Digital Commons Network^™

Faculty Perceptions Of Lgbtq+ Students In Higher Education, Serena Gramling, Laura E. Barrow, Stacy Mikel, Mark J. Sciuchetti Dr., Falynn Turley

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objective: Limited faculty understanding of LGBTQ+ student experiences may contribute to exclusionary campus climates and discriminatory practices. This study examined faculty perceptions to identify ways to improve support for LGBTQ+ students and promote inclusive environments.

Method: A descriptive quantitative design was used to examine faculty perceptions of LGBTQ+ students and differences across geographic regions. 142 participants completed the 20-item instrument.

Results: Although regional differences in acceptance were observed, geographic location did not significantly predict faculty attitudes. Faculty acceptance played a key moderating role in the relationship between awareness and engagement in inclusive practices. Findings indicated that faculty attitudes alone are …

A Systematic Review Of Restorative Justice In Criminal Contexts, Sigifredo Castell Britton

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Restorative justice has gained growing attention within criminal justice reform as a practical alternative to approaches centered only on punishment. It emphasizes accountability, dialogue, and community reintegration, offering a different way to understand how change in behavior takes place. This systematic review examined quantitative evidence from 34 studies, selected from an initial pool of 112 records identified through databases such as Google Scholar, ProQuest, JSTOR, and institutional repositories. The studies assessed a range of interventions, including victim-offender mediation, diversion programs, community conferencing, and in-prison initiatives, which allowed comparison across different settings and populations. Across these studies, 79.4% reported statistically significant …

Minimizing The Gap Between Church And Disability In Churches Of Christ, Paris Freeman

Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry

Church members with intellectual and developmental disabilities often experience disconnection from their churches. This qualitative study examined this disconnect in three suburban Church of Christ congregations within the North Texas area. Using an ethnographic approach, data was collected through interviews with ministry leaders, participatory observation, and a literature review. The analysis of the data, in conjunction with family systems theory, was utilized to construct a model for disability ministry which validates personhood and promotes awareness of self and others. The impact of the church growth movement on disability was also examined, but no definitive correlation could be determined. Further research …

Rape Pregnancies And Consequent Ptsd Resulting From The Overturn Of Roe V. Wade, Emma Lindenfelser, Yulia Garaeva, Nenette Nti-Agyemang, Ellen Davis, Anna Kabwa, Alexandra M Calaman

Binghamton University Undergraduate Journal

Prior to the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling, access to safe legal abortions was limited and often restricted along racial, economic, and geographic lines. Nearly fifty years later, women’s health policy evolved again following the 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision overturning Roe v. Wade. This court ruling decimated federal protections of abortion. This paper presents the research that the 2022 Dobbs judicial decision may contribute to and exacerbate rape-related PTSD on 1 out of 20 American who are unable to access a safe abortion after a rape-related pregnancy. Pregnant women living in conservative states that have outlawed …

Exploring Interprofessional End-Of-Life Communication Through Simulation: A Qualitative Study, Stephanie Jeffers Phd, Rn, Eric Stein Dsw, Lsw, Meg Hall Phd, Rn, Caroline Campbell Phd, Lsw, Carly King Msw, Lsw

Journal of Interprofessional Practice and Collaboration

Purpose: The purposes of this qualitative descriptive study were to understand the perceptions of nursing and social work students regarding communication with patients and families at the end of life and to explore the perceptions of nursing and social work students' regarding interprofessional roles at the end of life.

Methods: An interdisciplinary simulation about death and dying was conducted with 16 undergraduate nursing students and 3 graduate social work students to understand their perceptions regarding communication with patients and families at the end of life and to explore their perceptions of interprofessional roles. Simulations lasted approximately 20 minutes and were …

Evaluating Interprofessional And Cultural Competency: A Community-Mental Health Interprofessional Education Event, Megan A. Whitbeck, Carrie A. Griffiths, William F. Miller, Laura M. Skoronski Chavez, Krisy Elrod, Autumn M. Forgione, Anna L. Grippi, John P. Merchant

Journal of Interprofessional Practice and Collaboration

Purpose: This study examined the effectiveness of a mental health focused interprofessional education (IPE) event, where undergraduate and graduate students from four different healthcare disciplines collaboratively completed a case study activity, that included diversity and mental health components.

Methods: A quasi-experimental, one-group pretest–posttest design was used. Participants included 72 undergraduate and graduate students from nursing, occupational therapy, health administration, and counseling programs at a private university. Students engaged in a structured team-based activity emphasizing communication, collaboration, and cultural responsiveness in a mental health care context. Self-reported measures included the Interprofessional Collaborative Competency Attainment Survey (ICCAS) and the Cultural …

Community Health Fair As Experiential Learning: Interprofessional Faculty And Student Perspectives, Sharon Stevenson, Martha Rojo, Jing Jin, Erickson Feliciano, Margaret Love, Scott Wright

Journal of Interprofessional Practice and Collaboration

Abstract

Background: Traditional, precepted clinical practice sites continue to decline. Community health fairs (CHFs), led by experienced interprofessional faculty, present a valuable opportunity. In addition, CHFs provide students with hands-on experience in real-world settings.

Aim: This study examined the perspectives and clinical experiences of interprofessional faculty and students participating in a CHF.

Methods: This study utilized qualitative and quantitative design. Fourteen participants (seven students, seven faculty) engaged in conversational interviews, and completed a faculty and student survey as well as a demographic survey. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the sample and survey responses, and thematic analysis was used to …

Quiet Hills, Restless Hearts: An Intersectional Exploration Of Lgbtq+ Religious Journeys In Appalachia, Allison S. Monroe, Stacey L. Williams

McNair Culminating Research Projects

Many researchers have utilized Meyer’s (2003) minority stress model to examine the social factors influencing the daily lives of LGBTQ+ individuals. Previous research has looked at negative mental health outcomes for LGBTQ+ individuals (McGraw et al., 2023), the presence of religious stress for this community (Page et al., 2013), and religious journeys of these individuals (Halkitis et al, 2009).  However, few studies have examined the intersection of religion, LGBTQ+ identity, social support, and the overarching values of Appalachian culture. The proposed study seeks to add to the literature and understand the breadth of these experiences by employing qualitative semi-structured interviews. …

Exploring The Link Between Substance Use Severity And Self-Stigma: The Moderating Role Of Enacted Stigma, Alaya Shelton

McNair Culminating Research Projects

Self-stigma has been shown to negatively impact treatment engagement, recovery, and reintegration outcomes among individuals with substance use and criminal histories (Moore et al., 2023). Further, prior research has shown that markers of an individual’s substance use treatment history (e.g., number of prior treatment episodes and perceived substance use severity; Hammarlund et al., 2018; Luoma et al., 2012; Silveira et al., 2016) and negative experiences with medical professionals (Hoover et al., 2022; Muncan et al. 2020) are closely linked to self-stigma. While these factors independently contribute to one’s level of self-stigma, to our knowledge, no prior work has examined how …

Closing Keynote: Publishing In 2026: How We Got Into Such Trouble And How We Get Out Of It, Virginia (Ginny) Barbour

FORCE 2026

It would be hard to find anyone who is currently involved in scholarly publishing who think it works well for them, or who think that the system is underpinned by the values they care about. And all of this is at a time when trust in what is published has never been more important.

We are at a time when what we do now will shape the future of scholarly publishing, and the choices we make will shape how open, trustworthy and reproducible that future system is. These choices provide both opportunities and challenges for everyone involved in the system …

Connected, Traceable And Trusted Identifier In China, Jia Liu, Xiaolei Xia, Lijuan Wang, Shu Wang, Yuanchun Zhou

FORCE 2026

Persistent Identifiers (PIDs) has been recognized as a critical infrastructure for the Open Science. The Chinese National Standard GB/T 32843-2016, Science and Technology Resource Identification was launched in 2016 which specifies the numbering schema of the Science and Technology Resource Identification(CSTR). The standard systematically defines the identification objects, encoding rules, and applications for science and technology resources, establishing a robust technical foundation and operational guidelines for their complete lifecycle management. CSTR Identification Platform（https://www.cstr.cn/en） based on the Standard, providing unique identification service for global science data, papers, patents and other science and technology resources.
Connected
CSTR platform services cover …

Promoting Crisis-Ready Data Policies In Science Publishing: Implementing Unesco’S Open Science Guidance For Resilient Preservation, Response, And Recovery, Francis P. Crawley

FORCE 2026

Crises disrupt not only societies but also the continuity of scientific data and publications essential for evidence-based decision-making. Preserving the integrity, accessibility, and long-term usability of these resources during disruptions has become a global priority. In response, UNESCO, with the support of CODATA, has developed a suite of Open Science Toolkit instruments (Factsheet, Guidance, and Checklist) on ‘Developing Data Policies for Times of Crisis Facilitated by Open Science’. This presentation examines how these instruments can strengthen data preservation, response, and recovery within scholarly communication. By promoting crisis-ready data policies supported by AI-enabled systems in science publishing, the UNESCO approach connects …

It's (Not) Raining Men: Exploring The Themes Surrounding Low Male Presence In Pediatric Nursing, Marcin Janczak

Honors Projects

Background: Men remain underrepresented in nursing, with an even smaller presence in pediatric nursing. Purpose: To examine pediatric-specific themes that may contribute to the low presence of men in pediatric nursing, and strategies to counteract these potential barriers. Methods: CINAHL Ultimate and Google Scholar were searched for primary research published from 2015 to 2025 related to male nurses, male nursing students, gender bias, pediatric care, and clinical experiences. Findings: Four major themes emerged: gender stereotypes and the feminization of pediatric nursing, sociocultural barriers and gender bias, fear and distrust toward male nurses, and psychological and professional impacts on men in …

The Shrinking Caspian Sea: Eco‐Hydrological Responses To Human And Climate Pressures, Jesse Duku, Mohammad J. Tourian, Marzi Azarderakhsh, Rovshan Abbasov, Ali Mehran, Ali Torabi Haghighi, Stefanos Xenarios, Azara Boschee, Salih Babagiray, Mojtaba Sadegh, Nima Shokri, Ali Nazemi, Alireza Farahmand, Samaneh Ashraf, Temur Khujanazarov, Elmira Hassanzadeh, Dalal Najib, Daniel Placht, Shamshagul Mashtayeva, Ekaterina Rets, Hamid Norouzi, Kaveh Madani, Manoochehr Shirzaei, Hossein Shafizadeh-Moghadam, Chiyuan Miao, Ali Mirchi, Shuo Wang, Amir Aghakouchak

Publications and Research

The Caspian Sea, the Earth's largest inland water body, faces water level decline, drawing comparisons to the collapse of the Aral Sea. Unlike the Aral Sea, the relative roles of climatic variability, hydrological changes, and anthropogenic pressures on the Caspian Sea remain poorly understood. Here, we integrate satellite observations, in situ hydrological records and reanalysis data to examine recent drivers of the Caspian water loss. We show that total river inflow to the Caspian Sea has declined significantly, primarily due to reduced discharge from the Volga River. At the same time, precipitation over the basin has remained broadly stable, while …

Entre La Lucha: Familismo And Well-Being Of Latino Immigrant Families Navigating Manual Labor And Anti-Immigrant Sentiment, Faviola Robles Saenz

Dissertations and Theses

The United States' history of treatment toward Latino immigrants has been shaped by anti-immigrant sentiment and exploitative labor practices, creating psychological violence that harms their families' well-being. Although previous research has examined anti-immigrant sentiment, labor conditions, and familismo among Latinos, these areas are often studied in isolation, with limited attention to their intersections and how they are experienced across generations. Informed by history, prior research, and my lived experiences, this study qualitatively explored the intersections of anti-immigrant sentiment and parents' manual labor to understand how these contexts shape familismo and well-being among Latino immigrant families. This work was grounded in …

Expanding Transmobilities: Understanding Genderdiverse And Transgender Travel Behavior Through An Art-Informed Methodology, Nicholas Michael Puczkowskyj

Dissertations and Theses

Transgender and genderdiverse people face discrimination and harassment in public when making trips in Portland, OR. People who identify as genderdiverse or transgender create unique travel behavior due to the influence of their internalized and expressed gender identity and through interactions in public. This dissertation examines how gender identity influences the travel behavior of genderdiverse and transgender people and how these experiences influence their subjective wellbeing when making trips in Portland, Oregon. Traditional one-on-one interviews were conducted in conjunction with allowing the interviewees to produce art as a non-verbal form of expression and communication of their experiences making trips in …

Scaffolded Reflection And Research Assignment For Sociology 101, Sara Martucci

Open Educational Resources

Dr. Sara Martucci created these assignments as part of a funded project focused on converting more sections of high-enrollment foundational courses to use Open Educational Resources and Pedagogy.

Offsetting Carbon With Lemons: Adverse Selection And Certification In The Voluntary Carbon Market, Vahideh Manshadi, Faidra Monachou, Ilan Morgenstern

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

To meet voluntary climate targets, firms often complement internal decarbonization efforts by purchasing carbon credits in the voluntary carbon market (VCM), which finance projects that reduce emissions elsewhere. However, these emissions reductions are difficult to verify, and growing evidence of overcrediting has cast doubt on the VCM's potential to genuinely offset emissions. We investigate how the VCM's defining features shape its climate effectiveness. Our model captures three central elements: adverse selection, as high-quality projects that truly reduce emissions are costlier yet difficult to distinguish from low-quality ones; imperfect third-party certification, as projects are screened based on a noisy signal of …

Profiles Of Family Engagement In Head Start, Elizabeth Jane Tremaine

Dissertations and Theses

Families of young children are active participants in their child's transition to kindergarten. Head Start is designed to facilitate families' engagement in their child's learning experiences (Head Start Parent, Family, and Community Engagement Framework, 2018). This study explores family engagement in Head Start, its changes across the transition into kindergarten, and its relation to children's development of social-emotional and executive function skills.

The current study addresses limitations of previous research by relying on family perspectives of family engagement, approaching family engagement as a developmental concept, and taking a person-centered analytic approach that accounts for the multi-dimensionality of family engagement. This …

Acceptance Of Shared Autonomous Vehicles: Exploring The Attitudes And Perspectives Of Older Adults, Sara Sohaee Urbina

Dissertations and Theses

The fast development of autonomous vehicle systems will create major changes in how people move around. Previous research shows that these technologies can benefit older people who struggle with mobility, safety and access to transportation. Shared Autonomous Vehicles (SAVs) enable older people to achieve self-reliance while obtaining essential services which enhance their quality of living. The successful deployment of SAVs requires users to accept this new technology which they must also be willing to use. This research study investigates which elements affect older adults to adopt SAVs by using an extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) framework.

The research design of …

Racism In The Science And Practice Of Psychotherapy, Richard E. Redding, Craig L. Frisby

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

We discuss a recent controversy that occurred in The Cognitive Behavioural Therapist over whether Lilienfeld’s critical views on microaggressions theory and research reflect racist beliefs, as alleged by some. This is one of many recent examples of a profoundly antiscientific practice whereby racism allegations chill scientific debate and open inquiry on important research issues. This produces an overtly politicized science that has a corrosive effect on scientific progress and ultimately the useful application of research in clinical practice. The microaggressions controversy provides an especially useful vehicle for challenging this state of affairs given the widespread application of microaggressions theory, including …

The Employment Situation Of Veterans: May 2026, Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

The May 2026 employment report highlights improving labor conditions for U.S. veterans, with unemployment declining from 3.6% in April to 3.2% in May..pdf) Despite this progress, Post-9/11 veterans experienced a slight increase to 4.1%. Younger veterans continue to face higher unemployment rates than their nonveteran peers, while older veterans maintain relatively low rates. Long-term unemployment remains a concern, with over half of unemployed veterans out of work for 15 weeks or more. Unemployment decreased across most demographic groups, including women and minority veterans, often falling below nonveteran rates, indicating gradual but uneven improvement in veterans’ employment outcomes nationwide.

Panel Discussion: Recognizing Research Data In Tenure & Promotion: Turning Policy Principles Into Practice, John Chodacki, Kristi Holmes, Sean Mooney, Su Nee Goh

FORCE 2026

Despite growing attention to open science and data sharing, most institutional reporting processes as well as assessment guidelines (e.g. for tenure and promotion) still fail to recognize research data as a first-class scholarly output. This gap hinders progress in open data practices and efforts to make research outputs more open, reusable, and reproducible.

This session builds on the work of the Implementing Data Evaluation in Academia initiative, which has developed a maturity model for data evaluation at institutions, template policy language for data recognition, and case studies from early-adopter universities. The panel will bring perspectives from institutions at varying stages …

Asian Open Research Data And Its Potential For Ai: Bridging The Digital Divide Through Strategic Data Sharing, Mark Hahnel, Simon Porter

FORCE 2026

The growing momentum for open research data in Asia intersects with global advances in artificial intelligence (AI). Open data policies and infrastructures are increasingly recognized as critical enablers of research equity, reproducibility, and innovation. This talk examines the current state of open academic data, highlights economic and scientific arguments for its adoption, and explores the transformative potential of Asian open data ecosystems in powering AI-driven discovery. Drawing on global examples such as the Protein Data Bank and emerging health datasets, the discussion positions Asian institutions to leverage open strategies that simultaneously meet compliance mandates, enhance visibility, and accelerate breakthroughs in …

Assessment Beyond Transactions: Measuring Library Impact In Knowledge Synthesis And Research Support, Shameem Nilofar Maideen

FORCE 2026

As newer forms of research assessment emerge that move away from narrow bibliometric indicators toward holistic evaluation of scholarly contributions, academic libraries face both an opportunity and a challenge to articulate their value beyond transactional metrics. Traditional library assessments such as circulation statistics, database logins, and reference transactions fail to capture libraries' increasingly sophisticated roles in knowledge synthesis, research integrity support, and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration.

This session explores emerging and possible assessment methodologies that align library evaluation with broader research assessment reform movements. Through examples from Singapore Management University Libraries' transformation toward knowledge partnership models and an analysis of innovative …

Diamond Open Access Journals In India: Status, Sustainability And Challenges, Mallikarjun Dora, Kanagasabai K, Raj Kishor Kampa

FORCE 2026

Open-access publishing has transformed scholarly communication in recent decades. The share of OA articles between 2014 and 2024 increased by 26%, from a modest 14% in 2014 to 40% in 2024. OA journals have evolved over time and exist in various models based on funding mechanisms, including the Gold, Green, Hybrid, and Diamond models. While OA publishing emerged in response to scientific inequality, middle- and low-income countries face the barrier of high Article Processing Charges (APC), which hinder them from publishing in those journals (Alperin, 2022). The Article Processing Charges are part of the Gold and Hybrid OA models, where …

Oxa: An Open Exchange Architecture For Modular And Computational Scientific Content, Nokome Bentley, Rowan Cockett, Tracy Teal

FORCE 2026

Scientific communication remains bound by legacy formats designed for print, even as research itself has become computational, collaborative, and continuous. The Open Exchange Architecture (OXA, https://oxa.dev), is a community-driven schema and specification for representing scientific documents as structured, interoperable JSON. Developed in collaboration/participation with projects such as Jupyter, MyST, Stencila, Curvenote, Posit (Quarto), openRxiv, PLOS, eLife, Octopus, Creative Common, and the Continuous Science Foundation, OXA defines typed, linkable nodes (text, math, code, figures, metadata) that together form a shared “bedrock” for interoperable, modular, machine-readable, and executable research.

OXA allows for the exchange of scientific content across authoring environments (MyST …

[2026 Honorable Mention] Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary, Daylyn R. Reese

Ethnic Studies Research Paper Award

This research offers unique insights into the creation and development of the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary (N.M.S.) with a focus on indigenous populations’ roles (primarily Chumash and Costanoan). In this episode, I analyze what makes this NMS different from every NMS precluding it, how it recognizes a new goal in conservation (thrivability), and the areas in which improvements still must be made to authentically include and honor indigenous voices.

Archiving In Advance Of Mission Completion, Molly Stothert-Maurer

Journal of Western Archives

This paper presents a detailed case study of the born-digital archiving efforts associated with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security–Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) Asteroid Sample Return Mission at the University of Arizona Libraries Special Collections. From the perspective of an archivist, the project exemplifies the integration of digital archiving into an active scientific mission, conducted in collaboration with multiple departments across the university. By preserving mission-critical content, including project management documents, social media interactions, and web content, this initiative serves as a model for resource light digital products utilizing batch descriptive techniques. The paper …

Enhancing Digital Literacy Programmes For Advanced Search Skills Of Adult Public Library Patrons, Santel Smit Ms., Nikiwe G. Momoti Dr

Urban Library Journal

Digital literacy enables individuals to confidently engage with electronic devices and digital resources. While many adults use these tools to search for information, some still lack the essential skills to do so effectively. This pragmatic paper investigates the basic digital literacy skills of adult patrons at Adriaanse Public Library in Cape Town. Framed by SCONUL Seven Pillars of Information Literacy through a Digital Literacy “lens”, we employed a sequential mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative pre- and post-tests with qualitative interviews among 30 purposively selected participants. Quantitative data was analyzed statistically while thematic analysis was used for qualitative data. The findings revealed …