Digital Commons Network^™

Why Keep The Lgbtqia+ Acronym Together – "Wouldn't It Just Be Best To Split The Acronym?", Kim Andreassen, Bri Mckenzie, Julian Chen, Wendy Cumming-Potvin

Journal of Queer and Trans Studies in Education

Drawing on the authors' reflections after hosting a community launch event that shared outcomes from research about LGBTQIA+ inclusion in K-12 education in Western Australia, this report examines the importance of keeping the LGBTQIA+ acronym together, emphasizing its role in promoting inclusion, intersectionality, and equitable education. Global legislative actions targeting gender-diverse and queer youth, such as recent restrictive laws in the United States, threaten the fundamental right to education and undermine efforts toward achieving the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 4 of quality education for all. Utilizing relevant education literature, researchers' reflections and introspective questions, this report stressed the interconnectedness …

Beyond The Binary: Queer And Trans Activism In Ontario French As Second Language (Fsl) Classrooms, Robert Grant, Elm Allister

Journal of Queer and Trans Studies in Education

Drawing from data from a larger doctoral study, this “from the field” report showcases the activist and pedagogical practices of two queer and trans/nonbinary French as a second language (FSL) teachers in Ontario, Canada. Through detailed accounts from elementary and secondary FSL classrooms, we demonstrate activism through empowering (using students’ pronouns and bringing in multiple identities in pedagogical resources), disrupting (challenging assumptions about "normal" identities and families), and resisting (parents' and stakeholders' homophobic and transphobic rhetoric). Our experiences reveal that proactive, consistent integration of 2SLGBTQIA+ representation throughout the classroom discourse minimizes student resistance, particularly in elementary settings where children readily …

“You Can’T Ban That!”: Lgbtq+ Youth Of Color Speak Back To Book Bans In Utah, Sonny Partola, Leticia Alvarez Gutiérrez

Journal of Queer and Trans Studies in Education

This article explores how LGBTQ+ youth of color (LGBTQ+ YOC) in Utah perceive anti-LGBTQ+ book bans amid a hostile sociopolitical climate. Drawing from a critical ethnographic study at a public high school, and guided by Queer of Color Critique, we examine how censorship, heteronormativity, and White Christian nationalism shape book bans. Youth participants described such bans as mechanisms of erasure and harm that restrict access to affirming literature and reinforce marginalization, while also revealing contradictions in schools’ promotion of literacy alongside censorship. Despite these harms, participants resisted erasure—asserting visibility, belonging, and intellectual freedom. This study contributes to scholarship on censorship …

Embedding Social Determinants Of Health Into Maternal Simulation Scenarios: Enhancing Nursing Staff Awareness Of Equity-Based Education, Sherina Evans

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Despite growing evidence emphasizing the importance in addressing disparities in maternal health outcomes, maternal health simulations often lack integration of social determinants of health (SDOH) and cultural considerations. The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice quality improvement project was to enhance nursing faculty cultural awareness through simulation scenarios that incorporate SDOH and culturally responsive elements. This project was guided by Lewin’s Change Theory and the Jeffries Simulation Framework. The aim was to strengthen faculty awareness and skills to support the development of culturally inclusive simulation experiences. Descriptive statistics were utilized to analyze results which was a limitation. Nursing faculty …

Acoustic Realization Of Singleton–Geminate Contrast In Lebanese Arabic Infant-Directed Speech: A Case Study, Nief Aied Al-Gamdi

UB Journal for Humanities

Although Infant-directed speech (IDS) involves modifications of speech to facilitate child’s language acquisition, this area of research needs more evidence on the maintenance of segmental contrasts. Drawing on a longitudinal corpus of conversation recordings of a Lebanese mother and her young son over eight months at Newcastle University, this acoustic study examined IDS with a focus on Lebanese Arabic (LA). It analyzed single and double coronal consonants (C) in two-and three-syllable trochaic words with short vowels (V). Using PRAAT-based acoustic analysis, 560 tokens of trochaic disyllabic and trisyllabic words in short-V contexts were examined for duration, intensity, and fundamental frequency …

Representations Of Riyadh In Conceptual Metaphor Maps: A Cognitive Linguistic Approach, Lubna Mohammed I Alshanquitiy, Hussein Bin Hadi Ahmed Al-Abdali

UB Journal for Humanities

This study examines representations of the city of Riyadh in poetry through the lens of Conceptual Metaphor Theory as an analytical framework within cognitive linguistics, with the aim of revealing how the city’s spatial and environmental features are reconfigured into conceptual structures that contribute to the construction of meanings of identity and belonging. The study draws on a selected corpus of poetic texts and applies metaphor identification procedures inspired by the Metaphor Identification Procedure of the Vrije Universiteit (MIPVU), enabling the coding of source and target domains and the construction of mapping networks between lexical fields such as love / …

2026 - The Thirtieth Annual Symposium Of Student Scholars

Symposium of Student Scholars Program Books

The full program book from the 30th Annual Symposium of Student Scholars, held on April 22-24, 2026. Includes abstracts from the presentations and posters.

The Impact Of Immigration-Related Trauma On Academic And Social-Emotional Outcomes In K–12 English As A Second Language Students, Jessica N. Dekam

Graduate Teacher Education

This Capstone examined the impact of immigration-related trauma on the academic learning and social-emotional development of K–12 English as a Second Language students. Based on existing research and educational models, the Capstone explored how experiences such as displacement, cultural adjustment, and past adversity influenced students’ motivation, classroom participation, language acquisition, and emotional regulation. The findings continually highlighted the complex ways trauma could both hinder and shape learning, often resulting in challenges with engagement, trust, and self-advocacy in school environments. While at the same time, the research identified key protective factors, including supportive teacher-student relationships, culturally responsive teaching practices, and trauma-informed …

Interpreting Mandates Through A Bilingual Lens: Dual Language Immersion Teachers’ Experiences With Georgia’S Structured Literacy Law: A Mixed Methods Study Of Policy Implementation In Georgia Dual Language Programs, Grethel Pedroarena

Curriculum and Instruction (Ed.D.) Dissertations

This qualitative-dominant mixed methods study investigates how Georgia’s Dual Language Immersion (DLI) teachers interpret and implement state literacy mandates, specifically House Bill 307 (HB 307). The research addresses a critical gap in policy-to-practice understanding, as current structured literacy requirements are primarily grounded in monolingual English frameworks that often overlook the instructional realities of bilingual classrooms. The study is theoretically anchored in Translanguaging Pedagogy, Sociocultural Theory, and Teacher Agency Theory.

Data were collected through a statewide survey of 38 DLI teachers and five in-depth phenomenological interviews. Findings reveal that teachers’ interpretations of the mandate are shaped less by the legislative text …

Linguistic Evolution In The Light Of Ecolinguistics: A Reading Of Ibn Jinni’S Book “Al-Khasais”, Salwa Rajeh Mohammed Alabdali Alshareef

Journal of Arabic Sciences and Humanities

This study presents a descriptive reading of the ecological orientation implicit in the linguistic thought of Ibn Jinnī (d. 1002), as articulated in his work (Al-Khaṣāʼiṣ). It traces how language development is conceived in relation to environmental and social conditions, without imposing modern theoretical frameworks retrospectively. The study situates this heritage-based conception alongside contemporary discussions of the language–environment relationship, particularly the ecology of language proposed by Einar Haugen and the ecological models of language evolution developed by Salikoko S. Mufwene. Adopting a descriptive–analytical approach, the study shows that Ibn Jinnī conceptualizes linguistic variation as a natural consequence of differential social …

From Storybooks To Courtrooms: A Corpus-Based Descriptive Analysis Of Culture-Specific Translation Strategies In Saudi Arabia, Saad Salem Alshamrani

Journal of Arabic Sciences and Humanities

This study investigates how translators navigate culture-specific items (CSIs) between Arabic and English across two contrasting domains: children's storybooks and courtroom materials in Saudi Arabia. It employs a corpus-based descriptive approach to examine authentic published translations drawn from selected Arabic children's storybooks and official courtroom materials available through the Saudi Ministry of Justice. This approach enables the study to identify patterns in translators' strategies and the contextual factors that shape them. The analysis reveals that translators in children's literature predominantly employ adaptation, paraphrase, and explicitness to ensure accessibility and reader engagement. In contrast, legal translators favor literal translation and functional …

Improving Cultural Competence Among Healthcare Professionals Through A Targeted Staff Training Program, Oyindamola Akinkugbe

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Limited culturally competent care for Hispanic patients worsens existing health disparities, creates misunderstandings, leads to poor health outcomes, and reduces satisfaction with the quality of care. In an outpatient clinic, more than 70% of patients are Hispanic, yet healthcare providers reported a lack of confidence in caring for culturally diverse patients. Extensive literature supports staff training to improve provider cultural competence, but implementation remains inconsistent across healthcare settings. This quality improvement project addressed this gap by implementing a targeted staff training program grounded in the Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) in Nursing framework. The purpose of this project was …

Challenges Facing Women Academics: A Self-Reported Cross-Sectional Survey From A Developing Country, Barihan Nabil, Dina Tbaishat, Noor Al Mortadi, Karem H. Alzoubi

All Works

This study examines the factors perceived by women academics as hindering their professional growth in developing countries, using Jordan as a case study. The study adopts a feminist empiricist approach to investigate how and why women academics perceive institutional and informal policies and structures in their universities as reproducing gender inequality, favoring male academics, or whether this is due to a lack of gender-sensitive policies. It accordingly suggests means to redress. The study also explores the respondents' perceptions of mentoring as a means of advancing professional growth. The study employs a quantitative research approach and surveys 211 women academics across …

Eeg Studies Of Pre-Stimulus Activity During Turn-Taking In Naturalistic Conversation, Seyedmohamadreza Manzourolajdad

Student Works (2020-2029)

This study integrates conversational analysis principles and neural activity to investigate natural cognition and examine event-related brain changes. A wireless electroencephalography (EEG) device was used in an ecological validity setting to analyse pre-stimulus brain activity preceding conversational turns. This study aims to identify aspects of the conversation that reflect its naturalness in the aspect of listening and the corresponding brain activity by analysing the signals before and after a turn in a conversation. This research contributes to an ecologically valid understanding of natural conversation as a social action that enables seamless communication. Seven Malaysian participants (aged 19–22, M=20.46) engaged in …

Questionnaire For Eudaimonic Well-Being: Psychometric Validation Among Malaysian Youth, Mohd Ahsani A. Malek, Nurulwahida Saad, Suzana Mohd. Hoesni, Muhamad Ariff Ibrahim, Nurul Shafira Adi, Mohd Nazir Mohd Nazori

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: The rising prevalence of mental illness underscores the need to understand how individuals can live and flourish under such conditions. In Malaysia, research has largely emphasized diagnosis and treatment, with limited focus on positive psychology and few validated instruments. This study aimed to translate and validate the questionnaire for eudaimonic well-being (QEWB) among Malaysian youth.

Methods: The QEWB was translated into Malay using back-to-back translation and administered to undergraduates from four public universities through a cross-sectional survey design. Convenience quota sampling was used, resulting in 229 respondents completing the online form to measure sociodemographic characteristics, eudaimonic well-being, …

From Input To Narrative: Authoring Processes In Ai-Generated Discourse, Fahad Ahmed Otaif

Journal of Arabic Sciences and Humanities

With the growing use of generative AI bots in different disciplines and professions, AI bots have been increasingly adopted to compose, revise, translate, and author content, yet without much research evaluating their quality, particularly when it comes to the processes and features of AI-authored discourse. The current study investigates, based on corpus-based evidence, the extent to which one-theme AI-generated sentences can be reorganised/turned into meaningful discourse through four AI bots (ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, and DeepSeek), i.e. by which discourse processes and in what coherent and cohesive patterns. These four AI-bots were fed with well-designed prompts instructing them to produce both …

An Intersectional Analysis Of Multicultural Education Discourse: Neoliberalism, Racism, And Sexism In South Korea, Inui Kim, Younkyung Hong, Eunhye Cho, Myeong Ko

Teaching and Learning Faculty Publications

This study addresses the urgent need to approach multicultural education in South Korea through a social justice lens. It aims to tackle the unique structural and systemic oppressions and exclusions often overlooked in research. Using critical discourse analysis, we explore how the discourse on multicultural education intertwines with oppressive ideologies and perspectives in South Korea. The present study builds upon scholarship emphasizing the importance of considering the influence of neoliberalism and ethnocentric nationalism in the South Korean context when examining multicultural education. It addresses the unique structural and systemic oppressions and exclusions that have remained underaddressed by the current multicultural …

Tutoring And Bilingual Support Program, Amy V. Estrada, Brenda Ochoa, Mia Junez

Service Learning Showcase

Tutoring can strengthen academic skills, build confidence, and support language development for young learners. At Clairmont Elementary through the Lodi USD Bridge Program, we implemented a Tutoring and Bilingual Support Program for first- and second-grade students during enrichment hours. The program focused on improving early reading skills while providing language support for bilingual students. Sessions combined guided reading practice with engaging, hands-on activities designed to make learning enjoyable and accessible. Activities included storytelling, interactive games, and creative projects that reinforced vocabulary and comprehension. The program created a supportive and inclusive environment where students felt comfortable practicing both English and their …

Using Action Research To Inform Graduate Research Theories, Methods, And Praxis Among Master’S And Phd Multilingual And International Students, Thomas Maldonado

Frontera Retórica Symposium

In an attempt to provide multilingual and international graduate students food for thought, this work-in-progress presentation examines a day in the life of a multilingual PhD student’s use of action research during the teaching of RWS 1301 in both Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 to better inform his data collection via student questionnaires.   Action research, “generally involves inquiring into one’s own practice through a process of self-monitoring that […] includes entering a cycle of planning, acting, observing, and reflecting on an issue or problem in order to improve practice” (Farrell, 2007, p.94).   My research question answers how using action research …

Silent Persuasion In The Classroom: Rethinking Student Silence As Rhetorical Agency, Deepa Silwal

Frontera Retórica Symposium

In most educational settings, rhetorical participation refers to the recognized ways people communicate and persuade. It is measured almost exclusively through verbal contribution, a norm that frames silence as disengagement or deficit. This assumption overlooks the communicative work performed through the body itself, particularly among students navigating linguistic, cultural, or institutional constraints. I ask: how might embodied silence be theorized as a form of rhetorical agency among students positioned at the margins of institutional power? I propose the concept of silent persuasion, which refers to rhetoric enacted not through speech but through the body's presence, posture, stillness, and restraint. Drawing …

From Dilemma To Decision: Rhetorical Positionality As A Framework For Designing A Doctoral Dissertation Topic, Purna Bhusal

Frontera Retórica Symposium

Finding a dissertation topic for doctoral students in liberal arts education is one of the most difficult and defining moments of their academic journey. In my experience and observation, most graduate students struggle to identify a research topic that is both intellectually meaningful and aligns with their personal and scholarly commitments. To address this challenge, in this presentation, I propose rhetorical positionality as a framework for designing and formulating a doctoral research topic. To develop this framework, I draw on theoretical and methodological insights of the rhetorical situation as discussed by Scott Consigny, Richard Vaz, and Lloyd Bitzer, as well …

A Hybrid Cryptographic Encoding System Combining Aes-256- Gcm Authenticated Encryption, X25519 Forward Secrecy, Shamir Threshold Key Management With Biometric Access Gating, And A Pluggable Steganographic Output Layer, Naveen Rajan

Defensive Publications Series

A hybrid cryptographic encoding system is disclosed in which plaintext is encrypted using AES256-GCM keyed via an X25519 ephemeral-static Diffie-Hellman key agreement, optionally protected at rest by a Shamir K-of-N secret-sharing scheme whose shares are individually gated by biometric fuzzy extractors, and the resulting authenticated ciphertext is rendered through a pluggable steganographic output layer (key-permuted Morse, Base64, or linguistic steganography). The combination delivers confidentiality, integrity, forward secrecy, threshold multi-party access control, and format-agnostic camouflage in a single interoperable pipeline.

Smartphone Use, Social Media, And Academic Procrastination In Secondary Education: A Multi Method Approach Investigation With Implications For School-Based Interventions, Haslee Sharil Lim Abdullah, Riza Amalia, Henny Indreswari, Im Hambali, Ronal Surya Aditya, Rusnila Rusnila

Buletin Konseling Inovatif

Academic procrastination has become a significant challenge in digital learning environments, particularly among adolescents with high smartphone and social media usage. This study examines the relationship between mobile phone use and academic procrastination among 262 high school students in Indonesia using a cross-sectional survey, narrative review, and network analysis. Results show 75.6% of students exhibit medium and 20.2% high procrastination levels, with "alternative activities" like digital distractions as the main form (M = 15.87, SD = 2.92). No significant differences were found by gender (p = .067) or age (p = .412), but strong positive correlations emerged between gadget use …

Automating The State: Public Sector Ai In India And The Challenge Of Rights-Based Regulation, Medha Garg, Shravani Nag Lanka

Indian Journal of Law and Technology

This article examines the deployment of Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) by Indian Central and State Governments across key public sectors, namely, healthcare, law enforcement, justice, welfare delivery, and urban governance. AI applications in these domains promise enhanced efficiency and service delivery but also introduce risks such as algorithmic and automation biases, inaccuracies, and accountability gaps. The absence of a comprehensive regulatory framework in India exacerbates these issues, leaving citizens vulnerable to opaque decision-making processes. We discuss the current fragmented regulatory landscape in India and compare it with AI governance models in the European Union, United States, and China. Building on this …

Program And Proceedings, The Nebraska Academy Of Sciences 1880–2026: 146th Anniversary Year, One Hundred-Thirty-Sixth Annual Meeting

Nebraska Academy of Sciences: Programs and Proceedings

Program and abstracts of the proceedings for the Nebraska Academy of Sciences 136th annual meeting, 2025

Sessions

Aeronautics and Space Science

Anthropology

Biological and Medical Sciences

Earth Sciences

Ecology, Sustainability, and Environmental Science

Physics and Engineering

General Poster Session

2026 Maiben Lecture: Shifting Extremes: Understanding Nebraska’s Changing Climate and Preparing for What Lies Ahead, Deborah Bathke

2026 Friends of Science Awards: Julie Shaffer and Irina Filina

2026 C. Bertrand and Marian Othmer Schultz Colleaguate Schoalrship Award: Piper Ryschon and Bryce Reeson

In Memoriam: Paul Royster

Examination Of Celebrity And Influencer Endorsements, Mackenzie Molnar

Honors Projects

This study examines the effects of celebrity and influencer endorsements on consumer attitudes and purchase intentions. A digital survey was distributed through Prolific to 210 U.S. participants ages 18–24. Participants viewed fictional advertisements featuring either a celebrity or an influencer endorsing a product and then rated each endorsement on familiarity, relatability, authenticity, believability, and likelihood of purchase. Results showed that endorsement type alone did not significantly affect believability, indicating that celebrities and influencers can be similarly effective in marketing. However, gender, media usage, and relatability significantly influenced consumer responses. Female participants responded more positively to influencer endorsements, while higher relatability …

Doc 2026-19 Proposal For New Bachelor Of Arts In Global Studies, University Of Dayton. College Of Arts And Sciences

Senate Documents

The Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies prepares students to become thoughtful global leaders who engage effectively across cultures and contexts in an increasingly interconnected world. Grounded in intercultural understanding, the program equips students with applied skills for diverse professional settings. Through pathways in Global Citizenship & Intercultural Communication and in Area Studies (Global Spanish and Hispanophone Studies, Global French and Francophone Studies, and Global German Studies) students develop the knowledge and experience needed for careers in international organizations, NGOs, public service, international law, healthcare, or education, among others.

A Pentadic Rhetorical Analysis Of Malala Yousafzai’S Address To The United Nations’ Youth Assembly, Alexis Rehm

Pepperdine Journal of Communication Research

This paper is a rhetorical criticism of Malala Yousafzai’s 2013 address to the United Nations Youth Assembly using Kenneth Burke’s pentad. Malala Yousafzai’s address was delivered less than one year after surviving an assassination attempt by the Taliban. The address reframes access to education as a shared moral responsibility rather than a personal or political issue. By analyzing the scene, act, agent, agency, and purpose, this analysis shows how Malala constructs rhetorical authority through personal narrative, forgiveness, and moral appeal. Her speech positions education as a universal human right and challenges global audiences to move from sympathy to accountability.

Between The Middle Kingdom And The Middle Way: An Analysis Of State Power And Sacred Authority In The Sino-Tibet Conflict, Madison M. Berry, Aimee N. Ebeling, Jayden A. Hanson

Pepperdine Journal of Communication Research

This research paper addresses the growing concerns of the Sino-Tibetan conflict by analyzing the relationship between the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) through an intercultural communication and negotiation lens. By analyzing historical relationships between the two parties and comparing them to similar contemporary situations, this paper examines the sinicization of the Tibetan people. By exploring the “Old Tibet” and “New Tibet” narratives, while acknowledging the centrality of the Dalai Lama to both parties, it also addresses territorial disagreements and the contrasting understandings of sovereignty and modernization, which fuel the conflict. Finally, a policy framework …

Volume Cxlv, Number 19, April 24, 2026, Lawrence University

The Lawrentian

No abstract provided.