Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring Drivers And Barriers To S.M.A.R.T. Goal Implementation: A Phenomenological Study Of Exemplary K-5 Public Elementary School Teachers, Rochelle Davies

Dissertations

Purpose: The research aimed to explore how exemplary K-5 public elementary school teachers in Southern California perceive the factors that support or hinder S.M.A.R.T. goal implementation, as well as their suggestions for sustaining these practices in their classrooms. This study also examined how teachers who successfully implement S.M.A.R.T. goals experience the process of using them to promote academic clarity, strengthen student ownership, and foster long-term achievement.

Methodology: The research design used qualitative phenomenological methods to collect and analyze data. Nine K-5 teachers from public elementary schools in Southern California were purposefully selected based on specific criteria. Semistructured interviews served as …

Techniques For Inclusive College Mathematics Classrooms, Christopher Anderson Davis, Josh Hiller, Anil Venkatesh

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

Creating a welcoming and inclusive mathematics classroom is an important responsibility for all college mathematics faculty. But where do we begin? In this paper we present several techniques based on White’s (2024) building inclusive classrooms strategies framework, which the authors have found to be successful in making their own classrooms more inclusive. The techniques include the inclusion of contemporary diverse voices, exploring the history of applications of mathematical concepts, elevating the diverse intellectual history of mathematics, bringing diverse guest speakers into the classroom, and mentoring students as they engage in doing research. For each strategy we provide narrative comments based …

From Questions To Action: A Multi-Year Journey Toward Instructional Excellence In Middle School Mathematics, Courtney Baker, Johnna Bolyard, Deborah Crawford, Divya Varier

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

This paper describes the evolution of a research-practice partnership (RPP) designed to understand the impact of data-informed decision making initiatives on supporting ambitious mathematics instruction and how middle-school based mathematics specialists facilitate those initiatives. While school-university partnerships have a history of designing, implementing, and studying instructional improvement efforts, the impact of such efforts on practice is not clear (Cai et al., 2017b; Denner et al., 2019; Henrick et al., 2016). Over the first three years of our partnership, we have collected data from a variety of sources and shared them in ongoing data conversations with a range of district-level collaborators. …

The Apathy Economy: Patents, Advertising, And Consumer Indifference, Gavin J. Milczarek-Desai, Derek E. Bambauer

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

Patents function as signals as well as rights to exclude. They inform competitors, investors, employees, and consumers about the invention and its owner. How this information affects consumers is not well understood. Existing studies disagree about how advertising a product or service as patented, or patent pending, affects the price consumers will pay. This Article offers the first major empirical study of that question andfinds that consumers behave with surprising rationality: they will not pay any price premium for a patented product. A product's patent status conveys little information about whether it is superior to competing offerings. The results hold …

Guidebook For Artificial Intelligence Integration Into The University Environment, Mark J. Uline, Tarek Shazly, Grace Cosby

Reports

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not a peripheral or speculative technology in the university setting, it is rather a rapidly evolving transformational force that will reshape research, teaching, and administrative operations. Recent systematic reviews conclude that generative AI tools are already being widely used by students and instructors and can positively affect learning outcomes and academic performance when thoughtfully integrated into instruction (Hon, 2025; Qian, 2025).

At the same time, case studies warn that unmanaged or poorly governed AI use can undermine academic integrity, exacerbate inequities, and create new institutional risks (Mangundu, 2025; Şen et al., 2026). AI adoption brings unparalleled …

Scientific Kenyon: Neuroscience Edition (Full Issue)

Scientific Kenyon: The Neuroscience Edition

No abstract provided.

My Brain Didn't Get The Memo That It Was Virtual, Samantha Ofori

Scientific Kenyon: The Neuroscience Edition

No abstract provided.

Epigenetic Hangovers: Your Brain On Alcohol, Cindy Chen

Scientific Kenyon: The Neuroscience Edition

No abstract provided.

Losing Yourself To Find Yourself: The Neuroscience Ego Dissolution, Mike D'Eletto

Scientific Kenyon: The Neuroscience Edition

No abstract provided.

What The Body Feels, The Mind Reveals: How Inflammation Shapes Emotions, Jamie Murphy

Scientific Kenyon: The Neuroscience Edition

No abstract provided.

When Empathy Goes Quiet, Miko Warshaw

Scientific Kenyon: The Neuroscience Edition

No abstract provided.

The 400 Millisecond Mind, Adrian Mangine

Scientific Kenyon: The Neuroscience Edition

No abstract provided.

The Heterotopic Horizon In Zora Neale Hurston’S Their Eyes Were Watching God, Emily Norton

The Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Journal of Florida Literature

No abstract provided.

Exploring Cultural Competence Of Alabama Nurse Educators : A Mixed Methods Study, Rachel Bloodworth

Dissertations

Cultural competence is a vital skill in nursing practice and nursing education. Nurse educators must be able to teach this concept and prepare students to provide culturally competent care to patients. This study examined the cultural competence of Alabama pre-licensure nurse educators in associate degree nursing (ADN) and baccalaureate (BSN) programs and explored their perceptions of cultural competence's role in nursing education. An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was employed, guided by Campinha-Bacote's Process of Cultural Competence in the Delivery of Health Care Services Model. In Phase I, 51 nurse educators completed the Cultural Diversity Questionnaire for Nurse Educators-Revised (CDQNE-R) and …

Exploring Pregnancy-Related Empowerment And Person-Centered Prenatal Care In Black Pregnant And Postpartum Women In Alabama, Lauren Milam

Dissertations

Black women in the United States experience disproportionately high rates of maternal morbidity and mortality and often report feeling unheard, dismissed, or excluded from decision-making during pregnancy and childbirth. Understanding how Black women experience prenatal care and how those experiences relate to empowerment during pregnancy is essential for improving care and addressing persistent inequities. This study examined the relationship between person-centered prenatal care and pregnancy-related empowerment and explored Black women’s prenatal care experiences in Alabama using a sequential Quan → QUAL mixed methods design. In the quantitative phase, relationships among person-centered prenatal care, pregnancy-related empowerment, and care-related factors were examined …

Human Perceptions Of Social Intelligence In Large Language Models, Derek Koehl

Dissertations

This dissertation investigates how users form perceptions of social intelligence and trust when interacting with large language model chatbots. Three experimental studies manipulated chatbot agreeableness, goal orientation, and simulated short-term memory, measuring perceived social intelligence and trust. The primary finding is an asymmetric effect of personality: disagreeable chatbot behavior produced large reductions in perceived social intelligence and trust, whereas agreeable behavior produced negligible gains above a warm baseline, consistent with negativity bias in social cognition. Goal orientation did not independently enhance perceptions but functioned as a contextual moderator. Simulated memory produced medium-to-large increases in perceived social intelligence without reliably increasing …

Contributor Biographies

Digressions: Literary & Art Journal

No abstract provided.

Mental Health Needs Of Families Of Patients In Intensive Care Units And The Role Of Mobile Health: Survey Study, Anthony Faiola, Saira Soroya, Zhonglin Hao, Reinhold Munker

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Background: The experiences of patients with COVID-19 and their families manifested the most devastating effects of family separation since the 1918 Spanish influenza pandemic and, with it, a call for solutions to patient isolation and its effect on family mental health.

Objective: This study examined the recent experiences of families of critical care (intensive care unit; ICU) patients related to anxiety and depression (AD), satisfaction with clinician-family communication, and counseling from mental health and social services. This study explored correlations between these factors and family interest in mobile health (mHealth) designed to improve information flow and communication from patient bedside …

Improving Blood Pressure Control Through Lifestyle Modification In African Americans Adults With Uncontrolled Hypertension, Tasha Leonard

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects

African American adults have the highest incidence of uncontrolled hypertension (HTN), leading to premature cardiovascular death in Texas and worldwide. In a South Texas cardiac clinic, over 90% of African American adults with HTN also have obesity, compared with 55% of their Caucasian counterparts. The most prevalent factor affecting this group is poor understanding of blood pressure management, which leads to nonadherence to dietary and exercise recommendations, medication regimens, and blood pressure monitoring. The objective was to determine whether lifestyle modification using a hypertensive bundle would improve blood pressure management among African American adults in the clinical setting. The initiative …

The Lady Of My Dreams, Thaily Jeanty

Digressions: Literary & Art Journal

No abstract provided.

A Guideline To Address Barriers To Mental Health Treatment Experienced By Law Enforcement Officers, Jacqueline Estrella

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects

Problem: Law enforcement officers are exposed to repeated trauma on the job that may negatively affect their mental health. Officers may avoid seeking mental health treatment due to police culture, stigma, and other barriers which may increase risks for suicide, absenteeism, and maladaptive coping.

Objectives: Develop an evidenced-based guideline to address barriers law enforcement officers face in seeking mental health treatment.

Methods: The National Quality Measures Clearinghouse (NQMC) Domain Framework was used to guide a literature review to identify best practices suitable for a guideline. Articles were graded for strength based on the John Hopkins Nursing Evidence Based Practice (JHNEBP) …

The Global Privacy Frontier: Bridging User Expectations And Ai In Mental Health Technology, Salauddin Ahmed, Mohammad Asaduzzaman

Student Publications

This study examines privacy concerns in AI-driven mental health apps through the lens of Communication Privacy Management (CPM) theory, utilizing qualitative research of consumer opinions on Google Play Store. It explores how global consumers articulate privacy concerns, experience boundary turbulence in online conversations, and exhibit culturally oriented privacy expectations in this high-stakes emerging tech arena. Results indicate that users are most likely to voice concerns about control and transparency of data, with ambiguous privacy policies raising suspicion. Boundary turbulence narratives, e.g., improper use of data, are most directly related to loss of trust and app abandonment, highlighting critical challenges for …

Moréteau On Law, Language & Heritage, Agustin Parise, Mariano Vitetta, Michel Séjean

All Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Breast Milk Versus Formula Feeding In The Development Of Necrotizing Enterocolitis Among Nicu Infants: An Integrative Review, Mackenzie Jameson, Faye Li, Liudmila Ryzhova, Mia Smith

Master's Projects

Introduction/Question: NEC is a serious condition characterized by the death of intestinal tissue, primarily affecting premature infants or those with low birth weight. The incidence of NEC poses a significant concern in neonatal healthcare due to its substantial mortality risk, particularly among vulnerable populations. This condition can lead to various complications, including sepsis, nutritional deficiencies, delays in growth and development, and, in severe cases, death. NEC not only impacts the health of the infant but also affects the emotional well-being and bonding experiences of parents. Despite advancements in neonatal care, the rate of NEC has increased, highlighting the need …

Asthma Integrative Review: Effects Of Aerobic Exercise On Asthma Exacerbation, Abigail Williams, Dazya Crayton, Nicole Stasiak, Sabrina Stich

Master's Projects

Asthma is a chronic respiratory illness defined by airway inflammation and episodes of exacerbation. Pharmacological intervention remains the treatment of choice; however, there is growing evidence to support moderate intensity aerobic exercise as adjunct therapy to promote asthma control. The integrative review evaluates current evidence supporting the PICO question: In adults with mild to moderate asthma, what is the effect of prescribed aerobic exercise on reducing exacerbations? A systematic search of CINAHL, Health Source: Nursing, MEDLINE, and PubMed identified eligible studies. The inclusion criteria required peer-reviewed quantitative articles written in English and published within the past five years. In addition, …

The World Of Magic Suite: The Emergence Of A Light Novelist, Frederick A. Drayton The Third

Master's Projects

This Master’s Thesis, "THE WORLD OF MAGIC SUITE: THE EMERGENCE OF A LIGHT NOVELIST," is a collection of loosely related fictional works rooted in a seven-year-old promise made by the author to a family member. The project serves as an exploration of the author’s evolving voice and approach to writing fiction, using the unifying theme of "The Personal is The Political is The Supernatural" to build immersive fantasy worlds. The suite contains three distinct narratives. "Apathy’s Reward," a dark fantasy short story, follows Calrie DuNacht, the Apathetic Exorcist of the Golden Cathedral, as she confronts grief and the discomfort of …

Philosophical System Of General T-Continuity As The Base Of Culture-Space Economics, Victor L. Tonn

Faculty and Staff - Articles & Papers

This paper presents a holistic philosophical system based on systric forms, operational transformors, and T-Continuity, aiming to establish cultural foundations for Type I and II Economies. Culture-space economics bridges Earth and space, initiating universal economics for the Great Space Era. The Comprehensive Universe (『SELF』) comprises three systems supporting mutual-central, micro-private, and macro-collective economies. Humanity’s spaceward journey advances T-Continuity, with human creativity—not just technology—as the primary driver, offering hope for cosmic peace through ideal cultural-spatial economies. This paper presents a holistic philosophical system based on systric forms, operational transformors, and T-Continuity, aiming to establish cultural foundations for Type I and II …

Msw Portfolio, Ryan Stadheim

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Info 7000: Fundamentals Of Library And Information Science, S E. Hackney

Open Educational Resources

This course is designed to serve as a broad introduction to the field of Library and Information Science, to give you a general idea of the history, norms, prevailing trends, and future directions of the field and the professions associated with it. This includes ‘traditional’ librarianship, archives, museums, and other cultural heritage institutions, as well professions in the information, data, and technology sectors. This course will delve into the labor that the people in these professions do, and introduce some of the skills and knowledge needed to do that work.

Generative Ai Peer Tutoring To Support Peer-Reviewed Source Identification And Evaluation, Rae Mair, Michelle Kelley, Taylar Wenzel, Andrea C. Borowczak, Yuqing Li, Mike Borowczak

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This chapter explores the design and evaluation of a generative artificial intelligence peer tutor prompt to support college students in identifying and evaluating peer-reviewed sources for academic research. Grounded in literature on peer tutoring, Socratic dialogue, and AI-supported learning, the authors describe an iterative prompt engineering process designed to transform large language models (LLMs) into Socratic-style peer tutors capable of scaffolding student reasoning without completing tasks for them. Five guiding criteria for an effective peer tutor shaped development and evaluation: cognitive congruence, step-by-step guidance, avoiding giving answers, adaptability to student level, metacognitive transparency, and following assignment directions. Across multiple human-centered …