Digital Commons Network^™

Daniel "Danny" Bruce Parrish

African American Funeral Programs

Program for the funeral of Daniel "Danny" Bruce Parrish, held at Elm Street Church of God on April 25, 2026.

Bro. Wyman Taylor

African American Funeral Programs

Program for the funeral of Bro. Wyman Taylor held at St. Mary's Missionary Baptist Church on April 25th, 2026.

Calvin "Ham Bone" Mutcherson

African American Funeral Programs

No abstract provided.

Deborah Ann Hunter Overstreet

African American Funeral Programs

Program for the funeral of Deborah Ann Hunter Overstreet held at The Ben Samuel Hill Memorial Chapel of Hill's Mortuary on April 25th, 2026

The Mosaic, Georgia Southern University

George-Anne Media Group: Newsletters & Magazines

No abstract provided.

The George-Anne Inkwell Edition, Georgia Southern University

The Inkwell

No abstract provided.

Oliver Bill "Sarge" Washington

African American Funeral Programs

Program for the funeral of Oliver Bill "Sarge" Washington held at Craig R. Tremble Funeral Home on April 24th, 2026

Navigating The Generative Ai Wave: Ai Literacy Instruction In Academic Libraries Today, Lili Li, Kay G. Coates

University Libraries: Faculty Presentations

No abstract provided.

Using Vortices To Probe Bose-Einstein Condensate Flow, Ian A. Iucker, Mark Edwards

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

We present a model for probing the flow of a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) trapped in a double-target potential. A target potential BEC contains a disk-shaped condensate surrounded by a ring condensate. A double-target BEC consists of two overlapping target BECs. Flow can be induced in one ring of the double-target BEC and will persist in that ring if left undisturbed. When a barrier potential is applied in the overlap region it is possible for this flow to transfer to the other ring. The mechanism for this transfer can be probed by imprinting a small vortex at a point along the …

Steven Universe & The Phenomenon Of Family, Jabari J. Whipple

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

This research analyzes Steven Universe, a modern animated television series created by Rebecca Sugar, through a sociological lens to explore how contemporary media redefines the concept of family. The study examines how nontraditional caregiving structures and emotionally based kinship challenge the boundaries of the nuclear family model. Using the theoretical frameworks of symbolic interactionism and feminist theory, this paper interprets family as a social construction formed through love, care, and shared experience rather than biology alone. A purposive sample of fifteen episodes across seasons one, three, and five was analyzed for depictions of caregiving, gender roles, and emotional labor. Findings …

Effects Of A Context-Based Intervention On Sidelining Teacher Bias Towards Students With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Marisa Kortright

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

This study aims to investigate the impact of an empathetic intervention on pre-service teachers to minimize bias against students diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Behaviors typically associated with ADHD, such as inattention and hyperactivity, correspond to two primary categories that teachers identify as disruptive in the classroom (Sun & Shek, 2012). Numerous studies have demonstrated evidence of discrimination in the classroom against students diagnosed with ADHD (Cortnett-Ruiz & Hendricks, 1993; Metzger & Hamilton, 2021). Moreover, teachers frequently report feeling unprepared to support these students and experience increased stress levels (Green et al., 2002; Kirchhoff, 2023). Context-based interventions have successfully sidelined …

The Fischer-Tropsch Process For Diesel Synthesis: A Literature Review, Mayanne W. Beach

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

Currently, the global energy grid and economy is highly dependent on crude oil, coal, and other non-renewable "fossil fuels". This dependence poses a variety of problems. The consumption of fossil fuels contributes to global warming and environmental pollution, and access to these fuels is often mired in geopolitical conflict. These roadblocks have driven a growing interest in researching the production of renewable fuels. One such production method is the Fischer-Tropsch (FT) process for renewable synthesis of diesel from syngas. This review explores the FT process in detail, describing the mechanism, selectivity factors, product composition, and byproducts. The various choices of …

Navigating Hunger And Academic Success: College Students’ Experiences With Food Insecurity And Campus Food Pantries, Casey Weaver

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

Food insecurity is a growing issue faced by many college students, and there is an increasing call for more qualitative research examining food insecurity on college campuses. It may be posited that students who experience food insecurity but have access to resources are more likely to succeed academically than those without access to such resources. This research examined how the resources provided to college students experiencing food insecurity influenced their academic success at a university in the United States. This study explored the experience of four students who identified as food insecure and utilized campus resources to address this issue. …

Assessing Decision Making Under Risk And Dynamic Task Environments In Humans, Dylan J. Cato

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

This research evaluates the theoretical foundations of recent embodied and enacted decision- making models(Baker., et al  2022) , specifically investigating whether "urgency" serves as a domain-general mechanism for reward-rate maximization. Across three experiments using a reward-performance contingency, we compare traditional decision-making frameworks with urgency-based theories to determine how participants navigate task demands and whether optimality assumptions hold (Reynaud, et al 2020). A primary focus involves testing whether motor excitability increases directly with evidence, or if "higher-level" deliberation occurs in parallel with se Using the Generalized Drift-Diffusion Model (GDDM) framework via PyDDM  (Shinn, et al 2020), we will …

Exploring Reaction Times In D1 Female Volleyball Players, Lydia Seymour

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

The purpose of this study was to examine reaction time in a group of Division I female volleyball athletes. Data was collected over a consecutive four-week timespan using the Dynavision D2 training system. The Dynavision D2 training system consists of a mounted board with a series of light-up buttons and a screen in the middle, also referred to as the t-scope. In this study, buttons would light up, at random, for one second at a time. Athletes were tasked to press each button as fast as possible before the next button would light up. In addition, the t-scope screen presented …

Modeling Social Media Mob Dynamics Using A Hybrid Scvir System With Time-Varying Parameters And Recurrent Neural Networks, Noushin Gauhar

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

In this work, we develop a discrete-time susceptible-counter-infected-vaccinated-recovered (SCIVR) epidemiological framework to model the spread of mob-like information on social media. The model captures the interaction between susceptible neutral attention, infected mob-spreading narratives, counter or corrective discourse, low-visibility (vaccinated) content, and collective disengagement. COVID-19 twitter data were transformed into daily compartmental aggregates using sentiment polarity and retweet-based visibility thresholds, facilitating high-resolution modeling of information diffusion processes. The dataset comprises globally collected tweets between April and June 2021, filtered using keywords including “COVID19”, “coronavirus”, “quarantine”, “socialdistancing”, “staysafe”, “stayhome” and “lockdown”. Qualitative analysis of the SCIVR system includes derivation of the mob-free …

Optimal Control Analysis Of Mob Dynamics Using Generation Z Youtube Channel Behavior, Tahidu Alhassan

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

Digital media communication technologies have changed how people organize and act together. During the Generation Z event, social media platforms (e.g., X, YouTube, Facebook) played a major role in spreading information and mobilizing collective actions online and offline. In this work, we modified a mathematical dynamic model of the social media mob using an optimal control technique to adjust the rate of spread in response to social interactions. We examined the susceptible-quarantined-counter-infective-recovered (SQCIR) epidemiology model on a YouTube dataset covering Gen-Z data spread in Nepal from 8 to 13 September 2025. Using high-temporal-resolution real-world social media data will help to …

Assessment Of Airborne Cultural Fungi Indoors And Outdoors In A Rural Veterinary Clinic, Elena Ortez, Oluwatosin Jegede, Dorothy Seybold, Daeshjea Mcgee, Atin Adhikari, Ally Holmes

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

Background and Objectives: Veterinary clinics can inadvertently release and propagate bacteria through several mechanisms, primarily due to contaminated surfaces, insufficient cleaning protocols, and, in some instances, direct transmission from infected animals or staff. Given that these clinics are high-traffic environments, they can serve as hotspots for clinic-acquired infections if rigorous hygiene practices are not upheld. This study evaluated airborne bacterial concentrations in different areas of a veterinary clinic compared to outdoor ambient air by calculating the indoor-to-outdoor ratios.

Methods: Airborne culturable bacterial samples were collected using a Biostage Impactor across eight internal zones including waiting areas, treatment rooms, and wards …

Coupling Deep Learning With Time-Dependent Scir Model For Predicting Social Media Mob Behaviors, Bismark Ampaw Offei

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

In this study, we modified an epidemiological model of social media mob using deep learning methods to investigate information transmission using COVID-19 Twitter data from April to June 2021. Data collection was done using keywords, such as “covid 19”, “vaccine”, “lockdown”, and “quarantine” to simulate activity trends during the pandemic. In this work, we combine deep learning methods, including LSTMs and GRUs, with the susceptible-counter-infective-recovered (SCIR) model to forecast time-dependent parameters. Primary qualitative analyses, including the social media mob free equilibrium (MFE) point, the endemic equilibrium point, and the basic reproduction number ℜ₀, were performed. Our analysis shows …

Effects Of Exercise And Neuromuscular Stimulation On Neuroplasticity And Inflammation In Those With Dementia Risk, Kaitlyn J. Tanner, Collis D. Grace, Morgan A. Gragg, Lisa B. Niles-Meunier, Nicholas J. Siekirk

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

BACKGROUND: Cognitive decline, prevalent in Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD), heightens fall risk. Exercise interventions can reduce fall risk by slowing or delaying cognitive decline. Use of multi-waveform neuromuscular electrical stimulation (MWF-NMES) as an exercise adjunct may enhance neuroplasticity in areas associated with postural control. Whether NMES can improve postural control outcomes is not well-documented. Therefore, we will examine the effect of multi-waveform NMES on postural control in adults at risk for ADRD. METHODS: Participants will be recruited from an assisted living community in Southeast Georgia. Interested participants who meet the inclusion criterion will be stratified by sex …

A Balaam-Modified Approach To Largo-Like Parkinson’S Trials: Efficient Estimation Of Rasagiline Effects Under Motor Fluctuations, Purbasha Biswas, Jing X. Kersey, Karl E. Peace

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

The LARGO trial established rasagiline (1 mg/day) as an effective adjunct to levodopa in Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients with motor fluctuations, demonstrating clinically meaningful reductions in daily “off-time” (poor or absent motor function) and improvements in Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS)/Clinical Global Improvement (CGI) endpoints compared with placebo. Building on this evidence base, we propose a design strategy that re-uses LARGO-like assumptions while improving statistical efficiency for future PD evaluations of rasagiline versus placebo. Methodologically, we leverage key results emphasizing the Balaam 4-sequence, 2-period design (AA, AB, BA, BB). Under the standard crossover model with direct and carryover effects, …

Determinants Of Infant Birth Weight In Georgia: An Analysis Of The Prams 2016–2020 Study, Purbasha Biswas, Jing Kersey

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

The Georgia PRAMS 2016–2020 data were used to assess whether maternal smoking during pregnancy is associated with infant birth weight among singleton live births while accounting for key sociodemographic factors. Birth weight recorded in 250-gram midpoints was converted to a continuous gram measure and analyzed with maternal smoking status, age group, education, and marital status. A complete-case strategy was used because missingness was < 10%, yielding an analytic sample of 3,175 observations. We fit an ordinary least squares multiple linear regression with categorical predictors represented by indicator variables. After adjustment, infants born to non-smoking mothers weighed, on average, 163.5 g more than infants born to mothers who smoked (SE=66.2; p = 0.0136). Infants of mothers who were not married weighed 150.4 g less than those of married mothers (SE=30.9; p < 0.001). The maternal age group was not statistically significant in the adjusted model. Education showed a non-monotone pattern, with one notable contrast indicating lower birth weight for 12 years of education compared with 0–8 years (mean=−190.3 g; SE=76.3; p = 0.0127), suggesting education may be acting as a proxy for heterogeneous social, behavioral, and healthcare pathways rather than a purely linear gradient. Model diagnostics indicated acceptable linear model assumptions and minimal multicollinearity (adjusted variance Inflation Factor (VIF) near 1), though the overall explained variance was modest (R² ≈ 0.02). These findings are consistent with fetal growth restriction linked to prenatal tobacco exposure and broader social disadvantage. From a public health perspective, even modest average shifts in birth weight can meaningfully affect the population burden of low birth weight. Results support reinforcing prenatal smoking-cessation interventions and pairing them with strategies that address upstream determinants (e.g., stress, support, and access to care). Future work should incorporate survey weights and additional clinical covariates (gestational age, parity, comorbidities, prenatal care) to strengthen causal and population-level inference.

Ai-Powered Quantum Sensing For Non-Invasive Diabetes Monitoring System, Anichur Rahman, Airin Afroj Aishi, Md Shohel Rana

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

Diabetes is a common disease prevalent among a large population of the world, requiring continuous monitoring of blood glucose levels to prevent severe complications of the disease. Currently, continuous glucose monitoring technologies often use invasive and minimally invasive sensors that are not only uncomfortable for the patient but also limit the usability of the device. This project aims to explore cutting-edge technology for continuous glucose monitoring through the fusion of artificial intelligence techniques and novel quantum sensing technologies. A novel framework is proposed for the fusion of machine learning techniques with novel quantum-inspired sensing techniques to improve the accuracy of …

Multigraded Betti Numbers Of Squarefree Monomial Ideals From Maximal, Nonattacking Rook Arrangements, Gwendolyn Flaherty

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

This project investigates algebraic structures that arise from combinatorial constructions using tools from commutative algebra, combinatorics, and topology. Many natural combinatorial objects give rise to squarefree, pure monomial ideals. One can construct minimal free resolutions of these ideals and study their graded and multigraded Betti numbers, which measure the complexity of the resolution. The connection between monomial ideals and Betti numbers is provided by Hochster’s formula, which expresses the Betti numbers of a squarefree monomial ideal in terms of the reduced homology of associated simplicial complexes.

The primary goal of this work is to develop combinatorial interpretations of these Betti …

The Impact Of Adverse Childhood Experiences (Aces) On The Development Of Reckless Behavior In Adulthood, Cheyenne Harvey

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

Current literature suggests that there is a correlation between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and behaviors in adulthood (e.g., substance use, crime). Research also shows that childhood trauma can lead to increased risk-taking or reckless behavior later in life. A study by Assini-Meytin et al. (2021) found that having a higher number of ACEs is linked to more risky behaviors in adulthood. These risky behaviors are often ways to deal with emotional problems caused by early stress. Anda et al. (2006) points out that these experiences can cause lasting changes in brain development, especially in areas that handle impulse control. The …

Leveraging Agentic And Generative Ai For Intelligent Global Market Analysis, Anichur Rahman, Airin Afroj Aishi, Md Shohel Rana

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

Global financial markets produce enormous amounts of structured and unstructured data on a per-second basis. The data is comprised of economic data, news feeds, social media data, and geopolitical data. Traditional approaches to financial market analysis have difficulties integrating these data sources and adapting to the changing global environment. This project aims to create a novel framework for autonomous financial market intelligence using Agentic AI and Generative AI technologies. Agentic AI is an emerging technology that allows for the creation of autonomous decision-making agents. The agents can be programmed to continuously monitor and analyze data sources, detect emerging trends, and …

How Is The Use Of Ai Impacting Nursing Students Education?, Lorna H. Strain

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education is rapidly increasing and reshaping how nursing students learn and engage with content. This thesis proposal takes a look at the impact of AI on the education of nursing students and explores students' perceptions of its use in their learning and education. As AI becomes more prevalent, many students are using it for study aids and content personalization, while schools are using it in simulations and textbook platforms. Many recognize its benefits, such as enhanced critical thinking, improved accessibility of materials, and more immersive learning. Concerns persist around ethical use, academic integrity, …

The Role Of Mentorship In Reducing Burnout In New Nurses And Nursing Students, Omari Andry

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

Burnout among new nurses and nursing students is a consistent issue affecting the healthcare system by adding to early career turnover, emotional exhaustion, and decreased quality of patient care. Structured mentorship programs have emerged as a promising intervention to alleviate burnout by giving emotional support, professional development, and coping strategies. This proposal explores the role of mentorship in reducing burnout symptoms, improving job satisfaction, and promoting emotional resilience among new nurses and nursing students alike. Based on existing scholarly articles, the project will investigate how structured versus informal mentorship affects burnout rates, the qualities of effective mentors, and the outcomes …

Bringing Worlds Together: How Social Studies Teachers Make Content Meaningful, Harley A. Payne

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

Secondary educators in social studies classes face the challenge of maintaining the attention of twenty to thirty students while they instruct them about content that often seems irrelevant or unimportant. These educators know, however, that the material these students are disinterested in is useful and crucial for developing adolescents who are learning to interact with the world. Research suggests that bridging the gap between the classroom and the real world has been linked to greater classroom engagement (Cooper 2014, Tagliaferro, 2012). Students who are engaged and exert more effort in class derive academic benefits, such as placement in advanced pathways …

Temporal Variation In Dna Methylation Over 115 Years Post Introduction Facilitate Success Of House Sparrows, M. Ellesse Lauer, J. Dylan Maddox, Kevin D. Kohl, Mark Ravinet, Lynn B. Martin, Aaron W. Schrey

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

House sparrows (Passer domesticus) have colonized most continents within the last 200 years. As such, they represent a unique study system for understanding the role that epigenetic mechanisms play in an individual’s responses to rapid environmental changes. DNA methylation facilitates the introduction success of non-native sparrows by compensating for reduced genetic diversity and supporting changes to phenotypes. In non-native populations of house sparrows, more recently introduced populations have higher variance in DNA methylation and respond to simulated infections with a greater magnitude of change in DNA methylation. To determine how DNA methylation changes temporally across 115 years post …