Digital Commons Network^™

Shaping College Habitus: An Exploration Of The Effect Of The Social/Spatial Construction Of First-Year Classes On The Habitus Of Low-Income, Working-Class Rural Students, Joshua R. Mcconnell Parsons

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

Low-income, working-class (LI/WC) students entering spaces of higher education often face completely new social and cultural fields that do not match their prior experiences, requiring them to construct new conceptualizations of their habitus within those spaces—the way they internalize and interact with the world. However, a dearth of research exists on how these students’ conceptualizations of the social and physical spaces that make up their actual classroom and academic experiences play a role in how they come to form their new identities or habitus. This in-depth qualitative analysis of students’ habitus formation leverages Doreen Massey’s theoretical framework of critical spatiality …

The Effect Of Visual Signaling On Psychomotor Learning: An Explanatory Mixed Methods Study In Physical Therapy Education, Julie Pfeiffer

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

The signaling principle states that people learn better when cues are used to highlight important information in a multimedia presentation. Prior research has shown that visual signaling improves learning by directing the learner’s attention to the relevant information of the instruction, improving the learner’s ability to select essential words and pictures. While the visual signaling principle has been applied to learning in the cognitive domain, the effect of visual signaling on learning within the psychomotor domain is limited. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of the signaling principle on learning psychomotor skills from multimedia instruction, specifically …

Student Loan Debt: Exploring The Economic Influences On Federal Student Loan Default For Students That Attended Public, Two-Year Institutions, Brian Perry

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

Over the past 30 years, a shift occurred in higher education that saw more of the burden for paying for postsecondary education placed on students. Combined with rising tuition and fees, this has led students to take on increasing amounts of student debt. Despite the historic rise in student loans, surprisingly little attention has focused on those students who default on their student loans. Additionally, the academic literature on student loans has predominately focused on traditional students at four-year institutions, despite the fact that nearly half of all undergraduates attend public two-year institutions. Finally, those studies that include economic factors …

Data In Higher Education: Exploring The Collection, Interpretation, And Utilization Of Information For Institutional Decision-Making Around Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion, Terri Berkley

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

This study investigates how higher education institutions in the Appalachian region collect, assess, and utilize data to inform diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and broader institutional transformations. It focuses on understanding how data influences policy reforms, operational practices, and cultural shifts within these institutions. Through a mixed-methods approach—comprising surveys, semi-structured interviews, and focus groups—the study examines the perspectives of key stakeholders, including DEI administrators, non-DEI administrators, and executive-level leaders.

The research identifies how institutional roles and positionality shape stakeholders' engagement with data and their ability to implement DEI-informed strategies. Key findings highlight discrepancies in data access, interpretation, and application, …

Increasing Expectations For Entry: Analyzing Changes In Labor Market Entry-Level Education Requirements Over Time With Potential Implications For Credential Or Degree Inflation And Returns-To-Education, William Nicholas Grinstead

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

The dissertation asks the following question: Have occupations increased academic degree requirements over time?

The literature review provides background on the origin and criticisms of the concept of a “knowledge economy.” It addresses economic “signaling theory” and sociologic “credentialism.”

The methodology relies on a trend analysis using the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Outlook Handbook and the occupations’ Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system and its predecessor the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT). In order to address whether occupations have increased academic degree requirements over time, this dissertation will compare entry-level education requirements for BLS SOC occupations that today are …

Black Girl Wisdom: A Black Feminist Analysis Of Success Strategies Of Professional African American Women At Predominately White Higher Education Institutions, Teasia Jordan

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

This phenomenological study examines the success strategies employed by professional African American women (AAW) at predominately white higher education institutions (PWIs). Grounded in Black Feminist Thought (BFT), the “Outsider Within” framework (Collins, 1986), and the concept of “failed citizenship” (Banks, 2017), it explores how AAW navigate and redefine success within environments shaped by exclusionary white patriarchal norms. Through interviews with ten co-laborers, two themes emerged: liberation from unsupportive environments and negotiation strategies to define success.

Findings reveal that AAW’s success strategies center on identity, self-awareness, and rejecting institutional oppression. Co-laborers articulated their liberation by naming the environment as oppressed, fostering …

Examining High School Mathematics Teachers' Research-Based Instructional Practices And Their Relationship To Students' Learning Outcomes: A Convergent Parallel Mixed-Method Study, Isiaka Busari

Theses and Dissertations--Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education

This convergent parallel mixed-methods study examines the relationship between high school mathematics teachers' research-based instructional practices and students' learning outcomes in Algebra 1 classrooms at a high school in a central region of a Southern U.S. State. The research addresses improving mathematics proficiency in the United States, where national performance remains below average. Guided by psychological and social constructivism, the study involved three Algebra 1 teachers and 171 students. Data were collected through classroom observations using the Mathematics Classroom Observation Protocol for Practices (MCOP²), teacher interviews, and student pre-and post-tests. Quantitative data from tests and MCOP² were …

Optimal Tool Path For Extrusion-Based Additive Manufacturing To Improve Geometrical Accuracy And Productivity, Robert Ehlers, Amir Armani

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

The objective of this study was to improve the geometrical accuracy and productivity of extrusion-based additive manufacturing processes. Four algorithms were developed to adaptively change the track width in each layer (i.e., adaptive rastering); optimize the rastering orientation for each layer; adaptively change the layer thickness (i.e., adaptive slicing); and optimize the overall orientation of part. These algorithms were implemented in a commercial 3D printer and several case-studies were conducted to examine their efficacy (individually and combined). The results were compared with standard tool path planning software and indicated a significant improvement in both geometrical accuracy and productivity.

Navigating Enterprise Constraints: Building A Hybrid Multi-Modal Mobile Intelligent App, Ketan Malempati, Akshat Gupta, Kaikai Liu

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

The promise of artificial intelligence (AI) has prompted various industries to explore how it can enhance their businesses and improve customer experiences. However, the practical deployment of AI services faces challenges due to internal infrastructure limitations, data policies, and network restrictions. In this paper, we present our current project - a solution designed to empower mental health centers with AI tools while adhering to stringent data and network constraints. Our approach involves deploying AI services and data within internal enterprise networks, while the customer-facing mobile app resides in the public cloud. We introduce a custom AI agent system that monitors …

Rescaling: Change Agency And The Emerging Geography Of Economic Relationships, Markus Grillitsch, Björn Asheim, Nichola Lowe, Sophie Kelmenson, Lea Fünfschilling, Karl Johan Lundquist, Yahia Mahmoud, Mikhail Martynovich, Pauline Mattsson, Magnus Nilsson, Johan Miörner, Torben Schubert

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

In this paper, we propose a theoretical and conceptual framework for articulating and studying changes in the global economic landscape and illustrate this framework in the current context. The framework pivots around the notion of rescaling, which is interpreted from a human agency perspective. We disentangle three theoretically distinct dimensions of rescaling and show how they play together using concrete examples. The theoretical and conceptual framework links the intended and unintended consequences of globalisation to current rescaling efforts, and allows us to investigate when, why, and how changes to the geography of economic relationships occur.

Differential Expression Analysis Of Treatment Resistant And Treatment Susceptible Neisseria Gonorrhoeae Paired With Gene Set Enrichment Analysis, Kinzie Bailey

Theses

Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the bacterium which causes gonorrhea, is a public health threat as recognized by the CDC due to the risk of untreatable gonorrhea due to the high prevalence of resistance to antibiotics in the gonococcal population [1]. Current screening methods for resistance to antibiotics for clinical infections may take up to 2 days to produce results, which could result in delays in treatment, unnecessary follow-up appointments, inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions, and overall poor treatment outcomes [2]. In this study, we utilize RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to characterize the expression patterns of resistant and susceptible strains of N. gonorrhoeae. Here, we look …

Machine Learning, Fuzzy Logic And Zero Trust-Based Quishing Prevention Solution For Android Smartphones, Felix William

Theses

QR code phishing, or "quishing," exploits the widespread adoption of QR codes to embed malicious URLs that lead users to phishing sites or initiate malware downloads. Unlike traditional phishing methods, QR phishing is uniquely deceptive, leveraging the inherent trust and convenience associated with QR codes while bypassing standard detection mechanisms. This thesis presents the SEQR scanner, a novel solution tailored to detect and prevent QR phishing attacks, specifically focusing on Android platforms. By integrating multiple detection mechanisms—machine learning prediction, fuzzy logic algorithm, and third-party blacklisting APIs—the solution effectively identifies malicious QR codes with precision. A zero-trust-based mechanism is implemented alongside …

Machine Learning Framework For Detecting Ldap Injection Attacks, Rahul Nair

Theses

LDAP injection attacks have posed a growing danger to web application security, utilizing directory service vulnerabilities to obtain unauthorized access or tamper with sensitive information in recent times. In this thesis, a comprehensive method is developed for detecting and preventing LDAP injection attacks by utilizing a role-based access control approach to generate a unique dataset. Various categories and variations of LDAP queries that mimic real attack situations, as well as legitimate benign queries representing typical LDAP operations, are included in the dataset to further classify them based on user roles. Four different machine learning algorithms, including XGBoost, Logistic Regression, Support …

Florescence, Evan D. Jaccodine

Theses

Florescence is a photographic project that provokes conversation between mediums, methods, and attitudes in art and design. Starting as grainy, screened Risograph prints mounted into custom wood frames, the uniformity of mechanical reproduction is distorted by handmade craft elements. The images examine the materiality of making as part of the message they produce; they are both eclectic handmade objects and mass-produced products. These pictures intend to communicate an idea like an advertisement, except the message, meaning, or intention isn’t clear. I am interested in the moment when the viewer comes close enough to the image to see the prints' poor …

Assessment Of Digital Collaboration Skills, Esperanza Huerta, Ana Lidia Franzoni Velázquez, Scott Jensen

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

This exploratory study proposes a methodology for assessing digital collaboration skills based on the students' actual behavior. Students' comments using a digital collaboration tool during a one-month long project were manually coded. This methodology is not context specific and can be used across different domains. This assessment contrasts with self-reported measures in which students rate themselves as already possessing collaboration skills. Finally, the study explores the use of generative AI to automatically code student's comments to alleviate the labor-intensive process that coding requires and to enable scalability in coding data.

Predictive Modeling In Healthcare, Ibrahim Essa Abdulla Ali Alattar

Theses

Predictive modelling, especially the use of horizontal lines, has become an important tool in clinical practice to help make informed decisions and accurate predictions. This study focuses on the use of horizontal regression in clinical practice, evaluating its effectiveness in revealing patterns and improving the accuracy of predictions. This study introduces the process of developing a linear model, emphasizing the importance of preliminary data analysis, feature selection, and model evaluation. To make sure your model's predictions are accurate, consider key assumptions such as sampling, independence, and homoscedasticity. The main goal is to provide doctors with the knowledge and skills needed …

Emergence Of Preferential Flow Paths And Intermittent Dynamics In Emulsion Transport In Porous Media, Michael Izaguirre

Theses

This dissertation aims to study the underlying physics of anomalous transport of emulsions in porous media and quantify the role of droplet-pore and droplet-droplet interactions in transport in porous media experimentally. The complexities of this problem arise from the network heterogeneity, correlations between the pores across the medium, interfacial properties of the fluids, and the correlations between the pore scale dynamics and system-level transport. This dissertation presents significant advancements in the study of emulsion dynamics within two-dimensional porous media through the development of innovative image analysis and tracking methods. These advancements include precise detection and tracking of deformable objects, which …

Optical Differentiation Wavefront Sensor With Pixelated Filters Toward High Performance Metrology, Biswa R. Swain

Theses

Freeform optics enables enhanced system performance and packaging due to the high degrees of design freedom they provide, but characterizing these optics remains challenging. Phase measurement of an optical wave is essential in the metrology of optical components, adaptive optics, and laser beam quality assessment. The Shack-Hartman Wavefront Sensors are limited by their dynamic range and resolution due to lenslet operation. Interferometric-method-based adaptive nulling requires high-performance wavefront sensor, and coordinate-scanning-based measurements are time consuming. We investigate and develop an Optical Differentiation Wavefront Sensor (ODWS) based on binary pixelated filter that enables high dynamic range, high resolution freeform metrology. Analysis of …

The Future Of Unfair Terms Regulation In Commercial Contracts, Marcus Moore

All Faculty Publications

What is the future of unfair contract terms regulation? To date, regimes of unfair terms regulation have shared several key operational features, but have diverged on the question of the scope of regulation: some regimes focus on consumer contracts or exemption clauses, while other regimes include all commercial standard form contracts. Both domestic and transnational commerce would be well served by broader harmonisation of unfair terms regulation. But divergence on the basic question of the scope of regulation has hindered such harmonisation. Some important recent developments suggest a possible trend towards regulation of a scope which includes all standard form …

Identifying Functional And Potential Therapeutic Sites In Reverse Transcriptase Using Comparative Short-Term Molecular Dynamics, Richmond Asare-Bediako

Theses

Drug escapes due to mutations in the HIV-1 virus genome have been a global menace over the last few decades. A major focus in dealing with this issue has revolved around taking advantage of the structural view of the virus to investigate how these mutations affect target drugs. The role of comparative molecular dynamics (MD), which provides valuable insights on motions involved in the functional interactions and dynamic fluctuations of the atoms in the amino acid residues on the protein chains. Although less explored than structural analyses of drug-target interactions, this study provides substantial and critical information needed to fully …

Incorporating Point Of Care Ultrasound In Cardiac Arrest And Pulseless Electrical Activity, Zayneb H. Ghazle

Theses

For decades, cardiac arrests have had a high mortality and morbidity rate despite medical interventions. Statistically, shockable rhythms (ventricular fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia) have had a better prognosis than non-shockable rhythms, which includes pulseless electrical activity (PEA) and asystole¹. The reversible mechanical causes of PEA and the role of point-of-care cardiac ultrasound (POCUS) in their diagnosis and management will be discussed. This paper also focuses on the appearance and interpretation of these sonographic findings in order to guide clinicians in their medical management, goal of returning spontaneous circulation (ROSC), and estimating patient prognosis.

Characterization Of Curing Kinetics Of An Anisotropic Conductive Adhesive Using Rheology And Differential Scanning Calorimetry, Connor Kirkpatrick

Theses

A kinetic study performed to further the understanding of a novel magnetically aligned anisotropic conductive adhesive (ACA) was performed using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and a rheometer, under both isothermal and non-isothermal conditions. Isothermal data was collected at 70, 80, and 90°C, whereas non-isothermal data was collected at 5, 10, 20, and 30°C/min, with results interpreted through the use of an autocatalytic model. For isothermal experiments, the rate of conversion was found to increase with increasing isothermal curing temperature, and this was reflected in the kinetic rate constant. Moreover, the rate constant determined by DSC was found to range from …

The Harms Of Heien: Pulling Back The Curtain On The Court's Search And Seizure Doctrine, Steven M. Goldstein --

Vanderbilt Law Review

In Heien v. North Carolina, the Supreme Court held that individuals can be seized on the basis of reasonable police mistakes of law. In an opinion authored by Chief Justice Roberts, the eight-Justice majority held that the Fourth Amendment’s prohibition of “unreasonable” seizures does not bar legally mistaken seizures because “[t]o be reasonable is not to be perfect.” Concurring, Justice Kagan, joined by Justice Ginsburg, emphasized that judicial condonation of police mistakes of law should be “exceedingly rare.” In a solo dissent, Justice Sotomayor fairly “wonder[ed] why an innocent citizen should be made to shoulder the burden of being seized …

The Impact Of Banning Confidential Settlements On Discrimination Dispute Resolutio, Blair D. Bullock, Joni Hersch -- Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor Of Law And Economics

Vanderbilt Law Review

The #MeToo movement exposed how workplace harassment plagues employment in the United States. Several states responded by passing legislation aimed at curbing harassment and employment discrimination in the workplace. One of the most common legislative efforts was to ban confidentiality provisions in certain settlement agreements. These bans, in part, attempted to stop "secret settlements" by shining light on workplace discrimination and exposing serial harassers as a means to motivate firms to actively deter workplace discrimination.

But do bans on confidentiality agreements deter the bad act? For these laws to have a deterrent effect, claims must be revealed in a public …

The Financialization Of Frequent Flyer Miles: Calling For Consumer Protection, Ari Goldfine

Vanderbilt Law Review

Airlines' frequent flyer programs operate more like a monetary system, with points as a form of currency, than a typical discount or rewards plan. In fact, airlines' power over points is even more extensive than that of a central bank over currency beyond simply determining how many points are in circulation, airlines also control the value of points at redemption, how many points consumers can accumulate, and when points expire. This financialized form of frequent flyer programs has proven to be lucrative. For the Big Four airlines, frequent flyer programs are worth markedly more than the business of providing air …

The Harms Of Heien: Pulling Back The Curtain On The Court's Search And Seizure Doctrin, Wayne A. Logan

Vanderbilt Law Review

In Heien v. North Carolina, the Supreme Court held that individuals can be seized on the basis of reasonable police mistakes of law. In an opinion authored by Chief Justice Roberts, the eight-Justice majority held that the Fourth Amendment's prohibition of "unreasonable" seizures does not bar legally mistaken seizures because "[t]o be reasonable is not to be perfect." Concurring, Justice Kagan, joined by Justice Ginsburg, emphasized that judicial condonation of police mistakes of law should be "exceedingly rare." In a solo dissent, Justice Sotomayor fairly "wonder[ed] why an innocent citizen should be made to shoulder the burden of being seized …

Examining The Multifaceted Impacts Of Drug Decriminalization On Public Safety, Law Enforcement, And Prosecutorial Discretion, Kelsey S. Henderson, Christopher M. Campbell, Brian C. Renauer

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications and Presentations

This final report provides the findings of a multi-year project to understand the effects of successive drug policy efforts in Oregon. Since 2013, Oregon has implemented three changes that reclassified and lowered the seriousness of low-level drug possession offenses, with multiple years between each policy change: Justice Reinvestment in 2013, defelonization in 2017, and decriminalization in 2021. This project parses out the individual impacts of these unique events on law enforcement, prosecution, courts and sentencing, and public safety & health.

Machine Learning Based Solutions For Detecting Social Media Spam And Phishing Incidents, Ahmed Al Shehhi

Theses

The growing digital interactions across various social media platforms increases the risks of phishing schemes and spam messages that compromise personal and organisational security. This thesis tackles such threats with the aid of machine learning and natural processing techniques that are utilized for detecting malicious communications with high accuracy. A total of three datasets were used in this study, two for phishing and one for spam. The research aims to explore the performance of classification models, including Logistic Regression, Support Vector Machine, Naïve Bayes, and Linear Discriminant Analysis, as well as a hybrid model combining Logistic Regression and Naïve Bayes. …

Integration Of Blockchain And Cryptographic Techniques For Location Based Services, Rashed Al Shamali

Theses

As digital systems continue to evolve in complexity, protecting user identities and ensuring the secure transmission of data has become paramount. Conventional techniques such as passwords and digital signatures are often insufficient to address modern security threats unless paired with more sophisticated technologies. This thesis proposes a framework that integrates Blockchain Technology with Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) to fortify identity verification protocols and enhance location-obscuring methods. Blockchain’s inherent features of decentralization, immutability, and non-repudiation makes it an ideal platform for secure data exchange. When combined with ECC, which provides robust encryption with smaller key sizes, the system achieves a heightened …

A Model For Community-Driven Development Of Best Practices: The Ocean Observatories Initiative Biogeochemical Sensors Data Best Practices And User Guide, Hilary I. Palevsky, Sophie Clayton, Heather Benway, Mairead Maheigan, Dariia Atamanchuk, Roman Battisi, Jennifer Batryn, Annie Bourbonnais, Ellen M. Briggs, Filipa Carvalho, Alison P. Chase, Rachel Eveleth, Rob Fatland, Kristen E. Fogaren, Jonathan Peter Fram, Susan E. Hartman, Isabela Le Bras, Cara C. M. Manning, Joseph A. Needoba, Merrie Beth Neely, Hilde Oliver, Andrew C. Reed, Jennie E. Rheuban, Christina Schallenberg, Ian Walsh, Christopher Wingard, Kohen Bauer, Baoshen Chen, Jose Cuevas, Susana Flecha, Micah Horwith, Melissa Melendez, Tyler Menz, Sara Rivero-Calle, Nicholas P. Roden, Tobias Steinhoff, Paulo Nicolás Trucco-Pignata, Michael F. Vardaro, Meg Yoder

OES Faculty Publications

The field of oceanography is transitioning from data-poor to data-rich, thanks in part to increased deployment of in-situ platforms and sensors, such as those that instrument the US-funded Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI). However, generating science-ready data products from these sensors, particularly those making biogeochemical measurements, often requires extensive end-user calibration and validation procedures, which can present a significant barrier. Openly available community-developed and -vetted Best Practices contribute to overcoming such barriers, but collaboratively developing user-friendly Best Practices can be challenging. Here we describe the process undertaken by the NSF-funded OOI Biogeochemical Sensor Data Working Group to develop Best Practices for …