Digital Commons Network^™

Student Perspectives On Grading In Higher Education Stem Courses, Christopher Sean Burns, Daniela D.S. Digiacomo, Jennifer Pusateri, Katherine Ritchie, Christine Wusylko

Information Science Faculty Publications

Purpose

Despite a growing awareness of instructional practices that support student learning and well-being, higher education classrooms tend to still be dominated by the use of rigid approaches to assessment and course design. This study aims to understand the experiences of students in courses that implement a universal design for learning (UDL) pedagogical approach and an ungrading assessment approach. Design/methodology/approach

Leveraging a qualitative methodological approach, authors interviewed 13 graduate students in two library and information science technology courses and 11 undergraduate students in a computer science course in discrete mathematics about their experiences with ungrading within the context of UDL-designed …

Unprotected In Public: Street Harassment And The Legal Control Of Female Resistance, Joanne Sweeny

Cleveland State Law Review

This Article traces the historical development of street harassment from its emergence in the Victorian era to its contemporary manifestations, situating it within broader social, legal, and gendered frameworks. It explores the cultural and structural forces that have enabled street harassment to persist over time, examining how it functions as both a method of gendered control and a reflection of public space dynamics. While street harassment has long been recognized by those who experience it as a form of violence and domination, the law has consistently failed to treat it as such. Instead, legal responses have often focused not on …

Commonwealth Times 2026-04-22

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

Ehr Integration Of A Violence Risk Tool To Promote Safer Work Environments, Kirk Bradford

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

In October 2022, a tragic act of workplace violence within our health system highlighted the need for a proactive, data-driven approach to staff safety. Workplace violence impacts nearly one in four nurses each year (McCollum et al., 2024); yet most organizations lack an objective tool to predict and prevent such incidents. The goal of this project was to implement and evaluate a systematic, evidence-based screening process to improve early risk detection and foster safer clinical environments—aligned with the AACN Healthy Work Environment Standard of Effective Decision-Making (AACN, 2016).

A multidisciplinary team of nursing, informatics, and security leaders integrated a modified …

2026-04-21 Executive Council Minutes, Susie Salazar

Executive Council Minutes

No abstract provided.

Nazi Germany And Humanities Education As Propaganda, Sam Marie Smith

Honors Theses

One of the Third Reich’s most significant actions in their pursuit of the consolidation of power was the Gleichschaltung, in which all cultural, social, political, and economic goals were subordinated to that of the goals of the Nazi party. One of the most dramatic shifts to take place in the process of Gleichschaltung was in the realm of academia, where legitimate pedagogical and educational imperatives were overshadowed by an emphasis on perpetuating the Nazi regime’s agenda, especially racial ideology, even with the youngest students. While educators in the Third Reich carried this out in all subject areas, this project focuses …

Crossing Borders: Ways To Address Oral Health Disparities In Guatemala And U.S. Latinx Communities, Yeimi Bartolon Perez

Honors Theses

Oral health disparities remain a significant global public health concern, particularly among economically and socially marginalized populations. This study investigates the structural, socioeconomic, and cultural determinants that influence access to dental care across these two populations. Guatemala represents a context where poverty, limited healthcare infrastructure, and geographic isolation restrict access to preventive dental services, often resulting in treatment-seeking only during advanced stages of disease. In contrast, Hispanic/Latinx communities in the United States encounter barriers shaped by language differences, lack of dental insurance, immigration-related concerns, and systemic inequities within the healthcare system. This research employs a mixed-methods approach that integrates secondary …

Em-Vrp: Energy-Minimizing Vehicle Routing Planning For Maneuver-Aware Uav Routing, Ryan Kuederle

Honors Theses

Advanced UAV missions, such as infrastructure inspection and disaster-zone sensing, are fundamentally constrained by limited onboard battery capacity. Conventional flight planners typically optimize for shortest distance, despite the fact that maneuver-dependent energy costs vary substantially and make distance a poor proxy for power consumption. This thesis develops an energy-centric routing framework that applies an action-weighted energy heuristic to formulate and solve an Energy-Minimized Vehicle Routing Problem (EM-VRP). In addition, it examines the joint optimization of vehicle energy expenditure and data freshness to ensure timely revisitation of spatial nodes. The framework is implemented through custom mission-planning software and validated on physical …

The Impact Of Photo-Id Laws On The Youth Electorate, Jakob A. Burdick

Honors Theses

Voting access among young adults has become an increasingly important issue in recent U.S. elections, particularly as turnout among voters aged 18–24 has risen in several recent election cycles. However, this age group faces unique challenges to the voting system, many of which are overlooked or intentionally written in a way to limit their participation. Using a mixed-methods approach, this study will analyze both quantitative data, such as voter turnout statistics, and qualitative data, including survey responses from college students at the University of Dayton. The survey will employ both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods, allowing for the analysis …

Public Means Public: A Call For Amendment Of The Copyright Act Of 1976'S Public Display Right To Immunize Private Businesses From Unintentional Infringement, Lucy Greaney

Et Cetera

Private businesses increasingly face copyright liability and burdensome licensing fees under the Public Display Provision of the Copyright Act of 1976, despite engaging in activities that cannot be truly considered public. This Note examines the historical development of the Public Display Provision, analyzes case law involving public accommodations and semi-private entities, and explores the intersection between copyright enforcement and U.S. antitrust principles. It argues that Congress did not intend for private, employee-only business settings to fall within the scope of the Public Display Provision and that the current enforcement regime enables anticompetitive licensing practices by performing rights organizations. To resolve …

Health Is Where The Huddle Is, Lyndsey Anthony, Anna E. Komistek, Philip C. Pritchett, Emma K. Swanson

SPARK Symposium Presentations

“Health is Where the Huddle Is”

Huddles are an evidence-based strategy to facilitate a culture of safety within nursing teams. A review of 158 huddle studies found that 44.3% reported improved clinical outcomes and 24.3% showed fewer medical errors when huddles were implemented (Pimentel et al., 2021). Currently, a local hospital’s 13-bed ICU lacks an effective system for nursing staff to huddle due to staffing constraints and the absence of monitor technicians, creating safety concerns when nurses leave monitors unattended. This project aims to implement an effective, nurse-led shift huddle that maintains continuous patient monitoring while also strengthening patient safety …

Challenging Assumptions: Social Participation And Barriers For Autistic Students In Higher Education, Sue Iliff, Nicole Richard Williams, Siobahn Collins, Abby Noblitt, Meris Gilliam, Tori Knox, Alina Randall

SPARK Symposium Presentations

Autistic students bring diverse social preferences and ways of engaging to college, yet campus structures often do not reflect the full range of these experiences. Understanding how students across neurotypes navigate social participation can inform more inclusive practices. This mixed‑methods study used a convergent parallel design to examine the social experiences of autistic and non‑autistic undergraduates at a mid‑sized private university. Quantitative survey items assessed participation levels, satisfaction, and perceived barriers, while open‑ended responses provided qualitative insights. Quantitative analyses showed no significant group differences in hours of participation, satisfaction, or reported barriers. Qualitative findings highlighted varied social experiences across neurotypes: …

Pilattes; A Campaign With Prickly Pear Coffee Co., Grace Elizabeth Lappenga, Karis Grace Joe, Abigail Brooke Encalade

SPARK Symposium Presentations

The Prickly Pear Coffee Co. campaign sought to build awareness and community engagement around the brand’s new mobile camper location in Franklin, Tennessee. Founded by Annika Baylis, Prickly Pear Coffee Co. is a Christ-centered brand that began as a mobile espresso cart during the COVID-19 pandemic and grew into a Nashville staple with multiple storefronts.

With the new Franklin location facing limited awareness and a reduced marketing budget following complications from the January 2026 ice storm, three students in Belmont University’s PR Campaigns class conducted a situation analysis that included audience research, social media audits, and influencer identification. These insights …

Section Intro: Beauty In The Creator, Raina Hartman, Alexis Kirkpatrick

Intertext

No abstract provided.

Editors - Intertext 2026, Intertext Journal

Intertext

No abstract provided.

Complete Issue - Intertext 2026, Intertext Journal

Intertext

No abstract provided.

Optimizing Performance And Preventing Injury: The Role Of Ot In Powerlifting, Anastasia N. Espinosa, Cassandra M. Nelson, Jaimee Fielder

Spring 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

Powerlifting is a high-intensity sport associated with increased risk of injury, particularly in community-based gym settings where structured education on recovery, injury prevention, and training strategies is limited. This capstone project aimed to develop and implement a Performance and Wellness Program to support safe and sustainable participation in powerlifting. A program development approach was used, including a needs assessment through surveys, questionnaires, and observation to identify gaps in training, recovery, and self-management practices. The program was delivered through structured, self-directed modules and supported by a digital manual to promote long-term use. Findings from post-program surveys indicated improvements in athlete confidence, …

An Expressive Arts Therapy Literature Review: Spiritual Experiences And Dsm-5 Assessment In Bipoc Communities, Amanda Paige Rodriguez

Expressive Therapies Theses

Spiritual and non-ordinary experiences such as clear-hearing, visions, and spiritual perception are frequently interpreted within Western mental health systems through diagnostic frameworks rooted in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). For Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BIPOC), these interpretations may overlook cultural, spiritual, and ancestral contexts in which such experiences hold meaning rather than indicate pathology. This literature review examines how DSM-5 frameworks conceptualize spiritual experiences in BIPOC communities and explores assessment practices that may reduce the risk of misdiagnosis.

A literature review methodology was employed, drawing on sixteen peer-reviewed articles representing qualitative, quantitative, and …

Improving Pneumococcal Immunization Counseling In Children With Systemic Lupus Erythematous, Sarah Dettmann

Doctoral Dissertations & Projects

Background: Pediatric patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) face elevated risk for invasive pneumococcal disease, yet fewer than 10% are estimated to be current on pneumococcal vaccine (PCV) recommendations.

Local Problem: This quality improvement (QI) project aimed to develop and implement a standardized pneumococcal immunization screening and counseling process in a pediatric rheumatology clinic.

Method: Three consecutive PDSA cycles guided implemention across a nine-week intervention period using a pre-post quasi-experimental design.

Interventions: A multicomponent strategy was employed, including a PCV decision algorithm, EHR Smart Phrase, PCP referral template, and patient education brochure.

Results: Pre-implementation PCV counseling was documented …

Designing Heritage Using Digital Fashion Tools, Nathan Chapman

SPARK Symposium Presentations

Sarah E. Andersen

This collection explores the strength of American women and the systems that attempt to define, contain, and judge them. Inspired by historical power dressing, feminist theory, and the fashion industry’s constructed ideals, the work confronts the Madonna–Whore complex and the policing of women’s bodies. Through American-grown cotton and heritage garment techniques, each look exposes tension between authority and vulnerability, modesty and desire. The final look contrasts the real woman with the dress form and exaggerated silhouette society demands, revealing the impossibility of meeting such standards. The collection reframes empowerment as visibility, resistance, and refusal.

Lily Brenner | …

Recognition Without Authority? Why Vesting Government Recognition In The U.N. Credentials Committee Would Be A Mistake, Jorge Barrera-Rojas

Washington and Lee Law Review Online

When the legitimacy of a government is contested, courts, regional bodies, and states each decide independently who speaks for the state in law. In Recognition Rules, Justin Cole, Alaa Hachem, and Oona Hathaway argue that this fragmentation imposes real costs and propose to cure them by empowering the U.N. Credentials Committee to issue binding determinations of governmental authority across all international law contexts. This Article argues that, beyond Charter obstacles to such a reform, it would be a mistake. The effective-control criterion rewards actors who seize power by force over governments that retain democratic legitimacy; binding credentials decisions would …

Crafting The Narrative: A Look At Long-Form Storytelling Through The Art Of Quilling, Jaycee R. Lundell

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis explores the journeys of four contemporary quilling artists and their works. It dives into the creative process of conducting the interviews, capturing the footage, and making the documentary. The documentary also explores the history of quilling including its resurgence in the 1980s and the complicated process of navigating the declining numbers of the International Quilling Guild while the craft spreads across the internet, potentially losing its rich history and standards of excellence. Since quilling is a lesser known art, this thesis is also an attempt to spread the knowledge of the craft since there are very few scholarly …

The Lumberjack, April 22, 2026

Cal Poly Humboldt's Student Newspaper

The student newspaper of Humboldt State University.

The Role Of Vitamin B9 In Modulating Autism Symptoms In Children, Sarah Roeser

Department of Nutrition Student Projects

The prevalence of Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has risen significantly over the past five decades, now affecting approximately 1 in 31 children. This literature review examined whether folinic acid, compared with other forms of vitamin B9 (synthetic folic acid, dietary folate, and 5-methyltetrahydrofolate), modulates ASD symptoms including verbal communication, motor skills and social interaction, particularly in children positive for folate receptor alpha autoantibodies (FRAAs). A thorough search of PubMed, Google Scholar, Nature, and ScienceDirect, primarily from 2015–2026, identified five randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and one meta-analysis evaluating folinic acid at standardized doses of 2 mg/kg/day with a maximum dose of …

Implementing A Nutrition Screening, Education, And Risk Reduction Framework In Optometric Care To Prevent Diabetic Retinopathy In Adults With T2dm, Juliana M. Varanelli

Department of Nutrition Student Projects

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a leading cause of preventable vision loss among adults with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), driven largely by chronic hyperglycemia, oxidative stress, and inflammation. Despite strong evidence supporting the role of nutrition in modifying these risk factors, nutrition screening and counseling are not routinely integrated into optometric care. This project aimed to develop a practical, evidence-based framework to incorporate nutrition screening, patient education, and referral pathways into comprehensive optometric practice to support prevention and reduce the onset and progression of diabetic retinopathy.

This project involved a literature review of peer-reviewed research and clinical guidelines related to …

The Continuing Specter Of Disease Tuberculosis In The Russian Federation, Joshua Farquhar

Global Insight

For the last two years, the public discussion surrounding global health has focused almost entirely on COVID-19. In the meantime, other historic and dangerous diseases have taken a backseat. Nevertheless, other endemics are worthy of discussion; these diseases, and potential lifesaving solutions, must also be granted attention if global progress on public health is to be achieved. This paper explores the tuberculosis endemic in the Russian Federation (RF), focusing mostly on multi-drug resistant (MDR) TB. While overall rates of tuberculosis have declined in Russia over the course of the 21st century, incidence is still far higher than in most nations, …

On The Future Of Liberal Arts An Interview With Interim Dean Cavanagh, Dr. Yubraj Aryal

Global Insight

Dr. Dan Cavanagh, Interim Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, was interviewed by Global Insight Executive Editor, Yubraj Aryal. Dr. Aryal asked Dean Cavanagh about a few of the current issues regarding liberal arts education.

Contributors, Global Insight Editorial Team

Global Insight

No abstract provided.

Full Issue, Global Insight Editorial Team

Global Insight

No abstract provided.

Propaganda In America How To Recognize And Defend Against It, Chae Balistreri

Global Insight

Corporations and governments use modern propaganda techniques to influence and manipulate the public, incurring social and environmental consequences which are compounding over time. This paper provides both historical and modern examples of propaganda, then highlights key issues that arise as a byproduct, such as planned obsolescence, astroturfing, and the internet filter bubble. Companies like Google and Facebook use proprietary algorithms to shape the internet as well as their users’ minds through dopamine-driven feedback loops. The effects of a consumer driven culture spill over into the environment, with plastic pollution and e-waste littering the shores of distant countries. This paper details …