Digital Commons Network^™

Program Agenda 12-16-25, Angela Brock

Programs Committee (PC)

No abstract provided.

Approved Programs 12-16-25, Angela Brock

Programs Committee (PC)

No abstract provided.

Ucc Minutes 12-16-25, Angela Brock

UCC Agendas/Minutes

No abstract provided.

Hollywood, Ai, And The Moral Universe: An Analysis Of The Terminator And Battlestar Galactica, Lara Sumera Samms

Masters Theses

This thesis defends the argument that depictions of artificial intelligence in Hollywood film and television point to a moral universe. Films The Terminator (1984) and Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), as well as the television series Battlestar Galactica (2004-2009) are analyzed to find clues of moral facts. This research paper submits that these stories add weight to the moral argument and provide evidence that humans implicitly recognize a moral universe. Such acknowledgment of moral structures cannot be adequately explained within a secular framework such as utilitarianism or evolutionary ethics. However, the Christian worldview frames reality around the existence of God, …

Writing A Phd Thesis In Counterpoint To Its Traditional Map: Writing To And With Theories And Concepts Encountered In The Doing Of Doctoral Studies, Mary Catherine Garland

Professional Services

This article offers insights into challenges encountered in the landscaping of a doctoral thesis written in counterpoint with its traditional map. The inspiration behind the author’s thesis is a sixteen-year-old withdrawn from an English Further Education college on her first day. Consequently, the thesis troubles seemingly rigid orthodox academic structures and writing conventions, which potentially act as a barrier to learning. Animating the (non)methodological approaches of a PhD thesis written for everyone denied the opportunity of fulfilling their academic potential, this paper engages with speculative and experimental approaches to research, asking not ‘what is’, but ‘what if’.

Predicting Emotional Intelligence Based On Cultural Dimensions And Narcissism Among Military And Educational Leaders, Juan P. Remy

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative predictive correlational design study is to examine how well cross-cultural dimensions and narcissistic tendencies predict emotional intelligence among military and educational leaders. This study is important because it will identify how cross-cultural dimensions and narcissistic tendencies influence the emotional intelligence of military and educational leaders. The sample consisted of 90 of 122 military leaders who had attended any professional military education (PME), and 120 educational leaders were recruited from a population of 183 within a military school district in the central United States. The data were collected using the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-Short Form (TEIQue-SF), …

Prevalence And Factors Associated With Regular Fast-Food Consumption Among Adults In The Uae: A Cross-Sectional Study, Ala Al Rajabi, Rafiq Hijazi, Lynne Alexandra Kennedy

All Works

Objectives: To assess the prevalence and identify sociodemographic predictors of regular fast-food consumption (R-FFC) among United Arab Emirates (UAE) adults to inform public health nutrition responses to growing diet-related ill health in the region. Design: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study using purposive, convenience sampling. Data were collected using an online survey adapted from two validated surveys and distributed via social media platforms. R-FFC was defined as visiting a fast-food restaurant to eat ≥ 2 times/week. Pearson’s χ ² tests and multiple binary logistic regression models were used to investigate prevalence and predictors of R-FFC. All statistical significance was considered …

The Current State Of Global Engagement Within U.S. Jesuit Institutions: Challenges And Opportunities, Han Yan, Lin Lu

Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal

Jesuit education aims to cultivate global citizens who actively engage with the world and champion social justice. As economic and social ties grow increasingly interconnected, Jesuit institutions need to develop innovative international learning opportunities for students. In this study, using publicly available IIE Open Doors data from the past two decades, we assess international student enrollment and study abroad initiatives at U.S. Jesuit institutions and compare these metrics against national trends. The results suggest that U.S. Jesuit institutions have substantial potential to invest in and reap the benefits of global engagement. Grounded in the Jesuit mission and the Inspirational Paradigm …

Toward More Just Futures: Abolitionist Pedagogy And Lived Experience In Criminology Courses, Curriculum And Degree Program, Simone Rowe, Michael Baker, Phillip Wadds, Ingrid Matthews, George (Kev) Dertadian, Andy Kaladelfos

Feminist Pedagogy

This paper discusses the collaborative and ongoing interventions to the Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice (BCCJ) programme taught on the unceded lands of the Bedegal people on which the University of New South Wales, Australia, is built. Abolitionist feminist positionalities (Davis et al., 2022, p. 2) are central in implementing transformative pedagogies that interrupt and dismantle mainstream criminological pedagogies and practices that cause and perpetuate carceral harms. Core to achieving these aims is our long commitment to working with and learning from those with lived experience of carceral systems and developing institutional systems that facilitate long-term support for this …

Being Radical Community: “Pleasure Activism” In Higher Education, Misty D. Saribal, Taisha Mcmickens Dr.

Feminist Pedagogy

This paper argues for the necessity of pleasure in abolitionist pedagogy as a condition for sustaining movements toward collective liberation. Grounded in abolition feminism and radical pedagogy, it introduces the “Pleasure Activism Lineage” (PAL) as a tool for cultivating campus movement communities through joy, care, and collective resistance. Drawing on adrienne maree brown’s framework of pleasure activism, the PAL assignment invites students and educators to trace transformative influences, reclaim subversive forms of joy, and build solidarities rooted in liberatory traditions. By centering pleasure as a site of resistance, this project disrupts the pitifully punitive logics and pessimistically professionalizing ethos of …

Research And The Information Landscape, Libby Wheeles, Helena Marvin

Open Educational Resources Collection

This open textbook accompanies the University of Missouri-St. Louis class INTDSC 1010: Research and the Information Landscape. Intended for undergraduates new to academic research, the course covers practical search and evaluation skills as well as a basic introduction to the world of scholarly communication. In Fall 2025, the course’s learning objectives were:

1. Evaluate whether a source is appropriate for college-level research.
2. Navigate library search tools to find relevant results and improve research efficiency.
3. Analyze the goals and limitations of non-library tools in the research landscape.
4. Explain the basic history and current broad practices of scholarly communication.
5. Contribute to a small-scale …

Cv: Jung Kim (Literacy), Jung Kim

Education Department Faculty Curricula Vitae

No abstract provided.

What’S In A Group: A Social Science Inquiry, Maria Caridad H. Tarroja

Asia-Pacific Social Science Review

No abstract provided.

The Hidden World Of Evil: Documenting Serial Killers Through The Centuries, An Evolution., Semieca Wilson

Master of Arts in Human Services

The following is an analysis of the phenomenon of serial killers from their development over time, and why it mattered due to how they operated on society. Cases reported from the past to present century were read and analyzed in search of recurring psychological patterns, changes in methods of inspecting cases and the effects of cultural, technological transformation on both felons as well as those who trailed them. The site is a product of my professional interest in the area of criminal psychology and forensic analysis and reflects my objective to provide myself and other interested professionals, academics, law enforcement …

Patient-Derived Ovarian Cancer Models Provide Insight Into Cancer Cell-Intrinsic And Immune Cell-Dependent Effects On Therapeutic Response, Parisa Nikeghbal

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecologic malignancy, largely due to late diagnosis and resistance to chemotherapy. This dissertation applies patient-derived organoids (PDOs), xenograft-derived organoids (PDXOs), and humanized xenografts (huPDX) to investigate therapeutic responses and immune interactions. Organoids were shown to retain critical features of the original malignancy. Across platinum-sensitive, -resistant, and -refractory cases, both PDOs and PDXOs exhibited drug sensitivities that aligned with patients’ clinical classifications. Building on this foundation, a drug screen revealed novel strategies. Auranofin restored platinum sensitivity in Notch3-active models, afatinib broadly reduced viability, and adavosertib–gemcitabine and sorafenib–topotecan combinations produced synergy. Extending this work, immune interactions …

Knowledge Production As Identity Expression: A Third-Space Perspective On Sustainable Careers, Alicja Syska

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences

This conceptual paper advances our understanding of sustainable careers by focusing on the knowledge creation activities of third-space practitioners in higher education. Specifically, we apply and extend the Process Model of Sustainable Careers to examine how different forms of knowledge production in three different institutional and national contexts – writing for publication, practice-based expertise, and curriculum development – contribute to career sustainability at the intersection of academic and professional/administrative roles and domains. The critical element of this extension is ‘identity expression’ in the form of knowledge production, which acts as an integrating mechanism that flows through and connects the original …

Guillaume Dustan's Ethico-Politics Of The Body, Noah Mertz

Foreign Languages & Literatures ETDs

In this MA Thesis, I lay out a synthetic overview of polemical French writer Guillaume Dustan's (1965-2005) political philosophy. He is criticized first as irresponsible and dangerous for his defense of barebacking (sex without condoms) in the midst of the AIDS epidemic, and then, after his death, as a neoliberal/anarcho-capitalist for his focus on individual liberty. My overview touches on Dustan's Freudian belief that repression is the root of all social ills, his functional ethics of self-responsibility, the revaluation of heteronormative Judeo-Christian morality towards 'virtusex,' and his social contract that minimizes repression. Dustan’s goal is for you to autonomously subjectify …

Moltkia Coerulea Extracts Alleviate Caspase-3 Activity Via Reducing Oxidative Stress In Lps-Induced Neurotoxicity In Bv-2 Cells, Asli Can Ağca, Derya Altay, Hüdaverdi̇ Kul, Asli F. Ceylan, Betül Sever Yilmaz

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: Moltkia coerulea, a medicinal plant traditionally used for its neuroprotective properties, contains diverse phenolic compounds. However, its mechanisms of action in neuroinflammation remain unclear. We hypothesized that extracts of M. coerulea may protect microglial cells from lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis by modulating reactive oxygen species (ROS) and caspase-3 activity.

Materials and methods: Aqueous and methanol extracts (5–50 μg/mL) were tested in BV-2 microglial cells. Cell viability was assessed by MTT assay, while ROS generation and caspase-3 activity were measured using fluorescence-based kits. The effective concentration (10 μg/mL) was selected for mechanistic assays based on viability data and …

Jmu Libraries Magazine: Volume 3, Jenne M. Klotz, Emily D. Blake, Kristen S. Shuyler

Faculty Scholarship

Volume 3 of the biennial JMU Libraries magazine, highlighting services, events, awards of the JMU Libraries.

The Ham, December 12, 2025, Beacon Staff

The Beacon, 2025-2026

The 500th annual retelling of our survival story; There is water damage EVERYWHERE; Breaking news from the year 3000; Controversial legalization of underwater kelp; NW gets progressive: hires first fish professor; NW water polo team in search of seahorses; But like really, are we fish now?

Journey Through, Cathan B. Tautfest

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

Journey Through is the Master's Portfolio for the University of Montana for Author Cathan Tautfest. This paper serves as the capstone graduation requirement for students of the School of Social Work. Over the final semester of the Master's program, this Portfolio was created, reviewed by committee, and defended before its publication. This Portfolio is a culmination of three years and thousands of hours to demonstrate mastery of the ten Social Work competencies, the elements of Social Work Practice, and critically reflect on time spent in the School of Social Work's Master's of Social Work (MSW) program. This Portfolio reflects on …

Cv: Joanna Maravilla (Literacy), Joanna Maravilla

Education Department Faculty Curricula Vitae

No abstract provided.

An Axe To The Funny Bone: Curated Instability And Horror-Comedy Intersections In American Storytelling, Samantha Box

Masters Theses

Funny. Terrifying. Subversive.

Horror-Comedy twists and bites at the intersection of two incredibly reactive genres— with both Horror and Comedy being well known for the political and social discourses they embody and reinvent through story. While prevalent in American popular culture, scholarly analysis of this hybrid space barely exists beyond a small number of Film Studies investigations. Despite this lack, Horror-Comedy works continue to be successfully produced. This thesis unpacks the vibrant relationship between fear and laughter in contemporary American storytelling through Horror-Comedy, maintaining a focus on structural dynamics and the audience-disarming results of simultaneously applying horror and humor to …

More Than Just A Criminal: Talking Back As A Critical Autoethnographic Journey, Anakin Rivera Ramirez

Psychology Faculty Publications and Presentations

This article explores the experiences of doctoral students with criminal records navigating higher education, using a critical theoretical framework to highlight the unique challenges and triumphs I faced. Drawing upon decoloniality and critical race theory perspectives and activism, I define my critical scholarship as challenging the dominant oppression through thoughts and actions. Through autoethnographic and self-reflective narratives, I reflect on how my lived experiences as a Latino who has experienced criminalization. I have shaped my academic pursuits and critical consciousness. The autoethnography discusses systemic barriers such as stigma, discrimination, and institutional biases, showing how these obstacles have informed the author’s …

Culturally Responsive Assessment And Mtss Toolkit For Multilingual Learners, Morgan Kaltz

Masters Projects

English Learners (ELs) are often assessed using tools that fail to account for their linguistic and cultural backgrounds, leading to inaccurate conclusions about their academic abilities. This project addresses the problem of non–culturally responsive assessment by developing a framework and resources to help teachers design and implement assessments that more accurately reflect what multilingual learners know and can do. Rooted in the principles of Culturally Responsive Assessment (CRA) and aligned with the WIDA English Language Development Standards, this project supports educators in integrating language development with equitable instructional practices.

The project includes creating teacher-friendly tools, such as culturally responsive assessment …

The Influence Of Servant Leadership On Team Adaptability During Organizational Change, Mark Lloyd L. Leyva

M.S. in Leadership

Organizational change, an inevitable element of modern workplaces, often introduces stress, uncertainty, and the need for resilience among employees. This study investigates the impact of servant leadership on team adaptability during such transitions. Servant leadership, characterized by empathy, empowerment, trust-building, and support, presents a human-centered alternative to traditional, authority-driven leadership models that prioritize compliance. This research explores how servant leadership behaviors foster resilience, engagement, and adaptability within teams experiencing organizational change. A mixed-methods approach will be utilized, combining quantitative surveys to measure employee adaptability and engagement with qualitative interviews to delve into perceptions of servant leadership behaviors. Existing literature suggests …

Philosophy Of Culinary Arts: Reading Truth Through Language And Taste, Devi Dwi Purwanto, Aji Prasetya Wibawa, Syaad Patmanthara

Bulletin of Culinary Art and Hospitality

The development of Natural Language Processing (NLP) technology has transformed the way we analyze and understand culinary arts through a digital approach. NLP enables the transformation of empirical and sensory culinary knowledge into structured data that can be analyzed computationally. This technology opens up opportunities to explore the relationships between ingredients, techniques, and flavors in culinary arts, as well as to represent culinary reality in a more organized form. This study aims to identify how NLP can represent the relationships between ingredients, techniques, and flavors in culinary arts and their impact on the structure of culinary knowledge from an epistemological, …

Social Development Dynamics Of Students In Inclusive Education In Indonesia, Nur Hidayat Nh

Jurnal Pendidikan: Teori, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan

This narrative review analyses the social development of students with special needs in Indonesian inclusive schools by synthesising five high-quality empirical studies (indexed SINTA 1–3) published between 2018 and 2023. Addressing three research questions, the synthesis reveals heterogeneous and generally limited social development trajectories shaped primarily by ecological interactions rather than inherent disability characteristics. Key barriers include symbolic inclusion, inadequate teacher training in multimodal strategies, low peer acceptance, and systemic resource deficits, whereas facilitators encompass contextualised multimodal communication, active family involvement, and supportive institutional leadership. Effective interventions depend on coordinated teacher–parent–peer triangulation, leveraging local sign language, structured peer-mediated activities, and …

Dynamic, Reconfigurable, And Hierarchical Biosynthetic Composites Via Collagen Self-Assembly Within Highly Crowded Microgel Pastes, Elif Narbay, Abbygail Caine, Sanika Pandit, Gabrielle Montgomery, Marion Harper, E. Daniel Cárdenas-Vásquez, Hatte Hamilton, Megan Hicks, Daniel Mattar, Kyle Choy, Marco Bisoffi, L. Andrew Lyon

Engineering Faculty Articles and Research

The fabrication of a new class of biomimetic biomaterials is reported using nanostructured microgel pastes formed from “overpacked” assemblies of ultrasoft poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide-co-acrylic acid) microgels and their composites with collagen. Despite the solid-like nature of microgel pastes, collagen fibrillogenesis is robust and rapid, with a 3D collagen network forming throughout the paste volume. Structural organization within the composite is interrogated via a suite of microscopy methods, while rheological characterization provides insight into the static and dynamic mechanical properties of the materials. Long-range fibrillogenesis is enabled by local crowding, dynamics, and spatial reconfigurability of pastes at the …

The Reception Of Neurodiversity Represented Within Netflix’S Wednesday, Anna Stevens

Graduate Theses & Dissertations

This paper explores how neurodiversity is represented through popular media - particularly Netflix's show Wednesday - and aims to discuss the effects this representation could have in regards to how it's received by the public, as well as those who are neurodiverse.