Theses and Dissertations

Permanent link for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/2022/3086

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OPTIMIZING PESTICIDE EXTRACTION IN NON-HUMAN PRIMATE FECES USING SIMPLIFIED ULTRASONICATION APPROACH FOR RELIABLE QUANTITATION
([Bloomington, Ind.] : Indiana University, 2026-07) Awuni, Matthew Glenn; Venier, Marta
Nonhuman primate feces provide a non-invasive matrix for monitoring pesticide exposure. However, the complex composition of feces proves to be a challenge for the measurement of pesticides. This study optimized extraction and cleanup methods for the analysis of 63 current-use pesticides (CUPs) and 19 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in non-human primate fecal samples. Multiple extraction approaches were evaluated based on QA/QC parameters including extract cleanliness and surrogate recoveries. The optimized workflow consisting of 15 minutes ultrasonication and multilayer column cleanup showed the best overall performance with improved surrogate recoveries (~80% for 13C- Atrazine and ~120% for Pyraclostrobin-d6), cleaner extracts, and reduced processing steps, while also providing a single workflow for both CUPs and OCPs. Application of the optimized method on non-human primate feces collected from red colobus and black-and-white colobus monkeys (n = 24) in Kibale National Park Uganda in three different habitats (e.g. interior, edge, and fragments) showed detectable CUPs and OCPs residues across all habitats. Fragmented habitats exhibited higher average total CUPs (26.3  12.9 ng/g dw) compared to edge (5.53  3.79 ng/g dw) and Interior habitats ( 8.57  9.17ng/g dw). Similar trends were observed for OCPs, with fragmented habitats showing the highest concentrations across species and sex groups. Dinotefuran, a neonicotinoid insecticide and OIET (Hydroxyatrazine), a metabolite of atrazine herbicide were the dominant compound across the groups, especially within the fragmented habitat. Although more data are needed, these results suggest higher pesticide exposure in fragmented habitats compared to edge and interior habitats. The compound profile suggests that neonicotinoid insecticides and herbicide residues are the major contributors to pesticide exposure in colobus monkeys across the studied habitats.
RESULTS FROM IDEALIZED TESTING OF MACHINE LEARNING ATMOSPHERE MODELS
([Bloomington, Ind.] : Indiana University, 2026-06) Elms, Joshua; O’Brien, Travis A.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based weather models are becoming an increasingly important part of the weather and climate ecosystem due to the cheap and skillful forecasts they generate. There are also many promising applications of these models for general scientific discovery. While all AI weather models report performance in global forecasting metrics, few have so far been subjected to the degree of scrutiny applied to traditional “dynamical” models. By replicating and expanding on the results of Hakim and Masanam (2024), we demonstrate that a set of popular AI weather models’ responses to idealized tests range in physical realism from “qualitatively correct” to “physically implausible”, depending on the test. For example, all models appear to evolve towards a state of geostrophic balance when provided with an upper-level low lacking its corresponding cyclonic wind field, but most of them also produce one or more physically unrealistic features during a series of idealized tests intended to characterize each model’s ability to represent realistic wave growth in response to either an initial or recurrent perturbation. Finally, we observe that the Earth-centric designs of the Nvidia and Pangu models appear to result in fewer grid artifacts during idealized tests, and that the single-model inference pipeline of the Nvidia models allows these tests to be performed more simply.
MEASUREMENT OF PEROXY RADICALS ABOVE THE FOREST FLOORS: UNRAVELING THE DISCREPANCIES IN MODEL PREDICTIONS
([Bloomington, Ind.] : Indiana University, 2026-07) Mireku, Janet Asabea; Stevens, Philip
Peroxy (HO2 and RO2) radicals play a central role in atmospheric oxidation chemistry, influencing ozone formation and secondary organic aerosols production, through the reaction with nitrogen oxides (NOx). Previous measurements of the concentration of these radicals were overestimated by current models of atmospheric chemistry especially in forested environments where there are high biogenic VOC emissions and low NOx concentrations both within and above the forest canopies. This discrepancy observed between model and observed radical concentration suggests that some processes such as radical cycling, deposition or heterogenous surface reactions may not be fully integrated into existing chemical mechanisms. Measurement of HO2* above the forest floors can provide a better understanding of these discrepancies and improve model representation. During summer 2025, measurements of HO2* (HO2 + a fraction of RO2) below the canopy and near the forest floors were conducted at a rural forest, Northern Michigan. Modeling of the measurements was done using the Framework for 0-D Model (F0AM) with incorporating the Master Chemical Mechanism (MCM) constrained with other measured chemical species. The model output generally underestimated the measured HO2*.
Cash Transfers and the Diabetes to Dementia Pathway: evidence from older adults in a low-income region of South Africa
([Bloomington, Ind.] : Indiana University, 2026-06) Klein, Maria Mahuron
Background: People with diabetes have a 40-60% greater risk of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) compared to people without diabetes. The risk of diabetes-associated ADRD is further exacerbated for people with lower household income. Thus, programs that increase household income could reduce diabetes-associated ADRD risk, yet little is known about the impact of cash transfer programs for diabetes-related outcomes. We aimed to establish associations between cash transfers and diabetes prevention, care, and associated ADRD risk. Methods: Using area census data, we calculated the amount of household cash transfer (HCT) available between 2000 and 2014/15 for a longitudinal cohort of adults aged 40+ in rural South Africa (HAALSA Indepth; N = 5059). We fit log-binomial models to estimate associations between HCT and cumulative incidence of diabetes and prediabetes between 2014/15 (baseline) and 2021/22, and baseline associations between HCT and diabetes testing, diagnosis, and treatment. In the population with baseline glucose impairment, we fit linear mixed effects models to estimate associations between HCT and memory decline by 2021/22, and linear models to estimate the association between HCT and dementia probability at 2021/22. Results: We observed a 6% reduction in cumulative incidence of prediabetes for each additional R100 of HCT access, with the largest reduction in glucose values in the most severely glucose-impaired. HCT access did not generally improve likelihood of reaching key stages of the diabetes care cascade. We observed increased HCT was associated with lower baseline memory scores and slower memory decline, but slower decline was limited to men with prediabetes [aß (95% CI): 0.0047 SD units/year (0.0008, 0.0085)]. No associations were observed between HCT and dementia probability. Conclusion: This dissertation study offers support that cash transfer programs could improve diabetes-associated ADRD risk, with some important caveats: associations with household cash transfer were stronger for diabetes prevention than diabetes care, earlier stages of glucose impairment than later stages, and more consistently benefitted men than women. Future research is needed to investigate if larger or targeted cash transfers could more fully extend protection from diabetes-associated ADRD risk to women, those with more advanced glucose impairment, and more severe cognitive outcomes.
Commissioning of a Novel Polarized Neutron Apparatus for Parity-Violation Studies in Heavy Nuclei with a Survey of 140 < A < 180
([Bloomington, Ind.] : Indiana University, 2026-06) Otero Muñoz, Jorge Gabriel; Snow, William Michael
New sources of time reversal violation are crucial to understanding the question of matter-antimatter asymmetry observed in the universe. Known sources of Charge-Parity (CP) violation are not sufficient to explain this asymmetry. In an effort to find new sources of time reversal violation, the Neutron Optics Parity and Time Reversal EXperiment (NOPTREX) probes time-reversal odd (T) and parity-odd (P) terms within the neutron-nucleus forward scattering amplitude, where compound-nuclear resonances can strongly enhance symmetry-violating effects. We performed (n, γ) spectroscopy and measurements of parity-violating asymmetries in previously unmeasured 140 < A < 180 nuclei to identify additional candidate resonances for NOPTREX. A new experimental apparatus was commissioned at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE) to conduct this search. The experimental setup consisted of a polarized 3He neutron spin filter based on spin-exchange optical pumping, a spin flipper for eV neutrons, and a new NaI gamma detector array. The apparatus was first validated by measuring the well known P-violating asymmetry in the 0.734 eV p-wave resonance of 139La. It was then used to conduct a survey of P-violation in selected 140 < A < 180 nuclei. This thesis presents the development and commissioning of the new apparatus, validation measurements, and upper bounds on parity violation in observed resonances of the 141Pr and Tb targets.
PERCEPTUAL RECONSTRUCTION OF REDUCED SPEECH IN NON-NATIVE LISTENING
([Bloomington, Ind.] : Indiana University, 2026-06) Chen, Bihua; Darcy, Isabelle
This dissertation investigates how non-native (L2) listeners recognize reduced speech in English and how their processing differs from that of native (L1) listeners. Speech reduction, a common feature of casual spoken language, poses a particular challenge for L2 listeners, yet the mechanisms underlying their recognition of reduced forms remain underexplored. To address this gap, the study compares native English listeners and Mandarin-speaking learners of English in their processing of reduced words. Sixty participants (30 L1 English listeners and 30 Mandarin learners of English) completed three tasks: a visual world eye-tracking experiment examining lexical competition during spoken word recognition, a syllable-counting task testing detection of reduced syllables, and a vocabulary size test. These were followed by a word familiarity check and a background questionnaire. Results from the eye-tracking experiment showed that L2 listeners’ gaze patterns diverged from those of L1 listeners, particularly in how they considered and eliminated competing word candidates over time. Reduction in the target word had a substantially greater effect on L2 listeners’ fixation trajectories, suggesting that they relied more heavily on pronounced acoustic cues and were less efficient in restoring reduced forms during online processing. In the syllable-counting task, L1 listeners were more accurate than L2 listeners at detecting reduced syllables, especially for real words. This pattern suggests that L1 listeners’ advantage is driven largely by lexical familiarity with reduced variants rather than by rhythmic or prosodic knowledge alone. Finally, both vocabulary size and duration of stay predicted performance in reduced-syllable detection, while only duration of stay showed a clearer tendency toward more native-like eye-movement patterns. Overall, this study demonstrates that L2 listeners process reduced speech differently from L1 listeners and that experience with the target language plays an important role in shaping this ability.
Floating Anchor: Social Embodiment in the West Coast Swing Dance Community
([Bloomington, Ind.] : Indiana University, 2026-06) Moscaritolo, Jeff; Lepselter, Susan C.
Floating Anchor is an interdisciplinary study of the West Coast Swing (WCS) dance competition circuit in the United States. Starting from the concept of the “anchor step”—a technique through which dancers reestablish connection and prepare themselves for the next movement—I analyze community discourses at multiple overlapping registers: the kinesthetics of the dance, its grammars of improvisation, how it’s taught, its participant structures, and its major figures past and present. I use methods inspired by literary anthropology and performance studies in combination with critical frameworks on race, nation, and memory to theorize anchoring as both an aesthetic technique and a social strategy. By studying how WCS practitioners find coherence through change, my project explores how unevenly positioned subjects construct a sense of stability in and around their bodies, revealing how stability itself is unstable—a performative and ethically ambiguous concept. Situating WCS within larger U.S. histories of slavery, emancipation, migration, and appropriation, Floating Anchor examines how this present-day dance community manages its relationship to the uneven precarities that gave rise to swing dance in the first place. How, I ask, might a critical approach to anchoring illustrate some of the intersubjective frictions embedded into 21st century discourses of security and survival? Who gets to anchor themselves in a felt sense of stability, and who does not?
Agency in language revitalization: Actions, ideologies, and motivations contributing to standardization processes in Picard
([Bloomington, Ind.] : Indiana University, 2026-06) Cox, Jennifer; Lamontagne, Jeffrey
Over the last few decades, research in language policy and planning (LPP) has moved from a focus on state-imposed policies to addressing the impact of individual agency on language practices (Liddicoat & Taylor-Leech, 2021), a topic for which there remain many questions (Linn & Dayán-Fernández, 2024). One of the many LPP processes in which the role of individuals is understudied is language standardization (Darquennes & Vandenbussche, 2015). In response, this dissertation examines how minority language users act as agents of standardization processes, supporting or resisting them through their actions and ideologies. Additionally, in line with a call to explore the “why” behind such processes (Costa, 2024), this study addresses the motivations behind individuals’ support or rejection of standardization. The present study examines this issue using the case of Picard, a minoritized Gallo-Romance language spoken in France and Belgium. After years of neglect by French language policy, Picard was officially permitted as a subject in regional public schools in 2022, a development that reopened debates about standardizing the language. Drawing on empirical data collected between 2022-2025, including interviews and surveys with 51 participants and a year of participant observation, this study investigates the following questions: What actions do different types of LPP actors take to support or discourage different approaches to standardization in Picard? How do actors involved in Picard revitalization efforts position themselves as users or non-users of proposed standards? And finally, what motivates LPP actors to take the actions and positions they do? A thematic analysis of the data demonstrates that many different types of LPP actors influence standardization processes in Picard, particularly bottom-up actors such as authors and members of cultural organizations. In addition, Picard users subscribe to a range of opinions about standardization, from a complete rejection of the idea to active efforts to implement it, with most participants falling somewhere in between. Motivations for these positions include facilitating teaching and learning, political recognition, standard language culture, lack of shared identity, nostalgia, and resistance to linguistic regulation. These results are valuable both for Picard language planners and for theorists studying the impact of agency on LPP processes.
Toward a Precision Measurement of CEvNS on Liquid Argon
([Bloomington, Ind.] : Indiana University, 2025-12) Johnson, Bo Anthoney; Tayloe, Rex
The COHERENT collaboration has made measurements of the coherent elastic neutrino nucleus scattering (CEvNS) cross section on several targets. The first liquid argon measurement was made in 2021. The collaboration is currently undertaking precise measurements of the CEvNS cross section, the first of such measurements to be made on the liquid argon detector COH Ar 750. Making a precise measurement of the CEvNS cross section will also allow probing important standard model and beyond standard model physics quantities, such as the weak nuclear radius of Ar40 , neutrino oscillation parameters, non standard neutrino interactions, and more. Progress on COH Ar 750 will be presented as well as studies performed which can provide important upgrades to the detector in the future. Analysis of the expected event rates of signal and background predictions, and the detector’s ability to measure the weak radius of Ar40 , will also be presented.
Transition from Time-Based Education to Competency-Based Education in Surgical Training: A Descriptive Case Study
([Bloomington, Ind.] : Indiana University, 2026-05) Yan, Yichuan; Ozogul, Gamze
The traditional Time-Based Education (TBE) model in higher education and Graduate Medical Education (GME) has been increasingly criticized for prioritizing “seat-time” over demonstrated mastery, often resulting in gaps between educational outcomes and workforce expectations. Competency-Based Education (CBE) has emerged as an outcome-oriented approach to address these limitations by emphasizing the demonstration of knowledge, skills, and abilities required for professional practice. However, the processes by which training programs transition from TBE to CBE remain insufficiently understood, particularly in high-stakes environments such as surgical training. This dissertation examines the processes, results, and experiences of the transition from TBE to CBE within a U.S. surgical residency program. Using a descriptive case study design, data were collected through document analysis and semi-structured interviews with ten stakeholders involved in the CBE working group, including program leadership, faculty, residents, and staff. Findings reveal that the transition was guided by a multi-framework approach integrating the SCORE content framework, the 12-step test development process, Miller’s pyramid of assessment, and Kern’s six-step curriculum design model. Importantly, the study demonstrates that the 12-step test development process was extended beyond individual test development to support the design of a program of assessment integrating multiple evaluation methods. As a result, key artifacts were developed, including a competency framework, task inventory, foundational resident oral examination (FOE), performance standards for EPAs and FOE, a program of assessment, and the overall standard for the matriculation of foundational surgical residents. Thematic analysis of stakeholder interviews identified four major themes: systemic and cultural barriers, professional expertise and support, infrastructure and requirements, and strategic recommendations for CBE implementation. These findings highlight the transition as a complex organizational change process requiring alignment among curriculum, assessment, and institutional systems. This study contributes to the literature by providing a program-level blueprint for transitioning to competency-based education and by extending traditional test development frameworks to support programmatic assessment systems. The findings offer practical insights for surgical residency programs and other professional training contexts seeking to implement competency-based education while ensuring learner competence and patient safety.
Essays on Macroeconometrics
([Bloomington, Ind.] : Indiana University, 2026-05) Nagasaka, Naoya; Chang, Yoosoon
Recent macroeconometric research departs from classical linear models with only aggregate variables in two key ways: incorporating cross-sectional heterogeneity and allowing for nonlinear dynamics. With growing interest in the interaction between inequality and macroeconomic fluctuations, there is increasing demand for frameworks that capture the joint dynamics of aggregate indicators and the distribution of idiosyncratic variables. The expanded availability of regional and sectoral data motivates macroeconomists to exploit local and industrial heterogeneity to address macro-relevant questions. It is widely recognized that the propagation of macroeconomic shocks depends on the state of the economy. This work consists of three independent chapters that develop new econometric frame- works for studying cross-sectional heterogeneity and nonlinear dynamics in macroeconomics. Each chapter also presents empirical applications that have important macroeconomic implications in their own right. Chapter 1 develops a method to identify aggregate shocks using estimates from microeconometric research designs. I first show that microeconometric methods alone are not directly informative about the consequences of aggregate shocks. I then demonstrate how these micro estimates can be embedded in a time-series model that captures the joint dynamics of macroeconomic indicators and the cross-sectional distributions of micro variables. Chapter 2 proposes a novel framework to study the origins of regime changes in the macroeconomy using state-space models with regime-switching parameters. The results indicate that business cycles and public debt play key roles in explaining changes in interactions between monetary and fiscal policy. I also address several technical challenges in estimating such models. Chapter 3 introduces a new approach to studying the effects of macroeconomic shocks by combining cross-sectional and aggregate-level identification restrictions. This overcomes a challenge known as the “missing intercept” problem: cross-sectional variations alone are not informative about aggregate consequences of the shocks.
INVESTIGATING INSTRUCTORS’ GAMIFICATION STRATEGIES AND PERCEPTIONS ON FOSTERING STUDENTS’ ONLINE LEARNING ENGAGEMENT: A SELF-DETERMINATION THEORY LENS AND BEYOND
([Bloomington, Ind.] : Indiana University, 2026-03) Meng, Chen; Bonk, Curtis J.
Gamification has been widely adopted in online higher education as a strategy to enhance student engagement. However, existing research often evaluates its effectiveness primarily through observable behavioral outcomes, overlooking the qualitative differences in the motivational processes underlying similar forms of engagement. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory (SDT), this qualitative cross-case study investigates how instructors design and interpret gamification strategies in online courses and how these strategies may differentially support or undermine students’ basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews with instructors using the CourseNetworking (CN) platform, supplemented by course-based digital artifacts, including instructional documents and screen recordings. The analysis focused on identifying patterns in instructors’ strategic configurations of Anar Seeds (Points) and Badges, as well as their perceptions of gamification’s motivational implications. Findings reveal that while platform-level gamification features provide an engagement-oriented infrastructure grounded in social visibility and quantifiable recognition, instructors’ strategic framing and implementation significantly shape the motivational quality of student engagement. Specifically, engagement that appears behaviorally similar may stem from distinct motivational sources: in some cases, instructors’ basic needs-supportive strategies facilitated deeper internalization of learning values, leading to more sustained and self-determined engagement; in other cases, engagement was primarily driven by external rewards, social comparison, or performance pressures, raising concerns about the long-term implications of gamification approaches for students’ well-being and intrinsic motivation. By examining both instructors’ strategies and their perceptions, this study moves beyond a functional evaluation of gamification and highlights the importance of understanding the psychological mechanisms underlying technology-mediated engagement. The findings contribute to theoretical discussions on motivational quality in gamified learning environments and offer design implications for instructors seeking to implement gamification in ways that respect learners as autonomous agents rather than merely as responsive participants within a reward structure.
GOVERNANCE FOR CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE SCHOOLING IN INDIGENOUS AND ETHNIC COMMUNITIES: THE CASE OF THE AFRO-COLOMBIAN STUDIES PROGRAM AND THE RAIZAL PEOPLE
([Bloomington, Ind.] : Indiana University, 2025-05) Mclean Bent, Shelly S.; Kubow, Patricia K.
This study examines the implementation of the Afro-Colombian Studies Program (CEA) on San Andrés Island, focusing on how local stakeholders—including teachers, school administrators, and people leaders—perceive and engage with the policy in the context of the Raizal people's distinct cultural, historical, and socio-political circumstances. Drawing on the Culturally Responsive Schooling and Leadership (CRS/L) framework and Indigenous governance principles, the research employs a bottom-up approach, specifically backward mapping, to collect data from those directly involved in the policy’s execution. The findings highlight several key challenges in the policy’s implementation, including significant disparities between public and private schools in leadership, resource availability, and policy interpretation. Additionally, gaps in teacher training and ongoing intergroup conflict pose substantial barriers to effective engagement with the policy’s objectives. The study argues that a more effective implementation of the CEA requires a shift toward a collaborative, networked governance model that includes local communities and integrates Indigenous knowledge into the decision-making process. The research further emphasizes the need for clearer guidelines, improved communication, and the integration of culturally responsive teaching practices, as well as the development of peacebuilding education as a complementary component of CRS/L, tailored to the island's specific cultural context. Finally, the study offers practical recommendations for enhancing the CEA’s effectiveness and contributes to the broader academic discourse on the development and implementation of educational policies for culturally diverse and historically marginalized communities through Culturally Responsive policies
EVALUATING PHOSPHATIDYLINOSITIDE AS LIPID BIOMARKERS FOR HYPERGLYCEMIA-RELATED TRIPLE-NEGATIVE BREAST CANCER AGGRESSIVENESS
([Bloomington, Ind.] : Indiana University, 2025-10) Kile, Aaron; Wells, Clark
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive breast cancer subtype, marked by limited treatment options and poor patient outcomes. Clinical and epidemiological studies suggest that systemic metabolic conditions, particularly high blood glucose associated with Type 2 Diabetes, may worsen TNBC progression. However, there are no current biomarker for detecting TNBC, especially in hyperglycemic patients. This thesis investigates how elevated glucose levels influence TNBC behavior and whether lipid signaling molecules at the cell membrane, known as phosphatidylinositol lipids (PIs), can serve as biomarkers of disease progression. To address this, we combined functional assays that measure key cancer traits, including cell migration, attachment to the extracellular matrix (ECM), and cell accumulation, with lipidomic analyses of cell membranes under normal and high-glucose conditions. Our findings demonstrate that hyperglycemia enhances aggressive traits in TNBC cells, promoting increased movement and growth, but no effect on ECM attachment. In parallel, lipid profiling revealed alterations in PI molecules that regulate growth and survival pathways, with differences observed across cell models. These results highlight a direct connection between metabolic stress and cancer progression. By linking systemic metabolic dysregulation to cell signaling in TNBC, this work identifies PI4P, PI(4,5)P2 and PIP3 lipids as potential biomarkers and points toward new strategies for risk stratification and therapeutic intervention.
THE CRISIS OF LOCAL JOURNALISM: DEATH BY A THOUSAND PAPER CUTS
([Bloomington, Ind.] : Indiana University, 2025-10) Paladhi, Arijit; Peifer, Jason
The decline of local journalism in the United States represents a critical threat to democratic governance. Nearly one-fifth of Americans live in news deserts – which are communities with limited or no access to reliable local news. Predicated on this threat, we draw upon the political economy of media, public goods theory, and media pluralism frameworks to establish journalism as a public good characterized by positive externalities. However, the market mechanisms in place today have either consistently failed to adequately provide these externalities or been superseded by neoliberal capitalism's thirst for pillaging profit at any cost. To that end, this dissertation’s empirical analysis proceeds through two major studies. First, the theoretical analysis demonstrates how the confluence of technological disruption from digital platforms and these neoliberal deregulatory policies created conditions enabling aggressive financialized ownership – which we call greedy money models – to extract value from struggling newspapers while undermining their democratic functions. Using a stacked difference-in-differences design, we examine how private-equity-and-hedge-fund acquisitions of local newspapers affect electoral competitiveness in affected communities. Contrary to expectations of simple democratic decline, the findings reveal a surprising pattern: elections become substantially less competitive while simultaneously experiencing increases in voter turnout, declines in incumbent win rates, and increased candidate entry. These effects peak one year after acquisition before partially dissipating, suggesting immediate disruption to local political equilibrium followed by a degree of gradual adjustment. Second, we incorporate machine learning algorithms to identify counties that share similar socioeconomic profiles to news deserts. Addressing significant class imbalance in the data through various resampling techniques, the analysis finds that Random Forest combined with SMOTEENN is the strongest performer. The most significant predictor is the interaction between population density and GDP, highlighting how economic vulnerability intersects with demographic factors. Crucially, we incorporated neighboring counties' socioeconomic characteristics, which can help tease out how the formation of news deserts operates as a regional contagion rather than isolated local failures. These findings challenge conventional narratives about media ownership and democratic health. Rather than straightforward erosion, private equity acquisition triggers complex political reorganization in local communities. The temporal dynamics and spatial dependencies suggest specific intervention windows and the need for regional rather than purely local policy responses. Ultimately, this work demonstrates that the crisis of local journalism operates through patterns that, once understood, offer opportunities for intervention.
Nasalization and Nasal Vowels in the Swabian Dialect of Horb: A Phonological Analysis of Kauffmann 1890
([Bloomington, Ind.] : Indiana University, 2025-08) Kniess, Tyler Bedell; Hall, Tracy Alan
Though phonemic nasal vowels are rare in Germanic languages, Swabian, a dialect spoken in southwestern Germany, exhibits nasal and oral vowel contrasts shaped by complex diachronic and synchronic processes. This work examines the phonemic system of Horb Swabian, based on a late-nineteenth-century grammar (Kauffmann 1890), tracing the inception of nasal vowels from Middle High German to the present through processes of Progressive Nasalization, Nasal-Fricative Avoidance, and Spontaneous Nasalization. The synchronic grammar of Horb Swabian is riddled with phonological opacity due to the interaction of Regressive Nasalization, Linking-n, and n-Deletion, and is characterized by height neutralization of nasalized vowels: Out of a four-height oral vowel system, a two-height nasal vowel system emerges. Rejecting underspecification and binary height features, I analyze these patterns using a classical optimality-theoretic framework, employing the Contrastive Hierarchy (Dresher 2009) and hierarchical vowel height (Clements 1991) while giving faithfulness constraints scope over features in line with an orthodox understanding of correspondence (McCarthy & Prince 1995). Not only does this work contribute to the field of German dialectology in illustrating the Swabian vowel system, it also enriches our understanding of opacity within Optimality Theory.
SEXUAL PLEASURE EXPERIENCES OF SOUTH ASIAN IMMIGRANT WOMEN IN THE UNITED STATES
([Bloomington, Ind.] : Indiana University, 2025-08) Khan, Shahzarin; Walsh-Buhi, Eric
Background: South Asians (SA) are one of the fastest-growing immigrant populations in the United States, yet SA women are often overlooked in sexual health research. Further, existing sexual health studies focus largely on risk and prevention, neglecting feminist and sex-positive perspectives. In this qualitative study, I examine the sexual pleasure experiences of SA immigrant young women in the United States both individually and with partner. Methods: I conducted qualitative semi-structured interviews with 38 SA immigrant women aged 18–30 in February-March 2025. I recruited participants through purposive and referral sampling around a university campus via word-of-mouth, social media, and SA cultural centers. I conducted interviews in English, Hindi, Urdu, and Marathi, then translated, transcribed, coded, and analyzed them using reflexive thematic analysis (TA). I used Black Feminist Thought and Intimate Justice Framework to guide the data collection and analysis, examining how interlocking social identities affect sexual pleasure experiences of the participants. Results: I captured the participants’ experiences with: (1) body dissatisfaction and sexual pleasure (2) unwanted sex with their partner. I found that SA immigrant women’s sexual pleasure is shaped by intersecting systems of oppression, including colorism, cultural surveillance, Western beauty standards, and patriarchal norms. These forces led to participants’ body dissatisfaction, low genital self-image, and self-consciousness during sex, leading some participants to avoid masturbation and oral sex. Gendered expectations positioned sex as a duty and stigmatized participants’ desire, resulting in unwanted sexual experiences. Many participants internalized feelings of un-deservingness and suppressed their sexual needs to maintain relationship harmony. While some found temporary relief through migration and supportive relationships, the root causes of these struggles were structural, not individual. Conclusion: These findings highlight how structural inequities rooted in gendered, racialized, and cultural norms undermine SA women’s sexual agency and pleasure. I call for culturally grounded interventions, including pleasure-based sex education, women’s peer support groups, and legal reforms that affirm women’s desires, challenge stigma, and recognize the emotional and embodied dimensions of consent.
Parametric Modeling of Intrinsic Structure Covariance Functions for Non-Homogeneous and Non-Stationary Spatio-Temporal Random Processes on the Sphere
([Bloomington, Ind.] : Indiana University, 2025-07) Kim, Jongwook; Huang, Chunfeng
Identifying appropriate models for random processes and their associated covariance functions is one of the primary goals in spatial and spatio-temporal statistics, as it enables researchers to analyze the dependence structure within the data. For this purpose, assumptions of spatial homogeneity and temporal stationarity are commonly used, and many models have been developed under these conditions. However, these assumptions are often overly strong and unrealistic in practical applications. Moreover, when working on the sphere, standard approaches from Euclidean space may not be appropriate due to the unique geometric and topological properties of the spherical domain. Despite this, relatively fewer studies have addressed random process modeling and covariance function development specifically for the sphere. In this research, we introduce a parametric modeling framework for intrinsic structure covariance functions (ISCFs), designed to address non-homogeneous and non-stationary spatio-temporal random processes and their covariance functions on the sphere. To alleviate the assumption of spatial homogeneity while accounting for the spherical domain, we apply the theory of intrinsic random functions (IRFs) on the sphere. Similarly, to address temporal non-stationarity, we use the concept of random processes with stationary increments, exploring their relationship with intrinsic random functions on the real line. We also provide a methodology for estimating the parameters associated with the ISCF model. This is demonstrated through a simulation study and an application to a real-world dataset, highlighting the advantage of the model’s interpretable parameters.
ASIAN AMERICAN STUDIES IN THE MIDWEST: AN ORGANIZATIONAL HISTORY OF PROGRAM BUILDING, 1970–2010
([Bloomington, Ind.] : Indiana University, 2025-07) Nguyễn, Stephanie Thanh Xuân; Walton, Andrea
This dissertation examines how students, faculty, and staff members (whom I call advocates), justified and established distinct Asian American Studies (AAS) programs at the Big Ten research universities and colleges in the Committee for Institutional Cooperation for Asian American Studies Consortium between 1970 to 2010. I am inspired by Fabio Rojas’s sociological study on how the Black Studies movement became a stable academic discipline at postsecondary organizations. I use his conceptual framework to understand how Midwestern advocates organized their programs based on changes that occurred at the national, regional, and field levels. Using a blend of archival resources and oral history interviews, I trace the debates, arguments, and actions of Midwestern advocates in their efforts to strengthen program building and promote AAS as a rigorous academic discipline at Big Ten universities and colleges. I argue that these advocates pushed the field of AAS in new directions by decentering it from dominant ideas of West Coast program building and intellectual history. They reimagined AAS teaching and scholarship around Midwestern Asian American communities, perspectives, and experiences. Through this reimagination, they promoted the Midwest as a “regional center,” a hub of knowledge and teaching to compete with AAS programs that were created in California during the 1960s social movements. Yet, in their efforts to strengthen Midwestern AAS programs, they pushed the field further away from its core values, created during the 1960s social movements, of challenging inequitable practices in higher education while advocating for marginalized communities. Called deradicalization, Midwestern advocates minimized arguments that were deemed too political and reframed AAS as a teaching and research contribution to the academy.
Morally Fraught Identities: How Multiracial Individuals Navigate Race and Whiteness
([Bloomington, Ind.] : Indiana University, 2025-06) Heilman, Monica; Okamoto, Dina G.
Multiracial identities and experiences cannot be fully understood through monoracial categories, yet multiracial individuals must contend with monoracial structures. Through 55 in-depth interviews and photo elicitation with multiracial young adults (18-24) in the Midwest, I examine how multiracial individuals navigate and contend with race, racism, and identity in the context of Whiteness, family, and education. First, I find that multiracial individuals who can be seen as White, at least some of the time, experience Whiteness as a wage (benefit) that is tempered in part by a “tax” on the benefits of Whiteness. This tax stems in part from experiences of Whiteness as a “contingent status,” in which interpretation as White by others is not a guarantee. Second, I examine bidirectional ethnic-racial socialization within multiracial families to show that children engage in the socialization of their parents around matters related to race and racism. In particular, children drew on knowledge of social movements like Black Lives Matter and Stop Asian Hate, exercising agency, conducting hidden labor, and operating as one potential force for generational social change. Third, I analyzed experiences with racial socialization and racialization within school settings, finding that multiracial students contend with a contradiction: schools routinely dismiss race and racism as legitimate topics of study, yet it is within schools that multiracial students are starkly racialized. Multiracial students respond to a lack of instruction on race and racist interactions with peers by conducting their “own research” with respect to racial identity, drawing moral boundaries as they develop racial and political consciousness. In each of these social realms (experiences with Whiteness, family, and education), multiracial individuals navigate race and racism on monoracial terms. This study suggests the need for a “multiracial paradigm” of race, which can account for the totality of multiracial experiences with race and multiraciality.

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