Digital Commons Network^™

Implementing Functional Communication Training Through Paraprofessional Preparation In A Self-Contained Elementary Special Education Classroom, Cece Afatasi

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Students with significant cognitive disabilities often experience difficulty communicating their wants, needs, and emotions. When students are unable to communicate effectively, they may rely on challenging behaviors such as aggression or self-injurious behavior to meet their needs. Because paraprofessionals provide much of the daily instructional and behavioral support in self-contained special education classrooms, they play a critical role in implementing evidence-based communication interventions.

The purpose of this professional portfolio was to explore the implementation of Functional Communication Training (FCT) through two related projects. The first focused on preparing paraprofessionals to implement FCT using Behavioral Skills Training (BST), while the second …

The Legend Of The Bear Lake Monster, Melissa Anderson Asay

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

The Bear Lake Monster is a legend that has persisted for centuries. This monster is rooted in Shoshone oral traditions and hold the potential to be based off of fossils found in the Shoshone territory. This living legend was later amplified by Mormon settlers. One settler in particular, Joseph C. Rich, played a significant role in shaping its narrative. Though he eventually admitted to fabricating sightings to encourage settlement, belief in the creature remains alive today. The serpent’s presence in local lore has undeniably influenced the Bear Lake region, shaping both its identity and tourism industry. This legend serves as …

Historical Inquiry-Based Lessons In World History Classrooms: Creating Opportunities For Historical Thinking, Melinda Thatcher Lofland

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

This Plan B project creates inquiry-based lessons that help students investigate the global tapestry of World History with its vast threads of transregional connections and diverse cultures that color our contemporary world and help prepare them to participate as global citizens. This project uses primary and secondary sources to create evidence-based lesson plans that will help history teachers provide opportunities for students to practice historical inquiry skills in Utah’s world history classrooms. These plans employ current scholarship and best teaching practices while following national and state standards for World History. In addition, these lessons were developed using inquiry-based historical thinking …

Isolation, Identification, And Enzymatic Screening Of Fungi From Utah Dryland Soils For Industrial And Waste Valorization Applications, Jessica Lorena Silva Cuero

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Agricultural waste accumulation presents environmental challenges but also opportunities for biological valorization into value-added products. Fungi are particularly well-suited for this purpose due to their capacity to produce extracellular enzymes involved in the degradation of complex organic substrates. Dryland ecosystems represent a promising source for bioprospecting microbes capable of producing such enzymes. Drylands harbor a high diversity of extremophilic microorganisms that can withstand harsh conditions, extreme heat, UV, and low nutrients using unique adaptations. This suggests that these microbes are resilient and capable of surviving under varying conditions and still produce enzymes for biotransformation. The objective of this study was …

History In The Social Studies Classroom: Developing Historical Literacy And Skills Through Inquiry Lessons, Nancy J. Thatcher

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

This Plan B project has created a series of inquiry-based lesson plans and activities for World History classrooms that emphasize historical literacy and disciplinary thinking. Rather than producing a traditional research thesis, this project emphasizes applied historical scholarship by translating historical and professional methodology into three classroom ready instructional lesson plans that are aligned with the Utah Core Standards for Social Studies. The project reflects the History MA’s emphasis on disciplinary rigor while addressing the practical needs of public history and education with pedagogical best practices. This project responds to ongoing challenges in World History education, including constrained instructional time, …

Enrollment Patterns In Fully Online Undergraduate Education: A National Analysis Of The United States, Andrea Camargo, Harika Rao

College of Business and Management Faculty Publications & Presentations

This study analyzes national data from the 2023 Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) to examine trends in fully online undergraduate enrollment across U.S. higher education institutions. The purpose is to understand how institutions utilize different learning modalities fully online, partially online, and face-to-face and to identify patterns in distance education adoption. Using descriptive statistics and visual representations, the study explores institutional-level variations across different types of institutions, focusing on enrollment patterns and demographic characteristics of fully online students. Key findings reveal that while in-person instruction remains predominant, many institutions, especially those serving adult, part-time, and geographically dispersed students, have …

Improving Tensorsketch Using Complex Random Variables, Amit Sharma, Mohammad Azhar Khan, Rameshwar Pratap, Keegan Kang

Faculty Conference Papers and Presentations

TensorSketch by Pham and Pagh [2013], Kar and Karnick [2012] provides efficient sketching algorithms for highdimensional polynomial kernels $\vec{x}^{\otimes p} \in \R^{d^p}$. Kar and Karnick [2012] uses dense Johnson-Lindenstrauss (JL)-type projections with computational cost $O(pDd)$, whereas Pham and Pagh [2013] extends the sparse CountSketch [Charikar et al., 2024] algorithm, yielding a faster algorithm for high-dimensional sparse inputs with running time $O\left(p(\nnz{\vec{x}} + D \log D)\right)$. However, the variance of both estimators grows exponentially with the polynomial degree $p$, scaling as $3^{p}/D$, where $D$ denotes the sketch dimension. Recent work by Wacker et al. [2023] showed that using complex-valued distribution reduces …

A Blockchain-Enabled Framework For Transparent Carbon Accounting In Global Supply Chains Using Multi-Regional Input–Output (Mrio) Analysis, Pratyush Kumar Patro, Adolf Acquaye, Khaled Salah, Raja Jayaraman

Industrial Engineering: Faculty & Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Racialised Gradients Of Human Value And Marx’S Working Day, Today, Anthony F. Peressini

Philosophy Faculty Research and Publications

This paper reconsiders the ‘working day’ discussion in chapter ten of Capital and how it centres two parameters in the generation and appropriation of surplus value. The first parameter is the cost of labour-power paid by the capitalist and the second is the time that the worker must yield to the capitalist: the ‘length of the working day’. The first parameter represents the amount of pay required to keep the worker alive and able to work. Marx understood it as a lower limit below which capitalism would cease to function. This paper argues that, while analytically coherent, this understanding of …

Mining Time Series Shapelets And Association Rules For Solar Flare Prediction, Drew Watson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Solar flares are the largest explosions in the solar system; they are caused by changes in the Sun’s magnetic field. Strong solar flares can disrupt power systems, damage satellites, and interfere with radio communication, so improving flare prediction is important. This thesis develops a way to predict severe solar flares while also helping researchers understand why those predictions are made. The approach looks for short patterns in solar magnetic field data that are linked to future flare activity. It then studies how these patterns appear together and in what order they happen over time. By doing this, the research not …

Technological Competence And Generative Artificial Intelligence: Canadian Law Students’ Understanding And Use In Legal Education And Legal Practice, Hannah Rosborough

Reports & Public Policy Documents

This report presents results from a national survey examining Canadian JD students' and recent graduates' understanding of technological competence and their use of generative artificial intelligence in legal education and legal practice.

The survey collected responses from 631 students and recent graduates across Canadian law schools between November 2025 and January 2026, combining closed-ended questions with thematic analysis of open-ended responses. The survey addressed how students understand the duty of technological competence under the Model Code, how they use generative AI in coursework and legal workplaces, their confidence in the accuracy of these tools, the guidance and training they receive, …

Standardized Training Methodologies For Medical Laboratory Science Students And Their Importance For Student Success, Maria Simpson

Medical Laboratory Science Independent Study Projects

Clinical education is a critical component of Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) programs, serving as the primary bridge between academic instruction and professional practice. However, traditional clinical rotation training models often struggle to keep pace with rapid advancements in laboratory technology, expanding professional responsibilities, workforce shortages, and heightened patient safety expectations. The purpose of this capstone project is to examine the key factors driving the need to update training methodologies in MLS clinical rotations and to evaluate contemporary educational approaches that better prepare students for entry-level practice. This project addresses systemic challenges faced by clinical laboratories, such as staffing constraints, heavy …

From Centralized To Decentralized Care: Assessing The Role Of Design In Cardiovascular Unit Performance, Lindsey Fay

Interiors Faculty Publications

This report presents a comprehensive pre- and post-occupancy evaluation of the University of Kentucky HealthCare Cardiovascular Unit, conducted through a collaborative effort between the College of Design, College of Communication and Information, UK HealthCare, and GBBN Architects. The study examines the transition from a centralized to a decentralized care delivery model within a newly constructed hospital environment, with the goal of understanding how spatial design influences healthcare delivery, staff performance, and patient experience.

Using a mixed-methods approach, the research integrates quantitative and qualitative data collection techniques, including behavioral mapping, communication tracking, pedometer data, acoustic measurements, and staff and user feedback. …

A Quantitative Analysis Of Sea Turtle (Chelonia Mydas, Caretta Caretta, And Lepidochelys Kempii) Suture Morphology, Adolfo Emanuel Artigas Iv

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2020 - Present

Sea turtle shells are formed of modified ribs, which, structurally, are sandwich composites. Sandwich structures provide both physical protection and pressure response associated with diving at depth. Carapacial sutures, tight joints between adjacent bones, connect modified ribs with collagenous fibers. Previous research on freshwater turtle shells suggests that sinuous sutures (highly convoluted) enhance compression strength. Limited research explored the form and functional significance of sutures in marine turtles. To investigate suture morphology and potential ontogenetic effects, I analyzed sutures in green (Chelonia mydas), Kemp’s ridley (Lepidochelys kempii), and loggerhead (Caretta caretta) sea turtles. Samples …

Exploring Right Ventricular Function Applicability In A Prediction Model To Identify Preterm Infants With Early Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (Report – Bpd Study): A Mixed Methods Observational Cohort Feasibility Study, Wisam Muhsen

School of Nursing and Midwifery Theses

Background: Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD) is one of the significant complications of prematurity with its incidence on the rise, yet there is no clinically available prediction model. Aim:To assess the feasibility of conducting a study measuring right ventricular (RV) function as a contributor to the development of an early BPD prediction model in preterm infants. Methods This PhD comprised a scoping review and a single-centre mixed-methods feasibility cohort study with three quantitative and qualitative work packages, conducted at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust. The scoping review searched Medline, CINAHL, PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, ProQuest, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, JBI Evidence-Based Practice, …

The Third Zone Of Incomplete Rights: Spatial Compartmentalization, Expendability, And The Making Of Death Worlds In Adichie's Dream Count, Ebelenna F. Nwaobi

Research Papers

Contemporary socio-political discourses on global migration often risk misrepresenting migrant experiences by framing them mainly through the language of humanitarianism, inclusion, and identity. While these frameworks foreground protection and belonging, they may inadvertently obscure the institutional and political structures that regulate, differentiate, and expose migrants to uneven forms of precarity. In this paper, therefore, I examine Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Dream Count to explore the migrant condition as one shaped by migrants’ everyday encounters with space, law, labor, and political belonging. By so doing, I argue that the novel reveals migrant vulnerability not just as the consequence of singular acts of …

Asm And A Culture Of Sharing, Caring, And Fun In Education, David J. Westenberg

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

One doesn't always equate a professional scientific society with sharing, caring, and fun, but in this age of public distrust, public engagement with science and active student learning are ways to regain trust. ASM holds a leadership position in promoting and recognizing the value of education in the future of our profession and is there to support your educational journey. From K12 outreach and public engagement, to professional development, to presenting and publishing scholarship of teaching and learning, ASM has been at the forefront of biology education. Under the leadership of visionary directors such as Amy Chang and now Irene …

Laplace Factor Models In High-Dimensional Data, Siqi Liu, Xuerong Meggie Wen, Akim Adekpedjou, Guangbao Guo

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Research & Creative Works

Laplace factor models (LFMs) provide a heavy-tailed alternative to Gaussian factor models by representing high-dimensional observations through a low-rank common component and Laplace-distributed idiosyncratic errors. This paper develops an assumption-consistent finite-sample analysis of matrix concentration, covariance estimation, and Monte Carlo integration under this model. We first formulate the model with explicit dimensional, independence, covariance, and identifiability conditions. Standard matrix Laplace-transform and matrix Bernstein inequalities are then recalled with their precise applicability conditions. Because untruncated Laplace variables are neither almost surely bounded nor strongly log-concave, these standard results cannot be applied directly in the forms commonly used for bounded or Gaussian-like …

Unruly Curly Hair: The Role Of Latina Hair Stylists In Disrupting Beauty Hierarchies, Katie Duarte

Latin American and Latino/a Studies: Faculty Publications

Women of color use aesthetics to challenge and reproduce racialized, classed, or gendered marginalization, yet few sociological studies have examined women of color service workers as agents who negotiate, reproduce, and resist racialized beauty norms for their clients. This study utilizes a transnational ethnography of a beauty school course and Latina-owned curly and natural hair salons, primarily serving Latinas and Afro-Latinas, in New York City and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Through its analysis, this article identifies different forms of gendered labor that stylists perform to introduce “specialized body labor,” thereby disrupting racialized beauty norms that devalue natural and Afro-textured hair. …

A Misplaced Pocket Of Air: Intramural Gastric Air Most Consistent With Gastric Emphysema, Priyanka Panwar, Lavender Otom, Subo Marsa, Gerald Odong, Steven Idet, Irene Muchiri, Hussein Abdulsamad, John Odhiambo, Christopher Opio, Amos Mwasamwaja, Saleem Abdulkarim

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Background Gastric emphysema (GE), or gastric pneumatosis, is a rare, noninfectious cause of intramural gastric air that must be distinguished from emphysematous gastritis (EG), a highly lethal infectious entity. Despite similar radiographic appearances, these conditions differ substantially in etiology, clinical course, management, and prognosis.

Cases We report three hemodynamically stable patients with CT-confirmed intramural gastric air most consistent with GE. Two had associated portal venous gas. The cases occurred in distinct clinical contexts: infectious gastroenteritis with retching, transient midgut volvulus with obstructive gastric overdistension, and alcohol-related upper gastrointestinal bleeding with forceful vomiting and a Mallory–Weiss tear. Although early EG could …

Hope Kit Program, Monica Reuber

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Suicide is a leading cause of death in adolescents and young adults, with a disproportionate burden of those deaths in rural areas such as Kansas. High rates of depressive symptoms, suicidal thoughts, and suicidal attempts, combined with a shortage of mental health providers, emphasize the need for community-based intervention.

This capstone is designed to develop a plan for Hope Kits, a proposed suicide prevention program, among youth in grades 7-12 in Sheridan County, Kansas to improve coping skills, promote help-seeking behavior, and reduce suicide risks.

A logic model guides the program development, which aligns with available literature and Social Cognitive …

Mono Gold: An Informal Account Of The Geology, Production, And History Of Mono County Gold And Silver Mining Districts, D. D. Trent

Eastern Sierra History Journal

Mono Gold explores the mining production, technology, and history of the Eastern Sierra, with a special focus on Mono County. Author Dee Trent, a geologist, spent decades visiting, researching, and photographing each of the mining operations discussed in this book-length monograph.

Tailoring The Stereotype Of Asian Femininity: Nancy Kwan, The Qipao, And 1960s Hollywood, Jing Yang

Film and Media Studies (MA) Theses

This article asks the following questions: First, whether or not Kwan, and her qipaos, created new stereotypes of Asian women, or whether they, in fact, customarily represented within restricted versions of Asian femininity already available within mainstream, dominant Western culture of early 1960s Hollywood films. That is, this article seeks to investigate why Kwan, and her qipaos, in fact, became so culturally productive at that moment of historical time. Second, this article further seeks to explore the ways in which the qipao continued to enable Nancy Kwan to represent to mainstream Western, Hollywood-based audiences, uniquely, greatly, or importantly different versions …

Advancing Internationalization With Collaborative Online International Learning (Coil): A Systems Engineering Approach, Sharon Bommer, Olumuyiwa Asaolu, Paul Dagnall, Scott Segalewitz, Oluwatoyin Popoola, Esther Adeyemi

Journal of International Engineering Education

As globalization accelerates and engineering careers increasingly require international collaboration, engineering education programs must design courses and curricula to adequately prepare students for careers as engineers in modern industry. Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) is a model of teaching and learning that supports the development of intercultural competence through a joint online learning environment. This paper presents a systems engineering approach of module development for an integrated COIL undergraduate course between a university in the United States and a university in Nigeria. The key objectives of this course are to increase students’ intercultural competence and to simulate global engineering management …

Extending Legal Privilege To In-House Counsel In India, L Viswanathan, Animesh Bisht

National Law School of India Review

Client-attorney privilege is a cornerstone of the rule of law, yet its extension to in-house counsel in India remains fraught with uncertainty. The Supreme Court’s recent decision in In re: Summoning Advocates who give legal opinion or represent parties during investigation of cases and related issues, Suo Moto Writ Petition (Criminal) No. 2 of 2025, reinforced a status-based exclusion, holding that in-house counsel fall outside the definition of “Advocate” under the Advocates Act, 1961 and the Bar Council of India Rules, and therefore cannot claim privilege under the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023. This paper examines the Indian statutory framework and …

High-Deductible Health Plans In Rural And Urban Populations: Outpatient Utilization And Out-Of-Pocket Costs, Aaron P. Smith, Jefferey Talbert

Rural & Underserved Health Research Center Publications

Overview of Key Findings This policy brief explores rural-urban differences in High-Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) enrollment, subsequent healthcare utilization, and out-of-pocket (OOP) costs. ▪ HDHP enrollment was uncommon. Rural residents were slightly less likely to enroll than urban residents across all demographic groups. ▪ Switching plans influenced utilization. Compared to those who did not change healthcare plans, switching from a Traditional plan to a HDHP was associated with a larger reduction in 2022 outpatient visits for both rural and urban residents. Moving from a HDHP to a Traditional plan was associated with a smaller reduction in 2022 outpatient visits for …

Online Group Neurobehavioral Therapy (Nbt) For Veterans With Epilepsy And Major Depressive Disorder (Mdd), Melissa F. Fadipe

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Background: Veterans with epilepsy experience high rates of psychiatric comorbidity, most commonly major depressive disorder (MDD). Barriers to accessing mental health care—including geographic distance, transportation limitations related to seizure-related driving restrictions, and fragmented care between neurology and psychiatry, contribute to the underdiagnosis and undertreatment of MDD in this population. Neurobehavioral Therapy (NBT), a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)-informed psychotherapy developed for individuals with seizures, has demonstrated benefits for psychological distress and quality of life. Internet-based interventions and short message service (SMS) text messaging offer promising strategies to address access barriers; however, limited research has examined the feasibility and acceptability of delivering …

Locus Coeruleus Tdp-43 Pathology In A Community-Based Cohort, Allison M. Neltner, Ryan K. Shahidehpour, Megan E. Hall, Xiaotong Ning, Shuling Fister, Hannah Kang, Sonya Anderson, Gregory A. Jicha, Tiffany L. Lee, Erin L. Abner, David W. Fardo, Peter T. Nelson

Epidemiology and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

The locus coeruleus (LC) is the source of norepinephrinergic innervation in the human brain. Locus coeruleus pathology has been linked to clinical conditions such as cognitive impairment and behavioral and psychiatric symptoms of dementia (BPSD). However, phosphorylated TDP-43 (pTDP-43) pathology in the LC has been understudied, particularly in the contexts of aging and limbic predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy neuropathologic change (LATE-NC). Here, a convenience sample (n = 134) of autopsied participants from the University of Kentucky Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center community-based cohort was analyzed for LC pTDP-43 and phosphorylated tau (pTau) pathologies. Locus coeruleus pTDP-43 pathology was found in 28/134 …

Mir155, Triplicated In Down Syndrome, Regulates The Development Of Neural Stem Cells And Gabaergic Interneurons In Alzheimer's Disease Mouse And Human Ipsc Models., Xiaodong Zhu, Jean-Vianney Haure-Mirande, Mesude Bicak, Pengfei Dong, Ilya Kruglikov, Aiqun Li, Aisha Al-Subaie, Valentina Fossati, Scott Noggle, Sam Gandy, Michelle E Ehrlich

Faculty Research 2026

INTRODUCTION: Dysfunctional microRNAs and GABAergic interneurons are features of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The role of neuronal microRNA155 (miR155), elevated in both AD and Down syndrome (DS), remains unknown.

METHODS: We utilized in silico analyses of published databases, MIR155-deleted and -overexpressing human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived cells, cortical organoids, and amyloid beta precursor protein (APP)/PS1-miR155 knockout mouse.

RESULTS: MIR155HG (miR155 host gene) colocalizes with APP in a neuron-specific, topologically associated domain (TAD) in chromosome 21. In human neural stem cells (NSCs), neurons, and cortical organoids, MIR155 deletion enhanced NSC proliferation and GABAergic interneuron generation. MIR155 overexpression inhibited NSC marker expression …

The Past, The Present, And The Future Of Preclinical Mouse Models For Alzheimer's Disease And Related Dementias., Adrian L Oblak, Michael Sasner, Gregory W. Carter, Gareth R Howell, Stacey J Sukoff Rizzo, Karina Leal, Paul R Territo, Bruce T Lamb

Faculty Research 2026

Over the past decade, the Model Organism Development and Evaluation for Late-Onset Alzheimer's Disease (MODEL-AD) consortium has transformed preclinical Alzheimer's disease (AD) research by addressing critical limitations in traditional mouse models that failed to translate to human disease. By leveraging human genetic discoveries, MODEL-AD has developed > 70 genetically informed mouse models, standardized phenotyping pipelines, and an open-access data infrastructure aligned with late-onset AD biology. These models incorporate human risk variants, environmental factors, and aging to better capture disease complexity, including emerging recognition of mixed pathologies such as vascular contributions, Lewy body disease, and TDP-43 proteinopathy. Despite substantial progress, key challenges …