SU Graduate Theses

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Active Learning Strategies
(2025-03) Quetel, Ashley; Hall, Nicole; Williams, Kaitlin; Nursing; Master of Science in Nursing
Purpose: The purpose of the internship is to implement active learning strategies into Nurse Residency Program courses and seminars for novice nurses, demonstrating competency in the facilitation of learning, participation in curriculum design, and engagement in scholarship. Through these activities and teaching experiences, the internship aims to enhance the student’s confidence and competence in the educational environment, preparing them for a career as a hospital-based nurse educator. Methodology: The internship was completed at a community hospital in Glen Burnie, Maryland, where active learning strategies were implemented into Nurse Residency Program courses and seminars. Activities included role plays focusing on sterile procedure, stroke assessment, and medication preparation. Educational games were implemented into novice nurse courses on dysrhythmia and evidence-based practice. Additionally, a quality-focused residency seminar was created in collaboration with content experts to include “Quality Olympics” activities. Direct observation showed high learner engagement and verbal appreciation of role play activities. Survey responses indicated educational games enhanced learning. While most courses lacked formal assessments of learning, the dysrhythmia course achieved a 95% pass rate. Results: The implementation of active learning strategies into Nurse Residency Program courses and seminars successfully met the internship objectives of facilitation of learning, participation in curriculum design, and engagement in scholarship. The master’s student developed skills in creating and implementing active learning strategies, assessment of learner engagement, public speaking, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Discussion: The internship aligned with the master’s competency of translating scholarship into practice by implementing evidence-based teaching strategies into the educational environment. The activities strengthened core competencies as a nurse educator and gained experience educating novice nurses. These are essential skills for nurse educators working in the hospital environment.
Inference and Social Proficiency: An argument for teaching social skills as rhetorical skills in First Year Composition
(2025-05) Dean, Jeffrey; Bugdal, Melissa; King, Carolyne; English; Master of Arts in English
This study explores the relationship between inductive inferential reasoning, social proficiency, and audience construction in the context of First Year Composition (FYC). By centering social skills as rhetorical skills, this project presents an argument that the teaching of social proficiencies sits within the sphere of responsibility of FYC, even though composition scholars across the last four decades have repeatedly insisted otherwise. Finally, this project offers strategies for composition teachers to develop students’ social proficiencies that do not unduly disrupt other conventional composition course priorities. Considering contemporary perspectives, I reexamine the seminal literature of the “social turn” of composition scholarship in search of unexamined and potentially problematic assumptions about social proficiency in students that have carried through decades of composition scholarship. I use evidence from the literature itself to support the argument that inductive reasoning, a form of inference in which principles, beliefs, and behaviors are derived from observations, is a socio-cognitive act of prediction that draws on social experience and social proficiency. Unlike deductive reasoning, which seeks to produce certainty, inductive reasoning produces conclusions that are probable. While probability can refer only to mathematical or statistical determinations, arguing by induction often involves convincing human audiences that something is probably true, or feels probably true enough to believe or act upon. Persuading a human audience involves predicting other people’s habits of inference in order to achieve rhetorical (persuasive) success. As such, social skills are rhetorical skills and fall within the sphere of responsibility of FYC. “Inference and Social Proficiency: An argument for teaching social skills as rhetorical skills in First Year Composition” presents a study of the relationships between social proficiency, social anxiety, and how students approach participation in collaborative practices in an FYC classroom and presents an argument that the teaching of social proficiencies sits within the sphere of responsibility of FYC, even though seminal composition scholars across the last four decades have repeatedly asserted otherwise. This project offers broad pedagogical considerations for composition teachers that foreground incoming students’ social proficiencies and ways of developing social skills as rhetorical tools without unduly disrupting other conventional composition course priorities.
Genre Analysis of the Economics Research Article A Mixed Methods Approach
(2025-04) Caviglia-Harris, Jill; Johnson, David; Bugdal, Melissa; English; Master of Arts in English
The field of economics is undergoing a paradigm shift known as the "credibility revolution," which has influenced what economists study, how they write, and where they publish. This thesis uses a mixed methods approach to analyze changes in the style, structure, and content of economics research, drawing on data from the 100 most cited papers in each decade from 1970 to 2019 (500 papers total). The analysis finds that the field has become more empirical, both in topic and method, and the format of papers increasingly resembles that of scientific research, with a more standardized structure. Increases in the percentage of women lead authors and more balanced gender ratios are also observed, particularly in emerging subfields. Notably, the dominance of the so-called "Top 5" and "Top 10" journals is waning, with a growing share of highly cited articles appearing in other outlets--especially in newer policy-relevant fields like health, development, agricultural, environmental, and ecological economics. While the Top 5 journals continue to shape the field, particularly in traditional areas such as macroeconomics and finance, their limited representation of emerging empirical fields may reflect a broader pattern of hierarchy and inertia in economics. This shift suggests that impactful research is increasingly recognized regardless of whether it is published in the most elite journals.
Critiquing Source Use as Retrofit: Access, Agency, and Discourse Practice in the First Year Composition Classroom
(2021-05-06) Anderson, Katelin; King, Carolyne; Kerschbaum, Stephanie; English; Master of Arts in English
“Critiquing Source Use as Retrofit: Access, Agency, and Discourse Practice in the First Year Composition Classroom” is a study of how first year writing students understand rhetorical source use and their struggles with learning to use academic discourse conventions as they write with sources in academic research papers. First Year Composition classes seek to help students enculturate into academic discourse communities, and source use is a prominent aspect of academic discourse (Porter; Bartholomae; Howard & Jamieson). Unfortunately, students rely on retrofit source use heuristics like the “source sandwich” rather than rhetorical strategies that are more nuanced and contextualized positionings of the source-text. While students must learn how to appropriately summarize, paraphrase, and quote with proper attribution, these simplified heuristics act as retrofits that merely seem to provide access to academic discourse structures. Disability studies, which critiques structures and assumptions about access, offers a way to refine our understanding of source use instruction, while multilingual and antiracist writing pedagogies offer practical suggestions for how to center students’ right to their own language in meaningful ways. By using these approaches to think through instructional practices, we can help students develop confidence in their writing and to position FYC as a pathway for deeper access, rather than a barred gate to further learning. “Critiquing Source Use as Retrofit” investigates how students think about and experience themselves as writers who use sources after completing a First Year Composition class. This thesis uses a small set of interview-based case studies to provide insight into the often difficult-to-perceive rhetorical and disciplinary growth in students’ writing and source use. In particular, by highlighting discrepancies between students’ intentions and evaluations of their own writing, this thesis offers instructors new insights into students’ source-based writing processes. Bringing together questions of source use instruction, discourse and student language, and access and universal design, “Critiquing Source Use as Retrofit” argues for a more inclusive and accessible introduction to FYC.
The Implementation of the Right of Asylum According to Article 14 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
(2021-05-10) Kuisachor, Elijah; Foutz, Brittany; Conflict Analysis and Dispute Resolution; Master of Arts in Conflict Analysis and Dispute Resolution
In recent times, many United Nations member states have adopted tougher measures and policies resulting in the refusal to admit immigrants seeking asylum in these countries. This study sought to analyze if the right of asylum is effective for the current times according to Article 14 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). It underscores that the number of people suffering persecution for wars, conflicts, violence, and the violation of human rights has increased greatly. The UDHR was adopted by the United Nations (U.N.) at its third session on December 10, 1948, as Resolution 217 at the Palais de Chaillot in Paris, France. Therefore, the set of international and state standards that developed it and the factual situation of refugees and asylum seekers were reviewed. I collected relevant data from the databases of the UNHCR, UN member states, and scholarly materials. I then established the reason why the current international protection system fails and finally suggested a small proposal that allows greater visibility of the problem and how a more equitable distribution of refugees could be made. The significance of this study is structured such that the UN and its stakeholders can assess the progress made by this institution in terms of the effectiveness and quality of its work, with specific reference to the right of asylum as enshrined in Article 14 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Using Zebrafish to Investigate the Onset and Recovery from Common Complications of Hyperglycemia
(2022-05-03) Sargent, Sheridan; Clark, Jessica; Nyland, Jennifer; Taylor, Ryan; Biological Sciences; Master of Science in Applied Biology
Zebrafish (Danio rerio) have emerged as an excellent model system to investigate disorders associated with diabetes as they have similar glucose metabolic pathways as mammals and exhibit characteristics of diabetic comorbidities. The Clark lab has characterized a model of hyperglycemia-induced motor nerve degeneration that includes motor axon defasciculation, decreased myelination, and loss of perineurial ensheathment. While these characteristics of neurodegeneration are observed in human DPN, differences in the perineurial tight junctions were absent in this model but is widely observed in human and mice DPN. Here, we optimized the hyperglycemic-induction protocol to recapitulate mammalian models of DPN more closely, and then introduced a recovery period to determine the capacity for peripheral nerve regeneration and return of normal escape response following a return to a euglycemic state. In agreement with our previous work, glucose-immersion initiated motor nerve degeneration and behavioral deficits. However, the optimized protocol led to disruption of tight junctions between the perineurial glia within the blood-nerve barrier, a phenotype consistent with mammalian models of DPN. Following a ten-day recovery period, peripheral motor axon length and ensheathment regenerate, but axonal defasciculation and behavioral deficits persist. Given that hyperglycemia has the potential to impact multiple systems, we explored other areas whose alterations may impact behavior. We hypothesized impaired skeletal development may be impacting behavior due to the necessary coordinated actions of the skeleton for the undulating movement of swimming. Here we describe a model of peripheral motor nerve regeneration following hyperglycemic insult, which future work will exploit to elucidate molecular mechanisms involved in regeneration. The robust impairment to skeletal development was unanticipated but expands our understanding of the global impact hyperglycemia has across systems.
Elucidating the role of perineurial glia in peripheral debris clearance in zebrafish larvae (Danio rerio)
(2020-12-01) Dunnam, Collin; Clark, Jessica; Erickson, Patti; Nyland, Jennifer; Biological Sciences; Master of Science in Applied Biology
The peripheral nervous system (PNS) is the division of the nervous system that consists of all nerves lying outside of the brain and spine (central nervous system (CNS)). Primarily, the role of the PNS is to bridge the gap between the CNS and the environment. The PNS fulfills this role by carrying motor and sensory information to and from the CNS via the somatic nervous system and regulates involuntary physiological functions through the autonomic nervous system. When the PNS’ ability to carry information is disrupted via injury, the body’s capability to regulate these functions becomes diminished and pathological issues begin to surface. The component functioning as the blood-nerve barrier for peripheral nerves, the perineurium, has emerged as an important influencer in the degenerative process following nerve injury. Recent work in zebrafish (Danio rerio) has revealed that perineurial glia are the first to bridge injury gaps following nerve transection, and that perineurial glia extend processes into the injury site and phagocytize neuronal debris. While this work elucidated how perineurial glia respond to an acute injury induced by laser transection, how the perineurium behaves when subject to clinically relevant neurodegeneration remains a mystery. Here we use an established model of hyperglycemia-induced neurodegeneration in conjunction with in vivo imaging in transgenic zebrafish to visualize the dynamics of the perineurial glia during neurodegeneration. We demonstrate that hyperglycemia induces lysosomal activity in perineurial glia and that they phagocytize axonal, Schwann cell, and potentially oligodendrocyte debris by extending processes to the debris. We present that hyperglycemia also induces migration of olig2+ cells out of the spinal cord which then are seen associating with motor nerves potentially attempting to remyelinate them following demyelination caused by hyperglycemia. Finally, we uncover a phenomenon of cells and/or debris being ejected from the spinal cord nerve roots at regular intervals prior to death in these zebrafish. This may indicate a failure of a population of glia at motor exit points or further migration of oligodendrocytes. Collectively, these data provide insight into how the perineurial glia and other nerve components respond to peripheral neurodegeneration and reveal a previously unknown moribund process.
Investigating the Impact of Hyperglycemia on Zebrafish Development: Implications for Bone, Cartilage, and Mobility
(2024-12) Esker, Brianna; Clark, Jessica; Nyland, Jennifer; Bressman, Noah; Biological Sciences; Master of Science in Applied Biology
Diabetes is associated with widespread complications like diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN), osteoporosis, and osteoarthritis, which are challenging to study in mammalian models. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) are a valuable model for studying diabetic complications due to their conserved glucoregulatory mechanisms, regenerative capabilities, and transparent nature. Previous work with our glucose immersion model demonstrated deficits in peripheral nerves, bones, and behavior. While nerve function and muscle structure recovered following a return to euglycemia, bone mineralization and behavioral deficits persisted, suggesting long-term impacts of hyperglycemia on the skeletal system. Building on this foundation, we explored the developmental timeline of these deficits. Significant bone deficits became evident as early as 7 days post-fertilization (dpf) and got progressively worse throughout the treatment period. These skeletal deficiencies coincided with alterations in locomotive behavior, suggesting a potential link between structural abnormalities and motor function impairments. Additionally, swimming behavior was impaired as early as 7 dpf during the hyperglycemic period which persisted at 12dpf. While cartilage defects were inconclusive at 12 dpf, significant impairments of multiple cartilaginous areas were apparent when analyzed following the 10-day recovery period, demonstrating the lasting impacts of hyperglycemia. These findings highlight the zebrafish model’s utility in elucidating the mechanisms underlying diabetic complications, particularly in understanding the interplay between nerve and skeletal systems. By identifying critical windows of vulnerability to hyperglycemia, this research paves the way for developing targeted interventions to mitigate the long-term effects of diabetes during development.
Oxytocin, Chlorpyrifos & Their Modulatory Roles in Southern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys volans) Social Behavior
(2024-12) Mitzel, Kelly; Freeman, Angela; Emmert, Elizabeth; Nyland, Jennifer; Liebgold, Eric; Biological Sciences; Master of Science in Applied Biology
Social behaviors, such as cooperation, communication, and aggregation, enhance survival and reproductive success within groups. These behaviors are regulated by neuroendocrine functions like oxytocin signaling. Southern flying squirrels (Glaucomys volans) serve as an ideal model to study aggregation behaviors due to their co-nesting habits throughout the year and throughout their range. In behavioral trials, I dosed squirrels with oxytocin (OT), oxytocin antagonist (OTA), or saline, in both familiar and unfamiliar social contexts, and recorded their behaviors. I found no main effect of treatment on behavior, but OTA influenced aggregation, particularly when accounting for sex and familiarity. In my second project, I tested for endocrine disruptors (EDCs) in soil and squirrel tissue using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). While chlorpyrifos was not detected, several EDCs, including steroid hormone analogues, plasticizers, and the banned pesticide endrin, were found. Two compounds, 2,4-DTBP and fluoxymesterone, were detected in both squirrel tissue and their environments, which suggest environmental contamination as the source. High concentrations of EDCs were often found in ditch samples, indicating runoff as a contamination route. This thesis explores the connection between OT signaling, EDCs, and social behavior, offering insights into OT’s role in social bonding and stress responses. The detection of EDCs highlights the potential environmental impact on neuroendocrine systems, which could contribute to social and behavioral dysfunctions.
Development and Pilot of an Amniotic Fluid Embolism Simulation for High-Risk Maternal Newborn Elective in Undergraduate Nursing Program
(2024-11) Wiedel, Josee; Hammerer, Kristen; Glover, Kevin; Cabrera, Katelynn; Barnes, Annette; Nursing; Master of Science in Nursing
Undergraduate nursing students do not get the opportunity to be involved in obstetrical emergencies during clinical and may not have the chance to experience a client emergency until well into their nursing careers. High-fidelity simulation is a remarkable method that nurse educators use to facilitate the practice of high-risk, low-volume events that can occur in healthcare environments. An internship was completed to develop and pilot an amniotic fluid embolism (AFE) simulation for an intrapartum client that will be utilized in an undergraduate, high-risk maternity nursing elective course. Through high-fidelity simulation, students will be exposed to this event and will be better prepared to respond to this emergency and others in the healthcare setting. The simulation was piloted by practicing healthcare professionals, including labor nurses, a respiratory therapist, and an OB/GYN physician, to identify areas for enhancement before the simulation is introduced to undergraduate nursing students. The participants mentioned that this was a well-developed simulation and is a great activity to include in the nursing curriculum so that students can obtain more practice with emergencies before entering the field. A major discovery identified through performing the pilot was that this simulation will be better if not run with a confederate approach. The result of this internship is that the AFE simulation will be implemented into the undergraduate nursing curriculum. Through the development and pilot of this simulation, the developer met the AACN Master’s Essential IV (Translating and Integrating Scholarship into Practice) and NLN Nurse Educator Core Competencies I and IV (Facilitate Learning and Participate in Curriculum Design and Evaluation of Program Outcomes).
The Role of a Health Care Leader in the Community Health Needs Assessment Process
(2024) McCann, Kerry; Freda, Kaynabess; Nursing; Master of Science in Nursing
In alignment with the Affordable Care Act of 2010, non-profit hospitals must complete a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) every three years to collect data to prioritize health needs and implement strategies for improvement. The purpose of the internship was to identify and demonstrate health care leader (HCL) skills necessary to effectively implement the CHNA process including data collection, evaluation, and implementation of programming. Literature review supports that nurse involvement is essential to include in community health planning, and the HCL has a unique opportunity to use graduate competencies to advocate for community health promotion. The internship took place within an organization designed specifically as a partnership between the local health department and local hospital to conduct the CHNA. The internship provided opportunities to demonstrate HCL competencies such as knowledge of health policy, population health, knowledge of health care environment, and leadership with a focus on interagency collaboration. Internship activities included prioritization and implementation of CHNA data through creation of written and virtual resources, community outreach events, program development, and participation in interagency meetings. The internship examined the role of the health care leader (HCL) in the CHNA process, and how the expertise of advanced-degree nurses can improve the CHNA process. The experience provided the intern an opportunity to build upon the present role as a community health nurse, and to prepare for future opportunities in leadership roles and to lead effective interagency collaboration.
ChIP-Seq and RNA-Seq for PPARγ in Human Urothelial-Derived Cell Lines
(2024) Thomas, Logan; Anderson, Philip; Erickson, Les; Williams, Eugene; Biological Sciences; Master of Science in Applied Biology
Bladder cancer has a high prevalence throughout the world, primarily affecting men over the age of 55. Despite having multiple treatment options, such as chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery, bladder cancer has a high recurrence rate in patients. Consistent with other cancer types, understanding the molecular mechanism of bladder cancer has the potential to increase the number and type of treatment options available to patients. Upregulation of the transcription factor (TF), PPARγ, has been associated with the metastasis of bladder cancer, but this mechanism is not clearly understood. To gain additional information on this mechanism, we conducted both a ChIP-Seq and RNA-Seq analysis on three bladder cancer cell lines (UMUC1, SW780, and 5637) after treatment with a PPARγ agonist, rosiglitazone (RZ). The goal of this analysis is to identify genome-wide binding sites and genes regulated by PPARγ within these cell lines. We determined that RZ reduced the number of PPARγ binding sites in the three bladder cancer cell lines. Additionally, there were no PPARγ motifs bound by PPARγ regardless of cell or treatment type. The RNA-Seq results suggest that RZ affects gene expression within UMUC1 and SW780 cell lines but not 5637. Furthermore, GSEA identified numerous differentially expressed biochemical pathways in the UMUC1 and SW780 cell lines. G2M checkpoint and E2F target gene sets were downregulated within RZ-treated UMUC1 and SW780 cells but not 5637. The downregulation of these mechanisms may play an essential role in PPARγ’s involvement in bladder cancer metastasis. How PPARγ is involved in bladder cancer metastasis is still unknown; however, these results provide additional insight into this mechanism.
The Ecology of Writing, Feedback, and Revision Practices in an Upper-level Undergraduate English Course
(2022-04) Endicott, Kelsie Gaskill; Finch, Maida; Williamson, Thea; Towle, Beth; Doctoral Studies in Literacy; Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) Contemporary Curriculum Theory and Instruction: Literacy
A dearth of knowledge exists in empirical literature regarding how effectively upper-level college students (juniors and above) and their professors communicate during feedback rounds of written assignments, in addition to the resources that these students utilize when revising. Therefore, this single case study explored how college students and their course professor perceived the role of feedback and revision on written assignments in an English course, how the professor constructed feedback, and how students interpreted the feedback and revised their written assignments. Data sources consisted of classroom observations, interviews, documents and artifacts, and field notes. The data was analyzed by engaging in multiple rounds of coding. First cycle codes included initial (Saldana, 2016) and a priori codes to examine the language of the participants in an effort to better understand the nuances of their communication and writing practices. Second cycle codes included pattern coding so as to collapse codes into thematic categories that highlighted findings. Five findings emerged from the data I collected: (1) students perceived feedback to be shaped by their experiences, the way students perceived feedback was situational and context-dependent, and feedback should function to improve the piece, (2) students had similar processes for applying feedback, (3) students used myriad resources to revise their written assignments, however, they were not always aware of all of the resources that they used, (4) the professor perceived feedback as being valuable when it is effective, and feedback is most effective when it is personalized to the writer, dialogic, and instructive, and (5) when providing feedback, this professor predominantly saw herself as a writing coach and likewise provided coaching-style feedback to students in varied modalities, but primarily through digital end comments.
Investigations into the Regulation of Short-Chain Fatty Acid Assimilation and Ethanolamine Metabolism in Bacteria
(2022-05) Miller, Stephanie Marie; Erickson, Les; Carter, Michael; Sokoloski, Joshua; Nyland, Jennifer; Biological Sciences; Master of Science in Applied Biology
Metabolism is the process of importing extracellular materials and degrading them for the purposes of biomass and energy. Acetyl coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA) is a keystone intermediate that is frequently the entry point into multiple cellular pathways. Two acetyl-CoA pathways, such as ethylmalonyl-CoA pathway (EMCP) and the glyoxylate bypass (GB), rarely coexist inside of the same organism. The genomes of two bacteria, Paracoccus denitrificans and Rhodobacter capsulatus, have the genes for both acetyl-CoA assimilation pathways. During growth with acetate, P. denitrificans utilizes both the EMCP and the GB. Additionally, R. capsulatus has the genes for two propionyl-CoA assimilation pathways. Propionyl-CoA can be assimilated through a branch of the EMCP called the methylmalonyl-CoA pathway or through the methylcitrate cycle. By using molecular cloning techniques to generate deletion and fusion strains, I investigated when the EMCP, the GB, the methylmalonyl-CoA pathway, and the methylcitrate cycle were active during growth with acetate or propionate. Our investigations with R. capsulatus indicate that R. capsulatus is possibly utilizing the EMCP and the GB differently than P. denitrificans. Investigating the EMCP, GB, methylmalonyl-CoA pathway, and methylcitrate cycle furthers our understanding of the biological control of these pathways. Because the EMCP shares reactions with bioplastics precursor molecules, understanding the mechanism of biological control of the EMCP and the pathways that intersect with the EMCP are critical for the possibility of proposing a mechanism of manipulation. This work investigates the operation and control of the EMCP, the GB, the methylmalonyl-CoA pathway, and the methylcitrate cycle in R. capsulatus.
Feeding and Trophic Ecology of Invasive Blue Catfish (Ictalurus furcatus) in the Nanticoke River, Chesapeake Bay
(2023-12) Zachary S. Crum; Noah Bressman; Corbin Hilling; Christina Bradley; Eric Liebgold; Biological Sciences; Master of Science in Applied Biology
Blue Catfish Ictalurus furcatus were introduced into Western Shore tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay in the 1970s to provide fishing opportunities and are now classified as an invasive species due to their negative economic and ecological impacts. By the 2000s, these invasive ictalurids expanded into tributaries along the Eastern Shore, which possess unique ecological characteristics, potentially driving local differences in the feeding and trophic ecology of invasive Blue Catfish. As opportunistic, generalist feeders, variability in prey availability may be evident in the diet of Blue Catfish. This study investigates the diet composition and trophic interactions of Blue Catfish in the Nanticoke River watershed, on the Chesapeake Bay’s Eastern Shore, using stomach content and stable isotope analyses. Stable isotope analysis of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur in bulk muscle tissue suggest that Blue Catfish consume marine-derived nutrients and feed at a high trophic level. However, effluent from wastewater treatment plants and agricultural sources may influence δ15N and δ34S values. Stomach contents from Blue Catfish (n = 557) reveal size-based variability in prey and moderate local differences in diet composition compared to other Atlantic slope tributaries. Blue Catfish >350mm total length frequently preyed on seasonally available economically and ecologically significant species, including river herring Alosa spp., blue crab Callinectes sapidus, White Perch Morone americana, and Atlantic Menhaden Brevoortia tyrannus. These ecological insights inform fisheries management of invasive Blue Catfish and prey species on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay.
Say Hello to My Little Friends! Investigating the Influence of Exaiptasia diaphana Symbiotic State on the Feeding Ecology of the Nudibranch, Berghia stephanieae
(2023-05) Musselman, Kyle; Liebgold, Eric; Bradley, Christina; Bressman, Noah; Taylor, Ryan; Biological Sciences; Master of Science in Applied Biology
Mutualistic cnidarians are crucial to the success of biodiverse and economically valuable marine ecosystems, with coral reef ecosystems in particular holding immense ecological and economic importance. However, natural stressors, such as predators and anthropogenic stressors like climate change, pose serious risks to these ecosystems. The interactions between these stressors must be understood to provide a holistic view of how cnidarian ecosystems are being impacted. This study uses a model mutualistic cnidarian, Exaiptasia diaphana (Aiptasia), and a model specialist invertebrate predator of cnidarians, Berghia stephanieae (Berghia), to investigate how bleaching events impact the quantity and functionality of nematocysts in cnidarians, the feeding behaviors of invertebrate predators of cnidarians, and the stable isotope composition of invertebrate predators of cnidarians. This study utilized unbleached and bleached E. diaphana to quantify unfired and fired nematocyst content in both E. diaphana variants, in feeding trials to examine B. stephanieae feeding behavior in the presence of both E. diaphana variants, and in stable isotope analysis to assess how different E. diaphana variants influence the tissue composition of B. stephanieae. Bleaching was found to decrease nematocyst quantity but did not impact nematocyst functionality. Offering bleached E. diaphana as a prey item did not influence invertebrate cnidarian feeding preferences nor did consuming bleached E. diaphana immediately alter B. stephanieae’s stable isotope composition. However, mixing models indicate that Symbiodinium is a diet item that is assimilated within B. stephanieae’s tissues, but the proportion of tissue that Symbiodinium accounts for is unknown. This indicates that Symbiodinium found within E. diaphana are not an attractant, but are an additional source of nutrients, for B. stephanieae, which could have further reaching effects unobserved in this study. While mutualistic cnidarians are adversely impacted by bleaching events, this study provides evidence that invertebrate predators of cnidarians may possess limited resilience to bleaching events. Continued investigation into the effects of bleaching at multiple trophic levels is necessary to determine the comprehensive impacts of such events and to coordinate future conservation actions effectively.
Nurse Educator Scholarship & Qualitative Research
(2023-04) Sabater, Katie; Barnes, Annette; Reid, Tina; Webster, Debra; Nursing; Master of Science in Nursing
Nurse educators have many roles and responsibilities in addition to teaching including service, clinical practice, and scholarship. One way a nurse educator can achieve scholarship is through qualitative research that can enrich the nursing curriculum and education, empower the nurse educator, and improve patients' lives. To perform qualitative research, the nurse educator must understand the ethical considerations to reduce harm to participants, the importance of informed consent, and the necessity of confidentiality and anonymity. This internship aimed to understand the importance of scholarship for the nurse educator and how qualitative research can address the role through first-hand experiences of scholarship. The Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) student learned the role of focus group facilitator and conducted focus groups for data collection and transcription. The setting of this internship took place on campus at a public university. The preceptor and advisor were both university faculty. Graded course activities included a project proposal reflection, literature review, final paper, and presentation. Other experiences used for evaluation were completing the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) courses and obtaining certification, conducting focus groups as a facilitator, collecting audio data, and transcribing data. Other activities that were experienced included attending a virtual nurse educator conference and the opportunity to explore the use of thematic analysis procedures for qualitative data. Nurse educators have an obligation to perform scholarship in their careers in the form of grant funding, dissemination, clinical practice, or research. Even though qualitative research can be a very time-consuming, intensive endeavor, it is still necessary to be performed to make advances and inform academia and the nursing community.
Reaching into the Present, Growing Out of the Past: The Neo-Slave Narrative’s Innovation on Historical Slave Narratives and Contemporary Black Consciousness
(2023-05) Russell, Andrew; Quintana Wulf, Isabel; Wenke, John; English; Master of Arts in English
My thesis, “Reaching into the Present, Growing into the Past: The Neo-Slave Narrative’s Innovation on Historical Slave Narratives and Contemporary Black Consciousness,” approaches the neo-slave narrative genre as an innovative genre that both reinterprets the historical record to create a long history of slavery and show how the socioeconomic issues that slavery perpetuate through time and affect individuals in the contemporary moment. To accomplish this task, I have deployed an aesthetic study of the neo-slave narrative and how those aesthetics are in conversation with the historical record. After establishing common aesthetic features in the neo-slave narrative, I then shift my study to show how a neo-slave narrative can use its literary features to dismantle and deconstruct power structures in the contemporary era by focusing on the comedic slave narrative. While the comedic slave narratives use humor across their texts, the use of comedy is more interrogative in nature and gives its protagonists observational powers that are a critical feature in comedies to criticize and question extant power structures. The comedic slave narrative is reliant on postcolonial and Marxist theories, and the thesis makes uses of Althusser’s theories on interpellation and Fanon’s establishment of internalized racism to understand the forces that continue to colonize the black political consciousness in post-slavery life. However, comedy as an interrogative tool dismantles these structures to show how individuals can resist and grow in a social structure that is hostile to black independence.
The Social History of Photography in Baltimore, Maryland, 1839-1930
(2023-05) Stancil Blakeman, Allison; Goyens, Tom; Gonzalez, Aston; French, Kara; History; Master of Arts in History
Before the fall of 1840, American locksmith-turned-telescope maker Henry Fitz Jr. opened Maryland’s first-ever daguerreotype studio in Baltimore. Fitz introduced the city to portrait photography from his third-floor studio at 112 Baltimore Street. From here, photography’s popularity in Baltimore grew exponentially. Daguerreotype businesses emerged downtown, creating a bustling photography hub. Eventually, the evolution and streamlining of the photographic process, alongside increased accessibility to the medium, lowered prices. This allowed Baltimoreans from every walk of life to document special events and their daily lives within the walls of these studios. Where photography in the city began as very white and male-dominated, women and African American men started making names for themselves by the turn of the century. However, lacking recognition and representation has left these photographers out of Baltimore’s historical record. African American and women photographers’ histories remain muted and largely forgotten aside from few mentions in census records and city directories. Photographs created by these photographers are even harder to find. Baltimore is often overlooked in studies of early American photography regardless of its position as the second most populated city in the United States from 1830-1850, its connection to early photographic experiments, and its early adoption of the medium. To correct this disparity, I argue for Baltimore’s diverse cast of photographers’ inclusion alongside cities like New York and Philadelphia. This thesis studies the social history of photography in Baltimore, including key players, photography processes and materials used, and how the city and the medium evolved. Newspaper articles and advertisements, census records, business directories, auction and exhibition catalogs, photography magazines, and various forms of photographs, including daguerreotypes, cabinet cards, cartes-de-visite, tintypes, gelatin silver prints, and photo albums, are used to not only tell a surface-level history of photography in Baltimore but also uncover previously overlooked stories of women and African photographers and the vibrant communities they photographed. I conclude with a call to action to develop and implement more preservation initiatives and projects to reveal stories of early photographers from minoritized and disadvantaged groups.
Faux frogs, foam nests, and females: Mate choice as an evolutionary driver of conspicuous mating signals
(2022-12) Hamilton, Olivia; Taylor, Ryan; Hunter, Kimberly; Corfield, Jeremy; Biological Sciences; Master of Science in Applied Biology
Chapter 1 - Across many taxa, males gather in leks to perform multisensory courtship displays for females. Changes in the sensory scene over the course of mate evaluation are inevitable during a lek. This dynamic nature makes a female’s ability to recall the location of individual signalers an important component of female mate choice. It is hypothesized that complex (especially multimodal) signals may improve a female’s ability to remember, and thus discriminate among potential mates. To test this hypothesis, we employed robotic frogs and a blinding system in playbacks with female túngara frogs (Physalaemus (=Engystomops) pustulosus). Specifically, we asked if the visual component of a multimodal signal improves a female’s ability to remember the location of a signaler. Females’ memory for a multimodal signal was examined after an initial presentation period followed by a holding period and/or silent period. Females were only able to remember a signaler’s location after the introduction of a silent period. They were still able to remember even after a combined 25 s after the obstruction of the visual stimulus (robotic frog). Silence is common in choruses and our data suggest that memory instantiation for multisensory stimuli occurs as a result of this silence. Chapter 2 - Vision can play a vital role in a receiver’s response to a signal. Often used in tandem with other sensory stimuli, vision is commonly used as a modality for signaling to potential mates. In nocturnal species, however, the neural processing of an image with a limited light source may degrade the resolution and/or details of that scene and the signalers within it. Túngara frogs (Physalaemus (=Engystomops) pustulosus) are a Neotropical species that perform nocturnal multimodal courtship displays (visual, acoustic, and seismic) to attract females. Females have been shown to have a consistent preference for a multimodal display in laboratory settings at a fixed distance. Here, we tested how the distance between a female and a displaying “male” (robotic frog and speaker) influenced the decisions of female túngara frogs. We compared the response of females to a robotic frog at three distances (80 cm, 90 cm, and 110 cm) from the release point of females. At the established 80 cm distance, females significantly chose the multimodal speaker over the unimodal, but this preference vanished at 90 and 110 cm. These data suggest that female túngara frogs are unable to recognize the visual stimulus of a male’s multimodal display as it becomes more distant. This is consistent with observations of natural pairings wherein females sample and choose males at close distances. We suggest that female túngara frogs efficiently integrate visual stimuli in nocturnal conditions, but their distance to a stimulus limits this ability. Chapter 3 - Anurans exhibit extreme diversity in their reproductive strategies. During fertilization, species from several lineages produce foam nests that buffer developing embryos to their external environment. There have been many proposed functions for the production of these nests, but one function that has received little attention is how foam nests may act as an environmental cue to influence female mating decisions. In the túngara frog (Physalaemus (=Engystomops) pustulosus), males commonly call near foam nests when they are displaying for females. Previously, it was demonstrated that females of this species prefer a male call when it is associated with a real, field-collected nest (Martin et al. 2011). Amplexed pairs also often form communal nests, and it has been hypothesized that foam nests may act as a cue for an ideal oviposition site to amplectant females. Here, we tested the preferences of females using both real and faux, 3D printed foam nests in various treatment conditions. We were unable to find any evidence that females respond to the visual stimulus of foam nests during mate evaluation or that foam nests act as a possible cue for an oviposition site. We did, however, show that females had identical responses to the faux and real foam nests. Our results demonstrate that even in a well-studied organism like túngara frogs, we still have much to learn about their fundamental ecology. Chapter 4 - In this natural history note, we describe the first observation of a terrestrial vertebrate predator for the foam nests of túngara frogs (Physalaemus (=Engystomops) pustulosus) in the rainforest of Soberanía National Park, Panamá. The snake species we observed feeding on the eggs within the nest was documented as a juvenile Erythrolamprus (=Liophis) epinephelus and this is also the first account of oophagy for this species.

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