Graduate Theses and Dissertations is a collection of completed and approved graduate works. These works are collected through the Graduate School submission process and are approved by the faculty, student and the University of South Dakota. For more information please contact: grad@usd.edu and visit usd.edu/grad
Theses/Dissertations from 2023
The complex art of wearing multiple hats: A case study analysis of dual-role administrators in rural school districts, Abi Van Regenmorter
ESTABLISHING A SENSE OF COMMUNITY WHILE MEETING THE NEEDS OF ONLINE ADJUNCT INSTRUCTORS, Melissa Weber
Disconnected, frustrated and withdrawn: Institutional policy implications for equity in student and faculty community, Jessica Marie Welsh
DEVELOPING MESOPOROUS SILICA NANOPARTICLE-BASED STIMULI-RESPONSIVE NANOCARRIERS FOR DELIVERY OF SMALL MOLECULE THERAPEUTICS AGAINST COLON CANCER CELLS, Nisitha Lakmal Wellala Wijewantha
DOCUMENTING RANGE EXPANSION OF TWO INVASIVE TICK (ACARI:IXODIDAE) SPECIES IN EASTERN SOUTH DAKOTA, Braden Wojahn
DOCUMENTING RANGE EXPANSION OF TWO INVASIVE TICK (ACARI:IXODIDAE) SPECIES IN EASTERN SOUTH DAKOTA, Braden Wojahn
CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE MENTAL HEALTH: PROVIDING FOR MIDWESTERN HISPANIC/LATINX COMMUNITIES, Sara Leila Zare
Theses/Dissertations from 2022
BiofilmGeneSet: Leveraging Multi-Omics Data Mining and ICA To Discover Biofilm Stage Genes of Interest from Condition-Specific Expression Dataset, Mathew Olakunle Alaba
2D respiratory sound analysis to detect lung abnormalities, Rafia Sharmin Alice
Use of Threat Assessment in South Dakota Schools, Damon Alvey
A Mixed Methods Approach to Understanding Participant Perspectives on Return of Individual Research Results, Jyoti Angal
A JOB-DEMAND RESOURCE THEORY AND PSYCHOLOGICAL FLEXIBILITY INTEGRATED MODEL OF POLICE OFFICER BURNOUT, Lucas David Baker
Cosmogenically-induced backgrounds in LEGEND, Clay Douglas Barton
MOLECULAR GENETIC INVESTIGATION OF TWINS, FAMILIES, AND POPULATIONS, Jeffrey John Beck
ENCOURAGING PERSISTENCE AMONG NATIVE AMERICAN NURSING STUDENTS BY FOSTERING CULTURAL IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT AT A PREDOMINANTLY WHITE UNIVERSITY, Valeriah Rose Big Eagle
INVESTIGATING THE ROLE OF PHONOLOGICAL AWARENESS IN THE TRAINING OF PHONETIC TRANSCRIPTION WITH SLP STUDENTS, Jennifer Kay Binkley
FEMALE SUPERINTENDENTS AND NEGOTIATIONS: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY OF THE INFLUENCE OF GENDER IN THE MIDWEST, Kathryn R. Blaha
Analyzing the academic achievement of secondary virtual learners during the COVID-19 pandemic: A mixed methods case study, Christina Kaye Board
Ecological Changes of the Lower Niobrara River Valley and Lewis and Clark Lake Delta from Past to Present, Madalyn Christine Bollig
The Ellows, Julie Boutwell-Peterson
Understanding how different personality models can predict non-suicidal self-injurious behaviors, Rachel Chavin
THE DERIVATION OF GEOLOGIC ECOSYSTEM SERVICES FROM GEODIVERSITY IN THE BLACK HILLS REGION OF SOUTH DAKOTA AND WYOMING, James Campbell Cooke
Abomination, Anneliese Donstad
Density Functional Theory of Samarium(II) Reactivity in THF and Water, Parisa Fasihianifard
DEVELOPMENT OF A TARGETED DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEM FOR INTRACRANIAL ATHEROSLEROTIC DISEASE, Kirby Fuglsby
DEEP FEATURES TO ANALYZE PULMONARY ABNORMALITIES IN CHEST X-RAYS DUE TO COVID-19, Supriti Ghosh
Challenges to Career as a Source of Meaning and Satisfaction Among Certified Athletic Trainers in the United States of America, Nicole Marie Glasgow
Semiconducting polymer dots-based ratiometric fluorescent probes for detection of biomarkers, Shuyi He
INITIAL IMPLEMENTATION OF CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL SYSTEMS OF SUPPORT FOR ANISHINAABE KINDERGARTENERS: STUDENT OUTCOMES AND TEACHER PERCEPTIONS, Dustin Everett Hinckley
FRAMEWORK FOR THE EVALUATION OF PERTURBATIONS IN THE SYSTEMS BIOLOGY LANDSCAPE AND INTER-SAMPLE SIMILARITY FROM TRANSCRIPTOMIC DATASETS — A DIGITAL TWIN PERSPECTIVE, Mariah Marie Hoffman
FINES, FEES, RACE, AND SOCIOECONOMIC DISADVANTAGE, Joshua D. Houy
Psychological Functioning and Community Support in Adolescents Exposed to a School Shooting, Jessica Taylor Kelly
User Experience in the Visual Notifications on Smart Devices, Young Ae Kim
ELECTRON DEFICIENT FLUOROARENES: BRIDGING DEOXYFLUORINATION AND ANION-π INTERACTIONS TO PRODUCE NEW FLUORINATION REAGENTS, Jordan Houston Kramer
THE IMPACT OF USING POW+ TREE WITH HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WITH ADHD: STORY WRITING AND PERCEPTIONS, Katie Page Kroeze
IDENTIFYING THE IMPACT OF ONLINE TOOLKIT TRAINING ON PARAPROFESSIONALS IN TWO RURAL STATES, Kyle William Laughlin
Confined In (Patri)Architecture: How Gothic and Horror Literature Exposes Ongoing Violence and Oppression Against Women, Clara A. MacIlravie Cañas
Analyzing Cough Sounds for the Evidence of Covid-19 using Deep Learning Models, Muntasir Mamun
The Bad Place And The Not Place, Andrew Maudal
Speciation and Nucleation of An(IV) in Aqueous Media, Saikot Mazumder
NATIVE AMERICAN WOMEN SUPERINTENDENTS’ SELF-EFFICACY BELIEFS DURING THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC, Janet Jeannine Metzger
Amplifying Agency and Presence of Native American Women in 21st Century Literature, Rachel Mitchell
Seventh Grade Mathematics Results in a Standards-Based Learning Environment: Examining Teacher Collaboration and Leadership, Demetria C. Moon
INVESTIGATING SYNTHETIC METHODS FOR TiO2-NaYF4 HYBRID NANOCRYSTALS, Nurul Muttakin
Effective Mental Health Accommodations for Occupational Therapy Students and Practitioners, Allison Jo Naber
MEASUREMENT OF (ALPHA, NEUTRON) REACTIONS AND DEVELOPMENT OF ANALYSIS TOOLS WITH THE MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR, Tupendra Kumar Oli
EXPERIENCES OF CULTURAL DISCONNECTEDNESS AMONG BOSNIAN AMERICAN DIASPORA: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE, Azra Osmancevic
A BASIC QUALITATIVE INQUIRY ON THE RELATIONSHIPS AND EXPERIENCES OF K-3 TEACHERS: THEIR VALUES OF, USES OF, & FEELINGS TOWARDS THE USE OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH, Melissa Marie Ottenbacher
DEVELOPMENT AND CHARACTERIZATION OF GERMANIUM DETECTORS FOR SEARCHING RARE-EVENT PHYSICS, Rajendra Panth
NONHEMATOPOIETIC ERYTHROPOIETIN: A STUDY OF SIGNALING, STRUCTURE, AND BEHAVIOR, Nicholas John Pekas
ATHLETIC TRAINING PRECEPTORS’ EXPERIENCES OF PROFESSIONAL SOCIALIZATION, Megan Jane Pilcher
FIRST THROUGH THIRD YEAR SECONDARY MATHEMATICS TEACHERS’ MENTORING EXPERIENCES: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY, Jessica Louise Pomerenke
COMPUTATIONAL STUDY ON THE NUCLEATION OF POLYOXOVANADATE-ALKOXIDE CLUSTERS, S M Gulam Rabbani
ANDRAGOGY AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT IN ENTRY-LEVEL DOCTORAL OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY EDUCATION, Tracey Elaine Recigno
CELL MECHANICS IN CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE AND ELECTROSPUN SCAFFOLD FOR VASCULAR TISSUE ENGINEERING, Alex Park Rickel
COMPARATIVE STUDY OF NEWSPAPER COVERAGE ABOUT TINY HOMES WITHIN AMERICA: A CONTENT ANALYSIS OF SIX GEOGRAPHIC REGIONS, Faith Rothenberger
Automated Chest X-ray Analysis: Biomedical/Non-biomedical foreign object detection, Shotabdi Roy
PATTERNS AND PROCESS OF SANDBAR REVEGETATION ON THE MISSOURI NATIONAL RECREATIONAL RIVE, Amena Begum Ruma
COMPARISON OF PARTICULATE LOAD & CHARACTERIZATION IN DRUG COATED BALLOONS, Ryan Rykhus
NOVICE TEACHER RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION IN SOUTH DAKOTA: AN EXPLORATION OF CONTEXTUAL FACTORS, Nicole Schutter
Investigation of nuclear envelope-associated progeria proteins during nuclear envelope rupture, Rhiannon Marie Sears
Emergency Preparedness and Response Protocol in South Dakota Public Schools, George A. Seiler
RISK FACTORS FOR TRAUMATIC BONDING AND ASSOCIATIONS WITH PTSD SYMPTOMS, Emma Virginia Shaughnessy
Anhedonia and Impulsivity in College Alcohol Use: A Path Analysis, Sydney N. Stamatovich
CHILDHOOD INTERPERSONAL TRAUMA AND DISORDERED EATING; THE MEDIATING ROLE OF SOCIAL INFORMATION PROCESSING DEFICITS, DEVIATED PUBERTAL TIMING, AND EMOTION, Cazzie Es Steinzor
Anti-Counterfeiting Warnings: Do they Influence Consumer Behavior and Perception of Overt Indicators?, Elizabeth K. Sterling
Computational Study of Quorum Quenching of N-Acyl Homoserine Lactones by Ion Pairing to Cations, Ashen Anuradha Suduweli Kondage
AN EXPERIENCE SAMPLING STUDY OF SLEEP DISTURBANCE, EMOTIONAL REGULATION AND POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS SYMPTOMS IN PREDICTING ALCOHOL USE AMONG OIF/OEF VETERANS, Renata Jacqueline Surette
DIGGING FOR INFORMATION: INVESTIGATING THE EFFICACY OF TRACKING AND AUGMENTING LACUNICAMBARUS NEBRASCENSIS FOR ENDANGERED DRAGONFLY CONSERVATION, Danielle Elaine Tesar
Skeletal Modeling Parameters and Clinical Factors Related to Injury Risk in Baseball Pitchers, Aaron Trunt
A NARRATIVE STUDY DESCRIBING THE TRANSITION FROM RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT AS A CHILD: AN ADULT PERSPECTIVE, Alison Marie Vogelsang
AFFECTIVE DEPENDENCE, SELF-REGULATION, AND ALCOHOL-RELATED PROBLEMS: BETWEEN- AND WITHIN-PERSON ASSOCIATIONS, Kyle James Walters
COMPUTER ASSISTED DELIVERY OF DISCRETE TRIALS TO TEACH EARLY LITERACY SKILLS TO STUDENTS WITH SIGNIFICANT INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES, Tammi Waltjer-Haverly
A GROUNDED THEORY APPROACH TO RURAL CARE PROVIDER PERSPECTIVES OF DISABILITY AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE, Blake Elvrum Warner
A Model of Childhood Maltreatment, PTSD Symptoms, Reinforcement Sensitivity, and Alcohol Outcomes in Young Adults, Logan E. Welker
BUILDING ADMINISTRATOR PREPARATION AND READINESS TO LEAD INCLUSIVE PRACTICES FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION, Nikki Jo Whiting
High School Students’ Nature of Science Understandings and Scientific Argumentation Skills in the Context of Socioscientific Issues, John Michael Williams
SINGLE CELL LINEAGE TRACING REVEALS MECHANISMS OF TUMOR INITIATION AND CHEMORESISTANCE IN SMALL CELL LUNG CANCER, Hannah Wollenzien
CHARACTERIZATION OF UNDOPED CSI AT CRYOGENIC TEMPERATURES, Yongjin Yang
Theses/Dissertations from 2021
(Quinolin-8-yl) Tin Synthons in Transmetalation Reactions with Transition Metals Yield Multimetallic Organometallic Molecules and Clusters, Arjun Chandra Bhowmick
Impacts of Environmental and Anthropogenic Stressors on Amphibian Welfare, Diversity, and Distribution in the Upper Missouri River Basin, Kaitlyn Campbell
THE EFFECTS OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ON CRISIS COMMUNICATION REBUILD STRATEGIES, Rachel Ehlers
MENTAL FATIGUE ON LANDING PERFORMANCE, Madison Marie Gaffney
THE EFFECTS OF A CHANGING NEIGHBORHOOD ETHNICITY ON VOTING, Richard Ray Galusha
A NARRATIVE CRITIQUE OF THE FILM LOVING (2016): HOW NARRATIVES HELP US UNDERSTAND STANDPOINT AND SOCIAL CHANGE, Chesney Jo Garnos
RESTORATIVE PRACTICE IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS: A CASE STUDY ON LEADERSHIP, IMPLEMENTATION, AND CHALLENGES, Sarah M. Gross
TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: A NARRATIVE INQUIRY EXAMINING INSIGHTS FROM MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHERS, Julie Hatling
EXAMINING BEHAVIORAL ENGAGEMENT AND SOCIAL SKILLS AS ACADEMIC ENABLERS OF CHILDREN’S READING AND MATH ACHIEVEMENT, Karissa Marie Jensen
LOWER EXTREMITY POWER AND MOVEMENT VELOCITY IN COMPETITIVE OLDER ATHLETES, Becca D. Jordre
RELATION OF EMOTION REGULATION DIFFICULTIES, SELF-COMPASSION, AND POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS SYMPTOMS, Emily Anne Kalantar
SOLAR GENERATED ELECTRICITY: AN ANALYSIS OF WHAT SECTORS ARE MOST AFFECTED BY RENEWABLE PORTFOLIO STANDARDS AND RELATED POLICIES, Logan Knollenberg
(R)-2,5-Dimethoxy-4-Iodoamphetamine [(R)-Doi] Influences Coping Strategies to an Escapable Social Stress, Kevin Thomas Krupp
MOLECULAR MECHANISMS UNDERLYING THE SUPPRESSION OF CARDIOMYOCYTE NECROPTOSIS BY THE COP9 SIGNALOSOME IN MICE, Megan T. Lewno
CUE RECOGNITION DEVELOPMENT AMONG UNDERGRADUATE NURSING STUDENTS, Michelle Lynn Lichtenberg
The Relationship of L2 Proficiency and L1 Reading Academic Performance Prior to Formal L1 Literacy instruction in Foreign Language Immersion Settings, Andrew David McKay Jr
Supporting Teachers Through Standardized Testing: Elementary Teachers' Perceptions of Administrator Support, Erica Neeves