Digital Commons Network^™

Captivating Chemistry: Luminous Lava Lamps, Linsey Vo, Brinlie Bergman, Kylie Daum, Shayan Noor, Akshay Aramjisingh

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Fall 2025

Our group participated in STEM Day, an engaging biannual event that brings together K–12 students to explore the wonders of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics through hands-on experiences. When planning our presentation, we aimed to create an activity that was both visually exciting and easy for students of all ages to understand. We chose to demonstrate the concepts of polarity and density through a fun and interactive experiment in which students created their own lava lamps. This activity allowed the students to observe scientific principles in action while encouraging curiosity and enthusiasm for STEM learning.

Saving The Arctic: Learning Through Animals And Art, Sara A. Wieschhorster, Andrea J. Goldfarb, Linda Walters Dr

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Fall 2025

The Arctic is one of the most fragile ecosystems on Earth, and protecting it is vital for our planet’s future. For our service‑learning project, we partnered with Ms. Snow and Wedgefield Elementary to engage her first‑grade classroom in learning about Arctic animals and their adaptations. We introduced a variety of species, highlighting unique adaptations, and reinforced this knowledge through a craft activity where students created walrus masks to take home. Beyond animal adaptations, we discussed habitat fragmentation and encouraged students to take action against environmental threats by planting trees, recycling, and staying informed. Our goal was to spark environmental awareness …

Budget For The Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2025, University Of Arkansas, Fayetteville

Budget for the Fiscal Year

No abstract provided.

Army Rotc Annual Program Report, 2024-2025, University Of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Army Rotc

Army ROTC Annual Program Report

No abstract provided.

[In] Transformation President's Impact Report, Bryant University

Bryant University Communications and Press

The 2025 President's Impact Report highlights Bryant University’s continued excellence in higher education, from its top-tier rankings and dynamic campus life to its hands-on learning experiences and strategic partnerships. Strong financial foundations and visionary leadership solidify its position as an innovative and forward-thinking institution. IN the Lead Bryant's international rankings and thought leadership in prestigious publications reinforce its position as a leader in higher education.

Annual Report, 2024-2025, University Of Arkansas, Fayetteville. College Of Engineering

College of Engineering Annual Report

No abstract provided.

Annual Report, 2024-2025, University Of Arkansas, Fayetteville. College Of Education And Health Professions

College of Education and Health Professions Annual Reports

No abstract provided.

Globalization In Context, Ayu Okvitawanli, Wolfgang Friedlmeier, Rachana Bhangaokar

IACCP Proceedings of the Biennial International Conferences

The Proceedings are divided into two parts: Volume I includes the links to the recorded keynotes and the book of abstracts of the XXVII Congress of the International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology, 2024. Volume II consists of the individual empirical papers.

From Bitcoin To Courtrooms: The Evolution Of Blockchain Technology And Its Applications, Isabelle Cruz

Wyoming Law Review

Blockchain’s tamper-proof, distributed, and decentralized design has gained popularity during a period of rising cybercrime and data vulnerability. People revere blockchain for its potential to revolutionize various industries and criticize it for its association with unethical and illicit activities. Despite challenges and misconceptions surrounding its prior uses, blockchain technology has continued progressing—offering promising solutions for enhancing data security, transparency, and accountability. This Comment examines the evolution of blockchain technology, its applications, and how it can improve efficiency and enhance public trust in the judicial system. After outlining blockchain technology’s modest beginnings, this Comment theorizes several applications for blockchain in the …

I3@Usd Fall 2025, University Of San Diego

I3@USD: Magazine for Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering

02 | Honoring the Shiley Legacy
06 | Enhanced Spaces, Brighter Futures
07 | Remembering Ned McMahon
10 | Toreros Who Broke the Mold
14 | A Collective Effort
16 | An Electrifying Career
17 | News Briefs
18 | Faculty Achievements
19 | Chuck Bane: In Memoriam
20 | Alumni Notes
24 | 2025 Showcase Innovators
25 | Career Outcomes
26 | The Accidental Engineer
27 | Class of 2025

Ai Literacy For Instructors Certificate Teaching Materials, Justine Martin

All Resources

These documents contain teaching materials for a four week AI literacy certificate program for instructors. The items include a syllabus, four after class worksheet assignments, and four PowerPoint presentations to guide synchronous Zoom sessions. These materials will help instructors build foundational knowledge and practical skills in the use and evaluation of generative AI (artificial intelligence). Facilitators will be able to explain how generative AI works, promote the applied use of AI chatbots for teaching purposes, and provide discussion and reflection on the ethical ramifications of AI use in higher education classrooms.

The Role Of Leadership In Creating Dei Plans In U.S. Higher Education, Beatriz Desantiago-Fjelstad, Leslie Darmofal, Kelly Meier, Henry Morris, Luis Posas

Educational Leadership Department Publications

This brief discusses the challenges and strategies in creating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) plans in U.S. higher education. It highlights the importance of leadership in this process, particularly the need for courageous leadership to overcome the barriers posed by resistance to DEI plans. This brief illustrates the complexities of creating DEI plans and offers strategies to foster inclusive environments. The discussion emphasizes the need for a long-term commitment and actionable DEI plans beyond performative steps, instilling confidence in the potential for significant institutional evolution.

Meri Abateneh Honors Portfolio, Meri Negash Abateneh

Honors Capstone Portfolios

Meri Abateneh's Honors Portfolio captured in May 2025.

Force Of Nature (2024) By Ann E. Burg, Maughn Rollins Gregory

Middle Grades Books

Rachel Carson launched the modern environmental movement with books that combined detailed observations of the natural world, scientific research, and philosophical reflection on humanity’s relationship with nature — all conveyed in poetic language. Ann E. Burg’s fictional biography-in-verse Force of Nature shows how these habits of observation, questioning, reflection, and expression began in Carson’s childhood, and invites readers to follow her lines of inquiry. Can we provide for human well-being without sacrificing the well-being of non-human life? Can we provide for the well-being of certain human populations without sacrificing the well-being of others? Can we indulge our wonder about, and …

Deriving Structural Insights About Mesoscale Chromatin Folding Using Coarse-Grained Oligonucleosome Modeling, Ariana Brenner Clerkin

Student Theses and Dissertations

Here, I investigate chromatin organization on the scale of a few nucleosomes (~1kb). I developed an experimentally-validated coarse-grained polymer model and applied it 1) to show how chromatin fiber parameters, such as nucleosome spacing and breathing, impact chromatin organization on this scale–the mesoscale 2) to interpret mesoscale sequencing assay data and 3) to demonstrate that spatially-correlated cleavage, not protein protection, primarily drives the shape of the distribution of DNA fragment lengths resulting from ionizing-radiation damage. Pair-wise DNA-DNA contact data from DNA sequencing-based assays have the potential to provide locus-specific information about the relationships between chromatin structure and function. Radiation-induced correlated …

Germline Genetic Modulator Of Cancer Metastasis, Wenbin Mei

Student Theses and Dissertations

Metastasis formation is the most critical determinant of cancer survival outcome. Identifying patients at risk for metastatic relapse facilitates clinical decision and the use of appropriate adjuvant therapy, thus having a profound impact on patient survival. A central dogma in cancer is that during tumorigenesis, cancer cells acquire somatic mutations that regulate metastatic likelihood during evolution of the primary tumor. However, despite extensive tumor sequencing efforts, such causal somatic metastasis driver mutations have not been found, limiting the discovery of biomarkers, mechanisms and drug targets of cancer metastasis. In this thesis, I report a germline genetic driver of breast cancer …

Sequential Transcriptional Gates In The Thalamo-Cortical Circuit Coordinate Memory Consolidation, Andrea Terceros

Student Theses and Dissertations

How are memories maintained over weeks, months or even years? The molecular mechanisms that enable memories to persist over long time-scales remain poorly understood. As a point of entry, recent work in our lab revealed that beyond the hippocampus, where memories are initially formed over hours/days, the thalamo-cortical circuit is important for the gradual stabilization of memories over weeks/months. In this thesis, I aimed to reveal the molecular mechanisms operating in the thalamo-cortical circuit that may be responsible for extending memory time-scales. I began by developing a virtual reality-based behavioral paradigm where, by varying the frequency of learned associations, mice …

Recording Cellular Interactions In Germinal Centers And Beyond, Sandra Nakandakari-Higa

Student Theses and Dissertations

In multicellular organisms, each cell has a distinct identity characterized by unique transcriptional and chromatin accessibility profiles. However, to truly understand the organization and function of such systems, it is not enough to merely characterize individual components; we must also investigate how these components interact and communicate through direct cellular interactions. This is especially true in the immune system, where cell-cell interactions are fundamental. For instance, the priming of antigen-specific T cells relies on their selective engagement with antigen-presenting cells (APCs) displaying the T cell's cognate antigen, distinguishing them from a pool of non-specific counterparts. Similarly, the production of antibodies …

The Evolution Of Ribosome Assembly: Making Ribosomes In The Mitochondria, Chloe Burnside

Student Theses and Dissertations

Mitochondrial ribosomes (mitoribosomes) synthesize proteins encoded within the mitochondrial genome that are assembled into oxidative phosphorylation complexes. As such, the biogenesis of mitoribosomes is essential for ATP production and cellular metabolism. Despite significant progress in elucidating the structures of mature mitoribosomes, a comprehensive understanding of their assembly pathways remains elusive. This thesis presents the first structural characterization of assembly intermediates of the mitochondrial small subunit (mtSSU) in eukaryotes. To gain mechanistic insight into the process of SSU assembly in the mitochondria, I set out to enrich and characterize intermediates of SSU assembly in the mitochondria of S. cerevisiae. By employing …

The Spatiotemporal Dynamics Of Nomadic Behavior In The Clonal Raider Ant, Ooceraea Biroi, Dennis Octavio Melendez

Student Theses and Dissertations

Nest relocation is integral to the lives of many social insects. Army ants have taken this behavior to the extreme, with many species relocating an entire colony of over 100,000 ants plus brood almost daily. Despite its prevalence, the question of how army ant colonies emigrate has been debated for many decades, and still awaits a definitive answer because conducting well-controlled field experiments with their massive and aggressive colonies is challenging. In ants, the Dorylinae subfamily has given rise to most known army ants. Therefore, performing experiments in non-army ant dorylines that can be maintained in a laboratory setting presents …

Towards Models Mesoscale Chromatin Structure And Radiative Dna Damage Via Computational Simulation, Devany Walsh West

Student Theses and Dissertations

The spatial organization of chromatin fiber at the level of several nucleosomes–the mesoscale–is an area of active study. Recent results have shown that it differs between functional states, affects higher orders of chromosome organization, and is likely involved in transcriptional control. However, the heterogeneity of nucleosome positioning and histone variant composition in cells as well as the high density of chromatin in situ make the mesoscale difficult to study. Recent methodological advances have made it possible to derive nucleosome-resolution three-dimensional contact information directly from cells. We therefore sought to develop a structural inference tool for inferring mesoscale chromatin structures consistent …

Gpcr To Channel Communication In A Membrane Signaling Pathway, Yuxi Zhang

Student Theses and Dissertations

G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) regulate a variety of downstream effector proteins, making them essential for many physiological processes. For example, in the heart, the activation of beta-adrenergic receptors (βARs) and the stimulatory G protein (Gαs) leads to the opening of downstream hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide–gated (HCN) channels, resulting in an accelerated heart rate. In contrast, activation of M2 muscarinic receptors (M2Rs) and the inhibitory G protein (Gαi) opens G protein-gated inward rectifier K⁺ (GIRK) channels, slowing the heart rate. In addition to the Gαs and Gαi pathways, there is also the Gαq signaling pathway. In this pathway, activation of Gq-coupled GPCRs can …

A Neuronal Circuit Motif For Leaky Vector Integration, Abby Janke

Student Theses and Dissertations

To efficiently navigate their environments, animals ranging from insects to humans can keep track of their trajectory by continuously summing their direction and distance traveled over time. It is not clear how brains perform this fundamental computation––known as path integration––even though neural correlates and computer models abound. In arthropods, spatial-cognition related processes such as path integration are thought to be implemented in the central complex. Experimenters have shown that contiguously arrayed populations of neurons in the Drosophila fan-shaped body, a substructure of the central complex, display sinusoidally shaped bumps of calcium activity that signal vectors relevant for spatial navigation. The …

Benchmarking Reinforcement Learning And Off Policy Evaluation For Medical Decision Making, Mason Hargrave

Student Theses and Dissertations

Healthcare applications pose significant challenges to existing Reinforcement Learning (RL) methods due to implementation risks, low data availability, short treatment episodes, sparse re[1]wards, partial observations, and heterogeneous treatment effects (HTE). Despite significant interest in developing Dynamic Treatment Regimes (DTRs) for longitudinal patient care scenarios, no standardized benchmark has yet been developed. To address this gap, this thesis introduces Episodes of Care (EpiCare), a benchmark designed to mimic the challenges associated with applying RL to longitudinal healthcare settings. I leverage this benchmark to test seven state-of-the-art offline RL models as well as five common off-policy evaluation (OPE) techniques. My results suggest …

Training Small Group Leaders For Effective Discipleship At Ilive Ministries In Pacolet, South Carolina, Kadeem Antonio Ellis

Doctor of Ministry Projects

This project examined the need for discipleship training among small group leaders at iLive Ministries in Pacolet, South Carolina. A four-week workshop incorporating lectures, discussions, and interactive activities was designed and implemented. Evaluation tools included Pre- and Post-Tests, structured observation, and participant interviews. Findings demonstrated measurable growth in confidence, facilitation skills, and discipleship understanding. The project concluded that intentional training not only equips leaders with biblical grounding and practical skills but also highlights ongoing needs for mentoring, refined assessment, and sustainable support, strengthening iLive Ministries’ discipleship culture and offering a replicable model for other congregations.

Scoring A New Jazz Standard: A Collaborative Approach To Implementing Spiritual Care At Erlanger Hospital Palliative Care, Richard Fleck

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Just like a jazz combo brings together professional musicians who are instrument specialists to improvise together, Palliative Care brings together healthcare specialists for holistic, patient-centered collaboration. This ministry project, which is a phenomenological inquiry based on the theological theme of suffering, follows a collaborative approach to implementing spiritual care at Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga, TN. This project describes the researcher’s collaborative work in scoring a new jazz standard for Erlanger Palliative Spiritual Care, which includes recommendations for quality improvement and recommendations for professional development.

Floral Encounters: Examining The Role Of Experience Goods And Promoters In Specialty Cut Flower Workshops, Savannah L. Columbia

Theses and Dissertations--Agricultural Economics

This thesis provides insight for any farmer interested in agritourism, specifically, specialty cut flower workshops, by investigating consumer behavior related to specialty cut flower workshops as an experience good. It investigates which experience good cues may be important for a consumer’s decision-making process. It introduces a Specialty Cut Flower Workshop Experience Map, which explains how potential participants move from first learning about a specialty cut flower workshop to their long-term behaviors as consumers. These findings help to provide marketing support for smaller-scale specialty crop farmers, specifically, specialty cut flower farmers.

Flaming Hot Queers: Queer Warmth In Forensics, Caleb Webb

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

In order for Queer people to feel safe enough to disclose their identity they must feel safe and comfortable to do so. In the context of forensics, Croucher et al. (2009) detailed how team identification and comfort carry similar variables, thus linking team identification and comfort. When Queer people can feel the comfort coming from the space reflecting Queerness, they sense the Queer warmth in the space. Sekimoto et al. (2020) described how Queer individuals use this warmth in the space as a social navigational tool in order to ensure safety. As forensics has seen an increase in Queer performances …

Administrator Leadership And Collective Efficacy: Enhancing Math Education In Public High Schools In California, Lina Ahmadieh

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative, multicase study was to determine challenges that high school administrators experience when they establish the elements of collective teacher efficacy (CTE) based on the elements of common purpose, collective teacher accountability practices, protocols for collective practices, and interventions in their mathematics department and to determine the strategies that high school administrators use when they establish CTE in their mathematics department.Methodology: In this qualitative, multicase study, five interviews were conducted with public high school administrators in California. The researcher employed qualitative methods to explain the challenges that high school administrators experience when they establish the …

A Phenomenological Study: Implicit Bias In The Hiring Practices Of Health Care Organizations (Perception, Impact On Workforce Diversity, Mitigation Methods, And Implementation Assessment), Mohamed Boubrik

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore how implicit bias influences hiring practices within health care organizations. Specifically, it investigated the perceptions of hiring professionals regarding implicit bias, its impact on workforce diversity, the strategies used to mitigate it, and the effectiveness of those strategies in real-world implementation.

Methodology: This qualitative study employed a phenomenological approach to capture the lived experiences of hiring professionals in Southern California health care organizations. A random sampling method was used to select participants across various health care facilities. Data collection was conducted through semistructured interviews, using a validated interview protocol as …