Digital Commons Network^™

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. …

Sinkhole Hazards, Risks, And Remediation: A Fifty-Year Case Study In New Jersey, Usa, Oladoyin Kolawole, Rita L. Sousa, Christina Comuso, Mohab Hussein

Sinkhole Conference 2026

New Jersey presents a uniquely complex sinkhole and ground subsidence hazard shaped by intersecting geological, industrial, and anthropogenic forces. Sinkhole herein refers primarily to collapse sinkholes, that is, the abrupt or progressive downward failure of the ground surface into subsurface voids, as distinct from solutional closed depressions of purely karst origin. This paper synthesizes five decades (1976-2026) of documented sinkhole and ground subsidence records across the state, examining root causes, societal and environmental impacts, and remediation strategies employed in response to such hazards. The review shows that New Jersey’s hazard is governed by three dominant mechanisms: karst dissolution in carbonate …

Impact Of Consumer-Led Education On Stigma Reduction In Mental Health Nursing, Anju Sreeram

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Mental Health Nurses who have direct contact with consumers can exhibit discriminatory attitudes towards people with mental illness. Evidence shows that anti-stigma interventions are effective in improving stigmatised attitudes towards mental illness to facilitate the recovery of people with mental illness, and the contact-based interventions are more impactful than other modalities of education and training.

The current study aimed to examine the effectiveness of consumer-led education in reducing stigmatised attitudes among mental health nurses. A quasi-experimental pre- and post-test design was used to assess the impact of consumer-led education.

The results show that Mental Health Nurses generally held positive attitudes …

Crowd Monitoring And Firearm Detection Uas, Arjun Nambiar, Sang-A Lee, Diego Espino, Will Obot Jr, Ethan Encarnacion, Jarrett Usui, Jacob D. Kline

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

The increasing complexity of public safety operations in urban and high-density environments necessitates intelligent, mobile surveillance systems capable of real-time threat identification and situational awareness. Traditional monitoring approaches, such as fixed CCTV systems and manual observation, are often limited by coverage, scalability, and response latency in complex environments or large-scale events. This project addresses these challenges through the development of a computer vision-enabled Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS) designed for crowd monitoring and firearm detection. The primary objective is to design and validate a modular, Artificial Intelligence (AI)-Machine Learning (ML)-driven model capable of identifying firearms within dynamic environments while supporting real-time …

Quantitative Mapping And Mitigation Of Light Pollution At Erau, Desireé Robinson, Marcus Flesher, Axon Deadrick, Conner Callahan, Jarrett Usui, Josef Kaelin, Douglas Griswold, Raiden Keefer, Harrison A. Zimmermann, Cole Gresham, Maya Curtis, Ahnika Gee

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Light pollution is an increasingly urgent environmental and public safety concern that affects energy costs, astronomical research, ecological systems, human health, and aviation. At Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU), artificial lighting from campus infrastructure and adjacent airport operations contributes to elevated skyglow, limiting the performance of the university’s 1-meter telescope and degrading the nighttime environment. This project seeks to quantitatively map and analyze light pollution across the ERAU Daytona Beach campus using custom-built Sky Quality Meters (SQMs) integrated with environmental sensors and mounted on an unmanned aerial system (UAS). By collecting calibrated sky brightness measurements at multiple altitudes and geospatial coordinates, …

Phaëthon System, Brady Roudabush, Lauren Gallo, Emelia Thompson, Jacob Woods

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Phaëthon System is the project name for the Search and Rescue Drone Initiative. This initiative will improve the current search and rescue drone industry by introducing new techniques to get through dense forest canopies and other places where an overhead view is not useful. The Phaëthon System uses a swarm of drones that can penetrate under the tree canopy to map and search with the utmost efficiency and safety for rescuers. A command drone is launched to survey the overall search area, and set up a communications and data link. The next component is then released, which is a swarm …

Fall Hazard Prevention: A Zero-Fatality Goal For Health, Safety, And Well-Being On Construction Sites, Alena Richardson, Chaidaliz Minguela Alicea, Nicola Kaehler, Charlene Weaver

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Jobsites face hazards like falls, which threaten the health, safety, and well-being of construction workers. Falls are the leading cause of all accidents and fatalities in construction, accounting for approximately 40% of all worker deaths in 2023. While achieving a zero-accident rate for falls is inherently challenging, prioritizing a zero-fatality objective represents a practical and impactful starting point. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recommends a six-step action approach for the prevention and control of hazards like falls. Of particular interest, the State of Florida is consistently ranked among the highest for construction fall fatalities, often attributed to insufficient …

Opioid Overdose Education For Outpatient Settings And Simulation Development, Nancy S. Goldstein, Tyler Langley, Brook Van Buskirk

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

In 2023, the National Institute of Health reported 79,358 U.S. overdose deaths caused by opioids. This value is 166% higher than data from 2017, with an opioid-induced death toll of 47,600.¹ The rising rates of overdose require clinics to be prepared to respond to overdose emergencies.² Literature analysis revealed gaps in provider response capability for opioid overdose in healthcare outpatient settings.^{3, 4, 5, 6} Thus, there is a need to address the gaps in emergency preparedness for an opioid overdose through simulation training of outpatient staff. The purpose of the pilot study is to develop a simulation …

Field Evaluation Of Remote Identification Broadcast Performance: Discrepancies Between Manufacturer Specifications And Operational Results, Walaa Alqwider, Bouteina Driouche

ISARRA 2026

Remote Identification (RID) is a regulatory requirement for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) operating in the National Airspace System, and the data it provides serves as a foundational input for a range of future UAS operations and services. To date, the real-world performance of commercially available RID devices has not been thoroughly characterized under operational flight conditions. This study presents the results obtained from a series of RID field tests in which multiple commercial off-the-shelf RID broadcast modules were evaluated for positional accuracy, broadcast continuity, and reception reliability. Testing was conducted using both stationary and dynamic flight profiles at varying horizontal …

Designing Safer School Routes In Busan, South Korea: Living Lab Approach To Child-Centered Traffic Safety, Yong-Ki Lee

DRS Biennial Conference Series

Urban traffic environments in Busan, South Korea, often remain poorly adapted to the needs of children, despite infrastructure-based safety measures. This paper reports on a Living Lab project for co-creating safer school commuting environments through participatory service design. Researchers, elementary school students, parents, residents, and local authorities collaboratively identified critical issues, generated design ideas, and evaluated context-specific interventions. This paper synthesizes the Living Lab as both a methodological framework and a civic learning ecosystem by tracing how stakeholders’ perceptions, roles, and capacities evolved through iterative co-design, mapping, and prototyping activities. The findings highlight the potential of Living Labs to bridge …

Changing The Lens: Micro-Systemic Change Through Design Interventions, David Perez, Nuri Kwon

DRS Biennial Conference Series

This paper examines how design-led activities function as micro-systemic interventions that can influence people’s perceptions, actions and decision-making towards the futures. Using the optical metaphor of a design lens, we reinterpret Voros’ (2003) Futures Cone as a flexible field of vision that can be focused, dispersed, or magnified through design. The “design lens” serves as a conceptual framework comprising three components: design settings, information, and collectiveness. We apply this lens to two projects: a speculative walking workshop for policymaking, and a creative engagement project with residents in a social housing redevelopment. The aim is to examine how these elements interacted …

Should Sustainability Come Second? Artifact Analysis Toward More Positive Outcomes Through Design, Michael C. Kowalski, Jungkyoon Yoon

DRS Biennial Conference Series

While academic research on design for sustainability and design for subjective well-being has grown for decades, application of these perspectives in professional practice remains underdeveloped. Professional designers often struggle to translate these objectives into their work due to conflicting demands, including tight project timelines, cost targets, and manufacturing constraints. Tools and methods developed in academic contexts have faced criticism for failing to consider these practical concerns, resulting in limited professional adoption. Studies indicate professional designers could benefit from concrete case-studies for existing products and systems that clearly demonstrate both processes and outcomes. This paper addresses this need through an artifact-analysis …

Civic Imagining: Participatory Speculative Design And Its Opportunities In Civic Service Design, Isabel Regina Meriales

DRS Biennial Conference Series

This exploratory research discusses participatory speculative design (PSD) in the context of understanding its potential opportunities for civic service design (CSD) and for practicing designers in this growing field. This study employs a critical lens, with consideration to existing criticisms regarding the design practice, and how to navigate through potential barriers in civic service design. The research paper explores the approach of participatory speculative design, and how it might inform civic service design and its designers today.

The ‘Cuteness Matrix’: Mapping Cuteness As An Affective Strategy For Purpose-Led Communication Design, Guo Yi Xian Yix, Mimi Nguyen, David Preston

DRS Biennial Conference Series

Cuteness is often dismissed as trivial or decorative. Yet research across neuroscience, psychology, and cultural theory reveals it as a powerful affective force that captures attention, evokes empathy, and encourages prosocial behaviour and well-being. Cute’s affective potency also renders it ethically ambivalent, capable of manipulation as much as comfort. Despite its ubiquity, cuteness remains under-theorised in design research, a notable gap for a discipline concerned with communication, emotion, and human connection. Addressing this gap, this study conducts an interpretive systematic literature review of publications from 1943 to 2025, identifying 65 key scholarly sources. Interdisciplinary insights are synthesized into the ‘Cuteness …

Controversy Associated With Red-Light Traffic Cameras, Alan D. Smith, Anna Abdulmanova

Atlantic Marketing Association Proceedings

No abstract provided.

Data-Driven Predictive Control For Uav Interception Via Koopman-Based Lifting, Sanjay Maharjan, Darren Johnson, Animesh Bangal, Yousuf Atteia, Tariq Hlayel, Adrian Stein

2026 LSU Symposium on Control, Learning, and Intelligent Systems

No abstract provided.

Your Voice Matters: Get Involved With Gsc, Casey Johnson-Pasqua, Rebecca Rydstrom

Staff Professional Development Week

Alumni Relations’ Rebecca Rydstrom and Youth Programs’ Casey Johnson-Pasqua, GSC’s Governance and Elections committee reps, will lead this session, which will focus on how staff can turn ideas into action by getting involved with the Gallaudet Staff Council (GSC). We’ll share what GSC does, what being a representative looks like, and how staff can step into these roles to help shape our campus community.

The Global Consequences Of Illegal Trafficking In East Africa, Kaitlynn Baker

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Illegal wildlife trafficking poses significant threats to health, economies, and ecosystems worldwide. Currently, illegal wildlife trafficking holds a strong occurrence in the East African region. The region's biodiversity is increasingly endangered by poaching and illicit trade for elephant ivory, rhino horns, and other animals. This not only depletes wildlife populations but raises the risk of zoonotic diseases that can spread and hurt human health. This project aims to explore and further understand the horrific implications illegal wildlife trafficking, specifically in East Africa, can have on the United States’ national security by focusing on the areas of health, the economy, and …

Uas Remote Sensing In Urban Areas Critical Analysis Briefing, Christopher Chandler, John Glorieux

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) are revolutionizing the world one field of work at a time. Urban remote sensing is a key area where these tools are making significant advancements. This briefing examines the current state of UAS remote sensing in urban environments, assessing technological capabilities, ever-evolving regulatory frameworks, and operational challenges. A detailed literature review was conducted to establish the current state of the field, providing a foundation for forecasting its evolution over the next two to three years and beyond. Through this comprehensive review, the briefing provides a forward-looking perspective on the role of UAS remote sensing in shaping …

Aliterate Consumers' Miscomprehension Of Product Warnings, Haeran Jae

Atlantic Marketing Association Proceedings

No abstract provided.

Concurrent Panels: Track A, Carina Maloney, Mike Hardin, Lindsey Mcfarren, Ryan Naru, Marcus Johnson, Courtney Hance, P.E., Nick Hartley, P.E., Julie Womble, M.A.,Fra-Fa, Morgan White, Justin Thames, Melissa Mccaffrey, Yasmina Platt, C.M., Cfi/Cfii, Kristina "Tina" Buelo, Kevin Thompson, C.M., Ace, Eric Mueller, Will Hutson

Florida Advanced Air Mobility Symposium

• 8:30 – 9:15 AM | Session A1 - Security and Automation
• 9:15 – 10:00 AM | Session A2 - Infrastructure
• 10:20 – 11:50 AM | Session A3 - Airspace and Air Traffic

A Three-Criteria Framework For U.S. Immigration Reform: Humane Treatment, Resource Reallocation, And Proportional Fallback, Eddie Contreras

COD Library Student Research and Award Symposium

This project examines how U.S. immigration enforcement could be restructured around three criteria: humane treatment, resource reallocation, and proportional consequences. The evidence, drawn from journalism, peer-reviewed research, government data, and international comparisons, consistently shows that current enforcement is poorly targeted, fiscally costly, and harmful to the community it depends on. At the same time, the picture is not one-sided: a real population of serious offenders exists, some workers benefit economically from restrictive policies, and even the strongest international models have real flaws. Administrative reforms within DHS could begin moving the system in a slightly better direction now. However, durable change …

Application Of Mine Tailings Flow Failure Assessment On Ccr, Zachary Fallert

World of Coal Ash Proceedings

A new geotechnical stability analysis method has been implemented for a CCR surface impoundment to aid in design for temporary cut slopes and final closure grades. Conditions have come to light after significant tailings dam failures occurred across the globe, specifically those exhibiting flow failures (i.e. failures in which tailings behave a liquid and flow out of the facility). These failures have come under intense scrutiny as the failures pose significant risk to public safety and the environment and have been observed in CCR. Additionally, static liquefaction has arisen as another potential but less well understood causative mechanism. As the …

Illinois Coal Ash Impoundment Assessment, Randy Locke

World of Coal Ash Proceedings

Coal combustion residuals (CCR) present one of the most significant waste management challenges in the United States. Illinois hosts 72 coal ash impoundments at 23 facilities across 22 counties. In 2019, the state enacted Public Act 101 0171 (Coal Ash Pollution Prevention Act), followed by Illinois Administrative Code Title 35, Part 845, establishing CCR surface impoundment standards. Even with federal and state requirements, significant gaps remain in identifying management options and site-specific risks. Key limitations include: (1) incomplete understanding of ash composition and variability within and among impoundments; and (2) fragmented information on impoundment physical properties, operational status, and geological …

Involuntary Medication Administration Review: A Historical Look At New Jersey Psychiatric Law And Its Significance, Casey Burke, Joon Min Chun D.O., Ramya Kommidi D.O., Salvatore Montana Messina D.O.

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

The legal and ethical evolution of involuntary psychiatric medication in New Jersey has been shaped through the landmark legal cases Rennie v. Klein and Brandt v. Monte. To this effect, this poster explores how each case shaped state hospital policy and the balance between patient autonomy and clinical judgment. Rennie v. Klein (1978) established a constitutional right for involuntarily committed patients to refuse psychotropic medication, except in emergencies or with due process safeguards. Decades later, Brandt v. Monte (2006) exposed flaws in New Jersey’s administrative procedures—particularly Administrative Bulletin 78-3—which permitted coercive practices under the guise of emergency treatment and lacked …

Informed Consent For Porcine Islet Xenotransplantation To Treat Type 1 Diabetes: A Scoping Review, Jennifer Kovalcik, Sheetal Mohanty, Mairead Clare Higgins, Daniel J. Hurst

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Purpose: The objective of this review is to systematically map and synthesize the existing literature regarding informed consent for porcine islet xenotransplantation for the treatment of Type 1 Diabetes.

Methods: The search was conducted in May 2025 through the following databases: PubMed, SCOPUS, EMBASE, and CINAHL. Broad search strings were used to combine the text words “islet” AND “xenotransplantation” AND “consent” or similar permutations and combinations. Peer-reviewed articles were included if they were published between January 1990 and May 2025 and written in English. The final search results were manually exported to a reference manager system (Zotero), and the PRISMA-ScR …

Ice Water Immersion–Associated Syncope: A Case Report With Mechanistic Review And Public Safety Implications, James Espinosa, Alan Lucerna

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Sudden ice water immersion can provoke syncope in otherwise healthy individuals, particularly during first-time exposure. We present a case of a 56-year-old man with mild hypertension and hyperlipidemia who experienced abrupt syncope during entry into cold water at a charitable group immersion event. Emergency department evaluation, including electrocardiography and cardiac biomarkers, was normal. Observation and cardiology consultation supported a diagnosis of provoked, immersion-related syncope. This case highlights the physiologic mechanisms of cold shock and autonomic conflict, the potential drowning risk associated with loss of consciousness during water entry, and the opportunity for improved discharge counseling and public safety messaging.

The Great Plague Of Marseille, Lucy Herzig

Young Historians Conference

This paper examines the causes and consequences of the Great Plague of Marseille (1720-1722), which was one of Western Europe's last major outbreaks of the bubonic plague. Although European port cities had developed quarantine systems to prevent epidemics, Marseille’s outbreak revealed how these protections failed in practice. This paper argues that the plague became so devastating not because of a lack of institutional systems, but due to fragmented local authority, delayed government intervention, and the prioritization of economic interests over public health. Focusing on the arrival of the merchant ship Grand-Saint-Antoine, this paper analyzes how merchant elites influenced quarantine decisions, …

Rethinking Psychological Safety In The Work Environment: Nursing Students' Perspectives, Olivia Nyarko Mensah, Elizabeth Boatemaa, Anita Fosua, Egya Gyanzah Eshun, Mary Ani-Amponsah

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Background: When the right working environment is created, it fosters the right behaviour in employees, A conducive environment is one that allows people to freely express themselves and escalate their concerns without fear of repercussion, victimization or undue consequences, it helps enhance work satisfaction (Ip et al., 2025; Turner et al., 2023). The classroom and the clinical work environment if appropriate and conducive should be such that it allows and not hinder free expression which can go a long way to ensure participation, satisfying individual concerns and group achievement (O’Connor et al., 2022). The central problem of the study was …

Assessment Of Airborne Cultural Fungi Indoors And Outdoors In A Rural Veterinary Clinic, Elena Ortez, Oluwatosin Jegede, Dorothy Seybold, Daeshjea Mcgee, Atin Adhikari, Ally Holmes

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

Background and Objectives: Veterinary clinics can inadvertently release and propagate bacteria through several mechanisms, primarily due to contaminated surfaces, insufficient cleaning protocols, and, in some instances, direct transmission from infected animals or staff. Given that these clinics are high-traffic environments, they can serve as hotspots for clinic-acquired infections if rigorous hygiene practices are not upheld. This study evaluated airborne bacterial concentrations in different areas of a veterinary clinic compared to outdoor ambient air by calculating the indoor-to-outdoor ratios.

Methods: Airborne culturable bacterial samples were collected using a Biostage Impactor across eight internal zones including waiting areas, treatment rooms, and wards …