Digital Commons Network^™

Demonstration Of Infrared Pavement Heater, Dwayne Harris

JTRP Technical Reports

Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) maintenance currently employs several patching methodologies; however, prior to this study, INDOT had little experience with using infrared pavement heaters as a maintenance tool.  The purpose of this research was to introduce pavement heating technologies and provide INDOT maintenance personnel with experience using these technologies.

Simulating Current And Future Ev Growth Scenarios In Indiana, Omar Faruqe Hamim, Xiaowei Chen, Kenny Chandra Wijaya, Lavan Teja Burra, Zengxiang Lei, Rajat Verma, Konstantina (Nadia) Gkritza, Satish Ukkusuri

JTRP Technical Reports

As Indiana transitions toward electric mobility, data-driven planning is essential to guide electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure investment and deployment. This study evaluates the current and future performance of Indiana’s EV charging infrastructure using Multimodal Energy-Efficient Trip Simulation in Real Time (METS-R), a high-resolution simulation platform. Five EV adoption scenarios, ranging from pessimistic to optimistic, are modeled for the years 2024 through 2031, to assess spatial and temporal variations in public charging demand. Results reveal increasing public charging demand under high adoption scenarios, with significant disparities between urban and non-urban areas. Accessibility to public charging is found to be uneven …

Feasibility Study On The Development Of Indiana’S Connected And Automated Vehicle Roadmap And Strategic Plan, Can Cui, Juanwu Lu, Yupeng Zhou, Abin Mathew, Jue Zhou, Ziran Wang, Yaobin Chen

JTRP Technical Reports

This study provides INDOT with critical insights into major OEMs’ connected and autonomous vehicle (CAV) development plans and related research and demonstration activities in several surrounding states, guiding infrastructure investment and policy decisions. The report delivers three outputs that guide the CAV technologies implementation in Indiana. First, it synthesizes the best regional practices and industry direction to distinguish what is feasible now from what requires further development. Second, it establishes a technical baseline that links priority applications to sensing and communications architectures with explicit attention to interoperability, security, and maintainability. Third, it defines an implementation framework that connects capital and …

Rampcast Phase Ii: Connected Vehicles Traffic Management Application On Indiana Highways, Abin Mathew, Agnideven Palanisamy Sundar, Juntong Peng, Jue Zhou, Yaobin Chen, Feng Li

JTRP Technical Reports

This project advances connected vehicle applications by developing and testing an enhanced RampCast system, a comprehensive traffic management system using C-V2X technology for Indiana highways. The system features a dual-mode architecture integrating both short-range (PC5) and long-range cellular (Uu) C-V2X communication pathways, utilizing commercial-grade Cohda MK6 hardware and adhering to SAE J2735 standards to ensure interoperability. A key innovation is the integration of an AI-based prioritization framework, which leverages a large language model to enhance the contextual relevance of traffic messages. This AI system introduces two intelligent agents: one to dynamically estimate the appropriate display distance for an event based …

Integration Of Bim For Bridge Modeling, Jiansong Zhang, Hang Li, Temitope Akanbi, Hosam Hegazy, Fan Yang, Meta Soy, Yunfeng Chen, Hazar Nicholas Dib

JTRP Technical Reports

Existing INDOT bridge projects mainly use PDF plans for the official deliverables and records to be communicated, transferred, and stored among different stakeholders. With the Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) BIM standard (ISO 16739) adopted by AASHTO as the national standard for modeling bridge projects, there comes a great opportunity to upgrade the documentation of INDOT bridge projects to 3D BIM in compliance with this national standard, while at the same time addressing the need to manage and retrieve project information in a more convenient and efficient way. In addition, INDOT needs to achieve the goal of meeting new Specifications for …

Identify Bridge Design Guidelines For Wildlife Crossings, Jon Padfield, Kyle Squillace

JTRP Technical Reports

Annual vehicle miles driven in the United States doubled, from 1.6 trillion to 3.2 trillion in the 40 years between 1983 and 2023. Unfortunately, one side effect of the increase in vehicle miles driven has been the prevalence of Animal-Vehicle Collisions (AVCs).

As early as 1975, efforts began in some Western states to create safe animal passages such as the wildlife overpass over I-15 in Beaver, Utah. Wildlife passages increased in popularity from the 1970s through the 1990s, but they were mainly being designed and constructed in the Western United States.

Today, there is increasing and broader interest in safe …

Receiver, Vehicle, And Roadway Systems For A Dynamic Wireless Power Transfer Roadway Testbed, Oscar Andrés Moncada, Isaac Abram, Nicholas Frooninckx, Vatan Mehar, Chiara Cervini, O'Brien Ben, Bruno Cesar Krause Moras, Steve Pekarek, John E. Haddock, Dionysios Aliprantis, Aaron Brovont, Konstantina Gkritza, Rob Swanson

JTRP Technical Reports

A dynamic wireless power transfer (DWPT) system using a novel three-phase transmitter/receiver design was embedded 2.4 in beneath the surface of an existing rigid pavement on US 52/US 231 in West Lafayette, Indiana, with 85 coils installed and paired with a retrofitted Class-8 Cummins electrified truck. The system successfully delivered 50–190 kW at speeds up to 65 mph with efficiencies approaching 85%, and all coils met electromagnetic balance targets; similar results were validated on a 3-coil testbed at Utah State University, with magnetic flux densities well below human exposure limits. Testing also demonstrated strong misalignment tolerance and reliable high-power delivery …

Agricultural Evidence Synthesis At A Critical Juncture: Quality Gaps And Implications For Evidence-Based Agriculture, Chao Cai, Jane Yatcilla, Justyna Czader, Sylvie Brouder, Jeffrey Volenec

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

Systematic reviews and meta-analyses have become essential tools for synthesizing evidence to guide agricultural policy and practice, yet whether these syntheses are themselves conducted with sufficient rigor has rarely been systematically assessed. This study provides a field-wide assessment of reporting quality in agricultural evidence synthesis, examining whether existing reviews are conducted with sufficient transparency and rigor to support the policy and practice decisions they are meant to inform. We drew a random sample of 244 systematic reviews and meta-analyses from a bibliometric dataset of 1,709 articles published between 1997 and 2023, evaluating reporting quality using a 12-indicator rubric across four …

Pitch Report: Purdue Ivy Tech Chips Evaluation Report, Jennifer Sdunzik

Evaluation and Learning Research Center Reports

The Purdue Ivy Tech CHips (PITCH) program is a university-industry-community partnership aimed at developing an educational pipeline capable of providing a qualified workforce for the growing semiconductor industry in the region. Increasing student interest in microelectronics, awareness of current and future microelectronics careers, and self-efficacy to pursue microelectronics opportunities are foundational to building the industry’s workforce. The PITCH program addressed these needs by offering a summer experience that introduced high school students to the semiconductor industry.

The PITCH leadership team engaged Purdue's Evaluation and Learning Research Center (ELRC) to (1) identify (short and longer-term) impacts of the summer program on …

“It Feels Like A Safe Container”: Experiences Of Finding Solid Ground Groups For Adults With Dissociative Disorders., Laura Hawkins, Sarah Chipps, Kim Foreman, Stephanie Johnson, Aimee Mccann, Rebecca Braughton, Abidemi Mary Ajuwon, Dongjuan Xu

School of Nursing Faculty Publications

Objective: Dissociative disorders (DD) are trauma-related conditions marked by disruptions in memory, identity, and consciousness. Despite high prevalence, DDs are underdiagnosed and undertreated. This study explores the experiences of adults with DD participating in a 31-week Finding Solid Ground (FSG) psychoeducational group. Method: Participants (N=72) were mostly women (81%), who experienced a DD or PTSD dissociative subtype, along with multiple mental health comorbidities. Eight groups (seven virtual, one in-person) completed 31 weekly 90-minute sessions based on the FSG curriculum as adjunctive to individual psychotherapy. Thematic qualitative analysis was used to analyze participants’ hopes, challenges, helpful and unhelpful aspects, and perceived …

Simplified Traffic Studies For Local Agencies, Laura Slusher

Indiana Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) Publications

Traffic studies are critical in the decision-making process for many transportation-related projects, funding requests, paving and plowing priorities, and in reporting to elected officials and the public. It is often difficult for local jurisdictions with limited equipment, staff, and time to perform these studies or have the funds available to hire them out. This handbook describes simplified procedures that are easy to apply and are written for all potential users.

Stem Integration Through Environmental Data Analysis For Real-World Problem Solving, Abigail Erskine

Indiana STEM Education Conference

Integrating authentic, environmental-based data can make STEM instruction more meaningful. As part of a broader high school STEM curriculum, I designed a lesson that connects mathematical and statistical concepts, technology, and environmental data through environmental data analysis to develop real-world problem solving. Using local deer mortality data, I examined how descriptive statistics and data interpretation could reveal population and ecological patterns. Designing with real data highlighted how mathematics can serve as a lens for understanding environmental issues and promote connections across STEM disciplines. This research brief focuses on the instructional design and reflection as the lesson designer.

Document Analysis: Indiana Doe Stem School Certification Process Through A Liberatory Lens, Steve Heinold

Indiana STEM Education Conference

The Indiana Department of Education awards a STEM School Certification (IDOE, 2024) to schools that exhibit priorities for integrated STEM education. Currently over one hundred schools in Indiana have received this certification, including many that represent communities of color and under-resourced communities. While the STEM certification process has thus far been representational for low-income and Black students (Duarte, 2025), many disparities and deficits remain in closing opportunity gaps for students of color in STEM in the state of Indiana. This research brief, utilizing BlackCrit theory in education, analyzes Indiana’s STEM School Certification process for addressing the systemic barriers that under-represented …

Undergraduate Student Support Survey And Scoring Guide, Kerrie A. Douglas, Adrian Gentry, Julie P. Martin, Tiantian Li

School of Engineering Education Working Papers

No abstract provided.

Powered By People: Staffing And Capacity In Library Publishing Programs, Michelle Brailey, Melissa Chim, Lauren Collister, Heather Hankins, Alyssa Huffman, Bailey Lake, Barbara Loomis, Miranda Phair, Anita Walz

LPC Publications

This report is comprised of the results of the LPC’s Staffing Survey where respondents answered questions related to staffing and capacity within their library publishing programs.

Analysis Of Stem Activities At Preschool And Primary School Levels In The Usa's And Turkiye's Educational Reports Based On The Engineering Design Process, Cetin Kursat Bilir, Mehmet Fatih Öçal, Esra Yilmaz Bilir

Indiana STEM Education Conference

This comparative study examines STEM activities from preschool to grade 4 in the United States and Türkiye using the Engineering Design Process (EDP) framework. Five activities from each country were selected based on national standards (NGSS in the U.S.; Ministry of National Education STEM Standards in Türkiye). Using qualitative content analysis, we examined how each activity reflects the stages of the EDP. The findings highlight ways to strengthen STEM education through design-based learning and offer teachers practical insights for integrating engineering design into early education.

Exploring The Role Of Dialogue In Student Development And Knowledge Generation, Alison Warren

Indiana STEM Education Conference

In classrooms where students are given the space to engage in dialogue, ask questions, and negotiate ideas, science learning comes to life. Providing opportunities for students to negotiate ideas publicly, through dialogue, then privately, through writing has the potential to maximize student idea generation. Although dialogue is widely recognized as important for engagement and communicating ideas, it has also been framed as an epistemic tool. However, the role of dialogue as a sense-making process or epistemic tool, and its relationship to other forms of language, remains under-explored. This study addresses this gap by investigating the role of dialogue and how …

Indiana Bridges: Inclusive Stem Learning For Students With Down Syndrome, Elizabeth N. Christian, Jeffrey A. Nowak

Indiana STEM Education Conference

This research brief explores how materials and the engineering design process may be used to support inclusive STEM learning for students with Down syndrome. Conducted as a series of five consecutive workshops over a summer break, the Indiana Bridges project introduced engineering concepts through bridge-themed sessions created to be accessible for all ages and abilities. Students ages 11-20 with Down syndrome and two teacher education faculty participated in five workshops. Family members and center support staff frequently participated. Bridges from across the state of Indiana and classroom materials familiar to the participants provided entry points while new materials extended their …

More Than A Design Task: How Questions Shape Student Attention And Learning, Isaiah Kent-Schneider

Indiana STEM Education Conference

Incorporating engineering design activities into education has the potential to transform learning and students' educational experiences. However, when teachers implement engineering design without asking purposeful questions to focus students' attention, students tend to focus on the task but miss out on the intended learning of underlying science and math concepts. This research brief provides practical examples of questions teachers can use to focus student attention during engineering design activities.

Indot Training Gap Analysis, Developing A Training Program For Indot Workforce Development (New, Front-Line, Supervisors) And Smart Tool For Effective Planning For Workforce, Steven R. Dunlop, Satish V. Ukkusuri, Yunfeng Chen, Dutt J. Thakkar, Eunhan Ka, Shagun Mittal, Xinran Hu, Ze Wang, Isha Khanna, Rithesh Tammineni

JTRP Technical Reports

The primary goal of the study was to understand reasons for workforce turnover, addressing INDOT’s employee attraction and retention strategies. This objective was achieved by dividing the project into four tasks, each focusing on different criteria. Task A focused on understanding workforce development needs and gaps by determining training opportunities available at INDOT and understanding the different training methods and frequency of training required. Additionally, Task A also benchmarked workforce development programs with industry and other neighboring states. Task B comprised performing a comprehensive numerical and text data analysis of the workforce using exit interview data to identify the reasons …

3-Ls4-3: How Do Animals Survive In Different Habitats?, Colleen Leonard, Gabrielle Duke

3rd Grade

No abstract provided.

4-Ls1-1: Animal Adaptations, Addison Pantell

4th Grade

No abstract provided.

Human Vaccine Hesitancy Spillover In The Field Of Veterinary Medicine: A Systematic Narrative Review Of Impacts And Veterinary Responses, Allison Schimpf

HEAL Project Outputs

Human vaccine hesitancy spillover in the veterinary field is a relatively new concept that has gained traction since the COVID-19 pandemic. Concerns about vaccine safety have increased among pet owners leading to questions about the potential impacts of reduced vaccination and how veterinarians can address these attitudes. A systematic search strategy following PRISMA 2020 guidelines was used with 3 different databases to collect peer-reviewed research articles from 2022 until now. The initial search yielded 376 articles for review and 11 were included after screening. Articles were analyzed using a narrative review format. Results showed that pet owners are more vaccine …

Health Empowerment And Learning (Heal) Data Needs And Assets Assessment, Kayla Gurganus, Amelia Hartley

HEAL Project Outputs

From October 2025 through March 2026, HEAL conducted interviews with health organization and local health department (LHD) staff to learn about the data environment and activities involving data. This report summarizes the project process and results, focusing on common challenges and needed skills identified by interviewees. The primary challenges identified by LHDs and health organizations relate to coordination and navigation, timely access and data sharing, communicating data, and staffing and funding. The necessary skills and resources interviewees shared relate to technical assistance, skills and capacity building, and staffing. The report concludes with a menu of services that the HEAL team …

Evaluation Of Aggregate Gradation Specifications And The Feasibility Of Harmonization With Aashto Standards, Husam Elgaali, Ayesha Shah, Jan Olek

JTRP Technical Reports

The aggregate gradations specified by the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) differ from those of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). Preliminary discussions suggest that adopting AASHTO standard gradation sizes could provide national alignment and simplify production for those operating in multiple states and supplying projects not subject to INDOT specifications. A comprehensive study was performed to evaluate the current INDOT specifications for coarse and fine aggregate gradations and to assess the potential impacts and feasibility of adopting AASHTO-specified gradations. A comparative analysis of INDOT gradations against AASHTO, ASTM International (ASTM), and those of neighboring states …

Centering Ai Literacy: Exploring Brazilian International Students’ Perceptions Of Chatgpt And Peer Tutoring, Leigh Ann Dunning, Raissa Borges De Oliveira Leal

The Writing Center Journal

For English as an Additional Language (EAL) students, generative AI (GenAI) offers meaningful support for writing in English, while also introducing a new set of challenges. Supporting EAL students in developing AI literacy is crucial to their growth as confident, adaptable writers, and writing center tutors are uniquely positioned to facilitate this development. This case study explores the experiences of undergraduate Brazilian international students at a small liberal arts college who received writing feedback from both peer writing center tutors and ChatGPT. Findings indicate that students valued the human connection, contextual understanding, and rhetorical support offered by peer tutors, while …

Reimagining Wpa And Writing Center Administration Centering Minority Writers, Saurabh Anand

The Writing Center Journal

This piece explores the discussions surrounding multilingualism, internationalization, and queerness within writing center studies (WCS). As a branch of writing program administration (WPA), this piece situates above-disciplinary conversations in relation to second language studies (SLS) and broader language and literacy education scholarship to identify areas where disciplinary collaboration and attention are still needed, particularly around questions of professional development, administrative strategies, and pedagogies supporting multilingual writers in writing center spaces. This piece begins by reviewing the major trends, contributions, and key terms in existing literature centering on multilingual writers and SLS to identify ways and areas of collaboration and disciplinary …

From “Contact Zone” To “Collaborative Zone”: Multilingual Writers’ Tensions And Opportunities In The Writing Center, Qianqian Zhang-Wu, Isabelle M. Lundin, Neal Lerner

The Writing Center Journal

Writing center scholars have adopted Pratt’s (1991) “contact zone” metaphor to describe the diversity of consultants and students in writing centers, but this literature has largely overlooked the perspectives of multilingual students. Through surveys, interviews, and session data, we found that while multilingual students described rich linguistic identities, they also experienced tension and instability as language users. Students often framed their considerable language assets as deficiencies in academic writing contexts. They faced additional tension between instructor expectations and their own understanding of assignment goals. Students frequently sought native-like language competency from consultants and expected them to serve as informants about …

“Dear Colleague”: Upholding Multilingual Voices And Pedagogies In Writing Centers Against Flattening Forces, Melanie Mcnulty, Amina Selimaj

The Writing Center Journal

Drawing on the dual perspectives of a writing center administrator and a tutor, this paper explores how political symbolism—such as the Department of Education’s 2025 “Dear Colleague” letter—technological homogenization, and institutional consolidation are contributing to a resurgence of standard language ideology and attempting to erode linguistic diversity. We argue that writing center administrators and tutors must confront their own biases, reflect on their positionality, and adopt pedagogies that prioritize inclusion and agency over assimilation; and must refuse these pressures that seek to judge diversity as deficit and flatten difference into sameness.

Native-Speakerism And Multilingual Student Anxiety In One-To-One Mentoring, Grace Lee-Amuzie

The Writing Center Journal

While one-to- one writing tutoring is often viewed as a supportive space for student writers, it can also reproduce racialized linguistic hierarchies that exacerbate anxiety for multilingual students. This article examines second language (L2) anxiety as a structurally induced emotional response to native-speakerism— the ideology that privileges white, Anglophone, native English speakers as the standard for language competence. Drawing from L2 anxiety research in applied linguistics and writing center studies, the article explores how native-speakerism influences multilingual students’ self-perception, interaction, and performance in L2 during one-to- one tutoring. It discusses the sources and dimensions of L2 anxiety across all four …