Digital Commons Network^™

“Extraordinary” Means Extraordinary: Why Courts Should Refuse To Apply Sentencing Minimum Reductions In Compassionate Release Petitions, J.M. Icasiano

Student Works

No abstract provided.

Kingsley And The Deliberate Indifference Circuit Split, Kevin Scanlon

Student Works

No abstract provided.

Ncaa's Eligibility Rules - Pathways For Meaningful Change, Guido John Alfonso Salandra

Student Works

No abstract provided.

2026 Faculty Summer Seminar - Modern Misenchantments: St. Augustine’S Wisdom For Challenging The Idols Of Consumerism And Nationalism, Center For Catholic Studies, Seton Hall University

Center for Catholic Studies Faculty Seminars and Core Curriculum Seminars

About the 2026 Faculty Seminar - p.6

Josephine De Vito - p.9 The Idolatry of Saint Augustine for College Students

Anthony Haynor - p.12 Checking Idolatry Creep in Catholic Universities

Mark Horowitz - p.20 Can the Universal Church Transcend the Tribal Chimp?

Richard M. Liddy - p.26 Cavanagh’s Distinction and Lonergan’s Intellectual Conversion

Jose Lopez - p.32 Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness Under Pressure

Jon Radwan - p.37 Idolatrous Grasp, Sacramental Encounter: Communication and Contact Before, During and After Babel

Elizabeth Brewer Redwine - p.46 Saint Augustine, Idolatry and Service: A Pedagogical Response

Lisa Rose-Wiles - p.50 Useful …

Occupational Therapy: There Through It All, Leanne Bates

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Posters

'Occupational Therapy: There Through It All' is a Doctor of Occupational Therapy Capstone project in collaboration with VNA Health at Home in London, Kentucky. The Applied Leadership Experience focused on patients, and their family members or caregivers, receiving home hospice care. The primary ACOTE focus areas were education, advocacy, and clinical practice. The purpose of the project was to facilitate an increased quality of life in home hospice patients by determining the gaps of care present for patients that do not receive occupational therapy (OT) services, provide education about OT’s role in hospice care, and creating educational resources for patients …

From Bump To Baby: A New Parent Role Preparation Webinar, Emma K. Ward

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Posters

The purpose of this Capstone project is to alleviate some of the stress and fear associated with the transition to parenthood through the development of a parental role preparation webinar that educates new and expecting parents on how to effectively care for and support the development of their child. The primary area of focus for the project is Education, and the project site is the Haven Care Center in Danville, Kentucky. A SWOT analysis and discussions with Haven Care staff indicated a need for educational materials that focus on caregiver skill development, understanding and responding to infant cues, infant developmental …

Workplace Wellness: Ergonomics And Injury Prevention, Makenzie Vorbeck

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Posters

This Capstone project, Workplace Wellness: Ergonomics and Injury Prevention, was completed in a local retail jewelry store as part of an Applied Leadership Experience (ALE) with a primary focus of health promotion and wellness as outlined by ACOTE Standards. This project aimed to address the high risk of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) among jewelers and sales staff due to prolonged static postures, repetitive hand movements, and improper workstation set-ups.

The primary goals of my project were to 1) improve participant knowledge of ergonomic principles and injury prevention strategies, 2) enhance knowledge of proper body mechanics and workstation set-up, and 3) …

The Restorative Effects Of Virtual Reality Nature Simulations: An Empirical Investigation, Isabel T. Folger, Yichen Zhang, Kenneth B. Abrams

Psychology Faculty Work

Although extensive research demonstrates that nature films can facilitate recovery from stress and cognitive overload, it remains unclear whether more immersive media, such as virtual reality (VR), are more effective than similar two-dimensional films. The present study examined the effects of immersiveness on affective, cognitive, and physiological restoration. Three levels of immersiveness for film viewing were employed: 2D (computer monitor), standard VR (visual and auditory input), and enhanced VR (standard VR plus olfactory and haptic input). All participants were exposed to parallel versions of a six-minute nature film. We hypothesized that greater immersiveness would produce stronger restorative effects. All versions …

J Am Coll Dent 2026 92 2b

Journal of the American College of Dentists

This special issue of the Journal of the American College of Dentists responds to a growing but long-underrecognized demand for humanities and ethics in dental education, practice, and scholarship. It emerges from the work of the National Collaborative on Humanities and Ethics in Dentistry (NCHED), a multi-institutional partnership formed in 2023 to address the persistent exclusion of dentistry from broader health humanities conversations. Through national webinars and scholarly collaboration, NCHED has demonstrated substantial interest in ethical reflection, historical analysis, narrative inquiry, and the arts as essential to understanding oral health and dental care.

The unexpectedly strong response to the call …

Letters To The Editor

Journal of the American College of Dentists

This section of the Journal of the American College of Dentists presents professional correspondence regarding previously published articles and issues relevant to dentistry, ethics, education, policy, and patient care. Letters to the editor provide readers an opportunity to offer scholarly critique, clarification, perspective, or additional insight, while author responses promote constructive academic dialogue and continued professional reflection.

The letters in this issue respond to the JACD article “The Racial Politics of Early Dentistry and the Terrible ‘Toothache Blues’” (Vol. 92, No. 2).

Investigation Of Diverse Carf Effectors In Type Iii Crispr - Cas Immunity, Gianna Marie Stella

Student Theses and Dissertations

All domains of life can be infected by viruses. The simplest forms of life, bacteria, are outnumbered by their viruses, called bacteriophage or phage, by 10 to 1. It is estimated there are more phages on Earth than stars in the sky. Phage act as parasites to bacteria by ejecting their DNA into the cell and hijacking host machinery to produce more viral particles. Once new phage particles are assembled inside the cell, the bacterium will lyse, leading to not only to the death of the bacterium but also the proliferation of more viruses. Bacteria encode a range of strategies …

Assessment Of Temperature Correction Factors For Falling Weight Deflectometer Deflections, Pablo Orosa Iglesias, Jin Li, Bongsuk Park, Seonghwan Cho, John E. Haddock

JTRP Technical Reports

This study presents the development of an improved temperature correction methodology for falling weight deflectometer (FWD) deflections in full-depth asphalt pavements. The objective was to address the limitations of existing correction methods by integrating viscoelastic pavement behavior, structural properties, and realistic thermal gradients. Field temperature data from instrumented sites in Indiana were used to train a machine learning model capable of predicting pavement temperature profiles in flexible pavements. These predictions informed a series of finite element simulations that captured pavement responses to FWD loading under a range of thermal and structural conditions. Temperature correction factors were then derived and modeled …

Research Support To Indot On Systemwide Asset Condition Assessment Using Connected Vehicle Data, Andrew Thompson, Jairaj Desai, Rahul Suryakant Sakhare, Darcy M. Bullock

JTRP Technical Reports

Crowdsourced pavement roughness data using connected vehicles now provides cost-effective, high-resolution condition monitoring in near real-time. This study evaluates how connected vehicle data can support effective investment prioritization across Indiana’s road network and improve upon traditional data sources using surveys that are often done annually or biennially. A key challenge is handling terabyte-scale geospatial roughness datasets and integrating them meaningfully into asset management workflows. A scalable data processing methodology is outlined to address this issue and is used for the subsequent analysis.

This report’s analysis uses more than 3 billion daily CV-estimated roughness measurements (IRICVe) from 2022–2025, in addition to …

Pedestrian And Bicyclist Trespassing Impacts On Rail Grade Crossings Safety And Mobility, Shanyue Guan, Siqi Chen, Shufan Liu, Samy Noureldin, Bridgette Hail, Brandon Burgoa, Elizabeth Mouser, Alison Shaner, Paige Story, Karen Stippich

JTRP Technical Reports

Highway roads intersect with a railroad track, forming a multimodal transportation system. The intersection is called a highway railroad grade crossing (HRGC). Because of the multiple transportation operations, induced conflict at the grade crossing, crashes may happen between road users (e.g., automobiles, pedestrians, bicyclists, etc.) and trains in operations at highway railroad grade crossings. This is a global challenge for many countries around the world. According to the 2022–2026 Indiana Strategic Highway Safety Plan and 2022 Indiana Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Safety Action Plan, one of the biggest challenges facing Indiana is the higher numbers of pedestrians in and around crossing …

Utilizing Emergency Management Audio Messages For Traffic Incident Management Performance Measures, Christopher Gartner, Vihaan Vajpayee, Jairaj Desai, Darcy M. Bullock

JTRP Technical Reports

Timely and accurate information regarding roadway incidents is critical for Traffic Management Centers (TMCs) to maintain safety and mobility. While Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) cameras and crowdsourced data provide significant visibility, rural interstate corridors often suffer from coverage gaps, or "blind spots," where incidents go undetected until significant queuing occurs. Public safety radio communications serve as the primary coordination method for first responders, creating a "verbal infrastructure" that contains vital information regarding incident location and severity. This study evaluates the feasibility of using Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) to bridge these gaps by monitoring and analyzing radio traffic. The project developed …

Jou 3302 : Multiplatform Editing, Communication And Journalism

Approved Course Proposals

No abstract provided.

Developing Teacher Leaders: The Impact Of Instructional Coaching On Middle School Math Teachers’ Mindsets, Instructional Strategies, And Student Outcomes, Odena Lafreniere

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

This mixed-methods Improvement Science Dissertation in Practice examined the impact of a six-week mathematics-focused instructional coaching intervention on student achievement, teacher practice, and teacher mindset in the middle schools of a small urban district. Guided by the Tennessee Coaching Project and Institute for Learning (TN-IFL) coaching model and the Mathematical Quality of Instruction (MQI) rubric, the intervention supported three mathematics teachers across six cycles, including pre-lesson planning, classroom observation, and postintervention feedback conferences. The researcher compared student achievement and instructional practices of coached teachers with those of eight non-coached peers across Grades 6–8. Quantitative data included weekly district quizzes, mindset …

Completing The Circle: Consultee-Centered Group Consultation As Professional Development To Improve Restorative Practices Implementation In A Middle School, Sara A. Tennyson

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

This mixed-methods Improvement Science Dissertation in Practice (ISDiP) examined the impact of consultee-centered group consultation on educators' knowledge and the frequency of implementation of Restorative Practices (RP) in a middle school setting. Participants included 17 educators with various roles at a suburban middle school in the mid-Atlantic United States: Nine participated in the consultee-centered group consultation, and eight did not. The researcher administered pre- and post-surveys to both groups and examined the results using descriptive statistics. The researcher conducted participant surveys, recorded group consultation sessions, and analyzed journal entries to form qualitative themes. Quantitative findings indicated that the participant group …

Using Ai-Generated Multimedia To Teach Leisure Choice Making, Charles Thull

STEMPS Faculty Publications

This learning representation introduces an AI-developed, multimedia assessment for identifying leisure preferences among middle school students with developmental disabilities. Grounded in instructional design, ecological systems, and multimedia learning theories, the activity integrates ChatGPT, InVideo AI, Sora, DALL·E, and Gemini to create guided-choice visuals, short videos, and a structured, teacher-facilitated paired-choice activity using visual prompts across home, school, and community interest contexts. The technology-developed design fosters engagement, accessibility, and self-expression as students participate in a structured, teacher-facilitated paired-choice activity. Outcomes include enhanced student voice in leisure planning, increased self-awareness, and the identification of potential leisure interests. Assessments include student responses to …

Informing Policies: Examining Socio-Cultural Factors Influencing The Prevalence Of Gender-Based Violence, Patricia M. Ebubechukwu

Theses and Dissertations

Despite growing policy attention and legal reforms, Intimate partner violence (IPV) remains a persistent public health and human rights concern in Nigeria. This study examines the socio-cultural influences on the prevalence of gender-based violence among ever-married women in Nigeria using data from the 2024 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS). Drawing on a nationally representative sample of 19,863 women aged 15 to 49, the research investigates how geopolitical zone, internalized gender norms, religious affiliation, educational attainment, and household wealth shape women’s experiences of physical, sexual, and emotional IPV. Guided by social norms theory and the ecological model of violence, the …

Elite Cues Vs. Economic Vulnerabilities: What Explains Isolationist Foreign Policy Attitudes Among Americans?, Sabyasachi Karmaker

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines whether contemporary isolationist foreign policy attitudes among Americans are better explained by elite political cues or by economic vulnerabilities. Using data from the 2024 American National Election Study (ANES), the study also examines which mechanism holds more explanatory power in shaping isolationist views. The findings show that both elite cues and economic vulnerabilities are associated with isolationist attitudes, but elite cues have greater explanatory power. These results suggest that contemporary American isolationism is more strongly associated with political identity and elite messaging than with economic hardship alone.

Symmetry In Latin Hypercubes, Levi Neiburger

Theses and Dissertations

Let [n] = {1, ..., n}. A hypercube H of order n and dimension d is a d-dimensional array whose nᵈ cells are indexed by [n]ᵈ. A hyperplane in H is obtained by fixing one coordinate, while allowing the remaining d–1 coordinates to vary. We wish to color each cell of H from a palette of n^d-1 colors such that each hyperplane is polychromatic.

Our main result is the following. Let n be sufficiently large. There exists a symmetric coloring of the d-dimensional hypercubes of order n whose all hyperplanes are polychromatic if and only if: …

Cover Crop Effects On Soil Porewater Nutrients And Hydrothermal Properties, Md Mahadi Hasan

Theses and Dissertations

Adoption of winter cover crops in the U.S. Midwest may reduce nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) leaching from soils, potentially shrinking the hypoxic zone by limiting nutrient runoff into the Gulf of Mexico. To evaluate the impact of selected winter cover crops on soil porewater N and P concentration, a field study was conducted at the Illinois State University Research Farm (ISURF) and the Western Illinois University Research Farm (WIURF). The experimental design was a block experiment with four replications.  Cover crop treatments included a winter fallow, wild pennycress (WPC), golden pennycress (GPC), cereal rye (CR), annual ryegrass (AR), and …

From Deference To Dialogue: How International Gtas From High Power Distance Cultures Adapt To U.S. Classroom Dynamics, Deborah Akua Afi Appiah

Theses and Dissertations

International graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) from high power distance cultures play a significant role in undergraduate education at U.S. universities, yet they face challenges that go well beyond language proficiency. Coming from educational backgrounds where teacher authority is unquestioned and hierarchical, these GTAs must navigate American classrooms that operate on fundamentally different assumptions, where authority is earned rather than assumed, informality is the norm, and students expect to question, negotiate, and be personally known by their instructors. The present study examined how eighteen (18) international GTAs from seven (7) high power distance countries perceived and adapted to these differences while …

Predicting Job Performance: The Incremental Validity Of Cognitive Reflection Tests Over General Cognitive Ability And Conscientiousness., Olivia Earll

Theses and Dissertations

Cognitive reflection is the ability to suppress intuitive thinking (Type 1) in favor of deliberative, analytical thought (Type 2). This study investigated cognitive reflection as a predictor of supervisor-rated job performance, exploring its incremental validity over general cognitive ability and conscientiousness. Results indicated that all three variables positively predicted job performance, with cognitive reflection explaining a significant, unique portion of the variance. Exploratory analyses confirmed that this predictive validity remained consistent across industry, age, and sex. Furthermore, cognitive reflection significantly moderated the relationship between general cognitive ability and job performance. These findings highlight the value of deliberative reasoning as a …

Data Defines Success: Algorithm For Dataset Quality Assessment In Deep Learning For Malware Detection, Matei Ionescu

Theses and Dissertations

The field of artificial intelligence is based upon the premise of constructing architectures through which to propagate training data. However, the majority of existing research literature is focused on architecture. While necessary, the attention devoted to the architecture should not so precipitously exceed that of the data. It should be noted that this disparity is not without reasonable cause. Data quality is often exceedingly difficult to verify due to particularities of the field or subfield; LLM repositories of text are distinct from image recognition pictures of dog breeds which are distinct from EEG waveforms of human brains which are distinct …

Rhetoric Of Realignment: An Analysis Of Trump's 2024 Campaign Rhetoric, David Valadez

Theses and Dissertations

When political coalitions include groups with opposing policy goals, leaders face a challenge: satisfying all constituencies without making commitments that alienate essential supporters. The present study examines strategic ambiguity in the form of deliberately vague political messaging as a tool for managing this challenge. Combining rhetorical analysis with selectorate theory, which explains how leaders achieve and maintain power through reward distribution, the research analyzes Donald Trump’s 2024 Republican National Convention acceptance speech, focusing on immigration rhetoric.

The analysis reveals that Trump’s ambiguity was selective rather than habitual. On immigration, where tech/corporate interests wanting skilled workers clashed with nationalist groups demanding …

Staff Attitudes Toward Ai Adoption At A Private Research University, Ashley C. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

This study addresses the limited research on university staff attitudes toward artificial intelligence use and adoption. Using the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) research framework, the General Attitudes towards Artificial Intelligence Scale (GAAIS), and quantitative survey methodology, the study examines the attitudes of higher education staff toward AI, specifically examining whether demographic or professional characteristics are factors. The findings indicate that staff had moderately negative attitudes toward AI while also expressing some concerns. The results suggest that more resources and support for AI are needed for staff to address concerns. It also suggests that construct-level analysis …

Middle School Students' Initial Ideas And Their Connections In Proportion Word Problems, Carrie Ann Lawton

Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation study, I sought to identify the initial ideas that middle school students had when approaching Multiple Batches and Variable Parts proportion word problems, as well as the connections they made among those initial ideas. I conducted semi-structured individual and paired interviews with 13 sixth- and seventh-grade students at the end of their school year. I then used the Knowledge-in-Pieces theoretical perspective to identify knowledge resources that the participants accessed when approaching the tasks, prior to any intervention on my part.

Through my analysis, I identified 18 initial ideas that the middle school students employed when solving the …

First- And Second-Generation Immigrant Emerging Adults’ Career Aspirations, Laura A. Botros

Theses and Dissertations

Despite first- and second-generation immigrants making up 19.6% of the U.S. workforce (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024), research exploring their career aspirations is scarce. Studies show that individuals’ cultural backgrounds significantly shape first- and second-generation immigrants' career aspirations, values, and professional goals (Kao, 2004; Polenova et al., 2017). The purpose of the study is to examine how first- and second-generation immigrant emerging adults' cultural backgrounds inform their career aspirations. I utilized a qualitative approach by asking participants about their cultural background, career aspirations, and what influenced their career aspirations. Interviews and a cognitive map activity were conducted to investigate …