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Aspects Of The Transmission Ecology And Life History Of Hematodinium Perezi In Juvenile Blue Crabs, Callinectes Sapidus
No full textParasitism is one of the most common lifestyles found in eukaryotes. Parasites account for substantial biomass and are major links in the food web. In the past two decades, our understanding of the ecological role of parasites has significantly advanced through theoretical and empirical studies. These research studies, however, rarely overlap with those involving protistan parasites, where efforts have focused on either disease prevention and management in humans and economically important species, or on their phylogenetics, revealing evolution of parasitism and specialization. Despite their vast diversity, protistan parasites are much less studied in comparison to other eukaryotic kingdoms due to their microscopic nature and high phenotypic diversity. The order Syndiniales is a group of dinoflagellates comprised exclusively of parasites with a pan-global distribution. However, only two genera, Hematodinium and Amoebophrya, have been well documented in terms of their pathology and ecological impact on hosts. This dissertation focuses on the parasite Hematodinium perezi in juvenile blue crabs. Hematodinium perezi is a parasitoid that kills its host as a prelude to transmission. Several knowledge gaps in the transmission and life history of this parasite are addressed in these studies. Chapter 1 documents the establishment of natural transmission in the laboratory and examines transmission dynamics of H. perezi in juvenile blue crabs and its relation to dinospore densities released under controlled environments. Heavy infections were found in infected naïve crabs after 30 days, suggesting rapid progression of the infection under high temperatures. Chapter 2 examines the transmission of H. perezi at a community level, using both laboratory and field experiments, with the hypothesis that oysters, as efficient filter feeders, may act to dampen, or dilute transmission of H. perezi by feeding on dinospores that might otherwise infect crabs. Field deployments suggest oysters reduce the probability of H. perezi infection in naïve crabs, supporting the dilution effect, whereas in the laboratory experiments, dinospore densities in the water were reduced by oysters over a short time frame of one hour. Finally, Chapter 3 focuses on the two different dinospore stages, micro- and macro-dinospores, of H. perezi and investigates their functions in relation to the previously unknown sexual cycle of H. perezi, using laboratory experiments, flow cytometry, and comparative transcriptomics to uncover several aspects of these rather cryptic stages. The micro-dinospore stage was shown to be directly transmitted to naïve crabs. The macro-dinospore stage was not infectious in our studies, and its function remains to be determined. The two dinospore stages have twice the DNA content of ameboid trophont, indicating sexual fusion of H. perezi likely occur inside the crab host, and the two dinospore stages represent alternative life history strategies with different transcriptomic profiles.Virginia Institute of Marine ScienceDoctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.
Dataset: Acidification, warming, and nutrient management are projected to cause reductions in shell and tissue weights of oysters in a coastal plain estuary
No full textData included are history and diagnostic output files from each model run. File formats are netCDF files. All files include the entire model domain, over a 620x740 grid of the lower Virginia tributaries to the Chesapeake Bay. Processing requires Matlab or another software that can open netCDF files. CO2SYS code is necessary for calculating inorganic carbon variables (saturation states of calcium carbonate). There are six model simulations in this dataset (ref, co2_only, temp_only, tmdl_only, temp_co2, combined_future), each run in two six-month segments (p1 and p2, p1 is July-Dec, p2 is Jan-June). Two types of files are available from each run - HIS (history, which provide monthly snapshots of all model outputs) and DIA files (diagnostic, which include daily outputs of oyster size variables for the bottom vertical level of the model).Virginia Institute of Marine ScienceBiological Science
Reflections: The Imaginary Forest
No full textThis paper encourages people to reflect on the nature their relationship to trees and forests, their use as symbols of interconnectivity, axis mundi, Tree of Life, wisdom, sustenance, worship and self, ending with a description of the philosophic and artistic process leading to a sculpture installation in Andrews Gallery at William & Mary in April 2025. It includes many photographic illustrations of the installation and its evolution.Art and Art HistoryBachelors of Arts (BA
‘The One Wearing the Collar’: Constructing the Child in Irish Industrial Schools
No full textThe Irish industrial and reformatory school system developed in response to the growing issue of poverty and public concerns surrounding the care of pauper children in the post-Famine period. Lasting from 1868 to the early 1980s, these schools were part of an expansive incarcerative welfare system funded by the Irish state and managed by Catholic orders. In 199, RTÉ aired the documentary States of Fear, which exposed the extensive and severe abuse rampant across these institutions. This thesis traces the evolution of how Irish society perceived institutionalized children before and after the discovery of abuse. I interpret the sociocultural factors that influenced these perceptions, which reveals inextricable ties between Irish identity and the publicly-constructed institutionalized child. Ultimately, I argue that institutionalization and the identity of the “institutionalized child” functioned as a moral condition with ties to both Catholic religiosity and class prejudice extending from the period of the Poor Law.HistoryBachelors of Arts (BA
Shapeshifting Realities: A Thesis and Senior Directorial on Caryl Churchill's The Skriker
No full textThis honors thesis delves into the intricate world of Caryl Churchill’s acclaimed play The Skriker, exploring its thematic richness, stylistic innovations, and the challenges it poses both on the page and on the stage. The research aims to answer key questions surrounding Churchill’s distinctive contributions to contemporary theatre, examining how The Skriker subverts traditional narrative forms and redefines conventional norms through its nonlinear structure, poetic fragmentation, and unsettling hybridity of myth and realism. The first chapter traces Churchill’s evolution as a playwright and engages with existing scholarly interpretations of The Skriker, situating the play within its historical, cultural, and theoretical contexts. Drawing on feminist and psychoanalytic frameworks, I deconstruct the complexities of the text—analyzing its layered symbolism, the embodied trauma of its female protagonists, and the linguistic chaos of the Skriker herself. Special attention is paid to the script’s language in Chapters 2 and 3, including original research and close readings that break down the Skriker’s monologues to reveal underlying narrative and emotional logic (see Appendix A.1 and Appendix A.2). This thesis also outlines my directorial process for a full production of The Skriker, performed April 10–13, 2025, in the PBK Studio Theatre. Grounded in my dramaturgical research, I developed detailed backstories for the characters (see Appendix E), crafted visual and physical worlds inspired by folklore, and implemented conceptual tools such as emotional grids, family trees, and movement workshops to guide the ensemble (see Appendix B). I explore key artistic decisions—including the division of the Skriker into three personae, the integration of projections, and original music, and the design choices that shaped the surreal visual landscape (see Appendix G.4). Insights into the rehearsal process—including world-building exercises, character work, and the integration of physical theatre—reveal how theoretical frameworks informed each stage of practical development. The integration of theory and practice forms a central theme throughout, demonstrating how scholarly analysis directly influenced artistic interpretation. This convergence allowed for a holistic approach to Churchill’s complex text, making the abstract emotionally legible through performance. The thesis concludes with a reflection on personal growth and directorial insight, contributing to both the academic discourse surrounding Churchill’s work and the applied study of performance-making. This comprehensive exploration not only enhances our understanding of The Skriker as a text but also affirms its enduring impact on contemporary theatre practice.Theatre, Speech & DanceBachelors of Arts (BA
"I have been through one war; I have seen the dead piled up; and I do not want to see another:” The American Civil War and William McKinley’s Worldview
No full textInitially conceiving my thesis, I approached it from the broad topic of U.S. foreign policy between the Civil War and WWI. I then began a brief study into the Presidents of this era and found William McKinley fascinating. He was the only president to serve in the enlisted ranks, yet he rose to major by the end of the war. After this, he began a modest political rise that led to his victory in the 1896 and 1900 Presidential elections. After settling on McKinley, I wanted to
answer the question of how his service in the Civil War affected his worldview and, therefore, his policy. I initially tackled his decision to go to war with Spain in 1898. Here, I discovered the most significant and constant block to my research. McKinley was extremely private: he took face-to-face meetings, opposed employing a secretary, and never kept a journal. Therefore, my research on his thoughts involved documents written not by the president himself, but by those around him. Following this, I dove into his belief in protectionism, specifically the Tariff Act of 1890, and his decision-making around the 1898 annexation of Hawaii. My anticipated results are that the Civil War was the defining experience in McKinley’s life; the horrors and bloodshed he witnessed made him specifically care about humanitarian issues and created a desire to ensure American economic independence and protect national security. The implications of my thesis lie in its ability to contrast the veteran president with other leaders, namely ones who never experienced the true horrors of war
Modular Forms, the Shimura Correspondence, and a Generalization of the Selberg Identity
No full textWe adapt an identity of Selberg on the Shimura lift of Hecke eigenforms to the case of Rankin-Cohen brackets of Eisenstein series whose level is a fundamental discriminant. To understand this result, we give an exposition to the theory of modular forms of integral weight as well as the Shimura correspondence between integral and half-integral weight forms.MathematicsBachelors of Science (BS
Predicting the Current-Voltage Sweeps of PINQUED for a Cylindrical Langmuir Probe
No full textThe William & Mary physics department built the PINQUED vacuum chamber to measure the electric field of a low-temperature, low-density Argon plasma with non-perturbative coherent spectroscopy. Readings from a Langmuir probe serve as a ground truth for the plasma parameters. This thesis presents BRLPy, a predictive Python model for PINQUED that generates theoretical cylindrical Langmuir probe current-voltage (IV) sweeps over existing IV sweeps and estimates the parameters. BRLPy fitted seven PINQUED sweeps for two probe lengths, accurately modeling their transition regions. The results supported existing estimates of plasma potential ΦP and electron temperature Te, yielding Te,avg = 0.8717 ± 0.0468 eV. However, none of the floating potential ΦF or electron density ne predictions fell in range, with ne,avg = 6.993*1013± 1.762*1013 m-3---an order of magnitude below expected. Additional results suggest that improved saturation could be achieved for a new probe by using the lab’s 1.0mm diameter copper filament cut to 8.13mm. The computational routine of BRLPy is thorough: it parametrizes the electron current results of Laframboise’s Fortran II programs, with R2 values ranging from 0.956 to 1.000 for ξ < 21.316 and an exact edge case for ξ ≥ 21.316, and it recodes a high-accuracy ion current formula from Chen’s Excel97 electrostatic probe analysis program.PhysicsBachelors of Science (BS
Existential Risk: The AI Safety Movement in the United States and China
No full textThis thesis examines the global AI safety movement through the lens of epistemic communities theory, asking why a transnational coalition of researchers, scientists, and advocates has failed to achieve lasting policy influence in the United States and China. Drawing on case studies of both countries between 2015 and 2024, it argues that while the AI safety community established many of the attributes of epistemic communities, its impact has been constrained by the realist dynamics of great power competition. In the United States, initial receptiveness to safety regulation under the Biden administration gave way to political fragmentation, deregulatory pressures, and a return to strategic deployment logics. In China, despite state-led support for AI ethics principles and institutional involvement by epistemic actors, policy has prioritized ideological conformity and national security imperatives. Through a comparative analysis, the thesis extends existing theories of epistemic influence by showing how even robust communities of expertise can be structurally sidelined when their agendas conflict with state-driven conceptions of power, competition, and technological dominance.GovernmentBachelors of Arts (BA
Beyond Comicality: Feng Zikai’s Manhua in Modern China
No full textThis research project reexamines the manhua of Feng Zikai 丰子恺 (1898–1975), challenging the prevailing interpretation of his work as primarily humorous or satirical. By situating Feng’s artistic practice within the broader historical, political, and cultural transformations of early twentieth-century China, the study argues that his manhua transcends mere comic intent and constitutes a sustained philosophical inquiry into the ethical, spiritual, and aesthetic functions of art. Through a contextual and comparative approach, the thesis traces Feng’s artistic evolution across three major phases—from his formative training under Chinese scholars, to his engagement with manga and Western painting in Japan, to his mature work during the turbulent Republican Era—revealing how he reconciled the tensions between tradition and modernity, and between moral introspection and social engagement. Analyzing both his paintings and writings from the 1910s to the 1940s, this study foregrounds Feng’s commitment to a humanistic vision rooted in cultural hybridity. By examining his major themes—poetry, childhood, social life, and nature—the thesis demonstrates that Feng’s manhua constitute a unique artistic discourse that resists binary classifications, and instead offer a “third category” of manhua that integrates Buddhist values, literati aesthetics, and modernist visual strategies.Art and Art HistoryBachelors of Arts (BA