Digital Commons Network^™

Ancestral Sequence Reconstruction Of Gh4, Chaejun Park Chaejun Park, Masakatsu Watanabe

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

GH4 enzymes use an unusual NAD⁺-dependent catalytic mechanism that remains poorly understood. Because of their roles in microbial metabolism and potential bioengineering applications, understanding how this mechanism evolved is important. In this study, we use the GH4 structure 1U8X as a reference for structural and functional analysis. Using ancestral sequence reconstruction and phylogenetic analysis, we inferred ancestral GH4 sequences and selected a particular ancestral node for detailed comparison with modern enzymes. These comparisons were used to examine stability, sequence conservation, and catalytic features, helping identify mutations and evolutionary transitions that contributed to the emergence of this distinctive NAD⁺-dependent mechanism.

A Quality Assurance Framework For Maintaining And Enhancing Academic Standards Of Ai-Infused Higher Education: Insights From Gcc Faculty Perspectives, Nina Abdul Razzak

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objectives: This study addresses the gap in research on maintaining and enhancing the quality of artificial intelligence (AI)–infused higher education in a structured and systematized way by proposing a comprehensive quality assurance (QA) framework fit for that purpose.

Methods: The study employs a qualitative research design approach in the form of a constructivist or interpretive investigation, exploring in depth faculty members’ different perspectives and experiences in relation to AI implementation. The study combines a textual analysis of the international literature on the topic, with insights from four focus groups involving faculty members from various disciplines and colleges across the Gulf …

Using Geoscience To Empower A Community And Provide Access To Potable Groundwater, Hendratta Ali Dr

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Access to potable water remains challenging around the world and remains one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals for 2030. Barriers to clean water access are exacerbated by the lack of technical expertise, limited funding for education and training, and the absence of reliable infrastructure that provides access to clean water. The Geoscientists Without Borders program, supported FHSU with funding to test, explore and provide access to clean potable groundwater to a rural community in Cameroon. We conducted water quality analyses, identified, mapped and located deep aquifers in fractured metamorphic rocks. Water quality analyses showed acidic pH and elevated amounts …

April 10, 2026 Ereporter, University Of Alabama At Birmingham

eReporter (campus newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Motivation Without Borders: Applying The Octalysis Framework To Global Faculty And Student Engagement In Ai Era, Harika Rao

Faculty and Staff Publications & Presentations

No abstract provided.

Faculty, Be The Nudge For Your Students’ Personal Brand!, Michelle Carpenter

Atlantic Marketing Association Proceedings

No abstract provided.

Interview With Orca Award Winner Paul Olson, Unl English; Literature, Curricular Reform, Great Plains Studies, Mark A. Griep, Paul A. Olson

UNL ORCA Interview Series

Paul Olson was awarded the ORCA in 1984. He was born in 1932 in Washburn, Wisconsin. During his youth, his family also farmed in Nebraska and South Dakota. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas. Next, he earned a master’s in English from the University of Nebraska, had a Fulbright fellowship to spend a year at London University in England, and earned his doctorate in medieval and Renaissance studies from Princeton University in New Jersey. In 1957, he joined UNL as an assistant professor of English and was soon promoted to full professor. One of his …

Bridging Libraries And Classrooms: Co-Teaching For Student Success, Joy Urbina, Isabel Baca

Librarian Conference Presentations

An instructional librarian and writing professor describe their collaborative approach to co-teaching. Learn how integrating information literacy with writing instruction strengthens students' critical thinking and research skills and discover practical strategies from this successful cross-disciplinary partnership.

The Role Of Mentorship: The Lived Experience Of Black Women In Higher Education Leadership, Joseph Fahrney

JWU Dissertations & Theses

The persistent underrepresentation of Black women in higher education leadership raises important questions about how institutional environments shape leadership advancement, belonging, and sustainability. This qualitative phenomenological study explored the role of mentorship in the lived experiences of Black women leaders in higher education in shaping leadership trajectories, professional development, and institutional engagement. Participants included senior leaders serving in roles such as president, vice president, chief officer, and other executive administrative positions across higher education institutions. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants (N=17), generating narrative data reflecting their experiences navigating leadership environments and mentorship relationships. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis …

Whose Job Is It To Foster Inclusivity In Higher Ed? Everyone!, Michelle Carpenter, Kaitlyn Ukleja

Atlantic Marketing Association Proceedings

No abstract provided.

Bridging The Gap: Design And Evaluation Of Skillbridge: A Case Study In Ai-Assisted Cybersecurity Curriculum Development, Patrick W. Gonzalez

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A capstone submitted in partial fulfillment of the aequirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the Ernst and Sara Lane Volgenau College of Education at Morehead State University by Patrick W. Gonzalez on April 8, 2026.

Associate Degree Nursing Students’ Lived Experiences With Simulation: A Qualitative Phenomenological Study, Jamie O'Connor Florez

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative phenomenological study examined the lived experiences of prelicensure associate degree nursing (ADN) students related to skills acquisition and workplace readiness through simulation-based learning at community colleges in California. Skills acquisition and workplace readiness were defined as students’ perceptions of their ability to competently perform nursing skills and prepare for entry into the healthcare workforce. Guided by Kolb’s experiential learning theory, data were collected from 13 ADN students through questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and reflective journaling and analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s six-phase thematic analysis.

Three themes emerged: varying emotions from excitement to feeling overwhelmed; experiences of collaboration and unprofessionalism …

Championing Success: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study On Higher Education Leadership’S Role In Supporting Women Of Color, Inez Annette Hayes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore and understand the role of higher education leadership in providing institutional support to women of color. The lived experiences of women of color as students was analyzed to understand the factors influencing their persistence at higher education institutions nationwide. The theory guiding this study was Rendón’s theory of validation as a process that encourages and supports students’ academic and personal growth, initiated by both in-class and out-of-class influences. This study focused on the Central Research Question: How do leadership practices and institutional supports in higher education influence the persistence of …

A Case Study Examining Why Students Succeed When Exposed To Peer Tutors, Van E. Carpenter

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this instrumental case study was to identify the impact of online peer tutoring on students’ perceptions of their success for students who participated in online peer tutoring at Summit Faith University (a pseudonym used for this research). This research was grounded in Bandura’s self-efficacy theory, which provided a comprehensive framework for examining the factors influencing the effectiveness of peer tutoring among students. This study answered three research questions: How do online students use peer tutoring at Summit Faith University, how does online peer tutoring at Summit Faith University shape students’ perceptions of their success at Summit Faith …

Instructors' Lived Experiences Of Using Authentic Assessments In College Calculus Courses Across The United States: A Phenomenological Study, Christy Hart Kains

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of instructors with authentic assessments in college calculus courses across the United States. The theory guiding this study was Astin’s student involvement theory, which provided a framework to study the involvement of students in higher education. The central research question for this study was: What are the lived experiences of instructors who utilize authentic assessments in college calculus courses across the United States? This study used a qualitative design following the transcendental phenomenological approach of Moustakas. The sample included 12 instructors from two-year and four-year colleges in …

A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study Of The Lived Experiences Of Seminary Teachers Transitioning From Designing And Delivering Instruction Traditionally To Competency-Based Education Approach, Jacob L. M. Li

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences transitioning from designing and delivering instruction traditionally to a competency-based education approach using a learning management system for teachers at four seminaries based in North America. Competency-based education was generally defined as a highly personalized approach to education, where instructions are structured according to the interests, needs, and learning styles of the students who progress according to their competencies certified by formative process evaluation, irrespective of how long that would take, until they have reached the stated desired level of mastery, all the while acquiring knowledge, skills, …

Using Metacognitive Strategies To Increase Student Success At A Community College, Adam Blair

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A capstone submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the Ernst and Sara Lane Volgenau College of Education at Morehead State University by Adam Blair of April 6, 2026.

The Life And Legacy Of Sherwood Fiske Brown: A Case Study In The Evolution Of American Higher Education, Alden Small '26

Honor Scholar Theses

This thesis pursues various avenues of inquiry. I analyzed a multitude of primary sources related to Sherwood Fiske Brown, including his undergraduate thesis, master’s thesis, and doctoral dissertation. I visited Colby College over the summer of 2025 and uncovered many biographical documents and papers related to his time at Colby, as well as his sabbatical at MIT in 1957. Of particular interest is a biographical information packet completed by Brown upon his date of hire, which provides his occupational and familial history. I also obtained information from St. Lawrence University, MIT, UMass Lowell, and the Framingham Historical Society. These sources …

There's 'No Place Like Home' For Una Lions, Jeff Hodges

Documents

News article in The Florence Times-Tri-Cities Daily on the impact Flowers Hall has for the UNA Lions and their at home win ratio.

Offloading Learning To A Stochastic Parrot: Generative Ai’S Impacts On Academic Integrity And The Current State Of Best Practices, Mary Broussard

Faculty Journal Articles

Writing-from-sources assignments (also known as research papers) are an integral part of a college education and primarily how librarians support information literacy skill development. While students have always found ways to circumvent learning through plagiarism, generative AI systems’ ability to complete entire assignments means that past recommendations to discourage plagiarism are insufficient. This article reviews previous plagiarism-deterrent recommendations, what has changed in the age of generative AI, and provides suggestions for how teaching faculty and librarians can respond.

Barriers To Secure Research Funding In Japanese Universities: The Case Of Foreign Early Career Academics In Humanities And Social Sciences, Qianran Wang

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

Many Japanese universities are actively promoting globalization in higher education by recruiting more foreign academics. The reduction of government funding results in a need to secure external funding. Foreign early-career academics in Japan, with language and cultural barriers, are facing bigger challenges in securing external research funding. This study focuses on foreign early-career academics in the humanities and social sciences, who represent a significant proportion of foreign academics in Japanese universities. The purpose of this study is to examine their current research funding situation and difficulties they encounter, and to clarify the support they require. Findings show three key areas …

Voiceless Experiences: Stress And Coping Of International Students With Language Barriers, Junguen Lee, Hongryun Woo, April Nguyen, Melissa Henry

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

International students’ difficulties and unique needs have been increasingly explored in professional literature, reflecting the expanding number of international students enrolling in the United States’ higher education institutions. Language difficulties appear to be the most challenging issue for international students from non-English speaking countries as they become marginalized as a linguistic minority on campus. Few researchers have focused specifically on understanding international students’ experiences of being voiceless due to language barriers, nor have they postulated the nature of their adaptation process. This grounded theory study aimed to investigate international students’ stress and coping experiences with language barriers and develop a …

Gender Equality, Diversity, And Social Inclusion: Validation And Development Of An Instrument For Higher Education, Nilo Jayoma Castulo, Maryfe M. Roxas, Arlyne C. Marasigan, Jayson L. De Vera, Ma. Laarni D. Buenaventura, Starr Clyde Sebial, John Michael Aquino, Bonjovi H. Hajan, Mark Ponce C. San Juan, Karen Abegail C. Lee

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

Gender Equality, Diversity, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) are critical in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals number 4 (Quality Education), number 5 (Gender Equality), and number 10 (Reduced Inequalities), impacting various aspects of society, organizations, and individual well-being. While GEDSI remains a pressing concern worldwide, this study aims to design an instrument for the GEDSI situationer tool for students, administrative staff, and faculty members. The instrument undergoes a thorough validation and development process utilizing a mixed-method design. First, the item is designed through Focus Group Interviews (FGIs) on GEDSI in a prominent state university in the Philippines. Through exploratory Factor Analysis …

International Student Transition: An Autoethnographic And Archival Study, Abdulsamad Olajide Yusuf, Jepkorir Rose Chepyator-Thomson

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

Within the framework of a globalized university campus, this study investigates the process that an international student goes through while adapting to a new culture. Using autoethnography and archival research methods, this study recounts the personal and lived experiences of a doctoral international student navigating the cultural adjustment contexts of a southeastern public university, providing an understanding of how the challenges and opportunities faced by international students are historicized and located within a broader cultural and social context. This approach includes maintaining a reflexive journal, self-analysis, personal conversations, and analyzing historical records and correspondences, including policy papers, factbooks, and institutional …

A Model Of International Student Retention, Dylan Rust

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

This paper presents a model of international student retention influences that affect these students’ decisions to remain at a university in the United States. The levels of the model, in order of importance, are intentions/background characteristics and finances, academic integration, cultural identity, and social integration. Intentions/background characteristics and finances are related to and influence each other in terms of their impact on retention. While multiple retention theories focus on the socialization of college students, this model posits that financial and academic factors have greater influence. The paper also discusses the influence that being a non-immigrant visa status international student has …

Service Abroad: Developing Human Connections And Global Citizenship, Anna Zak

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

This grounded theory investigation theorizes how service abroad programs can promote global citizenship development among university students. The analysis of interviews, annotated artifacts, and class assignments delineates the theory that participation in service abroad provides opportunities to form connections to the host community and empathize with people who are different, thereby promoting personal paradigm shifts from caring about the self to caring about the collective. Service offers an entry point into a host community that enables students to embrace a wider global perspective, form a better understanding of social justice, experience profound personal growth, as well as develop human connections …

Examining The Use And Perceived Benefits Of Artificial Intelligence Tools In Higher Education: Student Perspectives, Musa Pinar, Haydar Cukurtepe, Aysegul Yayimli, Faruk Guder

Atlantic Marketing Association Proceedings

No abstract provided.

Toward Aligning Incentives To Improve Business Research And Education Outcomes: A Supply Chain Perspective, Benjamin T. Hazen, John Dickens, Douglas Lambert, Michael Gorman, Matthew Roberts, Timothy Hawkins

Atlantic Marketing Association Proceedings

No abstract provided.

Leveraging Artificial Intelligence For Transformative Education: Challenges And Recommendations, Papia Bawa

Journal of Research Initiatives

The sheer force with which GPT models are inundating business, education and economic fields speaks to its ability to not only transform the ways in which we interact and act but also disrupt these ways. This systematic literature review applies the PSALSAR method to synthesize findings from 72 articles on AI applications in education, emphasizing its transformative potential across various domains. AI is transforming personalized learning by customizing content and feedback to individual needs, addressing challenges like data privacy and ethical concerns. It enhances administrative efficiency through automation and data-driven decision-making, improving institutional performance while managing biases and maintaining human …

Building A Bridge To African American Student Success: A Quantitative Study At A Community College In Central Kentucky, Kauai R. Thurman

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A capstone submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the Ernst and Sara Lane Volgenau College of Education at Morehead State University by Kauai R. Thurman on April 2, 2026.