Digital Commons Network^™

An Examination Of The Types Of Support Beginning Teachers In Public K-12 Schools Identify As Most Effective For Overcoming The Challenges They Encounter, Matthew S. Heckmann

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research study examines the types of support beginning teachers in public K-12 schools identify as most effective for overcoming the challenges they encounter. Self-Efficacy Theory (Bandura, 1977) serves as the theoretical framework guiding this research, aiming to understand how various types of support and challenges encountered impact the self-efficacy of beginning teachers. Through a qualitative phenomenological approach, individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with five beginning elementary teachers in Western Pennsylvania to explore the two research questions of this study through their lived experiences:

RQ1: What challenges do beginning K-12 public school teachers encounter early in their careers?

RQ2: Which …

Associations Of Ccr5Δ32 With Covid-19 In An Iraqi Kurdish Population And Global Allele Frequencies Of Ccr5Δ32, Sherko Subhan Niranji

Human Biology Open Access Pre-Prints

Chemokine receptor 5 Delta 32 (CCR5Δ32), a 32-nucleotide deletion in the receptor’s gene, is associated with infectious diseases (e.g., protection against HIV-1). Studies have yielded conflicting results regarding this receptor and Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19) in various nations. No studies have investigated the CCR5 genetic polymorphisms in Kurdish populations. Few studies have been performed in Iraq regarding associations of CCR5 with infectious diseases including COVID-19. This study aims to investigate associations of CCR5Δ32 with COVID-19 in an Iraqi Kurdish population and global allele frequencies of the CCR5Δ32 associated with various diseases around the world.

Conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was …

Not Always Welcomed, Lavaughn Wesley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

This qualitative dissertation explores the systemic barriers faced by adjudicated and long-term suspended youth during their reentry into the public school system, focusing on a local urban community in Pennsylvania. Through the lens of Institutional Complexity Theory, this study examines how interagency disconnection, implicit bias, inequitable disciplinary practices, and inadequate support structures contribute to the marginalization of historically underserved students, particularly Black youth, students with disabilities, and those from low-income households.

The research is driven by two central questions:

(1) What are the barriers for adjudicated youth during the reentry process?

(2) How can the home school reentry process …

I Am Mentorship: Hip-Hop As A Mirror For Belonging And Becoming, David J. Berg

Journal of the Arts and Special Education

This paper presents MENTEE-SS (Mentorship, Engagement, Nurturing, Trust, Empowerment, Excellence-Systems of Support for Students and Families), a practitioner-focused reimagination of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) through the lens of hip-hop pedagogy, mentorship, and culturally sustaining practices. While traditional MTSS frameworks often emphasize compliance and deficit-based intervention, MENTEE-SS situates support in student identity, creativity, and voice.

Grounded in relational trust and arts integration, the framework uses the author’s original song I’M HIM as a case study in identity reclamation. Three tiers bring this vision to life: co-designed classroom rituals (Yo DJ, Spin That Class!, Tier 1), lyric-writing groups for recovery (The …

Remixing The Integrative Model Of Pedagogy Through Varied Hip-Hop Contexts, Colleen A. Wilkinson, Caitlin Riegel, Elizabeth Falzone

Journal of the Arts and Special Education

Embedding literature which promotes positive views of disabilities into teacher preparation programs is not an uncommon practice (Hansen et al., 2023; Yu & Meyer, 2024). However, multimedia, such as music and television, allow a more inclusive approach to disability studies. Hip-Hop music serves to represent the underrepresented in society and the overrepresented in disability categories. This paper describes how to incorporate three multimedia projects utilizing an Integrative Model of Pedagogy and Hip-Hop into teacher preparation programs for more inclusive, strategic and reflective teacher candidates. Within each project the instructor embeds specific High-Leverage Practices for students with disabilities and culturally responsive …

An Exploratory Phenomenological Study Of Faculty Perceptions Of Student Self-Efficacy Within Traditional Developmental Education Programs And Accelerated Learning Programs, Malinda Rannow-Kurkosky

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Many students attending community colleges are required to enroll in developmental education classes prior to enrolling into college-level classes. Students who need developmental education have a lower success rate within the college-level class than those students allowed to enroll directly into the college-level class (Pruett & Absher, 2015). Many colleges have attempted accelerated learning programs (ALP), and students utilizing the ALP route have demonstrated higher success rates than traditional developmental education students (Adams et al., 2009, Cho et al., 2012, and Ihara, 2010). Traditionally, the developmental class is taught the semester prior to enrollment into the college-level class. The ALP …

Extending Wuads Analysis Capabilities To General Aviation Aircrafts With Piston Propeller And Turbo Propeller Engines And Hydrogen Fuel, Natasha C. Igic, Michael Kiely, Ramesh K. Agarwal

Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science Independent Study

The Washington University Aerospace Design Software (WUADS) is a Python-based conceptual aircraft design software for the analysis of subsonic commercial aircrafts. This paper presents modifications to WUADS enabling the design and analysis for general aviation (GA) aircrafts. The updates include revised weight estimation methods as well as a modified method for estimating the performance of piston propeller and turbo-prop engines. For the weight estimation, the average of the GA versions of the Raymer, and NASA FLOPS methods were implemented for each component. Weight analysis accuracy was measured by comparing the gross takeoff weight calculated by WUADS to published data. Engine …

Stem And Pdf Simulation Of Crystalline And Amorphous Materials, Yang Yang, Francisco Lagunas Vargas

Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science Independent Study

The aberration corrected scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) is a powerful tool for nanoscale characterization, as it is capable of imaging structures with sub-angstrom resolution. An optical microscope uses visible light to magnify objects, which is limited to ~1000X due to the limited resolving power of light. Here, we applied STEM simulations via PRISMATIC and PY4DSTEM, in order to compute images of crystals, 2D materials, and metallic glasses. Practically, computational simulations are important due to the operating cost of STEM and time required to be trained on the equipment. More importantly, simulations provide a direct comparison between theory and experimental …

Fabrication Process For Thin Film Solution Based Indium Galium Zinc Oxide (Igzo), Jeremy Choh

Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science Independent Study

Oxide thin film transistors (TFTs) have gained popularity as a replacement silicon based TFTs, with indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) being the leading candidate. A solution-based fabrication method has been studied to replace the current fabrication method using radio frequency or direct current sputtering. However, the solution based fabrication method has shown to have low reliability in producing high quality IGZO films. Thus, the fabrication parameters to produce high quality IGZO films were studied. It was found that an IGZO solution with a 0.5M concentration of 2-methoxyethanol annealed at 300°C for 30 minutes with a prebake at 70°C for 10 …

Cover And Contents

Turkish Journal of Physics

No abstract provided.

Application Of Polarization Transfer Algorithm In Organic Molecules With Three Nonequivalent Coupled Spins, Dim Safin, Alexander Perepukhov, Sergei Rzhevskiy, Yuri Belousov

Turkish Journal of Physics

Polarization transfer between three $1/2$ nuclear spins in a specially prepared isotopically enriched molecule diethylphthalimide malonate-2-$^{13}$C,$^{15}$N molecule was obtained using the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) method. The polarization transfer was performed by implementing a sequence of radio frequency pulses and waiting intervals. Relaxation times and NMR spectrum for the studied nuclei were measured in samples of molecules with natural and enriched isotopes $^{13}$C and $^{15}$N. Measurements of the proton relaxation rate for diethylphthalimidomalonate and diethylpthalimidomalonate-2-$^{13}$C,$^{15}$N showed an increase in relaxation rate by a factor of 4 for protons bound to $^{13}$C,$^{15}$N nuclei. The use of the quantum polarization transfer method …

Feasibility And Function Of A Tilt-In-Space Wheelchair Insert For Low Resource Settings (Development Of The Open Tilt Base), Luke Mcauley, Karen Menard

Student Capstone Papers

The ability to move and be mobile is a basic part of human function. For those without the muscle control and/or strength to attain and maintain the posture necessary for basic movement and mobility a device is necessary to support them and provide them with the highest level of independence possible. This type of device comes at a significant cost and need for highly customizable products which are difficult to obtain in most situations, but especially in Low-Middle-Income Countries (LMIC). The product discussed in this paper is designed to provide a cost effective solution for those in need of a …

A Farewell To The Big A, Elaine Sanders

Capstones

After 131 years, New York City’s last horse race track, Aqueduct Racetrack, will host its final race on June 28, 2026. Though not that many in the city even know it exists, the track’s dedicated attendees have already begun to mourn its demise and the world that will be lost with its closure. This is a photo essay about the last days of New York City’s last horse race track.

https://www.elainesanders.com/capstone

Can Gospel Drill Save The Bronx?, Tiara Brownie

Capstones

New York City is dealing with gun violence and the contentious effects of drill rap on street culture. In the Bronx, a rising group of gospel drill musicians is trying to reclaim the genre's sound for a new purpose. My reported story investigates whether gospel drill can counter the violent undertones of mainstream drill music and features first-hand accounts of transformation from former gang members, a rapper-turned-preacher, and community leaders. The story examines whether gospel drill can address the violent associations that mainstream drill music has. In light of high-profile arrests, political backlash, and debates within hip-hop culture, this piece …

After Decades Of Service, Immigrant Caregivers Leave Under Threat Of Deportation, Jonathan Calixto, Gabriela Flores

Capstones

This capstone features an undocumented nanny named Sandra Robles, who left the United States in response to President Donald Trump’s mass deportation efforts. Her story reflects the experiences of several undocumented immigrants who fear encounters with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and its aggressive removal proceedings.

Robles is one of over 200,000 foreign-born domestic workers living in New York City. This article also covers the labor and immigration challenges she and other undocumented nannies face while working in the United States.

Self-Assembling Rna Nanostructures Are Highly Sensitive To Environmental Conditions, Jordan Aposhian, Surya Pratap S. Deopa, Scott Horowitz, Joseph D. Yesselman

Chemistry and Biochemistry: Faculty Scholarship

Recent developments in RNA nanotechnology have led to an increase in the design of specific, higher-order RNA structures, which will ultimately be used in drug delivery and immunomodulation applications. As researchers create RNA nanostructures with the intention of making them a standard tool in molecular biologists' toolkits, further investigation is required into the robustness of RNA designs. Primarily, in what different molecular contexts are the designed and intended nanostructures stable? In this work, we show that RNA nanostructure self-assembly is highly sensitive to environmental conditions by using second-order right-angle light scattering. While a test RNA hexagonal grid nanostructure forms correctly …

An Integrated Multivariate Econometric Modeling Framework For Risky Driving Behavior Related Crashes: Evaluating Crash Risk And Severity Across Zones, Pabitra Kumar Roy

Dissertations and Theses

Rapid advancements in crash modeling have yet to fully integrate multiple behavior-driven crash types and their severity outcomes within a single, scalable framework, specially in a way that captures the sequential nature of these behaviors where one risky action may amplify another. This study proposed an integrated multivariate econometric framework to jointly model crash frequency and severity outcomes for three major behaviorally driven crash types: alcohol-related, distraction-related, and aggressive-driving-related crashes. Specifically, using Oregon's 2022 census block group-level crash data, we propose an Integrated Multivariate Negative Binomial – Generalized Ordered Probit Fractional Split (IMNB–GOPFS) model to analyze these dimensions simultaneously while …

Betting Apps, Broadswords, And A Battle For Better Pay: Stories Of New York City As Reported On “Audiofiles”, Jarrod Barry

Capstones

This capstone is comprised of three different stories for “AudioFiles”, a bi-weekly radio and podcast news show that covers current events in and around New York City. The portfolio covers three different types of pieces: a narrated feature, a nonnarrative feature, and a quick-turn daybook story. The narrated feature looks at the growing popularity in gambling apps and their link to gambling addiction. The second piece is a nonnarrated feature profiling a modern gladiator and his experience fighting in the Armored League. The final piece looks at City Council legislation that provides a bonus to the city’s paraprofessional teaching assistants. …

The Bmt: Will This Time Be Different?: Red Hook Braces For A Mega-Project On The Waterfront. Can It Avoid The Mistakes Of Atlantic Yards?, Steve Kastenbaum

Capstones

"The BMT: Will this time be different?" investigates how New York City's push to rapidly build housing is reshaping communities. A $3.5 billion mega-project at the Brooklyn Marine Terminal promises transformation through 6,000 apartments, a modernized port, and waterfront improvements, but residents are split on whether it represents progress or displacement. The development uses a controversial "general project plan" process that bypasses normal community review, the same approach that enabled the still-unfinished Atlantic Yards project. Local voices in Red Hook range from excitement about investment, jobs and amenities to fears about gentrification and broken promises. This pilot episode launches a …

The Neverending Manifestations Of Gambling In Children’S Spaces, Brandon M. Malave

Capstones

The pervasiveness of gambling in American culture has gotten out of control. Unlike traditional casinos of that are easily recognizable by their slot machines and blackjack tables, these contemporary forms of gambling lurk in spaces that children frequent, specifically within popular culture. My experiences in contemporary gambling within the computer game Counter-Strike and trading card games like Magic: The Gathering, is following along the century long trend of exploiting culture to generate wealth. Should this continue, gambling will continue to manifest in spaces that it should never be allowed to exist in.

Project Link: https://www.the-analog.net/blog/the-never-ending-manifestations-of-gambling-in-childrens-spaces

Github: https://github.com/brandonmalave/Magic-The-Gathering-Card-Price-Analysis

City Council Bill To Decrypt Police Radio Has A Surprising Winner — Citizen App, Mikella Schuetter, Kennedy Sessions, Marina Samuel

Capstones

After the NYPD encrypted police scanners in 2024, eliminating public access to police radio communications, the New York City Council passed a bill on Dec. 18 to restore limited access for journalists and the public. The move could benefit Citizen, a crime-alert app that has pushed for decryption while entering a “no cost” partnership with the city, even as former employees and advocates raise concerns about the app’s practices and growing role in New York City’s public safety.

The Debate Over The Lebanese Diaspora’S Vote: As Lebanon Tries To Reform Itself, The Diaspora Wants A Say At The Ballot Box, Sandra Sadek

Capstones

The Lebanese diaspora is demanding full voting rights ahead of the 2026 parliamentary elections. The movement comes at a time when the 2026 parliamentary elections coincide with a moment of national reckoning. Despite urgency from a vocal diaspora and pressure from several members of parliament and the cabinet, the bill to permanently amend the current electoral law has stalled on the speaker’s desk. The outcome of that struggle stands not only to determine how much influence this global constituency can have on Lebanon’s future but also what the country’s recovery path can look like amid a dramatically changing regional landscape. …

More Nyc Households To Qualify For Energy Efficiency Upgrades Under Tweaked State Program, Elise Robley

Capstones

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority's EmPower+ program aims to provide low- and moderate-income households with energy-efficient upgrades. These upgrades help lower people's energy costs, especially how much it costs to heat and cool their homes. Starting this year, more low-income households in New York City will be eligible to apply for the program's benefits. This piece looks at this history of the EmPower+ program, why it's so beneficial to low- and moderate-income New Yorkers, and the potential positive impact the program's tweaks could have on local communities of color that might be dealing with high energy …

Early Childhood Educators Around The City Struggle With Delayed Payments From The City, Shenal F. Tissera

Capstones

My story focuses on early childhood education centers and funding issues that teachers have gone through with the city. Many early education centers receive funding directly from the NYC Department of Education to operate and rely on such funding for rent, electricity and supplies. Since COVID, the city has had an issue with getting payments to these centers on time. My story focuses on a education center teacher and owner who dealt with these issues while going through personal tragedies. The problem is complex and has much to do with staffing shortages that are slowly getting back to pre-pandemic levels …

For 600,000 New Yorkers, Toxins Are In Their Tap Water: A New York Focus Analysis Of State Inspection Data Shows Key Toxins Are In Public Water Systems From Long Island To The Adirondacks, Posing Risks For Cancers And Other Diseases. Millions Are Being Spent To Fix Problems, But Even Well-Planned Efforts Have Faced Delays. Poorer Towns Wonder If They Can Afford To Fix The Problem., Shuchi Shah, Hayden Betts, Aurora Martinez, Rebecca Mccray

Capstones

The story stems from an analysis of New York State data on drinking water contaminants. The state inspection data shows key toxins are in public water systems from Long Island to the Adirondacks, posing risks for cancers and other diseases. Millions are being spent to fix problems, but even well-planned efforts have faced delays. Poorer towns wonder if they can afford to fix the problem.

Ice In Nyc, Student Interfaith Walkout, And Bronx Night Market Bid Farwell: Reporting For Newmark’S “Audio Files”, Rebecca Raghunath

Capstones

Audiofiles is a news magazine podcast powered by students at CUNY’s Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism. Students produce stories that seek to explore and explain the core issues defining the lives of New Yorkers through in-depth reporting, hosting interviews, and personal narratives. This capstone includes a collection of news stories that address immigration, politics, and food tourism. The first feature is about the chilling effect ICE enforcement has had on immigrant owned businesses in East Harlem. The second feature focuses on pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses. This story examines how a student walkout at an interfaith workshop led to …

Inside The Gen Z Vote Across Gender And Race, Juliet La Sala

Capstones

This capstone examines how two people from two different Gen Z groups are navigating the 2024 U.S. election. One story revolves around a young woman adopting a U.S. version of South Korea’s 4B Movement and another reflects on a Gen Z Arab American responding to the Israel–Hamas war. Through reported stories and interviews, it explores how personal experience, gender and ethnic violence, and political disillusionment shaped these young voters’ choices and activism. Sierra Bee's story is in light of Trump's election and Liam's is right before the 2024 election took place. Together, the pieces highlight how global events and identity-based …

The American Eye And Greek Music: How Greek Artists Are Changing To Become Palatable To The Non-Greek Listener, Andriana Kourkoumelis

Capstones

International artists are trying to successfully bridge into the U.S. music industry, and Greek pop singers are finally making a dent. This year, some of the biggest names in Greece, along with a couple new faces, were working with their labels to rebrand as a means to connect with the American listener and expand their listenership. With three notable tours happening across the states from muscians like Konstantinos Argiros, Anastasia, and Marina Satti playing venues like the Barclays Center and Sony Hall, it's safe to assume that there is a shift happening in the world of Balkan and Hellenic entertainment. …

The Next Drug Epidemic Is Legal: The Nation's Kratom Problem Is More Complicated—And More Harmful—Than It Seems, Elizabeth Walsh

Capstones

This two-part health and science investigative piece reports how kratom and its offshoots have quietly fueled a lucrative and legal addiction epidemic for the last decade. While kratom’s derivative alkaloid 7-hyrdoxymitragynine made headlines this year and as the DEA is poised to ban the strong derivative, “natural” kratom and other kratom-derived products will remain. This piece tracks the history of the 'gas‑station opioid' crisis in the U.S. over ten years: what was thought to be an innocuous southeast Asian supplement has become multi-billion dollar industry built on gray‑area laws, marketed falsehoods, and regulatory loophooles.

Part 1: The ‘Gas Station Opioid’ …

From Elmhurst To Astoria, Indonesia’S Thousand Islands Find A Home In Food Bazaars, Adrian O'Farrill

Capstones

In Elmhurst and Astoria, three different bazaars focused on Indonesian food pop up once a month, all within two miles of each other, dubbed by the vendors as the unofficial “Little Indonesia” of New York. While there’s a handful of Indonesian restaurants in Elmhurst, for those Indonesians who don't have the necessary funds or even paperwork to start a brick and mortar establishment, or who don’t want to cook at a restaurant scale, the three bazaars in Queens present an opportunity to emphasize authentic Indonesian food and to make a profit for the culinary inclined of the tight-knit community.

https://adrianofarrill.com/cuny-capstone