Digital Commons Network^™

Experimental Analysis Of Satellite Operator Training Using Game-Based Virtual Reality Simulation, Lana Laskey

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Satellite data plays a vital role in modern global infrastructure by enabling communications, navigation, and weather forecasting. As demand for satellite technology grows, so does the need for highly trained satellite ground operators. Traditional training regimens for satellite operators employ simulation using two-dimensional computer console displays paired with the varied ability of trainees to generate abstract mental imagery of the scenario. However, this development of mental imagery imposes a considerable learning curve and cognitive workload on the trainee, which may negatively impact the user experience and knowledge gained during the training scenario.

This experimental study investigated the effects of game-based …

Aircraft Bird Strike Risk Prediction Using Machine Learning And Analytic Hierarchy Process, Jason Anthony Powell

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

To address the limitations of Next Generation Radar-based bird strike forecasting, this study modeled 12 spatiotemporal weather features from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration alongside bird strike risk using Long Short-Term Memory Recurrent Neural Network (LSTM-RNN), XGBoost regression tree, and Bayesian network algorithms. Five years of bird strike data from four geographically diverse airfields served as the target risk variable, categorized as low, moderate, or severe based on Department of the Air Force risk models. The ensemble model, which combines the LSTM-RNN and XGBoost regression algorithms, yielded the most accurate forecasts, achieving 80% to 93% accuracy across all airfields, …

Property Values: Accounting For Racial Valorization And Stigmatization In Development, Audrey G. Mcfarlane

Articles

No abstract provided.

The Surface Water And Ocean Topography (Swot) Mission For River And Lake Ice Application, Sunwoo Yoon

Earth Sciences Theses and Dissertations

The Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission, launched in December 2022, is designed for global survey of Earth’s surface water. However, the seasonal freezing of lakes and rivers combined with SWOT’s unique interferometric radar characteristics presents a valuable opportunity to assess its potential for river and lake ice applications. In this dissertation, I first compare backscatter characteristics over open water and frozen lakes and rivers. I demonstrate strong contrast in backscatter between water and ice while accounting for incidence angle, highlighting SWOT’s capability to discriminate between surface cover types. However, overlapping backscatter signatures suggest further investigation of drivers of …

Project-Based Learning Vs Traditional Teaching Methods, James Kingsley

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This study explored how teachers compare Project-Based Learning (PBL) with traditional teaching methods in elementary classrooms. Many schools today still rely heavily on lectures, worksheets, and test-based instruction, which can leave students feeling disconnected and unmotivated. This research began with the problem that students often lose interest in learning when it feels disconnected from the real world. The purpose of this study was to better understand teacher's perspectives on PBL and whether they believe it increases student engagement, learning, and life skills. Using a mixed-methods survey with both multiple choice and open-ended questions, the study gathered responses from elementary educators …

Peer Mentorship Of Midwifery Faculty In Bangladesh: A Process Evaluation, Pronita Raha, Joy Kemp, Farida Begum, Rowsan Ara, Vibhavendra S. Raghuvanshi, Nabila Purno, Daniel Novak, Hoque Emdadul Hoque

Journal of Asian Midwives (JAM)

Development of midwifery faculty is key to strengthening quality midwifery education. This article presents a process evaluation of a peer mentorship programme, implemented between 2021 and 2023, for around 370 midwifery faculty in Bangladesh, including 40 newly deployed faculty. 20 peer mentors, prepared by international midwifery faculty, conducted quarterly visits to public midwifery education institutions (MEIs) to provide mentorship support to midwifery faculty and to monitor the quality of midwifery education. A digital community of practice was also created. Data were collected with a checklist based on the World Health Organization (WHO) midwifery educator competencies and entered into a digital …

Artificial Intelligence In Education, Sally Brown, Jill Woods, Mohamed Hefeida, Jennifer Sano-Franchini, Megan Vendemia, Erin Brock Carlson, Megan Leight, Gangqing Hu, Nicole Fuller

Artificial Intelligence Exhibit

This section explores the intersection of AI and education, including an overview of WVU's AI statement and submissions from WVU faculty, classes, students, and staff on AI related projects.

Visualizing Seascapes As A Method For Engaging Stakeholders In Discussions About Resilience, Dominica Williamson, Louisa Evans, Mark Bryant, Caroline Hattam, Tara Hooper, Andy Hughes, Timur Jack-Kadioglu, Fazlun Khalid, John Martin, Celine Miternique, Karyn Morrissey, Lorna Slade, Ali Thani, Kathy Young

Professional Services

Coastal communities have complex bodies of knowledge around environmental change, resilience, and sustainability, which extractive forms of research are not well suited to understand. This paper outlines an arts-based action research pilot project to understand social-ecological resilience in the Western Indian Ocean. Our project used visual, artistic, and participatory approaches to foster co-learning and action research on: (1) the arts-based methods themselves and (2) resilience building in coastal communities and ecosystems. This paper focuses on the former elements. We present our inherently phenomenological approach as a research assemblage that can be used to bring together different communities and stakeholders, disciplines, …

Where Should The Cancer Control Interventions Target: A Geospatial Hotspot Analysis For Major Cancer Mortality 2018 To 2022 In The United States, Chongliang Luo, Saira Khan, Liyan Jin, Aimee S James, Graham A Colditz, Bettina F Drake

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Identifying changes in geographic disparities of cancer mortality reveals locations where cancer prevention and control efforts should be focused/targeted. We use recent cancer surveillance data to demonstrate the geographic disparity of major cancer mortality rates in the United States and its shift compared with previous data.

METHODS: This cross-sectional study used the 2018 to 2022 county-level mortality rates of colorectal, lung, breast, and prostate cancers from the Centers for Disease Control mortality data. Counties with suppressed death counts were imputed by spatial regression models. Getis-Ord Gi* statistics were used to evaluate the spatial clustering of county mortality. Identified hotspot …

Exploring The Composition Of Forest Collaboratives In Northeastern Oregon, Lee K. Cervany, Rebecca J. Mclain, Kristen Wright

National Policy Consensus Center Publications

Community-based collaboration has been touted as an effective model for forest governance because it promotes democratized decision-making and stakeholder engagement to address landscape-scale problems. Forest collaboratives are assumed to be heterogeneous, consisting of stakeholders with a diverse range of interests. Few studies have systematically explored variables associated with collaborative composition. We identify six elements of collaborative composition for investigation: size, stakeholder diversity, balance, locality–diversity, core attendance, and cross-participation. This exploratory study examines five forest collaborative groups in eastern Oregon (USA). We analyzed meeting minutes over an 18-month period to track attendance and evaluate who shows up and at what frequency. …

Centering Justice: The Role Of Women's Centers In Advancing Reproductive Justice And Gender Equity, Amber Byrd Ndukwe

Mather Center Research Briefs

An overview of how women's and gender equity centers play a role in doing reproductive justice work.

Exploring Dynamics Of Power, Inequality And Violence, Ioli Filmeridis, Rachel Locke, Nana Afua Yeboaa Brantuo, Tarila Marclint Ebiede, Cherrell Green, Biko Koenig, Mardiya, Dayanna Palmar Uriana, Areli Palomo Contreras, Mirna Wasef

Kroc IPJ Research and Resources

The research included in this compendium centers Indigenous, diaspora, migrant, disenfranchised and disaffected groups in the discussions about violence and power. Through these perspectives the reader experiences the unflinching interrogations of the forces that seek to control, enforce, regulate and profit from the oppression, subjugation and criminalization of others highlight the harm of unchecked power. The research undertaken by the VIP Lab Fellows highlights how the experiences of those in the sightline of unmitigated power may otherwise be trivialized and obscured if attention and analysis is not devoted to understanding them. Their research also suggests contextually appropriate responses to remedy …

Marigold Lodge: Family Home, Meeting Venue, And Community Landmark; Willard (Bill) Wichers: “Mr. Holland”, Sarah Lundy, Charlotte Ulloa

Archives and Special Collections Quarterly

Marigold Lodge: Family Home, Meeting Venue, and Community Landmark

Column: From the Director of Archives and Special Collections

Willard (Bill) Wichers: “Mr. Holland”

Politics And Institutional Change: The Water Commission Act Of 1913, Mark Kanazawa

Department of Economics Working Paper Series

Economists have long argued that increasing resource scarcity can lead to more clearly defined individual property rights, but the precise mechanism whereby this occurs remains unclear to this day. This paper documents the role of politics in shaping the creation of individual property rights within the context of appropriative water law in early 20th century California, finding evidence of both party ideology and interest group influence in establishing a new system for administering appropriative water rights.

The Indian Pharmacopoeia: Enabling Open Access And Crafting A ‘Sovereign Function Exception’ For Government Works, Aparajita Lath

National Law School Journal

Standardisation of drugs and access to such standards are important levers for effective drug regulation. The Indian Pharmacopoeia, the official book of standards for drugs in the country prescribed by the Union government under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940, are legally binding and enforceable. Not only do the standards have the force of law but are also government-created. The Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC), a division of the Union Department of Health and Family Welfare, has a legal monopoly over creating and publishing this compendium. Though it is legally binding, the Indian Pharmacopoeia is neither in the public domain …

An Exploration Of Students' Recollections After An Asynchronous, On-Site Academic Library Tour, Adrienne Warner

University Libraries & Learning Sciences Faculty and Staff Publications

Once an integral component to library instruction programs, tours of academic library spaces are less common despite students’ continued need for study spaces with various qualities. This study asks, "What do students remember after taking an asynchronous, on-site academic library tour?" Qualitative analysis finds that, while students value library study spaces, they also report predominantly positive feelings about the library and the tour itself. This research suggests that technical affordances can mitigate some historical drawbacks of tours while offering students a valuable library instruction experience.

Lianas Reduce Tree Height With Negative Consequences For Carbon Storage And Growth Estimates, Xingyan Cao, Frieke Van Coillie, Sruthi M. Krishna Moorthy, Kasper Coppieters, Barbara D'Hont, Stefan A. Schnitzer, Geertje M. F. Van Der Heijden, Hans Verbeeck, Félicien Meunier

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

1. Current evidence suggests that liana (woody vine) competition with trees could be threatening the carbon sink by reducing carbon uptake and storage in tropical forests. Previous studies investigating forest demography in liana removal experiments have, however, assumed similar allometries for trees, regardless of the amount of lianas they support. Yet, recent observations suggest that liana load may alter tree shape and structure, including height, which could result in an underestimation of the liana effects on forest carbon stocks and tree growth.
2. In this study, we used terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) in a liana removal experiment in Gigante Peninsula, Panama, collected …

Etsu Today - Summer 2025, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU Today [magazine]

Forever ETSU: A Legacy That Lives On.

Honoring the lifelong bond that sustains our mission and shapes our past, present, and future.

Since our founding, East Tennessee State University has been deeply connected to the communities we serve, rooted in service, guided by shared values, and committed to improving the quality of life for the people of this region and beyond. More than a century later, this mission not only endures but thrives, thanks to your unwavering support. The strength of our university community continues to propel ETSU forward. We are growing enrollment, expanding academic offerings, and earning national recognition …

Where There Is No Equity Engine: Unequal Geographies Of Collegesuccess For Low-Income Studen, Becca Spindel Bassett

Counseling, Leadership, and Research Methods Faculty Publications and Presentations

Very few four-year American colleges and universities consistently enroll and graduate substantial proportions of low-income students. The outlier institutions that do-institutions I term Equity Engines-are vital social resources for both low-income students and our democratic society. Yet like other valuable resources, they are unevenly distributed across the United States. Drawing on geospatial analysis and bivariate mapping, I examine the relationship between access to and need for Equity Engines across states and within them. Moving from the state to the census tract level, I find compounding geographic barriers to bachelor's degree completion in southern states. These states have high rates of …

Improving Distributional Analysis In Regulatory Evaluation: An Assessment Of The 2023 Circular A-4, W. Kip Viscusi, A. Fraas, John D. Graham, Kerry Krutilla, Randall Lutter, Jason F. Shogren

Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications

The November 2023 revision to OMB Circular A-4 expands upon past guidance on distributional assessment in regulatory impact analysis and adds new options for conducting it, such as the use of distributional weights based on the marginal utility of income. This note explores the implications of key changes suggested in the 2023 guidelines and addresses modeling and data challenges that could yield recommendations for future revisions. We suggest that progress in improving distributional assessment in regulatory impact analysis is most likely if federal agencies collaborate with the National Science Foundation to produce model distributional analyses for different types of regulations.

Mammals Of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge And Surrounding Harney County, Oregon, John E. Cornely, Leslie N. Carraway

Monographs of the Western North American Naturalist

Malheur National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), located in southeastern Oregon, is part of the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS) of the United States. Currently, NWRS includes more than 568 NWRs, 38 Wetland Management Districts, and 5 Marine National Monuments. Malheur NWR, like a majority of the refuges in the NWRS, was established for the conservation of migratory birds. Many of these NWRs also provide significant habitat for mammals. Malheur NWR, one of the oldest (established 1908) and largest refuges in the system, is one of those with significant habitat for mammals. In addition to the refuge, we have included Harney County, …

A New Exceptionally Preserved Phosphatocopid Crustacean From The Furongian Of Laurentia And A Synthesis Of Cambrian Phosphatocopid Distribution Patterns, Rhicert Reynolds, Thomas Wong-Hearing, Mark Williams, Thomas Harvey, Ayari Yanagihara, Duncan Murdock, Repetski John, James Loch, Daniel Lunt, Neil Gostling

Faculty of Science and Engineering Datasets

CT scan TIFF Files and STL files of Planamandibulus nevadensis (Arthropoda:Phosphatocopidia). Cambrian Arthropod.

Moderation Amid Resistance: African American Advocacy, Educational Equity, And School Desegregation In Botetourt County, Virginia, Katherine Blanton

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the historical and social dynamics surrounding African American education in Botetourt County, Virginia preceding, during, and following court ordered desegregation. Using historiography, the researcher incorporated archival resources, interviews, and oral histories to examine the African American leadership of the County Wide League and their steadfast commitment to provide equal educational opportunities for African American children in Botetourt County. Set against the history of southern segregation, white school boards, and massive resistance to the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court decision to desegregate in Brown v. Board of Education, the historiography represents the moderate stance of the County in …

Afghan Generational Radicalization, Kaneshka Nawabi

Journal of Strategic Security

Abstract:

This study examines the evolution of political Islam and its role in shaping Afghan generational radicalization. Rooted in a romanticized vision of a "mythical golden age," Islam in Afghanistan has been instrumentalized to justify armed resistance, particularly against foreign invasions. The Soviet invasion marked a pivotal moment, catalyzing ideological shifts and embedding radical narratives. The Taliban's resurgence in 2021 has further entrenched radicalization, amplifying the role of madaris and sidelining moderate Islamic ideologies. By examining the interplay of political isolation, the unchecked expansion of madaris, and the distinct ideological divergences between “Islamism” and Deobandism, this research highlights …

Afghanistan: Taliban’S Second Chance And Red Strategy, Oleg Golishnikov

Journal of Strategic Security

An objective evaluation of Afghanistan’s political and socioeconomic situation since the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021 is crucial for understanding and addressing security issues at the national, regional, and global levels. Unlike most studies, this article provides new insights, offering a balanced assessment of the situation in Afghanistan and developing recommendations on dealing with the Taliban regime. By employing qualitative methods and a rational theory framework, this article argues that Afghanistan under Taliban rule is experiencing a mix of positive and negative trends. Major positive trends include the relative peace in Afghanistan, the Taliban’s real power and control over the …

Singapore At 60: Home Truly Is An Idea That Never Stands Still, Lily Kong

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

There are many new stories to embrace but also quiet distances between us that we must bridge.

In a National Day op-ed published in The Straits Times, SMU President Professor Lily Kong reflects on what ‘home’ means as Singapore marks its 60th year of independence — and how that meaning continues to evolve across generations. Prompted by a walk through a familiar playground now transformed, Prof Kong considers how Singapore’s changing physical and social landscape mirrors shifts in national identity. While progress and policy evolution signal a society in transition, she also notes the emergence of quieter divides – between …

Calibrated Structures Of Feeling: Cultural Citizenship And The Reproduction Of The Military In Singapore, John Lowe, George Wong

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

This article discusses the nexus between Raymond Williams’ structure of feelings and the reproduction of military masculinity as cultural citizenship. By placing the gaze upon National Service in the Singapore Armed Forces as a rite of passage into manhood, this work uses representations of the military in popular culture and souvenirs/ephemera to elucidate how structures of feeling are calibrated as masculinity the state wants its citizenry to internalize. These render military masculinity emergent for Singaporean male bodies. With the male body functioning as an important edifice of the military, emotions toward military service are the connective tissue between enactments of …

Governing Migration, Producing Skills: Emigration And Education In The Philippines, Yasmin Y. Ortiga, Roderick. Galam

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

This article examines skill as an integral yet understudied aspect of emigration governance. To date, migration studies have mainly focused on how the demand for migrant skills drive people's movements across borders, shaping the conditions for entry into popular destinations in the West. In contrast, less is known as to how skills also shape the way governments manage emigration, pushing would-be migrants to acquire certain capacities well before they leave their countries of origin. Drawing from the case of the Philippines, this article discusses how state agencies have used skills training to dominate specific markets for migrant professionals and demand …

From Nation-Building To Collapse: Analyzing Afghanistan’S 2021 Fall And The Geopolitical Entropies Of U.S. Withdrawal, Arash Beidollahkhani, Edriss Rasa

Journal of Strategic Security

The collapse of the Afghan government in 2021 and the subsequent return of the Taliban marked a significant shift in contemporary geopolitics. This paper examines the political and social dynamics surrounding the U.S. and allied forces' withdrawal, focusing on the entropic forces that contributed to the breakdown of Afghanistan’s governance system. While Afghanistan has experienced recurrent governmental collapses, the post-2021 crisis highlights deeper structural challenges within both the geopolitical and domestic spheres. The research investigates the failure of the U.S.-backed Afghan government, established through two decades of nation-building efforts, and explores how the abrupt foreign withdrawal dismantled fragile political structures, …

Statewide Injunction: State Judicial Power And Meaningful Remedies, Constance C. Van Kley

Faculty Law Review Articles

As federal courts increasingly limit the scope of constitutional remedies, state courts have begun issuing statewide injunctions that extend protections beyond individual litigants. This article examines the doctrinal foundations and implications of such injunctions, arguing that they represent a legitimate exercise of state judicial power. By analyzing historical practices, procedural norms, and recent case law, the author contends that statewide injunctions can serve as essential tools for enforcing civil rights and ensuring meaningful relief. The piece calls for a reevaluation of remedial doctrines to better accommodate the evolving role of state courts in safeguarding constitutional guarantees.