Digital Commons Network^™

Misrepresented And Unheard: The "Latino Rebels", Blanca V. Guzman

Pell Scholars and Senior Theses

In today’s political climate, immigration, undocumented immigrants, and the Latinx identity have been pushed to the forefront of the news cycle, political campaigns, and social justice movements. The social justice movement associated with the undocumented will be explored through one alternative news source, "Latino Rebels." Through close textual analysis, it will become evident how "Latino Rebels" holds these identities of Latinx, undocumented, and immigrant very close to its own voice, and often amplifies a clear message for awareness and policy change, which goes beyond the traditional scope of objectivity in reporting.

Unstitching Scarlet Letters?: Prosecutorial Discretion And Expungement, Brian M. Murray

Fordham Law Review

This Article argues that scholarly discussions about prosecutorial discretion need to extend their focus beyond the exercise of prosecutorial judgment pretrial or questions of factual and legal guilt. Given that the primary role of the prosecutoris to do “justice,” this Article calls for increased attention to the exercise of discretion after the guilt phase is complete, specifically in the context of expungement of nonconviction andconviction information. It offers a framework for exercising such discretion and, in doing so, hopes to initiate additional conversation about the role of prosecutors during the phases that follow arrest and prosecution.

Presidential Exit, J.B. B. Ruhl, James Salzman

Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications

"The biggest problem that we're facing right now has to do with George Bush trying to bring more and more power into the executive branch and not go through Congress at all, and that's what I intend to reverse when I'm president of the United States of America."

"Why is @BarackObama constantly issuing executive orders that are major power grabs of authority?"

"President Trump signed the 30th executive order of his presidency on Friday, capping off a whirlwind period that produced more orders in his first 100 days than for any president since Harry Truman. The rash of executive orders …

Reframing The Proportionality Principle, Michael A. Newton

Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications

Proportionality functions as oneof the most important legal constraints applicable to the conduct of hostilities. In that context, this short essay discusses the commonly encountered misapplications of Cicero's classic sentiment that "salus populwe supremus est lexl . . . silent enim leges inter armes." Rather than serving as a necessary basis for a positive articulation of lawful force as an exception to the norm, jus in bello proportionality delineates the outer boundaries of the commander's appropriate discretion. The mere invocation of jus in bello proportionality cannot become an effective extension of asymmetric combat power by artificially crippling combatant capabilities. This …

Who Will Save The City: A Comparative Study Of Public Policies For Revitalization In Greenville, South Carolina And Macon, Georgia, Katharine Gallotta

All Theses

With the collapse of industry in combination with suburban sprawl, American cities nationwide experienced an economic recession in the early 1980s. To counter this recession, local governments pursued a range of revitalization policies. These public policies secured various levels of success in the cities working to bring their downtowns back to life. Creating a strategy for revitalization is a difficult process and has been approached differently all over the country. Public policies directly affect the residents and development in a city, inherently making them a representation of the city’s priorities. Macon, Georgia has pursued a revitalization strategy that centers around …

Direct Potable Reuse Of Wastewater, Aaron Henry, Molly Churchwell, Lauren Clark, Boyce Bethel, Dakota Rusk, Sabrina Castle

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Water is essential to our societies and mankind. Currently, 844 million people across the globe lack access to potable water. By 2025, it is projected that half of the world population will be in a region of water stress.5 The water crisis is often thought of as a problem limited to places that have always struggled to have clean water, but it is now affecting new areas such as the southwest United States. With increasing population demands and drought, the feasibility of direct potable reuse (DPR) of wastewater is being considered. According to an EPA report in 2017, there are …

Direct Potable Reuse Of Wastewater, Dakota Rusk, Molly Churchwell, Lauren Clark, Sabrina Castle, Boyce Bethel, Aaron Henry

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Water is essential to our societies and mankind. Currently, 844 million people across the globe lack access to potable water. By 2025, it is projected that half of the world population will be in a region of water stress. The water crisis is often thought of as a problem limited to places that have always struggled to have clean water, but it is now affecting new areas such as the southwest United States. With increasing population demands and drought, the feasibility of direct potable reuse (DPR) of wastewater is being considered. According to an EPA report in 2017, there are …

Direct Potable Reuse Of Wastewater, Sabrina Castle

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Water is essential to our societies and mankind. Currently, 844 million people across the globe lack access to potable water. By 2025, it is projected that half of the world population will be in a region of water stress.5 The water crisis is often thought of as a problem limited to places that have always struggled to have clean water, but it is now affecting new areas such as the southwest United States. With increasing population demands and drought, the feasibility of direct potable reuse (DPR) of wastewater is being considered. According to an EPA report in 2017, there are …

Internet Of Things And Intelligent Technologies For Efficient Energy Management In A Smart Building Environment, Guneet Bedi

All Dissertations

Internet of Things (IoT) is attempting to transform modern buildings into energy efficient, smart, and connected buildings, by imparting capabilities such as real-time monitoring, situational awareness and intelligence, and intelligent control. Digitizing the modern day building environment using IoT improves asset visibility and generates energy savings. This dissertation provides a survey of the role, impact, and challenges and recommended solutions of IoT for smart buildings. It also presents an IoT-based solution to overcome the challenge of inefficient energy management in a smart building environment. The proposed solution consists of developing an Intelligent Computational Engine (ICE), composed of various IoT devices …

Exploring The Experiences And Mental Health Concerns Of 9-1-1 Public Safety Telecommunicators, Ariel Patience Elliot

Honors Theses

9-1-1 public safety telecommunicators are the first line of emergency services; however, minimal research currently exists on their mental health. A lack of understanding exists as to how the continuous flow of traumatic calls are influencing these people. The purpose of this project is to help fill the existing gap in literature and contribute to the existing minimal foundation for future research on this topic. Participants for this study were obtained with agency consent from the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office in Gulfport, MS; Gulfport Police Department in Gulfport, MS; Hattiesburg Police Department in Hattiesburg, MS; and Cobb County 911 in …

Evaluation Of A Side-By-Side Full-Scale Biofiltration Conversion In A Nutrient-Limited Environment, Stetson S. Bassett

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In order to meet increasing water demands and more stringent regulations drinking water treatment plant managers must continually look to new treatment strategies and optimization techniques. One such strategy is to eliminate chlorine residual before filtration, allowing indigenous bacteria already present in the source water to grow on the filter media. These microorganisms help improve effluent water quality by increasing organic and inorganic contaminant removal. The process is known as biological filtration, or biofiltration. The implications of converting a conventional filtration plant (not specifically designed for biofiltration) to a biofiltration plant are still not well understood. Therefore, the purpose of …

Domestic Violence And Women: A Critical Analysis Of Us Help & Support Websites And Traditional News Media Representation, Jessica Lammon Oswald

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This paper critically examines the ways in which US government organizations that provide help for domestic violence victims and traditional news media, specifically The New York Times, communicate the various factors of domestic violence and its victims. The author provides a focused literature review of gender, sexism, race, power, and voice, related to the idea of domestic violence in the US society and culture today. The literature review also demonstrates the need to investigate this issue as represented through mediated forums in the backdrop of the 2016 Trump Presidential campaign. The analysis reveals that communication about domestic violence encompasses …

Examination Of Steel Pin And Hanger Assembly Performance: Retrofit To Replacement, Chandana Chickamagalur Balakrishna

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

A number of steel, multi-beam bridges exist in the United States that contain pin and hanger assemblies. Pin and hanger assemblies are fracture critical members whose failure would result in collapse of the bridge or render it unable to perform its expected functions. As these bridges continue to age, many assemblies have deteriorated to a point where retrofit or replacement has to be considered and performed to maintain intended safety and performance. States have taken various approaches to address the pin and hanger assembly retrofit and replacement options. However, there is no single document that summarizes these approaches.

This research …

Rural Economic Development Policy Making: Effecting Change Through Community Voices, Sonya Rae Albury-Crandall

All Dissertations

ABSTRACT

This research presents results from a doctoral study that explores a holistic approach to quantifying economic development. The mixed-methods study was conducted in four communities in Upstate South Carolina that have been part of the national Main Street Program. The study poses several important questions: What development strategies do the public value? What strategies contribute the most to the overall quality of life of the community? Further, what is the role of local leadership and accountability in facilitating revitalization, and how do they contribute to the overall quality of life in the community? Third, are there primary components of …

Health Insurance On Social Welfare, Qiwei He

All Dissertations

This dissertation examines the causal effects of health insurance on social welfare, especially Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid expansion and state-dependent health in-surance mandates.

In 2010, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was signed into law and intended to extend health coverage across the country by providing Medicaid to nearly all adults with house-hold income at or below 138 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). This expansion became effective on January 1, 2014. As of January 2017, 31 states and Washington D.C. adopted the Medicaid expansion. While the main goal of the ACA is to increase the health insurance coverage …

Weaponization Of Data For Governmentality, Juliana Son

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Who is a citizen? Who is a threat to public safety? Who is worthy of protection? What it means to be a valued body in the United States has been written into code, where the state and corporations have embraced an algorithmic approach to national security. Algorithms, previously praised for their neutrality, have been taking a neoliberal turn.

This thesis will examine how data is used by the state as a governance practice, specifically looking at how such practices have left certain communities more precarious and vulnerable than others. My aim is to show how the weaponization of data is …

Effects Of Stereotype Threat On Black And White Individuals’ Verbal Responses In Police Encounters, Samantha N. Strine

Psychology

I examined whether Black and White individuals have different verbal behaviors in police encounters and, if so, whether stereotype threat explains these differences. This question is important because police officers use certain verbal behaviors as evidence of deception. Thus, unconscious behaviors arising from concern about being stereotyped as a criminal could cause Black men to be perceived by police as suspicious and, in turn, contribute to discrepancies in police treatment of Black versus White men. In this study, Black and White men interacted with a White security officer in a staged encounter that varied in stereotype relevance (low or high). …

Intersection Safety Analysis Methodology For Utah Roadways, Joshua Daniel Gibbons

Theses and Dissertations

Roadway safety continues to be a priority for the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) Traffic and Safety Division. UDOT has participated in and managed several research projects in recent years to determine the roadway segments of highest safety concern in the state. This research has provided UDOT with more tools to assist in safety project prioritization. Researchers in Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Brigham Young University (BYU) have worked with UDOT and the Statistics Department at BYU to create two network screening statistical tools called the Utah Crash Prediction Model (UCPM) and the Utah Crash Severity Model (UCSM) …

A Case Study Of The Umpqua Community College Shooting, Timothy P. Wilson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to examine the deadliest shooting that has happened on a community college campus. The following research questions guided this dissertation study: (1) What was the law enforcement response to the deadliest community college campus shooting in history? (2) Did previous mass shootings inform the law enforcement response to the deadliest community college campus shooting? (3) What implications for practice can be derived by studying the deadliest of these shootings? This case study utilized multiple sources of information, from official police reports, official institutional reports, archives of publications, and participant interviews from some of the …

Has Anything Changed? Racial Disparity In Incarceration, Olivia Warren

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This project looks at the mass incarceration rates of people of African Descent where they are the minority in the country. It specifically will compare the rates in both the United States of America and Canada. America will be scrutinized as it has one of the highest incarceration rates in the world. It will look at the underlying reasons why African Americans are admitted into the prison system and getting arrested. Both historical and sociological trends with community and cultural impacts will be explored. There have been a few court cases that have looked at either an individual case and …

Islamophobia In The United Kingdom: A Critical Global Perspective, Jeffrey Driggs

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

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The Use Of Predicates In Fda Regulation Of Medical Devices: A Case Study Of Robotic Surgical Devices, Charlotte Lefkovich

Theses

In the last decade, a number of high profile medical device recalls have drawn attention to the regulatory approval process, particularly the streamlined process for devices considered “lower risk” known as the 510(k). Approval of medical devices through the 510(k) Process is not based on clinical data, but rather on “substantial equivalence” to predicate devices approved pre-1976 or legally marketed thereafter. A predicate device is one that shares the same intended use as the new device and technological characteristics which are either the same or different without introducing new safety hazards. Many scholars believe that the premise of approving medical …

Investigation Of Alternatives For Migrating The One-Stop-Shop (Oss) Application To A Single, Web-Based Offering That Is Conducive For Both Desktop And Mobile Use., Sahiti Katragadda

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The One-Stop-Shop (OSS) application provides real-time data which is helpful for travelers in the Western United States in planning their travel. Included is traditional information (routing, imagery, weather), as well as points of interest and other route-specific information (elevations, rest areas, etc.). The system displays real-time data streams in a web-based application and in a separate mobile web application, which are presented to end users in a user-friendly format.

OSS web application and OSS mobile web application features have been examined and the best design features for the mobile application have been identified. Along with that, additional design features are …

From Mass Incarceration To Mass Education: Fostering Collaboration Between State Prisons And State Universities, Miriam Edwin

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Despite the demonstrated effectiveness of workforce development programming overall, and college programs in particular, in reducing recidivism and increasing post-release employment, the current landscape of such programming in the New York State prison system is fragmented, disconnected from employment opportunities, and serving too few people.

Given the role of the state in creating and maintaining the structure of mass incarceration, and the history of discrimination and segregation in the country and on college campuses, the public university system has a responsibility to provide educational opportunities to disenfranchised populations. The withholding of education – via the crumbling and deteriorating public school …

The State And Future Of Autonomous Vehicle Regulation In The United States, Nikolay Nyashin

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Autonomous vehicle technology is poised to revolutionize transit around the world. There are currently tens of private companies either testing or building autonomous vehicles, including industry juggernauts like Ford and Google. This new mode of transportation falls into a regulatory grey area. Once cars reach full autonomy, governments will have to decide what entities will regulate them, where they will be allowed to drive, who will be responsible for them and a host of other issues. In some municipalities like San Francisco and Phoenix, autonomous vehicles (AVs) are being tested on public streets in real life conditions. Meanwhile, in 2017, …

Exploring Issues Of Diversity Experiences In Student Organizations Sponsored By The University Of Southern Mississippi, Cornelia Welch-Dick

Honors Theses

Colleges and universities are becoming increasingly racially/ethnically diverse. Previous studies have noted that an increase in racial/ethnic diversity has positive outcomes for minority and majority groups. Additional research supports that positive diversity experiences in student organizations have benefits for college students (Kuk & Banning, 2010; Cheng & Zhao, 2007; Antonio, 2001). While the benefits of increased diversity are clear, no previous study was found to have looked at diversity experiences at USM or more specifically, USM’s student organizations. The current study examined the degree to which leaders of each organization perceived experiences of diversity as positive compared to the members’ …

Framed By Forensics: Fulfilling Daubert's Gatekeeping Function By Segregating Science From The Adversarial Model, Kayla Marie Mannucci

Cardozo Law Review

The note argues that flawed forensic expert testimony significantly contributes to wrongful convictions, undermining the criminal justice system's objective to acquit the innocent. It highlights how partisan bias, lack of scientific validation, and inadequate judicial gatekeeping under Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc. have led to the admission of unreliable forensic evidence. The note proposes a reform: requiring neutral, court-appointed experts in high-stakes forensic cases to ensure objective testimony and prevent partisan bias.

The History Of Misdemeanor Bail, Shima Baradaran Baughman

Faculty Scholarship

Bail is one of the most consequential decisions in criminal justice. The ability to secure bail often makes the difference between guilt and innocence, retaining employment and family obligations, and keeping a place to live. These implications affect those charged with felonies and this has been the focus for many years, but it affects even more so those charged with misdemeanors. A misdemeanor is theoretically a less serious crime with less serious consequences, but the effects on a defendant’s life are just as serious in the short term. There is a growing body of important empirical work that demonstrates the …

Get To The “Point”: Improving Location Services In Tippah County Mississippi, Haley Feather

Master's Theses

Point location using geographic information systems (GIS) technology has become integrated into everyday society and daily decision-making by utilizing addresses to provide goods and services. A need exists at a national, state, and local level for an address database. The objectives of this study were to [1] determine the most suitable address data model to be used in Mississippi, [2] determine how positional accuracy changes between urban and rural areas, and [3] determine spatial variations in aerial imagery. Address data model comparisons were conducted using match rates between street, parcel, and point address models. Positional accuracy was determined for urban …

Plaintiff/Respondents' 2018 Post-Budget Filing

Washington Supreme Court Documents

No abstract provided.