Digital Commons Network^™

Regulatory Design Choices For Ai: The What, The Who And The How, Aziz Z. Huq

Public Law and Legal Theory Working Papers

This chapter identifies three common design choices that must be made in the course of an effort to regulate artificial intelligence “AI”). By isolating the way in which those different sovereign regulators approach these choices in respect to AI, it is possible to evaluate more clearly the likely effects of regulation, and to better understand aspects of regulatory design that to date have been overlooked. First, the “what” of AI regulation is not just a matter of how “AI” is defined, but also which element of the technology stack is targeted by law: compute, data, or models. Second, the “who” …

Patrimonial Constitutionalism, Aziz Z. Huq

Public Law and Legal Theory Working Papers

The means and the ends of federal power are experiencing a sea-charge. Pardons are freely granted—but only to political allies or political foes who might be coaxed into switching sides. Baseless federal criminal investigations are opened against other political foes. Probes into allies’ corruption are abandoned. Independent federal agencies responsible for defending the public sphere use their regulatory authority to openly advance politically allied voices, while stifling criticism of those in power. Federal money is explicitly wielded as cudgel and bribe to induce partisan loyalty. These and similar ways of flexing federal power add up to more than the sum …

Lethality And The Historical Principles Of Arms Regulation, Darrell A. H. Miller, Jennifer Tucker, Peter Rutland, Stephen Hargarten

Public Law and Legal Theory Working Papers

Second Amendment “arms” jurisprudence is a muddle. Lower courts have been obliged to craft various approaches from Supreme Court decisions that appear to point in different directions.

We propose that the scope and protection of Second Amendment “arms” could be calibrated to a single, shared metric across all weapon types–lethality. Lethality captures the issue that everyone cares about: whether one advocates for gun rights or for gun violence prevention.

Lethality helps make legible the changes in weapons technology over time and explains the principle that underlies traditional regulation of “dangerous and unusual” weapons. The more lethal a weapon is, the …

Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition And Stress Adaptations Underlie Yttrium-90 Resistance In Liver Cancer Cell Lines, Alexander Zheleznyak, Dhanusha Duraiyan, Prasanth Thunuguntla, Jessica Camacho, Shuang Wu, Jingxia Liu, Jason D Weber, Daniel L J Thorek, Benjamin S Strnad, Ryan C Fields, Matthew A Ciorba, Christine Yoon, Valerie Blanc, Nicholas Davidson, Jessica Silva-Fisher, Christopher D Malone

2020-Current year OA Pubs

UNLABELLED: Molecular signatures predict prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma, but their relevance to transarterial radioembolization (TARE) with yttrium-90 (90Y) is unknown. We aimed to identify baseline and treatment-induced pathways associated with response and nominate biomarkers. Ten transcriptomically diverse human liver cancer cell lines were exposed to escalating activities of glass 90Y microspheres for 10 days. Normalized AUC values quantified sensitivity. Whole-transcriptome RNA sequencing at baseline and after treatment was analyzed with elastic net regression and gene set enrichment. Findings were corroborated by qRT-qPCR and exploratory analysis of pretreatment tumor samples from patients undergoing TARE. Liver cancer cell line responses to 90Y …

Why Are Executions Becoming Crueler?, Deborah W. Denno

Faculty Scholarship

Since the modern death penalty era, this country’s six execution methods have become crueler over time. This article details the execution procedures adopted across death penalty states up to the end of 2025, analyzing their societal and cultural underpinnings and explaining how they were implemented, including their shared flaws, unscientific origins and protocols, and reliance on untrained, unqualified, or unknown executioners. While legislatures and courts claim that states move from one technique to the next to enhance greater humaneness, history shows that such switches are primarily propelled by constitutional challenges to a state’s particular technique. In theory, rendering a state’s …

The Surveillance Of System-Adjacent Individuals, Mariam A. Hinds

Faculty Scholarship

Although the Fourth Amendment protects against “unreasonable searches and seizures,” this right is not enjoyed by all people equally. Supreme Court jurisprudence has curtailed the Fourth Amendment privacy rights of individuals under probation or parole supervision. In this line of cases, the Court concluded that the government’s interest in monitoring supervisees, reducing recidivism, and promoting public safety outweighed their reasonable expectation of privacy.

However, surveillance mechanisms like probation and parole extend the criminal legal system’s carceral gaze beyond the supervisees and peer into the bedrooms and digital lives of their families, roommates, and communities, or who this Article calls system-adjacent …

Outbound Investment Restrictions And International Law’S Challenge, Harlan G. Cohen

Faculty Scholarship

The Outbound Investment Rule, restricting U.S. investment in certain Chinese advanced technology sectors, has largely been portrayed as an incremental measure, a modest extension to fill loopholes in the existing investment screening regime. But while perhaps the logical next step in the securitization of the economy, the Outbound Investment Rule actually reflects a momentous shift in the relationship between governments and business, one playing out in the United States and around the world and worth attention. Unlike traditional investment screening, the Outbound Investment Rule operates like a sanctions regime, designed not to protect the U.S. economy, but to hamper the …

Untangling Ai Openness, Parth Nobel, Alan Z. Rozenshtein, Chinmayi Sharma

Faculty Scholarship

The debate over AI openness—whether to make components of an artificial intelligence system available for public inspection and modification—forces policymakers to balance innovation, democratized access, safety and national security. By inviting startups and researchers into the fold, it enables independent oversight and inclusive collaboration. But technology giants can also use it to entrench their own power, while adversaries can use it to shortcut years and billions of dollars in building systems, like China’s Deepseek-R1, that rival our own. How we govern AI openness today will shape the future of AI and America’s role in it.   Policymakers and scholars grasp the …

The International Order, International Law, And The Definition Of Security, Harlan G. Cohen

Faculty Scholarship

As economic security has seemingly moved to the center of American and European foreign policy, both the United States and the European Union have broadened their interpretation of international law rules governing security, coercion, and intervention. But these interpretations are not exactly new, echoing developing state interpretations of international law that developed states had long ago seemingly rejected. How are these once moribund interpretations of security, force, and coercion being brought back to life?

This article argues that these interpretative shifts highlight the role of the international order as an interpretative mechanism within international law. Borrowing from the work of …

The Law Of For Cause Removal, Jane Manners, Lev Menand

Faculty Scholarship

For the first time in American history, the Supreme Court is poised to decide what it means for the president to remove a principal officer “for cause.” The case — which arises from the attempted removal of Lisa Cook, a member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System — has major implications for central bank independence in the United States and, more broadly, for the U.S. administrative state. But given how long it has been since such offices were formally contested, courts and commentators have forgotten many aspects of the legal tradition governing “for cause” removal. In …

The One-Stop-Shop Is One Step In The Right Direction, Olivier Sylvain

Faculty Scholarship

In Brokering Safety, Sharma, Kadri, and Adler urge federal policymakers to impose on data brokers the greater duty of policing and stemming online stalking, harassment, and related abuse; that burden should not fall to victims, they argue. Their proposal would close the unevenness among state laws, shift the burden of oversight away from victims, and, importantly, ensure accountability at a systemic level, addressing gaps in enforcement that allow brokers to evade meaningful consequences. Yet, the one-stop-shop solution that Brokering Safety proposes also accedes to the core neoliberal presumption insofar as it individualizes harm. Online abuse, like dark patterns and …

Silencing As Blackening, I. Bennett Capers

Faculty Scholarship

We are so accustomed to seeing defendants sit silently at criminal trials while their lawyers speak that we hardly question it. Or we tell ourselves this silence is for their own protection, part of their privilege against self-incrimination and the rules we have created for their own benefit. But what if we've gotten everything wrong? What if encouraging defendants to remain silent does not inure to their benefit at all, but to the State's? And what if this silencing is tied to race? "Silencing as Blackening" tells a fuller story about silent defendants. One, that this silence is rarely voluntary, …

Book Review Of Political And Social Control In China: The Consolidation Of Single-Party Rule, Carl F. Minzner

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Dataset For "Ground-Truthing The Core Competencies In Cataloging And Metadata", Michael J. Monaco

University Research

This is the dataset for a research article submitted to Cataloging & Classification Quarterly. It consists of 109 anonymized cataloging and metadata job advertisements published from 2019-2021 in various online venues such as ALA JobList or distributed via email in discussion lists such as AUTOCAT, CODE4LIB, TSLIBRARIANS, etc. These ads were read and scored for their inclusion of the ALCTS Core Competencies for Cataloging and Metadata Professionals (CCC&M) as well as for some additional elements for analysis (type of job, type of institution) and other preferred or required qualifications, as well as whether salaries or remote work options were mentioned. …

A Follow Up Metal Detecting Survey At The Blue Licks Battlefield Resort State Park, Adrian Mandzy

Faculty Research at Morehead State University

In March and April 2008, faculty and students from students from Morehead State University’s History program, along with members of the Battlefield Restoration and Archeological Volunteer Organization (BRAVO) conducted a survey of the Blue Licks Battlefield. Previous studies of the battlefield suggested that the area had been adversely impacted by modern development and that little or no resources connected with the events of 1782 remain. As a result of the 2008 survey, we were able to establish the precents of artifacts related to the events of 1782.

At the end of the 2008 field work, additional testing was called for, …

Reaching The Finish Line: Teacher Perceptions Of Intervention Strategies To Reduce Dropouts And Improve Student Engagement In Rural Schools, Carter J. Baran

Doctor of Education Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine educator perceptions of intervention strategies designed to reduce student dropout rates and improve student engagement in rural school settings. Rural schools often face unique challenges, including limited resources, geographic isolation, and socioeconomic factors that may contribute to student disengagement and increased dropout risk. This study sought to identify strategies educators perceive as effective in supporting at-risk students and promoting persistence toward graduation. Data were collected through 18 semi-structured interviews with educators in a rural school district, including six core content teachers, six elective teachers, and six administrators. Following the interviews, a …

A Closer Look At Quality: A Mixed Methods Study On International Teachers’ Perceptions Of Educational Technology-Focused Professional Development In South Carolina, Melissa Mcclary

Doctor of Education Dissertations

Educational technology (EdTech) is widely promoted as a means of improving instruction; however, limited research has examined how international teachers are supported through EdTech-focused professional development (PD) in South Carolina (SC) schools. Using a convergent mixed methods design, this study explored international teachers' perceptions of EdTech PD quality through the lens of Desimone's (2009) core features of effective PD and Expectancy-Value Theory (EVT). Quantitative data were collected from 81 respondents using the Teacher Professional Development (TPD) Monitor Survey (Richter & Richter, 2024), complemented by 16 semi-structured interviews. Survey results indicated high overall ratings, with clarity and structure, practical relevance, and …

Teacher Perceptions Of Administrative Support, Student Behavior, And Work Environment: Effects On Morale, Commitment, And Retention Of High School Teachers In A Mid-Sized School District In North Carolina, Joseph M. Serviss

Doctor of Education Dissertations

Teacher attrition remains an ongoing challenge in secondary education, often linked to declining motivation or commitment. This mixed-methods sequential explanatory study aimed to explore high school teachers’ perceptions of administrative support, student behavior, and work environment factors, and how these elements impact job satisfaction and retention. Quantitative data were collected through an internal Teacher Working Conditions Survey distributed to high school teachers within a single public school district. For qualitative insights, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 high school teachers, and inductive thematic analysis was used to interpret the survey findings. Quantitative results showed mostly positive views regarding administrative support, …

Implementing Stem In Elementary Schools: Teacher Perceptions, Practices, And Supports, Casey Wester

Doctor of Education Dissertations

STEM education is a critical component of maintaining global competitiveness, underscoring the need to begin it in early childhood. Integrating STEM education requires teachers to move beyond traditional teaching methods toward a transdisciplinary approach. Research has shown that there can be a variety of barriers to integrating STEM into the classroom. This explanatory mixed methods research study investigated elementary school educators' perspectives on implementing a STEM initiative, the fidelity of implementation post-initiative, and the current supports and additional support needed to sustain implementation. To carry out this investigation, a survey was deployed to elementary educators in three elementary schools, and …

Supporting Core Instruction: A Mixed Methods Study Of Foundations Of Math Training For Elementary Teachers, Naomi C. Mallory

Doctor of Education Dissertations

Effective Tier 1 mathematics instruction within a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) depends on the teacher’s ability to implement research-based instructional practices with confidence and fidelity (Berkeley et al., 2020; Cleaver, 2023). The purpose of this study was to explore educators' perspectives on how explicit, research-based mathematics professional development influenced their perceived capacity to deliver effective core instruction. Specifically, the study explored how the Foundations of Math (FoM) professional development course affected teachers’ confidence and instructional decision-making. This study was conducted within one public school district and included elementary educators who had participated in the FoM course. Data were collected …

Using The Competing Values Framework To Connect Elementary School Culture, Principal Behaviors, And School Performance, Tara Tucker

Doctor of Education Dissertations

The purpose of this explanatory sequential mixed methods research was to investigate the relationships between school principal leadership competencies, school organizational culture, and school performance grades in elementary schools in one district in western North Carolina using Quinn and Rohrbaugh’s (1983) Competing Values Framework (CVF). This study measured the correlation between school organizational culture, as measured by the Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument; school effectiveness, as indicated by the NC Accountability Grading Scale; and principal behaviors at the elementary level, as measured by the Leadership Competencies Assessment. Using the CVF, this study identified a school’s organizational culture by determining where dominating …

Do Your Perceptions Of Minority Students Influence How You Teach Them? How Does A White Teacher's Racial Identity Affect Academic Outcomes Of Students Of Color?, Vivianease Major

Doctor of Education Dissertations

This qualitative research study examined the relationship between White teachers and students of color, focusing on how teachers' racial identity awareness influences their instructional practices and relationships. Using Helms's (1990) White Racial Identity Development Theory and principles of culturally responsive pedagogy, the study explored how teachers perceive their roles in advocating for the academic and relational needs of diverse students. Participants described their experiences with students of color, relationship-building strategies, and how their backgrounds and training affect their teaching practices. Semi-structured interviews and inductive thematic analysis were employed to analyze teacher perceptions and experiences. Findings revealed that participants made significant …

Perceptions Of Intracurricular And Extracurricular Activities On Student Academics In An Eastern North Carolina High School: A Qualitative Study, Demarcus Jones

Doctor of Education Dissertations

This qualitative study explored educator perceptions of the impact of intracurricular and extracurricular activities on student academic achievement in a rural high school in Eastern North Carolina. Grounded in Bandura’s (1986) Social Cognitive Theory and Maslow’s (1962) Hierarchy of Needs, the study examined how structured school-based programs influence student motivation, engagement, and academic performance. Data were collected through three rounds of semi-structured interviews with purposive groups of core teachers, elective teachers/sponsors, and school administrators, followed by a culminating focus group to confirm emerging themes. Inductive thematic analysis revealed that participation in structured programs positively influenced academic outcomes by promoting accountability, …

Beyond The Classroom: Exploring High School Graduates' Perceptions Of How Extracurricular Activities Influence College And Career Readiness, Miranda B. Grigg

Doctor of Education Dissertations

This mixed methods study explored high school graduates’ perceptions of how participation in extracurricular activities influenced their college and career readiness. Grounded in Bandura’s (1986) Social Cognitive Theory and Deci and Ryan’s (1985) Self-Determination Theory, the study examined how experiences in athletics, clubs, organizations, and leadership roles contributed to graduates’ development of confidence, motivation, leadership skills, belonging, and real-world competencies. A sequential explanatory mixed methods design was employed. The quantitative phase consisted of a 20-item survey completed by 67 graduates of a rural South Carolina high school, with responses analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square goodness-of-fit tests. Reliability was further …

Overcoming The Literacy Gap In K-5 Students From A District Perspective: A Qualitative Study, Sarah G. Boles

Doctor of Education Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how district leaders respond to literacy gaps among kindergarten through fifth-grade students in a small, rural school district in Northwestern North Carolina. While previous research has focused specifically on classroom practices, less is known about the role of district leadership in shaping system-level approaches to literacy improvement. Using a qualitative research design, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 18 participants, which included nine elementary lead classroom teachers and nine elementary school leaders (five principals, two assistant principals, and two instructional coaches). The culminating focus group included six teachers, three principals, …

Developing Collaboration And Community Through An Online Virtual Modality: Participatory Action Research, Jennifer Reed

Doctor of Education Dissertations

This action research study examined educators’ perceptions of collaboration and community within a virtual professional learning community and investigated how participation influenced collaborative actions over time. The study also compared the needs and goals of secondary and postsecondary educators participating in a shared VPLC model. Grounded in the Community of Inquiry and Online Collaborative Learning theoretical frameworks, this study addressed a growing need for effective, flexible professional learning structures that support collaboration across educational contexts. Data were collected from six educators, including three secondary and three postsecondary instructors, through pre- and post-administration of the Professional Learning Community Assessment–Revised, recorded virtual …

Exploring A School District's Alternative Licensure Pathway Preparation: Experience And Self-Efficacy Of Black Male Educators In North Carolina, Marquise K. Smith

Doctor of Education Dissertations

This qualitative study explored the perceived effectiveness of licensure exam preparation, student teaching experiences, and personal and professional support systems among Black male educators in North Carolina, with particular attention to self-efficacy and imposter syndrome as factors influencing licensure success. Grounded in Bandura’s (1977, 1986) Social Cognitive Theory and Self-Efficacy Theory, as well as Huecker et al.’s (2023) Imposter Syndrome Theory, the study examined how environmental structures and psychological experiences interact to shape professional outcomes. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 13 Black male educators and a follow-up focus group designed to confirm and elaborate on emergent themes. …

Exploring The Role Of Phonics Within A One-On-One Early Literacy Intervention, Katherine W. Herring

Doctor of Education Dissertations

Literacy is a strong predictor of academic achievement and long-term success beyond the school years; Therefore, educators must have access to a broad range of instructional resources, including evidence-based intervention models, to address students' diverse literacy needs. This study examined the role of phonics within a one-on-one Early Literacy Intervention, explored teachers’ understanding and experiences implementing phonics instruction in that context, and compared the phonics skills of students who successfully completed the intervention with those of the average first-grade student. Using a convergent parallel mixed methods design, the study integrated quantitative and qualitative data to provide a comprehensive analysis. Findings …

A Regional Multimethod Study On The Impact Of Identification Practices For Diverse Populations In Academically Gifted Programs During The 2022-2025 Aig Plan Implementation, Stephanie G. Revis

Doctor of Education Dissertations

Historically, many North Carolina Local Education Agencies (LEAs) have not prioritized diversity in Academically and Intellectually Gifted (AIG) programs, and local control over funding and policies has led to wide variations in how identification and services are implemented. As a result, persistent equity gaps exist between the proportion of culturally, linguistically, and ethnically diverse (CLED) students in the overall population and their representation in AIG programs. The purpose of this study was to examine identification practices implemented by LEAs and determine their impact on the Relative Difference in Composition Index (RDCI), as well as to identify which practices contribute to …

Filling In The Gaps: A Mixed Methods Convergent Parallel Study To Enhance Ethical Standards And Policy Integration In Higher Education, Tiffany D. Seawright

Doctor of Education Dissertations

This study explored the ethical culture, policy integration, and ethics-related practices at Central Heights State University (CHSU) to identify gaps and develop a comprehensive ethics integration plan. Guided by Getzels and Guba's (1957) Social Systems Model and Argyris’s (1977) Double-Loop Learning Theory, the study employed a convergent parallel mixed methods design that included document analysis and a staff survey. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected concurrently, analyzed independently, and given equal priority, and the results were merged during interpretation to examine convergence, divergence, and complementarity across data sources. The document analysis examined the visibility, accessibility, and quality of ethics-related artifacts, …