Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring The Intersectionality Of Antisemitism And The Law: A Case Study Of The Crown Heights Riots And Aftermath, Stephen Sussman, Carole Huberman

FIU Law Review

Antisemitism does not exist in isolation; it often intersects with other forms of discrimination and prejudice. Examining these intersections is crucial to understanding the broader dynamics of discrimination and developing effective strategies. Antisemitism and racism often intersect in complex ways. Historical examples include the portrayal of Jews as racially inferior or “other” during periods of heightened racial tension. This intersection has implications for policies related to hate crimes, racial profiling, and equal protection under the law. This research examines the complex interplay between antisemitism and the legal system, using the Crown Heights Riots of 1991 as a focal point. The …

The Motherhood Myth, Traditional Firms, And The Underrepresentation Of Women, Paula Schaefer

FIU Law Review

This Article explains that the motherhood narrative—that women are underrepresented in partnership and leadership ranks of law firms because they are their children’s primary caregivers—is a myth. After detailing how the motherhood myth has been used as an excuse for poor retention of women, the Article provides evidence of an alternative explanation: traditional firms—characterized by extreme work expectations and reliance on the unpaid labor of attorneys’ stay-at-home spouses or partners (SAHSs)—are structurally and culturally hostile to women. To thrive in a traditional firm, an attorney needs a SAHS—not just an equal parenting partner as the motherhood myth claims. Traditional firms’ …

Unvaccinated By Doubt: How Covid-19 Governance Sparked A Measles Revival, Ellen Black

FIU Law Review

A measles outbreak occurred in the United States this year, with measle cases reaching the highest levels in over two decades, even though the disease had been declared eliminated in 2000. In large part, this measles resurgence can be traced to unvaccinated individuals who have chosen to disregard public health officials' vaccination guidance. Clearly, the public has lost trust in their governmental public health officials. As the next disease outbreak looms, the need for restoration of trust becomes imperative.

This article demonstrates how the government's actions during COVID-19 further led to this lack of trust, by providing conflicting guidance as …

Absent Words, Absent Consent: Gisèle Pélicot And The Limits Of French Rape Law, Victoria Baez

FIU Law Review

France's force-based definition of rape, which centers on violence, coercion, threat, or surprise, fails to adequately protect victims who are unconscious, incapacitated, or otherwise unable to resist. This deficiency was highlighted by the Mazan case, where structural gaps in French law made prosecuting mass sexual assaults involving an unconscious victim unusually complex. Under this framework, the legal requirements to establish rape distort the understanding of consent and perpetuate longstanding rape myths, including the presumption that silence implies agreement. Although convictions were ultimately secured in the Mazan case, they occurred despite the structure of the law. Without reform, France's current rape …

Defending Form Contract Consent, Wayne R. Barnes

FIU Law Review

The issue of standard form contracts has bedeviled Contracts scholars for a century. The basic problem has long been known. Contract is supposed to be a quintessentially consensual activity, whereby both parties are operating with full knowledge and comprehension of the array of terms and conditions being negotiated and agreed to. But by employing standard forms replete with boilerplate fine print, companies have created a regime whereby it is most likely irrational for consumers to bother reading the terms before consenting to the transaction. The existing “duty to read” doctrine is that consumers fully consent to all terms when they …

The Role Of Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder In The Associations Between Minority Stressors And Self-Reported Suicide Likelihood In Lgbtq+ Adults., Ines Cano-Gonzalez, Ruby Charak, Roman Ronzon-Tirado, Jorge I. Cantu

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer individuals (LGBTQ+) report higher rates of suicide-related behaviors when compared to heterosexual cisgender individuals. The minority stress theory proposes that the suicide risk disparities among LGBTQ+ individuals may be explained by the additional exposure to stressors unique to their minority sexual orientation and gender identity. However, less is known about the mechanism of minority stressors and suicide risk among trauma-exposed LGBTQ+ individuals. The present study aimed to explore the role of the International Classification of Diseases, version-11 posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD (disturbances in self-organization [DSO] + PTSD) in the associations between …

‘Like A 6-Year-Old Dropped On Mars Without Parents’: Faculty Members’ Intercultural Competence And Cultural Adaptation In The Uae, Mustafa Aydogan, Esra İzmir, Hana Shahin

All Works

This study examines the intercultural competence and sociocultural adaptation of international faculty members (IFMs) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a highly multicultural educational setting. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study explores IFMs’ adaptation experiences and the impact of multicultural teaching training. Quantitative analysis of 167 IFMs revealed a significant relationship between intercultural competence and sociocultural adaptation, with training enhancing both. Participants from Muslim or Arab backgrounds adapted better, emphasizing the role of cultural familiarity with the host culture. Qualitative findings from 14 interviews identified five key themes: (a) UAE’s diverse environment, (b) cultural distance, (c) language and communication challenges, …

An Explainable Ai And Optimized Multi-Branch Convolutional Neural Network Model For Eye Anemia Diagnosis, Kamel K. Mohammed, Nadia Dahmani, Rania Ahmed, Ashraf Darwish, Aboul Ella Hassanien

All Works

This paper proposes a novel, non-invasive approach to diagnosing eye anemia using deep learning techniques. Traditional methods, reliant on invasive procedures like venipuncture, are costly and can cause patient discomfort. Our model leverages a multi-branch convolutional neural network (CNN) architecture, incorporating the Hippopotamus Optimization (HO) algorithm and multiclass support vector machines (SVMs) for enhanced accuracy. To address data imbalance, we employ the Synthetic Minority Oversampling Technique (SMOTE) and data augmentation. The model is trained and evaluated on a dataset of 211 eye images. The model achieves a remarkable 97.06% accuracy, with a Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve demonstrating an Area …

The Impact Of Structural Gamification On Student Motivation And Engagement In A Middle School Language Arts Classroom, Natalie Campbell

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Engagement through gamification can play a crucial role in enhancing student motivation. Gamification provides direct feedback, makes learning interactive, fosters collaboration, and makes learning more autonomous (Kuh, 2001; Reeve & Tseng, 2011). Including game-thinking and game mechanics in the classroom adds an aspect of engagement that may otherwise be lacking.

This action research study explored the impact of structural gamification on student engagement and motivation when incorporated in a middle school language arts classroom. Using a mixed-methods approach, the researcher measured student engagement and motivation. It reported detailed perceptions of participants through survey responses, examined achievement data from summative assessments, …

What Are Teacher Beliefs And Perceptions About Teaching Children To Read Within A One-Way Spanish Immersion School?, Kathleen Konrardy

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Immersion schools are a growing portion of schools in the United States. In 2021, there were over 3,600 immersion schools across the United States, a 1000% percent increase in the number of immersion schools in the last 40 years. Immersion schools may follow different models for instruction. In one model, children learn to read and write in the second language before they are taught to read and write in English. The purpose of this study was to explore practices in English literacy instruction delivered to students enrolled in one-way language immersion programs. The study also sought to examine the experiences …

Digital Transformation Of Education: An Integrated Framework For Metaverse, Blockchain, And Ai-Driven Learning, Mousa Al-Kfairy, Omar Alfandi, Ravi S. Sharma, Saed Alrabaee

All Works

The integration of Metaverse, Blockchain, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to revolutionize the educational landscape by providing immersive, secure, and personalized learning environments. This study proposes a conceptual framework that combines these technologies to address the key challenges faced by contemporary education systems, including accessibility, engagement, security, and personalization. The Metaverse serves as the immersive platform, offering virtual classrooms, interactive simulations, and gamified learning experiences. Blockchain provides the foundation for secure and transparent academic records, enabling tamper-proof credential verification and decentralized data management. AI enhances the educational experience by powering adaptive learning systems, predictive analytics, and intelligent tutoring …

Learning To Learn: Underprepared College Students Who Succeeded, Todd Spellman

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Post-secondary remediation is a topic of great concern for legislators and educators alike. Many describe it as a problem in need of a solution and try to pursue what they see as possible remedies. But solutions are already present in the stories of those who have already successfully navigated this pathway of remediation in college. This study will explore student successes through their remedial coursework at colleges in the American Midwest. While recognizing the historical and cultural context that makes remediation necessary in open-enrollment institutions like community colleges, this study sought student feedback to explore what factors the students felt …

The Next Generation Science Standards And Their Implementation In Iowa High Schools, Janell Wright

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Almost a decade ago, the state of Iowa used the Next Generation Science Standards’ (NGSS) performance expectations as the basis for its state science standards for K-12 students. Several key changes were implemented within these standards, including an increase in the amount of Earth and space science content at the high school level and a three-dimensional approach interweaving science and engineering practices and crosscutting concepts along with disciplinary core ideas. In this dissertation, I used a three-paper format in an explanatory sequential mixed methods design to explore how districts in Iowa are using scope and sequence to address the NGSS. …

Victoria Welby's Semiotics, Significs And Gender: Through A Modernist Lens, Zoe Hurley

All Works

While there is an established body of scholarship discussing Victoria Welby's contribution to semiotics, her philosophical ideas engage with many of the intellectual currents that would later define the modernist movement. Exploring Welby's extensive articles, letters, speeches, and monographs - through a genealogical framework and modernist lens - conveys Welby's semiotic portrait of language and gender as both building upon and extending the classical semiotic approaches of Peirce as well as demonstrating nascent modernist elements. This casts a new light on the importance of Welby's semiotic concepts of Significs and mother-sense. Yet, although Welby's works correspond with proto-modernist concepts, including …

Leadership Perceptions Of Employee Identity: How Leaders Facilitate An Inclusive Environment, Arian Sullivan

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Workers spend one-third of their lives at work. Therefore, they deserve to work for organizations that focus on equity and inclusion. Despite laws that aim to protect employees, workers still experience discrimination. This thesis explores how leaders perceive their role in fostering an inclusive culture that encourages employees to bring forward workplace concerns. Through qualitative interviews with locally recognized leaders, this study examines how inclusion is understood and enacted in leadership practices. While participants largely demonstrated inclusive leadership values such as shared perspectives, worker empowerment, and collaboration, I found that participants spoke of their employees in terms of personality traits …

Practice Makes Ready, Not Perfect: Exploring Preservice Teachers’ Perceptions Of Their Pre-Student Teaching Practicum Experiences, John B. Jimo Iii

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This interpretive phenomenological study, which sought to understand the lived experiences of nine preservice teachers in a pre-student teaching practicum, has uncovered helpful findings. The study investigated their perceptions of relationships, roles, and fit with cooperating teachers, as well as their impact on socio-emotional aspects, particularly their feelings of readiness for student teaching and teacher identity development. These findings address the literature gap regarding preservice teachers’ perspectives on clinical practice before student teaching and have the potential to impact the field of teacher education. Interviews provided qualitative textual data, and transcripts were analyzed for participants’ significant meaning statements, leading to …

Assessing Equity, Environmental Social Justice And Intersectionality In U.S. Federal Policies: A Comparative And Temporal Analysis Of The Department Of Transportation, Department Of Energy, And Environmental Protection Agency, Sneha Basu

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

As the climate crisis intensifies, U.S. federal policies play a critical role in addressing the disproportionate environmental burdens borne by marginalized communities. This thesis assesses how equity, environmental social justice, and intersectionality have been integrated into the policy documents of three key federal agencies: Department of Transportation (DOT), Department of Energy (DOE), and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), over a 20-year period (2004–2024). Using a quantitative content analysis of 46 policy documents, the study evaluates five core dimensions: depth of discussion, clarity of language, inclusiveness of marginalized groups, action-oriented language, and environmental justice considerations. The research reveals significant interagency disparities, with …

The Influence Of Honor Culture Ideology On Juror Decision Making, Aubrey K. Paschal

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Culture of honor is a system of cultural beliefs in which one’s honor is seen to be of the utmost importance (Nisbett & Cohen, 1996). Due to the importance of personal honor, defending one's honor could be seen as an adequate defense for crimes committed in the name of personal honor. This study examined the influence that honor culture ideology has on juror decision making. A total of 190 participants read a brief trial summary of either a crime in which the participants’ honor was threatened, or a crime that did not involve a threat to the defendant’s honor. The …

Intrinsic Motivation, Future Orientation, And Financial Stress: A Student-Centered Model Of Metaverse Classroom Adoption In Low-Income Contexts, Mousa Al-Kfairy, Omar Alfandi, Saed Alrabaee

All Works

The rapid rise of immersive technologies has placed metaverse-based classrooms at the center of higher education innovation. Yet, little is known about how students in low-income contexts perceive and adopt these platforms, particularly when motivation, career goals, and financial pressures intersect. This study develops and tests a student-focused model that integrates intrinsic motivation, future time perspective, career relevance, and financial stress to explain behavioral intention toward metaverse adoption. A survey of 292 university students in Jordan—a lower-income national setting—was analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Results showed all hypothesized paths were significant. Future time perspective and career …

The Effectiveness Of A Proposed Guide To Improve The Role Of Parents In Developing Their Kindergarten Children English Language Skills, Laila Mohebi, Ghadah Al Murshidi, Asmaa Awad, Bushra Areashi, Ahmed Al Zaabi, Ahlam Hendawy

All Works

The aim of this study is to explore United Arab Emirates (UAE) parents’ perceptions of their involvement in their kindergarten children’s English language learning as a second language (L2) and the challenges they face. The study consisted of two phases: the first investigated the role of 329 parents using a questionnaire, revealing a strong need for guidance on how to support their children’s English learning. The second phase assessed the effectiveness of a structured educational guide. Pre/post-test results showed that the guide enhanced parents’ abilities to teach English as an L2 and apply strategies aligned with their children’s learning styles.

Deep Learning Approaches For Eeg-Based Biometrics: A Systematic Review, Ali E. Albaiati, Muhammad Firdaus Akbar, Murtadha D. Hssayeni, Ashraf Khalil, Mohd Nadhir Ab Wahab, Sundus Sulaiman Weli, Enas A. Raheema

All Works

Biometics such as fingerprint, face, and iris are vulnerable to spoof attacks. The unique characteristics of Electroencephalography (EEG) make it a promising biometric modality especially because of its resistance to spoofing attacks. Many deep learning methods have been proposed for EEG-based biometric systems. This systematic review examines these methods in terms of their feature extraction ability and authentication performance. We follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines to search IEEE Xplore, PubMed, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Springer databases. Initially, we identified 285 relevant articles published between 2018 and 2024. After removing duplicates and applying …

Deep Learning Models Based On Cnn, Rnn, And Lstm For Rainfall Forecasting: Jordan As A Case Study, La'aly A. Al-Samrraie, Ayman M. Abdalla, Khalideh Al Bkoor Alrawashdeh, Abeer Al Bsoul, Mohammad Abu Awad, Kamel Alzboon, Ahmed A. Al-Taani

All Works

This study is the first to compare deep learning models for rainfall prediction across several Jordanian cities representing diverse climates using 11 years of recorded climate data, something that previous studies have not addressed in the Jordanian context. The climate records for four Jordanian cities (Amman, Irbid, Karak, and Ajloun) were recorded hourly. The data was divided into training sets (80%) and test sets (20%), with and without the application of correlation analysis, feature selection, and data standardization steps applied. Three neural network models, Recurrent Neural Network (RNN), Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), and Convolutional Neural Network-Recurrent Neural Network (CNN-RNN) were …

Making The Jump: A Self-Study Of The Implementation Of Gamification And Student Discussion In Middle School Mathematics, John Pauly

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Middle school mathematics teaching is a complex practice that incorporates both cognitive and emotional factors (Sen, 2022). Students must have permission to get stuck and unstuck in their thinking while critically considering their approaches (Kapp, 2016), along with opportunities to engage in decision-making, deep reasoning, and discussions about mathematics (Stein et al., 1996). Gamification and game-based learning can place students in an environment where discussion, collaboration and perseverance are highly valued in overcoming challenges and achieving common goals (Kapp, 2016).

This qualitative self-study reflects on the journey of John Pauly, a middle school mathematics teacher, told through his experiences and …

Competitive School Culture And The Gifted Adolescent, Kailyn Bettle-Nilles

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Academic stress is changing the dynamics of school and the culture of learning for students (Challenge Success, n.d.). This is especially apparent in gifted students who indicate higher instances of feeling it is important to do well in school, being competitive in school, and a desire to be the best at everything (Baker, 1996). Gifted high school students today experience a competitive school culture, defined in this study as the drive for students to take as many honors courses, Advanced Placement (AP), and course accelerations as possible. Previous studies indicate that students in academically rigorous courses like AP experience more …

From Grades To Growth: Exploring Student Perceptions Of Standards-Based Grading, Feedback Utilization, And Teacher–Student Relationships, Meghan Koellner

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Many schools have transitioned from traditional grading practices to standards-based grading practices. A central feature of standards-based grading is the use of feedback to move learning forward. When students feel connected to their teachers, they are more likely to engage with feedback and improve their performance. The purpose of this study was to explore how midwestern high school students characterize their experience with standards-based grading, utilize teacher feedback, and perceive the impact of these practices on teacher-student relationships. Three research questions guided this study: (1) How do midwestern high school students characterize their experience with standards-based grading? (2) How do …

Anisotropic And Temperature-Tunable Second-Harmonic Vortex Generation In Ferroelectric Nbocl2 Holograms, Jayanta Deka, Xiaodong Yang, Jie Gao

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Optical vortex beams with helical phase fronts have immense potential to enhance data capacity due to the unbounded values of orbital angular momentum. Chip-scale platforms for producing vortex beams are of paramount importance for a variety of applications. On the other hand, 2D materials with unique optical properties are essential for developing multifunctional ultrathin photonic devices. Here, anisotropic and temperature-tunable second-harmonic vortex beam generation is demonstrated with ultrathin ferroelectric niobium oxide dichloride (NbOCl₂) fork holograms. The polarization-resolved Raman measurements are performed on the NbOCl₂ crystal to understand the anisotropic behavior of the Raman modes. It is demonstrated …

Design And Testing Of An Intrusive Arm For Supersonic Flow Sampling, Caleb Roberts, Davide Viganò

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Intrusive probes are critical tools in supersonic wind tunnel testing, enabling direct measurement of flow properties such as pressure and heat flux. To support these measurements, a single-axis intrusive arm was designed and implemented in the Missouri S&T Supersonic Wind Tunnel. The system is designed to maintains precise probe positioning, while withstanding the aerodynamic loads, and preserving a dynamic seal between the test section and ambient environment. Its modular design accommodates a range of probe types for various research applications. This paper presents the design methodology, including structural, mechanical, and aerodynamic considerations, and details the integration process. System performance was …

Few-Shot Learning-Enhanced Tiered Path Planning For Mars Rover Navigation, Ziyi Wang, Di Yu, Mina Khalilzadeh Fathi, Chaoying Pei

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Path planning for Mars rovers presents significant challenges due to the diverse terrain, ranging from easily navigable areas to hazardous zones. Traditional methods typically classify terrain simply as passable or impassable, failing to account for the nuances of more moderately challenging areas. In this paper, we introduce a tiered terrain-aware path planning strategy, employing few-shot learning to classify and segment Martian terrain into levels of difficulty. The few-shot learning model, trained on Earth, is sent to the rover, enabling real-time processing of images from satellites or helicopters. The flexibility of few-shot learning, which requires minimal data and training time, enables …

Accurately Constituting Robust Interfaces For High-Performance High-Energy Lithium Metal Batteries, Kevin V. Carballo, Meetesh Singh, Xiangbo Meng

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

High-energy lithium metal batteries (LMBs) have received ever-increasing interest. Among them, coupling lithium metal (Li) with nickel-rich material, LiNi_xMn_yCo_zO₂ (NMCs, x ≥ 0.6, x + y + z = 1), is promising because Li anodes enable an extremely high capacity (∼3860 mA h g⁻¹) and the lowest redox potential (−3.04 V vs. standard hydrogen electrode), while NMCs can achieve a much higher capacity of ∼200 mA h g⁻¹ and lower cost than those of LiCoO₂. However, the resultant Li‖NMC cells have been hindered from commercialization due to a …

Folate Receptor Β Performs An Immune Checkpoint Function In Activated Macrophages, Fenghua Zhang, Md Yusuf Al-Amin, Sagar Utturkar, Rina Jiang, Gregory Cresswell, Rami Alfar, Ian Ophaug-Johansen, Gabriel Bachman, Madduri Srinivasarao, Richard Finnell, Amaya Puig-Kröger, Timothy Ratliff, Philip S Low

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Monocytes and macrophages are sentinels of the immune system that distinguish themselves from other cells by expressing the beta isoform of the folate receptor (FRβ). Because FRβ does not bind folate until the monocyte/macrophage is exposed to immunosuppressive cytokines, the question naturally arose whether FRβ might also perform an immune-related function. To examine this matter, we compared the properties of wild type (WT) and FRβ knockout mice. We observe that FRβ knockout (KO) mice display autoimmune symptoms that can include alopecia, enlarged spleens, and dermatitis, despite having normal cellular folate levels. We further demonstrate that syngeneic tumors (TRAMP C2, MC38) …