Digital Commons Network^™

2026 Guide To Planned Giving, Morehead State University. Office Of Communications & Marketing., Morehead State University Foundation.

Communications and Marketing Publications Archive

Theh 2026 Guide to Planned Giving from the Morehead State University Foundation.

Child Of My Heart: One Girl's Story Of Adoption, Danielle Bussolini

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This Integrative Masters Project explores the author's personal experience with adoption, written from a child's perspective. Unlike most published books on adoption, which are typically framed through the lens of an educator or parent, this work centers the emotional and psychological experience of the child at the heart of the story.

The Role Of User Experience In Virtual Reality Flight Training: A Comparison With Pc-Based Simulation, Tianxin Zhang, Christina M. Frederick, Barbara Chaparro

Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research

The current project explores how user experience (UX) in virtual reality (VR) flight simulation influences both cognitive learning outcomes and procedural skill acquisition when compared to traditional desktop-based simulation.. Using a quasi-transfer of training design, 48 student pilots were randomly assigned to VR, Desktop, or Control groups and trained on the Chandelle maneuver. UX was measured with the User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ), while training effectiveness was evaluated through a post-training knowledge test and recorded maneuver performance on a high-fidelity flight training device. Results indicated that the VR group reported significantly higher UX scores in Attractiveness, Stimulation, and Novelty, and showed …

When A Black Man Is In The Principal’S Office: Black Male Leaders Navigating Racialized Spaces, Phillip Smith

GSE Faculty Publications

This study describes the experiences of fourteen Black male principals or heads of school navigating racialized spaces, including the politics of race, and experienced racism in educational settings as well as in school leadership. Data analysis utilized a critical race theory (CRT) and culturally sensitive methodological and interpretive framework. The data analysis revealed themes associated with identity scrutiny, right to lead, meritocracy and color evasiveness, all falling within the white gaze paradigm. However, the results also suggest a demonstrable pathway for Black leaders to successfully navigate the pitfalls of the white gaze and experienced negative professional and personal reactions to …

South Dakota Farmers Union Records, Sdsu Archives And Special Collections, Hilton M. Briggs Library

Archives Finding Aids

The South Dakota Farmers Union traces its origins to the national Farmers Educational and Cooperative Union, founded in Texas in 1902 and introduced to South Dakota around 1914 by former Nebraska members. The organization was formally established as a state unit at its first convention in Mitchell on March 16, 1917, with 268 delegates representing 14 counties and more than 130 local chapters. Education, cooperative enterprise, and legislative advocacy quickly became central to its mission, including early collective purchasing efforts that supported family farmers.

The South Dakota Farmers Union Records document the organization’s activities from the early twentieth century through …

South Dakota Humanities Council Records, Sdsu Archives And Special Collections, Hilton M. Briggs Library

Archives Finding Aids

This collection documents the history and activities of the South Dakota Humanities Council, founded in 1972 to support and deliver humanities programming across the state. The records span from the Council’s origins as the South Dakota Committee on the Humanities through the early twenty-first century and include administrative correspondence, meeting files, financial records, grant proposals, publications, program documentation, and audiovisual materials. The collection provides detailed evidence of governance, fiscal management, and grant administration, including partnerships with the National Endowment for the Humanities. Program and project files document statewide initiatives in literature, history, Native American language and cultural preservation, media, and …

College Of Arts And Sciences Records, Sdsu Archives And Special Collections, Hilton M. Briggs Library

Archives Finding Aids

The College of Arts and Sciences at South Dakota State University traces its origins to the General Sciences Course, first offered in 1884. The program later developed into the General Science Division, established in 1924, and became the Division of Science and Applied Arts in 1953. Following the institution’s transition to university status, the division became the College of Arts and Sciences. The College provides instruction in the university’s general education core and offers disciplinary education in the arts and sciences.

The records consist of administrative files, publications, correspondence, reports, committee records, meeting minutes, statistical materials, curriculum records, accreditation files, …

Dna Landscape Tool: An Interactive Webpage, Kerstyn Gay

Theses

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is a molecule that carries genetic information that makes up every organism. DNA is typically introduced into the biology curriculum starting in high school and depending on an individual's educational path can continue through college. Although taught frequently during school, elements of DNA can be difficult for students to grasp, due to the different visual representations of DNA found in various resources. For instance, when comparing an illustration of a chemically accurate nucleotide base to an abstract visualization of a chromosome learners often aren’t given enough scaffolding to see how one representation relates to the other, which …

Predicting Undergraduate Fallout And Success, Ammar Ahmed Alzarooni

Theses

Universities need to uncover students who are likely to drop out early and do something about it. It should be easy to find and use this information. This thesis evaluated interpretable machine-learning models (MLMs) for predicting three final student outcomes including Dropout, Enrolled and Graduate, using solely demographic, administrative/financial and first-semester academic variables. Study employed publicly accessible Portuguese UCI student retention dataset (4,424 records) and incorporated end-of-Semester-1 feature window to prevent look-ahead leakage and align with actual advising cycles. We trained and compared models using stratified validation, explicit class-imbalance handling and decision-threshold optimization to make dropout detection most critical factor. …

‘The Way We Do Our Translation’: A Case Study Of Translation Policy For Spanish Speakers In The Public Parks Of Sonoma County, California, Gabriel González Núñez, Ángel María Casas Grageab, Christina Guerrero Harmon

Writing and Language Studies Faculty Publications

Signs in public spaces can provide essential information. Especially at times of crises, and in places where there are large populations who speak a minoritized language, translation is often employed to create multilingual signage for the benefit of the community. After all, translated signs appear because some authority considers that a certain message is important enough to be visibly communicated to the public, including those who do not speak the State’s preferred language. The decision as to whether to translate or not certain signs may seem arbitrary, but one would hope that it is the result of a guided policy …

Hybridization Of Genetic Algorithm, Principal Component Analysis And Deep-Learning For Networks Intrusion Detection Systems, Mostafa A. R. Eltokhy, Hend M. A. Mahmoud, Mohammad Sammany

Trends in advanced sciences and technology

With cyber-attacks on the rise, the demand for precise and efficient Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) is more critical than ever. Traditional machine learning methods struggle with high false alarm and poor detection rates. IDS are crucial for creating secure digital environments by classifying and responding to network intrusions. However, the large volume of inputs for classification often leads to reduced accuracy and misclassification errors. To address this problem, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) is used to optimize the number of classifier inputs, enhancing simplicity without compromising accuracy. A significant challenge in PCA for feature selection lies in determining the best cutoff …

Enhanced Hydrophilicity And Self-Cleaning Properties Of Tio₂ Thin Films On Glass For Photovoltaic Applications: Influence Of Precursor Concentration And Light Irradiation, Fatma Refaat, Hany Hashem, Mohamed Mahmoud Gouda, Ibrahim Ahmed, Khaled Abdelwahed, Ahmed Bakr El Basaty

Trends in advanced sciences and technology

This study investigates the modification of glass substrates with TiO₂ thin films to enhance surface hydrophilicity and self-cleaning behavior. The films were deposited on glass by spin coating using different precursor concentrations, followed by thermal treatment. Structural and optical properties were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and UV–Vis spectroscopy, while surface wettability was evaluated through water contact angle measurements. XRD confirmed the formation of pure anatase TiO₂, while FTIR spectra verified the presence of Ti–O and Ti–O–Ti bonds. Wettability analysis showed that films prepared with the lowest precursor concentration exhibited the …

Modelling And Optimization Of Solution Polymerization Of Ethylene Using Artificial Intelligence, Owolabi, R.U, Raji M.A, Usman M.A

Trends in advanced sciences and technology

This research project focuses on the modeling and optimization of the solution polymerization of ethylene, using artificial intelligence (AI) via machine learning (ML) tools specifically PYTHON programming language enabled workspaces (jupyter notebook and google colab). The objective of the research was to develop a robust empirical model capable of predicting the polymer yield and mol. wt. based on key process parameters, and to identify optimal conditions that maximize yield and mol. wt. while ensuring operational safety and efficiency.

A comprehensive dataset containing process parameters gotten from previous experimental works was used for model development while predicting missing parameters to ensure …

Probabilistic Reactive Power Planning With Static Synchronous Compensators Deployment In Renewable-Rich Power Systems Using The Cuckoo Catfish Optimizer, Mohammed Sonbol Ebrahim M.Sonbol, Omar Hanafy Abdalla Omar H. Abdalla, Hady Habib Fayek Hady H. Fayek, Abdulla Mohammed Shaheen Abdulla M. Shaheen

Trends in advanced sciences and technology

This paper presents a cost-optimized reactive power planning framework to determine the optimal location and ratings of Static Synchronous Compensators in renewable-rich power systems. The proposed methodology formulates a comprehensive cost-objective function that incorporates both investment and operational costs while considering normal and contingency (N−1) operating condition. Load variability and uncertainties associated with solar irradiance and wind speed are incorporated into the cost fitness function. These uncertainties are modeled using the point estimation method, generating 144 probabilistic scenarios that represent both daytime and nighttime operating conditions. The proposed approach ensures the minimum required number of Static Synchronous Compensators while maintaining …

Impact And Requirements Of Future Robots In The Urban Realm: Dubai Silicon Oasis Case Study, Abduljalil Abbasi

Theses

Robots are moving from factories and warehouses into the streets, sidewalks, and shared public spaces of cities, and Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO) is at the forefront of this shift in the Gulf region. Through the Talabat ‘talabot’ autonomous delivery pilot, DSO has demonstrated that sidewalk robots can operate reliably in a hot-climate, mixed-use urban district, but this operational success has outpaced the governance frameworks, spatial design standards, and long-range planning foundations needed to scale deployment safely, inclusively, and sustainably to 2035. This thesis addresses that gap by asking how DSO can design and govern the integration of robots into its …

Hexahive: Simulating Vulnerability Bounty Economies Through Game-Theoretic Models, Lucille Blain

Theses

Bug bounty programs encourage security researchers to responsibly disclose software vulnerabilities by offering financial rewards, recognition, and opportunities to build long-term relationships with organizations. However, vulnerability discovery also creates competing incentives. A researcher may report a vulnerability through an official program, exploit it for passive income, trade information with other actors, delay disclosure, or seek compensation through alternative markets. These decisions are shaped by the expected value of rewards, perceived fairness of company responses, reputation benefits, competition, and the risk of penalties. Because directly observing these choices in real-world bug bounty programs presents ethical, legal, and practical challenges, controlled environments …

Annual Reports Of The Town Of Seabrook, New Hampshire For Year Ending December 31, 2025 As Compiled By Town Officers, Seabrook Town Representatives

Seabrook, NH Annual Reports

This is an annual report containing vital statistics for a town/city in the state of New Hampshire.

The Tribal Wills At Usd's Knudson School Of Law: A Study In Mutuality, Nimbleness, And Persistence, Thomas E. Simmons

South Dakota Law Review

No abstract provided.

Osgoode Syllabus Of Courses And Seminars: 2026 - 2027, Office Of Student Services

Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Navigating The Ai Maze: Evaluating Emerging Tools In Academic Databases, Grace Norris, Grace Allbaugh, Eric Willey

Faculty and Staff Publications – Milner Library

Library database vendors have recently begun introducing AI tools to their platforms at an increasing pace. While some of these tools cannot be turned off, some can, leaving libraries to make the decision with little in the way of past practice to rely on. There has been considerable research done on the generally available large language models (LLMs) but less on methodologies for evaluating platform add-on tools. This paper outlines the development of such an evaluation process at an R2 academic library in the US, from conception to implementation. It offers practical insights on bringing in stakeholders across the library …

College Of Nursing Records, Sdsu Archives And Special Collections, Hilton M. Briggs Library

Archives Finding Aids

Nursing education at South Dakota State University began in 1935 with the establishment of a Department of Nursing under the Division of Pharmacy at the request of the South Dakota Nurses’ Association. Initially a five-year program with clinical experiences at Sioux Valley Hospital, it became a four-year program in 1952 and received National League for Nursing accreditation in 1960. The department became the Division of Nursing in 1956 and the College of Nursing in 1964. Subsequent developments included graduate programs, continuing education, off-campus opportunities for registered nurses, accelerated bachelor’s programs, and doctoral degrees.

The College of Nursing Records document administration, …

Nature-Based Solutions For Urban Resilience And Environmental Justice In Underserved Coastal Communities: A Case Study On Oakleaf Forest In Norfolk, Va, Farzaneh Soflaei, Mujde Erten-Unal, Carol L. Considine, Faeghe Borhani

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Climate change and sea-level change (SLC) are intensifying flooding in U.S. coastal communities, with disproportionate impacts on Black and minority neighborhoods that face displacement, economic hardship, and heightened health risks. In Norfolk, Virginia, sea levels are projected to rise by at least 0.91 m (3 ft) by 2100, placing underserved neighborhoods such as Oakleaf Forest at particular risk. This study investigates the compounded impacts of flooding at both the building and urban scales, situating the work within the framework of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). A mixed-method, community-based approach was employed, integrating literature review, field observations, and community …

Characterizing The Unique Chemical Imprint Of On-Axis, Lower-Temperature Hydrothermal Flow To The Deep Ocean (Southern East Pacific Rise, 16.5°-18.0°S), Laura E. Moore, Randelle M. Bundy, Joseph A. Resing, Scott White, Tamara Baumberger, Peter N. Sedwick, Nathaniel J. Buck, Anson M. Antriasian, Isaac Keohane, Bettina M. Sohst, Sharon L. Walker, Christopher R. German

OES Faculty Publications

In addition to high-temperature vents, lower-temperature flow (LTF) (< 300°C) is abundant along mid-ocean ridges and contributes globally-important fluxes of heat and water along with largely-unconstrained geochemical influences on the ocean. We examined the impact of on-axis LTF on the chemical composition of the overlying water column (< 40 m above seafloor) along the 16.5°-18.0°S sector of the ultrafast-spreading southern East Pacific Rise using autonomous underwater vehicle Sentry surveys and conductivity-temperature-depth rosette casts. LTF sites were typically spatially isolated from high-temperature systems and imparted unique chemical signatures to the overlying ocean. Water column samples impacted by LTF exhibited low particulate iron:sulfur ratios and high methane: total-dissolvable manganese ratios, whereas samples influenced by high-temperature venting exhibited opposite trends. We confirmed that LTF imparts a distinct and measurable chemical signature to the water column, independent from high-temperature vents. Isolated, on-axis LTF will be important to consider when assessing hydrothermal circulation impacts upon ocean biogeochemistry.

Recirculated Submarine Groundwater Discharge Dominates Nutrient Inputs And Enhances Eutrophication Risk In A Coastal Lagoon, Júlia Rodriguez-Puig, Clara Ruiz-González, Marc Diego-Feliu, Irene Alorda-Montiel, Aaron Alorda-Kleinglass, Daniel Romano-Gude, Andrea G. Bravo, Júlia Dordal-Soriano, Javier Gilabert, Sophia Bergeler, Celine Lavergne, Gemma Casas, Marisol Manzano, Jordi Garcia-Orellana, Valentí Rodellas

OES Faculty Publications

Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) is a widely recognized pathway for nutrient transport to coastal systems. Prior studies overlook the unique biogeochemical signatures of different SGD pathways, neglecting their differences in biogeochemical transformations and spatiotemporal factors. Here, we present an integrated assessment of nutrient delivery through three SGD pathways (fresh SGD, long‐scale recirculated SGD, and short‐scale porewater exchange), alongside surface water inputs, to evaluate their seasonality and impact on nutrient dynamics in a coastal lagoon. We conducted five field surveys in March, July, and November 2021, July 2024, and March 2025 in the Mar Menor lagoon, an ecosystem facing severe ecological …

Aquatic Macrophytes As Nature-Based Solutions: Challenges And Opportunities Across Inland And Coastal Waters, Morgan Botrel, Roxane Maranger, Lindsay L. Trottier, Mathieu Cusson, Lars L. Iverson, Fanny Noisette, Christian Nozais, Katrine Turgeon, Andrea Bertolo, Thibaud André-Alphonse, Simon Bélanger, Arthur De Grandpré, Jean-Olivier Goyette, Sabine Hilt, Ladd Johnson, Valérie Langlois, Martin Laporte, Félix Lauzon, Brigitte Légaré, Anne Ola, Marie-Pomme Presne-Poissant, Matthieu Prugne, Caroline Susini, Richard Zimmerman

OES Faculty Publications

Macrophytes are foundation species whose use as nature-based solution (NbS) in aquatic ecosystems can help reduce climate change impacts while mitigating biodiversity loss. The discrepancy in research and application of macrophytes as NbS across inland and marine coastal ecosystems is an opportunity to expand the concept and learn from different approaches. We report on an initiative uniting marine and freshwater scientists that compared knowledge on macrophytes as NbS across realms, identified advances and gaps in their use, and synthesized challenges and opportunities for application. We conducted a bibliometric analysis and an expert participatory exercise around recent review papers. We reveal …

Revisiting The Life Cycle Of Margalefidinium Polykrikoides Group Iii, Eduardo Pérez-Vega, Kenneth N. Mertens, Pjotr Meyvisch, Margaret R. Mulholland

OES Faculty Publications

Dinoflagellates produce cysts as a strategy to withstand environmental stressors, with nutrient depletion generally considered a key trigger for cyst production. Resting cysts are thick-walled, typically composed of one to several layers, and characterized by a prolonged dormancy period. In contrast, pellicle cysts possess a thin, single wall and exhibit no dormancy or a markedly shorter dormancy than resting cysts of the same species. Margalefidinium polykrikoides produces pellicle and resting cysts, whereas its congener, M. fulvescens, has been shown to produce pumpkin-like structures. Using phase-contrast microscopy, time-lapse microscopy, FlowCam, and attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy (ATR μ-FTIR), …

The Effects Of A Microplate On Plume-Ridge Interactions: Constraints From Comparing Easter And Juan Fernandez Microplates In The Eastern Pacific Ocean, Katherine Ames, Jennifer Georgen

OES Faculty Publications

This study investigates the nature of plume-ridge interactions near a tectonic microplate using mantle Bouguer anomaly (MBA) gravity calculations. The focus of this investigation is a comparison of the Easter and Juan Fernandez microplates, which are located in the eastern Pacific Ocean along the Pacific, Nazca, and Antarctic plate boundaries. The microplates have several similar characteristics, including general size, time of formation, and clockwise rotation within the larger bounding mid-ocean ridge systems. Unlike the Juan Fernandez microplate, however, the Easter microplate is located near a mantle plume (Easter/Salas y Gomez). Previously published geochemical data suggest that material from this plume …

Biggar Papers, George C., Sdsu Archives And Special Collections, Hilton M. Briggs Library

Archives Finding Aids

The George Biggar Papers document the career and activities of a broadcaster active in agricultural communication and radio production from the 1920s through the 1960s. The collection includes biographical materials, photographs, correspondence, clippings, scripts, writings, and an M.S. thesis that reflect Biggar’s work in rural and agricultural broadcasting, radio programming, and wartime agricultural reporting. A substantial portion of the collection relates to a World War II agricultural tour and includes diaries, interviews, maps, speeches, research notes, and related documentation. Additional materials address agriculture, economic studies, and professional recognition. Together, the papers provide insight into the development of agricultural radio, the …

South Dakota Farmer's Alliance Records, Sdsu Archives And Special Collections, Hilton M. Briggs Library

Archives Finding Aids

The South Dakota Farmers Alliance Records reflect the early organization of farmers in Dakota Territory during the 1880s in response to declining wheat prices and opposition to railroad monopolies. The collection includes an 1887 address by Alliance president H. L. Loucks, proceedings from an annual convention, and an undated agricultural advertisement, illustrating the Alliance’s advocacy for economic reform and practical agricultural education. Together, these materials provide insight into the leadership, priorities, and strategies of the Farmers’ Alliance during a formative period of agrarian activism in South Dakota.

Marghab Papers, Vera Way, Sdsu Archives And Special Collections, Hilton M. Briggs Library

Archives Finding Aids

Vera Way Marghab (1900–1995) was a pioneering entrepreneur in the luxury textile industry. Born in South Dakota, she studied piano in New York before co-founding Marghab, Ltd. on the Portuguese island of Madeira in 1933 with her husband, Emile Marghab. Together, they built one of the most esteemed embroidery houses, producing linens celebrated for their craftsmanship, exclusivity, and innovative design. Following Emile’s death in 1947, Vera led the company for nearly four decades, navigating shifts in global markets and political changes in Portugal before closing the business in 1984. Today, Marghab linens remain a benchmark of excellence, with a complete …