Digital Commons Network^™

Carolyn Smith V. City Of Philadelphia

2026 Decisions

USDC for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania

Justin Dynlacht V. Ralph Laughingwell

2026 Decisions

USDC for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania

Hayden Holdings Ltd V. Fidelity National Title Insurance Co

2026 Decisions

USDC for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania

Georgia Thompson-El V. Green Brook Township

2026 Decisions

USDC for the District of New Jersey

Wascar Reyes V. Attorney General United States Of America

2026 Decisions

Agency

Application Of Machine Learning To Discover Dynamical Structures In 4d Poincaré Maps In The Circular Restricted Three-Body Problem, Kevin M. Trigg, Daniel J. Broyles, Robert A. Bettinger, Tyler J. Kapolka

Faculty Publications

The spatial Circular Restricted Three-Body Problem (CR3BP) produces complex orbital dynamics that are difficult to classify at scale using traditional, manual Poincaré map analysis. A Poincaré map simplifies continuous orbital motion by recording the points where a trajectory intersects a chosen surface in phase space, converting a continuous path into a discrete set of crossings that reveal underlying topological structure. These crossings make it easier to characterize trajectory behavior, but interpreting them visually becomes impractical for large datasets and as Poincaré maps evolve from two into four dimensions. To address this challenge, an unsupervised clustering pipeline for discovering dynamical structures …

2026-09-17 Pac-26 Revised Draft, Morehead State University. Faculty Senate.

Faculty Senate Records

Revised draft of PAC-26 submitted to the Faculty Senate on September 17, 2026.

2026-09-17 Pac-3 First Reading, Morehead State University. Faculty Senate.

Faculty Senate Records

First reading of the PAc-3 revision as submitted to Faculty Senate on September 17, 2026.

2026-09-17 Tenure Committee Description - First Reading, Morehead State University. Faculty Senate.

Faculty Senate Records

First reading of the revised Tenure Committee Description submitted to Faculty Senate on September 17, 2026.

2026-09-17 Report From Governance Committee, Morehead State University. Faculty Senate.

Faculty Senate Records

Report submitted by the Governance Committee to the Faculty Senate on September 17, 2026.

The Resurrection And The Death Of Naturalism: A Philosophical And Historical Defense Of A Supernatural Event, Michael A. Youngwood

Masters Theses

This thesis evaluates the resurrection of Jesus as a historical hypothesis within a comparative historiographical framework. Rather than presupposing either naturalism or supernaturalism, the study distinguishes metaphysical commitments from historical methodology and evaluates competing explanations according to consistent criteria derived principally from C. Behan McCullagh’s account of historical explanation. After establishing the historical phenomena requiring explanation, the study examines several principal naturalistic hypotheses, including hallucination, legendary development, apparent death, and conspiracy, before evaluating the resurrection hypothesis according to the same standards. The analysis considers explanatory scope, explanatory power, plausibility, coherence, consistency with background knowledge, and freedom from ad hoc assumptions. …

A New Understanding Of The Tension Between Evil And Divine Greatness: An Application Of Existential Ontology To Christian Apologetics, William A. Blea

Masters Theses

This thesis is an examination of the potential integration of existential ontology into classical Christian apologetics. Pulling from philosophers like Nietache, Kierkegaard, and Heidegger to construct a framework that understands greatness as the overcoming of a being's context and evil as the relational, moral, and cosmic opposition to the order established by the divine Logos. This framework then allows for an identification of Christus Victor as God’s decisive response to evil. This thesis argues that a properly integrated framework may work to collapse the problem of evil from its metaphysical foundation: the contradiction between God's greatness and the existence of …

Semiotic Breakdown In Disaster Evacuation Signage For International Tourists, Mario Christopher Fimbrez

Masters Theses

Japan’s disaster evacuation signage systems are highly standardized and widely regarded as effective for the domestic population, who operate within a shared cultural framework shaped by years of earthquake drills, formal disaster education, and a common visual vocabulary for risk and evacuation. In coastal cities like Kamakura, however, the audience composition has changed significantly, with millions of international visitors now navigating these spaces each year without the disaster literacy or cultural familiarity that the existing signage was designed to assume. When those shared assumptions about urgency, symbolism, and environmental threat are absent, the communicative force of the system can be …

Guide To The Shallon Winery Collection, Linfield University Archives

Linfield Archives Finding Aids

This collection contains insight into the life and winery of Paul van der Veldt. The collection partially focuses on his winery Shallon Wine and his achievements. This includes newspaper articles about his endeavors, packaged wine labels for his own wine, and several designs for wine labels. The collection also holds a lot of personal items such as photos of himself and older photos of his mother and her family. There are also multiple items related to wine found in this collection: an assortment of wine glasses, multiple bottles of wine, some of which were Paul’s own creation such as the …

The Correlation Of Information-Seeking Traits With Perceptions Of Artificial Intelligence Output To Ill-Defined Problems, Joel Bouchard

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a new class of technological tool whose innovation exists in its ability to engage in reciprocal, socially fluent, undetermined response generation. How individuals come to trust such responses, especially as it regards classes of problems previously unavailable to programmed computational responses, is a question of importance. Prior research has addressed motivational dispositions towards epistemic decision-making, but work examining the relationship between these traits and perceptions of AI output in epistemically ambiguous circumstances is limited. The current study aimed to address this gap by exploring how trait curiosity and need for cognitive closure (NFCC) relate …

Beyond Transformational Leadership: The Moderating Role Of Leader Hexaco Personality Traits In Fostering Psychological Safety In Law Enforcement, Daniel Q. Lentz

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Law enforcement agencies struggle to recruit and retain officers due to lack of public support, criticism, and declining well-being, which raises stress levels. While operational stress affects officers, organizational stress is more damaging. Transformational leadership can help create a psychologically safe work environment, but research on this link is limited and mixed. This study examined how each HEXACO personality trait (Honesty-Humility, Emotionality, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Openness) moderates this relationship, drawing on social exchange and attribution theories. Conducted in U.S. law enforcement agencies, a survey assessed officers' perceptions of their leader’s transformational style, HEXACO traits, and psychological safety. Moderation and mediation …

A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study Of A Principal’S Instructional Leadership: Cultivating And Increasing Meaningful Teacher Collaboration, Allen C. Craine

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand the lived instructional leadership experiences of urban middle school principals who attempt to cultivate and increase meaningful teacher collaboration at a school district in Northeast Georgia. The theory guiding this study is Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, which describes the work school principals perform to cultivate and increase meaningful teacher collaboration and serves as a blueprint for improving instruction through the collective efforts of educators. The central question of the research is: What are the lived instructional leadership experiences of urban middle school principals who attempt to cultivate and increase meaningful teacher …

Risk Factors Associated With Moderate And Severe Traumatic Brain Injury Mortality In Admitted Older Adults: A Retrospective, Single-Center Study At A Level Ii Trauma Center., Michael Sawyers, Katherine Graham, John Elliott, Jeff Hubartt

Trauma and Acute Care Articles

Purpose: Approximately one in four adults aged ≥65 years experiences a fall each year, and over one-third of these events require medical care. Older adults are at higher risk of complications because of comorbidities. Most prior studies have focused on incidence rather than outcomes, and few have evaluated the association between age and traumatic brain injury (TBI) mortality. This study assessed risk factors and risk-adjusted mortality and morbidity among older adults with moderate or severe TBI.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of data from a single-center trauma registry. Inclusion criteria were age ≥65 years, admission ≥3 days (2019-2024), Abbreviated …

The Challenges Of Foster Parents And Foster Care Professionals Amid The Covid-19 Pandemic., Yaasmiyn Marcelle

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

It was not known how foster care parents and foster care professionals perceived the challenges they faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using family stress theory and the Double ABC-X framework, the purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how foster care parents and foster care professionals perceived the challenges they faced during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Northeast region of the U.S. Thirteen participants were purposively sampled, including eight foster parents and five foster care professionals from New York, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. Interview data were collected from semi-structured interviews, a focus group, and an open-ended questionnaire. Four main …

The Relationship Between Resiliency Scores And Nurse Educators Intent To Stay In Academia: A Predictive Correlational Study, Michele Lee Blash

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A shortage of both clinical nurses and nursing educators exists. These shortages have a multitude of impacts on the field of nursing, both at the bedside and in academia. The shortage of clinical nurses impacts the number of nurses available to provide quality patient care. The shortage of nursing educators can impact the number of students accepted into nursing programs and, in turn, the number of new nurses available to provide direct care to patients. The purpose of this quantitative non-experimental predictive correlational design study was to examine how the resiliency of nursing educators impacts their intent to stay in …

A Quantitative Content Analysis Of Major United States-Based Religious Organizations' Framing Of Mask-Wearing On X (Formerly Twitter) During Covid-19, Michael J. Farzinpour

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative content analysis was to examine how major U.S.-based religious organizations framed mask-wearing on X (formerly Twitter) during the COVID-19 pandemic and whether identifiable framing cues were associated with observable audience engagement. Grounded in framing theory and prospect theory, the study analyzed publicly available tweets posted by 14 nationally prominent U.S. megachurches and affiliated public-facing organizational representatives between March 2020 and December 2022. The final sample consisted of 1,288 tweets. Tweets were coded for gain- and loss-framed valence-framing cues, compliance- and resistance-oriented frame-orientation cues, and engagement outcomes measured through publicly visible likes, comments, and retweets. Because …

Belonging, Spirituality, And Online Student Satisfaction: A Quantitative Study, Kimberly Diana Ramona King

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The growth of online education has transformed higher education by increasing flexibility and accessibility while introducing challenges related to belonging, engagement, and student satisfaction. Research demonstrates that students’ sense of belonging, a fundamental human need for connection and inclusion, is critical to engagement and persistence. Grounded in the community of inquiry (CoI) framework and social presence theory (SPT), this quantitative, cross-sectional correlational study examined the relationship between belonging (X) and student satisfaction in online learning (Y), with spirituality (M₁) as a mediating variable. The study used a convenience sample of 155 graduate students and alumni (age 21 or older) who …

An Analysis Of The Relationship Between Family Dynamics And Juvenile Delinquency: A Qualitative Case Study With Probation Officers, Sevoca Glass Jr.

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Beqo et al. (2017) discuss the correlation between juvenile delinquency and upbringing in dysfunctional and fragmented homes. The point of this study is to investigate the link between family structure and dynamics while also figuring out how likely it is that someone will commit a crime (Mwangangi, 2019). Large amounts of empirical research have clearly shown that teens who grow up in bad homes are more likely to become juvenile offenders than their peers who grow up in loving homes. The main aim of this qualitative case study is to examine the views of federal probation officials regarding the possible …

The Title Of The Dissertation: How African American Males Overcame Challenges To Persist At A Predominantly White Institution In The South: A Phenomenological Study, Kattie Jones-Gore

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of African American males who graduate from a predominantly White institution (PWI) in the South. The theory guiding the study is Vincent Tinto’s dropout theory. The dropout theory suggests students will persist in graduation if they are academically and socially integrated in the college environment. The central research question in the study was: What were the lived experiences of African American males who persisted to graduation from a predominantly White institution in the South? Purposeful snowball sampling was utilized to obtain 10 African American male participants who …

Re-Education On Chlorhexidine (Chg) Bathing Protocol Affects Patient Chg Bathing Compliance And Surgical Site Infection (Ssi) Rates, Mary Samantha Ross

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Surgical site infections (SSI) are considered a hospital-acquired infection, leading to increased hospital length of stay (LOS), readmission rates, increased cost, morbidity, mortality rates, and poor postoperative outcomes. The literature review demonstrated the benefits of preoperative Chlorhexidine (CHG) bathing, but called for standardized protocols, improved education, and patient compliance. Research and clinical experience supported the need for improved patient compliance with CHG bathing. Consistent SSI rates even after protocol changes called for re-education of nursing staff in addition to addressing patient compliance issues. Therefore, providing re-education on the updated protocol, which addresses patient compliance issues, can lead to a reduction …

The Effects Of Elementary Music Scheduling And Vertical Alignment On First-Year Middle School Ensemble Readiness: A Study Of Music Teacher Perceptions, James Mock

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Students entering middle school encounter many changes in how music is taught and organized. During this transition, music students are introduced to a greater emphasis on ensemble performance. These students enter middle school with diverse backgrounds in musical training and knowledge. Additional factors affecting students’ musical development include funding, socioeconomic background, and demographics. Elementary music scheduling and program vertical alignment may also influence students’ preparedness as they enter middle school. To become highly successful in music ensemble performance, students must have appropriate prior musical training before entering middle school.

This qualitative study will examine how elementary music schedules and vertical …

The Impact Of Direct Democracy On Policy Formation, Tricia Smith

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

As political polarization and distrust in elected representatives increases in American politics, voters are turning to direct democracy as a mechanism to drive policy making. Proponents of both legislative mechanisms and the use of direct democracy argue that their means of policy making is the most democratic. The Founding Fathers chose a representative system to limit the influence of faction and try and prevent Tocqueville’s tyranny of the majority. This study examines both direct democracy and legislative outcomes at the state level through the lens of adult use cannabis sales policy. Adult use cannabis sales were first legalized in the …

Employees With Disabilities: Determining If Servant Leadership Moderates The Relationship Between Accommodations And Job Performance, Rachael E. Stout

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Over 11% of working-age adults have a disability in the United States. In 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act established accommodations as the gold standard to help disabled individuals perform at work. The purpose of this quantitative quasi-experimental study was to evaluate the moderating effect of servant leadership on the relationship between accommodation support and job performance across different types of disabilities. This study used a cross-sectional online survey with NSHD disability types, the servant leadership SLQ-7, a question about the effectiveness of accommodation support, and the IWPQ for job performance. Survey responses were collected anonymously from 248 disabled workers …

The Predictability Gap: A Correlation Study Of Supporting Pillars And Repertoire Success In Abrsm Practical And Performance Grades Piano Examinations, Arthur Chit-Ho Ng

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study investigated the structural predictability trajectories within the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) graded piano framework. Utilizing an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, the project analyzed a longitudinal dataset (N = 449) to investigate variance in student achievement and the emergence of developmental plateaus, conceptually identified as the “Reading Wall.” Quantitative modeling revealed distinct structural divergences within the syllabus architecture: the traditional Practical Grades maintained a stable correlational signal between technical components and outcomes (r = .826 at Grade 7), whereas the digital Performance Grades yielded a non-significant association (p = .355). Furthermore, Grade 5 Music …

Exploring The Lived Experiences Of Female College Athletes: A Phenomenological Study On Power Dynamics, Title Ix Noncompliance, And The Need For Policy Reform, Keri A. Miles

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand experiences with power dynamics and Title IX noncompliance for female college athletes at public and private colleges and universities across the United States. At this stage in the research, lived experiences about power dynamics were generally defined as the lived experiences of female college athletes as they navigated the power structures, Title IX noncompliance, and policies within their athletic programs. The theory guiding this study was Critical Policy Analysis as it emphasized the social context in which policies are created by considering Title IX’s implications on women in college sports. The …