Digital Commons Network^™

Beyond Compliance: Transformative Co-Design For Gender-Based Violence Prevention In Higher Education, Narelle Lemon, Christina Gray, Jason Goopy, Lisa Holmes, Bec Ball, Melissa Perry, Elisa Fear

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This study examines how university staff and students experience transformative learning through voluntary participation in a gender-based violence (GBV) prevention programme that transcended compliance-oriented approaches. While universities increasingly rely on mandatory modules that fail to create sustainable change, this research investigates whether self-nominated participation and co-design pedagogy can foster genuine transformation and voice development among participants from diverse disciplinary backgrounds. A qualitative multi-method design examined eight university students (aged 18–24) at an Australian university through pre-post focus groups, observational field notes, and artefact analysis. Participants voluntarily engaged in workshops co-designing peer-focused social media prevention messaging. Inductive thematic analysis identified patterns …

Crafting The Inspirational Teacher: Governing Through Affect As Policy Response To Teacher Recruitment In Australia, Saul Karnovsky, Brad Gobby, George Variyan, Andrew W. Wilkins, Antonio Olmedo

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

As policymakers address a teacher attrition crisis, this paper examines how the Australian policy response mobilises affect to address and manage teacher recruitment. Drawing on affect theory and governmentality, we analyse a case study–the Australian Government’s Be That Teacher campaign–as a policy instrument that seeks to cultivate among would-be-teachers desirable feelings and aspirations aligned with state priorities. Our analysis shows how a sentimental and idealised figure of the ‘inspirational’ teacher is mobilised as a form of affective governmentality through two interconnected dynamics: (1) the construction of teaching as emotionally fulfilling and morally meaningful work through narratives of inspiration, care, and …

Diet And Physical Activity Behaviours Among People With Insomnia Symptoms: A Cross-Sectional Survey To Understand Treatment Needs And Acceptability, Jacy Hyland, Moira Junge, Joseph J. Scott, David Cunnington, Mia A. Schaumberg, Mathew J. Summers, Timothy Baird, Claire M. Ellender, Caitlin Fehily, Emma Axelsson, Sara Winter, Jenny Bowman, Hattie H. Wright, Christopher D. Askew, Alexandra P. Metse

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: High adherence to a Mediterranean diet and regular moderate-intensity physical activity (≥5 days/week, ≥30 minutes/day) reduce the risk of insomnia symptom onset and maintenance, yet engagement in these behaviours among adults with insomnia symptoms and the acceptability of lifestyle support are not well understood.

Methods: Objectives: (1) characterise diet and physical activity behaviours among people with insomnia symptoms, including adherence to the Mediterranean diet and physical activity guidelines (moderate-intensity physical activity on ≥5days/week for ≥30 minutes/day), as well as the regularity of these behaviours; (2) explore clinical and socio-demographic factors associated with these behaviours; and (3) investigate the acceptability …

It Will Only Work If Everyone Is On Board: A Needs And Context Assessment To Inform Exercise Oncology Implementation Within A Public Healthcare Organisation, Georgia L. White, Mary A. Kennedy, Bryan A. Chan, Hattie Wright, Grace L. Rose

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Introduction: Exercise has well-established benefits across the cancer continuum for people living with and beyond cancer, yet the exercise oncology field faces a research-to-practice gap. Understanding the factors that influence implementation in any given context is essential to ensure implementation strategies have the greatest likelihood of success. The study mapped onsite exercise oncology services, staff-reported implementation barriers and facilitators, organisational readiness, and experiences reported by people living with or beyond cancer, across a large public healthcare organisation.

Methods: Staff and people living with and beyond cancer across cancer care centres within the public healthcare organisation completed an online survey. Data …

Making Room For ‘Feelings’: What's At Stake For The Theory Of Practice Architectures?, George Variyan, Brad Gobby

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This paper responds to Thelin, K. [2024. What about feelings? Elaboration on and consideration of the theoretical construct of emotions in practice and practice architectures. International Journal of Leadership in Education, 1–14] intriguing proposal that the theory of practice architectures (hereafter TPA) would benefit from an augmentation to its oft-repeated analytical mantra of ‘sayings, doings and relatings’ by adding the notion of feelings. Thelin's work is motivated by the increasing realisation amongst adherents that TPA has thus far been relatively silent on how emotions mediate practice. As such, there are ongoing efforts to think through the place of emotions in …

Reining In State Judicial Conduct Commissions, Rebecca Frank Dallet

Marquette Law Review

There is a new threat to judicial independence: state judicial conduct commissions. These bodies are charged with holding judges accountable for violations of state ethics rules. But what was intended to be a shield for the public against judicial misconduct has instead been turned into a sword used against judges. As the judiciary has become more politicized, commissions are being overhauled to include more partisan political appointments. Unfounded complaints against judges are easy to file and to make public, despite confidentiality rules. And investigations of complaints may take many months, leaving judges in limbo as to what they can or …

Inside Out: Improving Large Model Safety, Wei Zhao

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

While Large Language Models (LLMs) and Multimodal Large Language Models (MLLMs) are at the frontier of current advancements in artificial intelligence, demonstrating remarkable capabilities across diverse applications, there are growing concerns about their reliability and security. LLMs remain vulnerable to adversarial attacks through carefully crafted prompts that circumvent safety mechanisms, while MLLMs face additional security challenges stemming from their multimodal nature. Despite considerable efforts in reinforcement learning from human feedback (RLHF) and supervised fine-tuning, existing safeguards have proven inadequate in addressing these critical vulnerabilities. This inadequacy stems from the fact that these models are inherently blackboxes that do not provide …

Assessing The Scope Of Knowledge And Decision-Making Patterns Regarding Healthy Eating During Pregnancy In Pregnant Female Adults In Southern California, Raegan Soffel

Loma Linda University Research Reports

While recognizing the link between prenatal nutrition and maternal-fetal health, this investigator-initiated study seeks to identify pregnant women's understanding of prenatal nutrition guidelines and the influences on their dietary choices. Thirty-eight eligible women completed an online, anonymous surveying assessing the scope of knowledge and decision-making patterns of healthy eating during pregnancy. The average knowledge score among the participants was 6.05/14. There was no significant difference in the knowledge scores among pregnancy periods or among total number of pregnancies. Perceptions of nutrition guidance in prenatal care, factors influencing eating behaviors, and primary sources of nutrition information were explored. The findings may …

Arbitrating Discipline Without Due Process Or Training: Procedural Injustice In The United States Postal Services Grievances, Wendy R. Ball-Jeter

Mitchell Hamline Law Journal of Public Policy and Practice

No abstract provided.

S.F. 2200 (2025) - Permission To Change: Minnesota's Illusory Privilege Reform In A Post-Notorious Rbg Era, A.G. Summers

Mitchell Hamline Law Journal of Public Policy and Practice

No abstract provided.

Implementing Young Adult Court In Minnesota, Sarah Dohm

Mitchell Hamline Law Journal of Public Policy and Practice

No abstract provided.

More Than Bad Neighbors: Data Centers And Minnesota's Newest Attempts To Regulate Them, Daria Mcgucken

Mitchell Hamline Law Journal of Public Policy and Practice

No abstract provided.

Assessing Liability For School Shootings, Nanci K. Carr

Mitchell Hamline Law Journal of Public Policy and Practice

No abstract provided.

Pricing Lies: Government Contracts And The False Claims Act, Fernando Mendoza López

Marquette Law Review

Courts have recognized the federal government’s use of government contracts not only as a commercial transaction but also as an instrument of policy. Governments routinely seek to promote small business interests, domestic industry, women-owned, minority-owned, and veteran-owned businesses. However, in cases of fraud involving these policy provisions, courts have consistently failed to recognize this dual nature of government contracts.

The intangible benefits that governments gain from these preferential policies complicate damage calculations for courts when dealing with fraud. Such complications have led to inconsistencies and the emergence of three main approaches. First, some courts have assessed that the government …

State Performance Plan / Annual Performance Report: Part C, For State Formula Grant Programs Under The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, For Reporting On Ffy 2024, Tennessee, Tennessee Early Intervention System, Tennessee. Department Of Disability And Aging, United States. Department Of Education

Annual Performance Reports

The Annual Performance Report is a federal report to the Office of Special Education Program (OSEP) on the performance of the state’s early intervention program on several compliances and results indicators of quality.

Artificial Intelligence And The Article 36 Legal Review, Russell Buchan

Saint Louis University Law Journal

This article examines the application of the Article 36 legal review obligation to new weapons, means, or methods of warfare that make use of artificial intelligence. This article assesses: the customary international law status of Article 36; who must conduct legal reviews; what must be reviewed; when a legal review must occur; the legal standards against which reviews must take place; and the conduct and nature of legal reviews. This article argues that, properly interpreted, legal reviews under Article 36 should be seen as a dyadic process that can help inform commanders as to how complex and high-powered technologies such …

Emerging Technologies And Targeting During Armed Conflict, Megan Hofstetter, Eric Talbot Jensen

Saint Louis University Law Journal

Emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, cyber capabilities, autonomous weapons, and advanced robotics are reshaping the conduct of hostilities and, in particular, the process of targeting in armed conflict. Drawing on historical analogies of technological adaptation in warfare, this article applies a framework of “waning” and “emerging” factors to analyze the evolving relationship between the law of armed conflict (“LOAC”) and technological innovation. The discussion focuses on three critical dimensions of targeting: the places where conflict occurs, the actors engaged in conflict, and the means and methods employed. As traditional constraints rooted in geography, state-centric conflict, and kinetic weaponry decline …

The First Amendment Right To Privacy, Alex Chemerinsky

Marquette Law Review

The First Amendment is often considered to be in tension with privacy. This

Article is about the contexts in which it is not.

Although freedom of speech can pose challenges for privacy governance,

privacy is a core First Amendment value. Many important First Amendment decisions were motivated more by intuitions about privacy than any other interest. For each primary First Amendment liberty—the rights to speak, listen, associate, and practice religion—the Supreme Court has recognized not only a

substantive liberty but also the right to exercise it privately.

But although expressive privacy is an important First Amendment value, it

remains underrecognized, …

Application Of Passive Samplers For Exploring Remedial Progress In The Torch Lake Aoc And Interlake Variability Of Pcbs, Cailin B. Bishop

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This study evaluates changes in dissolved polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentrations in Torch Lake, Michigan, an Area of Concern shaped by decades of legacy contamination and evolving restoration policy. Passive samplers deployed across sites and seasons (2024–2025) show total PCB concentrations ranging from below detection to 110 pg/L (mean = 16.8 pg/L), representing an approximate 90% decline since 2005. Comparisons with regional reference lakes indicate no statistically significant difference (p = 0.84), suggesting concentrations may approach background atmospheric levels despite continued variability. Congener profiles indicate a shift toward lower-chlorinated PCBs, though interpretation of higher-chlorinated congeners is limited by slow sorption kinetics. …

A Tunable Environment For Tissue Engineering – Establishing Gelatin And Nanofibers For 3d Cell Culture, Edward James Sloan Iii

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Traditional 2D cell culture systems provide a controlled environment for studying cellular mechanisms, but they fail to emulate the complex 3D structure and mechanical stimuli present in native tissue. This study aimed to develop a tunable in vitro environment that more closely mimics the extracellular matrix by integrating porcine gelatin hydrogels with electrospun nanofiber scaffolds to support 3D cell growth. Gelatin crosslinked with microbial transglutaminase (mTG) was synthesized and optimized to create a viscous substrate capable of supporting cell movement and growth, while polycaprolactone nanofibers with aligned, mesh, and honeycomb morphologies were fabricated to introduce structural anisotropy similar to connective …

Multilayer Adaptive And Cooperative Control Of Pipeline Systems: From Local Loop Adaptation To Distributed Game-Theoretic Coordination, David Brattley

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This dissertation presents a unified adaptive and coordinated control architecture for multi-station centrifugal pump pipeline systems operating under dynamic hydraulic conditions. Local controller adaptability is achieved using a variable-forgetting-factor Recursive Least Squares (RLS) algorithm, which continuously estimates process parameters to adjust controller gains in real time. To prevent excessive effort and controller-induced instability, a reinforcement-learning supervisory layer based on Q-learning is implemented to determine optimal adaptation-activation policies.

For pipeline systems with multiple pump stations, a game-theoretic coordination layer is introduced to balance discharge-pressure contributions, minimize pressure oscillations, and improve energy distribution across geographically distributed assets. Cooperative and non-cooperative strategies are …

Facebook As A Strategy To Deliver A Peer Navigation Intervention For Recently Incarcerated Women With Opioid Use Disorder: A Mixed Methods Descriptive Profile, Martha Tillson, Jaxin Annett, Marguerite A. Webster, Amanda Fallin-Bennett, Mandi Webster, Amber Clemons, Cynthia Robinson, Kevin Crabtree, Casey Baker-Romans, Michele Staton

Center on Drug and Alcohol Research Faculty Publications

Recovery support and treatment linkages are critical during transitions from incarceration to community but can be challenging to deliver to hard-to-reach populations. This paper will examine Facebook contacts between peer navigators (PNs) and women with opioid use disorder (OUD) following jail release to explore women’s use of PN services, including purpose and content of Facebook messages. As part of a larger clinical trial under the Justice Community Opioid Innovation Network (JCOIN), PNs provided OUD treatment navigation and recovery support for 12 weeks following women’s release from jail, using remote options such as Facebook. Facebook Messenger transcripts between PNs and participants …

The Table Between Us: Cultivating Intergenerational Discipleship And Belonging In The Local Church, James Irwin

Doctor of Ministry

Many members of Generation Z, born in the mid-1990s to the early 2010s, have grown up amid digital saturation, social fragmentation, mental health challenges, and institutional distrust. At Holy Savior Lutheran Church in Lincoln, Nebraska, many Gen Z participants seek deeper, more meaningful relationships beyond Sunday worship. This project addresses the concern expressed by these Gen Z members at Holy Savior.

This dissertation asserts that intergenerational ministry provides a theologically grounded, culturally responsive approach for engaging Gen Z in meaningful discipleship at Holy Savior Lutheran Church. By grounding this approach in Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Sanctorum Communio and Life Together, and …

The Ripple Effect: Montana's Tribes Wield Sovereignty Amid A Changing Federal Landscape, University Of Montana--Missoula. School Of Journalism. Native News Honors Project

Native News Honors Project, 1992-2026

An annual publication that is reported, photographed, edited, and designed by students in the University of Montana’s School of Journalism.

Unsettling The West: Migration Routes And Homesteading Through Oral Histories, Sidney Wickham

Nebraska Anthropologist

Westward expansion in the nineteenth-century United States has long been framed through settler-centered historical narratives that emphasize progress and national development. This article employs oral history as an ethnographic method to examine migration routes and homesteading experiences in Nebraska and the broader Midwest, foregrounding how memory, storytelling, and lived experience function as cultural practices. Drawing on interviews with descendants of homesteaders, community members, and museum professionals, alongside diaries, newspapers, and archival materials, this study analyzes how migration was remembered, narrated, and transmitted across generations. Rather than treating overland trails and homesteads as singular pathways of movement, this research situates them …

A Semiotic Analysis Of German-American Cultural Suppression In The Lincoln Freie Presse From 1914 To 1918, Elle Ward

Nebraska Anthropologist

This study performs a historical semiotic content analysis of the Lincoln Freie Presse to document the processes of cultural coercion and resultant identity erasure within the German- American press of Nebraska during the critical period of January 1914 to December 1918. The research establishes a semiotic baseline (1914–1916) characterized by high linguistic and content autonomy and then tracks the immediate, stark shifts following the U.S. entry into World War I (the coercion period) and the succeeding mass anti-German hysteria (1917–1918). Quantitative findings convey a rapid and overwhelming visual conquest of the newspaper’s spatio-textual landscape: patriotic symbolism surged from zero to …

Sancocho Leadership: Nurturing Leadership And Vocation Of Latinas, Miriam Méndez

Doctor of Leadership

Latinas are vital to the future of the American Baptist Churches of New Jersey (ABCNJ), but the church has failed to properly nurture and develop their pastoral leadership gifts. They contribute significantly to congregational life, pastoral care, community outreach, and theological imagination. However, their presence in formal pastoral leadership roles remains limited. This dissertation examines the structural, cultural, and theological factors that influence Latina pastoral development. The solution for developing Latina women into pastoral leadership positions in the ABCNJ is the introduction of a contextual, culturally rooted model called Sancocho Leadership. Drawing on practical theology, Latina feminist theology, and leadership …

Parental Incarceration As A Root Cause Of Food Insecurity: A Faith-Based Inquiry Into Grandparent-Led Households, Jennifer L. Eckert

Doctor of Leadership

Parental incarceration is often seen solely in terms of crime and punishment, overlooking the profound disruption that can destabilize entire households. Grandparents who step in to raise children are frequently left to bear the burden of the collateral damage with limited or fixed incomes, increasing the risk for food insecurity while facing stigma and emotional strain.

Although incarceration and food insecurity are often treated as separate issues, this project, Standing in the Gap: Exploring Family Stability through Immersive Learning, recognizes their connection, particularly when the circumstances stem from parental incarceration. At the same time, many faith communities remain on …

Journeying Together: A Coaching Framework Empowering Voice And Transforming Teams, Kari Michele Kinard

Doctor of Leadership

To be seen, heard, and to have a voice are deeply human desires, regardless of where one finds oneself in the world. In the culturally and ethnically diverse Saharan nation, the Islamic Republic of Mauritania (RIM), the capital, Nouakchott, serves as a central hub shaped by a strong Islamic identity, historical hierarchies, and long-standing foreign involvement in development efforts. These dynamics create both meaningful opportunities and real challenges for leadership practices across sectors.

Development efforts in RIM have long sought to strengthen communities through education, healthcare, and economic initiatives. While these efforts are well-intentioned, sustaining impact has remained a persistent …

Financial Literacy Education To College Students In The U.S., Jing Jian Xiao

Human Development and Family Science Faculty Publications

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to document the status of personal finance course offerings at universities and colleges in the U.S.

Method: With assistance of generative AI tools, data on personal finance courses at universities and colleges in the U.S. were collected. The course dataset was merged with a dataset compiled by Carnegie Mellon Foundation with institutional characteristics.

Findings: Results demonstrate that 14% of the higher education institutions in the U.S. offer personal finance courses for credits. Among them, institutions that are very large, public, highly research active, with low access, and having students with …