Digital Commons Network^™

Perceptions Of The Divine In Secular Spaces: A Study Of U.S. Public-School Teachers, Dennis Eastman, Nicholas Block

The Journal of Faith, Education, and Community

Teaching is often understood by Christian educators as a vocation shaped by divine purpose, yet little empirical research has examined how teachers perceive God’s active involvement in their daily professional practice. This qualitative study investigates how Christian teachers interpret perceived divine activity in their work, focusing on specific experiences of guidance, influence, and sustenance rather than general religious identity. Thematic analysis of open-ended survey responses from practicing teachers (N = 267) identified seven themes, including perceived impact on students’ lives, divine guidance in instructional and relational decisions, and endurance amid professional strain. Participants commonly described God’s activity as …

Scraping The Earth: Testing Ndvi As An Indicator Of Military Ground Maneuver Within The Israeli Invasion Of The Gaza Strip, Thomas A. Bergeron

LSU Master's Theses

The advancement of open-source (OSINT) and geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) has allowed independent researchers to study human conflict in new ways, with tools that were previously reserved only for state intelligence agencies. In order to advance methodologies, researchers must continue to evaluate new tools to study war.  Valued for its accessibility and moderate spatial resolution, the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) is one such tool that has not been widely systematically tested for its use in an open-source GEOINT investigation of modern conflict. This study tests NDVI as an indicator of military maneuver by leveraging a mixed-method approach against open-source kinetic …

Illuminating Sanja Matsuri: Lived Religion And Festival Practice In Asakusa, Caleb R. Merckle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines Sanja Matsuri, a major Shintō and Buddhist festival in Asakusa, Tokyo, through the lenses of lived religion, participant observation, autoethnography, and anthropology. Departing from institution-centered approaches, it foregrounds the experiential dimensions of festival participation, showing how physical devotion, collective movement, and festive intensity function as expressions of spiritual meaning. Ethnographic fieldwork conducted in 2023 and 2025 included participant observation, informal interviews with local and foreign participants, and Reflexive Discourse Analysis of fieldnotes and bilingual transcripts. Analysis reveals a dynamic interplay between formal sacralization strategies — such as mitama-ire rituals and structured processions — and spontaneous, informal participant …

Notes From The Field - Conference Proceedings, Summer Fellows 2025, Center For Latin American, Caribbean, And Latino Studies (Clacls)

Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies

CLACLS presents proceedings papers from the third CLACLS Summer Fellows Showcase Conference, held on November 12, 2025.

The daylong event showcased the research endeavors of fourteen Summer Fellows, who offered succinct presentations on their projects funded by the CLACLS Summer fellowship. The included three panels: “Feminist and Queer Critical Perspectives”, “Language, Archive and Power”, “Social Movements and Political Imaginations.”

Public History Q&A: Commemorating Jim Crow Racial Violence And Black Community In North Texas, Helen Johnson, Felix Harcourt, Claire Wolnisty

Journal of Texas History

No abstract provided.

Risk, Trust, And Medical Decision-Making: Perinatal Care Among Patients And Providers In South Florida, Isabella Viera

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

This thesis examines how structural inequality shapes the experience of perinatal care among pregnant individuals and healthcare providers in South Florida, with particular attention to how risk is perceived and communicated, how trust between patients and providers is built or eroded, and how medical decision-making unfolds under conditions of structural vulnerability. Drawing on multi-sited ethnographic fieldwork conducted between October 2025 and April 2026, supplemented by a quantitative analysis of low-birth-weight rates across all 67 Florida counties, the project analyzes how risk is defined, communicated, and lived across community-based prenatal organizations, online educational platforms, and in-depth provider and patient interviews. The …

Khirbat Jābir: The Sculptured Decorations From The Bathhouse, Rivka Gersht

Qadum: Journal of Excavation Reports from Israel

The excavation of the bathhouse at Khirbat Jābir yielded twelve marble items: a female head and eleven architectural members; among them a small Corinthian capital, a bracket ornamented with a lion head, a richly decorated small pediment and a champlevé revetment plaque. All twelve items were found out of their original display context; almost all are reused spolia or recycled pieces. The workmanship of the recycled items indicates that the craftsmen employed at the Khirbat Jābir bathhouse were skilled stone carvers but had no experience in shaping figural images. The rather good workmanship of the capital and the champlevé revetment …

Khirbat Jābir: The Pottery Finds / ח'ירבת ג'אבר: ממצא כלי החרס, Aviva Bouchenino

Qadum: Journal of Excavation Reports from Israel

The excavation at Khirbat Jābir yielded pottery dating from the Byzantine period through the Early Islamic period, indicating continuous activity at the site during these periods. Most of the pottery was characteristic of the Byzantine period, including local wares typical of both northern and southern Israel, as well as imported wares from North Africa, Asia Minor and Cyprus. Byzantine-period clay pipes, apparently associated with the bathhouse water-supply system, were also found. The pottery assemblage from this period enables dating the activity in the bathhouse to the fourth–seventh centuries CE. A smaller portion of locally produced pottery vessels dates to the …

Khirbat Jābir: A Late Byzantine Bathhouse, An Early Islamic Building And Ottoman-Period Remains / ח'ירבת ג'אבר: בית מרחץ משלהי התקופה הביזנטית, מבנה מהתקופה האסלאמית הקדומה ושרידים מהתקופה העות'מאנית, Orit Segal

Qadum: Journal of Excavation Reports from Israel

Excavations at Khirbat Jābir in Zikhron Ya‘akov revealed three strata (III–I). The earliest Stratum III yielded a well-preserved bathhouse dated to the late Byzantine period (sixth–seventh centuries CE), likely a public complex lavishly decorated with marble elements, which served a small, well-established community comprising several households in the area. In Stratum II, dated to the beginning of the Early Islamic period, the bathhouse was converted into a manor house or a farmhouse. Its plan was slightly altered with the construction of new walls, and its rooms were paved with stones robbed from the original phase of the bathhouse. The latest …

Unpacking Architectural Drawing Literacy: A Critical Pedagogy Approach To Architecture Collections, Shima Hosseininasab, Virginia Ferris, Burak Erdim

Journal of Contemporary Archival Studies

This paper explores using architectural drawings as primary sources in instruction sessions at the North Carolina State University Libraries’ Special Collections Research Center (SCRC) with a critical pedagogy approach. Architectural collections are among the SCRC’s most frequently used materials, yet effective engagement with these unique resources requires specialized knowledge that is often lacking among teaching librarians and faculty, who excel in artifactual literacy and archival practices. The research addresses this gap by arguing that additional guidance in architectural history and technical details is necessary to improve teaching methods and enhance student interpretation of architectural drawings. Using a 200-level architecture class …

Mental Health Self-Perceptions And Resource Utilization In Undergraduate Students At Binghamton University, Nicole J. Dreznin, Sarah Marcus

Binghamton University Undergraduate Journal

Undergraduate students face increasing rates of mental health challenges, however discrepancies in mental health literacy and utilization of resources may exist across student populations. This study examined the perceptions of mental health in undergraduate students at Binghamton University and if they differed among STEM vs non-STEM, man vs. women, and first-generation vs. continuing generation undergraduate students. A 20-question survey, containing 5 demographic questions and 15 mental health related questions was distributed through Qualtrics to 9 undergraduate classes. The available response choices were based on the Likert scale. A total of 1266 students participated.  Chi square tests of independence were done …

Recommendations For Conducting Ethical Network Research, Francisca Ortiz Ruiz, Paola Tubaro, José Luis Molina, Jennifer Watling Neal, Raffaele Vacca, Jana Diesner, Jimi Adams, Michelle Birkett, Jenny Godley, Juniper Lovato, Michael Schönhuth, Laura Teves, Michael Zimmer

Faculty Publications

Ethical considerations in social network studies are grounded in the general principles of human subjects’ research, including avoidance of harm, promotion of justice, equitable distribution of burdens and benefits, respect for human dignity, and protection of confidentiality. To help navigate these challenges, this article presents recommendations for conducting ethical network research, developed by a multi-disciplinary and multi-national working group. The article is divided in three main sections where there are certain recommendations identified for each one of them: data collections, use, and availability. Discovering how others addressed and solved problems can be a way for all of us to improve …

Judaism And Catholicism: Possibilities Of An Inter-Spiritual Dialogue, David Neuhaus

Journal of Global Catholicism

This article examines the possibilities of an inter-spiritual dialogue between Catholics and Jews. Describing the transformation of the Catholic attitude to Jews andJudaism in the wake of the Second Vatican Council, moving from a teaching of contempt to one of respect, it analyses the far-reaching reformulations of Catholic theology that promote an interreligious dialogue. After centuries of traumatic history, Jewish reactions have been hesitant. However, the past decades have led to a burgeoning relationship that can indeed flower into a mutual inter-spiritual dialogue that deepens the faith of both Catholics and Jews.

Jainism And Catholicism – Dialoguing Spiritually, Bryan Lobo

Journal of Global Catholicism

The inter-spiritual dialogue between Jainism and Catholicism lends itself towards discovering similarities and dissimilarities between the two spiritualities. Recognizing this discovery, this paper, without claiming to be exhaustive as regards the spiritual themes, discusses the chosen themes to facilitate greater reflection and potential to re-discover elements that can help the growth of understanding and practicing the preferred spirituality.

Hindu Poetry And The Project Of An Inter-Spiritual Catholic Theology, Francis X. Clooney

Journal of Global Catholicism

This article engages the work of the Indian south Indian Tamil-language Vaiṣṇava poet saints known as the Alvārs. The article specifically focuses the First HundredHoly Linked verses of Poykai Ālvār to argue for inter-spiritual learning between Catholics and Hindus. The article concludes with personal reflections on this encounter within the context of the global Catholic Church

Overview And Acknowledgments, Mathew Schmalz

Journal of Global Catholicism

An overview and introduction to the present issue on Inter-Spiritual Dialogue.

A Comparative Study Of Aging And Cortical Folding In Chimpanzees And Olive Baboons, William D. Hopkins, Angela M. Achorn, Michele M. Mulholland, Elizabeth R. Magden, Steven J. Schapiro, Courtney L, Fults, Jean‐Francois Mangin, Adrien Meguerditchian

Anthropology Faculty Publications

In light of the evidence that nonhuman primates naturally develop Alzheimer's disease neuropathologies, there is a renewed interest in research on the comparative biology of aging, including neurological changes across the age groups in species with diverse lifespans. In this paper, we examined age‐related differences in two measures of cortical folding, mean depth and fold opening, in a sample of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and olive baboons (Papio anubis). We found significant species differences in the slope and pattern of age‐related changes in cortical folding. As predicted, chimpanzees showed negative linear associations between age and mean depth and …

A Comparison Of Regional Food Systems And Food Security In Rural Mississippi And Italy, Reinhard M. Knerr, Athan M. Gregory, Anne Cafer

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

In the Mississippi (MS) Delta, more than 40% of residents are food-insecure despite predominantly agricultural land use. We hypothesized that limited social networks and non-navigable food market systems constrain MS producers, limit market viability, and hinder regional food sovereignty. This ethnography compared rural Italian and Mississippian food systems through semi-structured interviews of food producers, processors, and marketers. We described differences in social networks between groups that led to differential capacities to share capital and to overcome producer and labor constraints. We also described key differences in governmental and Extension support of local food systems. Finally, we provided suggestions for addressing …

Perspectives Of Scholars, Families, And Advisors On 360-Degree Video Technology In Graduate Education, Oluwatobi A. Mogbojuri, Bridget A. Walsh, Matthew Aguirre

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

This study explored the experiences of scholars in creating and sharing 360-degree videos, as well as the perspectives of families and advisors who viewed the videos. Focus groups and individual interviews were conducted online using a videoconferencing platform. Perspectives from 20 participants (15 scholars, three advisors, and two family members) were analyzed using thematic analysis. Three primary themes were identified: (1) barriers to 360-degree video use, (2) perspective shifts and limited change, and (3) storytelling and scholar visibility. Findings suggest that 360-degree video technology may be an innovative tool for enhancing recruitment and retention, especially for historically marginalized groups, through …

The Virtue Of Hope In Sports Through Spe Salvi And Its Role In Faith, Resilience, And Character Formation In Student-Athletes, Hansson G. Labisig, Arvin D. Eballo

Movement and Being: The Journal of the Christian Society for Kinesiology, Leisure and Sports Studies

Pope Benedict XVI, in Spe Salvi, presents hope as a transformative and redemptive virtue that enables believers to live and suffer differently, rooted in faith in God. He writes, “The one who has hope lives differently.” This study develops a theological-pastoral framework for integrating the virtue of hope into the faith formation of student-athletes within Catholic educational institutions, positioning sport as a genuine locus theologicus for Religious Education and evangelization. Employing the See–Judge–Act methodology, it draws from Spe Salvi, Aquinas’s Summa Theologiae, and the Vatican document Giving the Best of Yourself, in dialogue with C. R. Snyder’s psychological theory …

Biographies, Editorial Team

Florida Atlantic Undergraduate Research Journal

No abstract provided.

From Theory To Practice Implementing A Mission, Vision, And Values Statement To Support Change In An Academic Library Liaison Program, Patricia Fiorillo, Kristy Padron

Faculty Scholarship

Academic library liaison programs historically varied in their functions and adapted to their organizational needs and priorities. This case study examines the integration of a mission, vision, and values statement into the liaison program at Florida Atlantic University Libraries. Originating from business and organizational theories, these statements have been adopted by nonprofit organizations, including academic libraries, to guide administrative processes and services. The study highlights a re-visioning of an established liaison program during a period of transition. This fostered a shared understanding of the library’s priorities and documented its goals and objectives. This alignment was particularly crucial as Florida Atlantic …

Food Insecurity, Economic Shocks, Poverty, And Inequality In Nigeria, Ibrahim Tijjani Salihu, Jahen F. Rezki

Jurnal Ekonomi dan Pembangunan Indonesia

Drawing on the 2018/2019 Nigeria General Household Survey — a nationally representative sample of 5,000 households across six geopolitical zones obtained using multi-stage stratified sampling — this study applied linear probability and probit models to examine poverty’s socioeconomic drivers. Findings show food insecurity and economic shocks worsen poverty, while remittances, credit access, employment, safety nets, and education help reduce it. Using poverty indices and the Gini coefficient, the analysis found rural households face greater poverty incidence, depth, and severity than urban households, despite urban areas showing marginally higher income inequality. Inequality among lower-income households, however, was nearly identical across both …

Bibliography For "Faculty Publications Book Display", Sally Park

Library Displays and Bibliographies

A bibliography created to support a display about faculty publications during summer 2026 at the Leatherby Libraries at Chapman University.

Fundamental Uncertainties Invalidate The Precision Of Obsidian Hydration Dating: A Rapa Nui Case Study, Robert Dinapoli, Carl P. Lipo

Anthropology Datasets

Obsidian hydration dating (OHD) measures water absorption into volcanic glass to estimate artifact age. Recent studies using infrared photoacoustic spectroscopy (IR-PAS) claim ±30-year precision, comparable to radiocarbon dating. We tested these claims by applying Bayesian hierarchical models to 242 published IR-PAS measurements from Rapa Nui (Easter Island). Standard OHD practice treats burial temperature and humidity as known constants; we instead modeled them as uncertain variables and propagated that uncertainty through the rate equation. Realistic dating uncertainties are ±300 years, ten times larger than the claimed value. The 95% credible interval for any individual date (~600 years) exceeds Rapa Nui's entire …

Believing And Belonging: Americans’ Religious Practices And Their Trust In Government, Hwayong Shin

Weidenbaum Center Survey (WCS) Reports

Data from the Weidenbaum Center Survey (WCS) offer new insights into Americans’ religious and political lives by addressing two broad questions. First, how religious are Americans today, and how does religiosity vary across age and partisan groups? Waves 1–8 of the WCS, conducted between 2023 and 2026, are used to answer this question. Second, how are different forms of religiosity associated with trust in government, and do these relationships differ across age and partisan groups? To answer this question, this article leverages Waves 6–8 of the WCS, which included measures of trust in government, conducted between 2025 and 2026. The …

Ontogenetic Variation In Palatal Morphology In Tufted And Untufted Capuchins, Valerie Contreras

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT Craniofacial variation and its relation to diet have been widely examined, but with less attention exclusively to the palate. Previous studies have shown that groups consuming a more resistant diet exhibit morphological differences in the craniofacial skeleton, including a longer and wider palate when compared to groups consuming a less resistant diet; similar patterns have been observed among captive vs. wild populations. Here, I present a 3D morphometric analysis of palatal ontogeny in tufted (Sapajus spp.) and untufted (Cebus spp.) capuchins and compare captive vs. free-ranging semi-provisioned Sapajus. Tufted capuchins are known to consume more mechanically resistant foods compared …

Upper Mora River Corridor Plan. Path To Social And Economic Recovery. A Working Paper, José A. Rivera Ph.D

Faculty Publications

The Working Paper outlines a plan for the Upper Mora River Corridor as a path to the social and economic recovery of the watershed and its communities in the Mora Valley of New Mexico in the aftermath of the year 2022 wildfires. The first section of the plan includes an historical overview of the traditional gristmills of northern New Mexico and places where a few of them are preserved and still standing. The next section goes into detail as to the early commercial mills situated along the upper Mora River Corridor with a focus on the four remaining mills: the …

Conflict-Mediated Group Size Regulation: A Theory Of Supraoptimal And Suboptimal Group Size, Eric Schniter

ESI Working Papers

Observed group sizes rarely match the size that would maximize what each member gets from belonging. We propose a two-part theory in which group size is regulated by two related conflicts: insider-outsider conflict over admission, and within-group conflict as crowding, competition, and social tensions intensify with size. Three strategies are available: admission, exclusion, and fission. The first part shows that even when exclusion is unavailable, fission dynamics alone drive group size away from the optimum in both directions, with the pattern set by how prospective joiners encounter groups and by the geometry of fission. When joiners compare groups across a …

Polarized Truth Decay & The Role Of Education In A Democracy, Sonja Varbelow, William Yaworsky

Anthropology Faculty Publications

The purpose of this paper is to delineate the causes and dangers of truth decay for a democracy, the role education has played in the process, and how education can present a resistance to this dangerous trend. Truth decay has been characterized as an increase in quantity of opinion over fact, divergent views on what constitutes a fact, and decreased confidence of traditional sources of information. We agree that truth decay is a serious problem but would characterize it somewhat differently. Opinions, divergent views, and decreased confidence in traditional sources of information are not detrimental by themselves. Instead, we see …