance expresses, manifests or embodies themes found in Rumi’s poetry: separation from Unity, ascension, annihilation, and a return to Unity. The thesis introduces this argument, and then discusses historical, theological, and linguistic themes related to Rumi, Sufism, and the Whirling Dervish dances. Following this, the thesis provides a framework that begins with the Neoplatonic theory of emanation grounding Rumi’s poetic thought, followed by …

Developing Activities On Uncharismatic Animals Found At Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo And Aquarium, Justin Hultquist

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The Education Department at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium has a number of educational activities based on charismatic species found there. I wished to develop activities the department may use for less charismatic or misunderstood species at the zoo. I began by surveying the exhibits at the zoo and taking note of what species or groups didn’t receive as much visitor engagement, or what comments were made on species that were incorrect. I then began to brainstorm and narrow down potential species that I could develop an educational activity around. As I began to develop and create activities, a …

Development Of Controller Area Network Bus Programming For Quarter-Scale Tractor Pulling Sled, Brittani Wacker

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Usage of Controller Area Network (CAN) technology has allowed for advancements in many industries, including agriculture. Most importantly, its application is useful for refining data acquisition methods. With support from the Quarter-scale Tractor Design Team at UNL, this project united a CAN bus with the team’s current tractor pulling sled. The objectives were to install new instrumentation needed for the CAN bus and to program the updated system utilizing CAN data. The program needed to give the pulling sled functionality and the ability to read and log important pulling data. These goals were all accomplished by implementing new sensors, coding …

Comparison Of Transcervical Insemination Versus Surgical Insemination Methods In Dogs At A Veterinary Clinic In Lincoln, Nebraska, Lauren Ahlers

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Artificial insemination paved the way for many advancements in reproductive technology. Two common artificial insemination methods recommended for use with frozen semen are transcervical insemination and surgical insemination. To better understand the conception rates of dogs for each method, data was collected from Hillcrest Animal Clinic. The data suggested that neither transcervical insemination nor surgical insemination was significantly better than the other. 50% of the dogs conceived when inseminated using the transcervical method, and 54.5% of the dogs conceived when inseminated using the surgical method. Based on the results, more data needs to be collected on both insemination procedures to …

Pathways To Resilience: Lessons Learned From Covid-19, Mary Ann Hollingsworth

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

Out of the mouths of youth themselves while in the Covid-19 pandemic - pathways to build and sustain resilience in the life challenges that come our way at all stages of life.

Anti-Pornography Feminism, Kinktok, And Consent: What We Can Learn From The Sex Wars And Leather/Sadomasochistic History, Nic Cloyd

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Sex education and LGBTQA+ history have long been censored and removed from curriculums across the United States. As this information has disappeared from our education systems, important values like consent and boundary setting have become increasingly obsolete despite the modern body autonomy movement. Leather and SM culture, which began post-WWII and reached their peak in the 1970s during the sexual liberation, have become increasingly important as their ethical and moral codes have been lost over time to the HIV/AIDs epidemic and censorship from second and third wave feminsism. Two prominent movements, anti-pornography and sex-work exclusionary radical feminism, have worked to …

Understanding Queer Women’S Satisfaction With Healthcare Providers: The Role Of Positive Lgb Identity And Communication, Maddie Luebe

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Much research has explored the negative effects of having a queer identity in healthcare, such as stigmatization and discrimination, but little research examined the potential benefits of a positive LGBTQ identity in healthcare. This study investigated the relationship between having a positive LGBTQ identity and provider satisfaction through comfort communicating with a provider. This study also considered the potential effect of participants’ fear of provider heterosexism in this relationship. Survey data were collected from 506 queer-identified women in the United States. Using moderated mediation, results found that more positive feelings associated with one’s queer identity was associated with increased comfort …

Nasty Woman: An Analysis Of Women's Rage In Popular Culture, Sarah Kee

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The goal of this senior project was to analyze the underlying cause for why certain female characters in popular culture were villainized for their behavior and generally deemed to be “nasty woman.” After reading numerous books and viewing films that contained “nasty woman”, there was a common denominator that linked their behavior and influenced their decision to enact their often-bloody retribution: the patriarchy. These women were a victim of some aspect of the patriarchy, commonly sexual assault, and could not receive the support they needed, so they decided to take matters into their own hands. The “nasty women” analyzed in …

Settler Colonialism And The Movement Towards Indigenous Forest Sovereignty, Madison Zucco

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

This research paper examines the historical and political implications of settler colonialism on Indigenous nations in forested areas around the world. Through a thorough analysis of the Haida First Nation, Pacheedaht First Nation, and the Sámi people, it is argued that settler colonial legislation systematically and intentionally separated Indigenous people and their knowledge from forested areas. Since then, shared management protocols have been implemented to amend racist and environmentally degrading legislation on forested land, but are limited in their effect to reconcile the settler colonial legal system. The only true way to reconcile the settler colonial structure in place that …

The Importance Of Nutrition In Oral Health In The General Population And Among Children And Adolescents, Emma Barnes

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Having good oral health is vital for the U.S. population. Although there have been improvements, too many suffer from dental caries and tooth loss. Providing education, dental procedures, and nutritional foods can help prevent these issues. Healthy choices include having a diet with adequate protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, and the vitamin B complex to support proper tissue development in the oral cavity.

Keeping good oral health is crucial for those suffering from diabetes mellitus. Studies show that doing this can help lower the patient's A1C, therefore helping with the management of blood glucose levels and potentially slowing the progression …