Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Women's Work And Wealth: Measuring The Impact Of Incremental Liberations, 1850-1870, Hannah Kelly

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Using a two-way fixed effects difference-in-difference model, this project analyzes data from the IPUMS Full Count census for 1850, 1860, and 1870 at a state level for 48 states. Four models assess the impact of property laws on women's real property holdings, labor force participation, household types, and real property values.

By quantifying the impact of various legal reforms on women's economic empowerment, this project fills a gap in the understanding of the intersection between law, society, and women's economic agency during a transformative period in pre-industrial American history. These impacts can implicate the effectiveness of legislative measures in advancing …

Supporting Mothers Within The Criminal Legal System: Programs In Akron And Perceptions Of “Good Motherhood”, Brynn R. Lewis

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This paper examines the programs and support systems available in Akron, Ohio, for mothers involved in the criminal legal system, including defendants, survivors, and other justice-involved individuals. Using qualitative interviews (n = 6) with professionals across courts, legal defense, community corrections, and advocacy organizations, this study examines how local institutions provide resources and support to mothers. Findings indicate that while programs aim to promote stability and rehabilitation, mothers face persistent barriers such as limited access to transportation, childcare, and communication, as well as heightened stigma tied to societal expectations of caregiving. These findings reveal that institutional support both reflects and …

The Effect Of Minimum Wage On Household Debts And Delinquencies, Payton G. Rader

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This paper examines how increases in binding minimum wages affect various types of household debts and delinquency rates. Within this paper, household debt is defined as the combined sum of auto loans, credit card debt, mortgage debt, and student loan debt. The goal of the analysis is to conclude whether minimum wage increases are contributing to America’s growing debt crisis. The answer to this question likely relies on whether or not minimum wage increases cause unemployment. This is because unemployment can contribute significantly to debt levels when unemployed people rely on credit for day-to-day transactions or payments. Traditional economic theory …

Immigration As A Catalyst To The Far-Right: The Case Of Vox And Spain, Evelyn R. White

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Over the last decade or two, the world has witnessed a global rise in the popularity and success of far-right wing parties. This new era of the radical right raises questions of what is causing and fueling these political movements. Political Scientists have identified several contributing factors from the global economic crisis of 2008, the migrant crisis of 2015 and the global pandemic in 2020. This research paper aims to demonstrate how immigration acts as a catalyst to the far-right by intersecting with political science ideologies and other variables. The focus of this paper is how the Vox Party found …

Designing Crime Prevention And Crowd Management Plans For The New Berea Campus Expansion Project For The Cleveland Browns, Elleana G. Grant

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The Cleveland Browns are expanding their CrossCountry Mortgage Campus by 16 acres. This research seeks to answer a core question: How can the design of the new expansion support both crime prevention and effective crowd management for events drawing up to 6,000 guests? Additional research questions include identifying the safety risks associated and determining which evidence-based strategies are most appropriate. The main goal of this research is to ensure that the expanded campus is safe for all visitors. This work is motivated by the significant increase in daily activity that the expansion will bring, not only during major events, but …

Expanding State Tax Authority: Public And Private Sector Impacts Of Wayfair, Maxwell Pastoria

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The 2018 Supreme Court decision in South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc. (Wayfair) overturned the longstanding physical presence rule for state sales tax collection, enabling states to enforce tax obligations on remote sellers through marketplace facilitator and economic nexus laws (Oyez, 2018). This study investigates the effects of these two post-Wayfair tax laws on state sales tax revenues, entrepreneurship, and public expenditures across all 50 states. Using a two-way fixed effects difference-in-differences (TWFE DID) framework, this research analyzes how policy adoption influenced per-capita outcomes in tax revenue, firm formation, and government spending in social services, education, infrastructure, and …

Locked In: The High Price Of Overcrowding And The Strain Of America's Growing Prison System, Kaitlyn N. Timmerman

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Over the past several decades, the number of people incarcerated in the United States has increased substantially, placing a significant strain on correctional systems. This project examines long-term trends in incarceration to better understand how population growth may relate to concerns about overcrowding. Specifically, it asks: How has the total incarcerated population in the United States changed from 1925 to 2022? Which type of correctional system (state prisons, federal prisons, or local jails) has experienced the most growth? And to what extent can changes in incarceration counts and facility distribution be used as indicators of overcrowding?

Using historical data and …

Brains Under Pressure: The Role Of Media, Ai, And Technology In Toxic Student Stress, Ella C. Granat

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This Honors Research Project examines the relationship between toxic stress and everyday technology use among college students aged 18 and older. The study explores how media consumption, reliance on digital tools, and the use of artificial intelligence in academic work may contribute to stress and influence brain functioning. Using a quantitative, survey-based design, data will be collected through self-administered questionnaires distributed both in print and online. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) will be used to measure stress levels, alongside a supplemental questionnaire assessing patterns of technology use and related life factors. Recruitment will occur through flyers, email, and snowball sampling …

Advancing The Iot4ag Agbridge Program Through Continuous Improvement Practices, Yury A. Kuleshov, Yaguang Zhang

Indiana STEM Education Conference

The authors are implementing improvements to the pilot AgBridge program. The AgBridge program is a mentorship program that brings together graduate students in engineering and/or engineering technology and education and matches them with educators in agriculture-related fields with support from faculty members and volunteers. Each team creates an educational product for use in a K-12 classroom, such as school curriculum focused on a research project. The program approach differs from a conventional post-secondary classroom, where students of different majors have minimal interaction with one another and have limited input from practitioners and/or industry professionals. The authors used feedback data to …

Proceedings Of The Eleventh Annual Indiana Stem Education Conference: Stem Journeys, William S. Walker Iii, S. Selcen Guzey

Indiana STEM Education Conference

The Proceedings of the Eleventh Annual Indiana STEM Education Conference are edited by the Center for Advancing the Teaching and Learning of STEM (CATALYST, https://www.education.purdue.edu/catalyst/) at Purdue University. The theme for the 2026 conference is STEM Journeys, celebrating the multiple pathways and experiences that advance student learning in STEM education.

Renewable Energy Innovation: A Mathematics-Driven Integrated Stem Approach For K-12 Classrooms, Humphrey Chinenye Ochulor, Dayat Hidayat

Indiana STEM Education Conference

This research brief presents Renewable Energy Innovation (REI) as a mathematics-driven Integrated STEM (iSTEM) approach for engaging upper elementary and middle school students to design, analyze, test, and refine solar cars and wind turbines through mathematical modeling (MM) and problem solving (PS). Research suggests that renewable energy activities support students’ abilities to design systems, quantify variables, construct multiple representations, and refine mathematical models to clarify relationships between energy output and design features. Positioning mathematics as the driver in REI iSTEM engineering design contexts aligns with the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics and foregrounds mathematics as a primary organizing discipline …

Stem Integration Through Environmental Data Analysis For Real-World Problem Solving, Abigail Erskine

Indiana STEM Education Conference

Integrating authentic, environmental-based data can make STEM instruction more meaningful. As part of a broader high school STEM curriculum, I designed a lesson that connects mathematical and statistical concepts, technology, and environmental data through environmental data analysis to develop real-world problem solving. Using local deer mortality data, I examined how descriptive statistics and data interpretation could reveal population and ecological patterns. Designing with real data highlighted how mathematics can serve as a lens for understanding environmental issues and promote connections across STEM disciplines. This research brief focuses on the instructional design and reflection as the lesson designer.

From Coursework To Research: A Scalable Model For Student-Industry Ai Collaboration, Hyeong Kyun Park, Andrew Joon Cha

Indiana STEM Education Conference

Preparing students for advanced technical careers requires more than foundational theory; it demands a shift to genuine research methodology. With the rising need for university-industry partnerships in AI innovation, this case study dissects a successful student-industry AI engineering collaboration project and transforms it into an essential preparation model easily adopted by technology personnel. The student participants include undergraduate and graduate engineering, data science, and computer science students working directly with practicing industry AI engineers. While universities publish most AI research and generate higher-novelty work, industry contributes state-of-the-art models, large datasets, and computational resources. Students gain research readiness, data literacy, and …

Document Analysis: Indiana Doe Stem School Certification Process Through A Liberatory Lens, Steve Heinold

Indiana STEM Education Conference

The Indiana Department of Education awards a STEM School Certification (IDOE, 2024) to schools that exhibit priorities for integrated STEM education. Currently over one hundred schools in Indiana have received this certification, including many that represent communities of color and under-resourced communities. While the STEM certification process has thus far been representational for low-income and Black students (Duarte, 2025), many disparities and deficits remain in closing opportunity gaps for students of color in STEM in the state of Indiana. This research brief, utilizing BlackCrit theory in education, analyzes Indiana’s STEM School Certification process for addressing the systemic barriers that under-represented …

The Influence Of Teachers And Career Counselors Of Middle School Students' Interest In Pursuing Stem Careers, Damilola Ayokanmi, Paul Asunda

Indiana STEM Education Conference

At the front of every STEM classroom, teachers hold more than just textbooks, they hold the potential to shape students’ aspirations, confidence, and perceptions of what is possible in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Beyond teaching content, they nurture problem-solving skills and position STEM careers as attainable (Dare et al., 2021). Career counselors complement this work by providing career-related information, exposing students to STEM professions, and guiding them through academic pathways (Rottinghaus et al., 2018). Together, these educators form an essential support system influencing students’ early career awareness (Murcia et al., 2020). This ongoing qualitative study examines how teachers …

The Cross Cultural Study Of Self-Ideation: Eastern Vs Western, Florencia Suhartono

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Self-Ideation behavior, a topic that although is increasing in awareness, is also increasing in victims as well. One thing is very clear however, both the Eastern and Western countries still see suicide and its related attitude in a taboo perspective. Regarding this, factors of various customs of each respective country will be further explained; taking note on how their contrasting cultural differences may potentially feed on the self-harming attitude that each victim may have developed. It will continue on explaining the more specific details on how each side of the world reacts when a person declares their self-ideating thoughts, studying …

Long-Term Effect Of Aces On Children’S Mental Health, Substance Abuse, And Education, Annalisa M. Lobello, Kayla A. Kemer

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This honors project will aim to discover how adverse childhood experiences (ACES) affect a child’s mental health, substance use, and education. ACES are potentially traumatic events that occur between ages zero to seventeen (Centers for Disease and Control Prevention, 2024). Some examples could include experiencing violence, abuse, neglect, having a family member attempt or die by suicide, growing up around substance use, mental health problems, parental separation, and household members being incarcerated. ACES are widely recognized as powerful predictors on long-term outcomes of children. This proposal will highlight the importance of recognizing ACES within children, trauma-informed care, and appropriate interventions …

A Look Deeper Into Ohio’S Opioid Crisis And The Lasting Political Effects Of The Issue, Robert C. Dunn

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This research studies how the opioid crisis deepened partisan divisions in Ohio from the late 1990s to the present. By investigating political responses from both policy-makers and voter behavior following the introduction of OxyContin. This study will focus on the relationship between addiction and overdose rates, which influences those ideological divides. Using qualitative research, such as political rhetoric and legislative responses, and quantitative research, such as election results, to find a correlation between the opioid crisis and partisan polarization. This project aims to highlight how politically motivated decision-making can prevent proper bipartisan responses.

Reconnecting The Body With Nature: Inspired By Advances In Biomimicry, Elyse M. Orosa

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Reconnecting the Body with Nature: Inspired by Advances in Biomimicry will visually address the symbiotic relationship between nature and humans. The drawing series is inspired by the growing design field of biomimicry and its technological and architectural innovations influenced by nature’s systems and physical adaptations. Just as nature is limited by human misuse, humans are physically and neurologically limited by the state of the environment, and with this, form and function of both nature and humans will be equally represented and explored throughout the body of work presented. Biomimicry can help solve environmental issues such as rising CO2 emissions and …

The Influence Of Familial Substance Use Disorder On Perceptions And Attitudes Towards Substance Use Disorders And Participant Substance Use Behavior Among Emerging Adults, Elijah M. Lefeld, Jennifer Stanley

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This research project explores how the lived experience of having an immediate family member with a substance use disorder (SUD) influences a person’s perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors related to substance use. Rather than focusing on the individual diagnosed with SUD, the study examines the reciprocal impact on family members within the social subsystem. Using a quasi-experimental design, the project will compare participant responses using with and without a familial connection to SUD. Data will be collected through Qualtrics surveys distributed via SONA. These measures will record demographic information, personal substance use habits, attitudes toward addiction, perception of substance use disorders, …

Locked And Loaded: The Truth Behind Gun Violence, Alana N. Shroyer

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Gun control remains one of the most controversial policy issues in the United States. While gun reform advocates argue for stricter firearm regulations to reduce gun violence, pro-gun advocates contend that crime is driven more by individual behavior, socioeconomic conditions, and mental health than by gun availability alone. This research project examines gun control laws in the United States, analyzes gun violence data, explores illegal firearm trade markets, compares international approaches, and evaluates whether gun control laws effectively reduce violence while preserving constitutional rights.

Fact Vs. Fiction: Understanding The Influence Of Crime Procedural Television On College Student Choice Of Major, Mia J. Moore

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

As it continues to gain popularity, crime-based media (i.e., crime procedural television shows, true crime podcasts) contributes to the public’s perception of the criminal justice field. Little research exists on the “CSI Effect,” the phenomenon in which criminal justice majors are drawn to the field based on the glorified depictions of the profession portrayed in the media. Previous research on influences behind choice of major suggest a variety of other influential factors, such as personal interest in the subject, friends or family members, or personality characteristics (Beggs et al., 2008; Hoag et al., 2017; Porter & Umbach, 2006). The current …

More Than A Seat At The Table: Examining How Psychological Safety, Identity Representation, And Leadership Accountability Impact African American Women In Global Workplace Environments, Shelbi Chandler

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative phenomenological study examined the lived experiences of African American women working in corporate technology environments, with particular attention to psychological safety, representation, and systemic barriers to advancement. Despite increased organizational commitments to equity and inclusion, research continues to demonstrate that Black women encounter persistent intersectional barriers shaped by race and gender within professional settings (Erskine et al., 2021; Field et al., 2023; Roberson, 2019). Guided by Du Bois’s (2008) theory of double consciousness, Goosby Smith’s (2014a) Ubuntic inclusion framework, and appreciative inquiry (AI; Cooperrider & Whitney, 2005), this study explored how African American women interpret, navigate, and respond …

Words Taking Root: The Psychological Effects Of Eco-Poetry On Eco-Anxiety And Connectedness To Nature, Erika Anderson

Psychology | Student Research Posters

Eco-anxiety is fear and disorientation about climate change (Budziszewska & Jonsson, 2022) and is related to nature connection and pro-environmental behaviors (PEB; Curll et al., 2022; Jalin et al., 2024). Poetry therapy has aided a patient in developing new perspectives for coping with their eco-anxiety (Raile, 2024), but there is no research on the effects of eco-poetry on eco-anxiety. In the present study, participants read eco-poetry and reported their eco-anxiety, connectedness, and emotions relating to nature. I hypothesize that an optimistic eco-poem will lower eco-anxiety and increase nature connection, and the more participants engage in eco-poetry, the higher their eco-anxiety …

Words Taking Root: The Psychological Effects Of Eco-Poetry On Eco-Anxiety And Connectedness To Nature, Erika Anderson

Psychology | Senior Theses

Eco-anxiety is fear and disorientation about climate change (Budziszewska & Jonsson, 2022) and is related to nature connection and pro-environmental behaviors (PEB; Curll et al., 2022; Jalin et al., 2024). Poetry therapy has aided a patient in developing new perspectives for coping with their eco-anxiety (Raile, 2024), but there is no research on the effects of eco-poetry on eco-anxiety. In the present study, participants read eco-poetry and reported their eco-anxiety, connectedness, and emotions relating to nature. I hypothesize that an optimistic eco-poem will lower eco-anxiety and increase nature connection, and the more participants engage in eco-poetry, the higher their eco-anxiety …

Towards An Understanding Of Learning In Immersive Virtual Reality: Investigating Learning Affordances To Bridge Theory And Practice, Gregory Mcgowin

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

This dissertation examines how modality-specific scaffolding shapes performance, presence, and transfer in immersive virtual reality (I-VR). Framed through theories of extended cognition, real-time guidance is conceptualized as cognitive scaffolding that structures perception and action by embedding task-relevant information within the environment. Situated within the learning sciences and informed by 4E cognition (embodied, embedded, enactive, extended), this work develops a framework for understanding how I-VR affordances relate to learning and performance.

The empirical study investigates how scaffolding modality (audio vs. visual) influences presence and performance in a VR racing simulation. Using a 3 × 2 × 2 mixed factorial design, 111 …

Machine Learning For Economists, John Luke Gallup

Economics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Explication of machine learning algorithms and their usefulness for economic research. The prediction algorithms of Random Forest, Gradient Boost Machines, Neural Networks and Support Vector Machines are built from simple steps applied at large scale to generate surprisingly precise nonlinear estimates. Although useful for processing and interpreting new forms of data, their application to economics research is limited because they do not provide readily interpretable evidence of the causes of outcomes.

Associations Between Oral Hormonal Contraceptive Use, Digestive And Other Health Symptoms In Young Women, Silviana E. Buzatu

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Oral hormonal contraceptives (OHCs) are widely used among reproductive-age women; however, their gastrointestinal (GI) side effects remain understudied. The present study examined associations between OHC use, GI, physical, and psychological symptom burden in a large sample of undergraduate women. Participants (N = 669) aged 18 to 25 years were recruited from UCF’s SONA system and classified into three groups based on self-reported contraceptive status: no birth control, combined estrogen–progestin OHC, and progestin-only OHC. Participants completed GI questionnaires, as well as physical and mental health symptoms ones.

Multivariate analyses indicated that overall GI symptom profiles did not differ significantly by birth …

Self-Reported Psychological Effects Of Rock Climbing In Adults On The Autism Spectrum, Brennan Gleason

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Background: Prior research has shown rock climbing to have considerable therapeutic potential through such mechanisms as boosting self-esteem, promoting mindfulness, and creating a supportive social community. (Liu et al., 2022, Osborne et al., 2025). Meanwhile, autistic adults experience mood disorders at a significantly higher rate than the general population; upwards of 54% are diagnosed with a psychiatric condition (Croen et al., 2015). Many of the issues negatively affecting autistic adults align with the benefits of rock climbing, including low self-esteem, inadequate social support, and anxiety.

Objective: This study aimed to find differences in mental health outcomes between autistic adults who …

Health Care Governance And Structural Exclusion In Florida: A Human Rights Analysis Of Access For Latinx Communities, Natalie Medrano

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Access to health care in the United States is a complex system shaped by statutory programs and the discretionary powers of state governance. This thesis examines how Florida’s healthcare system structures access through administrative design, with particular attention to its impact on Latinx communities. Although formally race-neutral, Florida’s reliance on Medicaid non-expansion, managed care delivery, and complex eligibility processes produces systemic barriers that limit access for low-income populations. Drawing on the international right-to-health framework articulated in General Comment No. 14 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, alongside Latinx Critical Race Theory (LatCrit), this study analyzes how …