Digital Commons Network^™

Analyzing The Variation In Microplastic Intake Of Waterhyacinth And Pennywort In Lake Okeechobee, Aashvi Gowrisankar

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The Florida Everglades ecosystem faces many threats, including municipal pollution and agricultural runoff. This study compares the microplastic intake of two types of floating vegetation in Lake Okeechobee. Water hyacinth (Pontederia crassipes) has a greater root mass and surface area than its native equivalent pennywort (Hydrocotyle umbellate). We hypothesize that water hyacinth would have greater microplastic intake due to its increased capillary action. Our project was conducted using three guiding questions: which plant type had the greatest microplastic intake, did accumulation vary with location, and did concentration vary among roots, stems, and leaves in each plant …

Advances In Aortic Valve Replacement For The Recovery Of Elderly Patients In Southern Florida, Khushi Faldu

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Aortic stenosis, a narrowing of the aortic valve, is a significant health burden in aging populations, as in Broward County, Florida, where the elderly demographic is rapidly expanding. The classical approach to valve replacement is performed via Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement (SAVR). Recently, Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR), a minimally invasive alternative, has emerged as a life-changing option for patients with a high surgical risk. Using inductive methods, this study compiled and analyzed data from existing research records and publications comparing endothelial recovery following TAVR and SAVR. We aim to design a teaching case study to highlight how procedural choice …

When Peers Matter: Peer Communication And The Association Between Parental Dependence And Superiority Cognitions, Preya Pandya, Bala Sivani Paddala, Anisha Nandra

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Although parent-child relationships have been widely studied during childhood and adolescence, less attention has been given to how these relationships continue to influence adjustment during emerging adulthood. This developmental period is marked by instability and exploration, as young adults begin transitioning into adult roles such as higher education, employment, and long-term relationships. Research suggests that parenting continues to matter during this time, with successful separation-individuation representing a normative developmental task. Excessive parental dependence, however, may be associated with maladjustment. At the same time, peers play an increasingly important role in emerging adulthood, and positive peer relationships are often linked to …

The Developmental Journey Of A Servant Leader Rise To Serve, Sacrifice To Lead, James Elliker

Servant Leadership: Theory & Practice

The writings of Robert Greenleaf (1970, 1972, 1977, 1998) and the examples of ancients (Green, 2023), have inspired a number of research efforts on the efficacy of a leader as servant approach to modern leadership. Greenleaf’s core principles included the desire to serve first, the ability to help grow others into healthy servant leaders themselves, and the potential to impact a broader society. His unique and insightful essays also imply the preexistence of a leader who is willing to serve. This article presents a possible servant leader developmental model to accomplish such objectives. The model highlights how anyone, should they …

Servant Leadership & Navigating The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Case Study On Port Tampa Bay, Laura M. Holland, Deirdre Dixon

Servant Leadership: Theory & Practice

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States in March 2020, many supply chain companies found themselves facing increased demand, labor shortages, and low capacity. Due to complex relationships in the supply chain industry, it was difficult for ports to manage these challenges and continue to operate efficiently. For ports to successfully navigate these challenges, they needed to implement leadership across all levels. We examined the leadership of Port Tampa Bay to see if Servant Leadership was present. Port Tampa Bay was Florida’s largest port that handled major cargo. Through 2020–2022, the port had not seen any of the congestion …

An Empirical Analysis Of The Financial Performance Of Servant Leadership Firms, Brett Cotten, Douglas Schneider, Danielle Navarrete

Servant Leadership: Theory & Practice

Prior research has found servant leadership to be positively associated with beneficial outcomes, including employee satisfaction, employee engagement, and employee commitment. Servant leadership theory suggests that these outcomes should translate into better financial performance. However, little research has examined the relationship between servant leadership and firm financial performance. To address this issue, we examine a number of profitability and efficiency ratios of servant leadership firms, comparing them to those of their non-servant leadership peers. We find that firms in our servant leadership sample tend to be more profitable and operate more efficiently than their non-servant leadership peers.

Alignment Of Servant Leadership Dimensions With Desirable Job Characteristics Drives Team Performance, Noah T. Currie

Servant Leadership: Theory & Practice

Organizations creating cultures of servant leadership continue to experience immense success in the business world and the nonprofit sector despite an ongoing lack of clarity of the concept. The aim of this paper is twofold, first to provide clarity by proposing an improvement to the definition offered by Laub (1999; 2004) and second to provide a conceptual model describing how servant leadership, mediated by intrinsic motivation as described by the Job Characteristics Model (Hackman & Oldham, 1980) and perceived organizational support, is positively related to team performance. Relating servant leadership to motivation, perceived organizational support and team performance provides leadership …

From Philosophy To Performance: Empirical And Practical Applications Of Servant Leadership, Kevin Hurt

Servant Leadership: Theory & Practice

No abstract provided.

Enabling Parameter-Efficient Multi-Tasking Via Multi-Head Architecture For Edge Device Deployment, Redwanul Islam Arif, Mohammod Akib Khan, Syed Hasib Akhter Faruqui, Sahidul Islam

Artificial Super Intelligence (ASI) Conference

Deploying Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) on edge devices requires balancing task performance with strict memory and computational constraints. Conventional approaches to multi-task learning often rely on replicating heavy backbones, which is infeasible for resource-constrained environments. In this work, we propose and rigorously analyze a parameter-efficient multi-branch architecture based on a shared, ImageNet-pretrained ResNet-18 backbone. Instead of deploying independent models for distinct visual tasks, we consolidate feature extraction for multiple tasks into a single, unified framework. We first conduct an ablation study to determine the optimal depth of task-specific fully connected (FC) classification heads, maximizing learning capacity while minimizing computational overhead. …

Qcausalmed: Hybrid Quantum-Ai Approaches For Optimizing Causal Inference In Personalized Oncology, Nikunj Doshi, Kavach Shah, Shikhar Patel

Artificial Super Intelligence (ASI) Conference

Estimating individualized treatment effects from observational clinical data is a central challenge. Personalized oncology depends on this estimation for meaningful patient-level decisions. Standard variable selection methods tend to over-adjust for spurious covariates in practice. They also under-adjust for true confounders when the causal graph is high-dimensional. This failure arises because optimal adjustment set identification is NP-hard in the general case. This paper proposes QCausalMed, a hybrid quantum-classical pipeline addressing this problem. The system formulates confounder selection as a Quadratic Unconstrained Binary Optimization problem. This QUBO problem is solved using the Quantum Approximate Optimization Algorithm, or QAOA. The resulting quantum-selected minimal …

Zenbrain: A Neuroscience-Inspired 7-Layer Memory Architecture For Autonomous Ai Systems, Alexander Bering

Defensive Publications Series

We present ZenBrain, an open-source memory architecture for AI systems that implements seven distinct memory layers inspired by cognitive neuroscience. Unlike existing approaches that treat AI memory as simple key-value storage, dual-layer retrieval, or LLM-driven reorganization, ZenBrain models the full lifecycle of human memory: encoding, consolidation, retrieval, decay, and active forgetting. The system integrates 12 neuroscience-inspired algorithms including FSRS-based spaced repetition, Hebbian learning dynamics for knowledge graphs, neuroscience-modeled sleep consolidation simulating hippocampal replay, emotional memory modulation, and Bayesian confidence propagation. ZenBrain is deployed in production as part of ZenAI with 9,228 passing tests, and is published as composable npm packages …

The Return Of Regime Politics: Liberator Or Tyrant, Dylan Coombs

Helms School of Government Spring Public Policy Conference

No abstract provided.

Institutional Gateways For Ideological Contestation: A Schattschneiderian Analysis Of School Board Library Policy Disputes, Hanna Bechtel

Helms School of Government Spring Public Policy Conference

No abstract provided.

Private Property In The Social Contract: Locke Versus Rousseau, Adam Opp

Helms School of Government Spring Public Policy Conference

No abstract provided.

“Sanctuary And Sovereignty: The Constitutional And Christian Mandate For Order In U.S. Immigration Policy”, Christopher J. Boosey, Franklin Patterson

Helms School of Government Spring Public Policy Conference

No abstract provided.

Making Just War Tradition (Jwt) More Relevant, Carl Rehberg, Anthony Hughes

Helms School of Government Spring Public Policy Conference

No abstract provided.

The American Church, Trump, And Christian Nationalism, Johnny Davis

Helms School of Government Spring Public Policy Conference

No abstract provided.

Strategy In A Disrupted World: Evaluating The 2025 Nss Through The Five Disruptions Framework, Anthony Hughes

Helms School of Government Spring Public Policy Conference

No abstract provided.

Intelligence Reform: A Strategic Overhaul Of The Intelligence Community, Johnny Davis

Helms School of Government Spring Public Policy Conference

No abstract provided.

Human Dignity In The Constitutions Of Post-Communist European States: Comparative Perspectives And Implications For Religious Freedom, Daniel Fodorean

Helms School of Government Spring Public Policy Conference

No abstract provided.

'Buga Yanu Junba: Strengthening First Languages And Wellbeing Through Collaborative Songwriting', Gillian Howell, Annika Moses, Educators From Baya Gawiy Buga Yani Jandu Yani U

Talking Heads Seminar Series

In September 2025, Marninwarntikura Women’s Resource Centre (MWRC), Indigenous Literacy Foundation and Tura released Buga Yanu Junba, a songbook and companion album of 22 original songs in Bunuba, Gooniyandi, Walmajarri, and Kimberley Kriol. But where did these songs come from? This presentation traces their origins in a three-year participatory arts-based research project: a collaboration between early childhood educators at Baya Gawiy Buga Yani Jandu yani U in Fitzroy Crossing, facilitators from the Perth-based cultural development organisation Tura, and a researchermusician from the University of Melbourne as part of Tura's ongoing SoundFX program.

The research pursued two interconnected goals: to increase …

What Is New In Temporary Mechanical Circulatory Support In 2024-2025?, Maya Guglin

The VAD Journal

This review covers the most interesting publications on temporary mechanical circulatory support in 2024-2025. We include the latest research on intra-aortic balloon pumps, Impella devices, and veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

Innovator - Fall 2023

Innovator

06 - Get to Know Jefferson's Interim President

08 - Leadership Announcements

10 - Time Machine

14 - The Nexus

22 - Climate Change on Your Block

30 - Humana and Jefferson

34 - Question & Innovate

38 - Caffeinated Creativity

42 - Alumni Impact

46 - Ram RoundUp

50 - Brotherhood's Enduring Legacy

56 - Class Notes

60 - In Memory

62 - Trivia

Advancing Equitable Faculty Evaluations: Refining Behavior-Based Rubrics For Systemic Change, Celia Freed

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

Bias in faculty evaluations continues to influence decisions about promotion, tenure, and resource allocation, disproportionately affecting women and underrepresented faculty. To address these inequities, this study develops and implements behavior- and-outcome based evaluation rubrics designed to improve fairness, clarity, and consistency. Using a case study approach, calibration data, participant feedback, and refinement are used to guide rubric development and standardization. Over one academic year, this project progressed through data analysis, rubric revision, faculty feedback, and pilot implementation, followed by evaluation of its effectiveness. The study advances research on structured evaluation systems and examines how behavior-based criteria can potentially enhance inclusivity …

Biosensors For Biomedicine, Drake O'Leary

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

This project investigated the use of engineered bacterial reporter systems to detect cellular stress responses associated with antibiotic activity. While constructs were successfully introduced and tested against known antibiotics, the reporter consistently produced a blue signal across conditions, limiting the ability to distinguish specific stress responses. This suggests issues such as leaky expression, insufficient regulatory control, or lack of specificity in the reporter design. Although results were inconclusive, this work highlights key challenges in developing reliable biosensors and provides a foundation for future optimization. Improving signal specificity and reducing background expression will be critical for enabling accurate characterization of antibiotic …

Spatial Evaluation Of Assessment Price Performance Through 3d Visualization And Geospatial Analytics, Su Yeon Jung Ph.D. (Economics)

GIS Technology Conference 2026

Accurate evaluation of assessment prices is essential for fair and transparent property taxation. This presentation introduces a geospatial framework that visualizes and measures assessment ratio performance across local areas using 3D mapping techniques. Based on ratio-study principles, the approach employs GIS tools and 3D visualization to show spatial characteristics of areas where assessment levels are relatively high or low. A case study of Korean housing markets demonstrates how geospatial visualization reveals local inequities in assessment levels, helping assessors and policymakers better understand regional discrepancies and improve uniformity. This presentation highlights how 3D mapping and spatial analytics enhance interpretation of assessment …

Quantifying The Impact Of Mobile Distractions On College Students' Attention Performance, Sonipriya Paul, Jessica L. Bolton, Ashwin Ashok

Artificial Super Intelligence (ASI) Conference

This research identifies that it is important to understand how humans sustain and recover attention to their primary activity amid mobile device interruptions. In this paper, we present our key findings and insights from an user-study based measurement of attention performance of graduate students. Ten participants (graduate students) independently completed attention tasks in an office environment (with no background noise) while receiving periodic messages (distraction), with continuous data recording on a wearable electroencephalography (EEG) headset. The attention tasks were designed in line with the standard GO/NO-GO test from psychology domain. Our experimentation included three variations of the GO/NO-GO test and …

Community Dynamics In Urban Ponds Could Be Influenced By Artificial Habitats, Keagan Miller, Uma Adrianna Misra

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

Urban ponds are subject to nutrient influxes from stormwater runoff, and blooms of harmful algae can develop in response. One management strategy includes deployment of Floating Treatment Wetlands (FTWs) or floating mats of aquatic plants designed to maximize uptake of nutrients to plant biomass. An understudied component of these artificial systems is their potential to provide microhabitat for aquatic biota. This study focused on the intersection of aquatic insect communities and fish presence between natural and artificial habitat types. Insect communities were found to be weakly dissimilar between habitat types (ANOSIM: R=0.254, p=0.048). Specifically, Anisoptera and Zygoptera were absent or …

Cross Correlation-Based Physiological Synchronization For Multi-Modal Wearable Cognitive Stress Monitoring System, Fariha Alam, Nora Tin, Razvan Voicu

Artificial Super Intelligence (ASI) Conference

Cognitive stress arises from sustained mental demand, information overload, or task complexity, and requires continuous monitoring for timely detection and intervention in real-world settings. It produces subtle physiological changes, including shifts in heart rate and autonomic activity that require continuous monitoring to detect reliably. Wearable sensors such as photoplethysmography (PPG) and electrodermal activity (EDA) enable non-invasive tracking of these responses. However, multi-modal sensor integration remains challenging, as hardware or software-level synchronization does not consider the physiological response delays. To address this, the study collected PPG and EDA sensor data from ten participants under two cognitive stress-inducing conditions. After preprocessing, heart …

Vibroacoustic Characterization Of Manipulator Robot Via Kinematic Discretization, Gershom Richards Pe, David A. Guerra-Zubiaga

Artificial Super Intelligence (ASI) Conference

Using vibroacoustic signals to characterize the health and status of industrial equipment is well-used. Many recent studies leverage a black box approach for developing a vibroacoustic machine learning (ML) architecture capable of identifying anomalous behaviors in the robot operation. While useful for routine automation systems, it is not suitable for dynamic robot systems with flexible or behavioral programming, or robots that will experience consistently changing environmental factors. To address these shortcomings, a discretized approach is explored. The proposed Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM)-Transformer Hybrid ML architecture segments its training data by manipulator joints to incorporate the impact of each subsystem on …