Digital Commons Network^™

Research Review: "Experiences Of Women And Minoritized Us Military Veteran Business Owners: Descriptive Evidence On "Vetrepreneur" Survival And Growth, Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This research examines the survival and growth of U.S. veteran-owned businesses, focusing on gender and race disparities. Using longitudinal microdata from 1976–2019, the study reveals that veteran-owned firms exhibit higher survival rates, greater revenues, and strong payroll performance compared to nonveteran businesses, though they experience lower employment growth. Women veterans show notable resilience, suggesting military experience helps mitigate gender gaps in entrepreneurship. Findings highlight the need for targeted policies, such as improved access to capital and workforce planning, to support scaling among women and minority veteran entrepreneurs. The study provides critical insights for policymakers and future research on vetrepreneurship.

Optimizing Fleet Management: Evaluating The Feasibility Of Electric Vehicles And Leasing Strategies At The Utrgv Police Department, Van Edward Slusser

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this applied dissertation was to improve readiness and cost discipline in a campus public-safety fleet and to assess the feasibility of electrification and leasing. A qualitative case-study design triangulated semi-structured interviews with stakeholders, administrative records (maintenance, fuel, costs), and telematics from eight vehicles to characterize duty cycles and constraints. Key findings were: stakeholders endorsed a phased, evidence-gated approach that relies on vehicle- and role-level analytics and coaching-based idle management; cost analysis supported availability-weighted replacement paired with warranty-anchored leasing to stabilize maintenance exposure and smooth appropriations; and telematics revealed role-differentiated patterns—administrative vehicles converted engine-on time to distance efficiently …

Novice Teacher Voice Of Preservice Preparation To Support Low-Ses Students, Edna Richardson Richardson Billingsley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem that was addressed through this study was that there is a gap in the literature about the preparation of mid to lower elementary novice teachers to teach students with low-socioeconomic status (low-SES) in several districts throughout the Southern United States. Grounded in social justice theory, the purpose of the basic qualitative design was to explore lower to middle elementary teachers' perceptions on their preservice preparation to teach low-SES students. For this basic qualitative design, 12 novice teachers participated in semistructured interviews. Data were analyzed through thematic analysis with the following three top themes emerging: (a) poor preparation towards …

School Discipline And Its Negative Impact On Student Achievement Outcomes: An Evaluation Of Discipline Policy, Samantha L. Hudson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Community stakeholders raised issue with the lack of evaluative tools to measure the effectiveness of the implemented school discipline policy in the Metro Atlanta School district. These tools are important to implementing the appropriate interventions to referred students in the district. This professional administrative study evaluated how exclusionary discipline practices influence equity and student outcomes within a Metro Atlanta school district. The guiding research question asked: Is the currently implemented discipline policy effective in promoting equitable student outcomes and reducing exclusionary practices? The concept used for this study is grounded in a constructivist paradigm, the study applied the Centers for …

Mass Layoffs And Its Potential Security Risk, Riley M. Mcdonough

Cybersecurity Undergraduate Research Showcase

This research paper aims to understand the threats posed to the United States' protection of national security regarding the use of OSINT. This paper identifies the risks associated with displaying personal information, such as security clearances. Understanding the Potential national security risks that mass layoffs by Doge may cause. Examine how foreign actors exploit this information and how layoffs impact their efforts to recruit potential spies.

Extremism Governance In The United Arab Emirates: Acase Study Using Qualitative Policy Framework, Haya Saleh Almansoori

Thesis/ Dissertation Defenses

This thesis investigates how the United Arab Emirates governs extremism using various models of governance and Gareth Morgan’s metaphorical organizational models. This research goes beyond a focus on security, and looks at extremism as a governance and policy problem related to social cohesion, institutional trust, and legitimacy. The research utilizes a qualitiatve case study design through analyzing federal laws and national strategies, as well as institutional frameworks to understand how authority, coordination and meaning are organized in the UAE’s governance of extremism.

The results show that the UAE’s governance of extremism is characterized as a hybrid governance model with hierarchical …

Exploring Family-Friendly Policies In The Uae, Mariam Sultan Al Kaabi

Thesis/ Dissertation Defenses

The Family constitutes the fundamental pillar of societies, fostering stability and driving progress. However, contemporary families in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) face increasing challenges due to the growing participation of women in the labor market. While this shift reflects significant social and economic progress, it simultaneously intensifies the pressures on parents to reconcile professional and family responsibilities. Moreover, the scarcity of family-friendly policies (FFPs) exacerbates these challenges even further. This study explores the lived experiences of working parents with young children in the UAE, examining how existing workplace arrangements facilitate or hinder family engagement. A qualitative research design was …

Framing Sustainability Governance In Uae Federal Public Policies: An Interpretive Analysis, Fatima Ahmed Al Zaabi

Thesis/ Dissertation Defenses

This thesis explores the framing of sustainability by the UAE federal government through the public policy documents and legislation. The primary aim of this study is to map the integration of sustainability across key development sectors and identify the federal entities responsible for governing those mandates to understand the sustainability themes. This study employs a qualitative methodology using interpretive policy analysis through collecting official documented federal public policies and legislation from UAE Legislation Portal, using targeted keyword to trace development sectors coverage, federal entitles leading it and key sustainability themes. The findings reveal that UAE government frames sustainability not only …

The Uae's Role In Developing Strategies To Combat Money Laundering And Terrorism At The Local, Regional, And International Levels, Aisha Nabeel Alnaqbi

Thesis/ Dissertation Defenses

This thesis presents an analysis of the UAE's role in developing anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing strategies at the local, regional, and international levels, focusing on a key problem: whether current strategies are sufficient to address the complexities of financial crimes in the digital age and how their effectiveness can be improved. The study relies on a descriptive analytical approach that includes an analysis of official documents, legislation, and reports at the national and international levels, in addition to a chronological tracing of the country's policies from 2002 to 2025, and an institutional comparison across the three levels (local/regional/international). The …

Rural County International Immigrant Population Growth In Nevada, 2020-2024, Yiselle Olivas Ruiz, Anirudh Polagani, Mohit Pande, Olivia K. Cheche, William E. Brown Jr.

Demography

This fact sheet presents 2020-2024 data on international immigrant population growth across 17 Nevada counties.The Daily Yonder report, “International Immigrants Drive Rural Population Growth,” uses U.S. Census data to highlight international immigration patterns for all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan (rural) counties across the United States. This fact sheet highlights data on 13 nonmetropolitan counties in Nevada: Churchill, Douglas, Elko, Esmeralda, Eureka, Humboldt, Lander, Lincoln, Lyon, Mineral, Nye, Pershing, White Pine. This fact sheet also includes data on four metropolitan counties in Nevada: Carson City, Clark, Storey, and Washoe.

Leveraging Digital Sensory Marketing In Online Wine Sales – A Moderated Serial Mediation Model, Yingying Dong, Alei Fan, Chang Ma Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Purpose

Despite the importance of visual and auditory cues in marketing communications, multisensory experiences, such as visual-auditory integration, remain underexplored in sensory marketing. This research aims to fill this gap by investigating how visual cues and their interaction with auditory cues on webpages affect consumers’ responses to online wine sales.

Design/methodology/approach

This research conducted two experimental studies, revealing the crucial role of multiple visual cues in shaping consumers’ responses to online wine sales and the moderating effect of auditory cues on these relationships.

Findings

Compared with the single visual cue of text only, multiple visual cues with both text and …

Artificial Intelligence (Ai) And The Anthropic Economic Index In The Mountain West, 2025, Cason Noll, Olivia K. Cheche, William E. Brown Jr.

Economic Development & Workforce

This fact sheet presents 2025 data on the state of artificial intelligence (AI) adoption among the five Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. The data are sourced from the “Anthropic Economic Index,” which provides data on Claude.ai (an AI large language model) and its adoption across all 50 U.S. states and Washington, D.C. This fact sheet focuses on Claude.ai usage, the most common topic Claude.ai has been used for, and augmentation and automation shares for each Mountain West state.

Review Of Sheila A. Smith, Japan Rearmed: The Politics Of Military Power, Timothy C. Hebb

Liberty University Journal of Statesmanship & Public Policy

Sheila Smith, a long-time political scientist focused on Asia-Pacific studies and an expert on Japan specifically, would publish possibly her most influential work in 2019: Japan Rearmed: The Politics of Military Power. In this well-researched work of hers, she gives the reader an in-depth yet concise look at the reasons for Japan’s rearmament, the history of their Self Defense Force, and the challenging political situation that was built in the wake of a world war that still affects them today. This book goes over much of what is needed to understand why Japan’s military is in the shape it is …

On The Indispensability Of Natural Law On The Moral Theory Of The State, David W. Bolton

Liberty University Journal of Statesmanship & Public Policy

Natural Law is widely regarded as a set of universal moral standards in which the acknowledgement of the differences between right and wrong are inherent in people, not created by society or lawmakers. It is based on the consistent nature of man as opposed to varying cultural standards and is unchanged by time or circumstance. Many thinkers throughout history have offered their educated opinions on the matter of Natural Law and the moral theory of the State. The Social Contract theory of the Modern Secular thinkers of the 17^th century was considered a break with classical and traditional Christian …

Chinese Communist Party Infiltration Of U.S. Pacific Islands: Protecting American National Security Through Defending Strategic Pacific Assets, Contessa Amedore

Liberty University Journal of Statesmanship & Public Policy

Many Americans picture the U.S.’s Western most border to be the coast of California. However, when threats have historically formed in the Pacific, U.S. Pacific Island territories have served as the nation’s first line of defense. Today, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) have slowly but ambitiously deployed new age or ‘unrestricted’ warfare tactics against the United States and allies in their long awaited plan to assume global hegemony. Their illegal infiltration and psychological operations have gone past Taipei and reached American soil in Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa. This paper examines how the (CCP) uses unrestricted warfare …

Analyzing The Role And Impact Of Energy Resources On The South China Sea Dispute, Adam Opp

Liberty University Journal of Statesmanship & Public Policy

The South China Sea is a critical but contested body of water that has been the source of much international debate and focus. The sea is a strategic maritime route and one of the most important waterways for regional and global trade. The South China Sea features rich natural resources such as fisheries and hydrocarbons, especially unknown amounts of oil and natural gas remaining untapped throughout the sea. Geological surveys estimate extremely lucrative quantities of oil and natural gas in the South China Sea, which drives the conflict, as nations with competing territorial claims seek to control not just the …

Securitizing Kinmen: China’S Gray Zone Strategy And The Evolution Of The Kinmen Model, Ian Murphy

Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications

This paper examines the evolving dynamics of cross-strait relations through the lens of securitization theory, focusing on China’s strategic deployment of what it calls the Kinmen Model and its implications for regional security. While existing discourse predominantly concentrates on a potential full-scale invasion of Taiwan, this study shifts attention to the strategic significance of the outlying islands and the nuanced employment of securitization to exert indirect control. Utilizing Vuori’s (2008) framework for analyzing securitization in non-democratic contexts, this research conducts a discourse analysis of nineteen Chinese language media sources to dissect the speech acts employed by Chinese media and their …

Effect Of Workplace Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion Programs On Black Women Leaders At Nonprofit National Associations Of Regulatory Boards, Staci Mason

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research has shown that due to their intersecting identities, Black women must contend with both racism and sexism in the workplace, resulting in oppressive work environments and limited access to career advancement. Studies also highlighted Black women’s disillusionment with workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programming and its role in addressing these negative impacts. However, these issues have not been studied through the perceptions of Black women leaders at national associations of regulatory boards. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to examine perceptions of these Black women regarding the impact of DEI programs on their career. Using Benet’s …

Educators' Reflections On Competency-Based Learning: Reflecting 5 Years Of Nep 2020, Gaurav Agarwal, Anannya Chakraborty, Dimple Sood, Priyanka Sharma, Aditi Malviya, Shreevarshini K, Abha Bhagat

ACER India

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 brought a significant transformation in India’s education system by promoting a more holistic, adaptable, and skills-focused approach to learning, moving beyond rote learning. At the core of this shift is Competency-Based Learning (CBL), which encourages the development of essential skills like critical thinking, creativity, and application of what students learn in real life. To make this shift meaningful, understanding the thought process and perspectives of teachers who operationalise CBL principles is crucial. Their experience and insights can help identify the systemic supports that are necessary to build a strong foundation for teacher and student …

The Employment Situation Of Veterans: September 2025, Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

The September 2025 employment report shows veteran unemployment falling from 3.1% to 2.6%, with Post‑9/11 veterans declining from 3.0% to 2.4%. Veteran unemployment remained lower than nonveterans across most age groups, especially among young veterans ages 18–24, whose rate dropped sharply to 1.1%. Male veteran unemployment decreased, while female veteran unemployment rose slightly to 4.6%. Trends varied by race and ethnicity, with Hispanic veterans experiencing a notable increase. Nationally, employment rose modestly, with gains in health care, food services, and social assistance, while transportation, warehousing, and federal government roles saw job losses.

Staff Education To Improve Phq-9 Depression Screening And Management In Primary Care, Elizabeth Ezeamaka

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This Doctor of Nursing Practice staff education project aimed to improve staff knowledge and enhance the consistency in administering and interpreting the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) within a mental health clinical setting. The practice problem was significant because variability in PHQ-9 use resulted in unreliable depression screening data, potentially leading to missed detection of depression or suicidal ideation, which undermines patient safety and quality of care. The guiding practice-focused question was: Among healthcare staff administering the PHQ-9, what effect does an educational program have on their knowledge related to the administration, documentation, and interpretation of depression screening? The purpose of …

Why Color-Blind Solutions Won't Solve The Racial Wealth Gap: How We Can Overcome The Constitutional Hurdles To Race Conscious Remedies In Addressing The Wealth Gap, Malik Edwards, William A. Darity Jr.

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Interest Convergence And The Racial Wealth Gap: Defusing Racism's Divide-And-Conquer Via Universal Basic Income, Palma Joy Strand, Nicholas A. Mirkay

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Wage Enslavement: How The Tax System Holds Back Historically Disadvantaged Groups Of Americans, Goldburn P. Maynard Jr., David Gamage

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Heutagogy In Education: Transforming The Learner Experience, Andrej Iliev, Nevena Serafimova, Anita Ilieva Nikolovska, Dimitar Bogatinov, Aleksandar Petrovski, Biljana Karovska

Journal of Peace, Conflict, and Security Studies

Heutagogy (pronounced hyoo-tuh-goh-jee), derived from the Greek word "heureske," meaning "to discover," is closely related to heuristic learning. Coined by Hase and Kenyon in 2000, heutagogy refers to self-determined learning that operates independently of traditional teaching structures. Unlike pedagogy and andragogy, which emphasize teacher-directed instruction, heutagogy shifts the focus to learner autonomy, allowing students to choose what and how they learn.

Heutagogy represents a shift from teacher-centered to learner-centered education, grounded in two key philosophical approaches: humanism and constructivism. Humanism places the learner at the center of the educational process, while constructivism emphasizes active, self-determined learning. Although andragogy, which focuses …

Curriculum Insertion Proposal For The Academic-Military Education: The Rising Of Unmanned Aerial Systems (Uas/Drones) In Modern Combat, Tiago Marques Dos Santos Filho

Journal of Peace, Conflict, and Security Studies

The use of drones in the latest generation of combat has revolutionized military operations, offering new tactical and strategic-operational capabilities. Based on the author's practical experience and reference literature, using UAS in urban combat, peacekeeping missions, and jungle operations has proven to be extremely effective, providing significant advantages in terms of intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and air support. Equipped with high-resolution cameras and advanced sensors, drones allow the collection of real-time critical information, assisting quick and accurate decision-making. This background raises the question of whether it is relevant to formally address this topic in academic-military undergraduation. The main hypothesis, that the …

Reforming Military Curriculum In The Era Of Big Data: Case Study Of The Albanian Armed Forces Academy, Etleva Smaci Assoc Prof

Journal of Peace, Conflict, and Security Studies

The digital revolution and the emergence of Big Data have profoundly impacted modern military operations. As data becomes a strategic asset, military education must evolve to prepare officers not only for traditional combat but also for data driven decision-making.

This case study explores how the Albanian Armed Forces Academy can reform its military curriculum to meet the demands of the Big Data era. The analysis is based on a review of contemporary literature and a survey conducted among students enrolled in the technology program at the Faculty of Defense and Security.

Findings indicate that students perceive the integration of big …

The Potential Impact Of Simulation Based Learning In The Kosovo Security Force, Brikena Avdyli, Arbesa Zenuni

Journal of Peace, Conflict, and Security Studies

As the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) undergoes a strategic transformation into a fully operational military force, the need for modern and adaptive training methods has become increasingly urgent. While recent investments have focused on personnel growth, weapon procurement, and defense infrastructure, the integration of simulation-based learning (SBL) into training programs has not yet been considered. This study explores the potential of SBL - particularly virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and wargaming - as a tool for enhancing the readiness and adaptability of KSF personnel. Drawing on existing literature, the study evaluates the benefits and challenges of each technology in …

Itegration Of Emerging Technologies In Cybersecurity Education, Dimitar Bogatinov, Nevena Serafimova, Aleksandar Petrovski, Andrej Iliev, Biljana Karovska

Journal of Peace, Conflict, and Security Studies

Emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Virtual Reality (VR) are revolutionizing cybersecurity education by offering immersive, interactive learning experiences tailored to the tech-savvy Generation Z and Alpha learners. Traditional educational methods are increasingly inadequate for preparing students to navigate the rapidly evolving cyber threat landscape.

Virtual labs, AI-driven tutors, and cyber training environments create dynamic learning opportunities where students can engage in realistic simulations to develop critical skills in threat detection, response, and mitigation. However, challenges such as high implementation costs, rapid technological advancements, and a shortage of qualified instructors complicate the integration of these technologies.

Despite these challenges, …

Military Academic-Scientific Production In Times Of Generative Ai: Ethical Boundaries And Challenges For Strategic Stability, Arlindo J. Barros Junior, Rômulo F. Santos, Weslei J. Batista

Journal of Peace, Conflict, and Security Studies

The adoption of emerging and disruptive technologies, which includes Artificial Intelligence (AI), has driven profound transformations across various sectors and in human behavior in recent years, permeating nearly all fields of knowledge. In this context, the use of AI as a tool to support academic-scientific production cannot be considered an exception. Additionally, there is a growing need for AI literacy for its users, for regulation and for the establishment of criteria to ensure these technologies are employed ethically and responsibly. In light of this global trend, the Brazilian Army has been seeking ways to regulate, manage, and optimize the use …