This calendar lists graduate thesis and dissertation events. Send all notices to the College of Graduate Studies at editor@ucf.edu
Mandibles are one of the most common bones encountered in the human archaeological record. Variation in mandibular morphology is often associated with differences in subsistence strategy as masticatory stresses influence bone growth and development. Bone growth is stimulated by bone modeling, the process by which formation and resorption occur through the uncoupled activities of osteoblasts and osteoclasts, respectively. There is …
Graduate Thesis and DissertationAnnouncing the Final Examination of Kimber King for the degree of MASTER OF FINE ARTS IN THEATRE The thesis uses an analysis of the actor’s process through the lens of Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s Flow Theory. Using practice as research, this thesis attempts to prove that performance anxiety can be alleviated by applying conditions of Flow Theory to the actor’s preparation, …
Graduate Thesis and DissertationCaptive breeding of commercially important species can reduce the pressure on wild populations caused by overcollection, but if not properly monitored, wildlife laundering can lead to further population declines. Stable isotope analysis has grown in importance as a forensic tool to detect wildlife laundering, but improvements are needed to improve its efficiency and reliability. Here, analysis of δ13C in eggshells …
Graduate Thesis and DissertationThe thesis covers an analysis of the three-month rehearsal process and eight public performances of Paula Vogel’s Indecent at Theatre UCF, directed by Julia Listengarten, in the role of Otto/Elder, at the University of Central Florida. Vogel dramatizes the censorship of Sholem Asch’s God of Vengeance on Broadway, reflecting the pressures of assimilation and cultural erasure faced by immigrant artists, and the challenges of intolerance …
Graduate Thesis and DissertationSexualization happens when agency is taken away from the individual being sexualized, where one is seen, depicted, and treated like a sexual object rather than a person. This thesis aimed to explore at celebrities' reactions to their own public sexualization. To do this, an inductive approach was used when analyzing first-person narratives (written and video) and interviews by those whose …
Graduate Thesis and DissertationNow, there are more options than ever for racial identity. Identities such as Black, White, Native, Asian, and Latino have put into contention how past racial boundaries and definitions interact with newer racial color lines. Racial passing is one concept that captures both older and newer forms of identity maintenance. Racial passing refers to when a person classified as a member of …
Graduate Thesis and DissertationChildren with disabilities experience barriers to meaningful engagement in science, technology, mathematics, and engineering (STEM) learning activities and course options. While inclusion is widely professed, general education teachers report being uncomfortable in adapting coursework or including children with disabilities. However, informal professional development opportunities could potentially impact general education teachers’ attitudes and dispositions towards including children with disabilities. The UCF …
Graduate Thesis and DissertationThis study explored the pedagogical background of alternative styles in the 6-12 string curriculum, including topics such as rote learning, expressing creativity in the classroom (composition, arranging, and improvisation), authenticity, and how these compounded factors cause music educators to face challenges when advocating for string education in public schools. The study analyzed factors that influence 11 school orchestra directors’ process …
Graduate Thesis and DissertationHuman exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) due to cigarette smoke is well known. It is also known that PAHs are not inherent components of tobacco. Their presence in cigarette smoke results from the curing process of tobacco leaves used for the fabrication of cigarettes and the incomplete combustion of tobacco during the smoking process. The two chromatographic versions of …
Graduate Thesis and DissertationIn June 2022 the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, abandoning nearly 50 years of precedent, and removing federal protections for abortion access. In doing so, the Court drew on a lineage of explicit and implicit discourses that have constructed abortions, abortion providers, and pregnant and fetal bodies in ways that make overturning Roe seem inevitable. This thesis takes …
Graduate Thesis and DissertationAutomated machine learning (AutoML) has become a new trend which is the process of automating the complete pipeline from the raw dataset to the development of machine learning model. It not only can relief data scientists’ works but also allows non-experts to finish the jobs without solid knowledge and understanding of statistical inference and machine learning. One limitation of AutoML …
Graduate Thesis and DissertationWhy do some armed conflicts have higher levels of sexual violence than others? Some existing theoretical work has pointed toward the possibility that the presence of sexual violence before armed conflict occurs can impact the levels of sexual violence during armed conflict, however, little empirical work has examined these theories. This thesis uses new, unique data to address concerns about …
Graduate Thesis and DissertationThe purpose of this research is to employ geospatial techniques to understand the spatial aspects of Cracker culture lifeways in the Ocala National Forest. My case study is drawn from two seasons of fieldwork and supporting desktop surveys associated with Pat’s Island, the home of multiple Cracker families. Cracker culture is historically categorized by its efforts to avoid modernization and …
Graduate Thesis and DissertationTaste of Grief & Other Stories is a thematically connected collection which examines how the complexities that unconventional ideas of love coupled with the weight of grief impacts the characters created and the specific spaces they inhabit. This collection aimed to produce stories that felt compelling, narratives that challenged the binary, and characters that were motivated by their grief. The title …
Graduate Thesis and Dissertation