Matching Items (303)
Description
The COVID-19 pandemic was a devastating, time-freezing event that required life adaptation and self-reflection in lives across the world, and in fact, the world is still bouncing back from its detrimental effects today. There is no question that this time period demonstrated unique challenges, especially for high school students, as they struggled with coping with this seemingly bleak time. The sudden shift to remote learning, the social isolation, and the uncertainty surrounding the virus all contributed to heightened levels of stress and anxiety among students. As a result, students had to develop new coping mechanisms and self-care strategies to manage their well-being in this unprecedented situation. High school students aspiring to pursue careers in helping professions faced the challenge of balancing their desire to support others with the need to discover themselves and prioritize their own well-being.
This project aimed to explore the impact of the COVID-19 quarantine era on Gen-Z's well-being, specifically gaining perspective from students majoring in social work or related helping professions. The episodes comprehensively explore the complexities of the pandemic’s impact on well-being and how this translated into the need for self-care, finding resilience, and rediscovering what it means to be a student desiring to help others. By focusing on students majoring in social work or related fields, the project provides insight from students who experienced the effects of the pandemic firsthand during a significant life transition and also have an understanding of mental wellness and well-being from a professional and academic standpoint. Through sharing personal narratives, a sense of community and empathy can be created among Gen-Z students in helping professions, and contribute to a greater understanding between individual experiences and social contexts in shaping outcomes during times of crisis, especially relevant to their career choice.
ContributorsWalton-Gaines, Malaysia (Author) / Mitscher, Melissa "Megan" (Thesis director) / England, Alison (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Social Work (Contributor)
Created2025-05
Description
Regulatory T-cells (Tregs) are essential for maintaining immune homeostasis, and their stability and function are shaped by a complex network of transcriptional regulators. In this thesis, we investigate the interplay between three key factors—HEB, Tcf1, and β-Catenin—and their role in modulating Treg identity and survival. Using in vivo mouse models, we demonstrate that the dual knockout of HEB and Tcf1 fully rescues the lethality caused by β-Catenin stabilization, an effect not observed with either knockout alone. Flow cytometry and single-cell RNA sequencing reveal that this rescue is accompanied by an increase in Treg numbers and a shift toward more suppressive and metabolically adapted Treg subpopulations, particularly in the absence of HEB. To explore the mechanistic basis of these effects, we employed electrostatic surface mapping and Brownian dynamics simulations, which suggest the potential for direct interactions between these transcription factors through electrostatically complementary binding surfaces. Our findings reveal the possibility of a cooperative transcriptional network between HEB, Tcf1, and β-Catenin that governs Treg fate, offering new insights into immune regulation and potential therapeutic targets for autoimmunity and cancer.
ContributorsPotturu, Aishwarya (Author) / Singharoy, Abhishek (Thesis director) / Anderson, Karen (Committee member) / Gounari, Fotini (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / College of Health Solutions (Contributor) / School of Social Work (Contributor)
Created2025-05
Description
This essay examines our hermeneutic abilities to derive meaning from interpretation. It challenges the scientific methods that dominate and corrupt our current worldview of our souls. Instead, I offer a rather overlooked perspective in which we turn to the arts to better understand the human condition. Music, one of the many art forms, discloses to us the depths of our lived-experiences and offers us many interpretations from which we can pull and create meaning. Thus, we are able to understand ourselves and the world around us with a more profound outlook on life through the Soul as Sonata.
ContributorsRubinov, Sivilia (Author) / Ramsey, Ramsey (Thesis director) / Gruber, Diane (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (Contributor) / School of Humanities, Arts, and Cultural Studies (Contributor)
Created2025-05
Description
Policing in America holds a rich history that spans out for many years. However, what has remained constant is the role in which police play in society. The function of the police is to serve and protect its citizens. While there have been instances where citizens and police officers unify together, recently there seems to be a divide within the criminal justice system and the community. Taking a look at what problems can arise when police and society do not align and then taking a look at the benefits that come from officers and society being on the same page will be the ultimate goal of this research proposal. This study will analyze the perspective of police, and their real experiences in the field.
ContributorsPritchard, Madelyn (Author) / McClelland, Blake (Thesis director) / DeCarolis, Claudine (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (Contributor) / School of Criminology and Criminal Justice (Contributor)
Created2025-05
Description
With over 5.3 million children under 8 years old in the U.S. learning both Spanish and English, many face the risk of losing their home language. Book-reading activities play a critical role in promoting early language and literacy growth. The current study examines Spanish-English dual language learners’ (DLLs) access to Spanish-language books and how this might be related to individual and contextual factors (i.e., income, parental beliefs, and local multilingualism).
ContributorsRangel, Emily (Author) / Luo, Rufan (Thesis director) / Cayetano, Catalina (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (Contributor)
Created2025-05
Description
My thesis project explored the impact of Domestic Violence (DV), barriers to accessible mental health support in domestic violence shelters, and how support groups and wellness activities led by non-clinicians (e.g., shelter staff, volunteers) can provide an effective solution to accessible mental health support in DV shelters. Support groups and wellness activities can meet the need for emotional support in residents by offering valuable knowledge and practical tools that promote overall well-being and empower survivors to begin healing, gain their independence, and participate in society.
ContributorsPalma, Ysenia (Author) / Coffey, John (Thesis director) / Roberts, Nicole (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Social Work (Contributor) / School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (Contributor)
Created2025-05
Description
Law enforcement officers experience stress from multiple outlets; including operational stress relating to the daily functions of their jobs and personal stress from their lives outside of their jobs. As officers move through their careers, they acquire new skills and knowledge. They also begin to feel the effects of long-term stress differently. This study looks at operational and personal stress factors through the scope of years of service using a digital survey with the Operational Police Stress Questionnaire (McCreary & Thompson, 2013) to measure operational stress and a personal stress factors inventory. Nineteen active sworn-police officers participated in the study. The mean stress scores were calculated for each stress factor on both inventories for Department A (DA) as a whole (DA, n= 19), then divided into two groups. Group 1 consisted of participants with ten years or less of service (G1, n= 7) and Group 2 consisted of participants with eleven years or more of service (G2, n= 12). The total stress scores were calculated for DA with the frequencies for the severity levels of the stress. The mean stress scores for G1 and G2 were calculated for both inventories and compared. G2 was observed to have a slightly lower mean stress score for both inventories than G1. Common stress factors for both groups were found in the variables ‘Finding Time to Stay in Good Physical Condition’ and ‘Maintaining Wellness Habits’. Differences in stress factors were found between G1 and G2, with G1 having higher levels in 'Shift Work' and 'Working Alone at Night' and G2 having higher levels in 'Fatigue' and 'Occupation-Related Health Issues'. Results suggest Department-Provided Resources should be aimed towards creating programs that are accessible and tailored towards the stress factors the officers are concerned with.
ContributorsBartlett, Lee (Author) / Guyll, Max (Thesis director) / Glensor, Ronald (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Interdisciplinary Forensics (Contributor) / School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (Contributor) / School of Criminology and Criminal Justice (Contributor)
Created2025-05
Description
This paper presents "Check Your Privilege", an educational board game designed to foster critical thought around themes of privilege, oppression, and systemic inequality. Rooted in social justice pedagogy and grounded in critical race theory, intersectionality, and experiential learning, the game invites players to reflect on their own social positions while engaging with diverse narratives that illustrate real-world disparities. The project aims to make complex sociopolitical concepts more accessible through interactive play, encouraging empathy, dialogue, and awareness. This paper outlines the theoretical foundations, development process, and potential applications of the game in educational and community settings, emphasizing its value as a tool for transformative learning and inclusive engagement.
ContributorsOri, Mallory (Author) / Hlava, Terri (Thesis director) / Voorhees, Matthew (Committee member) / Loebenberg, Abby (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (Contributor) / School of Social Transformation (Contributor) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor)
Created2025-05
Description
Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) is a burgeoning alternative to the commonly used plurality voting method. Although IRV improves the extent of voter representation on the ballot, it comes with an additional computational complexity that scales with the number of candidates of an election. One solution to this issue is to truncate the ballot. However, the question of where exactly a ballot should be truncated is a point of interest and forms the focus of this paper. We use a metric termed Ballot Length Meta Elections (BLME), intrinsic to the framework of IRV, in order to understand whether there is a ballot length (or lengths) that minimize voter regret, a defined quantity. While no consistently optimal ballot length is identified, our findings highlight patterns warranting further analysis to better inform ballot design strategies in IRV systems.
ContributorsJohn, Brian Jacob (Author) / Nishimura, Joel (Thesis director) / King, Hala (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences (Contributor) / School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (Contributor)
Created2025-05
Description
This thesis examines the historical and cultural evolution of the horror genre and its enduring role as a vehicle for social commentary. Beginning with early 20th-century films like Dracula and Frankenstein, horror has consistently mirrored societal anxieties, from fears surrounding economic collapse and scientific overreach to issues of racial segregation and marginalization. As the genre matured, it responded to shifting historical contexts—Cold War paranoia, civil unrest in the 1960s and 70s, conservative backlash in the 1980s, post-9/11 global fear, and the rise of psychological horror—demonstrating its unique capacity to explore the darker dimensions of the human experience. Central to this analysis is the work of Jordan Peele, whose films Get Out, Us, and Nope have amplified modern horror by centering Black protagonists and directly confronting systemic racism, class inequality, and the commodification of trauma. Peele’s films not only elevate the genre but also expand its cultural relevance by engaging with contemporary issues through layered symbolism, genre subversion, and emotional depth. Through historical context and focused case studies, this thesis argues that horror remains a powerful and evolving tool for critiquing dominant ideologies, amplifying marginalized voices, and engaging audiences in meaningful cultural reflection.
ContributorsMartin, Courtnee (Author) / Sturgess, Jessica (Thesis director) / Gruber, Diane (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (Contributor) / School of Community Resources and Development (Contributor)
Created2025-05