Digital Commons Network^™

Unwritten Administrative Law And The Regulatory Last Mile, Anthony B. Derron

Publications

Programs like the Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act are ostensibly federal. But once they change hands from national to subnational, they’re implemented through state statutes and regulations, not direct enforcement of the United States Code. As a result, state, not federal, administrative law governs in many bread-and-butter situations. Through a comprehensive fifty-state survey, I find that this body of law is largely unwritten.

Yet cooperative federalism relies on the capacity of state institutions to function. And equally critical is the existence of law that shepherds a program from congressional subcommittee to the very …

Transitioning To Regenerative Agriculture: One "Net-Zero" Pledge At A Time, Alexia Brunet Marks

Publications

As climate change intensifies, food sector multinational companies (MNCs), like Nestlé; Mars, Inc.; Unilever; PepsiCo; and Danone, face increasing pressure to reach net-zero by 2050, whereby they would reduce and ultimately eliminate carbon dioxide emissions from their supply chains by 2050. Carbon dioxide emissions are a major business liability, decreasing a firm’s value an average of $212,000 for every one thousand metric tons produced. As companies seek to align their pledges with regional, national, and subnational climate goals, they are legally required to comply with a growing number of disclosure rules for foods entering the United States and the European …

The Shifting Economic Allegiance Of Capital Gains, Amanda Parsons

Publications

No abstract provided.

The Legitimation Of Shareholder Primacy, Ann Lipton

Publications

We are living in a polarized era, and corporate governance is no exception. With controversies raging over "environmental, social, governance," (ESG) investing, diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, climate change as an investment concern, and even Elon Musk's pay package at Tesla, it seems as though corporate governance has never been so starkly divided along partisan lines.

The divisions have threatened to spill over to Delaware, the preferred jurisdiction for incorporation in the United States. Several high profile cases—including those involving Elon Musk—have called Delaware's neutrality into question. Commenters have argued that Delaware's newly politicized approach threatens to splinter the corporate …

An American's Guide To The Eu Ai Act, Margot Kaminski, Andrew D. Selbst

Publications

The EU AI Act entered into force in August 2024. The AI Act is long. It is complicated. It relies on a regulatory framework and institutions unfamiliar to many in the United States. But as the first omnibus AI regulation worldwide, it has the potential to have a vast influence on both practice and lawmaking.

In this Article, we provide the American's Guide to the EU AI Act. This Article breaks down the AI Act for a U.S. law audience, explaining the overall mechanisms, and how the Act interacts with background EU laws and institutions. At its core, the AI …

Safe Data-Enabled Control Of Human-In-The-Loop Robotic Manipulator Systems, Ritirupa Dey, Avimanyu Sahoo, Vignesh Narayanan

Publications

Safe control of human-in-the-loop (HIL) robotic manipulators is critical for applications such as assistive robotics, teleoperation in hazardous environments, and collaborative manufacturing. However, this remains challenging due to the lack of a unified framework that simultaneously addresses safety constraints, external disturbances, unmodeled dynamics, and dynamic role switching in the HIL setting. In this paper, we propose a novel NN-driven HIL control framework in which human–robot dyadic interaction occurs through the haptic channel. Using Lyapunov stability analysis, we theoretically show that the proposed NN-based controller ensures accurate joint trajectory tracking, compensates for system uncertainties, and adapts to human inputs modeled as …

State Of The States: Blueprints For Building Age-Friendly Futures, Megan Stubbs-Richardson, Lauren E. Etheredge, Tockie V. Hemphill, Zaccheus J. Ahonle, Danielle K. Nadorff

Publications

Executive Summary:

Mississippi’s aging population growth mirrors national trends and suggests a need to establish equitable and sustainable age-friendly policies and programs. This report offers an overview of the best practices from age-friendly states, which can be adapted to meet unique challenges and opportunities for Mississippi’s aging population. We highlight five age-friendly policy areas that can improve Mississippi’s livability.

• Aging in Place: Best practices from California, Florida, and Massachusetts can be adapted to promote aging in place through structural changes to homes via universal design and home modifications, or through supportive housing programs and home care.

• Cross-Sector Collaboration: …

Securitizing The University, Maryam Jamshidi

Publications

Since October 7, 2023, public and private actors have doubled down on efforts to securitize the American university. In large part, these initiatives aim to quash a vocal pro-Palestine movement that has become highly visible across U.S. campuses since October 7th. In targeting this group, these efforts have variously treated the university as an "object" of national security, namely, as a potential site of national security risk, while simultaneously encouraging or pressuring universities to "participate" in national security, namely, by actively and, in many cases, voluntarily furthering U.S. national security objectives. The university's status as object of and participant in …

Cultivating Confidence, Leila Halawi, Mark Miller, Sam Holley

Publications

Artificial intelligence (AI) is pervasive in scholarly publications, internet sites, and public discourse. AI is a term with broad scope that refers to machines that can learn and perform tasks that typically require human intelligence. The specter of AI intruding into many aspects of aviation has raised alarms, concerns, and prodigious misunderstanding of potential and contemplated applications in systems and processes. The EASA AI Roadmap (EASA, 2023 ), a linear projection with three levels EASA, 2023 extending into 2050, places the human-AI teaming period (through 2035) at Level 2. This suggests a ten-year span to develop the interactive issues to …

Factors Contributing To Fatalities In Helicopter Emergency Medical Service Accidents, Jenna Korentsides, Joseph R. Keebler, Mihhail Berezovski, Alex Chaparro

Publications

INTRODUCTION: T his study aimed to update and reinforce previous research on helicopter emergency medical service accidents in the United States. By investigating predictors of fatalities after helicopter emergency medical service crashes through the application of machine learning techniques, we updated existing data sets and sought to uncover patterns that traditional analysis might not reveal.

METHODS: Using the National Transportation Safety Board database, the authors analyzed a dataset of 267 helicopter emergency medical service accidents between 1991–2022. We first calculated fatalities odds ratios for each condition. We then plotted geospatial locations of all reported accidents. Finally, we used XGBoost regression …

Embracing Ai In Higher Education: Redefining Teaching And Learning In The Digital Era, Najem Tala, Leila Halawi

Publications

This research explores the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education, focusing on its ability to address emerging challenges and revolutionize teaching practices. We critically assess the current educational landscape, evaluate AI's role as a catalyst for educational reform, and examine implementation challenges. Our analysis emphasizes the evolving impact of AI on personalized learning, student engagement, and administrative efficiency and contributes to the growing body of literature on educational technology. The discussion highlights both the opportunities and limitations of AI in education, pointing to critical areas that remain underexplored.

Argue With Your Ai: Critically Engaging With Copilot, James Day

Publications

By now, you probably have some experience interacting with an AI chatbot. You might even have taken some training courses to learn about “prompt engineering” methods such as CO-STAR (Context, Objective, Style, Tone, Audience, Response)1 and RICCE (Relevance, Intent, Context, Clarity, Examples).2 In taking advantage of generative artificial intelligence, the focus is generally on writing that initial query. For this paper, let’s ignore advanced prompts asking for a complex analysis and consider the case where you’re simply looking for factual information.

Integrating Sustainability Into Aviation Training: Perspectives From Industry Professionals, Eva Maleviti, Sarah Talley

Publications

This paper is part of a broader research project aimed at identifying the most appropriate training materials, formats, and delivery methods for aviation sustainability content for future aviation professionals, starting from the early stages of their training. The current paper presents the data analysis and results of a short online survey targeting aviation professionals. Specifically, it provides preliminary data on sustainability perspectives from global aviation professionals. Through qualitative analysis, the creation of a baseline from a random sample of aviation professionals offers insight into their perspectives and how they could be influenced toward a more sustainable pathway. Additionally, the paper …

A Maintenance Repair And Overhaul Model For Operational Sustainability; Incorporating Processes And Risks., Linn Guinn, Mary M.H. Woody, Eva Maleviti

Publications

Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) companies are integral to the aviation industry, with the core responsibility of ensuring aircraft remain safe and airworthy. Their role is critical in maintaining the industry’s high standards of performance and safety. To remain competitive, MROs must provide a wide range of services—including inspections, periodic checks, engine overhauls, avionics repairs, fuselage and cabin modifications, and interior refurbishments— while consistently meeting regulatory and safety requirements. Beyond technical compliance, MROs must adopt a quality-driven, continuous improvement approach to manage risks effectively. This requires the integration of processes, programs, and systems aligned with international standards to strengthen resilience, …

An Operational Field Study: A Comparison Of Piloting Uncrewed Underwater Vehicles And Uncrewed Aircraft Systems, David Thirtyacre, Joseph Cerreta, Pete Miller, Kimberly Luthi, Jolee Thirtyacre

Publications

and operations, the ability to cross-train personnel in both Uncrewed Underwater Vehicles and Small Uncrewed Aircraft System operations has become a focal point for efficiency and workforce optimization. This study presents a comparative analysis of the operational and human factor considerations involved in piloting mini UUV and sUASs, highlighting the key similarities and differences in control methods, environmental influences, navigation, emergency procedures, and situational awareness. A qualitative experimental field study was conducted between July 2024 and October 2024, involving real-world deployments of both systems in maritime and aerial environments. Findings indicated that while UUV and sUAS operators relied on remote …

Pan-Caribbean Airlines: Unlocking Regional Aviation Potential, Dimitrios V. Siskos, Alexander Maravas, Jordan Karatzas

Publications

The Caribbean's air transport system is facing significant challenges, including operational fragmentation, excessive costs, and inadequate inter-island connectivity. These challenges limit its ability to support the region’s heavily tourism-dependent economies. This research evaluates whether consolidating small Caribbean airlines into a single or virtual Pan-Caribbean carrier could transform regional air travel. Based on financial analysis, historical traffic data, and case comparisons with airline mergers in South America and the US, the paper simulates the anticipated efficiencies resulting from route consolidation, fleet standardization, and common operational services. The research concludes that consolidation may create a regional GDP impact of up to $3.3 …

Power To Liquid And Hydrogen Use For Saf Production; A Policy And Techno-Economic Overview For Aviation​, Eva Maleviti

Publications

What is Sustainable Development: The development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

1. Environmental Sustainability

2. Social Sustainability

3. Economic Sustainability

Investigation Of A Busemann Intake At Negative Angle Of Attack, Mark E. Noftz, Andrew N. Bustard, Nicholas J. Bisek, Thomas J. Juliano, Joseph S. Jewell

Publications

A high-speed, shape-transitioned, inward-turning intake was tested in Purdue’s Boeing/AFOSR Mach 6 Quiet Tunnel. The inlet model, called the Indiana Inlet (INlet), had a total contraction ratio of 4.68:1 and a design point of Mach 6 at 0° angle of attack. The model was outfitted with a suite of high-frequency pressure transducers, and the external flowfield was imaged with high-speed schlieren photography. The INlet was tested under low freestream disturbance levels for a variety of freestream unit Reynolds numbers and at-4° angle of attack. An unsteady shockwave near the leading edge of the inlet forebody, indicative of boundary layer separation, …

Multicultural Perspectives On Building Instructional Capacity For Multilingual Learners: Synergy Of Teachers, Community Members, And Academics, Mihaela M. Gazioglu, Emily W. Howell, Lindsey W. Rowe, Victoria Pennington, Nicole C. Ferguson-Sams, Kavita Mittapalli, Amlan Banerjee

Publications

This design-based research study explored the feedback process, resulting actions, and changing instructional perspectives involving teachers, community members, and researchers leading to enhanced professional development offered to K-12 teachers of multilingual students. Specifically, the feedback from a community advisory council and teachers significantly shaped researchers’ approaches to designing and adapting a literacy course to address the needs of multilingual students’ caregivers. The findings underscore the importance of a holistic approach to professional development and highlight the multicultural perspectives that academics can discover by involving both community stakeholders and teachers in promoting impactful practices for multilingual learners.

Characterizing Teacher Support Of Debugging With Physical Computing: Debugging Pedagogies In Practice, Colin Hennessy Elliott, Jessie Nixon, Alexandra Gendrau Chakarov, Jeffrey B. Bush, Michael J. Schneider, Mimi Recker

Publications

Objectives. Physical computing systems are increasingly being integrated into secondary school science and STEM instruction, yet little is known about how teachers, especially those with little background and experience in computing, help students during the inevitable debugging moments that arise. In this article, we describe a framework, comprising two dimensions, for characterizing how teachers support students as they debug a physical computing system called the Data Sensor Hub (DASH). The DASH enables students to program sensors to measure, analyze, and visualize data as they engage in science inquiry activities

Participants. Five secondary school teachers implemented an inquiry-oriented instructional …

Predicting Chaotic Systems With Quantum Echo-State Networks, Erik Connerty, Ethan N. Evans, Gerasimos Angelatos, Vignesh Narayanan

Publications

Recent advancements in artificial neural networks have enabled impressive tasks on classical computers, but they demand significant computational resources. While quantum computing offers potential beyond classical systems, the advantages of quantum neural networks (QNNs) remain largely unexplored. In this work, we present and examine a quantum circuit (QC) that implements and aims to improve upon the classical echo-state network (ESN), a type of reservoir-based recurrent neural networks (RNNs), using quantum computers. Typically, ESNs consist of an extremely large reservoir that learns high-dimensional embeddings, enabling prediction of complex system trajectories. Quantum echo-state networks (QESNs) aim to reduce this need for prohibitively …

Towards Rare Event And Anomaly Prediction In Manufacturing: Bridging Methodological Gaps In Industrial Applications, Chathurangi Shyalika, Renjith Prasad, Ruwan Wickramarachchi, Amit Sheth

Publications

Rare event prediction is critical in industrial applications, including real-world Industry 4.0 applications. These events, defined by their low occurrence frequency, are often difficult to predict due to the skewed data distribution, which complicates modeling and evaluation. In our research, we provide a comprehensive review of current approaches to rare event prediction across four key dimensions: rare event data, data processing techniques, algorithmic approaches, and evaluation methodologies [1]. By analyzing diverse datasets with multiple modalities, including numerical, image, text, and audio, we categorize the primary challenges and present the gaps in current research. Specifically, we present three novel research contributions …

Multicultural Perspectives On Building Instructional Capacity For Multilingual Learners: Synergy Of Teachers, Community Members, And Academics, Mihaela Gazioglu, Emily Howell, Lindsey W. Rowe, Victoria Pennington, Nicole Ferguson-Sams, Kavita Mittapalli, Amian Banerjee

Publications

This design-based research study explored the feedback process, resulting actions, and changing instructional perspectives involving teachers, community members, and researchers leading to enhanced professional development offered to K-12 teachers of multilingual students. Specifically, the feedback from a community advisory council and teachers significantly shaped researchers’ approaches to designing and adapting a literacy course to address the needs of multilingual students’ caregivers. The findings underscore the importance of a holistic approach to professional development and highlight the multicultural perspectives that academics can discover by involving both community stakeholders and teachers in promoting impactful practices for multilingual learners.

Leadership Matters: Supportive Principals And Teacher Recruitment In A School–University Partnership, Stephanie M. Madison, V. E. Clark, D. A. Jones, J. Marshall

Publications

This study investigated the factors associated with teacher enrolment in a school-university professional development (PD) partnership. A grant-funded programme was developed to provide a maximum of 15 graduate credit hours to middle school teachers, focusing on rural, high-needs schools in the southeastern United States. At 61 middle schools across the state, the university recruiter composed field notes regarding principal and teacher engagement during recruitment meetings. Other factors potentially influencing enrolment were identified and statistical analyses were conducted. Variables included enthusiasm (teacher and principal), modality of recruitment meeting (in person or virtual), attendance (mandatory or optional), semester (fall or spring), and …

Surgical Suturing Skill Assessment Using Estimated Hand Roll Angle From A Deep-Learning Computer Vision Algorithm, Jianxin Gao, Amir Mehdi Shayan, Simar P. Singh, Joe Bible, Ravikiran Singapogu, Richard E. Groff

Publications

This paper proposes a deep-learning computer vision algorithm to estimate hand roll angles for metric-based assessment of surgical suturing skills. The number of rolls metric, previously calculated directly from IMU data, counts the number of hand roll reversals during a single suture. To calculate this metric using computer vision, we apply a deep-learning algorithm that can reliably estimate hand roll angles after training on suturing videos collected on the SutureCoach simulator. Results show that the estimation accuracy of the deep-learning algorithm is robust to different video backgrounds. The number of rolls metrics were used to analyze suturing performance in the …

A Report Summarizing Hsc Faculty Participants: Ithaka S+R Coordinated Study Making Ai Generative For Higher Education, Laura J. Hall, Robyn Gleasner

Publications

This report presents findings from the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center’s (HSC) participation in the ITHAKA S+R study Making AI Generative for Higher Education. Seven faculty members from HSC disciplines including internal medicine, pathology, psychiatry, nursing, radiology, and population health were interviewed to explore their perspectives on generative AI (GenAI) in teaching and learning, research and scholarship, and institutional support. A unique theme of “practice” emerged, reflecting how GenAI is influencing clinical care, bench-to-bedside translation, and the preparation of students for future professional practice. The report highlights faculty experiences, ethical concerns, and support needs, offering insight into how …

The Future Of Flying: An Exploration Of New Aircraft Design And Energy Required To Support Advanced Air Mobility – Part 3, Sarah Nilsson

Publications

Lecture exploring new aircraft design and energy required to support advanced air mobility.

Legal And Ethical Considerations For Balancing Space Innovation And Dark Sky Preservation, Sara M. Langston, Kayla D. Taylor

Publications

The proliferation of satellites in Earth’s orbit has significantly enhanced capabilities in communication, Earth observation, and scientific research. However, this rapid expansion presents considerable legal and ethical challenges, particularly regarding the preservation of dark and quiet skies. As low Earth orbit becomes increasingly congested, the implications for astronomical observation, environmental integrity, and cultural heritage require critical examination.

This presentation provides an interdisciplinary perspective on the legal, practical and ethical considerations essential for preserving dark and quiet skies. It begins by exploring the legal frameworks governing the use of space, highlighting relevant international treaties, national responsibilities, and emerging issues aimed at …

The Future Of Flying: An Exploration Of New Aircraft Design And Energy Required To Support Advanced Air Mobility – Part 2, Sarah Nilsson

Publications

Lecture exploring new aircraft design and energy required to support advanced air mobility.

The Role Of Information Science Within The Clinical Translational Science Ecosystem, Elizabeth Hinton, Bart Ragon, Anne K. Seymour, Elizabetth Whipple, Alisa Surkis, Amanda Haberstroh, Jennifer Muilenburg, Melissa L. Rethlefsen, Erinn Aspinall, Jill Deaver, Nadine Dexter, Renae Barger, Micquel Little, Nicole Contaxis, Emily Glenn, Barbara Kern, Keith Pickett, Erika Sevetson, Donghua Tao, Megan Von Isenburg, Debra Werner, Terrie Wheeler, Kristi Holmes

Publications

Academic health sciences libraries (“libraries”) offer services that span the entire research lifecycle, positioning them as natural partners in advancing clinical and translational science. Many libraries enjoy active and productive collaborations with Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) Program hubs and other translational initiatives like the IDeA Clinical & Translational Research Network. This article explores areas of potential partnership between libraries and Translational Science Hubs (TSH), highlighting areas where libraries can support the CTSA Program’s five functional areas outlined in the Notice of Funding Opportunity. It serves as a primer for TSH and libraries to explore potential collaborations, demonstrating how …