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: [email protected] and visit usd.edu/grad
Theses/Dissertations from 2026
“A LOVING AND FAITHFUL WIFE”: A STUDY OF DAKOTA TERRITORY DIVORCE LAW AND MARITAL EXPECTATIONS IN THE LATE NINETEENTH CENTURY, Cassidy Amanda Abfalter-Dial
SHARED FATE IN ADULT ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS, Clement Antwi
PERCEIVED DISCRIMINATION AND POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS IN PEOPLE OF COLOR: THE MODERATING ROLE OF ETHNIC-RACIAL IDENTITY AND PSYCHOLOGICAL FLEXIBILITY, Jacinta O. Anyanwu
MACHINE LEARNING PREDICTION OF FEDERAL APPELLATE COURT OUTCOMES: A MULTI-CIRCUIT ANALYSIS WITH ADMINISTRATIVE LAW IMPLICATIONS, Nicky Nuertey Apenahier
In Search of Mozart: A History and Analysis of the Pianos He Knew and Wrote For, Adele Benoit
ACCESS, AWARENESS, AND ADVISING: EVALUATING A TANDEM MODEL IN A STEM INSTITUTION, Lisa Rachelle Carlson
Hierarchical Porosities in Metal-Organic Supercontainers, Kriti Chitrakar
Mutilation: Charting the Flesh, Elias Joel Donstad
ACCESS, AWARENESS, AND ADVISING: EVALUATING A TANDEM MODEL IN A STEM INSTITUTION, Diana Eastman
Why Teachers Stay in Rural Schools: School Culture and Leadership Practices, Michael Eldridge
TEACHING SAFETY SKILLS TO YOUNG ADULTS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES IN A SCHOOL SETTING, Nicole Freeman
WHERE THE CRACKS CATCH THE LIGHT, Mary Geraets
Nostalgic Rhetoric: Unraveling an "Authentic" Past, Quinn Thomas Gienapp
HELPFUL AUTISM SCHOOL-BASED SERVICES: PERSPECTIVES FROM THE PEOPLE THAT RECEIVED SERVICES, Michael Angelo Grizzaffi
TEACHING KITCHEN SAFETY USING A MODIFIED COACH IN THE KITCHEN CURRICULUM PAIRED WITH BEHAVIORAL SKILLS TRAINING PROCEDURE WITH YOUNG ADULTS WITH HIGH FUNCTIONING AUTISM, Ryan Michael Groeneweg
THE RHETORIC AND MEMORY OF KUMEPRƐKO, Benedicta Harford
EFFECTS OF HURRICANE WEATHER EVENTS ON PERCEIVED STRESS, ACADEMIC MOTIVATION, AND RESILIENCE IN COLLEGE STUDENTS FROM LOUISIANA, Courtney Renee Harrington
All She Ever Wanted Was the World: The Emergence of Vocal Methodology, Pedagogy, and Opera Performance for Women in the Nineteenth Century, Emma Hawkinson
THE AI STUDY PARTNER: MEDICAL STUDENTS, SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING, AND INDIVIDUAL LEARNING PLANS, Paula Ann Hawks
EXAMINING THE PSYCHOLOGICAL FUNCTIONING OF FIRST RESPONDERS’ CHILDREN AND THE INFLUENCE OF RISK AND RESILIENCE FACTORS, Emily Hermann
A Poor Man's Cup: Chicory Experimentation in Nebraska,1890-1900, Rebecca Hupp
EXPLORING THE ROLE OF PLEASURE IN COGNITIVE TASKS, Nafisa Kazi Iqbal
EXAMINING THE CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF DIVERSE AGRICULTURAL MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ON LAND CARBON DYNAMICS IN EASTERN SOUTH DAKOTA, khushboo Jain
The neuroprotective and synergistic effects of carbamoylated erythropoietin and insulin-like growth factor-1 in Alzheimer's disease, Morgan Jean Rothschadl
OREXIN RECEPTOR MODULATION IN AMYGDALAR STRESS CIRCUITRY DIFFERENTIATES RESILIENT AND VULNERABLE PHENOTYPES, Megan Marie John
INTERACTIONAL SYNCHRONY IN MOTHER-INFANT DYADS: DEVELOPMENTAL CHANGES AND THE IMPACT OF MATERNAL EMOTION DYSREGULATION OVER TIME, Jessica Taylor Kelly
Accelerating the discovery of the genetic and molecular bases of neurodevelopmental disorders in vivo using Breasi-CRISPR, Claire Mae Kittock
CALCIUM-BASED NANOMATERIALS LOADED WITH DIFFERENT DRUGS FOR TARGETED DRUG DELIVERY APPLICATION, Yinit Raj Lamichhane
THE ROLE OF TREM1 IN HIV GP120-EXPOSED MICROGLIA, Ayisha Mahama
A MIXED METHODS STUDY ON MEXICAN AMERICAN SATISFACTION AND PERCEPTION OF CLINICAL TRIALS, Grace Manzo
IMPACT OF BORDERLINE PERSONALITY FEATURES ON MENSTRUAL PHASES AND PAIN PERCEPTION, Morgan Maples
Effects of cold and fluctuating cold temperatures on metabolic flexibility, immune function, and epigenetic variation in small birds, Chelsi J. Marolf
THE LANGUAGE OF VULNERABLE NARCISSISM: LINGUISTIC AND THEMATIC PATTERNS AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS, Bradly McGinnis
Opera Houses in Aberdeen, Huron, and Watertown, SD: 1880-1910s, Janet M. Meyer
AVIAN USE OF EARLY SUCCESSIONAL RIPARIAN FOREST ALONG THE MISSOURI RIVER: WHAT DO WE LOSE BY MANAGING FOR PLOVERS AND TERNS?, STEPHANIE NEFAS
SETTING THE RECYCLING NARRATIVE: A THEMATIC ANALYSIS OF RECYCLING WEBPAGES IN THE UNITED STATES, Haley Nolde
The Efficaciousness of Generative AI for Integrated STEM Planning and Its Impact on STEM Teacher Self-Efficacy, Julie Ann Olson
COVID-19 Pandemic-Induced Social Isolation: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Exploration of Age and Time, Renee Reedy
Retention in a Community College in a Rural State in the Midwest: Factors Associated with Persistence and Withdrawal, Samantha Reeves Grady
LARGE LANGUAGE MODEL COMMUNICATION AND DATA TRANSFER ACROSS A SIMULATED TELEPHONE LINE, Jared Reyes
EXPLORING K-2 TEACHERS’ PERSPECTIVES AROUND SCREEN TIME IN BLENDED LEARNING CLASSROOMS, Cameryn Lee Ronspies
Analyzing Changes in Russian Olive Distributions Along the Missouri River in Response to Flooding, Zachary Schild
Mechanisms and evolution of a novel feeding strategy in chameleons, Nikole Schneider
Creating a Modern American Piano: Antecedent, Launch, and Reinvention of Mason & Hamlin's Piano Line Through 1905, Arian Sheets
WHERE MUSSELS HANG OUT: A MULTISCALE ANALYSIS OF ZEBRA MUSSEL (DREISSENA POLYMORPHA) SPREAD IN SOUTH DAKOTA, Justin Verner Sorensen
Barycentric Subdivision and Hyperbolic Geometry, Hannah Elisabeth Steger
EFFECTIVE PRACTICES IN A SCHOOL-BASED MENTORSHIP PROGRAM: INSIGHTS FROM AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SETTING, Kimberly Noele Steger
HEHANYELA ISTOGMUZAPI S’E UNK’UNPI SNI (BLIND NO MORE): STORYING TRANSGENERATIONAL HEALING AND RELATIONAL INDIGENOUS LEADERSHIP THROUGH PRACTITIONER RESEARCH, Dowan Wasté Win Tamera Miyasato
HOLDING THE DISTRICT TOGETHER WITH DUCT TAPE AND DETERMINIATION: A STUDY OF SUPERINTENDENT STRESS, Robert Orion Thompson
THE ROLE OF BACTERIOPHAGE IN THE RGG1-MEDIATED VIRULENCE CONTROL OF STREPTOCOCCUS PYOGENES, Yuan Tian
"My Voice Feels Heard": Discussion Circles as a Trauma-Informed Practice for Cultivating Relationships, Engagement, Learning, and Fun in Secondary Classrooms, Renee L. Van Der Werff
Understanding the Role of School Resource Officers in Addressing Students’ Mental Health Needs: A Phenomenological Study, Ryan Christopher Vinzant
Theses/Dissertations from 2025
EUGENOL LOADED CALCIUM CITRATE PARTICLE AS A pH TRIGGERED DRUG RELEASE SYSTEM AND A REDUCING AGENT FOR Au (III), Sadia Afrin
The Relationship Between Superintendent Servant Leadership Behavior and Principal Job Satisfaction in South Dakota, Matthew Alley
BENEFITS OF A HYBRID LEARNING ENVIRONMENT ON WORK-LIFE BALANCE, Thomas Robert Anez
Synthesis, Characterization, and Ligation Behavior of Pyridine-based Dipyrazolyl Ligand, Michael Annor
IMPLEMENTING LEARNING WALKS: AN ACTION RESEARCH STUDY IN A PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL, Kay Bass
SOCIAL ANXIETY AND CANNABIS USE CONTEXT, Brooke Beckius
SOUTH DAKOTA'S PATH FORWARD: EDUCATION PROFESSIONALS ON FORMAL FREE-STANDING SEL COMPETENCY STANDARDS, Kirsten Biersbach
HYPOTHALAMIC PARAVENTRICULAR NUCLEUS G⍺q/G⍺s AND RGS2 SIGNALING PATHWAYS MEDIATE SYMPATHOEXCITATION AND SODIUM RETENTION IN HYPERTENSION, Shane Harold Boomer
Voices from Within: Understanding Native American Student Journeys in Predominantly White Institutions: A Phenomenological & Autoethnographic Study, Collette Bowman
MECHANOCHEMICAL SYNTHESIS OF GERMANATE PHOSPHORS FOR LUMINESCENCE-BASED DATA ENCRYPTION, Zachary Burmood
SPTIOTEMPORAL CHANGES IN ABOVEGROUND BIOMASS, CANOPY COVER AND LIVESTOCK MOVEMENTS ACROSS MONGOLIA GRASSLANDS, Abhinav Chandel
Elucidating the non-shivering thermogenesis response in the Black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus), Sweta Chand
SYNTHESIS AND LUMINESCENCE STUDIES OF EUROPIUM DOPED ZINC LEAD GERMANATE PHOSPHORS, Anika Nawar Chowdhury
Educational Trouble In Paradise: Student Perception of Teaching Behaviors and It's Relation to Intrinsic Motivation and Academic Achievement, David McHale Davis
Advocacy in School Psychology: Insights from a National Survey of Practices, Challenges, and Future Directions, Catherine Falk
INSTRUCTIONAL COACH EVALUATION: CO-REFINING AN EVALUATION TOOL FOR IMPROVED FEEDBACK, Charles Folsom
Partners in Death: Introducing an Ethic of Care to Online Funeral Home Rhetoric, Lindsay Catherine Gagnon
EYE REGION REDACTION: FAMILIAR VERSUS UNFAMILIAR FACE RECOGNITION, Tyler Gandy
Upward Distortion and Organizational Culture, Benjamin Gellerman
SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING IN OUT-OF-SCHOOL TIME SETTINGS: A MIXED METHODS INVESTIGATION OF PERCEIVED NEED, Kaitlin Halbert
Amplified Voices of Students in Higher Education: Support and Artificial Intelligence Use, Shanice Merlene Hall
UNVEILING UNIVERSAL MENTAL HEALTH SCREENING: SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS’ PERSPECTIVES, PRACTICES, AND THE ROLE OF DEMOGRAPHICS, Gracie Taylor Hansen
Mobility-Stress Dynamics: What Audit Scores Can Tell Us About Mobility Patterns and Stress, Mason Hatwan
THE STUDY OF KNEE AND ANKLE SAGITTAL PLANE ANGLES FOR ON-COURT VERSUS OFF-COURT CUTTING, Alexi Rebecca Hempe
Your Foot is not a Brick: Using a multi-segment foot model to explore the actions of the ankle-foot complex during uneven terrain gait., Tayler Jon Hoekstra
TIDAL LOVE NUMBERS FOR A NON-ROTATING TWO-FLUID NEUTRON STAR: INTERIOR SOLUTION, Gregory G Jaurequi
CALCIUM CARBONATE MICROPARTICLES AS ACID RESPONSIVE TARGETED DRUG DELIVERY CARRIERS FOR ORAL DISEASES AND ITS ANTI-BACTERIAL ACTIVITY, Hem Raj Joshi
SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF TRIPLY DOPED UPCONVERSION NANOPARTICLES FOR ANTI-COUNTERFEITING APPLICATIONS, GOPALA KRISHNA MURTHY KALAPALA
Mental Fatigue Effect On Joint Repositioning, Collin Kehrwald
Periconceptual Nutrition and the Preimplantation Embryo: Approaches for Intervention and Generational Health, Abigail Klein
Design and Validation of a Multiple Axis, Passive 3D-printed Ankle-Foot Prosthetic for Functional Gait, Brogan Rene Landeen
THE EFFECTS OF A GAME-BASED SOCIAL SKILLS INTERVENTION ON SOCIAL SKILLS ACQUISTION FOR AUTISTIC YOUTH IN TRAINING AND GENERALIZED SETTINGS, Sales Libby Ann
Leveraging CRISPR technology to model Beta-propeller Protein Associated Neurodegeneration and explore mechanisms of neurological dysfunction, Brandon Lee Meyerink
SECONDARY SCHOOL LEADERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR ROLE IN MITIGATING CYBERBULLYING, Masey Pechholt
THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF FATHERS WITH TRANSGENDER CHILDREN UNDER 18 IN STATES BANNING GENDER-AFFIRMING CARE, Ashley Perez
Death on the Hill, Katie Piper