Digital Commons Network^™

From Big Ag To Campus Cafeterias: Intersections Of Food-Supply Networks As Technical Communication Pedagogy, Jessie Lynn Richards, Joshua Lenart, David Sumner, Douglas Christensen

Faculty Publications

This article presents a pedagogical approach to teaching technical and professional writing with an eye toward cultivating awareness and generating informed research among undergraduate students about food production and its various, intricate networks between Big Ag and campus cafeterias. Our pedagogy, influenced by interdisciplinary content, is designed to teach students to differentiate between food processes—such as production versus distribution and consumption—by viewing these networks as communicative practices rather than as inevitable chains or simple functions of one another. Our approach encourages students to locate and analyze differences between interdependent, but seemingly disparate pathways and to make visible communicative intersections that …

Effect Of Task Factors On The Heart Rate Recovery Time In A Lifting Task, Fereydoun Aghazadeh, Milad Amini

Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: There is an extensive body of research reviewing the effect of task factors on the Maximum Acceptable Weight of Lift (MAWL) or heart beats elevation as a result of a manual material handling task. However, there are now studies that investigate the effect of task factors on the heart rate recovery time (HRR). OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was twofold: (1) to determine the HRR for a series of lifting tasks based on the activity heart rate and by using a set of task variables, (2) to compare the effect of three task factors on the HRR following …

Ergonomic Assessment Of Working Postures For The Design Of University Computer Workstations, Nabila Chowdhury, Fereydoun Aghazadeh, Milad Amini

Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: There is an extensive body of research reviewing the ergonomics needs of industrial office workers. However, very few studies have considered evaluating the working postures of students or professors in universities who are exposed to prolonged sitting while working at a computer workstation. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was threefold: (1) to determine the major ergonomic issues university employees encounter while working at computer workstations, (2) to compare the two ergonomic assessment tools (RULA and REBA) to see how similarly or differently they assess the risks present in the same working condition and (3) to develop a model …

The Design And Evaluation Of An Ergonomic Valve-Wrench, Saif Al-Qaisi, Fereydoun Aghazadeh

Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: The torque required to manually turn a handwheel-valve typically exceeds operators' capabilities, requiring them to use a valve-wrench. Although valve-wrenches are commonly used, an ergonomic wrench has not yet been developed. OBJECTIVE: To introduce an ergonomically designed valve-wrench and evaluate it with respect to conventional valve opening methods. METHODS: Four methods were compared including: bare hands, restricted conventional wrench (assumes presence of obstructions), unrestricted conventional wrench, and ergonomically-modified wrench. Each method was performed at two torque settings, 15 Nm and 30 Nm. Electromyography activities were measured from eight trunk and shoulder muscles. The time to fully open the valve …

Legal Deserts: A Multi-State Perspective On Rural Access To Justice, Hannah Haksgaard, Lisa Pruitt, Danielle Conway, Michele Statz, Lauren Sudeall, Amanda Kool

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Homestead: A (New) Hope, Thomas Simmons

Faculty Publications

A finely-tuned balancing of the free functioning of private and commercial enterprise against a family's interests in shelter and a home is at the heart of homestead exemption laws. In South Dakota's history, this balancing act has been displayed over a 145-year history in the form of legislative enactments, judicial decisions, and referendums. This history illuminates the expression of values against the dynamics of rule-making. A previously published article in this review, Prequel to Homestead, outlined South Dakota's homestead laws under the contemporary statutory framework and also considered the constitutional history of homestead laws leading up to South Dakota's …

Amphibians And Reptiles Of The State Of San Luis Potosi, Mexico, With Comparisons With Adjoining States, J. A. Lemos-Espinal, Geoffrey R. Smith, G. A. Woolrich-Pina

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Diversity And Cultural Competence In The Lis Classroom: A Curriculum Audit, J. A. Jacobs, Nicole A. Cooke

Faculty Publications

In a case study examining a library and information science graduate curriculum, 18 graduate students engaged in a comprehensive diversity audit of the School of Information Science curriculum. The diversity audit was a student-generated review of 108 syllabi and permitted students to engage in an action-learning project that benefited the school and allowed them, and the school’s faculty, to see first-hand why diversity and cultural competence are important facets of library and information science curricula.

The Third Precedent, Kevin Bennardo

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Capitalizing On Criminal Justice, Eisha Jain

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Sexual Orientation And Gender Identity Discrimination, Holning S. Lau

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The President’S Immigration Courts, Catherine Y. Kim

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Limits On Congress’S Power To Do Nothing, William P. Marshall

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Automation And The Income Tax, Kathleen Delaney Thomas

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Taxing The Gig Economy, Kathleen Delaney Thomas

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Politics Of Immigrant Rights: Between Political Geography And Transnational Interventions, Deborah M. Weissman

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Simplicity As Justice, Kathryn A. Sabbeth

Faculty Publications

Simplification of the legal system has attracted attention as a means of improving access to justice. A major motivation driving reform is the perception that pro se litigants have flooded the courts and begun clogging up the wheels of justice. Ordinary people do not know rules of procedure, evidence, or substantive law; do not handle their cases effectively or efficiently; and have, the argument goes, generated a “pro se crisis.” A number of states and localities have responded by increasing the availability of legal services, funding programs that offer solutions ranging from limited assistance to full representation, and a few …

The Evolution Of The Voice And Vote Of Student-Athletes In Ncaa Division I Governance, Lissa L. Broome

Faculty Publications

This paper explores the evolution of the student-athlete voice and vote in the NCAA Division I governance structure.

Combatting Discrimination Against The Formerly Incarcerated In The Labor Market, Ifeoma Ajunwa, Angela Onwuachi-Willig

Faculty Publications

Both discrimination by private employers and governmental restrictions in the form of statutes that prohibit professional licensing serve to exclude the formerly incarcerated from much of the labor market. This Essay explores and analyzes potential legislative and contractual means for removing these barriers to labor market participation by the formerly incarcerated. First, as a means of addressing discrimination by the state, Part I of this Essay explores the ways in which the adoption of racial impact statements — which mandate that legislators consider statistical analyses of the potential impact their proposed legislation may have on racial and ethnic groups prior …

Copyright Policy As Catalyst And Barrier To Innovation And Free Speech, Amanda Reid

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Engineering Identity Development: A Review Of Higher Education Literature, Sarah L. Rodriguez, Charles Lu, Morgan Bartlett

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this systematic literature review was to appraise and synthesize the current scholarship pertaining to engineering identity development within the higher education context and create recommendations for future scholarship within engineering education. A review of the literature concluded that research on engineering identity development has increased over the past ten years, has been conducted primarily with qualitative methods, and has been primarily limited to academic communities focused on mathematics, science, and engineering education. In addition, current scholarship reflected that most of the work in this area has focused on the learning contexts and experiences of women and underrepresented …

The Science Of Neurobiology Of Sexual Assault Trauma And The Utah Legal System, Donna Kelly, Julie L. Valentine

Faculty Publications

Sexual assault triggers a cascade of physiological responses in victims, commonly referred to as the neurobiology of sexual assault trauma. Victims often report the inability to move or resist, memory loss, and loss of our altered feelings of consciousness – reactions which often negatively impact the perception of their credibility. Recently, the criminal justice system has begun to connect these normal, physiological responses in understanding common victim behaviors and responses. As knowledge of the neurobiology of sexual assault trauma disseminates throughout the criminal justice system, it is readily apparent that education, new protocols, and trauma informed interview techniques are required. …

Overview Of Big Data And Its Visualization, Richard S. Segall, Gao Niu

Faculty Publications

Big Data is data sets that are so voluminous and complex that traditional data processing application software are inadequate to deal with them. This chapter discusses what Big Data is and its characteristics, and how this information revolution of Big Data is transforming our lives and the new technology and methodologies that have been developed to process data of these huge dimensionalities. This chapter discusses the components of the Big Data stack interface, categories of Big Data analytics software and platforms, descriptions of the top 20 Big Data analytics software. Big Data visualization techniques are discussed with real data from …

Allocating Property Interests In Ecosystem Services: From Chaos To Flowing Rivers, Kalyani Robbins

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Whistleblowers - A Case Study In The Regulatory Cycle For Financial Services, Ronald H. Filler, Jerry W. Markham

Faculty Publications

The Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission were directed by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of2010 (Dodd-Frank) to create whistleblower protection programs that reward informants with massive bounty payments. At the time of its passage, the Dodd-Frank Act was a highly controversial statute that was passed on partisan lines. Its whistleblowing authority was one of its "most contentious provisions." As the result of the 2016 elections, the Dodd-Frank Act has come under renewed attack in Congress and by the new Trump administration. The stage is being setfor possible repeal ofmajor parts of …

Defining The Opioid Epidemic: Congress, Pressure Groups, And Problem Definition, Taleed El-Sabawi

Faculty Publications

The passage of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016 evidences a shift in federal legislative support from criminal justice oriented legislative alternatives to more health oriented legislative alternatives to addressing the ongoing Opioid Epidemic. Such a shift was preceded by a redefinition of problem drug use in the policy discourse from an issue of deviancy to a health issue. However, the redefinition of problem drug use as a health issue, has been dominated by policy narratives and causal stories that do not define problem drug use in a manner that aligns with a multi-modal public health oriented legislative …

Black Male Persistence In Spite Of Facing Stereotypes In College: A Phenomenological Exploration, Taylor Benjamin Hardy Boyd, Donald Mitchell Jr.

Faculty Publications

Stereotypes often create threatening environments for Black males on college campuses. This study sought to break the deficit narrative surrounding Black males in college by highlighting how they persisted despite facing stereotypes. Six participants were included in this study. Through interviews and naturalistic observations, we explored how participants articulated their experiences with stereotypes, how they dealt with those experiences, how the experiences shaped future endeavors, and how they used strategies to dispel stereotypes and persist through threatening experiences. Findings suggest (a) the participants dealt with internalized feelings due to stereotypes; (b) stereotypes were reinforced in various ways; and, (c) they …

An Integrated Approach To Personality Assessment Based On The Personality Systems Framework, John D. Mayer

Faculty Publications

Psychologists who carry out personality assessments must be conversant in diverse technical languages to describe their clients’ social contexts and inner personality function. The clinician needs to understand a person’s family, gender role, ethnic identity, religious beliefs, and similar qualities, and also a client’s inner personality functioning, including the workings of motives, emotions. cognition, and self-control: these may be characterized by relevant psychiatric symptoms, personality traits, and individual test scores such as those on the MMPI-2-RF and Rorschach-Performance Assessment System. The Personality Systems Framework for Assessment (PSF-A) can support the assessment process by organizing information about both an individual’s context …

A Blueprint For Online Dispute Resolution System Design, Amy J. Schmitz

Faculty Publications

A great deal of discussion focuses on how arbitration and similar private dispute resolution harms consumers, and how businesses seek ways to avoid helping consumers. It is often assumed that companies and consumers are on opposing “teams.” In reality, however, consumers and companies enjoy more commonalities than contradictions. Both benefit when deals go well and disputes are resolved quickly and cheaply. The problem is that face-to-face dispute resolution can be costly in terms of time and money. Furthermore, getting lawyers involved may inspire gamesmanship and adversarial antics aimed to protect one’s reputation for staying “strong” and refusing to settle or …

Conditioning Exercise Of Firearms Rights On Unlimited Terry Stops, Royce De R. Barondes

Faculty Publications

The tenth anniversary of Heller and the fiftieth anniversary of Terry are in June 2018. On this occasion, it is timely to reflect on the interaction between these two seminal decisions. Most questions concerning the Second Amendment, including the interplay between Terry and Heller, are currently without definitive answers.

The Supreme Court has addressed the application of Heller in only two cases over the last ten years. One issue developing in the lower courts is whether merely exercising in public the civil right recognized in Heller (i.e., that alone, with nothing else) may require submission to unfettered Terry frisks not …