Digital Commons Network^™

“They Act Like We Are Going To Heaven”: Pre-Arrival Information Experiences, Information Crafting And Settlement Of Immigrants In Canada, Nafiz Z. Shuva

Publications and Research

Purpose

Although there is a growing body of work on immigrants' information behavior, little is known about the pre-arrival information experiences of immigrants who consult formal information sources such as immigration agents. Drawn from a larger study on the information behavior of immigrants, this paper mainly reports the semi-structured interview findings on the pre-arrival information experiences of Bangladeshi immigrants who used formal information sources with discussion on how that affected their post-arrival settlement into Canada.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used a mixed method approach with semi-structured interviews (n = 60) and surveys (n = 205) with participants who arrived in Canada …

When ‘Non-Instructional’ Librarians Teach: Navigating Faculty Status And Teaching Portfolios, Cailean Cooney, Wanett I. Clyde, Kel R. Karpinski, Junior R. Tidal, Nanette Johnson

Publications and Research

This article shares individual and collective experiences from five faculty ranked librarians with roles outside of formal instruction who are employed at an academic institution in the United States, and their approach to developing and embracing a teacher identity in the context of their professional trajectory. The article explores how the authors prepared to be evaluated against traditional classroom teaching for promotion by forming a cohort-based group to support “noninstructional” librarians to create a teaching portfolio, and how they approached teaching from liminal and, at times, tenuous positions and career stages. Authors conclude that the process challenged and expanded their …

Emotional Labor In Front-Facing Jobs In University Settings, Khushboo Jain

Student Theses and Dissertations

This research aims to investigate how employees in front-facing/public-oriented positions engage in and experience the effects of emotional labor. Emotional labor is the unpaid, frequently unseen work a person must perform to manage their emotions for other people (Resnick, 2021). This kind of labor can manifest in multiple settings such as the workplace and interpersonal relationships. Emotional labor is often a problem in organizations because there is more focus on how the employee is representing them in customer interactions than the employee’s well-being. During face-to-face or voice-to-voice interactions with customers, employees are required to express proper emotions as a job …

Green Is The New Black: Exploring How A Philosophical Approach To The Fashion Industry Will Reduce Its Environmental Impact, Darion A. Gibbs

Student Theses and Dissertations

The fashion industry is the third largest contributor to pollution globally, behind only oil and agriculture. It also accounts for one-fifth of the plastic produced annually. Despite its impact, it is hard to trace accountability. For example, mega-retailers often outsource production to developing countries, without strong structures of accountability for their environmental impact. In addition, companies often claim to be environmentally sustainable, but it is easy to inflate the truth, and entities designed to protect consumers have limited enforcement. In this context, who should be held responsible for the fashion industry’s contribution to climate change?

In response, this thesis delves …

Ceo Narcissism: An Unconventional Approach To Understanding The Importance Of Further Research, Melissa Goldsmith

Student Theses and Dissertations

CEOs are in a unique position of power and can significantly change an organization's overall work culture, global financial standing, policies/governance, and reputation. As such, the CEO must exemplify good stewardship, implement sound strategies to communicate effectively with internal and external stakeholders, consider different perspectives, and maintain respect for others' skill sets and expertise. For decades, corporations have focused on this ideal picture of leadership. It is essential to understand how the leadership traits once venerated have changed to include the darker side of a CEO's personality, specifically, the embodiment of narcissistic traits that prove detrimental to the organization's performance …

Creating Space For Black Queer Narratives: A Conversation Between Nella Larsen And James Baldwin, Trinity L. Hollis

Student Theses and Dissertations

My project seeks to use the fiction of James Baldwin and Nella Larsen to understand how queerness interacts with race, namely Black identity. I’m guided by Black feminist thought to consider themes of intersectionality, the notion that all aspects of identity are experienced simultaneously. This thesis makes an effort not to alienate one identity from another; the literature that I’m close reading is proof that Blackness and queerness inform each other.

How Black Artists Are Helping To Destigmatize Mental Health Through Music, Ashley Reed

Capstones

Recent studies show that there are still stigmas and barriers preventing Black people from seeking and receiving mental health treatment. Music has historically been used as a safe outlet for Black artists to express both their internal and external struggles while also providing a space for Black listeners to address their own. In recent years, more Black musical artists are opening up about their mental health struggles through their music in hopes to help destigmatize mental health treatment in Black communities.

Hoops Recruitment: Can Nyc Regain Glory Days With “Theprogramnyc”?, Christian I. Nazario

Capstones

TheProgramNYC is looking to revitalize the Basketball scene in New York City. Founders Jared Effron and Griffin Taylor grew up together as friends and saw the failures of the New York Knicks in the nineties. Effron and Taylor made it there goal to train the youth in order to recreate thew New York Basketball scene.The article details some history of New York City Basketball.

New York’S Unclear Evacuation Plans Have Rockaway Feeling Abandoned, Michael Matteo

Capstones

This project examines the emergency messaging New York City provides in event of a major coastal storm and mandated evacuation. In the Rockaways, a part of NYC hit hardest by Hurricane Sandy, some members of the community find the information lacking and feel there's no real plan to evacuate them in an emergency. This growing rift between what the community feels it needs and what the city provides is interrogated, especially as climate change increases the risk of another life-altering storm coming to New York City.

Link to capstone project: https://medium.com/@michael.matteo00/new-yorks-unclear-evacuation-plans-have-rockaway-feeling-abandoned-d652bb060c91

Short Documentary: "Masha, Where Is Your Home?", Anastasiia Bilous

Capstones

Life post-invasion and we are on a happiness search – Post-war life – and we are on a happiness search.

Anna and Masha, a 31-year-old mother and her very mobile 3-year-old daughter left their beloved Ukraine 30 days after the Russian invasion with one goal — protect Masha (and if possible, also her childhood). They left their whole world, grandparets, extended family, a vast social network of friends, former classmates and colleagues – carrying only two napsacks and a suitcase. Fortunately they have an American sponsor in Florida, who at 70 years of age might be an opportunistic lech. Iinternationally …

Postpartum Depression Speaks Out: Encouraging The Creation And/Or Improvement Of Postpartum Depression Resources Through First-Person Audio Interviews., Zakiyyah N. Woods

Capstones

For my practicum I conducted audio interviews with mothers with a history of postpartum depression and shared portions of their stories on an online platform. The goal: for community leaders to hear the stories and become inspired to create or improve postpartum depression resources for their community-at-large. Also, for families dealing with postpartum depression to feel less alone through hearing the voices of others who have gone through the same as themselves and become encouraged to speak up and seek help from resources that are available to them.

Don't Look Away, Joseph V. Lingad

Capstones

Don’t Look Away follows 35-year-old Corey who has lived with a facial difference as long as he can remember. He wants to find love, he wants to move out of his childhood home, he wants to get his first book published and he'd love to get a job writing for the WWE (World Wide Wrestling Federation). Don’t Look Away explores how his unique look has affected his ability to live “a normal life” and challenges viewers not to judge a book by its cover.

For The Love Of Culture, Shanaé Harte

Capstones

‘For the Love of Culture’ explores the lives of people who moved to America from the Caribbean or have immigrant roots, but use different methods to preserve their cultures from their homes. These stories will be told by immigrants and family members of immigrants.

https://shanaeharte.wixsite.com/website/capstone-project

A Silent New Threat To The Trans Community: The Unregulated Use Of Ai Without Public Consent Raises Ethical Concerns, Eduardo Salazar Uribe

Capstones

Abstract:

The unregulated use of artificial intelligence (AI) without public consent has raised ethical concerns, particularly affecting marginalized communities such as transgender individuals. This project, based on interviews with 34 transgender people, explores the impact of AI on historically marginalized minorities, emphasizing the urgent need for an ethical and legal framework. This research reveals instances of discrimination and challenges faced by transgender individuals at various stages, from border control to airport security, highlighting the limitations and biases of AI in recognizing diverse gender identities. Trans rights activists, and AI experts remark the importance of inclusivity in AI development and regulation. …

Understanding And Navigating Asylum In Nyc, Divya Murthy

Capstones

Between September 2022 and December 2023, I worked with the community of grassroots volunteers and organizations in New York helping alleviate the impact of the asylum-seeker crisis in the city. My work is a combination of reporting on the crisis through articles, video and audio as well as an application of engagement journalism techniques, like callouts, joining community groups and sustained conversations with community members.

Link: https://medium.com/@divyamurthy/understanding-and-navigating-asylum-in-nyc-646ab96d0ac1

College Senate Minutes December 14, 2023, Bronx Community College Senate

BCC Governance Archives

Minutes for the meeting of the College Senate on December 14, 2023.

Maui Wildfires: A Case Study In Local Government Crisis Communication Response, Joshua A. Voda

Student Theses and Dissertations

When wildfires swept through the island of Maui in Hawai‘i in August 2023, the communities of Olinda, Kula and especially Lahaina were devastated. Thousands of people were displaced, and nearly 100 people were lost. Just like the speed at which the fiery winds consumed these towns, accusations of emergency mismanagement and a host of misinformation spread by word of mouth and online. The primary local government authority for these communities is the County of Maui, currently led by Mayor Richard Bissen. This case study examines the first month of communication from the County of Maui to the affected communities via …

Embodying Compassion: Striving Towards Sensitivity, Inclusion And Synergy, Arva N. Anees

Student Theses and Dissertations

Inspired by the author's experience as the sole Muslim woman in a company of over 100 employees, the capstone project addresses the observed lack of prioritization for minority inclusion in the workplace. The capstone project outlined aims to address this issue by developing a cultural sensitivity and inclusion workshop that surpasses superficial efforts and encourages participants to internally reflect on their daily workplace interactions. The workshop, designed with an experiential approach lasting 1.5-2 hours, seeks to foster practical knowledge and instigate changes towards a more inclusive, equitable, and diverse working environment. Emphasizing increased awareness, engagement in reflective and collaborative activities, …

The Pima County Jail In A “State Of Full-Blown Crisis”: Inmate Deaths Four Times The National Average, Natalie Robbins

Capstones

Last year, 12 inmates died in custody at the Pima County Jail in Tucson, Arizona. With a 10-year average jail population of 1,827, that is a per capita rate of 656.8 deaths per 100,000 inmates.

According to the most recent data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the 2019 national local jail mortality rate was 167 deaths for every 100,000 inmates, making the Pima County Jail’s 2022 per capita death rate nearly four times as high as the national average in 2019.

In a December 2022 memo to the Pima County Board of Supervisors, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos wrote …

Exodus: The Cost Of Leaving High-Control Religion And Life After Breaking Free, Hannah-Kathryn Valles

Capstones

There are many names for those who leave their faith community—apostate, heretic, dissenter. While there is no singular path to parting with one’s religious beliefs, the experience can be fraught and intensely painful. For those in high-control religious environments, the price of leaving is even steeper.

When identity, social connections, finances, and family structures are dependent on conforming to strict religious and ideological norms, the decision to leave can have far-reaching consequences. For those who do make the bold decision to leave, it’s hardly the end of the road. In many ways, leaving is just the first step toward finding …

Neurodivergent Artists In Nyc, Brianna R. Poulos

Capstones

Workplaces, classrooms, and creative studios are just a few examples of everyday spaces that are largely designed with neurotypical norms in mind. Creating, sharing, and funding a creative vision is difficult for any artist, but these struggles are amplified for artists with intellectual disabilities who may have been overlooked or not given the same opportunities.

Over the last 18 months, journalist Brianna Rebecca Poulos has worked with neurodivergent artists in New York City and non-profits already working to serve this community of creatives. Brianna created a landing page to help neurodivergent artists in New York City access important information about …

The Backdoor Lobby: Israel Interest Groups And Middle East Policy, Andrew Ancheta

Capstones

The 2023 Gaza war brought new focus to the special relationship between the United States and Israel. While the scale of direct support for the Israeli military is well-known, there has been less attention on less direct ties, such as those between U.S. nonprofits and settlement organizations, or the use of generous gift travel as a form of lobbying. This project consists of three Op-Ed articles on these aspects of the Israel lobby and its effects on U.S. politics, supported by photography and data research.

Archiving A Generation: Filipino Artists And Cultural Workers In Queens, Kimberly Izar

Capstones

While census data shows roughly 86,000 Filipinos live in New York City, data on Filipino artists has been sparse. Art is an expression of one’s being and more often than not, broader social resistance — but it’s also work that has left artists criminalized, ostracized, and even killed.

Over the last year, journalist Kimberly Izar collaborated with Filipino artists and cultural workers across Queens. Queens boasts the largest population of Filipinos compared to any other borough, but this enclave has gradually declined in numbers due to waves of gentrification and migration. Through in-depth coverage and a mix of engagement tools …

Nyc Students And Mental Health, Ashlee B. Brown

Capstones

Mental health and trauma is affecting students in NYC schools; yet according to New York State comptroller Thomas DiNapoli’s report, schools are not equipped to provide them with the support they need. For my practicum, I created three videos that all have one thing in common - NYC public school students and their mental health. Two videos feature DOE officials, and one features community members and a therapist. The videos were shared with community members and DOE officials upon completion.

Link to project (medium post): https://medium.com/@ashlee.brown76/nyc-students-and-mental-health-f50c4f1d0b81

Building Bridges In The Bronx, Hari Adivarekar

Capstones

Exploring information and advocacy needs in The South Bronx.

The Bronx is one of the most poorest districts in the whole country. It is also severely neglected by city agencies compared to other boroughs in New York City. Often Bronxites are left to fend for themselves. But they never crumble in this crucible of music and culture.

My project used performance and cultural education to connect with South Bronx communities and understand their advocacy needs. This was executed through a multi-pronged approach, done in collaboration with The Bronx Music Heritage Center. and their parent organization, WHEDCO (Women's Housing and Economic …

The Next Phase Of Public Health: Innovations From The Private Sector To Build Health Equity, Collaborations, And Resilience, Susan Garfield, Amy S. White, Frances Garfield, Rick B. Siegrist, Natasha Eslami

Publications and Research

The Covid-19 pandemic highlighted foundational challenges in managing the public's health and the persistent health inequities in our communities. Within the private sector, companies witnessed how adverse health events impact the economy at large, their employees, and their customers. As a result, many companies have begun to see that they have a critical role in improving the long-term well-being of the communities in which they work and how health equity can build resilience. This recognition has driven many to action. Either on their own or in collaboration with established public health players, companies are deploying private sector points of view …

“Once That Ball Goes Flat, What Are You Gonna Do?” How Being A Student-Athlete Uniquely Affects Black Men, Amaya S. Mcdonald

Capstones

With less experience in the world outside of sports as compared to their non-athlete peers, student-athletes are often left to find careers in other fields where they may be unprepared after college.This trend disproportionately affects Black male college-athletes, who make up a majority of the student-athletes on revenue sports teams, like basketball and football, which generate billions of dollars for academic institutions.

Interviews with former student-athletes, activists and educators reveal the source of this disparity and how the student-athlete role can affect a student's college experience, their own self-perception and their transition into a life without sports post-graduation. https://medium.com/@amayamcd24/once-that-ball-goes-flat-what-are-you-gonna-do-1f0baaa14cf4

The False Promise That Guilt-Free Flying Is Just Around The Corner, Amanda Braitman

Capstones

Airlines are spending big bucks advertising “sustainable aviation fuel,” but some experts say it's greenwashing.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/19ZejyJBgPGgleNXOWrHXKGF5WI1poQ8OyxSKg8PBNZI/edit?usp=sharing

Shaping An Inclusive Lis Workforce: Insights From Information Professionals, Rajesh Singh

Urban Library Journal

This study investigates how information professionals deliver culturally sensitive services, their experiences in serving patrons from diverse cultural backgrounds, their self-perceived intercultural skills, and their views on addressing cross-cultural challenges in the workplace. The sample, comprised of 125 information professionals representing a range of organizations, including libraries, museums, and archives, reveals a noticeable trend in their perceptions regarding their ability to provide culturally responsive services and their cultural competence skills. These perceptions are significantly influenced by their participation in cultural competence-related educational programs and academic preparation for cross-cultural work. The research findings provide fresh insights into the integration of diversity, …

Teaching Engineering Design-Based Integrated Stem In Rural Contexts: Nurturing Future Designers, Jung Han, Euisuk Sung, Todd Kelley, John Geoffrey Knowles

Publications and Research

There is a notable shift towards prioritizing the teaching of engineering design within K-12 education, coupled with a strong recommendation for engineering design-based integrated STEM education. This approach underscores the sharing of science and engineering practices as a means to facilitate the learning of various STEM disciplines. Nonetheless, the implementation of integrated STEM education in rural schools poses challenges due to constrained resources and a shortage of high-quality programs. To present a tangible instance of design-based integrated STEM education within a rural setting, this study presents a model lesson that showcases the integration of interdisciplinary problem-solving skills within a genuine …