Digital Commons Network^™

Smart Urban Air Pollution Management Using Crowdsourced Big Data, Low-Cost Sensor Network And Aerial Remote Sensing, Md Hasibul Hasan

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Air pollution remains one of the most pressing environmental and public health challenges, especially in urban areas with dense populations and concentrated emission sources. Effective air quality management requires accurate information on emissions to guide control strategies and reliable exposure estimates to evaluate health impacts. This dissertation examines multiple sources of uncertainty in both emission and exposure assessments. Two major emission sectors were investigated: on-road motor vehicles and landfills. For on-road sources, detailed traffic information inferred from crowdsourced big data were leveraged to improve the estimation of traffic-related emissions. For landfills, the application of low-cost sensor and aerial remote sensing …

Paleoethnobotany And Starch Grain Residue Analysis Collected From Ceramics At The White Marl Site, Jamaica, Lydia E. Kiernicki

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

The White Marl site represents the largest known Taíno settlement and archaeological site in Jamaica. Road construction in the eighteenth century first disturbed the site, followed by further damage during Mandela Highway construction in the 1940s. The site now faces renewed threats from a proposed highway expansion that has divided it into two zones. In response, the Jamaica National Heritage Trust began archaeological investigations in 2016 to assess and document the land before development and preserve any recoverable material remains and cultural heritage. Field seasons from 2016 to 2019 recovered of several ceramic burial vessels from inhumation contexts, providing valuable …

Advancing Drug Discovery With Structural And Representation Learning Of Biological Systems, Mehdi Yazdani-Jahromi

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

The rapid emergence of global health crises, exemplified by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, underscores the profound limitations of conventional drug discovery methods, which are inherently protracted and resource-intensive. A robust, accelerated response framework demands the sophisticated deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) across the entire therapeutic pipeline. We propose a unified approach centered on \textbf{Structural and Representation Learning} to capture the intricate topological and chemical nuances of biological systems, thereby transforming complex molecular and genomic data into effective vector embeddings suitable for deep learning, enhancing predictive power, and crucially, interpretability. This dissertation details advancements across …

Addressing Vulnerabilities And Defesne Mechanisms In Transformer-Based Language Models, Mansour Al Ghanim

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Transformer-based Large Language Models (LLMs) have achieved remarkable success across Natural Language Processing (NLP) tasks, yet their increasing adoption has exposed critical vulnerabilities across input, model, and output layers. This dissertation systematically investigates these vulnerabilities and develops corresponding defenses, offering an end-to-end view of LLM security. First, we study model-level vulnerabilities through backdoor injection attacks that implant hidden malicious behaviors via hardware perturbations. We propose TrojBits, a hardware-aware attack that uses minimal bit-flips to insert trojans into models. Its three-stage design—Vulnerable Parameter Ranking, Hardware-Aware Attack Optimization, and Vulnerable Bit Pruning—success- fully compromises BERT and XLNet using only 64 parameters and …

Analysis Of An Aero-Engine Using Ammonia As A Fuel Carrier, Kangana Patel

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Numerous studies in the literature have explored the decarbonization of aviation. Some opt for sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), while others propose Hydrogen(H₂). Recent studies have also investigated Ammonia (NH₃) as a potential hydrogen fuel carrier. This study of NH₃ as a viable alternative fuel could help reduce overall emissions and overcome the challenges of H_2, which is highly flammable and difficult to store. This study aims to develop a core-engine model in a system simulation software called Simcenter Amesim. Results show a reasonable similarity between jet-A fuel and NH₃ cracked H₂ within …

Learning-Based Ethereum Phishing Detection: Evaluation, Robustness, And Improvement, Ahod Alghuried

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Phishing attacks continue to pose a significant threat to the Ethereum ecosystem, accounting for a major share of Ethereum-related cybercrimes. To enhance the detection of such fraudulent transactions, this dissertation develops a comprehensive framework for machine learning-based phishing detection in Ethereum transactions. The framework addresses critical aspects such as feature selection, class imbalance, model robustness, and the vulnerability of detection models to adversarial attacks. By systematically evaluating these key practices, this work contributes to the development of more effective detection methods. The first part of the dissertation assesses the current state of phishing detection methods, identifying gaps in feature selection, …

High-Efficiency Dual Active Bridge Converter With Stacked Secondary Phase For Next-Generation Ai Data Center Power Delivery, Anirudh Ashok Pise

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

The rapid electrification of hyperscale AI data centers is accelerating a shift from legacy 48 V distribution ladders to ±400 V high-voltage DC backbones, concentrating residual loss and dynamic stress on a single isolated bidirectional interface. This work presents a high-density Dual Active Bridge with Stacked Secondary Phasing (DAB-SSP) architecture as a scalable GaN-based solution for 48 V–800 V rack-level power conversion. By stacking 400 V secondaries, the topology leverages 650 V GaN devices while satisfying 800 V system requirements, reducing clearance and creepage distances, minimizing magnetic path lengths, and embedding leakage inductance necessary for wide-range zero-voltage switching.

A rigorous …

Exploring The Genetic Structure And Evolutionary History Of Marine Fish Populations Across Micronesia, Pavithiran Amirthalingam

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Most marine species exist as metapopulations, composed of subpopulations inhabiting patchily distributed habitat. Connectivity among these subpopulations is primarily facilitated by larval dispersal via ocean currents. Understanding patterns of population connectivity is crucial for evaluating metapopulation dynamics and ensuring long-term population stability in managed species. Micronesia, a vast region in the North Pacific with hundreds of islands, is the northern extent for many tropical species and is thought to function as vital stepping-stones between the central and western Pacific. However, limited phylogeographic studies in the region have left significant knowledge gaps regarding metapopulation dynamics. Here I address this knowledge gap …

Advanced Large Language Model Approaches And Natural Language Processing Techniques To Improve Hate Speech Detection Using Ai, Saad Almohaimeed

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

The proliferation of hate speech on social networks can create a significant negative social effect, making the development of AI-based classifiers that can identify and characterize different types of hateful speech in messages highly important for stakeholders. While this is a highly challenging problem, recent advances in language models promise to advance the state of the art such that even subtle and indirect forms of hate speech can be detected.

In this dissertation we present a series of contributions that improve different aspects of hate speech classification. We developed THOS, a hate speech dataset consisting of 8.3k tweets. Compared to …

Integrated Performance-Based Framework For Evaluating Alternative Containment Systems In Subtitle D Landfills Managing Coal Combustion Products, Poyu Zhang

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Designing landfill containment systems that remain effective over decades to centuries poses significant challenges in geoenvironmental engineering, especially for landfills managing coal combustion products (CCPs) with complex hydraulic and chemical behaviors. This dissertation aims to develop an integrated, performance-based framework for evaluating landfill barrier systems by combining numerical modeling, experimental leaching tests, and machine learning prediction. The first component assesses the equivalency of the Florida double liner system relative to the Subtitle D composite liner mandated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA). Using field leakage observations and COMSOL Multiphysics-based numerical simulations, results demonstrate that the Florida system, when …

Exploring The Security Landscape Of Ar/Vr Applications: A Multi-Dimensional Perspective, Abdulaziz Alghamdi

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

The rapid evolution of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) technologies on mobile platforms has significantly impacted the digital landscape, raising concerns about security and privacy. As these technologies integrate into everyday life, understanding their security infrastructure and privacy policies is crucial to protect user data.

To address this, our first study analyzes AR/VR applications from a security and performance perspective. Recognizing the lack of benchmark datasets for security research, we compiled a dataset of 408 AR/VR applications from the Google Play Store. The dataset includes control flow graphs, strings, functions, permissions, API calls, hexdump, and metadata, providing a …

Investigating The Efficacy Of A Novel Law Enforcement Use Of Force Training Simulation, Justin D. Lane

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Realistic scenario based training (SBT) is an effective method used to prepare police officers for real world use of force incidents. Many law enforcement agencies are unable to host regular SBT due to time, cost, and facility constraints. A novel simulation training approach was investigated to determine if it may be a suitable alternative or supplement to traditional SBT at reduced cost, time, and increased frequency. This novel scenario based simulation training (SBST) environment combined physical and virtual elements into a single training scenario. A physical space, designed to depict the scene of a critical incident, was equipped with immersive …

Aluminum Alloys For Laser Powder Bed Fusion Additive Manufacturing And Process Optimization By Machine Learning, Kevin Graydon

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) additive manufacturing is a promising manufacturing technology enabling enhanced design freedom through layer-by-layer production. However, traditional, wrought aluminum (Al) alloys suffer from solidification cracking during LPBF processing and the initial printer parameter optimization process required for every novel or untested material is time and resource intensive. There exists a need to formulate Al alloys for LPBF and a method to reduce the resources consumed during initial printer parameter optimization studies. Al-9.5Ce-xMo (x = 0.2, 0.6, 1.0 wt. %) alloys have been designed specifically for LPBF utilizing the CALPHAD approach. Additionally, a neural network model was …

Deepfake Detection And Defense: An Analysis Of Techniques And Robustness, Nigel Francis

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

The rise of deepfake media powered by the abrupt and rapid advances in generative AI, has introduced serious concerns and challenges in digital content verification. Although there is a wide range of detection strategies currently in use and being proposed, many remain limited in their ability to generalize across manipulation types, defend against adversarial attacks, or operate efficiently in real world scenarios. This paper presents a survey of deepfake detection and defense techniques, organized into ten technical categories: frequency-based, spatial-based, temporal-based, physiological-based, multimodal detection, adversarial attacks and defenses, forensic noise-based methods, watermarking and prevention strategies and dataset contributions. Drawing on …

Increasing Bystander And Environmental Awareness Through Haptic Feedback, Jose-Valentin T. Sera-Josef

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

The Chariot System is a bystander and environmental awareness system that uses vibrotactile haptic feedback delivered via a wearable. It was designed with the goal of using a subject's haptic channel to keep them aware of their surroundings thus freeing their visual channel to focus on and enjoy a virtual reality (VR) experience. This work contributes to the space of VR research that aims to keep users aware of the outside world while in VR, an area that typically focuses on using visual notifications but rarely applies haptics. A user study involving 24 participants was conducted comparing the Chariot System …

Modeling Data Metrics And Distributions For Representation And Efficient Transfer Learning, Li Ren

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Representation Learning and Transfer Learning are fundamental challenges in deep learning, particularly for downstream computer vision tasks. While existing research predominantly focuses on loss functions and network architectures, this dissertation explores how modeling distance metrics and data distributions can enhance representation and transfer learning efficiency in computer vision applications, specifically focusing on image captioning and retrieval tasks.

We make contributions primarily in three subareas. First, we develop an image captioning system that leverages geometric relationships among objects using a novel object graph structure, enhancing global visual representations for more accurate caption generation. We further incorporate adversarial learning to model data …

Down By The Tracks, Ova ‘Cross The Trussle: Exploring Systemic And Structural Barriers To Perinatal Healthcare Access For Black Women In Rural Alabama, Trinity C. Johnson

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This dissertation uses semi-structured interviews (n=42), participant observation, archival research, and storytelling, it employs frameworks of structural violence, intersectionality, and reproductive justice to situate Black women’s maternal health within broader histories of racialized medical neglect and reproductive governance. The study explores two questions: (1) What obstacles do Black women in rural Alabama face in accessing perinatal healthcare? (2) How do they navigate these barriers, and what strategies do they employ? A mixed-methods approach—including ethnography, quantitative analysis, and GIS—guides this research, with storytelling serving as both a methodological intervention and a challenge to dominant anthropological narratives. Findings highlight three major themes: …

Enhancing The Hardness Of The Multispectral Zns Transparent Ceramics Through Ga2s3 Incorporation: A Comparative Study Of Vapor Transport Deposition And Solid-Solid Reaction Methods, Hayat Soufiani

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Multispectral zinc sulfide (MS-ZnS) is an important optical ceramic widely used in broadband imaging systems due to its wide transmission range and relatively low cost. However, its modest mechanical properties limit its durability in harsh environments. This dissertation investigates two solute strengthening methods, vapor transport deposition (VTD) and diffusion coupling (DC), to enhance the hardness of MS-ZnS windows through Ga2S3 incorporation while maintaining optical transparency. The VTD process successfully incorporated gallium in the subsurface, resulting in up to 120 % increase in microhardness compared to untreated samples, but with slight discrepancies in lateral gallium distribution. The DC technique demonstrated superior …

Bridging The Digital Divide In Biomedical Healthcare: Policy Solutions For Equity In Access, Literacy, And Infrastructure, Brooke E. Turner, Emmy L. Colon Alamo

Undergraduate Scholarship and Creative Works

This paper explores the intersection of digital inequity and biomedical healthcare access in the United States, positioning the digital divide as a structural determinant of health. As telehealth and digital platforms become central to care delivery, communities lacking broadband infrastructure, digital literacy, and affordable internet access face compounded barriers to equitable healthcare. The study introduces five critical dimensions—access, availability, adequacy, acceptability, and affordability—as a framework for addressing these disparities. It proposes the Rhizomatic Digital Ecosystem Framework to guide national and local interventions, emphasizing the need for public investment in broadband expansion, digital education, and affordability programs. By treating digital access …

Curaçao's Tourism Transformation: Building A Legacy Of Growth, Manuel Rivera, Margaret Zorrilla

Dick Pope Sr. Institute Publications

Tourism in Curaçao has experienced remarkable growth, with total arrivals increasing from 582,400 in 2023 to 700,242 in 2024. This surge reflects the island’s rising appeal as a destination and sets the foundation for the significant economic contributions that follow.

Where Music Shapes A Legacy, Manuel Rivera, Margaret Zorrilla Cortez

Dick Pope Sr. Institute Publications

The 2025 Curaçao North Sea Jazz Festival (CNSJF) reinforced its reputation as one of the Caribbean’s leading cultural events, delivering substantial economic benefits, an outstanding visitor experience, and deepening loyalty to both the festival and Curaçao. CNSJF 2025 stands as a powerful engine for Curaçao’s economy, a benchmark for festival experiences, and a driver of lasting loyalty and advocacy for both the event and the island. Its legacy is not only musical but also economic and cultural, shaping how visitors connect with Curaçao for years to come.

A New Dawn Of Joy: How Joy Is Cultivated Among Black Transgender And Nonbinary Young Adults In Florida, Courtney Marciá Gardner

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

The state of Florida had a record-breaking number of implemented and proposed policies between 2023-2024 that impacted transgender and nonbinary individuals. Black transgender and nonbinary people are particularly impacted by these policies due to the compounded effects of their race and gender identity. Nonetheless, despite the growing literature on Black transgender and nonbinary individuals, a lack of research exists examining positive aspects of intersectional experiences among Black transgender and nonbinary individuals. This qualitative study shifts away from deficit centered frameworks by investigating how Black transgender and nonbinary young adults in Florida cultivate joy in their lives. This study uses a …

Food Insecurity Among University Students And The Barriers To Utilizing Food Assistance Programs During And After Hurricanes Ian And Nicole, Carvis C. Durr

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Background and objectives: Food insecurity (FI) is a pressing concern among university students in the United States. Natural disasters such as hurricanes can exacerbate this issue, particularly for low-income individuals, including university students. Although a range of campus, community, and federal food assistance programs (FAPs) are available, students often face barriers to accessing these resources. However, limited research has explored FI among university students in the context of hurricanes, particularly how students utilize FAPs and the challenges they encounter in accessing them. This dissertation aims to (1) understand the prevalence of FI among students, especially socially vulnerable groups at the …

Hetero-Cisgender Rituals: The Oppression Of Sexual- And Gender-Minoritized People, Bertha A. Ben Khallouq

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Among the groups that experience health inequalities in the United States, sexual- and gender-minoritized people figure prominently. Medical practitioners are tasked with alleviating these health inequalities, and it has been suggested that through the education of new physicians, we can decrease these inequalities. This perspective, however, neglects that medical students are social actors and their socialization begins long before medical school. In the present study, I develop a framework for understanding hetero-cisgender rituals that medical students experience and participate in before starting their medical training. I answer three research questions: (1) To what extent do medical students witness hetero-cisgender rituals? …

The Sociological Engagement In John Coltrane's A Love Supreme: Examining The Impacts Of Race, Music, And Culture In Video-Based Learning Amongst College Students, Kinyel K. Ragland Sr.

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This project consists primarily of the interest in Video Based Learning (VBL) and understanding the impacts of a video based on the connections between John Coltrane’s song Acknowledgement on the Jazz suite A Love Supreme to the Civil Rights movement and systemic racism. Research confirms that VBL has an impact on student learning, yet this project finds that because of the content of the video, it fits into scholarship where there are gaps. The methodological approach, which was qualitative, found that students were overall enlightened, entertained, and were interested in learning more. Other findings include suggestions and recommendations for future …

Queer And Thriving: Community As Resilience In An Anti-Lgbtq State, Lauren Aitken

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people are subject to unique, chronic, and socially based stressors known as minority stressors. Community can be an important resource for LGBTQ people which can help mitigate the harmful effects of minority stressors. This study sought to understand how minority stressors, such as institutionalized forms of prejudice, discrimination, and violence, affect LGBTQ people in Central Florida and how community connectedness can be used as a resource to mitigate those effects. This study used Central Florida as a research site because of its large LGBTQ population within a state where anti-LGBTQ laws are consistently …

Sexual And Reproductive Health Access Among Racial/Ethnic Minority College Students, Srithanvi Pasunuri

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) is critical for individual well-being, yet significant disparities in access persist among racial and ethnic minority college students in the United States. These inequities, driven by systemic barriers such as financial constraints, cultural stigmas, and inadequate campus resources, contribute to higher rates of unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and poor health outcomes within these populations. This systematic review aims to identify and synthesize existing literature on the barriers to SRH access for racial and ethnic minority college students, explore how cultural, social, and institutional factors influence service utilization, and assess interventions proven effective in …

Factors Involved On The Attribution Of Consciousness To Generative Artificial Intelligence And Its Impact On Trust, Sophia Fernanda Sakakibara Olgini Capello

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study investigates the cognitive factors influencing the perception of mind in generative artificial intelligence systems, focusing on the role of prior experiences with them, theory of mind (ToM), and the tendency to anthropomorphize. The research examined how these factors predict perceived consciousness in ChatGPT and impact users' trust in this system, specifically exploring: (1) how ToM and anthropomorphism contribute to AI consciousness perception, (2) how prior AI experiences influence consciousness attribution, (3) the relationship between consciousness attribution and trust in AI, and (4) how perceptions of AI consciousness relate to mind perception in other entities. Undergraduates (N= 220) completed …

Reentry Realities: Examining The Role Of Aftercare Programs In Supporting Justice-Involved Youth, Lynda Girven

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The current study examined if aftercare and reentry programs helped to reduce recidivism among youth who have been involved in the juvenile system, and specifically, youth released from residential placement facilities. Different components of aftercare programs were also examined, such as the inclusion of mentoring or family support, how many services were offered, and if the program followed the Risk-Need-Responsivity (RNR) model. Through completing a systematic review of studies published since 2008, five studies met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. All five studies found that the youth who received services through aftercare programs were less likely to reoffend than youth …

Examining The Impact Of Resilience And Sense Of Community On Mental Health And Academic Performance, Samara B. Coleman

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Within the United States, a third of college-aged young adults are diagnosed with at least one psychological disorder. Resilience, the ability to bounce back from adversity, has been shown to help mitigate the adverse effects of burnout and stress, and support academic performance in some cases. Additionally, a sense of community has also been shown to be crucial in buffering the negative consequences of adversity. The following research questions guide this study: 1) How significant a role does the community play in resilience and mental health? 2) How does resiliency relate to the academic performance of students experiencing varying levels …