Digital Commons Network^™

A Franciscan Approach To Lawyering, Christopher C. Van Haight

Student Works

No abstract provided.

Scientific Innovation, Institutionalization, And Moral Dilemmas: From Chemical Warfare In World War I To Ai In Modern Conflict, Kylie Kiefer

Holster Scholar Projects

This research examines the different American perspectives surrounding the morality and future of chemical warfare during and after World War I. Using primary sources collected at the National Archives at College Park, it argues that the Chemical Warfare Service survived not because Americans agreed that poison gas was morally acceptable, but because wartime mobilization created scientific expertise, military facilities, and relationships that made dismantling the service after the war difficult. While opponents emphasized moral and humanitarian concerns, advocates defended chemical warfare through arguments about preparedness, military necessity, and claims that gas was more humane than conventional weapons. The paper also …

Guillermo J. Garcia Sanchez, Guillermo J. Garcia Sanchez

Faculty CVs

No abstract provided.

Evaluating The Physical, Digital, And Sovereign Risks To U.S. Data Centers, Kevin Chen, Katrina Mcdermott

Reports, Projects, and Research

This report is intended to inform DHS officials, law enforcement, critical infrastructure personnel, and the wider Intelligence Community on the urgent physical and digital threat landscape confronting domestic data center infrastructure.

The growth of technologies that are reliant on data centers, most notably AI, has transformed these facilities from passive data repositories into multi-dimensional platforms that are attractive targets for hostile state and non-state actors.

The Exploration Of Nutrition And Mental Health Among Retired Female Sergeant Majors, Renee Michelle Mcmillan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative study investigated the nutrition and mental health of seven retired female United States Army Command Sergeant Majors (CSM) and four retired United States Army Sergeant Majors (SGMs). Transcendental phenomenology was used in this study along with George Engel’s Biopsychosocial Theory (BPST). The study examined how dietary food choices converged with cognitive behavior, body image, restrictive eating, and the stress accompanied with transitioning from military to civilian life. Four themes and 11 subthemes emerged from this study. The findings indicated an integration with nutritional interventions, mental health services, family-focus education, and faith-based programs. These findings may help retired female …

The Sword And The Pen: How America’S Way Of War Escaped Constitutional Restraint, Daryl Lee Posey

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation examines how changes in military technology and institutional design shifted practical control over war initiation from Congress to the presidency between the founding era and the end of the Cold War. The Constitution vests the power to declare war in Congress, and the framers rejected proposals to give that authority to the president alone. This study argues that advances in communication, transportation, weapons lethality, and government secrecy compressed the time available for congressional deliberation, concentrated war-relevant information inside executive institutions, and made presidential initiative the default rather than the exception. The study traces this pattern across six chapters, …

Project Abyss-Shield: Autonomous, Sub-Oceanic Trench-And-Lid Infrastructure Networks For Hardened Sovereign Energy And Telemetry Lifelines, Christopher L. Eckes

Defensive Publications Series

Modern transoceanic telecommunication and energy grids are fundamentally exposed. Laid directly on the soft sediment of the open seabed, standard fiber-optic lines and high-voltage direct current (HVDC) cables are highly vulnerable to commercial anchor dragging, deep-sea trawler nets, and targeted, state-backed maritime interdiction. Project ABYSS-SHIELD establishes a paradigm shift in maritime security by replacing passive, exposed lines with an autonomous, self-defending, sub-surface trench-and-lid corridor. Utilizing pressure-equalized composite monuments, interlocking basalt armor slabs, active fluidic hydro-shear countermeasures, and distributed acoustic fiber-optic tripwires, this standalone framework renders clandestine underwater sabotage operations logistically and mechanically unviable without requiring any external planetary or surface …

The Rbaam-6 Matrix: A Modular, Acoustically Suspended, Self-Healing Dual-Shell Habitat Architecture For High-Survivability In-Situ Mars Colonization, Christopher L. Eckes

Defensive Publications Series

Traditional extraterrestrial architectural paradigms rely on heavy, brute-force physical materials shipped from Earth to withstand the massive atmospheric pressure differentials and environmental hazards of Mars. This paper introduces the Reactive Bio-Acoustic Armor Matrix (RBAAM-6), a novel, 6-layer defense-in-depth habitat architecture. By separating internal tension loads (atmospheric containment) from external compression loads (environmental shielding), the RBAAM-6 utilizes an intermediate, submarine-style 'sally port' buffer zone regulated by interlocking harmonic standing waves. The structure integrates self-healing biological matrices, active kinetic impact countermeasures, a completely modular, snap-tile interior for rapid component replacement, and nitrogen-suppressed utility channels featuring non-energy transparent visual verification zones. This architecture …

"A Yankee Patient At Pope's Tavern", William Lindsey Mcdonald

Research Articles

The article relates the story of Private Oglvie E. Hamblin, a union soldier and one of the last patients to be treated at Pope's Tavern when it served as a Civil War hospital.

Designing Smart Charity: A Tri-Tiered Systems Engineering Framework For Global Capital Allocation, Christopher L. Eckes

Defensive Publications Series

Traditional philanthropic capital allocation models consistently exhibit binary systemic failure modes: low-velocity palliative aid loops that induce sovereign moral hazards, or hyper-insulated frontier engineering moonshots that leave present-day socio-economic baselines highly vulnerable to exogenous shocks. This specification introduces the Tri-Tiered Systems Engineering Framework for Philanthropy, an objective, non-weaponizable technical model that treats charitable giving as an essential infrastructure risk-management protocol rather than a speculative moral luxury.

By segmenting capital allocation into three distinct, non-interchangeable tiers—Palliative Stabilization (Tier 1), Environmental Upgrades (Tier 2), and Frontier Innovation (Tier 3)—this architecture models global civilizational utility as a complex physical system. We leverage historical …

"The Worst Of War", William Lindsey Mcdonald

Writings

The article recounts a specific instance of Civil War violence exacted near Cypress Creek and Parsonage Chapel Cemetery in Lauderdale County, Alabama.

The Freedom To Learn: Student Stories Of Challenge, Aspiration, And Accomplishment, Marjan Noori, Ata Ullah, Elizaveta Vergel, Salma Rahman, Myo Myint Maung Maung, Sisila Zafari

GHEA21 Publications

Every year, students threatened or displaced by political repression, conflict, or crisis take more than 2,000 regular, credit-bearing courses offered by GHEA21. This collection of student work is a small selection of the perspectives on the freedom to learn that have emerged from these courses. It presents a range of work—academic papers, articles written for public audiences, and creative writing—from several countries. GHEA21 compiled this collection as an initiative of its Collaborative for Threatened and Exiled Universities.

Who Betrayed France?, André Marty

Political & Rights Issues & Social Movements

No abstract provided.

Socialism And Radicalism, Edward Bibbons Aveling

Political & Rights Issues & Social Movements

No abstract provided.

Destruction Of An Army : First Campaign In Libya, Sept. 1940 - Feb. 1941, Great Britain. War Office.

Political & Rights Issues & Social Movements

No abstract provided.

A New Utopia Called A League-For-A-Living

Political & Rights Issues & Social Movements

No abstract provided.

The Propaganda Of Socialism. Report To The National Congress Of The Socialist Party, Held May 15, 1910. Submitted By M. Hillquit., Morris Hillquit

Political & Rights Issues & Social Movements

No abstract provided.

Protect The National Labor Relations Act! : Facts And Figures On The Act, The Board, And Their Achievements, Labor's Non-Partisan League

Political & Rights Issues & Social Movements

No abstract provided.

The Free Press A Reflection Of Democracy, Lester B. Pearson

Political & Rights Issues & Social Movements

No abstract provided.

Unsustainable Stories: Agricultural Knowledge On The Great Plains, 1880-1934, Philomena Shuffelton-Sobe

History Honors Projects

This thesis explores stories about how people farmed and learned about farming on the Great Plains from 1880-1920 through three inter-connected narratives: the Allotment system, agricultural education programs at federal Indian Boarding Schools, and the rapid rise and fall of the Dry Farming movement. These systems were built on stories about how people should live with and on the land that promoted unsustainable, destructive ways of farming and knowledge production. This scholarship places Assimilation Era agricultural education for Native and non-Native farmers within the context of the increasing reliance on systems and science and the institutionalization of agricultural knowledge.

Sovereign Borders: John’S Deuteronomic Framework For Israel And The Nations In The Apokalypsis, Kevin W. Mullen

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation concludes that John’s imagery of Israel and the nations in the Apokalypsis is distinctly shaped by his interpretation and incorporation of Deuteronomic theology. It employs a canonical and intertextual approach to inductively argue that Deuteronomy presents three pillars, or roles, for biblical nationhood: (1) objects of and instruments for divine judgment, (2) custodians to restrain evil, and (3) revelations of God’s sovereignty. These three Deuteronomic pillars establish the foundation for biblical nationhood and are expressed by John throughout his Apokalypsis. Moreover, this dissertation concludes that John’s imagery for the nations is due to his reliance upon the Deuteronomic …

How Do U.S. Advisors Interpret Successes, Failures, And Strategic Adaptations During Joint Operations In The Philippines, And What Do These Interpretations Reveal About The Processes Shaping Advisory Outcomes Applicable To Future Strategy In The Pacific?, Steven C. Miller

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Operation Enduring Freedom-Philippines was a 14-year mission that entailed a 21st-century, long-term special operation conducted by the United States with a partnered nation in the Pacific. This qualitative study explored how U.S. advisors interpret successes, failures, and strategic adaptations during joint operations in the Philippines, and what these interpretations reveal about the processes shaping advisory outcomes applicable to future strategy in the Pacific. The research evaluated the successes, challenges, and adaptations the U.S. soldiers experienced while deploying as advisors for counterterrorism operations. Data was collected by surveying participants who served as members of the U.S. task force in the southern …

Interstellar Faith: A Phenomenological Exploration Of Christian Reconciliation With Uaps And Nonhuman Intelligence, Christian Pedersen

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The researcher examined how Christian leaders interpret, respond to, and navigate questions surrounding Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) and nonhuman intelligence (NHI) within their theological and ministerial contexts. Despite growing cultural and governmental attention to these phenomena, little empirical research has explored how Christian leaders engage these questions pastorally or theologically. Using a transcendental phenomenological design informed by Moustakas (1994), the researcher conducted semi-structured interviews with twelve Christian leaders across multiple traditions. Analysis produced ten major themes organized around three research questions addressing theological interpretation, pastoral ministry, and lived experience. Findings revealed a participant group marked by intellectual humility, theological seriousness, …

The Lived Experiences Of U.S. Army Leaders Transitioning To Civilian Educational Leadership Roles: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Emily M. Cassner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of transitioning into civilian educational leadership roles for U.S. Army leaders at educational institutions throughout the Southwestern and Eastern United States. Guided by Goleman’s emotional intelligence theory, this study addressed the lack of transition mentorship by examining the lived experiences, motivations, transition challenges, and existing support programs for these leaders. Utilizing a qualitative, transcendental phenomenological design, data were collected through semi-structured interviews, reflective journals, and artifacts. The findings revealed four central themes: identity reconstruction and loss of purpose, leadership style adaptation, emotional intelligence as a developed competency, …

Evaluating A Dual-Beacon Hartmann Turbulence Profiling Technique Using Wave Optics Simulations, Benjamin C. Wilson, Matthew Kalensky, Santasri Bose-Pillai, Jack E. Mccrae

Faculty Publications

Resolving how optical turbulence varies along a propagation path remains a key challenge for designers of free-space optical propagation systems. Instruments such as scintillometers and differential image motion monitors are commonly used, but only provide path-integrated turbulence estimates. Point sensors provide localized estimates of turbulence strength and can be used to generate path-resolved profiles when an array of point sensors are distributed along the optical path. However, this approach can be costly and complex to deploy in certain environments. Alternatively, a single point sensor can be mounted on a mobile platform that collects data while traversing the optical path, although …

Philosophical Education As A Vision For Lasting Peace: Keynote Address At The Phase 1 Workshop Of “Ethics, Society, And Education: Empowering Early Career Philosophers In The Philippines”, Armin A. Luistro Fsc

SDRC Media Releases

Background

This keynote address was delivered by Br. Armin A. Luistro, FSC, during the Phase 1 Workshop of Ethics, Society, and Education: Empowering Early Career Philosophers in the Philippines on 12 August 2026 at De La Salle University.

The project aims to strengthen the research, writing, and professional capacities of early career philosophers in the Philippines. It is supported by the British Academy International Writing Workshops 2025 Programme under the United Kingdom Government’s International Science Partnerships Fund. The initiative is led by Dr. Hazel T. Biana of the De La Salle University Department of Philosophy, in partnership with Durham University …

Operational Synthesis Matrix (Apip-4), Christopher L. Eckes

Defensive Publications Series

This specification establishes the final capstone module for the Global Architecture for Planetary Infrastructure Parity (APIP-4). It formalizes the Automated Cryptographic Resource Allocation Clearinghouse, the programmatic software engine that manages the Level 2 Regional Logistics and Energy Smart Grid layers.

APIP-4 replaces manual trade negotiations and political embargoes with a trustless, decentralized Resource Clearing Ledger driven by automated smart contracts. This engine balances global resource distribution dynamically based on real-time infrastructure telemetry, automatically executing system-level isolation or resource reallocation based on the compliance metrics established in MS #12661, MS #12662, and MS #12663.

By anchoring global logistics to objective network …

Global Architecture For Trans-National Informational Infrastructure And Sovereign Risk Mitigation (Apip-1), Christopher L. Eckes

Defensive Publications Series

This specification establishes the Architecture for Planetary Infrastructure Parity (APIP-1), a deterministic, multi-layered technical framework engineered to eliminate the systemic risks of runaway, machine-velocity autonomous cyber-escalation. As distributed artificial intelligence systems reach agentic execution speeds that operate independently of human cognitive and diplomatic processing intervals, traditional international treaties become structurally obsolete. APIP-1 resolves this enforcement gap by embedding the Multi-Agent Symmetry of Agency Protocol (MSAP) directly into the firmware and core routing layers of the global digital commons.

By employing non-interactive zero-knowledge telemetry verification (zk-SNARKs), this framework allows sovereign states and multinational corporate entities to continuously audit cross-border system behaviors …

Cartel Del Noreste And Human Smuggling: Understanding Modern Tactics: A React Case Study, Anjun Dhillon, Isaac J. Moelter

Reports, Projects, and Research

On August 23, 2026, three members of Cartel Del Noreste (CDN) attempted to smuggle three people across the U.S. southern border in Laredo, Texas. Francisco Suarez, age 20, along with Luis Daniel Segura Guzman, age 26, prepared to transport the group from Mexico to the United States. The cartel members used Facebook to advertise their transportation services and to recruit aliens who needed help. A third CDN member, Bernardo Aniceto Garza, age 27, was placed in charge of driving the vehicle.

The Long Arc Of Global Citizenship: Historical Foundations, Modern Challenges, And Institutional Innovation At Rollins College, Wenxian Zhang

Faculty Publications

The concept of global citizenship can be traced back to the Greek and Roman periods in Western civilization, as well as to ancient Eastern philosophies. Representing both a prescriptive ideal and an aspirational faith in humanity, the notion is closely linked to the historical development of cosmopolitanism, transnationalism, and transnationality. This study first reviews the rich historical roots and core values of global citizenship, along with the growing need for global citizenship education in the modern era. It then highlights several influential individuals who strongly championed its principles, including theoretical physicist and Nobel Prize winner Albert Einstein and internationalist and …