Digital Commons Network^™

Using Ethnobotanicals For Language Preservation And Cultural Connections, Riza James Mcclurkin

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The creation and implementation of interpretive ethnobotanical trails can be used to help preserve and teach about the use of native, and in some instances, non-native plants that were brought into use, both historically and in present day by Indigenous peoples. As examples, I will use my work assisting on the Reserve Street Trail in Missoula, Montana and the Pioneer Park Campground Interpretive Trail on the Colville National Forest in Washington. The Reserve Street Trail is still in its beginning phases but has the goal to cultivate plants identified as being culturally significant to Indigenous peoples and to create trail …

A Corpus-Based Comparison Of Keywords And Themes From The Book Of Mormon And The Bible, Brett James Hashimoto, Joshua Cowley

Faculty Publications

The Book of Mormon has been studied for its thematic, literary, and theological content using almost exclusively qualitative methods (e.g., Turley, 2019; Morrill, 2017). However, scholars have conducted little analysis comparing it to the Bible, even though those who view it as scripture consider it directly comparable in purpose. (e.g., The Book of Mormon, 2015; McConkie, 1985). The present study applies quantitative linguistic analysis to statistically derive the distinctive language from the two volumes of scripture and identifies the key themes and language from the two books. To accomplish this, corpora of The King James Version of the Bible (66 …

From Three-Pillars To Three-Environments: Shifting The Paradigm Of Sustainability In Civil And Construction Engineering, Xiaomei Wang, Andrew South, Clifton Farnsworth, Brett James Hashimoto

Faculty Publications

This research explores the usage of sustainability in literature and presents ‘three environments’ for addressing sustainability in the Civil and Construction Engineering (CCE) disciplines. Scholars have increasingly studied sustainability and sustainable development across CCE disciplines as the importance of sustainability awareness and action in society has increased. However, the vastness of its conceptual breadth and depth in CCE research is difficult to holistically evaluate. As a result, CCE researchers often focus on specific aspects of sustainability applied to discrete contexts, or address sustainability in broad aspirational terms and guiding motivations. This research utilized a rigorous analytical corpus linguistics approach for …

Here-, There-, And Every Where-: Exploring The Role Of Pronominal Adverbs In Legal Language, David Chandler, Brett James Hashimoto

Faculty Publications

Many have claimed that pronominal adverbs, such as hereby, thereafter, and wherein, are a frequent, distinctive, and problematic in their use in legal language (Tiersma, 1999; Mellinkoff, 2004). The purpose of this study is to examine those claims empirically. In the present study, the prevalence of PAs in legal registers is compared to more general registers of contemporary American English to determine the extent to which these words are distinctly legal. The study will also explore why different types of PAs may be (in)frequent in specific legal registers to better understand their use. The frequency of PAs was extracted from …

Neurological Evidence For The Contextindependent Multisensorial Semantics Of Ideophones In Pastaza Kichwa: An Fnirs Study In The Ecuadorian Amazon, Dan Dewey, Jeffrey J. Green, Janis Nuckolls, Auna Nygaard, Tod D. Swanson

Faculty Publications

Ideophones – imitative words using the stream of speech to simulate/depict the rise and fall of sensory perceptions and emotions and temporal experiences of completiveness, instantaneousness, and repetitiveness – have been characterized as semantically empty and context dependent. The research reported here tested a simple schematic for the semantic categories of Pastaza Kichwa ideophones by tracking neurological responses to ideophones categorized as VISUAL, MOTION, and SOUND. Seventeen native speakers of Pastaza Kichwa listened to audio clips of ideophones extracted from sentential contexts. Subjects’ neural activity was assessed using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Results demonstrate that these posited semantic categories activate areas …

Immediate Repeated Reading Has Positive Effects On Reading Rate For English Language Learners: An Eye-Tracking Study, Jennifer Hemmert Hansen, Grant Eckstein, Troy L. Cox, Steven G. Luke, Krista Rich

Faculty Publications

Fluent and skillful reading in English requires efficient and automatic letter and word recognition. Dysfluent reading can affect motivation for reading in English language learners, thereby limiting access to a wealth of language input from written texts. Extensive research of repeated reading in first language (L1) settings has been shown to increase reading rate, while comparatively little research has been done on repeated reading in second language (L2) settings. The objective of this eye-tracking study was to accurately document early and late reading processes in an immediate repeated reading exercise to observe how repeated reading affects reading rate in adult …

Putting Students In Their Place. The Role Of Placement Testing In Language Programs, Troy L. Cox, Matthew P. Wilcox

Faculty Publications

A perennial issue that nearly all language programs face with the arrival of new students is: where is the best place for each student to begin their course of study within our curricular structure given their current language abilities? When students have no previous language learning experience, the decision seems easy: place them in the beginning- level class. But when students have prior experience, deciding where they belong becomes more complicated given the wide range in the quality and quantity of previous exposure and the level of ability attained. Programmatic exigencies and resources may constrain student placement even further.

In …

New York Environmental Legislation In 2023, Michael B. Gerrard

Faculty Scholarship

In 2023, New York enacted laws to aid the state in achieving the renewable energy and greenhouse gas emissions reduction mandates of the 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA).The state also now has new laws to reduce exposure to lead in drinking water and paint; to ban natural gas furnaces and stoves in new buildings; to restrict neonicotinoid pesticides; and to encourage “nature-based solutions” for stabilizing tidal coastlines. These and other new and amended environmental and energy laws—as well as notable vetoes—are discussed in this article.

Did I Buy The Right Gadget? A Methodological Replication Study, Paul A. Weisgarber, Joseph S. Valacich, Jeffrey L. Jenkins

Faculty Publications

This study is a methodological replication of Valacich et al.’s (2018) experiment, which investigated the evaluability hypothesis in the context of technology product assessment. The evaluability hypothesis suggests that the evaluation context significantly influences how users assess and perceive technology features. More specifically, it posits that the perception of technology features, as well as the ultimate selection of a technology product, is likely to differ depending on whether a single technology is evaluated in isolation or multiple technologies are evaluated simultaneously. Our replication study consisted of 310 participants who evaluated two wireless internet products with two product features – connection …

Exploring Angiotensin Ii And Oxidative Stress In Radiation-Induced Cataract Formation: Potential For Therapeutic Intervention, Vidya P. Kumar, Yali Kong, Riana Dolland, Sandra R. Brown, Kan Wang, Damian Dolland, David Mu, Milton L. Brown

Department of Biomedical and Translational Sciences Faculty Publications

Radiation-induced cataracts (RICs) represent a significant public health challenge, particularly impacting individuals exposed to ionizing radiation (IR) through medical treatments, occupational settings, and environmental factors. Effective therapeutic strategies require a deep understanding of the mechanisms underlying RIC formation (RICF). This study investigates the roles of angiotensin II (Ang II) and oxidative stress in RIC development, with a focus on their combined effects on lens transparency and cellular function. Key mechanisms include the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidative damage to lens proteins and lipids, as well as the impact of Ang II on inflammatory responses and cellular apoptosis. …

Academic Communities Of Engagement: Exploring The Impact Of Online And In‑Person Support Communities On The Academic Engagement Of Online Learners, Kristian J. Spring, Charles R. Graham, Courtney N. Hanny, Sara Tuiloma, Kamal Badar

Faculty Publications

Institutions of higher education are interested in supporting the academic success of their students in the most effective ways possible. Increasingly, this means engaging students in a blend of both online and in-person learning activities as well as connecting students with supportive communities in both modalities. This research explores the efforts of an institution that is trying to create positive post-secondary learning experiences for thousands of adults who have experienced significant barriers to accessing higher education through traditional routes. Students around the world are supported through both online and local, in-person communities created to support their academic engagement. In this …

The Impact Of Chief Audit Executive Turnover In Taiwan, Kenneth L. Bills, Hua-Wei Huang, Yi-Hung Lin, David A. Wood

Faculty Publications

This study adds to the emerging body of research showing the importance of internal audit to improve corporate governance and firm performance. Specifically, we test how the market reacts to the announcement of a turnover to the head of internal audit (i.e., the chief audit executive (CAE)). We find negative cumulative abnormal returns in the days surrounding the announcement of a CAE turnover and that the market holds a relatively negative perception of CAE turnover regardless of the reasons for the turnover event. We then study two reasons for why the market would react negatively to the CAE turnover and …

Leveraging Chatgpt For Enhancing The Internal Audit Process – A Real-World Example From A Large Multinational Company, Scott Emett, Marc Eulerich, Egemen Lipinski, Nicolo Prien, David A. Wood

Faculty Publications

We discuss how the internal audit function (IAF) of a large multinational energy company, Uniper, is starting to use ChatGPT to improve automation of internal auditing. We investigate the benefits and challenges of integrating ChatGPT into internal audit processes and assess its impact on the efficiency and effectiveness of the IAF. Uniper has implemented ChatGPT into parts of audit preparation, fieldwork, and audit reporting. On their initial tests, they estimate efficiency gains ranging from 50 to 80 percent for various processes. We report key risks and challenges with using ChatGPT in internal auditing as well as the initial key practices …

Is It All Hype? Chatgpt’S Performance And Disruptive Potential In The Accounting And Auditing Industries, Marc Eulerich, Aida Sanatizadeh, Hamid Vakilzadeh, David A. Wood

Faculty Publications

ChatGPT frequently appears in the media, with many predicting significant disruptions, especially in the fields of accounting and auditing. Yet research has demonstrated relatively poor performance of ChatGPT on student assessment questions. We extend this research to examine whether more recent ChatGPT models and capabilities can pass major accounting certification exams including the Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Management Accountant (CMA), Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), and Enrolled Agent (EA) certification exams. We find that the ChatGPT 3.5 model cannot pass any exam (average score across all assessments of 53.1%). However, with additional enhancements, ChatGPT can pass all sections of each …

Development Of A Framework Of Key Internal Control And Governance Principles For Robotic Process Automation (Rpa), Marc Eulerich, Nathan Waddoups, Martin Wagener, David A. Wood

Faculty Publications

Although robotic process automation (RPA) usage is growing rapidly in accounting, concerns are emerging regarding the internal controls and overall governance structure surrounding RPA. To help address these concerns, we use a design science research approach and work with a Fortune 500 company to develop an RPA governance framework. The framework consists of 4 governance areas and 14 control requirements, which help maximize the benefits and minimize the risks associated with the use of RPA. We validate that the framework is useful and generalizable to many organizations by presenting the framework to and subsequently interviewing and surveying 84 professionals at …

A Demonstration Of How Chatgpt Can Be Used In The Internal Auditing Process, Marc Eulerich, David A. Wood

Faculty Publications

For the past several years, internal audit functions (IAFs) have been significantly increasing their digitization efforts to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the IAF. The introduction of ChatGPT has increased the potential for IAFs to have a more significant impact; however, there is little guidance on how ChatGPT can influence the day-to-day work of internal auditors. This paper demonstrates with specific examples how ChatGPT can be used to enhance all aspects of the audit process. While not comprehensive in nature, the detailed, illustrative examples should help internal auditors see actionable steps they can take to be more efficient and …

Chatbots Mitigate Help-Seeking Avoidance, James Gaskin, Eva Blondeel, Ryan Schuetzler, Rachel Serre, Jacob Steffen, David A. Wood

Faculty Publications

This research explores the transformative role of large language model (LLM) chatbots in fostering help-seeking behaviors among introverted and underrepresented students in educational settings. Despite the importance of help-seeking for academic success, certain groups exhibit avoidance behaviors due to self-presentation concerns and stereotype threats. By integrating LLM chatbots as non-judgmental, anonymous teaching assistants in an introductory information systems course, the study demonstrates how technology can mitigate these behaviors and promote inclusivity. The chatbots provided real-time, unbiased support, significantly enhancing the students' willingness to engage in help-seeking behaviors without fear of judgment. This practical application of chatbots not only supports academic …

Improving The Production And Reviewing Of Design Science Research In Accounting, Noah Myers, Mason Snow, Nathan Waddoups, David A. Wood

Faculty Publications

Design Science Research (DSR) is a rigorous research methodology widely used in other fields like computer science and engineering, but its application in accounting is still relatively limited. This paper reviews the implementation of DSR published in accounting journals and provides recommendations to improve the authoring and reviewing processes. We review 51 DSR articles published in accounting journals between 2011 and 2023. The analysis identified areas where papers excelled and fell short, leading to recommendations in the following key aspects: adherence to a research framework, validation of research questions, defining objectives of artifacts, developing a more diverse set of artifacts, …

Short And Synthetically Distort: Investor Reactions To Deepfake Financial News, Scott Emett, Marc Eulerich, Jeffrey Pickerd, David A. Wood

Faculty Publications

Recent advances in artificial intelligence have led to new forms of misinformation, including highly realistic “deepfake” synthetic media. We conduct three experiments to investigate how and why retail investors react to deepfake financial news. Results from the first two experiments provide evidence that investors use a “realism heuristic,” responding more intensely to audio and video deepfakes as their perceptual realism increases. In the third experiment, we introduce an intervention to prompt analytical thinking, varying whether participants make analytical judgments about credibility or intuitive investment judgments. When making intuitive investment judgments, investors are strongly influenced by both more and less realistic …

Reassessing Assurance In An Automated World: Insights From Board Members, Executives, And Internal Auditors, Scott Emett, Marc Eulerich, Jeffrey Pickerd, David A. Wood

Faculty Publications

Technological advances that automate work continue to transform the accounting profession. We examine whether automation impacts resource allocation within the internal audit function (IAF), a unique setting that allows us to compare demand for assurance activities with demand for consulting activities. We conduct an experiment in which experienced board members, executives, and internal auditors make budget recommendations for a company’s IAF that developed automations that improved the efficiency of the IAF. Results show that across all groups, participants respond to these efficiencies by decreasing the IAF’s total budget but retaining the productive capacity of the IAF. The budget cuts are …

Aerosol Jet Printing Of Surface Acoustic Wave Microfluidic Devices, Joseph Rich, Brian Cole, Teng Li, Brandon Lu, Hanyu Fu, Brittany N. Smith, Jianping Xia, Shujie Yang, Ruoyu Zhong, James L. Doherty, Kanji Kaneko, Hiroaki Suzuki, Zhenhua Tian, Aaron D. Franklin, Tony Jun Huang

Faculty Publications

The addition of surface acoustic wave (SAW) technologies to microfluidics has greatly advanced lab-on-a-chip applications due to their unique and powerful attributes, including high-precision manipulation, versatility, integrability, biocompatibility, contactless nature, and rapid actuation. However, the development of SAW microfluidic devices is limited by complex and time-consuming micro/nanofabrication techniques and access to cleanroom facilities for multistep photolithography and vacuum-based processing. To simplify the fabrication of SAW microfluidic devices with customizable dimensions and functions, we utilized the additive manufacturing technique of aerosol jet printing. We successfully fabricated customized SAW microfluidic devices of varying materials, including silver nanowires, graphene, and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate …

Unattended In-Home Delivery Under Varying Scenarios Of Technology-Enabled Anonymity, James C. Brau, Hugo A. Decampos

Faculty Publications

Whereas many companies have explored attended in-home delivery as one solution to challenges associated with last mile delivery, few have explored unattended in-home delivery. This paper examines consumer willingness to allow unattended in-home delivery under various scenarios of anonymity. Specifically, we study how blockchain-enabled anonymity of sellers, delivery companies, and consumers can influence consumer willingness to allow unattended in-home delivery of a nutritional product in this last mile service triad. Hypotheses build on agency theory and the potential for information asymmetry and opportunism. The analyses are based on data from 784 responses to an online survey of end-consumers who were …

Moral Decision-Making In Organizations, Maryam Kouchaki, Isaac Smith

Faculty Publications

Research on moral decision-making in organizations has expanded significantly over the past few decades. In this review, we build on prior comprehensive reviews on the topic to provide an updated view of the field, based on the latest findings. We first provide a brief historical overview of influential theories of moral decision-making and then describe the individual characteristics, interpersonal factors, and organizational factors that have been shown to influence people's morally relevant choices, as well as the cognitive, affective, and even physiological processes at play. We then provide a more critical view of the field and focus on what we …

The Reno Court Of Inquiry, Albert Winkler

Faculty Publications

Following the Battle of the Little Big Horn, there had been many accusations of poor conduct, neglect of duty, or outright cowardice leveled chiefly at both Major Marcus Reno and Captain Frederick Benteen for their actions or inactions at the engagement, which could have led to the destruction of Custer's command. Most significantly, Frederick Whittaker's attack on Reno and Benteen in his A Complete Life of Gen. George Armstrong Custer published in December 1876 was simply scathing.

Student Interaction With Generative Ai: An Exploration Of An Emergent Information-Search Process, Ryan M. Schuetzler, Justin Scott Giboney, Taylor M. Wells, Benjamin Richardson, Tom Meservy, Cole Sutton, Clay Posey, Jacob Steffen, Amanda Lee Hughes

Faculty Publications

ChatGPT, a generative artificial intelligence, is one of the fastest-adopted tools in history and has quickly become a valued tool in education. This study seeks to understand how generative artificial intelligence has changed the information search process. We collected prompts submitted to ChatGPT and thoughts about ChatGPT responses through a survey of 455 students at a US university. Using thematic analysis, we identified ways that ChatGPT changes the information search process of students by supporting diverse information needs, allowing cycling of prompt adjustments, and promoting easy adoption of results.

Risk Perception, Cooperation, And Emotional Distress During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Exploring Adaptive Risk Perception, Haiping Liao, Rebecca L. Monk, James Gaskin, Jin-Liang Wang

Faculty Publications

During the COVID-19 pandemic, while risk perception may promote public cooperation with pandemic prevention, it may also increase emotional distress and thus endanger mental health. This study aimed to examine whether there is an adaptive risk perception pattern that fits both needs of pandemic control and mental health protection. Two waves of Chinese participants (N sample 1 = 1633, N sample 2 = 1899) completed the Scale of Pandemic Risk Perception, the Scale of Public Cooperation with Pandemic Prevention, the Epidemic Worry Scale, and the Positive and Negative Affective Schedule during Feb 3rd to 5th, and during Feb 18th to …

Intermittent Digital Fasting: The Mental Health Benefits Of A One-Hour Daily Social Media Hiatus, Austin Lahue, James Gaskin, Kennedy Daniel

Faculty Publications

In an era where social media ubiquity persists, concerns over its impact on mental health have escalated. This preliminary study investigates the effects of a one-hour daily social media hiatus on the mental wellbeing of 60 college students over two weeks. Unlike common interventions demanding prolonged abstinence, this research explores a more feasible, short-term avoidance approach. The experimental design, including treatment and control groups, illuminates the potential mental health benefits of brief, yet regular, digital disengagements. Preliminary results suggest that even minimal breaks from social media can yield significant improvements in users' mental health. Interestingly, these benefits come not from …

Methodological Complexity: A Both/And Approach To Address Tool Validity And Reliability For Assessment Of Cultural Responsiveness In Indigenous Serving Schools, Darold H. Joseph, Chesleigh N. Keene, Angelina E. Castagno, Pradeep M. Dass, Crystal Macias

Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

This article presents the first psychometric validation of the Culturally Responsive Assessment of Indigenous Schooling (CRAIS) tool, alongside a call for methodological complexity when engaged in research with and in Indigenous contexts. We examined the 23 culturally responsive schooling (CRS) principles underlying the newly created CRAIS tool in independent samples of curriculum units produced by teachers. Of these, 22 principles loaded into two factors. We further investigated the rationale for all 23 items through a review of the literature and robust discussions about the lived experiences of the authors and the Indigenous teachers with whom we work. We suggest that …

New Family Law Statutes In 2023: Selected State Legislation, Family Law Quarterly 2023–24 Editors, New York Law School

Redefining Family Law: State Legislative Updates

This article provides summaries and context for 31 changes to family law that were enacted in 2023 by legislatures in 26 states and the District of Columbia. The topics include (1) Child Custody and Visitation, (2) Nonparent Custody and Visitation, (3) Children’s Representation, (4) Child Welfare, (5) Child Support, (6) Domestic Violence, (7) Companion Animals, (8) Age of Marriage, and (9) Other Topics. More specifically, the topics of the laws featured in this article include (among others) presumptions of 50-50 parenting time; virtual visitation; enhancement of children’s voices in child protective proceedings; pets and property division; and strengthened domestic violence …