Digital Commons Network^™

Hispanic Empowerment In New York's Municipal Workforces, 2021, Carlos Vargas-Ramos

CUNY Centro, The Center for Puerto Rican Studies

One of the markers of political empowerment of historically marginalized groups in society is not simply the election and appointment of representatives from those groups to governmental institutions; their participation as employees and contractors in the governmental apparatus that provides services and goods to residents of towns, cities and counties also reflects the levels at which members of the community are included and represented. New York City has the largest municipal workforce in the country. New York is also one of the most socially diverse communities in the United States. Yet, as varied as New York City’s municipal workforce is, …

Towards Critical Reflexivity In Gifted Education Teacher Preparation, Inna Kruvi

Theses and Dissertations

Ever since the emergence of gifted education in the United States in the beginning of the twentieth century, the concept of giftedness has been used to marginalize, segregate, and exclude students of particular backgrounds from specialized academic programs. Among the factors that contribute to unequal access to gifted education for ethnically, culturally, linguistically, and economically diverse (ECLED) students, teacher bias, deficit thinking, and insufficient teacher preparation have been identified as especially significant (Coleman et al., 2015; DeWet & Gubbins, 2011; Mansfield, 2015). Among various approaches to mitigate underrepresentation of ECLED students, the concept of cultural humility (Tervalon and Murray-Garcia, 1998) …

College Senate Minutes October 26, 2023, Bronx Community College Senate

BCC Governance Archives

Minutes for the meeting of the College Senate on October 26, 2023.

Kripke’S Knowledge Argument Against Materialism, Adriana Renero

Publications and Research

In his unpublished 1979 Lectures on the Philosophy of Mind, Saul Kripke offers a knowledge argument against materialism, focusing on deaf people who lack knowledge of auditory experience. Kripke’s argument is a precursor of Frank Jackson’s better-known knowledge argument against materialism (1982). The paper sets out Kripke’s argument, brings out its interest and philosophical importance, and explores some similarities and differences between Kripke’s knowledge argument and Jackson’s.

Committee On Academic Standing Minutes October 25, 2023, Bronx Community College Committee On Academic Standing

BCC Governance Archives

Minutes for the meeting of the Committee on Academic Standing on October 25, 2023.

Committee On Academic Standing Minutes October 11, 2023, Bronx Community College Committee On Academic Standing

BCC Governance Archives

Minutes for the meeting of the Committee on Academic Standing on October 11, 2023.

Insights Into The Molecular Roles Of Foxr2 In The Pathology Of Primary Pediatric Brain Tumors, Rajendra Gharbaran

Publications and Research

Forkhead box gene R2 (FOXR2) belongs to the family of FOX genes which codes for highly conserved transcription factors (TFs) with critical roles in biological processes ranging from development to organogenesis to metabolic and immune regulation to cellular homeostasis. A number of FOX genes are associated with cancer development and progression and poor prognosis. A growing body of evidence suggests that FOXR2 is an oncogene. Studies suggested important roles for FOXR2 in cancer cell growth, metastasis, and drug resistance. Recent studies showed that FOXR2 is overexpressed by a subset of newly identified entities of embryonal tumors. This review discusses the …

Factors Influencing Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Among Asian Immigrant College Students During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Shinhi Han, Hee Sun Kang, Koun Eum, Jin Young Seo, Kathleen Karsten

Publications and Research

Despite strenuous efforts to increase vaccination rates against human papillomavirus (HPV), the rate of vaccination remains low in the U.S. The COVID-19 pandemic poses an additional challenge to HPV vaccination. This study aimed to explore the factors that contribute to HPV vaccination among Asian immigrant college students, based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), with HPV vaccine literacy and HPV vaccine hesitancy as additional constructs. This cross-sectional survey used convenience sampling, with133 Asian immigrant college students from New York City as study participants. Data were collected online using self-reported measures of the following study variables: HPV vaccine literacy, attitudes, …

Zero Textbook Cost Syllabus For Eng 2100t (Writing I), Andrija Matic

Open Educational Resources

On a practical level, this course will introduce you to the conventions of academic writing. You will learn how to compose an academic essay, using a variety of techniques such as pre-writing, outlining, drafting and revising/editing. The course will also enable you to write an annotated bibliography, compose a literacy narrative, conduct a critical analysis and develop a research-based argument. In addition, you will learn how to cite your sources and present ideas to a wider audience. Each of your assignments will be preceded by a detailed class discussion that will help you generate ideas.

However, since the course theme …

Ethnographic Activism And Critical Criminology, David C. Brotherton

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Examining The System-Wide Effect Of Eliminating Bail In New York City: A Controlled-Interrupted Time Series Study, Stephen Koppel, René Ropac

Publications and Research

This builds upon the initial report in the Data Collaborative for Justice's Bail Reform and Recidivism Series - Does New York's Bail Reform Law Impact Recidivism? A Quasi-Experimental Test in New York City. Using controlled-interrupted time series analysis (CITS), this follow-up study estimated effect of New York's initial reform on recidivism in New York City by comparing re-arrest rates between bail-ineligible versus bail-eligible offenses before and after the reforms.

Committee On Academic Standing Minutes September 27, 2023, Bronx Community College Committee On Academic Standing

BCC Governance Archives

Minutes for the meeting of the Committee on Academic Standing on September 27, 2023.

Proceedings Of The Cuny Games Conference 9.0, Robert O. Duncan, Grace L. Axler-Diperte, Joseph Bisz, Christina Boyle, Devorah Kletenik, Carolyn Stallard

Publications and Research

The CUNY Games Network is an organization dedicated to encouraging research, scholarship and teaching in the developing field of games-based learning. We connect educators from every campus and discipline at CUNY and beyond who are interested in digital and non-digital games, simulations, and other forms of interactive teaching and inquiry-based learning.

College Senate Minutes September 21, 2023, Bronx Community College Senate

BCC Governance Archives

Minutes for the meeting of the College Senate on September 21, 2023.

Senate Executive Committee Minutes September 18, 2023, Bronx Community College Senate Executive Committee

BCC Governance Archives

Minutes for the meeting of the Senate Executive Committee on September 18, 2023.

Committee On Academic Standing Minutes September 13, 2023, Bronx Community College Committee On Academic Standing

BCC Governance Archives

No abstract provided.

Lacuny Executive Council Minutes, September 2023, Lacuny

Meeting Minutes

No abstract provided.

The Greatest Show On Earth: Is Trinidad’S Carnival Perpetuating A Society Of Elitism And Class Struggle?, Charisse A. Lewis

Student Theses and Dissertations

Trinidad's Carnival, often hailed as "The Greatest Show on Earth," embodies a vibrant celebration of culture, identity, and liberation. Over the last two decades Trinidad’s Carnival has become a popularized, global phenomenon. A highly anticipated event that remains a top-notch experience year in year out. The Carnival that was once known for its traditional characters, calypso, J’ouvert and “pretty mas” has now become a globalized event that not only represents the country’s attempt to increase its foreign revenue through tourism but also appears to perpetuate the class struggle that has existed throughout the history of Trinidad. Beneath its colorful surface …

Pervasive Poverty In Puerto Rico: A Closer Look, Carlos Vargas-Ramos, Laura Colon-Melendez, Jorge Soldevilla-Irizarry, Damayra Figueroa-Lazu, Jennifer Hinojosa, Yarimar Bonilla

CUNY Centro, The Center for Puerto Rican Studies

On November 15, 2022, the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Housing, Community Renewal, and Insurance held a hearing entitled “Persistent Poverty in America: Addressing Chronic Disinvestment in Colonias, the U.S. Territories and the Southern Blackbelt.” Dr. Yarimar Bonilla, then CENTRO’s director, provided testimony concerning Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories. These jurisdictions the subcommittee focused on have historically had high rates of poverty, higher relative to other places in the United States. Puerto Rico’s poverty and overall economic conditions have fluctuated over the decades taking a clear turn for the worse beginning in 2006 with an enduring economic crisis, …

Equity Among Equity Workers: Public Service Motivation In An Educational Nonprofit Organization, Russell C. West Jr

Theses and Dissertations

What opportunities and challenges arise when an equity-focused educational organization aims to support employee’s individual equity practices while simultaneously developing the organization’s equity practice? In this study, employees of a non-profit educational organization were asked what rationales and expectations played a role in their decision to volunteer in an equity working group. Their responses were used to understand whether Perry’s (2000) process theory of Public Service Motivation helped describe their decision. In a second round of interviews, employees were asked what outcomes they perceived came from their participation. These responses were used to understand whether the outcomes aligned with those …

Understanding The Impact Of Incentive-Driven Changes In Hospital And Physician Practice Styles, Ke Zeng

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation consists of three chapters that investigate impact of incentive changes on hospital and physician practice styles, as well as patient outcomes.

In an effort to curb the escalating healthcare expenditure, the Center for Medicare \& Medicaid Innovation has introduced several alternative payment models, which have garnered significant attention in numerous studies with varied findings. This first chapter introduces the focal point of this thesis, namely the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement (CJR) model, and provides a review of pertinent studies that have examined this model and related areas. Specifically, this chapter reviews and summarizes the findings from studies …

Uncertainties In Retrieval Of Remote Sensing Reflectance From Ocean Color Satellite Observations, Eder I. Herrera Estrella

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Ocean Color radiometry uses remote sensing to interpret ocean dynamics by retrieving remote sensing reflectance (������) from satellite imagery at different scales and over different time periods. ������ spectrum characterizes the ocean color that we observe, and from which we can discern concentrations of chlorophyll, organic and inorganic particles, and carbon fluxes in the ocean and atmosphere. ������ is derived from the total radiance at the top of the atmosphere (TOA). However, it only represents up to ten percent of the total signal. Hence, the retrieval of ������ from the total radiance at TOA involves the application of atmospheric correction …

Thermodynamics Of Learning With Parametric Probabilistic Models, Shervin Sadat Parsi

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This study delves into the learning process within the Probabilistic Parametric Models (PPMs) framework from a unique thermodynamic perspective. By exploring the core concepts of thermodynamics and its innate connection with information theory, we showcase how this interdisciplinary approach can effectively contribute to the domain of machine learning. In the initial chapter, we establish the link between the learning problem in PPMs and a thermodynamic process by reframing various elements of the learning process within the context of thermodynamics. We introduce novel information-theoretic measurements that provide insights into the information learned in both the parameter space and the overall performance …

Epistemic Virtue And Receptivity To Science In Policing, Braden L. Campbell

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation investigates the underexplored relationship between character epistemology and its potential to explain behavior, decision-making, and culture within the criminal justice system, particularly the police. Building on the existing theoretical framework of evidence-based policing (EBP) and the recognized gap in understanding police receptivity to science, this study hypothesized that intellectual character at personal and collective levels positively correlates with science receptivity.

Epistemic character was defined through the aggregation of four traits: open-mindedness, defensiveness, insouciance, and groupthink. Science receptivity was measured by openness to change, desire to learn, reliance on intuition, and mistrust of science. Data were collected through surveys …

Cartographic Subjectivity In Fernand Deligny’S Lignes D’Erre, Anya Komar

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Fernand Deligny (1913-1996) was a French thinker, writer, and social worker who dedicated his entire life to an abolitionist project of protecting “severely autistic” children from internment in mental asylums by allowing them to move freely through the mountains of Cévennes where he established a support network for neurodiverse children. He privileged children’s nonverbal state and let them “direct” the community.

This thesis aims to historicize the drawings made under the guidance of Fernand Deligny between the 1960s and 1980s. His drawing method of tracing children’s movement offered an unprecedented way of providing visibility to children with nonverbal autism, outside …

Typologies Of Battering: Uncovering Patterns Of Coercive Tactics Used By Abusive Men In A Mixed Methods Study, Abbie L. Tuller

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Coercive control provides a current day feminist understanding of intimate partner violence (IPV). Recent research has demonstrated the significance of coercive control and suggests it provides a more accurate understanding of IPV than using physical violence alone. Utilizing a feminist lens, this study’s first aim was to explore if typologies based on coercive control could be developed. The second and third aims were to explore if demographic differences and differences in masculinity exist across typologies. The final aim of this study was to continue the feminist understanding of IPV using the moral emotions of shame and guilt as an extension …

Electrophysiological Signatures Of Stress Adaptability In The Bnst-Vta Pathway, Yuka Miura

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Chronic stress has detrimental effects on psychological and physiological health. Incapability to adapt to chronic stress can lead to depression, anxiety disorders, and addiction. The brain regions critical for reward processing share diverse physiological and molecular changes linked to depressive-like behaviors as a result of chronic stress. Cumulative evidence shows that counteraction or prevention of these alterations in neurons, occasionally in a projection-specific manner, can enhance stress adaptation or resilience.

Chronic stress induces various changes in the brain, including in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) and the ventral tegmental area (VTA). The neural projections from the BNST …

Audible Futures: Scenes Of Sonic Encounter In Cold War Kurdistan, 1923–2023, Nicholas S. Glastonbury

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation examines a century of cultural politics in Kurdistan, from 1923 to 2023, and it does so from a relatively marginal vantage point in most histories of Kurdistan: that of the Soviet Caucasus. It takes as its primary object the cultural and political itineraries of sonic media and listening in Kurdistan, from Soviet Kurdish radio broadcasting and pirated cassettes to postsocialist archives, DJ booths, and streaming music. These itineraries map not only the emergence and circulation of Kurdish notions of tradition, heritage, and cultural memory, but also the methods of counterinsurgency deployed by the states that occupy Kurdistan. In …

Examining The Prevalence And Psychopathological Correlates Of Paraphilic Interests In A Non-Clinical Sample, Dylan H. Abrams

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The paraphilias are among the most contentious diagnoses in contemporary psychological discourse. One of the major debates is over the extent to which paraphilic interests and behaviors should be considered “deviant.” To address this issue, extant research has examined the prevalence of paraphilic interests and their correlation with psychopathology. Though findings suggest that certain paraphilic interests are relatively common, existing data may misrepresent true prevalence rates due to racially and ethnically homogenous sampling. Additionally, though an association between paraphilias and psychopathology has been found in forensic and clinical samples, this relation may not generalize to all individuals with paraphilic interests. …

Colonial Investments: The Global Coordinates Of The English Political Imaginary, 1628–1668, Nathan D. Nikolic

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The main question my dissertation attempts to address is: what role did the expansion of English colonial trades play in the transformation of English society and government between the Petition of Right and the early years of the Restoration (1628-1668)? My thesis is that during this period, colonial expansion rose to the level of a general national interest and that many early seventeenth-century texts index the complexities and tensions of this development. As a small but very organized group of merchants, peers, and MPs mobilized the military and financial technologies of colonization to support Parliament’s war against Charles I, their …