Digital Commons Network^™

Automation & Ai In Southern Nevada: A High Stake Game For Hospitality Workers, An Pham

Student Research

After a year filled with excitement around artificial intelligence, it’s easy to overlook that both AI and automation have already been present in various capacities. Thankfully, fanfare in AI and automation has come at a critical time as it shifts the focus from questioning whether machines will replace human workers to understanding when that will happen. In my paper, titled “Automation & AI in Southern Nevada: A High-Stakes Game for Hospitality Workers,” I aim to highlight both the disruptive consequences of automation and AI on the hospitality workforce in Southern Nevada and the importance of addressing these issues without delay. …

Expanding Healthcare Access For The Undocumented Immigrant Community: The Heal For Immigrant Families Act Of 2023, Perla Torres Estrada

The Gettysburg Journal for Public Policy

When it comes to the topic of universal healthcare, most of us will readily agree that healthcare is a human right. Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of who should be granted this right, and if it should be left to the free market to determine access and affordability. Specifically, the political debate on expanding healthcare access to undocumented immigrants in the United States revolve around concerns over costs, legality, and equity. Proponents maintain that it is a human right whereas opponents question the potential burden on taxpayers and the implication for immigration policy. The HEAL …

Neuro-Symbolic Ai For Deep Analysis Of Social Media Big Data, Vedant Khandelwal, Manas Gaur, Ugur Kursuncu, Valerie Shalin, Amit P. Sheth

Faculty Publications

This tutorial introduces a neuro-symbolic AI framework to analyze big data from social media platforms. Integrating human-curated knowledge through symbolic AI with the pattern recognition capabilities of neural networks enhances the adaptability and efficiency of traditional neural network approaches. Knowledge-guided zero-shot learning techniques enable swift adaption to new linguistic contexts and emerging events [6]. Participants will explore how to design, develop, and utilize these models in specific domains, such as public health surveillance, that require dynamic adaptation to new terminologies. This session The tutorial aims to equip attendees with practical skills and a deep understanding of how to apply neuro-symbolic …

Grit And The Military Service Member: How Cultivating Grit Enhances Performance, Resilience, And Mental Health, Phillip R. Jenkins

Faculty Publications

The transition from asymmetric warfare to Great Power Competition has brought the role played by Airmen to the forefront of the conversation. When uncontested operations, superior weaponry, and more detailed intelligence are not guaranteed, the weight of victory rests on the shoulders of Airmen. The exploration of grit and the role it plays in the development and sustainment of mental wellness, resilience, and performance has emerged in this context as a linchpin quality. The idea that an inherent drive, determination, and strength of purpose could offset the impact of stress—both combat and noncombat—is deeply compelling. However, leaders cannot look to …

Digital Environments Of Reception And Governance: A Landscape Analysis Of Immigration-Related Webpages On U.S. State Websites, Orunima Chakraborti

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

American state governments occupy unique political roles when it comes to critical public-facing policy areas like education, health, transportation, and commerce, and therefore they administer many public services and benefits that affect immigrants and their communities. This study expands the existing knowledge of the ways in which U.S. state governments digitally engage with their immigrant populations, doing so through a landscape analysis that maps the information and resources provided for and about immigrant communities on 413 immigration-related webpages across all 50 U.S. state governments’ official websites. Data was collected in four categories for each webpage: its bureaucratic orientation, the government …

The Sacred Dimensions Of The Bri's Infrastructural Commons, Orlando Woods, David A. Palmer

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

Whilst the idea of infrastructure has animated scholarship for the past twenty years at least, there remains a need for more expansive understandings of what infrastructure is, and what it can be. The speed, scale and material disruptiveness with which many of the infrastructural megaprojects that constitute China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) have been developed both underpin and validate this need. Whilst the effects of the BRI are both manifold and diffuse, all of them expose situations of infrastructural complexity. Rather than considering the BRI simply as the imposition of new material infrastructures on a landscape, we posit the …

Just Say Gay: An Exploration Of Authenticity And Connection; Queer Identified Therapists’ Lived Experiences Of Identity-Based Self-Disclosure, Courtney Dunne

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current sociopolitical climate in the United States continues to reinforce the complexities and nuances that mental health providers face when facilitating therapy. Over the past few years, anti-DEI legislation has aimed to control the narrative in educational and therapeutic settings regarding what therapists and educators are permitted to teach and share about themselves (Flannery, 2024). At the same time, anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric continues to dominate the media and further marginalizes individuals whom are in the queer community. In turn, LGBTQ+ individuals continue to face an increased risk for homelessness, substance use disorders, and suicide, which particularly has impacted LGBTQ+ youth …

Principal Agency 50 Years After The Lau Decision: Building And Sustaining Bilingual Education Programs For Asian Languages, Kevin M. Wong, Zhongfeng Tian

Education Division Scholarship

This study examined how three champion principals of Asian language dual language bilingual education (DLBE) programs—Cantonese, Korean, and Mandarin—in California have navigated the oscillating language-in-education policies after the Lau decision. We explored principals' various roles through a lens of agency in a social justice leadership framework, specifically considering the opportunities and challenges for agentive leadership from three different phases: foregrounding and engaging, planning and implementing, and evaluating and sustaining. Findings demonstrate that the success of DLBE programs goes beyond the overarching language policies that supposedly enable bilingual education; rather it hinges on the bottom-up commitment, collaboration and resilience of principals, …

Acknowledging Dispossession: A Cda/Pda Perspective On Discourse Dealing With Unceded Land, J. R. Martin, Priscilla Angela T. Cruz

English Faculty Publications

This paper illustrates what can be revealed by a linguistic analysis of the discourse strategies deployed in a bilingual text acknowledging the dispossession of Indigenous peoples in Mindanao (Philippines). The analysis draws on systemic functional linguistics (SFL) descriptions of English, which model language as a resource for making meaning. It explores the choices involved from the perspective of critical discourse analysis (CDA), exposing language in the service of power, and positive discourse analysis (PDA), appreciating language as an instrument of social change. In doing so we exemplify the role of SFL-informed CDA/PDA in processes of reconciliation, including personal and public …

Disparities Surrounding The Availability Of Feminine Hygiene Products In The Workplace, Marlene Ventura

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Menstrual inequality in the workplace continues to exist, affecting financial welfare, mental health, physical health, and access to care. Women have been enduring disparities related to menstruation, including stigma, shame, and period poverty, which are often exacerbated in the workplace. This study aims to explore the experiences of women who do not have access to free feminine hygiene products in the workplace.

The researcher conducted one-to-one interviews in person with employed women (n=9). The questions were semi-structured and based on a survey with nineteen questions addressing areas of menstrual inequality in the workplace. Seven themes were identified: 1) work performance, …

Human Rights Violations Against Legal Immigrants In Minnesota, John Ewu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite legal entitlements to protections under the International Bill of Human Rights, legal immigrants in Minnesota face human rights violations, including discrimination, harassment, and denial of essential services. These violations hinder their well-being, social integration, and economic stability, exacerbate existing disparities, and their ability to provide for their families and secure legal representation. The purpose of this study was to provide information that could be used in considering policy reforms to improve the treatment of immigrants in Minnesota. This was achieved by exploring how Mexican, Somali, and Hmong legal immigrants experienced human rights violations in Minnesota as a vulnerable population …

Expanding A Behavioral View On Digital Health Access: Drivers And Strategies To Promote Equity, Maura M Kepper, Lauren A Fowler, Isabelle S Kusters, Jean W Davis, Manal Baqer, Sara Sagui-Henson, Yunyu Xiao, Adati Tarfa, Jean C Yi, Bryan Gibson, Kristin E Heron, Nicole M Alberts, Marissa Burgermaster, Veronica Ps Njie-Carr, Lisa M Klesges

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

The potential and threat of digital tools to achieve health equity has been highlighted for over a decade, but the success of achieving equitable access to health technologies remains challenging. Our paper addresses renewed concerns regarding equity in digital health access that were deepened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our viewpoint is that (1) digital health tools have the potential to improve health equity if equitable access is achieved, and (2) improving access and equity in digital health can be strengthened by considering behavioral science-based strategies embedded in all phases of tool development. Using behavioral, equity, and access frameworks allowed for …

How To Design Equitable Digital Health Tools: A Narrative Review Of Design Tactics, Case Studies, And Opportunities, Amy Bucher, Beenish M Chaudhry, Jean W Davis, Katharine Lawrence, Emily Panza, Manal Baqer, Rebecca T Feinstein, Sherecce A Fields, Jennifer Huberty, Deanna M Kaplan, Isabelle S Kusters, Frank T Materia, Susanna Y Park, Maura Kepper

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

With a renewed focus on health equity in the United States driven by national crises and legislation to improve digital healthcare innovation, there is a need for the designers of digital health tools to take deliberate steps to design for equity in their work. A concrete toolkit of methods to design for health equity is needed to support digital health practitioners in this aim. This narrative review summarizes several health equity frameworks to help digital health practitioners conceptualize the equity dimensions of importance for their work, and then provides design approaches that accommodate an equity focus. Specifically, the Double Diamond …

Five Truths For Foreign Area Officers, Michael L. Burgoyne, Albert “Jim” J. Marckwardt

Joint Force Quarterly

Colonel John Collins served in the U.S. Army through three wars and went on to be a revered military strategist and scholar. He founded the Warlord Loop, an organization of defense and security thinkers that remains active today. In 1987, Collins captured five “truths” regarding special operations forces. In so doing, Collins helped define the principles and attributes of special operations forces, which had been misunderstood by the larger conventional military. Foreign area officer (FAO) is another often misunderstood specialty in the military that would also benefit greatly from an exploration of its own truths. This is especially important given …

Cognitive Warfare: The Fight For Gray Matter In The Digital Gray Zone, Michael J. Cheatham, Angelique M. Geyer, Priscella A. Nohle, Jonathan E. Vazquez

Joint Force Quarterly

Τhe United States is facing unprecedented challenges in the cognitive domain. While democracies struggle to develop frameworks that promote collective understanding, adversaries are employing gray zone tactics—those that never rise to the level of war—as a form of cognitive warfare against the United States and other democratic societies. François du Cluzel, head of innovative projects at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)’s Allied Command Transformation Innovation Hub, describes the key distinctions of the emerging cognitive domain:

Cognitive warfare degrades the capacity to know, produce, or thwart knowledge. Cognitive sciences cover all the sciences that concern knowledge and its processes (psychology, …

Waging Peace On The Final Frontier 64th Academy Assembly Proceedings, Space And Defense, Madison Walker

Space and Defense

In October 2022, the 64th annual Academy Assembly at the U.S. Air Force Academy took up the theme of “Waging Peace on the Final Frontier.” The following are proceedings of roundtables held by select undergraduates from around the country on questions of space policy & strategy.

Changing Contours Of Policy Communications In India, Abhishek Ranjan, Siddhartha Nath

Bulletin of Monetary Economics and Banking

Using the keyword frequencies in the headlines of press releases issued by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, this article quantifies the shifting focus of India's public policy communications. Our analysis suggests that in the aftermath of the 2008–09 Global Financial Crisis, India's public policy communications shifted from international trade to innovation and competitiveness, while the emphasis on large infrastructure development, employment, investment, and policy incentives remained. A similar analysis using newspaper headlines from India's three leading newspapers and Google search intensity using data from Google Trends indicates that the discussion about international trade and the institutions that promote it …

Indigenous Practices In Head Start Classrooms— Toward Survivance And Indigenization In Policy And Practice, Liza Xet Smith

LMU Theses and Dissertations

The Office of Head Start has prioritized holistic quality education services for children and communities in greatest need. First, since 1965, the federal government has funded, regulated, and publicly aided over 38 million children through Head Start programming, including AIAN and Migrant programs (Administration for Children and Families, n.d.). In 2019, over $10 billion was budgeted for the program, resulting in 1,047,000 low-income children and their families receiving services (Office of Head Start, 2022a). In addition, the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation has funded research to improve quality and child outcomes, with research recommendations that significantly guide state and …

How Sarcoidosis Mental Health Stories Could Affect Legislation, Dorothy Michelle Kemp

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem this general qualitative study with narrative techniques addressed was the lack of empirical research about sarcoidosis mental health based on depression, anxiousness, and feeling lonely. Sarcoidosis legislation was also compared to current mental health legislation, which proposed mental health measures. This study aimed to gather secondary data of firsthand descriptions based on the impacts of sarcoidosis mental health aspects and review sarcoidosis legislation. Accumulated secondary data for this study were a collection of stories from doctors, diagnosed patients, and caregivers based on their narrative of the disease from a mental health perspective. In utilizing the advocacy coalition framework, …

Atrocity Prevention In The Digital Era: Adapting Norms, Laws, And Code To Changes In The Ways Atrocities Are Committed, David J. Simon, Samhitha Josyula, Joshua Lam, Julian D. Melendi

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

Emerging digital technologies have changed some of the ways that genocides are planned and executed. This paper examines those differences, calling attention to how changes in the execution of genocide should prompt a shift in the approaches to atrocity prevention. It develops a conceptual framework addressing how atrocity prevention efforts might adapt to new technology within three realms of potential prevention efforts: the ethical (norms), the legal (laws), and the digital (code).

Observing Cairene Narratives And Subjectivities Towards Covid-19: Reflections On The First Year Of The Pandemic, Sarra Moneir

Future Journal of Social Science

Theoretical and methodological toolkits already existing in the field of political science and social science in the grand sense have been challenged by the tremendous impacts of waves and movements of social change since 2010 in the Arab Region. While political and social scientists were, and still remain, engaged in unravelling questions of how to apprehend the forms of social movements (re-)born, not just in the Arab world but also through the Occupy movements in the US and Europe, they soon had to redirect their focus on issues of migration and refugees, only to find themselves once again confronted with …

Two Houses Divided? The Parallel Histories Of The Casa De Contratación And The Casa Da Índia, 1500-1580, Gustavo L. Romero

Swarthmore Undergraduate History Journal

This paper seeks to investigate the histories of the Spanish Casa de Contratación and the Portuguese Casa da Índia in relation to one another, identifying possible ways in which each drew inspiration, or imitated the other during the period from 1500 to 1580. Though there is existing research into the individual Casas, comparative approaches have generally been avoided. This work synthesizes the literature and tracks interactions or trends between the Iberian empires from both an institutional and interpersonal perspective. Through analysis of bureaucratic charters, letters, and other documents, it outlines the time periods, possible reasons, and results of this …

Readability And Suitability Of Local Disaster Preparedness Materials In Predominantly Hispanic Border Communities: A Case Study Of Cameron County, Texas, Katarzyna Sepielak, Dawid K. Wladyka

Sociology Faculty Publications

Community awareness is a key component of disaster resilience and numerous agencies developed a plethora of preparedness materials. Previous studies evaluated national-level resources and social media content indicating that these efforts are not effectively reaching vulnerable populations, as the information is provided at or above the secondary education level. However, the local-specific content has been mostly overlooked in the analyses, subsequently neglecting the needs of areas with specific demographics and hazards, like predominantly Hispanic border communities. Thus, this study turns to local preparedness and mitigation materials, rather than general internet searches or national level documents. We analyze information provided on …

Harnessing Social Media For Disaster Response: Intelligent Identification Of Reliable Rescue Requests During Hurricanes, Wael Khallouli

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Hurricanes pose a significant threat to both human lives and infrastructure. Decision-makers face substantial challenges during such events, as they must act quickly to address victims’ needs. Social media platforms provide a valuable source for quick and real-time information. Recent hurricane events have shown that people turn to social media to call for help when official communication channels, such as 911, are overwhelmed. However, extracting actionable information from the massive number of messages posted on social media is challenging. Furthermore, verifying social media messages posted by the public is a critical concern for disaster response practitioners, making them hesitant to …

Shattering The Mask: Unveiling The Destructive Force Of Misogynoir, Ledominique Hubbard

Dissertations

As a Black woman, my professional journey has been consistently marred by encounters with racism and gender bias. In this research, I employed autoethnography to shed light on my experiences and meticulously examine the challenges of misogynoir I faced while holding pivotal positions, including that of a detested team leader, an ingenious instructional teacher, and an anti-racist assistant principal across three distinct school campuses in two states. My narrative unfolds in various contexts, notably as the sole Black female teacher and team leader within nine elementary schools in a predominantly white, female-staffed rural district. Furthermore, I underscore my role as …

The Influence Of A Caregiver Support Program On Consumer Well-Being, Wallace Thomas Peake

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Caregiving has been shown to be a potential burden for the well-being of caregivers. The focus of this study was a caregiver support program whose managers lacked an understanding of the efficacy of the program in enhancing the well-being of the consumers of the program. The purpose of this quantitative study was to develop and administer a consumer satisfaction survey that evaluated the efficacy of caregiver support program services from the consumer perspective. This study was grounded by the positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment model, which informed the development of the survey that was administered to the participants …

The Influence Of A Caregiver Support Program On Consumer Well-Being, Wallace Thomas Peake

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Caregiving has been shown to be a potential burden for the well-being of caregivers. The focus of this study was a caregiver support program whose managers lacked an understanding of the efficacy of the program in enhancing the well-being of the consumers of the program. The purpose of this quantitative study was to develop and administer a consumer satisfaction survey that evaluated the efficacy of caregiver support program services from the consumer perspective. This study was grounded by the positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment model, which informed the development of the survey that was administered to the participants …

A New Form Of Accountability In Jpme: The Shift To Outcomes-Based Military Education, Kristin Mulready-Stone

Joint Force Quarterly

The programs responsible for teaching joint professional military education (JPME) Phases I and II are undergoing a significant transformation in demonstrating their mission fulfillment. Governed by the Officer Professional Military Education Policy (OPMEP), particularly OPMEP-F, implemented on May 15, 2020, these institutions are moving towards outcomes-based military education (OBME). Unlike previous versions, OPMEP-F requires programs to prove achievement on defined learning outcomes, marking a departure from merely demonstrating coverage of mandated content. This shift reflects a comprehensive change in validating JPME program success and ensuring graduates reach specified levels of achievement on defined learning outcomes.

Defending An Achilles’ Heel: Evolving Warfare In The Philippines, 1941–1945, Robert S. Burrell

Joint Force Quarterly

The Pacific War during World War II provided valuable lessons in military strategy and the importance of unconventional warfare. Japan’s aggressive expansion in the 1930s and 1940s left to a major conflict with the United States over control of the Philippine Islands. Japan’s advancements in naval technology, including the largest battleships and superior night combat tactics, allowed them to invade the Philippines in December 1941. Filipino resistance against Japanese occupation grew, with various local groups using guerilla warfare tactics to fight back. These resistance movements played a crucial role in opposing Japanese forces. Intelligence operations were also vital. U.S. submarines …

Lived Experiences, Perceptions, And Caregiving Trajectories Of Family Caregivers Of Youth With Substance Use Disorders (Suds) In Zambia, Ireen Manase Kabembo

Lingnan Theses (MPhil & PhD)

There is unequivocal evidence that family caregivers contribute to healthcare systems worldwide by providing care for persons with chronic illnesses in the home setting. his study explores the lived experiences, perceptions, and caregiving trajectories of 30 family caregivers of youth aged 16-24 diagnosed with Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) in Zambia. Data was collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews, a caregiving timeline, and participant observation and analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Guided by the integrated theoretical framework of positioning theory and the theory of caregiving dynamics, this study offers a new lens for understanding caregiver’s experiences regarding caregiver identity, self-perceptions, interpersonal relationships, …