Digital Commons Network^™

When Metal Theft Becomes A Life Safety Crisis, Alan Saquella

Publications

By any traditional measure, scrap and metal theft has long been categorized as a property crime, costly, disruptive, and frustrating, but rarely viewed as an immediate threat to human life. That framing, however, no longer reflects reality. What was once considered a nuisance crime has evolved into something far more consequential, particularly when it intersects with critical infrastructure.

Building on the risks outlined in “Scrap Disposal: When the End of the Supply Chain Becomes a Brand and Public Safety Risk,” by Marcos Fontes, a more serious dimension comes into focus when essential systems are targeted. In these cases, the impact …

Sowing Imbalance From The Start: Power, Role Socialization, And Graduate Assistants In Ncaa Division I Power Four Athletic Departments, Kaitlin Pericak, Daniel Springer, Brittany Washington, Rachel Silva

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

Graduate assistantships represent early entry points into intercollegiate athletics and serve as critical sites of professional socialization. Guided by Mead’s (1934) role theory and Foucault’s (1975/1977) concept of power, this study examined how graduate assistants (GAs) negotiated their dual roles as students and employees within Division I Power Four athletic departments. Semi-structured interviews with 10 current GAs revealed how organizational expectations normalized overwork, positioned the master’s degree as a compulsory credential, and sowed imbalance that shaped participants’ identities and well-being. Findings demonstrate how GAs internalized structured constraints and reproduced organizational norms, framing overwork as a necessary rite of passage. These …

Creating Strategy-Focused Universities Using The Balanced Scorecard And Accreditation Framework, Mohammed Fayazuddin, Balaji N, Sankar Ganesh

Journal of Global Management Research

The Balanced Scorecard (BSC) is a versatile framework for performance measurement and strategic management. It has been widely successful in helping businesses and institutes of higher education (IHE) implement strategies and achieve their mission and vision by maintaining a balance between financial and non-financial metrics. Globally, numerous universities have adopted the BSC to enhance quality and address the needs of stakeholders effectively.This study explores the adoption of the Balanced Scorecard in universities, examining its advantages, prerequisites, and challenges. It also establishes a link between the four perspectives of the BSC—financial, customer, internal process, and learning and growth—and the thirty-four key …

Identifying Skill Gaps And Upskilling Priorities For C-Level Executives Using The Analytic Hierarchy Process (Ahp) Analysis, Mohamed Riyazhkhan, Mohsin Aziz, Krishna Murthy, Abdul Azeez K M, George Anthony Fernando

Journal of Global Management Research

C-level executives, or chief-level executives, play a significant role in corporate development, and their roles and responsibilities are essential for sustaining organizational effectiveness in an increasingly competitive business environment. They also constitute a fundamental component of organizational management systems (Julie & Emory, 2006). In this research, data were collected exclusively from C-level or C-suite executives (CEO, CFO, COO, and CHRO) from leading corporations in Oman and India. This study investigates three representative cases related to managerial functions across various corporate organizations. The first case examines the job descriptions associated with C-level executives, the second case explores the identification of skill …

A Critical Perspective On Artificial Intelligence's Energy Footprint And Future Research Questions For Accounting And Business Research, Dr Mansi Mansi, Rakesh Pandey

Journal of Global Management Research

No abstract provided.

An Exploratory Analysis Of Household Liquidity, Austin D. Murray

Create@State

We use data from the Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) to examine whether cross-sectional variation in household liquidity is explained by the precautionary motive. Household liquidity is measured using days’ liquidity held (DLH), defined as the ratio of liquid assets to daily expenditures. Descriptive evidence reveals substantial cross-sectional and time-series variation in household liquidity over the 2004-2022 sample period. Our multivariate results provide mixed support for the precautionary motive for household liquidity. Consistent with the investment dimension of the precautionary motive, household liquidity increases with expected future investment opportunities. However, contrary to the precautionary motive, household liquidity varies inversely with …

Investigating Various Methods Of Order Picking On Efficiency And Quality Of Distribution Center Picking Operations, Mien Thi Thao Tran, Samita Rana Magar

Create@State

ABSTRACT:

Order picking is the most labor-intensive activity in warehousing, accounting for approximately 55% of total operating expenses. This study evaluates the efficiency and quality trade-offs among three primary picking methods: Single, Batch, and Zone. Conducted via an educational simulation, the study utilized a 60-SKU alphanumeric Lego inventory system where four participants executed picking cycles to measure operational lead time and quality variance.

The results demonstrated a significant correlation between picking methodology and output quality. Single Picking achieved the highest quality standards, yielding only three errors alongside the fastest completion time (4:21). Conversely, Batch Picking resulted in the lowest quality, …

Swosu Research And Scholarly Activity Fair 2026, Swosu Office Of Sponsored Programs

SWOSU Research and Scholarly Activity Fair Programs

On behalf of the University Research and Scholarly Activity Committee (URSAC) and the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) at Southwestern Oklahoma State University, we are pleased to welcome you to the Thirty-Fourth SWOSU Research and Scholarly Activity Fair.

The Invisible Fuel: How Corporate Affinity For Technology Drives Resilience, Rachel Gandy

Theses

This paper examines how Corporate Affinity to Technology (CAT) affects organizational resilience among U.S. managers. Based on survey data from 364 managers in the retail, finance, and healthcare industries, this research indicates that the degree of technology use in a firm does not relate to the firm’s level of broadband availability or technology intensity, but rather to the extent to which technology is woven into the fabric of skills development, organizational culture, and the decision-making process. High-CAT firms are resilient under stress; low-CAT firms are fragile, irrespective of the level of technology they have invested in. Recommendations for managers who …

Strategic Audit - Lululemon, Jared M. Loos, David Goldsmith, Madelyn Martin, Grant Taylor, Carson Downs

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

No abstract provided.

Northern Rainstorm Belt And Response Strategies, Jianping Huang, Xiaodan Guan, Xiaohuang Liu, Xiaohan Shen, Xiaojie Liu

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

In the summer of 2025, the Northern Rainstorm Belt stretching from eastern Northwest China to the Northeast region exhibited a significant increase in summer precipitation and rainfall frequency over northern China. Cities in the north were frequently struck by extreme rainstorms, resulting in prominent disasters such as “floods in drylands and urban waterlogging”. Northern China spans a vast territory, serving not only as a major grain-producing area and a densely populated region but also as an ecological security barrier that connects the farming-pastoral ecotone and the Loess Plateau. Its stability has nationwide implications. Therefore, comprehensively enhancing flood control capacity, strengthening …

Benchmarking Digitalized Innovation In Business Strategy Across Msmes, Shyam Sundar. S, Uma Raman. M, Shanmuga Priya. G, C. M. Sudha Arogya Mary

Markets, Globalization & Development Review

The contemporary globally interconnected economy is fundamentally changing international trade and opening up new prospects for businesses, particularly Micro, Small, and Medium-Sized Enterprises (MSMEs). The basic concept of global business is changing in the modern world due to the digital environment. To preserve their competitive advantage both domestically and internationally, businesses must look for new opportunities. Since the usage of digital technology is causing entrepreneurial processes to become more fluid and irregular over time and space, our research chose a conceptual approach to examine how the digitalization of MSMEs would benefit decision-makers in global organizations. Using a conceptual approach, as …

Accounting For Non-Monetary Exchange: A Systematic Review Of Barter Literature From Colonial Ledgers To Digital Economies, Christian Timotius Peilouw, Unti Ludigdo, Imam Subekti, Yeney Widya Prihatiningtias

Markets, Globalization & Development Review

Non-monetary exchange systems persist throughout human history, challenging assumptions about monetary dominance and revealing fundamental limitations in conventional accounting frameworks. This systematic literature review examines how accounting practices adapt to and shape non-monetary exchange across diverse historical and contemporary contexts, investigating patterns in accounting practices, challenges to conventional theory, and implications for economic resilience. Following PRISMA guidelines, the review analyzed 28 peer-reviewed articles from 1979 to 2025 identified through Scopus database searches combining barter-related and accounting terms. The analysis reveals four major themes: historical foundations showing sophisticated proto-banking systems in colonial America that operated without currency; crisis-driven alternatives demonstrating how …

Engaging Young People In Sustainable Finance: Opening Up Opportunities For Transformation, Allison Guerette

Markets, Globalization & Development Review

The field of sustainable finance could benefit from more meaningful engagement with young people, who offer a unique perspective and have a vested interest in addressing climate change and other global issues that will shape their future. In this post-qualitative study, three young people document what they see, hear, and experience as they attend a symposium for experts on sustainable finance and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing. These raw tellings are used in the cocreation of a youth sustainable finance assemblage and analysis tool, which the young people then apply to the Return on Sustainable Investment (ROSI™) methodology. Relationality, …

Critical Decisions Regarding Retirement, Philip Zettlemoyer

Senior Honors Theses

Many retirees in America do not understand the variables and important decisions that go into a retirement plan. These variables, however, have a significant effect on any retiree’s financial wellbeing. This case study explains such variables and decisions, as well as the various rules and regulations from the United States Government around the decisions. It then applies this knowledge of variables and regulations in a practical manner by analyzing a specific case study of a middle-class couple nearing retirement. This analysis includes in-depth projections for the couple’s specific situation which would traditionally be created with the expertise of a financial …

Tariff Exposure In The U.S. National Sector: An Input-Output Analysis Of 2018-2019 Tariffs An Input-Output Analysis Of 2018-2019 Tariffs, Sean Curry

Undergraduate Research Symposium Podium Presentations

In March 2018, the United States imposed tariffs on imported steel and aluminum under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act, aiming to strengthen domestic production. While the policy targeted upstream industries, it raised many important questions such as: how do higher input costs affect employment in downstream industries that rely on these materials? This study examines the relationship between tariff exposure and employment growth using national industry-level data. The sectors chosen for this study were inspired from Nevada's unique economic structure. Nevada’s economy ( primary: services, mining, and a small but growing manufacturing sector) provides a good framework for …

Graph-Augmented Llms For Scalable Malware Detection: Integrating Gft And Rag In Portable Executable Malware Analysis, Matthew Jackson

Undergraduate Research Symposium Podium Presentations

The proliferation of generative AI has exponentially accelerated the generation of novel malicious software. Las Vegas’ gaming industry is a high-value target for these attacks. In 2023, a massive ransomware incapacitated gaming operations, leading to over $100 million dollars of damages and Nevada state services disrupted by cyberattacks in 2025, underscores the critical necessity for capable automated detection frameworks. Traditionally, malware analysis relies on manual, resource-intensive signature extraction by experienced analysts. While Large Language Models (LLMs) demonstrate utility in source code analysis, applying them to compiled Portable Executable (PE) Windows files is bottlenecked by LLM context window limitations and difficulty …

Emergent Dynamics In Multiplex Social Networks: Agent-Based Modeling Of Information Diffusion For Misinformation Control, Harshvardhan Prabhakar Ghongade, Anjali Ashokrao Bhadre, Shivani Agarwal, Harjitkumar Uttamrao Pawar, Harshal Subhash Rane

Northeast Journal of Complex Systems (NEJCS)

Information misrepresentation is widespread in multi-layered social networks which provide multiple avenues to communicate information. As such, it presents significant opportunities for both information integrity and public discourse to be undermined by disinformation. This paper outlines a new agent-based model, developed to capture emergent dynamics of multi-layered social networks and to help identify technical means to mitigate information misrepresentation in complex systems. A key component of this research includes a novel Multi-Layer Information Diffusion Model (MLIDM), integrating both cross-layer communication among agents, as well as heterogeneous agent behaviors and adaptive intervention strategies. Our methods employ a three-stage process to model …

Green And Clean: Case Studies Featuring The Shift Toward Healthier Consumption, Mckay Orwig

Honors Theses

This thesis is composed of eight accounting case studies investigating the impact of the “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) movement on corporate operations, and other narratives. Dr. Dickenson assigned and advised the case studies throughout the course of Honors Accountancy 420. During the fall semester, we were assigned several individual case studies that broadened our background knowledge on legislation and the MAHA movement, as well as having the opportunity to hear from professionals from leading firms.  During the spring semester, Dr. Dickenson placed us in groups to research our assigned companies, my group ultimately assigned the international snacking company, Kellanova. …

Eleven Major Challenges Utah Girls And Women Face: A 2026 Update, April Townsend, Susan R. Madsen

Marketing and Strategy Faculty Publications

Decades of research—across Utah, the nation, and the globe—consistently show that reducing the challenges girls and women face begins with clearly identifying the issues.¹ Greater awareness lays the groundwork for meaningful, effective solutions. In Utah, the Utah Women & Leadership Project (UWLP) serves as the state’s primary entity for this work, producing hundreds of research reports that illuminate the barriers, challenges, and opportunities shaping the lives of girls, women, and families.

Modeling Flood-Induced Cascading Disruptions In The Indian Electronics Supply Chain Using Influence Network Analysis, Surendra Orupalli, Hiroki Sayama

Northeast Journal of Complex Systems (NEJCS)

This study investigates flood induced disruptions in the Indian electronics supply chain using influence network analysis. Monsoon floods are recurring hazards that significantly impact economic activities, logistics, and industrial productivity. This study integrates district-level rainfall data (2020 to 2025) with supply chain network models to quantify cascading failures. The methodology applies rainfall thresholds (≥ 300 mm/month) to identify flood-prone districts and constructs a stochastic influence matrix representing inter-firm dependencies. Flood propagation dynamics are modeled iteratively with a propagation coefficient (α = 0.6) and convergence threshold (ε = 10⁻⁴). The resulting disruption profiles are mapped onto company-level revenues calibrated to India-specific …

Rethinking Consumer Data And Behavior, Nicole J. Olynk Widmar, Michael L. Smith, Erin Robinson

Purdue University Press Books

Today’s food and agricultural consumers are driven by more than just price—they are influenced by trust, values, and perceptions that are often difficult to measure. Rethinking Consumer Data and Behavior explores what truly shapes consumer choices and how businesses can respond effectively.

This book utilizes research on loyalty, risk, sustainability, and ethical considerations, revealing how these factors influence purchasing decisions in ways traditional data often misses. It examines consumers’ willingness to pay for local and organic products, the impact of food labeling and safety messaging, and the surprising role of sensory cues such as appearance and taste. The book also …

Ownership Duration In The U.S. Business Jet Market, Yuchen Hu

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

This study analyzes ownership duration in the U.S. business jet market using FAA registry data as of February 16, 2026 (N=12,359). The analysis reveals a structured distribution with a mean of 5.86 years and a median of 5.00 years. Crucially, retention varies by acquisition status: new aircraft owners exhibit an average hold of 7.36 years, whereas pre-owned aircraft holders show a significantly higher turnover of 5.11 years, with most resales occurring within a 3–7-year window. These findings suggest that ownership behavior is driven by structured asset management and lifecycle planning, providing a predictive framework for identifying aircraft replacement and trade-in …

Modeling Bitcoin Dynamics Using Differential Equations, Boone M. Fleenor

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

In this thesis, we develop and analyze two nonlinear systems of ordinary differential equations to model Bitcoin price dynamics. Analytical techniques are used to obtain exact or approximate solutions where possible. Then, numerical simulations using a fourth-order Runge–Kutta method are employed to explore system behavior beyond analytically tractable regimes. Finally, model outputs are compared to historical Bitcoin price data using normalized and resampled time series. These results suggest that deterministic models can provide meaningful insight into the structural behavior of Bitcoin markets, while highlighting the need for stochastic or time-dependent extensions for more realistic modeling.

Developing Strategies For Pce Outreach, Mariah Blankenbaker, Gordon Carlson, Daniel Adesoji, Levi Eck

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

In collaboration with Professional and Continuing Education (PCE), we produced projects to automate their internal tasks, as well as to promote their services. By taking advantage of software techniques, we bridged live-action footage with 2D and 3D computer visuals for promotional material. In addition, we researched the capabilities of creating a custom Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT) and trained it to analyze and interact with thousands of industry datapoints.

Application Identification With Pfsense, Snort, And Openappid In Academic Lab Networks, Minh-Khanh Vu

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

This paper evaluates the practical capabilities and limitations of a widely used open-source network security stack—pfSense firewall, Snort Intrusion Detection System (IDS), and OpenAppID detectors—in academic cy- bersecurity laboratories and small-to-medium enterprise (SME)-like environments. In a controlled virtual testbed, we measure application-level and feature-level identifi- cation performance for major applications (Facebook, YouTube, Zoom) using the pfSense/Snort/OpenAppID configuration. The stack achieves 97% application-level identification accuracy for these applications in our lab dataset, drawing on a library of 3,374 OpenAppID detectors. However, our experiments reveal a substan- tial feature-level detection gap: specific functions such as Zoom file transfers and Facebook messaging can- …

The Sixth Sense Garment: A State-Of-The-Art Framework For Sustainable Neurofashion, Andrew Burnstine

Faculty and Staff Publications & Presentations

No abstract provided.

Project Management For Urban Resilience: A Comparative Study Of Governance, Financing, And Risk Reduction Strategies In New York City, Miami, Rotterdam, Venice, And Tokyo, Mirko Viola

Harrisburg University Dissertations and Theses

Urban resilience initiatives are central to climate adaptation, yet cities continue to face persistent implementation challenges related to governance, financing, and project management. This study examines how these three dimensions influence the effectiveness of resilience initiatives using a qualitative comparative case study design across five cities: New York City, Miami, Rotterdam, Venice, and Tokyo. The analysis is based on eleven semi-structured interviews with practitioners across four cities, complemented by document analysis.

The findings show that resilience initiatives are shaped by the interaction of governance coordination, financing structures, and project management practices. Governance systems are complex and fragmented, financing is often …

Essays On Innovation And Financial Markets Cryptoassets And Other Financial Technologies, Zachary Ethan Glatzer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

In this manuscript, I present essays that examine the role of innovation in financial markets. The first essay introduces a classification framework for cryptoassets. Existing approaches either apply overly broad economic-function criteria or rely on narrow legal definitions, neither of which adequately captures the diversity of digital assets. This essay proposes a two-track framework that integrates both functional roles and technical structure. By bridging the gap between traditional asset categories and emerging digital instruments, this framework offers actionable guidance for policymakers assessing regulatory treatment, practitioners evaluating risk profiles, and academics engaged in research at the intersection of digital finance and …

A Dynamic Systems Framework For Customer Lifecycle Management: From Latent State Discovery To Robust Control Policy, Ali Nasirzonouzi

Northeast Journal of Complex Systems (NEJCS)

Traditional marketing often relies on static strategies that fail to capture dynamic customer behavior. This paper introduces an integrated framework to model and control the customer lifecycle, bridging the gap between empirical data and computational simulation. Using the Customer Personality Analysis dataset, we implemented a five-stage methodology. We first identified three distinct customer segments (At-Risk, Standard, High-Value) using Gaussian Mixture Models. To address the lack of longitudinal data, we calibrated a normative transition model based on customer inertia principles. Our analysis revealed that marketing effectiveness is highly state-dependent; notably, At-Risk customers exhibited a 33.5% lift when targeted with catalogs. Leveraging …