Digital Commons Network^™

Generative Ai In The Classroom: Best Practices, A Cetll Guide, The Center For Excellence In Teaching, Learning, & Leadership, S E. Hackney, Brandon K. Jeffries Mr., Emily Drabinski, Joshua Rogers, Holly Weisberg, Yael Neumann, Ashlyn Cavitt, Claudia Brumbaugh, Lindsey Albracht, Robin Naughton, Annalee Roustio, Amy Wan, Soniya Munshi, Jean Kelly

Open Educational Resources

In 2024-2025, in collaboration with Amy Wan, Professor of English and Special Assistant to the Provost for Writing, CETLL hosted a Generative AI in the Classroom Faculty Fellowship, through which an interdisciplinary cohort of thirteen faculty members were supported to critically engage the different concerns and opportunities that generative AI presents for our work as educators.

From our discussions with the Faculty Fellows and other resources, we have developed Generative AI in the Classroom: Best Practices, a CETLL Guide. This guide includes step-by-step guidance about how to engage with questions of generative AI in your classrooms, sample syllabus statements, …

The Impact Of Mental Health Courts On Public Attitudes Held Toward Justice-Involved Individuals With Mental Illness, Maeve Porter

Student Theses

Prior research has established that mental health court programs play an important role in reducing recidivism and mental health symptoms of defendants. However, there is a lack of understanding of the stigma that justice-involved individuals may encounter upon release from mental health court into the community, and the extent to which the general public is aware of mental health court programs. The present study sought to address public perceptions regarding mental health courts, their efficacy, and their participants based on the awareness and availability of these specialized courts in two similar states (New York and New Jersey), one in which …

Geol 12 Natural Disasters Syllabus, Anestoria Shalkowski

Open Educational Resources

Hazards are events which have the capabilities to damage property and or life. Understanding natural hazards and how these can become disasters are important in reducing the impacts of such events. This syllabus provides a description of the material to be examined and the expected student outcomes upon completion of the course.

Isolation And Divergence Of Greater Earless Lizards (Phrynosomatidae: Cophosaurus) In Western North America Support Multiple Diversification Processes And A Complex Demographic History, Christopher Robert Blair, Carlos Joaquín Pavón-Vázquez, Qaantah Rana, Keaka Farleigh, Erika Crispo, Thomas Panzera, Felipe De Medeiros Magalhães, Britt White, Uri Omar Garcia-Vazquez

Publications and Research

The Southwestern US and northern Mexico continue to serve as ideal regions to elucidate the suite of ecological and evolutionary processes influencing lineage diversification. The complex geological history of arid North America, coupled with paleoclimate change during the Pleistocene and diverse ecoregions makes a multipronged approach to hypothesis testing necessary. We combine thousands of loci from a genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) approach along with mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences from the Greater Earless Lizard (Cophosaurus texanus) to examine diversity and test for cryptic population structure. We also apply recently developed coalescent approaches in a Bayesian framework to estimate migration rates. Population …

Advanced Robotic Multimodal Imaging With Real-Time Motion Compensation For Dynamic Structural Health Monitoring, George Papaioannou, Christos Mitrogiannis, Mark Schweitzer, Maria Pappa, Pegah Khosravi, Apostolos Karantanas, Chris Ruberg, Shawn Owens, Nikolaos Michailidis

Publications and Research

Modern composite materials promise superior performance and load-bearing capabilities, yet evaluating their structural integrity remains challenging. Current testing methods, such as visual, thermographic, ultrasonic, optical, electromagnetic, terahertz, shearography, X-ray, and neutron imaging, are hampered by long scan durations, limited field of view, suboptimal accuracy, and high costs, particularly when applied to large structures.

This paper addresses these issues by introducing a novel robotic multimodal imaging system that overcomes the limitations of traditional methods. This system dynamically captures both static and dynamic properties of materials using advanced motion compensation techniques. By integrating multiple radiographic modalities into a coordinated robotic platform, it …

Disentangling The Effect Of Criminal Legal System Involvement On Mental Health In The United States, Pui Ying Chan

Dissertations and Theses

BACKGROUND: Interactions with the criminal legal system (CLS), such as through arrest or incarceration, are relatively common in the United States (US) and are increasingly recognized as social risk factors for poor mental health. Previous studies have reported a positive association between CLS involvement and poor mental health, with some theoretical frameworks, including the ecosocial theory and the stress process paradigm, supporting a plausible causal relationship. However, prior research has significant limitations in providing casual evidence given possible reverse causation in cross-sectional studies and insufficient consideration for the dynamics between CLS exposures, mental health status, and related confounders over time …

Implementation Of A Forensic Ancestry Inference Indel Panel, Jacqueline Molina

Student Theses

Ancestry-informative markers (AIMs) are genetic variants that exhibit significant frequency differences between populations, making them valuable tools for inferring biogeographical ancestry in forensic investigations. Insertion/deletion polymorphisms (INDELs) offer particular advantages for degraded forensic samples due to their short amplicon sizes and binary allelic nature. As forensic laboratories adopt newer instrumentation, validation of established assays becomes critical to ensure analytical continuity and reliability. This study evaluated the comparative performance of the SeqStudio™ Genetic Analyzer in detecting a 46 AIMs INDEL multiplex panel, previously established with the ABI 3130 Genetic Analyzer. Four commercial blood samples were analyzed using both platforms to assess …

Mca 10100 Oer/Ztc Syllabus, Daniel Gilmore

Open Educational Resources

This is a syllabus for the MCA 10100 Introduction to Media Studies course taught at City College in the Media & Communication Arts department. It is an OER & ZTC compliant syllabus.

Inhibitory Control In Asian Elephants, Gillian Schmitt

Theses and Dissertations

Inhibitory control is defined as the ability to suppress a prepotent motor response in favor of a more efficient or advantageous behavior, and is an important core executive function. Although elephants are known to behave flexibly and display other executive functions, there is currently little information available on if, and to what extent, they display inhibitory control. We tested 16 captive Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) (N = 8 males, 8 females) ranging in age from 4-years-old to 60-years-old at the National Elephant Institute in Thailand using a classic detour paradigm adapted to be more ecologically salient for them through the …

Intergenerational Transmission Of Health: Evidence From Indonesia, Fatima Khan

Theses and Dissertations

This study estimates the causal transmission of health from mothers to their children. Intergenerational associations in health and other human capital outcomes are well established, but those associations may not be causal due to common unobserved factors between a mother and her child. This study employs two-stage least squares, using weather variation as an instrument, to causally identify the relationship between maternal health and child health outcomes in five dimensions: height-for-age, self-reported health, blood pressure, lung capacity, and hemoglobin levels. The data are from the Indonesian Family Life Survey (1993--2014), a longitudinal survey that provides a 21-year look into the …

Exploring Variability Of The Cg18562578 Methylquant Assay For The Forensic Discrimination Of Monozygotic Twins, Sydney E. Arnold

Student Theses

Monozygotic (MZ) twins possess identical DNA sequences, posing a problem for forensic scientists, as they are incapable of distinguishing MZ twins from each other using traditional DNA identification methods. However, the epigenomes of MZ twins will differ and might be used for their forensic discrimination. Here, we explored the variability of an assay previously developed by our laboratory that showed high discrimination potential for MZ twins using buccal swab DNA, cg18562578 MethylQuant. We measured precision at each step: bisulfite conversion, nested PCR, and qPCR, reproducibility, and repeatability. DNA methylation ratios were compared between two analysts carrying each step using the …

Internet Of Things And Modern Digital Evidence Collection, Muhammad T. Haider

Student Theses

The ever-evolving landscape of technology and its innovations are populating our houses, streets and all kinds of industries. The use of smart devices is booming from most developed nations to underdeveloped countries. The complications which come with the use of the Internet of Things has been an active discussion for the past many years. If we look around in a room of 30 people, we will most likely find double the amount of IoT devices than the people in that room. All of those devices are connected to the Internet, and are communicating with data servers across the world. The …

Exploring Adversarial Threats To Neuralhash: A Perceptual Hashing Algorithm, Gurleen Kaur

Student Theses

Perceptual hashing algorithms are algorithms that generate content-based image hashes by extracting perceptual features from the images. Unlike cryptographic hashes, which exhibit significant changes with even slight input alterations, perceptual hashes do not change when modifications like compression, color correction and brightness are applied to the images. These hashes are designed to remain similar for inputs that are visually or perceptually alike, which has led to their widespread application in detecting duplicate images, finding similar images for reverse image search and to detecting inappropriate content of Child sexual abuse (CSAM) images by comparing image hashes with dataset of known perceptual …

Engaging For A Sustainable Manufacturing: The Power Of Adaptive Leadership In Industry 5.0, Rizwana Rasheed, Aamir Rashid, Abdul Hafaz, Rashid Hashmi

Publications and Research

In today’s highly competitive and rapidly evolving business environment, organizations must continuously adapt to technological advancements and market volatility. This study examines how adaptive leadership influences sustainable manufacturing through employee engagement, with employee wellbeing as a mediator and mindfulness as a moderator. Using data from 1,388 U.S. manufacturers and PLS-SEM analysis, the research confirms that adaptive leadership positively impacts sustainable manufacturing through engaged employees and enhanced wellbeing. Additionally, employee mindfulness significantly strengthens the relationship between adaptive leadership and engagement. These findings highlight the importance of leadership styles that foster employee participation and mental wellbeing in achieving long-term manufacturing sustainability. The …

Liberalism And Lockdowns, D. Robert Macdougall

Publications and Research

Some authors have argued that liberalism cannot support lockdowns because it cannot engage in collective welfare-type reasoning. Others have thought that liberalism can justify lockdown measures, but that legitimate lockdown measures must be based on pre-legal moral principles that set acceptable limits to the imposition of risk or forbid contributing to collective harm. In this essay, I assess the overall relationship between liberalism and lockdowns. Against the first interpretation of liberalism, I argue in favor of the idea that lockdowns can be justified by liberalism. Liberalism protects the liberty of each and so can presumably protect persons from some kinds …

Characterization Of Dna Background On Duct Tape Stored In Domestic Environments, Elaan A. Lukasiewicz

Student Theses

With lower detection limits for forensic DNA analysis, it is important to have a better understanding of background DNA levels unrelated to the crime to facilitate accurate data interpretation. Duct tape is used in crimes, e.g. to bind victims and seal drug packaging, and may be tested for DNA. To determine DNA background levels, twelve volunteers were recruited to donate a used roll of duct tape from their home. The duct tape was divided into three areas: inside, outside, and sides of the roll, and swabbed for DNA. The average concentration of DNA was determined for the inside (0.0723 ng/µL …

Can We Discover Physical Models Using Machine Learning? A Case Study Of Galaxy Sizes, Festa Buçinca-Çupallari, Ariyeh Maller, Viviana Acquaviva, Austen Gabrielpillai, Rachel S. Somerville

Publications and Research

We explore the ability of machine learning methods to discover underlying equations of physics by searching for the equations governing galaxy size in a semianalytic model. This case study allows us to evaluate the process as we know the ground truth. We find that we fail to find an equation to predict galaxy size on the entire data set, but are successful when we separate out disk galaxies where we expect the physics driving galaxy size to be different than in bulge-dominated systems. We are also able to find an equation for bulge size, but not without adding an additional …

Str Analysis Performance Comparison For Two Capillary Electrophoresis Instruments: The Seqstudio And The 3500 Genetic Analyzers, Yana Leichyk

Student Theses

This study compares the performance of two capillary electrophoresis instruments—the SeqStudio™ Genetic Analyzer and the 3500™ Genetic Analyzer—for forensic short tandem repeat (STR) analysis. Using the GlobalFiler STR kit and certified reference material (SRM 2391d), five key performance metrics were evaluated: sizing precision, signal reproducibility, detection sensitivity, mixture resolution, and overload tolerance. STR profiles were generated from single-source and mixture samples with DNA inputs ranging from 500 pg to 15.6 pg. Both instruments met the < 0.15 bp sizing precision requirement for forensic casework. Signal reproducibility tests showed that the SeqStudio often produced higher average RFU values, but with greater variability, while the 3500 demonstrated more stable signal performance across days and samples. Mixture detection was effective on both platforms up to 1:10 ratios. Dropout of minor alleles began to appear at 1:20 ratios, especially in green and yellow dye channels, on both instruments. Sensitivity studies confirmed full profile recovery down to 62.5 pg, with increasing allelic and locus dropout at lower inputs. Enhanced injection voltage (1.5 kV) did not improve low-template performance. In overload testing (1–5 ng input), the 3500 maintained a consistent signal output, while the SeqStudio exhibited signal suppression at 5 ng, likely due to internal normalization. The SeqStudio exhibited better spectral overlap compensation, with fewer occurrences of spectral bleed-through artifacts. These findings support the use of both platforms in forensic casework, while emphasizing the importance of platform-specific calibration and analytical threshold settings for optimal performance.

Full-Stack Web Applications: Infrastructure, Development Pipelines & Devsecops, Yassine Chahid, Patrick Slattery

Publications and Research

This research explores emerging development methodologies and technologies which facilitate the deployment and maintenance of software applications. It evaluates architectural styles for the development of software such as monolithic (legacy) and microservice models, with a focus on their key differences such as scalability or project structure through to the development of an application. By examining methodologies such as Agile and continuous integration/continuous development pipelines along with the deployment tools Docker and Git for version/release control, the study analyzes how these innovations speed up development, improve existing practices, and serve as the foundation for development operations. Cloud solutions for tasks such …

What Before Means: Teaching The English Pluperfect, Max Miller, Joseph C. M. Davis

Publications and Research

This paper extends existing linguistic analyses of the English simple past tense (e.g., took) and pluperfect tense (e.g., had taken) by thoroughly examining communicative effects. It also proposes a pedagogical application. The analysis is based on authentic contextualized discourse (primarily a single published text). In distinction to the simple past, the pluperfect establishes a communicative link between a past time and an event before that time. In this way, the pluperfect makes conceptional connection (which could be termed "tethering") through temporal priority. The meaning of the pluperfect thus contributes to textual cohesion. The distinction made is communicative, not a matter …

Getting It Right: Common Alma Mistakes And How To Fix Them, Kristen Fredericksen

Publications and Research

In this session, we will explore common issues faced by Alma users and offer practical solutions to address them. Attendees will gain valuable insights into the inner workings of Alma and leave equipped with the knowledge to optimize their Alma experience. This presentation is tailored for librarians, system administrators, and anyone seeking to enhance their proficiency with the Alma library management system.

Psychology 32: Human Growth And Development Syllabus, Joanna M. Agnello

Open Educational Resources

This Open Educational Resources (OER) syllabus for an introductory Developmental Psychology course offers a no-cost, adaptable framework for exploring human development across the lifespan. The course is structured chronologically, from prenatal development through late adulthood, integrating cognitive, emotional, and sociocultural perspectives. This OER syllabus aims to foster student-centered learning, critical thinking, community building and real-world applications of developmental concepts. All content is openly licensed.

Syllabus For Com 3800 (Principles Of Public Relations), Rachel Kovacs

Open Educational Resources

This syllabus reflects the basic principles underlying the theories and practice of public relations.

Advances In Bone And Orthopedics 2025 – 5th Edition, Jean-Philippe Berteau, Laurent Pujo-Menjouet, Hélène Follet, Aurélie Levillain

Publications and Research

This volume brings together selected works from the 2025 Bone and Orthopedics Interdisciplinary Symposium (BONITOS), underscoring our community’s ongoing commitment to advancing research in biomechanics, bone health, and orthopedic science. The symposium unites leading experts from around the world, fostering collaboration and the exchange of ideas across disciplines. Organized in partnership with the French-speaking Society of Biomechanics, the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM), the University of Lyon, the College of Staten Island of the City University of New York (CUNY), and the American Association of Physical Therapists (APTA) – Brooklyn Staten Island Chapter, BONITOS 2025 represents …

Principles For Physics Lab Reports Using Google Sheets, Vasiliy Znamenskiy

Open Educational Resources

This instructional guide provides detailed standards and best practices for students preparing physics lab reports using Google Sheets. It emphasizes the importance of precise data entry, formula-based calculations, and clearly labeled units. The document outlines rigorous conventions for mathematical formatting, error analysis (including percent error and percent difference), and data presentation in tables and graphs. It instructs students to maintain a structured single-page format for each report, include proper labeling and trendline analysis in graphs, and ensure automated and verifiable calculations. Submission and feedback procedures are clearly defined, highlighting the importance of collaborative revision and instructor comments. The guide also …

Artificial Intelligence And Astronomy: Lab Manual For Generative Ai-Based Learning Activities, Vasiliy Znamenskiy

Open Educational Resources

This lab manual introduces community college students to the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and astronomy through hands-on, inquiry-based activities. It explores how generative AI platforms—ranging from text-based chat systems to image and video generators—can enhance scientific understanding, creativity, and critical thinking in space science education. Students engage with tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, DALL·E, and Synthesia to formulate and evaluate astronomy-related questions, generate scientifically inspired visualizations, and produce dynamic representations of cosmic phenomena. Through structured exercises, the manual promotes digital literacy, fosters analytical skills, and illustrates how AI assists in astronomical research, including data analysis, image enhancement, spacecraft autonomy, …

Unveiling The Vital Role Of Blue Carbon In Mangroves: Understanding Environmental Influences, Jahnelle Howe

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Mangrove ecosystems provide essential ecological services, including carbon sequestration, coastal protection, and heavy metal retention. However, their resilience and functionality are increasingly influenced by hurricanes, climate variability, and anthropogenic contamination. This dissertation integrates three research efforts examining mangrove canopy dynamics, carbon storage, and heavy metal contamination in two Puerto Rican mangrove systems: La Parguera and Laguna Grande.

Using remote sensing techniques (LiDAR and NDVI analysis), we assessed the impact of Hurricane Maria (Category 4, 2017) on mangrove canopy structure and vegetation health. Results revealed significant canopy height loss, with greater damage at Laguna Grande, where pre-storm canopy height and human …

The "Self" In Crisis: A Study Of Audre Lorde's The Cancer Journals, Golnaz Salehkarimi

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In this thesis, I focus on The Cancer Journals and explore how Audre Lorde articulates the chaos followed by breast cancer in her life: what is the nature of the crises? What aspects of her life are largely affected by it? How it unsettles her understanding of time and place, how her daily life, work, relationships, and future plans get affected, and how her self-image and her agency and subjectivity are threatened. Relying on theories of women’s autobiographies, women’s writings, and illness narratives, I explore Lorde’s ways of writing about her body and emotions to regain her sense of self …

When Avatars Go To School: The Effect Of Virtual Reality On Learning And Error Correction, Lauren Barack

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The pandemic in 2020 led to an increasing dependency on technology particularly in learning environments. National educational assessments in the proceeding years have indicated steep, measurable learning loss. While a fully virtual learning environment is not the norm today, we chose to investigate how virtual reality (VR) environments influence learning in college students.

Our primary research goal was to look at how students learn and remember information gathered in virtual spaces. In particular, we examined whether sensory inputs in the VR environment, including spatial audio and haptic feedback, such as vibrations felt in a handheld controller, would help to better …

The Long Arm Of The Law: The Far-Reaching Effects Of The Carceral State On Families, Madison Squiers

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This thesis investigates the extended consequences of mass incarceration in the United States, focusing on the social, economic, and psychological impacts on the nuclear families of incarcerated individuals. Through a comprehensive literature review of peer-reviewed studies published between 2000 and 2024, this study highlights how female partners and children of imprisoned men face significant hardships, including emotional trauma, financial instability, and social stigma. These burdens are most acutely experienced by low-income families and communities of color, reflecting broader patterns of structural inequality. The findings underscore how punitive criminal justice policies—especially mandatory minimum sentencing and the War on Drugs—have created ripple …