The impacts of industrial fishing on local food security: insights from the Canadian North

This dissertation investigates the complex relationship between industrial commercial fishing and household food security through a multi-scalar, mixed-method approach. Guided by the social-ecological systems (SES) framework, the research integrates literature synthesis, participatory research, ecosystem modeling, and agent-based simulation to understand how ecological changes driven by industrial fishing intersect with social dynamics and community food systems. Chapter 2 presents a systematic review of 55 peer-reviewed studies on industrial fishing and food security, identifying four key thematic pathways. The review reveals a critical gap in empirical studies that directly link fishing activity to food security outcomes. Chapter 3 explores food access and decision-making in Nunavik, an Inuit region in Arctic Canada, using participatory mapping and scenario-based workshops with 17 community members. Findings reveal a complex and adaptive food system that includes both country and market food sources, with access shaped by a range of social and economic factors. Chapter 4 evaluates the ecological and economic implications of shrimp fisheries in Ungava Bay. Results show that fishing activity has increased notably in the region and that the Indigenous corporation likely earns 11–13% of total fishing revenues through royalties. Even under a hypothetical scenario in which shrimp harvest is doubled, ecosystem impacts remain limited. Chapter 5 builds a coupled ecosystem–agent-based model, inspired by regional dynamics, to simulate how changes in biomass interact with social conditions to affect household food security in a hypothetical northern coastal community. The simulation shows that while biomass declines from fishing have measurable effects on household food insecurity, social factors play a more significant role in shaping outcomes. Together, these chapters offer novel insights into how industrial fisheries development—and broader anthropogenic change—can shape local food systems, particularly in remote coastal communities

Suicide Awareness and Prevention Training for Healthcare Workers

Suicide prevention training is critical in healthcare environments, where high levels of stress, emotional exhaustion, and burnout can contribute to mental health challenges among staff. Following the tragic suicide of a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) team member in 2022, this project introduced the Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) suicide prevention training within the NICU. The initiative aimed to equip staff with the knowledge and skills necessary to recognize and respond to individuals at risk for suicide, while also enhancing perceptions of organizational support for staff well-being. Over a two-month period (1/2/2025 to 2/21/2025), 62 NICU staff members completed the training, with pre- and post-assessments measuring changes in suicide prevention knowledge and in intervention confidence or self-efficacy. Results demonstrated significant increases in staff knowledge, and a willingness to engage in suicide prevention conversations, while also improving the perception of organizational support. In light of these outcomes, the hospital has committed to integrating QPR into new employee orientation to promote long-term sustainability. Future recommendations include expanding the training to additional units, leveraging technology to offer virtual training options, and conducting long-term follow-up studies to assess the ongoing impact of QPR. This project highlights the value of embedding suicide prevention training into healthcare settings and offers a scalable approach to strengthening mental health support for frontline healthcare workers.D.N.P

IN PURSUIT OF A HUMBLE BEAST: A GEOSPATIAL ANALYSIS FOR THE WHALING FISHERY ON SHACKLEFORD BANKS

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the spatial relationship between shore whaling activities on Shackleford Banks and the community that undertook them. From the colonial period to the decline of whaling activities at the beginning of the 20th century, North Carolina’s shores were an established hub for the whaling industry of the Atlantic Ocean. Although the Cape Lookout whaling ground did not amass the same offshore productive capacity as New Bedford or Nantucket, Cape Lookout whaling was nonetheless historically pertinent to the establishment of North Carolina’s economy and settlement. To date, relatively little scholarly research has been conducted into the spatial relationship between the shore whaling activities of Shackleford Banks and the communities that undertook it. By interpreting the results of a geospatial analysis and comparing it to historical sources, sites optimal for whaling activities on Shackleford Banks may come to light

Wearable Device Use and Mental Health Outcomes in Female College Students

Wearable devices such as Apple Watches, Garmin, and Fitbits have taken over the fitness industry and have expanded to people outside of fitness. These devices are popular among many generations, but college students specifically are building habits based on the devices’ constant notifications and fitness monitoring. Studies show that Apple Watches overestimate energy expenditure while the wearable device, Polar A370, underestimates energy expenditure. Users of wearable devices often heavily consider energy expenditure and change their daily habits to meet their goals. As the world becomes more connected through technology, the question arises as to how too much connection can be harmful. This is especially concerning in younger generations. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to analyze the correlation between time on a wearable device and exercise addiction, sleep quality, and mental health in female college students. Methods: Female college students ages 18-25 were assessed through self-report questionnaires, which focused on students’ demographics, wearable device use, and sleep quality, mental health, and exercise habits. Results: One hundred and eighty-nine participants completed the Qualtrics survey. Eighty five percent of respondents report wearing an Apple Watch. Eighty-four percent report wearing their device on the weekends, and seventy-four report they do not exercise without wearing their device. Twenty-seven percent report feeling pressure to exercise by their device even when they are ill. Ninety-nine percent of respondents reported having their text message notifications enabled, and eighty-eight percent feel pressured to look at their device when it vibrates. Despite these high wearable device time responses, there was not a significant correlation between wearable device time and mental health(p=.999), sleep quality(p=.984), or exercise addiction(p=.635). Conclusion: Wearable devices were intended to support regular physical activity and lead users to a healthy lifestyle. This study supports that wearable devices are not harmful to mental health, sleep quality, or exercise habits. Therefore, further research is needed to determine the validity of wearable devices to support physical activity without harmful side effects

GRAVITY CONSTRAINTS ON THE TECTONIC EVOLUTION OF THE SIBUNDOY VALLEY, EASTERN CORDILLERA OF COLOMBIA

The Sibundoy Valley is a hinterland basin, located in the Eastern Cordillera of Colombia, near the Ecuadorian border. The valley trends to the northeast and has a rhomboidal shape with an approximate area of 100 km2. The hinterland basin is near the wedge top of a retro-arc basin between the Andean magmatic arc and the Guiana craton. Here, multiple fault types are active due to oblique convergence between the Nazca Plate and South America Plate. The North Andean Block is moving with a slip rate of 21-22 mm/year eastward and a 5-6 mm/year northward. Therefore, two potential models are proposed to explain the tectonic evolution of the Sibundoy Valley. In model 1, a step over between strike-slip faults produced a pull apart basin. In model 2, a system of reverse faults produced a contractional piggyback basin. To distinguish between these models, a combination of surface geology, gravity modeling and density measurements has been used. Complete Bouguer Anomaly values indicate that the Sibundoy Valley has a negative anomaly of 30 mGal. The density of the basin infill is approximately 1.8 g/cm3. This density estimate is constrained by measured values of surface rocks and comparison of variable density subsurface gravity models. Overall, the 3-D shape of the basin was determined by gridding together multiple 2-D gravity transect models. These show the basin has a half-graben shape where the deepest depression (-1300 m) is located at the southwestern side of the basin, and it thins to the northeast. It is likely that a normal fault created most of the accommodation space at the southwestern side of the basin, creating the half-graben shape. The northwest to southeast trending models suggests that a shallowly dipping fault outcrops at the northwestern side of the basin and extends as a master fault underneath the basin to the south. Gravity models also disallow a traditional strike-slip step over geometry as steep strike-slip basin bounding faults do not fit measured gravity data. Unfortunately, the gravity models do not provide the kinematics of the master fault, despite well constraining its geometry so the three different types of basins (piggyback, pull-apart, and hinterland basins) are still possible. Nevertheless, a rifting (or supradetachment) hinterland basin may be the most likely model to describe the tectonic evolution of the basin, considering the shape of the basin, geologic setting, and transtentional kinematics of the faults

Islet Target Genes Required for Niche Assembly and Formation in Drosophila melanogaster

A particular cell type, known as stem cells, possess a unique capability to self-renew and have the capacity to differentiate into mature cell types. To maintain stem cells, they require signals from a cellular microenvironment called the “niche. The stem cell niche regulates stem cell fate and has the ability to house and regulate a population of stem cells through intricate signaling pathways. Signals transmitted from the niche are important for stem cell self-renewal and cell differentiation signals, and proper signaling requires niche placement in a specific tissue location to polarize the tissue and get regenerated by new cells. Our lab currently studies the Drosophila testis stem cell niche in the male gonads of embryos. Distinct placement of the stem cell niche at apex (tip) of the testis tube organizes stem cells near the apex; cells undergoing differentiation will reside further down the testis tube. The niche forms during late stages of embryogenesis when pro-niche cells begin to migrate to the anterior region of the gonad and assemble the stem cell niche. The gonad niche tilts toward the visceral mesoderm (Vm), which sends Slit and FGF signals. In response to Vm signals, niche cells express the transcription factor islet, which is required for niche cytoskeletal polarization and anterior niche assembly (Anllo and DiNardo, 2022; Anllo et al., 2019). Recent single cell RNA sequencing data predicted Islet target genes that are expressed in the adult niche, and I prioritized testing three of these candidates: btk29A, kon-tiki, and scribble. My goals are to (1) identify if candidate Islet target genes are expressed in the embryonic gonad niche and (2) reveal whether these niche-expressed genes mediate niche assembly and function. My data revealed expressed of all three of these candidates in the niche, show that btk29A is required for niche assembly, and suggest potential roles for scribble, and kon-tiki in niche cells. Future experiments will confirm whether Kon-tiki and Scribble are required for niche assembly. Our understanding of the mechanisms that initially create a compartmentalized stem cell niche during development, in addition to anterior cell movement, will give us a more comprehensive grasp of how the niche is properly formed. These principles will help to clarify concepts about tissue function and development, including the activation of JAK/STAT signaling pathway for stem cell self-renewal, which is translatable to other systems (Leatherman and Di Nardo, 2008)

White Collar Workplace Experiences Through the Lens of Immigrant Women

This paper discusses the gap in the literature on immigrant women in white-collar professions. It showcases and highlights the importance of immigrants in the workforce and uses statistical evidence to illustrate that there are migrant women with higher education degrees who work in white-collar fields. Immigrating to another country is an emotional choice with struggles and challenges. However, even when the difficulties of obtaining a high-paying professional position are overcome, immigrants still face discrimination due to stigmatory attitudes. When gaps exist in the literature, stories and voices are forgotten. Immigrant women are valuable members of society, and scholars should investigate their experiences with ethnocentrism and xenophobia to improve their working conditions and human resource policies.

Proposal for Patient Education Program: Navigating Pregnancy Complications Does Not Have To Be Complicated

For this patient education rationale, the health issue is pregnancy complications, and the target population is pregnant women or women seeking to become pregnant. This topic is a cause for concern because pregnancy complications affect the health of both the baby and the mother. It can cause congenital disabilities, delayed fetal growth, preterm delivery, miscarriages, stillbirths, infections, organ damage, long-term health problems, and even death (NIH Office of Research on Women’s Health, 2018). Many of these problems will stay with the baby or mother for life and may cause further health problems in the future. So, in order to protect the future health of mothers and their babies, current pregnancy complications must be dealt with

The Pirate Swap Playbook

Pirate Swap’s purpose is to maximize sustainability in the Greenville area and on East Carolina University's Campus. We address many aspects of sustainability, the first and most prominent being clothing waste. As ECU students we see firsthand the clothing waste that happens on our campus. Many students do not have access to transportation and therefore end up throwing away clothes instead of donating them. The fast-growing fashion industry contributes highly to this. Students can buy cheap clothing to wear for one season and then discard them months later. This is just one aspect of fast fashion that is harmful to the environment: today fast fashion accounts for 10% of the global carbon dioxide emissions, more than international flights and shipping combined. While fast fashion is a new phenomenon it is quickly damaging our environment. Our Pop-Up Thrift Shop addresses both of these problems. We give students a place to safely donate their clothing to be repurposed and not put in landfills, while also giving students a place to buy cheap and free clothing. Lastly, we donate some of our profits to other sustainability clubs to extend the reach of our efforts. Our project is about helping East Carolina and the Greenville community to create more sustainable habits. 

Towards Automated Garment Measurements In the Wild Using Landmark and Depth Estimation

This research introduces an innovative approach to automate garment measurements from photos, combining depth estimation and landmark detection to address the high return rates in the fashion industry due to inaccurate sizing. Utilizing the DeepFashion2 dataset and a custom set of images, we employ DepthAnything for depth estimation and Keypoint R-CNN for landmark estimation, advancing previous methodologies by offering a scalable and accurate solution for the fashion industry. Initial findings suggest promising avenues for reducing returns and enhancing the garment fitting processes