Digital Commons Network^™

Algorithmic Collusion Among Ev Charging Stations With Independent Reinforcement Learning Agents, Yulin Zeng, Yiheng Zhao, Yuanliang Li, Yefeng Yuan, Jie Gao, Hepeng Li, Xiao'ou Yang, Hohyun Lee, Yuhong Liu, Jun Yan

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Recent advancements in reinforcement learning (RL) have significantly enhanced the autonomous decision-making capabilities of energy systems. In the realm of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, operators aim to autonomously learn optimal pricing strategies based on local observations and user behavior. Traditional multi-agent reinforcement learning (MARL) approaches often assume cooperative settings with reward sharing or communication, real-world EV charging infrastructures are typically decentralized and competitive. This paper investigates the potential for tacit collusion in such realistic, non-cooperative environments. By leveraging decentralized MARL, we show that independently trained agents can still exhibit emergent collusive behaviors. Our findings highlight a critical need for …

High-Stakes Exams Inflate A Gender Gap And Contribute To Systematic Grading Errors In One Introductory Physics Series, David J. Webb, Cassandra Paul

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Previous research has suggested that changing the percentage of the course grade associated with exam grades in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics courses can change the gender gap in the course. It has also been shown that high-stakes assessments yield the lowest (relative) scores for female students. Previous research by the authors has shown that implementing retake exams can eliminate the gender gap in introductory physics courses. This paper explores several different hypotheses for why retake exams are associated with a zeroed gender gap. Two independent measurements comparing exams with different stakes are used in support of the argument that …

Exploring The Role Of Culture And Bilingualism In Programming Activities: Lessons From African Educators, Emma R. Dodoo, Katharine Childs, Ethel Tshukudu

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

The delivery of culturally relevant content in K-12 computing education is widely recognized as essential for engaging students and fostering meaningful learning experiences. However, in many African contexts, K-12 computing teachers feel unprepared to address this need. Course materials often fail to reflect the cultural and linguistic diversity of the students they serve. In this study, we conducted participatory design sessions with education stakeholders, including primary and secondary school teachers, to develop culturally relevant programming activities for a national programming outreach initiative in Botswana. Our findings emphasize the importance of relatable examples and a balanced approach to integrating cultural elements …

Contextualizing Introductory Computer Science: Insights From African Faculty, Ethel Tshukudu, Ismaila Temitayo Sanusi, Oluwakemi Ola, Sally Hamouda, Linda Marshall, Oluwatoyin Adelakun-Adeyemo, Emma R. Dodoo, G. Ayorkor Korsah, Sandani Luvhengo, Jack Parkinson

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Contextualizing computer science education has been recognized as a key factor in enhancing student engagement and learning outcomes. This study investigates the initial perceptions of university computer science faculty in Africa regarding the benefits, adoption challenges, and institutional support required for the successful integration of contextually relevant materials into introductory computer science (CS1) courses. Faculty then assessed a set of previously developed contextually tailored materials, grounded in Banks' Additive Approach to curriculum reform and aligned to the CS curricula 2023. The research adopted qualitative methods, gathering data through open-ended surveys from 22 CS faculty across 9 African countries. Thematic analysis …

The Symbiotic Harm Of A Criminal Record, Ericka B. Adams, Elsa Y. Chen, Sarah E. Lageson

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Having a criminal record significantly alters a person’s life chances, decreasing their opportunities for employment, housing, student loans, voting, public benefits, and more. The collateral consequences of criminal convictions, or the civil restrictions that follow criminal convictions, are well documented. However, because individuals are connected to families and communities, it is impossible to isolate the effects of punishment to only the persons holding criminal records. Instead, the effects of criminal records might be best understood as a set of symbiotic harms, marked by relational and interdependent effects. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 59 expungement-eligible persons and 69 community representatives, this …

On The Road To A Better Life? Rural Road And Economic Development In Albania, Santosh Gautam, Ermal Llirjani, Patralekha Ukil

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

This study evaluates the impact of investment in rural roads on household welfare in Albania using a difference-in-differences method. We find that treated households experienced a 35-percentage point increase in the road quality and reduced travel times to the nearest motorable roads. Land and housing values rose significantly, and household heads were less likely to be unemployed, with a shift toward self-employment. While household income did not change significantly, consumption—particularly on non-food items—increased. These findings highlight the welfare-enhancing effects of improved connectivity and suggest that rural infrastructure investments can promote local economic activity. Policymakers should consider pairing road upgrades with …

Spartan Daily, October 16, 2025, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2025

Volume 165, Issue 24

Spartan Daily, October 15, 2025, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2025

Volume 165, Issue 23

Spartan Daily, October 14, 2025, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2025

Volume 165, Issue 22

Engaged Climate Change Pedagogy: Lessons From 15 Years Of Interdisciplinary Climate Change Education, J. Alejandro Artiga-Purcell, Costanza Rampini, Anne Marie Todd, Eugene C. Cordero

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

This article explores lessons learned from 15 years of an interdisciplinary, team-taught course on global climate change at a minority-serving public university in the United States San Francisco Bay Area integrating climate science with policymaking, public communication strategies, and principles of climate justice. First taught in 2007, 16 faculty from 5 different departments collaborated across disciplines to produce innovative teaching practices and curriculum design that evolved through each iteration of the course. Theme analysis of two roundtable discussions with course instructors identified three themes: changing course context, integrative learning, and community engagement. The essay concludes with lessons learned from this …

Transgender And Nonbinary People's Perceptions Of Their State Context, Gender Minority Stress, And Mental Health: A Mixed Methods Study, Devon Kimball, Jae A. Puckett, Mihael Macbeth, Debra A. Hope, Richard Mocarski, L. Zachary Dubois

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Transgender and nonbinary (TNB) people experience gender minority stressors that adversely affect their mental health and wellbeing, all of which are shaped by sociopolitical contexts. We explored TNB participants' (N = 150) perceptions of how affirming their state was and associations with minority stress and mental health variables. Qualitative themes included: (1) Degrees of stigma depend on who you are; (2) Stigma persists even with small positive advancements; (3) Cis people take an ‘out of sight, out of mind’ approach to TNB people; and (4) It's in the air we breathe: Cissexism is an individual, cultural, and structural issue. Across …

Spartan Daily, October 9, 2025, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2025

Volume 165, Issue 21

Cosmopolitan Spirits: Islam And The Experimental Cosmologies Of Egypt's Spiritualist Movement, 1947–1960, Arthur Shiwa Zárate

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

This article considers the history of Egypt’s mid-twentieth-century Spiritualist movement through an examination of its periodical, a monthly Arabic magazine called Alam al-Ruh (The World of the Spirit) (1947–1960). As it shows, Egyptian Spiritualists defended and promoted their project by crafting an experimental cosmology, one that blended claims about empirical verification with elements of Islamic and Spiritualist cosmologies. It further shows how this combination of scientism and cosmology reflects a core dynamic within the history of scientific exploration in the Islamic world. Like spiritual seekers and occult practitioners in Muslim societies elsewhere, Egyptian Spiritualists positioned their project as one of …

Coastal Water Information Orders: Reverse-Engineering New York City’S Data Dashboards, James A. Hodges, Rachel Paprocki

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

This article examines the information systems governing individual relationships to urban coastal waterways, drawing from two data publication initiatives in New York City. In these two cases, data structure and web design features cultivate specific forms of knowledge about water quality, pollution, and the health risks represented by recreational activities such as swimming and fishing. Analysis of the data structure and web source code shows the forms of knowledge concerning water quality each project facilitates or obscures. Findings are considered within the framework of an ‘information order’, which refers to the prevailing conditions for knowledge that are facilitated by communication …

Without Them, There Is No You: The Role Of Personal Choice And History In Resisting Political Control, Heidi Turner

Asian American Literature: Discourses & Pedagogies

In 2011, Korean-American journalist Suki Kim went undercover as an English teacher at the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology, working to teach her students while simultaneously recording everything she could about the workings of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). In 2014, her book Without You, There is No Us was published as a memoir, in part due to the inclusion of personal details considered less relevant to the story, thereby undercutting her journalistic credentials.

Here, using C. S. Lewis’s The Abolition of Man as a theoretical framework for understanding oppressive regimes and the ways that they control …

Transpacific Rhizomatic Migration In Kyoung H. Park’S Mina: Settler Desire And Identity Formation In Korean-Latin American Literature In The U.S., Chase Kim

Asian American Literature: Discourses & Pedagogies

The Korean diaspora to the United States is a phenomenon that has long been analyzed for its sociocultural, political, and economic implications. However, generally ignored by scholarship of frameworks such as the transpacific is Korean-Latin American remigration to the United States. Korean migration to Latin America and this group’s subsequent migration to the US was motivated largely by economic factors such as the availability of Latin American agricultural labor in the mid-1960s and the growth of Korean-American professional communities during the 1980s. Situating this migration in a transpacific framework improves our understanding of settler colonial desire and identity formation. I …

Introduction To Volume Thirteen: Teaching In Dangerous Times, Noelle Brada-Williams

Asian American Literature: Discourses & Pedagogies

No abstract provided.

Spartan Daily, October 8, 2025, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2025

Volume 165, Issue 20

Spartan Daily, October 7, 2025, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2025

Volume 165, Issue 19

Ainr: Automated Intrinsic Non-Rigid Registration For Accuracy Qualification Of Complex Freeform Products In 3d Printing, Weizhi Lin, Qiang Huang

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Non-rigid shape registration identifies the optimal non-rigid transformation between an actual product and its intended design to characterize their geometric dissimilarities. This transformation is usually determined by iteratively minimizing point-wise distances to match points with point-wise rigid motion. However, freeform products may exhibit complex spatial patterns of shape deviation, leading to premature iteration termination due to tradeoffs among local regions. One solution is to segment the complex design into semantic features and perform segment-wise rigid registration. Segment boundaries are typically placed along high-curvature regions, where deviations are more likely occur in 3D printing. However, since boundaries are generally more prone …

Spartan Daily, October 2, 2025, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2025

Volume 165, Issue 18

Frameworks And Life Cycle Assessment For Reinforced Concrete Bridges For Sustainability In Transportation, Yu-Fu Ko, Jessica Gonzalez

Mineta Transportation Institute

Bridge structures are critical components of California’s transportation network, with reinforced concrete (RC) bridges being among the most widely used. Extending the lifespan of these structures can lead to significant reductions in environmental impacts. However, California’s frequent seismic activity has repeatedly exposed the vulnerability of existing RC bridges, highlighting the urgent need for seismic retrofitting and maintenance to improve infrastructure resilience against earthquakes and to increase sustainability. This research used detailed computer simulations known as nonlinear finite element models, which are highly detailed computer models, incorporating section damage indices to predict damage and assess structural deficiencies in RC bridges during …

Sjsu Erfa News, Fall 2025, San Jose State University, Emeritus And Retired Faculty Association

Emeritus and Retired Faculty Association (ERFA) Newsletter

Volume 39, No 1

Spartan Daily, October 1, 2025, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2025

Volume 165, Issue 17

The Access Assembly: Learning Together, Building Friendships, And Strengthening Our Leadership Capacities, Chandra Turpen, Brianne Gutmann, Robert P. Dalka, Gina M. Quan, Mackenzie Carlson, Joel C. Corbo, Gabrielle Jones-Hall, Megan Marshall Smith, Devyn E. Shafer

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Founded in 2014, the Access Network brings together nine student-centered, university-based programs that pursue systemic change towards a vision of a more diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible STEM community. Leaders at the Network-level and program-level are either current students (undergraduate or graduate) or young faculty and professional scientists, many of whom started out as student leaders in Access programs. Over the last 9 years, Access has brought people together (virtually or in-person) for an annual event called the "Assembly." Student leaders who attend the Assembly appreciate community-building and networking opportunities that help them build capacity for leading local site programming. …

Effectiveness And Assessment Of A Culturally-Tailored Carbohydrate Counting Tool For South Asians With Diabetes: A Practitioner’S Evaluation, Ashwini Wagle

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

South Asians are at a higher risk for type 2 diabetes compared to many other racial and ethnic groups. Dietary patterns play a significant role and are a modifiable risk factor. This study aimed to evaluate a South Asian carbohydrate counting tool developed by the researcher, assessed by Registered Dietitians Nutritionists and Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialists. Using nutrition communication theory and the transtheoretical model, the tool included a comprehensive list of commonly consumed South Asian foods and sample vegetarian and non-vegetarian meals (1800e2100 kcal). Sixty-five participants received the tool and a training slide deck. A 40-item questionnaire assessed …

Relationship Between Dietary Probiotic Consumption And Cognitive Functioning In Older Adults: A 2011-2014 Nhanes Study, Lauren Weber, J. Gieng, Ashwini Wagle

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Background

Consumption of probiotics has recently been associated with a reduced risk of cognitive decline due to its anti-inflammatory effect on the brain, via the gut-brain-axis. Current studies with probiotic supplementation indicate that probiotics may play an important role in slowing the rate of cognitive decline and protecting memory. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a potential relationship between cognitive decline and dietary intake of probiotics.

Methods

This study utilized data from NHANES, both 2011-2012 and 2013-2014 cycles. Categorical variables were analyzed using chi-square tests, and continuous variables were analyzed using General Linear Models. Participants (n = 2,689) …

Enhancing Workplace Nutrition: Development Of A Culturally-Tailored Nutrition Intervention Program To Improve Dietary Patterns, Habits, Nutrition Literacy, And Health Outcomes, J. Ryan, S. Agreda, Ashwini Wagle

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Nutrition intervention programs can improve dietary patterns, habits, and health outcomes in communities, but a long-term, integrative approach is essential for success. Barriers such as limited time, resources, lack of cultural sensitivity, and competing priorities hinder their effectiveness. Research highlights the importance of environmental support, particularly from peers and employers, in improving dietary habits and nutrition literacy.

Using the social ecological model framework for food and beverage intake, this program aims to develop a standardized approach to workplace nutrition interventions. The program, approved by the Institutional Review Boards at San Jose State University, will launch in Spring 2025. It incorporates …

Developing Culturally-Tailored Diabetes Friendly And Heart Healthy Recipes For South Asians: Sensory Evaluation And Implications For Dietary Interventions, Ashwini Wagle, S. Starr, N. Goudarzi, G. Molina Martinez

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

South Asians have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes than manyother racial or ethnic groups. Dietary patterns are a key, modifiable risk factor, and cultural influences strongly shape food choices and lifestyle decisions. Effective, long-term behavior change requires culturally meaningful interventions. This study aimed to develop culturally tailored recipes that comply with the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines.

Recipes were selected from the published South Asian Carbohydrate Counting Tool, created by the researcher, and modified to enhance nutrient composition. Adjustments included ingredient substitutions, reduction or elimination of fat, salt, and sugar, and additions …

Comparative Analysis Of Mineral Content In Plant-Based Milk Alternatives: Implications For Renal Patient Education, K. Mitchell, A. Widaman, Ashwini Wagle

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

The plant-based milk alternative (PBMA) market is expanding rapidly, offering a diverse range of options. However, the mineral composition of PBMA varies significantly across brands and milk types, posing challenges in educating individuals with renal disease. This study aimed to quantify and compare key minerals of concern for renal patients in commercially available PBMA using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry.

PBMA products available in the San Francisco Bay Area were purchased from chain grocery stores in spring 2023 and early January 2024. A total of 134 unique PBMA products from 28 brands and 11 different milk-alternative sources were analyzed. …