Digital Commons Network^™

The Importance Of An Onboarding Process For Librarian Success, Sonali Sugrim

Publications and Research

Starting a new job comes with its unique challenges. New librarians are expected to develop an understanding of their roles, often with no guidance. For assorted reasons, including staffing, time, and lack of planning, many libraries do not have an onboarding process. This article explores from a librarian’s perspective the key ingredients needed when starting a new job in this hybrid environment, with a focus on the importance of an onboarding process that prioritizes effective communication, documentation of institutional knowledge, and the long-term success of librarians. This article is a call for library leadership to do more to ensure librarians …

Lecture Notes On Cloud Computing (Ver. Summer 2023), Jun Li

Open Educational Resources

No abstract provided.

Balanced Blended Space: Foundational Human–Ai Dialogues In A Symmetry-Based Mediation Framework, David Smith

Publications and Research

This working paper documents the early development of the Balanced Blended Space (BBS) framework through a series of iterative interactions between a cognitive agent (human researcher) and a computational agent (AI system) conducted in 2023. The work is motivated by the need for a universal theoretical model capable of describing the integration of physical, virtual, and conceptual spaces, particularly in response to increasing fragmentation across contemporary communication systems.

BBS is proposed as a symmetry-based mediation framework in which relationships between domains—such as physical and virtual space, cognition and computation, and multiple sensory modalities—are treated as structurally equivalent and mappable. Central …

Fake Italian: An 83% True Autobiography With Pseudonyms And Some Tall Tales [Book Review], George Guida

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Ecpse 711: Advanced Seminar In Childhood Special Education, Suna Kim

Open Educational Resources

In this course, candidates learn teaching and learning strategies within the context of the general education curriculum to individualize instruction and maximize grade-level content mastery for all learners. Candidates adapt and teach a curriculum unit grounded in the New York State Learning Standards designed to meet the individual needs of students with disabilities or struggling by modifying instruction, employing metacognitive, task-specific learning strategies, and utilizing instructional technology.

Incels, Violence, And Masculinity: How Masculinity And Membership To Online Communities Shape Perceptions Of Violence, Meghan Scarlott

Student Theses

As online involuntary celibate (incel) forms have grown, they have become dominated by violent and misogynistic rhetoric. There have also been instances of offline violence being motivated by incel ideology and anti-feminist beliefs. Past research has established a link between inceldom and violent rhetoric through analysis of incel forum posts and activity. However, comparisons between non-incels and incels regarding masculinity and violence have rarely been conducted. We used a survey design to compare incels and non-incels on three factors: support for violence, inceldom characteristics, and internalized masculinity. Consistent with prior research, incels held more negative views of women and feminism …

Decolonization Of Knowledge Production In African Societies: Contextual Analysis Of Language Of Instruction, Oluremi Alapo

Open Educational Resources

A discussion on knowledge independence or knowledge-production decolonization with the assumption that an epistemological base for knowledge creation exists in most African societies by drawing from indigenous praxis which includes language and history.

The background to this study highlighted the usage of colonial languages by post-colonial African Societies as the language of knowledge transfer in schools and educational institutions, to the neglect of the mother tongue and local language. This prevents an intellectual dislocation that negatively affects the identity, creativity, and works of learners.

The two major theories at the base of this paper are postcolonial theory and Lev Vygotsky’s …

Understanding Influenza Vaccine Hesitancy And Uptake Among U.S. Hispanic Adults During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Helen J. Arteaga

Dissertations and Theses

The health burden caused by seasonal flu is substantial in the general population and each season targeted efforts are needed to decrease the risk of flu illness, hospitalization, and death. Flu risks and the disease burden are disproportionately higher among Hispanic adults, yet little is known about the factors influencing flu vaccine hesitancy and uptake among this marginalized population. This cross-sectional quantitative study used national survey data from the Understanding America Study (UAS) and logistic regression to address three research aims. Aim 1 was to examine the most significant demographic factors associated with flu vaccine uptake among the Hispanic community. …

Lbsci 717: Digital Humanities, S E. Hackney

Open Educational Resources

This is a syllabus for a graduate-level introductory course on the Digital Humanities, primarily aimed at LIS students.

Bio 013: Writing In The Sciences - Human Origins, Esther Muehlbauer

Open Educational Resources

Bio. 013: Writing in the Sciences - Human Origins is an OER syllabus for a College Writing 2 course that develops student writing for different audiences, following the trajectory of how scientists work: Scientists Writing for themselves (a field journal); Scientists writing for other scientists (a review article); Scientists writing for society (an essay for Natural History Magazine).

Disparities In Violent Fatal Injury Among Racial And Ethnic Minorities, 2009–2019: A Portfolio Analysis Of United States—National Institutes Of Health, Maria-Isabel Roldós, Tilda Farhat, Marcia M. Gómez

Publications and Research

The excess mortality burden due to violent fatal injuries is an urgent public health issue for adolescents and young adults, especially those from racial and ethnic minority populations. We examined the research portfolio of the United States National Institutes of Health (NIH) related to violent fatal injuries between 2009 and 2019 to focus on adolescents and young adults from NIH-designated populations experiencing health disparities and to identify trends and research gaps. We analyzed funded projects by populations covered, geographic location of the study population, type of research (etiology, intervention, methodology), type of determinants, and publications generated. In 10 years, NIH …

Building A Pedagogy Of Idea Generation And Embodied Inquiry, Kate Joranson

Art History Pedagogy & Practice

What futures become possible when we center questions, inquiry, and affective responses in research processes? What does it mean to support encounters with new ideas? In this article, I explore non-extractive models of teaching and learning, sharing ways of making space for idea generation, an under-described part of research and creative practice. The coming-up-with-ideas part of creative and scholarly work can be challenging to articulate, share, and teach. What if we paused and stretched this part out, making it more visible? By browsing physical collections of books in community with one another, during “curated browsing” experiences, we give ourselves — …

Lcd 720: Teaching English Sound Structure, Dana Calvet

Open Educational Resources

This syllabus is part of a graduate teacher preparation program for English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). Students learn about phonetics and discuss methods and approaches for teaching English pronunciation in NYC schools to multilingual learners. They also discuss current issues related to teaching pronunciation in schools, such as accent bias, accepting multiple Englishes, and English language hegemony.

Network + Publication + Ecosystem: Curating Digital Pedagogy, Fostering Community, Rebecca Frost Davis, Matthew K. Gold, Katherine D. Harris

Publications and Research

We are excited to share our work on Digital Pedagogy in the Humanities (DPiH), which was published on the Humanities Commons in 2020 by the Modern Language Association after almost a decade of work. DPiH is a large-scale scholarly project that presents the stuff of teaching (syllabi, assignments, and resources) through a curated set of keywords such as “Poetry,” “Disability,” “Queer,” and “Annotation,” among many others. For each keyword, a curator or set of curators has selected and annotated ten pedagogical artifacts; created a curator’s selection statement; and presented …

Experienced And Anticipated Stigma Among People With Mental Illness When Interacting With Healthcare Workers, Shaindel Feuer

Student Theses

Research has found that most people have negative attitudes towards those with mental illnesses,

and the resulting stigma and discrimination can be dangerous. Unfortunately, mental health stigma and discrimination are also seen in healthcare providers, with potentially fatal consequences, given that people with mental illnesses have shorter lifespans and are more likely to become ill than members of the general population. This study explored anticipatory and experienced mental health stigma from the patient’s perspective in a sample of 275 people with self-reported mental illness recruited from the online panel Prolific. Between 30.3% (Everyday Discrimination Scale) and 44.1% (Stigma Scale) of …

Using Zines In The Classroom And How To Make A Single Page Booklet Zine, Anne Hays Adkison

Open Educational Resources

This OER includes an introductory essay, "Some Thoughts on Teaching with Zines in the College Classroom," which discusses three ways one could use zines. 1. teach about zines, 2, create a zine to share information with your students, 3. ask your students to make a zine. At the end of the essay, there are screenshots of the pages of a mini-zine that teach the reader (that's you!) how to make a zine out of a single sheet of paper. Finally, the last page is a printable zine, which you can fold up and cut with your newfound skills, and hand …

The Role And Impact Of The Communications Department And Investor Relations Functions On The Process Of Privatization, Iulia Erhan

Student Theses and Dissertations

Current market conditions, and the heavy responsibilities placed on publicly traded companies by investors and regulators alike, have led many publicly traded companies to consider going private. The going-private decision, however, involves a complex set of actions and strategies. This paper analyzes the privatization process and the role that the Communication and Investor Relations departments play throughout the transaction. Its initial focus will be on communication with employees, including communication that facilitates the executive team’s decision-making activity related to employee retention. It will be followed by a review of the range of external communications, such as the going-private transaction announcement, …

Exploring Friendships In J.R.R. Tolkien’S Novels And Adaptations: A Study In Social Media, Fandoms, And Variations, Ashley D. Anderson

Student Theses

J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy and their adaptations all reveal the importance of friendship and fandom. Utilizing theorists Walter Benjamin and Henry Jenkins the friendship theme is seen in the various stylistic elements in the films and novels; additionally, a look into the fandom presence on social media, their knowledge, and merchandise reveals why the stories have continued to interest audiences over many generations.

Social Media In The Corporate World, Linelle C. Lestrade

Student Theses and Dissertations

This study focuses on the rise of corporate brands on social media and the resulting identity issues. Four marketing and PR professionals were interviewed for this study utilizing oral history as qualitative research method. People were selected for membership based on their networks and reputations as authorities in their respective fields. All the discussions were recorded on Zoom with everyone's consent. All four participants brought varied expertise and experience in social media marketing and management to the discussion. They were picked because their backgrounds fit the study's goals best. Open-ended questions were used to elicit responses to personal experiences, issues, …

Memetic Epidemiology: A Mathematical Model For Tracking The Spread Of Linguistic Features Across Western Europe, Benjamin Shavitz

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The goal of this dissertation is to introduce a powerful new method for demonstrating the role of contact in potential cases of linguistic contact spread, Memetic Epidemiology, that can facilitate extensive future research. This dissertation introduces and demonstrates the use of this method on examples from Western and Central Europe.

Part I begins by providing theoretical background for Memetic Epidemiology using understandings, including Memetics, and Evolutionary Phonology and its extensions. Part I proceeds to lay out the objective of Memetic Epidemiology: to provide a new means of demonstrating that contact influenced the rise of linguistic features in certain languages during …

The Impact Of Semantics And Syntax On Lexical Retrieval In Individuals With Aphasia, Marta M. Korytkowska

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Nearly all people with aphasia (PWA) report difficulty with lexical retrieval (i.e., anomia). While there are several tasks used to measure lexical retrieval, each poses different degrees and types of challenges. For example, some studies have found that PWA performance varies depending on the type of lexical retrieval task. The tasks that have been used include lexical retrieval in isolation tasks (such as picture-naming), lexical retrieval in sentence level tasks (such as narration tasks), and lexical retrieval in sentence-completion tasks. Some studies have found no differences between the accuracy of lexical retrieval in isolation and at the sentence level (e.g., …

Uprooting Patriarchy: Meditations On Gender, Masculinities, And Healing Through Buddhist Practices, Noah Souder-Russo

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Western patriarchal socialization trains men and male-conditioned people to express dominance and power-over self and other. The particularly vicious expression of cis-hetero-white-patriarchal masculinity is a delusional force that continues to uphold all systems of domination, subjugating marginalized bodies and the earth herself. For those of us who have bought in to what bell hooks calls the “patriarchal ideal,” there is much work to be done to heal from the momentum of our conditioning for the well-being and sustainability of the collective. With an awareness of the untenable nature of perpetuating patriarchal dominance, efforts to unpack and uproot this internalization have …

"I Stayed There The Whole Night": Exploring Caregivers' Experiences With The Healthcare System When Caring For A Parent At The End Of Life, Lillian Mehran

Dissertations and Theses

Background: In the United States, there are nearly 53 million individuals serving as caregivers to a loved one. Half of all caregivers are caring for a parent or parent-in-law, and 79% of caregivers are caring for a person aged 50 or older. In New York State, there are an estimated 4.1 million caregivers who collectively provide over 2.6 billion hours of unpaid care, with those caring for a person at the end of life providing twice as many hours of caregiving per week compared to other caregivers. The number of individuals requiring caregiving is expected to increase as a significant …

Psci 246. Social Movements And Political Power, Antonia Cucchiara

Open Educational Resources

No abstract provided.

Extraction Of Challenging Forensic Samples Using The Microgem Dna Extraction Kit, Falyn R. Vega

Student Theses

In forensic science, DNA extraction can be a tedious and resource-intensive process. Extraction with Proteinase K is an industry standard but has its drawbacks, such as requiring multiple ionic detergents and washing steps. MicroGEM has developed a new enzyme called forensicGEM that is temperature-dependent and compatible with mesophilic enzymes, offering complete DNA extraction in about 20 minutes in a single tube, limiting contamination, loss of sample, and working time. ForensicGEM can extract DNA from highly degraded samples, potentially leading to more complete STR profiles. Highly degraded tissue and bone samples were collected and extracted with the forensicGEM …

Sustainable To The Core: Essays On Strategy And Sustainability, Junghoon Park

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation investigates the intricate relationship between business strategies and sustainability. A growing awareness has emerged among firms about the importance of embracing sustainability—integrating the environmental, social, and economic implications of their actions and decisions into their core strategies—to attain long-term success and competitive advantage. In this context, strategic management research has primarily concentrated on the benefits that firms and their stakeholders can derive from adopting and executing sustainability initiatives. Despite the numerous efforts made by firms to tackle sustainability concerns, pressing issues persist. This situation raises questions about the effectiveness of strategic management research in guiding firms to embed …

Social Media Reactions To Apologies From Public Figures, Brands, And Companies And Its Impact On Reputation, Melissa N. Dolan

Student Theses and Dissertations

Apologies issued by public figures, brands, and companies after a scandal or public perception of wrongdoing are common occurrences that have a significant impact on a brand's overall reputation. The impact on reputation hinges on how apologies are dissected and criticized by audiences on social media, which in turn influences public opinion and perception of the brand, company, or public figure. Furthermore, social media has exacerbated condemnation or support for public apologies, because it provides a platform for public discourse on the matter. Apologies are powerful tools that can be effective if implemented well or can be detrimental to a …

A Study On The Design And Production Of A Desktop Vaccuum Cleaner, Aaryan Manoj Nair, Emanuel Pichardo, Isaiah Ortiz, Naeem Kotadia

Publications and Research

The goal of this project was to design a desk-top vacuum cleaner that is compact, portable, and effective in cleaning desktops and tabletops. Two concepts were proposed and compared using Quality Function Deployment (QFD) and various metrics, including in-use purposes and market, technical feasibility, ease of use, durability, and cost. The two concepts were a lifting design with hydraulics and a differently sized offset wheel design. After thorough analysis, it was determined that the lifting design with hydraulics was the better concept due to its adjustability and ability to reach different heights and angles on tabletops. The proposed product title …

A Statewide Analysis Of The Impact Of Restitution And Fees On Juvenile Recidivism In Florida Across Race & Ethnicity, Alex R. Piquero, Michael T. Baglivio, Kevin T. Wolff

Publications and Research

Whether the imposition of monetary sanctions is related to juvenile recidivism is explored overall and across race and ethnicity. Leveraging a statewide sample, logistic regression was used to predict fees and restitution assignment based on youth/case characteristics, hierarchical linear and logistic random-effects regression examined the association between neighborhood characteristics with fees and restitution, and propensity score matching examined whether fees and/or restitution are related to reoffending. No race/ethnic differences were found in the proportion of youth receiving court fees, yet when fees were administered both black and Hispanic youth received higher fees. Neighborhood characteristics have minimal impact on whether (or …

Exploring The Potential Of Hearing Screening Smartphone Applications To Enhance Access To Hearing Healthcare: A Literature Review, Adam Sulaiman

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In 2016, the National Academies of Sciences (NAS) published a landmark consensus report with several recommendations to enhance the availability and affordability of hearing healthcare in the United States. Among the most notable of the recommendations was the creation of a new category of FDA-approved Over-the-Counter (OTC) hearing aids. Unlike the traditional hearing aid model, which requires a comprehensive hearing test by a hearing health professional prior to purchase, OTC hearing aids would be directly available for sale to any American adult with a self-perceived mild-to-moderate degree of hearing loss. This proposal has now become reality with the passage of …