Digital Commons Network^™

Cropland Change And Prime Farmland In Calloway County, Kentucky, 2015–2025: A Gis Analysis Of Corn And Soybean Fields, Shiba Hari Dhakal Shiba

Scholars Week

Understanding where cropland change occurs relative to soil quality helps indicate whether farmland is being used on the most productive land. This study used GIS-based change detection analysis to evaluate changes in corn and soybean fields in Calloway County, Kentucky, between 2015 and 2025 and to test whether new corn and soybean fields were located on prime farmland. USDA Cropland Data Layer maps for 2015 and 2025 (30 m resolution) were reclassified into seven classes and compared in ArcGIS Pro, and the results were overlaid on USDA NRCS gSSURGO farmland classification. Combined corn and soybean area declined about 19% from …

A Macroergonomic Analysis Of Autonomous Robotic Construction For Affordable Housing, Ricardo Leon Jimenez

Sustainability Conference

As communities seek to increase housing supply, the construction sector continues to grapple with rising costs, skilled labor shortages, and growing pressure to improve environmental sustainability. Meeting these demands will require new approaches that increase productivity while lowering environmental impact throughout the building lifecycle. Recent advances in autonomous systems developed for space exploration offer alternative ways to design, assemble, and maintain residential buildings. This study examines the potential application of NASA's Automated Reconfigurable Mission Adaptive Digital Assembly Systems (ARMADAS) technology from space construction to terrestrial affordable housing construction.

While most construction automation research focuses on technical performance, this study considers …

Seasonal Variations In Radar Backscatter And Corn Vegetation In The South Fork Iowa River Watershed During The Growing Season Of 2025, Monika Bhusal

Scholars Week

Remote sensing provides complementary information on crop development and surface conditions, but radar backscatter over agricultural areas can be influenced by vegetation and soil characteristics. This study examines seasonal relationships between Sentinel-1 radar backscatter and Landsat-derived vegetation greenness over corn-growing areas in the South Fork Iowa River Watershed, Iowa, during the 2025 growing season. Landsat 8/9 was used to derive the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), while OPERA RTC-S1 imagery provided VV and VH backscatter and a VH/VV polarization measure. USDA Cropland Data Layer was used to identify corn growing areas, and analysis was restricted to areas with common satellite …

Comparing Soil Health Indicators Between Corn-Soy Production And Restored Utility-Prairie Systems, Katie Oakley Anthony

Scholars Week

It has long been known that cultivation in agroecological systems disrupts inherent soil attributes that support soil health. Soil health can be defined as the continued capacity of soil to function as a vital living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals, and humans – but is soil health a blanket concept? This research intended to address health gaps in production systems – corn-soy rotation (CS) and restored utility-prairie (UP) – based on USDA taxonomic classifications. The quality of soil is generally reported in terms of physicochemical and biological indicators. By examining same soil series in adjacent land management systems, those indicators …

Evaluation Of Selected Physical Properties Under Diverse Cropping Systems, Elizabeth A. Heine

Scholars Week

Evaluation of Selected Physical Properties

Under Diverse Cropping Systems

Elizabeth Heine and Dr. Iin Handayani, Ph.D. Murray State University, Hutson College of Agriculture

Abstract

Soil quality influences agricultural productivity, water retention, nutrient cycling, and environmental sustainability. Soil organic matter (SOM), soil water at field capacity (SWFC), macroporosity, and total porosity are important indicators of soil health because they affect soil structure, aeration, and water availability. This study evaluated these properties under different land-use systems at the West Farm Complex in Calloway County, Kentucky. Soil samples were collected from corn, soybean, sunflower, tobacco, pasture, and miscanthus fields; 24 disturbed and 24 …

Soil Health Indicator Responses To Different Crop Production Systems, Lynnlee Jones

Scholars Week

Various crop production systems have affected soil health by changing soil physical, chemical and biological properties. In general, differences in crop production management systems include crop rotations, tillage and crop types. Therefore, the objective of this research was to evaluate the changes of soil organic carbon (SOC), soil water holding capacity (SWHC), bulk density (BD) and total porosity (TP) following various crop production management practices in Western Kentucky. The study was conducted in Calloway and McLean counties and were performed in a 90m x 90m area. These fields consisted of row crops (CRP, Bean Field, Woods Field, Corn Field, Conventional …

Determining Soil Characteristics Under Six Land Management Practices In Western Kentucky, Lyndsey R. Bryant

Scholars Week

Different types of land management practices can change soil chemical, physical, and biological characteristics. The objective of this study was to determine the changes of soil properties as affected by cultivation practices through measuring soil pH, soil organic matter (SOM), soil water holding capacity (SWHC), and soil water field capacity (SWFC). The sites for this study include an agriculture hemp field, construction site, urban pathway, bison prairie, control burn field, and forest floor. The sites were located in Calloway and Trigg County; Kentucky. Twenty-four undisturbed and twenty-four disturbed soil samples were taken across six fields with four replications each. The …

Crop And Tillage Management Practices Impact On Soil Properties, Elijah James Brown

Scholars Week

Crop and tillage management practices control the changes in soil properties. The purpose of this study was to compare the dynamics of soil properties across six management systems that differed in crop type and tillage practices. Soil properties tested were soil organic matter(SOM), soil pH, macroporosity, and soil water holding capacity(SWHC). The study was conducted in Morris, Illinois. The crop management systems included alfalfa (AR), grass hay (GH), no-till corn (CNT), conventional till corn (CT), no-till soybeans (BNT), and conventional till soybeans (BT). Management histories from 2023 to 2026 differed in crop rotation, tillage, fertilizer use, herbicide applications, and residue …

Land Management Impacts On Soil Physical And Chemical Properties In Murray, Kentucky, Bhawana Bhusal

Scholars Week

Soil surface properties serve as key indicators of overall soil health and quality. This study aimed to characterize selected physical and chemical properties of cropland, pastureland, and forest soils in western Kentucky. Disturbed and undisturbed soil samples were gathered from University Farms including North Farm, West Farm, Hutson Farm, and the Be Creek Forest area in Calloway County, Kentucky. Disturbed and undisturbed soil samples were collected from the University Farms includes North Farm, West Farm, Hutson Farm, and Be Creek Forest area in Calloway County, Kentucky. Three replications per field were collected at a depth of 0-7 cm from each …

Comparing Soil Characteristics Between Forest And Farm Land, Nabin S. Khatri, Dr. Iin P. Handayani Ph.D.

Scholars Week

Agricultural ecosystem sustainability is affected by soil degradation. Within the United States, this degradation is primarily caused by agricultural activities and monocropping systems. The objective of this research was to determine the impact of different ecosystems on selected soil characteristics, such as soil organic Carbon (SOC), total porosity, macro-porosity, and soil water at field capacity (SWFC). A total of 24 disturbed and 24 undisturbed soil samples were collected at a 0 to 7 cm depth interval with three replications per field/cropping system. This study evaluated eight agricultural lands: grazed and ungrazed pastures in West Farm; ungrazed pastures in North Farm; …

Improving Fall Risk Assessment In Inpatient Rehabilitation, Sarah B. Flick, Aaliyah Garcia, Trista Hamblin

Scholars Week

This evidence-based practice project examines how fall-risk assessment can be improved for patients in inpatient rehabilitation by incorporating rehabilitation-specific functional factors into the existing assessment process. A review of four research studies identified toileting, transfers, ambulation, cognition, previous falls, and functional limitations as important considerations for fall-risk identification. The project proposes a structured functional review to supplement current assessment tools, with a phased implementation plan using staff education, a pilot program, and ongoing evaluation to support patient safety and individualized fall-prevention interventions.

When The Chatbot Is Wrong On Purpose: Using Genai Role-Play To Build Student Engagement And Critical Ai Fluency, Sierra Adare-Tasiwoopa Api

AI in the Classroom: A Virtual Summit

In this hands-on workshop, participants will explore how customized AI chatbots can be used to increase student engagement while also teaching students to question AI-generated information. The workshop centers on a role-playing game scenario in which students interact with a chatbot non-player character (NPC) that serves as a guide, informant, but one that sometimes provides incomplete, misleading, or invalid information. Rather than treating chatbot errors as failures, the activity uses them as opportunities for students to practice verification, source evaluation, metacognition, and discipline-specific reasoning.

Participants will first experience a short version of the role-playing activity as students. They will then …

Teaching In The Ai Era: Studying Faculty Course Redesign, Visible Thinking, And Sustainable Implementation, Sierra Adare-Tasiwoopa Api

AI in the Classroom: A Virtual Summit

How can faculty development move beyond generic AI guidance toward redesigns that make student thinking visible, clarify AI expectations, and remain feasible for teaching-intensive institutions? This presentation shares the design and emerging findings from Nevada State University’s AI & Accessibility Academy study, which follows faculty from a summer course redesign academy into fall implementation. The study examines changes in faculty self-efficacy around AI-era pedagogy and accessibility, the redesign practices faculty implement, how course artifacts reflect process-focused assessment and accessible design, and what factors support or constrain sustained implementation.

The session describes the study’s mixed-methods design, including faculty pre/post/follow-up surveys, artifact …

Building Bots That Teach Thinking: Using Custom Ai Chatbots To Enhance Critical Thinking And Decision-Making, Megan Biagi

AI in the Classroom: A Virtual Summit

Generative AI is increasingly common in education, but its effect on student learning depends largely on how it is used. This interactive session will introduce practical strategies for creating custom AI chatbots that encourage students to think through problems rather than simply ask for answers. Participants will explore ways to design bots that ask learners to explain their reasoning, consider alternative perspectives, identify assumptions, and revise their thinking before receiving feedback.   Examples from healthcare education and other disciplines will show how these tools can support guided inquiry, reflective questioning, clinical reasoning, and decision-making. Participants will review and revise sample chatbot …

Testing Personalization In Llm-Based Mental Health Support: A Proposed Experimental Design For College Students, Tchalim P. Agninoube, Greg Williams

Annual DBA Scholars Conference

Rising student mental health demand has outpaced campus counseling capacity. This paper proposes a 2x2 between-subjects experimental design to test whether a personalized LLM-based chatbot, grounded in just-in-time adaptive intervention principles and cognitive load theory, provides better short-term anxiety reduction than a standard chatbot across stress and neutral contexts. The personalized chatbot uses wearable stress data, sleep quality, self-reported overwhelm, and support preferences to select between low-load and elaborative support paths. The design contributes a practical framework for evaluating personalization in AI-driven mental health tools and informs scalable, responsible institutional deployment.

Bridging Awareness And Action: A Multilevel Model Of Organizational Learning, Safety Climate, And Sickle Cell Trait Safety Compliance, Kimberly Snowden

Annual DBA Scholars Conference

Despite the existence of NCAA and National Athletic Trainers’ Association guidelines, preventable sickle cell trait (SCT)-related adverse events continue to occur in athletic settings. This study examines how organizational learning capacity, safety climate, leadership commitment, and individual risk perception influence compliance with SCT safety protocols and related safety outcomes. Drawing on Organizational Learning Theory, Safety Climate Theory, and the Health Belief Model, the study proposes a multilevel framework tested through an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design. Findings are expected to identify organizational predictors of compliance and provide practical recommendations to strengthen SCT safety implementation and reduce preventable athlete harm.

The Paradoxes Of Mental Health Disclosure In The Workplace: What Employee Voices Reveal About Courage And Organizational Culture, Steve G. Winkel D.B.A.

Annual DBA Scholars Conference

The lived experience of mental health disclosure is deeply paradoxical. Drawing on thematic analysis of qualitative data from 572 U.S. employees with diagnosed mental health conditions — 282 of whom disclosed to a manager or HR professional — this paper presents three central paradoxes: (1) disclosure normalizes experience but does not neutralize vulnerability; (2) the same conversation produces both safety and stigma; and (3) disclosure requires courage, revealing the inadequacy of existing organizational norms. A constructivist grounded theory approach guided the inquiry. Theoretical implications for stigma management theory (Goffman, 1963) and psychological safety research (Edmondson, 1999) and practical implications for …

Microbusiness Owner-Managers And Financial Planning: A Transtheoretical Model Of Behaviour Change Approach, Christopher L. Gorman

Annual DBA Scholars Conference

The practitioner-scholar proposes a cross-sectional study to investigate how microbusiness owner-managers adopt financial planning behaviour through the lens of the Transtheoretical Model of Behaviour Change (TTM). The study will examine the TTM’s stages of change and the factors that influence these owner-managers’ decisions to engage in financial planning. By applying a behaviour change framework to an underexplored area of financial planning research, the study will aim to identify barriers and opportunities to microbusiness owners’ adoption of financial planning. The findings will inform strategies CFP^® professionals can use to enhance client engagement, communication, and decision-making among microbusiness owner-managers.

Becoming Anything: Stem Cells And The Power Of Analogy, Sarah O’Leary-Driscoll, Dr. Jessica Amacher, Academics

Professional Learning Day

How does a single cell become a heart, a neuron, or skin? In this session, we will explore stem cells and cell differentiation through analogy-based modeling. No prior knowledge necessary! Participants will work through a hands-on analogy that makes gene expression familiar and concrete. Then we will discuss other examples, and consider what makes analogies effective and where they break down. Come to learn the fascinating science of how we each develop; leave with a powerful teaching strategy you can use in any discipline.

Ai Beyond The Screen: Exploring Physical Ai, Tami Armstrong, Public Affairs, Dr. Ashwin Mohan, Ai Center

Professional Learning Day

What happens when AI moves beyond the screen and interacts with the physical world? Last year, Dr. Ashwin Mohan worked with a group of IMSA sophomores to explore Physical AI and develop hands-on activities using simple, low-cost tools. In this interactive session, participants will experience their work firsthand and learn how AI can learn from feedback and adapt. No coding or technical background is required: Just curiosity about AI, student innovation, and hands-on learning.

How Wide Is The Screening Window For Aggressive Non-Small Cell Lung Cancers? The Cure Threshold Metric And Its Implications For Lung Cancer Screening Guidelines, Deborah Goldwasser

Mathematics Colloquium Series

The entire NSU community, including students at all levels of mathematics, is invited and encouraged to attend. A reception with coffee and snacks will take place in the Department of Mathematics Suite Parker 320 from 12:00-12:30 just prior to the colloquium talk. Abstract: Lung cancer screening by low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) has demonstrated a mortality reduction in two large randomized controlled trials. However, LDCT also frequently identifies benign pulmonary nodules in high-risk but otherwise healthy individuals. The management of small pulmonary nodules is guided primarily by malignancy probability.  However, the surgical cure threshold, the maximum tumor size at which surgical …

A Sneak Peek Into Prehistory: Curating An Interactive Fossil Display To Spark Interest In The Ua Little Rock Natural History Museum, Syd Joheim, Rene Shroat-Lewis

Research and Creative Works Expo

Arkansas does not currently have a dedicated natural history museum, creating a unique opportunity for UA Little Rock following the recent donation of an expansive fossil collection. In response, the university established a natural history museum initiative intended to benefit both the campus community and the broader public across Arkansas. This initiative provides accessible resources for learning about natural science, evolution, and the state’s prehistoric past, areas that are often underrepresented in informal science education. It also serves as a platform for outreach, student engagement, and undergraduate research, strengthening UA Little Rock’s role in science education, workforce development, and community …

Changing Ocean Chemistry: Impacts Of Ocean Deoxygenation And Acidification From Benthic Iron Fluxes To Fisheries, De'marcus Robinson

DoMES Seminar Series

Ocean deoxygenation and acidification are impacting marine ecosystems, contributing to changes in ocean biogeochemical cycling and fisheries across the U.S. West Coast and northern Gulf of America/Mexico. Using spatially and temporally resolved observations, numerical modeling, and biogeochemical analyses, this seminar examines how changing ocean conditions influence processes from water-column oxygen dynamics to marine organisms. In the Santa Barbara Basin, observations of dissolved O₂ reveal persistent decadal hypoxic and anoxic conditions and changes in deep-water ventilation associated with high benthic iron fluxes (0.23–4.9 mmol m⁻² d⁻¹). Combining benthic iron flux measurements with numerical simulations demonstrates how iron availability can enhance surface …

Theory Generation And Research: The International Impact On Families’ And Nurses’ Mental Health, Karen J. Foli

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

This special session will focus on Dr. Karen J. Foli’s two decades of research, based on her mental health-focused nursing theories. A brief overview of her theories, the middle-range theory of parental postadoption depression and the middle-range theory of nurses’ psychological trauma, will be offered. Select studies from her research trajectories as well as the link between theory and empirical studies will be emphasized. Last, the international impact of her work will be illustrated.

The Advanced Practice Nurse: Shaping Clinical Practice, Research, And Education, Geraldine A. Lee

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally, requiring integrated, patient-centred models of care. The role of the Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) has evolved significantly transforming from an emerging concept into a cornerstone of modern healthcare delivery through comprehensive assessment, early intervention, and continuity of care in both acute and community-based settings.

APNs play a key role in the delivery of evidence-based patient care.

Mothers And Infants In Multiple Pregnancy And Birth, Li-Yin Chien

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: ART-driven multiple births create unique health challenges.

Purpose: This research examines family trajectories, focusing on offspring health and maternal well-being.

Methods: Mixed-methods using national databases and a longitudinal maternal study.

Results: Multiples face higher risks of heart defects and cancer. Maternal depression peaks postpartum, driven by stress and declining support.

Conclusion: Specialized care and SET promotion are vital for family outcomes.

Hospital Falls In Hybrid Virtual Nursing Models: A Need For Future Health Outcomes Research, Lindsay E. Colby

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background and Purpose: Hospital falls are a global health concern with adverse implications for patients’ health-related quality of life. As a nurse-sensitive indicator, hospital falls reflect the quality and safety of the healthcare system. Hybrid virtual nursing, an emerging care delivery model, utilizes digital telehealth technologies and combines in-person nursing care with remote care. There is a dearth of literature related to the impact of hybrid virtual nursing on hospital falls.

The purpose of this poster is to: explore health outcomes measures and data sources related to hospital falls; review literature related to hospital falls in hybrid virtual nursing models. …

Preliminary Study Of Moral Distress Among York College Nursing Students, Nikea S. Debidin, Andrey Aminov

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Moral Distress can occur when individuals are unable to act in accordance with their moral or ethical belief, this can be due to either internal or external constraints. While moral distress has been widely examined in among practicing nurses, limited research has explored the presence among undergraduate nursing students. The purpose of this study was to examine the level of distress and frequency of moral distress at a preliminary level, among undergraduate nursing students enrolled in a baccalaureate nursing program at York College in Queens, New York.
A quantitative descriptive design was adopted. Undergraduate nursing students (n=47) completed an anonymous …

Statewide Sinkhole Susceptibility Mapping In Florida Using Explainable Geoai, Osama M. Altarawneh, Weiwei Zhan, Clint Kromhout

Sinkhole Conference 2026

Sinkholes cause persistent damage to infrastructure, property, and groundwater resources across Florida. Statewide sinkhole hazard mitigation has been constrained by incomplete inventories and the absence of a high-resolution susceptibility map. This study presents a statewide sinkhole susceptibility assessment using an explainable GeoAI framework that integrates the citizen-reported Subsidence Incident Reports (SIR) database and a geologist-confirmed collapse-type sinkhole inventory from the Florida Geological Survey (FGS). Random Forest (RF) is used as the primary learner with ten geologic, hydrologic, topographic, and anthropogenic predictors. The influence of negative-sample buffer geometry on model behavior is evaluated across five annular buffer conditions (100-1000 m through …

Karst Sinkholes And Civil Engineering: Overview Of Characterization And Treatment Options From A Geophysical And Geotechnical Viewpoint, Mia Painter, Stephen Welsh

Sinkhole Conference 2026

Sinkholes pose a significant geohazard to civil engineering infrastructure in regions underlain by carbonate karst terrain. Selecting an appropriate stabilization method requires balancing site conditions, infrastructure risk, environmental considerations, and cost, all of which depend on a thorough understanding of the planned or existing infrastructure and subsurface conditions. This paper provides an overview of common sinkhole characterization and stabilization methods used in the Mid-Atlantic and Appalachian regions of the United States from both geotechnical and geophysical perspectives. The application of geophysical methods in conjunction with intrusive investigations is reviewed as a means of reducing subsurface uncertainty and refining treatment designs. …