diff --git a/Capfile b/Capfile
index 5cc098a9..3677dac1 100644
--- a/Capfile
+++ b/Capfile
@@ -12,10 +12,6 @@ require 'capistrano/rails/migrations'
 # Load custom tasks from `lib/capistrano/tasks` if you have any defined
 Dir.glob('lib/capistrano/tasks/*.rake').each { |r| import r }
 
-task :use_rvm do
-  require 'capistrano/rvm'
-end
-
 task :use_rbenv do
   require 'capistrano/rbenv'
   # require 'capistrano/rbenv_install'
diff --git a/Gemfile b/Gemfile
index a495fa6a..f31cec26 100644
--- a/Gemfile
+++ b/Gemfile
@@ -74,7 +74,6 @@ group :development do
   gem 'capistrano-rails', '~> 1.4', require: false
   gem 'capistrano-rbenv', '~> 2.0' # required
   gem 'capistrano-rbenv-install', '~> 1.2.0'
-  gem 'capistrano-rvm', require: false
   # Access an interactive console on exception pages or by calling 'console' anywhere in the code.
   gem 'listen', '>= 3.0.5', '< 3.9'
   # Spring speeds up development by keeping your application running in the background. Read more: https://github.com/rails/spring
diff --git a/Gemfile.lock b/Gemfile.lock
index 504f466e..4432d0b0 100644
--- a/Gemfile.lock
+++ b/Gemfile.lock
@@ -98,9 +98,6 @@ GEM
     capistrano-rbenv-install (1.2.0)
       capistrano (>= 3.0)
       capistrano-rbenv (>= 2.0)
-    capistrano-rvm (0.1.2)
-      capistrano (~> 3.0)
-      sshkit (~> 1.2)
     capybara (3.39.2)
       addressable
       matrix
@@ -366,7 +363,6 @@ DEPENDENCIES
   capistrano-rails (~> 1.4)
   capistrano-rbenv (~> 2.0)
   capistrano-rbenv-install (~> 1.2.0)
-  capistrano-rvm
   capybara (>= 2.15)
   capybara-selenium (~> 0.0.6)
   coffee-rails (~> 5.0)
diff --git a/app/controllers/publications_controller.rb b/app/controllers/publications_controller.rb
index a3235757..48337993 100644
--- a/app/controllers/publications_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/publications_controller.rb
@@ -1,5 +1,30 @@
 # frozen_string_literal: true
 
+# == Schema Information
+#
+# Controller: PublicationsController
+#
+# Overview:
+# The PublicationsController handles the CRUD operations for various types of
+# publications like Artwork, Book, BookChapter, and so on. It is designed to
+# handle submissions from both admin and regular users.
+#
+# Responsibilities:
+# - Filtering requests based on the logged-in user type (Admin or regular user)
+# - Managing CRUD operations for multiple publication types
+# - Sending notifications via PublicationMailer upon successful publication submission
+# - Redirecting based on various conditions such as user session and max submissions
+#
+# Special Behaviors:
+# - Utilizes dynamic setting of instance variables and object types
+# - Makes extensive use of helpers for finding records
+#
+# Filters:
+# - set_object: Sets the object based on the controller name and params[:id].
+# - signed_in: Checks if the user is signed in before granting access to certain actions.
+# - check_max_submissions: Checks if the maximum submission limit is reached for a given user.
+#
+
 class PublicationsController < ApplicationController
   before_action :set_object, only: %i[show edit update destroy]
   before_action :signed_in, only: %i[index show edit update destroy]
diff --git a/app/helpers/mailer_helper.rb b/app/helpers/mailer_helper.rb
index 95fdfbea..e3747e33 100644
--- a/app/helpers/mailer_helper.rb
+++ b/app/helpers/mailer_helper.rb
@@ -1,8 +1,37 @@
 # frozen_string_literal: true
 
+# MailerHelper Module
+# ====================
+#
+# The MailerHelper module provides utility methods to assist in email generation.
+# It includes functionalities from PublicationsHelper to create a list of author names
+# formatted as a single string.
+#
+# Included Modules:
+# - PublicationsHelper: Provides helper methods for dealing with publications.
+#
+# Methods:
+# - all_authors_email(publication): Returns a comma-separated string of all authors'
+#   names associated with a given publication.
+#
+# Example Usage:
+# ```
+# publication = Publication.find(1)
+# authors_string = all_authors_email(publication)
+# ```
+#
+# Note: This helper is intended to be used within the context of Rails' ActionMailer.
+
 module MailerHelper
   include PublicationsHelper
+
+  # Returns a comma-separated string of all authors' names associated with the given publication.
+  #
+  # @param publication [Publication] The publication whose authors' names are to be returned.
+  # @return [String] A comma-separated string of author names.
   def all_authors_email(publication)
+    return '' if publication.blank? || publication.author_first_name.nil? || publication.author_last_name.nil?
+
     author_list = ''
     size = [0, (publication.author_first_name.count - 1)].max
     (0..size).each do |i|
diff --git a/app/helpers/publications_helper.rb b/app/helpers/publications_helper.rb
index adbb761e..e9291fac 100644
--- a/app/helpers/publications_helper.rb
+++ b/app/helpers/publications_helper.rb
@@ -1,6 +1,30 @@
 # frozen_string_literal: true
 
+# PublicationsHelper Module
+#
+# This helper module provides utility functions for handling publications, particularly for formatting and creating
+# publication details such as authors, citations, and other publication attributes.
+#
+# Methods:
+#   - all_authors(publication)          : Constructs a string of all authors for a given publication
+#   - author_citation(publication)      : Constructs a citation style string for authors
+#   - authors_array(publication)        : Returns an array of truncated author names for a given publication
+#   - author_name(publication, position): Returns the name of an author at a specific position
+#   - author_name_citation(publication, position): Returns the citation style name of an author at a specific position
+#   - author_comma(publication, position): Returns the name of an author at a specific position with a comma between the last and first name
+#   - publications_id(id)                : Returns the full URL for a given publication ID
+#   - create_citation(publication)       : Constructs a full citation string for a given publication
+#   - author_or_artist_label             : Returns either 'Artist' or 'Author' based on the context
+#
+# Private Methods:
+#   - preprocess_attr(publication, *attrs) : Utility method to preprocess attributes for a given publication
+#
+
 module PublicationsHelper
+  # Constructs a string of all authors for a given publication.
+  #
+  # @param [Object] publication
+  # @return [String] A string of all authors separated by commas
   def all_authors(publication)
     author_list = ''
     size = [0, (publication.author_first_name.count - 1)].max
@@ -15,6 +39,10 @@ def all_authors(publication)
     author_list
   end
 
+  # Constructs a citation-style string for authors.
+  #
+  # @param [Object] publication
+  # @return [String] A string representation of authors in citation format
   def author_citation(publication)
     return '' if publication.blank? || publication.author_first_name.nil? || publication.author_last_name.nil?
 
@@ -39,6 +67,10 @@ def author_citation(publication)
     author_list
   end
 
+  # Returns an array of truncated author names for a given publication.
+  #
+  # @param [Object] publication
+  # @return [Array] An array of author names truncated to 12 characters
   def authors_array(publication)
     return [] if publication.blank? || publication.author_first_name.nil? || publication.author_last_name.nil?
 
@@ -50,22 +82,45 @@ def authors_array(publication)
     author_array
   end
 
+  # Returns the full name of an author at a specific position.
+  #
+  # @param [Object] publication
+  # @param [Integer] position The index of the author in the list
+  # @return [String] Full name of the author
   def author_name(publication, position)
     "#{publication.author_first_name[position]} #{publication.author_last_name[position]}"
   end
 
+  # Returns the name of an author at a specific position in citation format.
+  #
+  # @param [Object] publication
+  # @param [Integer] position The index of the author in the list
+  # @return [String] Full name of the author in citation format
   def author_name_citation(publication, position)
     "#{publication.author_last_name[position]}, #{publication.author_first_name[position]}"
   end
 
+  # Returns the name of an author at a specific position with a comma in between the last name and first name.
+  #
+  # @param [Object] publication
+  # @param [Integer] position The index of the author in the list
+  # @return [String] Full name of the author with a comma
   def author_comma(publication, position)
     "#{publication.author_last_name[position]}, #{publication.author_first_name[position]}"
   end
 
+  # Returns the full URL for a given publication ID.
+  #
+  # @param [Integer] id The ID of the publication
+  # @return [String] The full URL for the publication
   def publications_id(id)
     "#{publications_path}/#{id}"
   end
 
+  # Constructs a full citation string for a given publication.
+  #
+  # @param [Object] publication
+  # @return [String] A string representing the full citation
   def create_citation(publication)
     return if publication.nil?
 
@@ -102,12 +157,20 @@ def create_citation(publication)
     return_string
   end
 
+  # Returns either 'Artist' or 'Author' based on the controller context.
+  #
+  # @return [String] Either 'Artist' or 'Author'
   def author_or_artist_label
     params['controller'] == 'artworks' ? 'Artist' : 'Author'
   end
 
   private
 
+  # Utility method to preprocess attributes for a given publication.
+  #
+  # @param [Object] publication
+  # @param [Array] attrs List of attribute names to preprocess
+  # @return [String, nil] Preprocessed attribute value or nil if not found
   def preprocess_attr(publication, *attrs)
     attrs.each do |attr|
       if publication.respond_to?(attr) && publication.send(attr).present?
diff --git a/app/mailers/application_mailer.rb b/app/mailers/application_mailer.rb
index d84cb6e7..4d41886f 100644
--- a/app/mailers/application_mailer.rb
+++ b/app/mailers/application_mailer.rb
@@ -1,6 +1,37 @@
 # frozen_string_literal: true
 
+# ApplicationMailer Class
+# ========================
+#
+# The ApplicationMailer serves as the base class for all other mailers in the application.
+# It sets default settings that are common to all mailers. For instance, it sets the default
+# sender email address.
+#
+# Inherited From:
+# - ActionMailer::Base: Inherits all the functionalities provided by ActionMailer.
+#
+# Constants:
+# - None
+#
+# Methods:
+# - None (Methods would be specific to individual mailers inheriting from this class)
+#
+# Environment Variables:
+# - MAIL_SENDER: The default "from" email address.
+#
+# Example Usage:
+# ```
+# class MyMailer < ApplicationMailer
+#   def welcome_email(user)
+#     @user = user
+#     mail(to: @user.email, subject: 'Welcome to My Site')
+#   end
+# end
+# ```
+#
+# Note: Each specific mailer should inherit from this class to utilize the default settings.
+
 class ApplicationMailer < ActionMailer::Base
-  default from: 'from@example.com'
+  default from: ENV.fetch('MAIL_SENDER')
   layout 'mailer'
 end
diff --git a/app/mailers/publication_mailer.rb b/app/mailers/publication_mailer.rb
index b536913f..120075de 100644
--- a/app/mailers/publication_mailer.rb
+++ b/app/mailers/publication_mailer.rb
@@ -1,13 +1,58 @@
 # frozen_string_literal: true
 
+# PublicationMailer
+# =================
+# This mailer class is responsible for sending email notifications related to
+# publications. It extends the ApplicationMailer, inheriting its default settings, and
+# utilizes the MailerHelper for additional utility functions.
+#
+# Responsibilities:
+# - Send confirmation email notifications when a publication is submitted.
+# - Derive the sender's email and name from an environment variable, ensuring it's formatted correctly.
+#
+# Usage:
+# Call the `publication_submit` method, providing it with the submitter and the publication.
+# This sends an email to the submitter confirming the submission of their publication.
+# The email also gets BCC'd to the default sender email for tracking purposes.
+#
+# Example:
+# ```
+# PublicationMailer.publication_submit(submitter, publication).deliver_now
+# ```
+#
+# Environment Variables:
+# - MAIL_SENDER: Contains the default sender's email address (and optionally the sender's name).
+
 class PublicationMailer < ApplicationMailer
   helper MailerHelper
-  default from: -> { ENV.fetch('MAIL_SENDER', nil) }
+
+  SUBJECT = 'Publication received for Artists, Authors, Editors & Composers'
 
   def publication_submit(submitter, publication)
     @submitter = submitter
     @publication = publication
-    receivers = "#{submitter.email_address}, #{ENV.fetch('MAIL_SENDER', nil)}"
-    mail(to: receivers, subject: 'Publication received for Artists, Authors, Editors & Composers')
+    sender_name, sender_email = parse_default_sender
+    submitter_name = "#{submitter.first_name} #{submitter.last_name}"
+
+    mail(
+      to: email_address_with_name(@submitter.email_address, submitter_name),
+      bcc: sender_email,
+      from: email_address_with_name(sender_email, sender_name),
+      subject: SUBJECT
+    )
+  end
+
+  private
+
+  def parse_default_sender
+    default_sender = ENV.fetch('MAIL_SENDER')
+    raise ArgumentError, 'SMTP From address may not be blank' if default_sender.blank?
+
+    match_data = default_sender.match(/(.+?) <(.+)>/)
+    if match_data
+      [match_data[1], match_data[2]] # [sender_name, sender_email]
+    else
+      ['', default_sender]
+    end
   end
 end
diff --git a/app/views/publication_mailer/publication_submit.html.erb b/app/views/publication_mailer/publication_submit.html.erb
index b9f14256..e48f9572 100644
--- a/app/views/publication_mailer/publication_submit.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/publication_mailer/publication_submit.html.erb
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 <p>
-    Thank you for your submission of "<%= @publication.work_title %>" by: <%= all_authors_email(@publication) %>.<br><br>
+    <% work_or_other_title = @publication.work_title || @publication.other_title || "-untitled work-" %>
+    Thank you for your submission of "<%= work_or_other_title %>" by: <%= all_authors_email(@publication) %>.<br><br>
     More information about this year's event is forthcoming. If you have any questions, please contact Melissa Norris at melissa.norris@uc.edu or (513) 556-1558.
 </p>
 
diff --git a/app/views/publication_mailer/publication_submit.text.erb b/app/views/publication_mailer/publication_submit.text.erb
index 39b8673f..e287f570 100644
--- a/app/views/publication_mailer/publication_submit.text.erb
+++ b/app/views/publication_mailer/publication_submit.text.erb
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
-Thank you for your submission of "<%= @publication.work_title %>" by: <%= all_authors_email(@publication) %>.
+<% work_or_other_title = @publication.work_title || @publication.other_title || "-untitled work-" %>
+Thank you for your submission of "<%= work_or_other_title %>" by: <%= all_authors_email(@publication) %>.
 
 More information about this year's event is forthcoming. If you have any questions, please contact Melissa Norris at melissa.norris@uc.edu or (513) 556-1558.
diff --git a/config/environments/production.rb b/config/environments/production.rb
index ffd02ed6..33c8db87 100644
--- a/config/environments/production.rb
+++ b/config/environments/production.rb
@@ -68,6 +68,25 @@
   # Set this to true and configure the email server for immediate delivery to raise delivery errors.
   # config.action_mailer.raise_delivery_errors = false
 
+  # Configure the delivery method for ActionMailer to use SMTP.
+  # This tells Rails to send emails using the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol.
+  config.action_mailer.delivery_method = :smtp
+
+  # Configure the SMTP settings for sending email.
+  # These settings are specific to the production environment and utilize Postfix running on the same server.
+  config.action_mailer.smtp_settings = {
+    # 'address' specifies the address of the server that will handle email sending.
+    address: ENV.fetch('MAIL_SMTP_ADDRESS', 'localhost').presence || 'localhost',
+
+    # 'port' specifies which port to use on the SMTP server.
+    # Port 25 is the default port for SMTP servers like Postfix.
+    port: 25,
+
+    # 'ca_file' is the path to the certificate authority file.
+    # In our case, it's a self-signed certificate. This tells Rails to trust this specific certificate.
+    ca_file: '/etc/ssl/certs/postfix.pem'
+  }
+
   # Enable locale fallbacks for I18n (makes lookups for any locale fall back to
   # the I18n.default_locale when a translation cannot be found).
   config.i18n.fallbacks = true
diff --git a/spec/mailers/previews/publication_mailer_preview.rb b/spec/mailers/previews/publication_mailer_preview.rb
index 32ad6bcc..ee3e3efa 100644
--- a/spec/mailers/previews/publication_mailer_preview.rb
+++ b/spec/mailers/previews/publication_mailer_preview.rb
@@ -1,8 +1,59 @@
 # frozen_string_literal: true
 
+# The PublicationMailerPreview class is used to preview email templates for the PublicationMailer.
+# It fetches a real Submitter and Publication from the database if they exist; otherwise, it uses mock objects.
+# This is especially useful for visually testing email layouts and contents in the development environment.
+#
 # Preview all emails at http://localhost:3000/rails/mailers/publication_mailer
 class PublicationMailerPreview < ActionMailer::Preview
-  def send_publication_submit
-    PublicationMailer.publication_submit(Submitter.first, OtherPublication.last)
+  def publication_submit
+    submitter = Submitter.first || mock_submitter
+    publication = OtherPublication.last || mock_publication
+
+    PublicationMailer.publication_submit(submitter, publication)
+  end
+
+  private
+
+  # MockSubmitter serves as a stand-in for the Submitter model during testing.
+  # It mimics the interface of the real Submitter model, providing the minimum
+  # methods and attributes needed for the PublicationMailerPreview.
+  class MockSubmitter
+    attr_reader :first_name, :last_name, :email_address
+
+    def initialize(first_name:, last_name:, email_address:)
+      @first_name = first_name
+      @last_name = last_name
+      @email_address = email_address
+    end
+  end
+
+  # MockPublication serves as a stand-in for the Publication model during testing.
+  # It mimics the interface of the real Publication model, providing the minimum
+  # methods and attributes needed for the PublicationMailerPreview.
+  class MockPublication
+    attr_reader :work_title, :author_first_name, :author_last_name
+
+    def initialize(work_title:, author_first_name:, author_last_name:)
+      @work_title = work_title
+      @author_first_name = author_first_name
+      @author_last_name = author_last_name
+    end
+  end
+
+  def mock_submitter
+    MockSubmitter.new(
+      first_name: 'John',
+      last_name: 'Doe',
+      email_address: 'mock@test.com'
+    )
+  end
+
+  def mock_publication
+    MockPublication.new(
+      work_title: 'Sample Work Title',
+      author_first_name: ['Sample'],
+      author_last_name: ['Author']
+    )
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/mailers/publication_mailer_spec.rb b/spec/mailers/publication_mailer_spec.rb
index 82b981c8..f3e5ed72 100644
--- a/spec/mailers/publication_mailer_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/mailers/publication_mailer_spec.rb
@@ -38,8 +38,8 @@
       end
 
       it 'sends to the correct recipients' do
-        expect(mail.to).to eq(['submitter@example.com', 'sender@example.com'])
-        expect(mail.bcc).to be_nil
+        expect(mail.to).to eq(['submitter@example.com'])
+        expect(mail.bcc).to eq(['sender@example.com'])
       end
 
       it 'has the correct subject' do
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@
 
     context 'when MAIL_SENDER is empty' do
       before do
-        allow(ENV).to receive(:fetch).with('MAIL_SENDER', nil).and_return(nil)
+        allow(ENV).to receive(:fetch).with('MAIL_SENDER').and_return(nil)
       end
 
       it 'raises an error' do