Digital Commons Network^™

Confident And Wrong : How Llm Miscalibration Mirrors The Dunning-Kruger Effect Across Ambiguity Levels, Maggie Grespin

IPHS 300: AI for Humanity

Psychology gave us the Dunning-Kruger effect, the observed pattern that a person is often overconfident when they fall in the lowest quartile of that skill’s proficiency. This research is interested in seeing if large language models (LLMs) suffer the same miscalibration of metacognitive skills. Using thirty deliberately ambiguous college-level math question prompts, this research assesses Claude Sonnet 4.6’s ability to interpret each question, provide an answer, and rate its own confidence without asking for clarification. Results show that while confidence appropriately drops at the moderate tier, it rebounds on the hardest questions (0.840) even as accuracy falls to 0.450. This …

A Software-Defined Radio Testbed For Mimo-Ofdm Communications, Chaz G. Maschman

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In this thesis, we implement a testbed for multiple-input multiple-output orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (MIMO-OFDM) systems via GNU Radio. Specifically, we implement a configurable framework for the construction of MIMO-OFDM software-defined radio (SDR) systems as a GNU Radio module. The GNU Radio MIMO-OFDM module consists of multiple algorithmic blocks necessary for implementation of a MIMO-OFDM system. This includes a library for the generation of orthogonal or pseudo-random pilot sequences, amendments to the Schmidl-Cox protocol for MIMO synchronization, and the creation of click-and-drag GNU Radio blocks implementing the conversion of arbitrary data sent via external programs to MIMO-OFDM frames, the initial …

Navigating Inclusive Education In The United Arab Emirates: Perspectives From School Leaders And Teachers, Daisy Loyd, Rhoda Myra Garces-Bacsal, Zachary Walker, Najwa Mohamed Alhosani, Hala Elhoweris, Osha Almuhairy, Ahmed Mohamed, Rachel Alison Takriti, Sana Butti Al Maktoum, Amani Mohamed, Hamdah Jibar Alhashmi

All Works

Inclusive education in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been promoted through ambitious policies. These have included a mandated change in nomenclature alongside strengthening the infrastructure and professional development to support inclusive education in mainstream schools. Perspectives from school leaders and teachers across the country about these changes and their implementation have not been captured. This research used a qualitative methodology to explore school leaders' and teachers' perspectives of inclusive education policy and practice. Participants included 22 school leaders and 57 teachers from public and private schools across the seven Emirates of the UAE. Data were collected through group and …

Implementing A Clustering Framework On Distributional Bee Data, Roheel Nawaz

Research and Creativity Symposium

Understanding spatial patterns in biodiversity is important for identifying how ecological communities are structured across landscapes. Clustering methods provide a useful way to detect non-random species distributions and reveal potential environmental or geographic influences. In this study, we applied a clustering framework to a large long-term bee abundance dataset from the Mid-Atlantic United States to evaluate community structure across regions of Maryland, Delaware, and Washington, D.C.

The dataset included over 1,100 sites and more than 3,000 transects. Because sampling methods were not fully standardized, abundance data were converted to presence/absence and analyzed using the Jaccard index to measure site similarity. …

Leadership Challenges In Achieving Healthcare Interoperability: A Cross-Sectional Survey Of Patient Experiences, Hoshiar J. Sher

Education Doctoral

Healthcare interoperability remains constrained not only by technical barriers but also by leadership, governance, and administrative fragmentation. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to examine how leadership-related barriers to interoperability were reflected in patients’ and caregivers’ experiences with administrative clarity, system integration complexity, trust in leadership, satisfaction, and switching behavior. Guided by transformational leadership theory, data were collected through an online survey of 435 U.S. adults who managed healthcare administrative tasks for themselves or family members. Descriptive, subgroup, and multivariable analyses were conducted to address five research questions. Respondents reported moderate coverage clarity and billing ease, elevated billing …

Home And School Connection: Enhancing Middle School Literacy Through Family Involvement, Katherine Loveless

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

With continued declines in literacy rates within the United States and a notable lack of parental involvement within a middle school student’s educational journey, this capstone project looks to address both issues with a single project around middle school literacy nights. By means of an in-depth review of timely and relevant literature this capstone addresses the barriers that are frequently encountered for literacy based events such as rivaling expectations for involvement, socioeconomic barriers, scheduling conflicts, and language barriers. Through the development of this project, a resource-based website was created for event hosts, school leadership, and parents to rely on to …

The Impact Of Growth Mindset On Student Confidence And Performance In Mathematics, Micaela Büching

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Many educators frequently hear their students claim they are simply not a “math person.” This common phrase reflects a fixed mindset that can strongly impact a student's academic journey. This capstone project addresses the research question: In what ways does a growth mindset framework impact student confidence, effort, and academic performance in mathematics? A comprehensive literature review revealed that while growth mindset is a powerful tool for equity, successful implementation requires a shift in teacher beliefs and the integration of growth-oriented pedagogical strategies into daily classroom practice. In response, a three-part professional development series was designed for K–5 educators, focusing …

Practices That Improve Critical Thinking Development In Secondary Classrooms, Brian Mueggenberg

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This capstone examines how mathematics teachers can more intentionally develop students’ critical thinking skills through classroom instruction and how professional development can support that practice. The guiding question for the project was: How can secondary mathematics teachers intentionally design and implement instructional strategies that promote students’ critical thinking within the constraints of classroom instruction? A review of educational research identified a recurring problem with traditional instructional practices: direct instruction effectively supports procedural fluency, but often provides limited opportunities to develop higher-order thinking and conceptual fluency. Key influences on this project included research on thinking classrooms, productive struggle, and dialogic teaching. …

Implementing Outdoor And Nature-Based Learning For Infants And Toddlers, Kelly Kazeck

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Many early childhood educators in Minnesota are expanding outdoor and nature-based learning opportunities because of the positive developmental benefits they offer children. Time spent outdoors supports social, emotional, cognitive, and physical learning while promoting positive relationships with peers and the natural world. This capstone research found that implementing outdoor and nature-based learning requires more specialized training, safety precautions, equipment, planning, and preparation than typical indoor programming. However, much of the research focuses on preschool-aged children, although implementation with infants and toddlers presents additional challenges and requires specific supports. Therefore, this capstone project answered the question, “What can infant and toddler …

Teacher Preparation: A Foundation For Rural School Success, Sara L. Hartman

The Rural Educator

First appearing in “Why Rural Matters 2025: People, Place, and Possibility,” this article examines the policy landscape shaping teacher preparation for rural schools. Drawing on troubling policies being implemented across the United States, it identifies key trends that are contributing to teacher shortages and reduced teacher quality. The analysis highlights how these trends are experienced differently depending on the rural context and emphasizes the importance of innovative, place-based approaches. The article explores the consequences of policy decisions that do not account for rural realities and advocates for investments in strong, research-based teacher preparation programs. It cautions that the ongoing questioning …

Commencement Program: 2026, Governors State University

Commencement Documents and Videos

Lincoln Laureate: Jonathan Cooper

May 17, 2025
10 a.m.

Student Speaker: Journey Mae Manuel

College of Education and Human Development
College of Health and Human Services

May 17, 2025
4 p.m.

Student Speaker: Victoria Gómez

College of Business
College of Arts and Sciences

Do Purpleair Monitors Democratize Data For The Environment?, Christopher Rick, Kyla Lorden

Student Publications

PurpleAir monitors may serve a vital role in marginalized or under-monitored communities nationwide. These low-cost monitors—roughly $300—give communities the ability to monitor their air quality at local geographies in ways that are infeasible for expensive, regulatory-grade air monitors. They also have the potential to aid community advocacy efforts around environmental and transportation policy by giving community members literal ownership over the monitoring, including precise locations, and philosophical ownership over the advocacy efforts. To determine the potential democratization of air quality data by PurpleAir monitors in socially disadvantaged communities, we analyze the sociodemographic characteristics of neighborhoods with PurpleAir monitors. We find …

The Importance Of Body Size And Spatial Scale In Modeling Winter Bird Distributions, Carissa M. Mobley

Student Publications

Birds’ annual cycles include biologically linked breeding and non-breeding seasons, yet most research and bird atlases focus exclusively on the breeding season. There have been very few winter bird atlas projects in North America, and none have been published for the northeastern United States. Short daylight hours and harsh weather limit winter survey coverage, making species distribution models (SDMs) essential for addressing spatial gaps.

I evaluated the optimal spatial scale for SDMs across bird species differing in body size and tested whether optimal scale varies with body mass. Using 16,967 eBird checklists collected during the first winter survey period (December …

Constructive Falsity, Legal Truth, And The Public Interest In Not Reporting On Expunged Records, Itay Ravid

Villanova Law Review (1956 - )

No abstract provided.

Fallen Light (Video Game), Joshua Do

Presentations - 2026

Problem:

•People misunderstand Lucifer’s deception

•(shown through Temptation of Jesus in Matthew 4) •Lack of engaging ways to teach theological concepts   •Background: Lucifer corrupts not through force, but subtle self-elevation and doubt   Motivation:   •Just initially wanted to make a game of how sin entered the world for fun   •Just thought it was a cool idea in general.

Solution:

•Dialogue-driven narrative game   •6+ story chapters   •10+ regions   •Focused on spiritual conflict, deception, and discernment   •Uses event-based progression   •Presents Lucifer through subtle manipulation, by being a false light by choosing self-pleasure over what is right.

Fisheasy, Jake Rankin

Presentations - 2026

Problem: 
Inexperienced and experienced anglers lack necessary tools to begin fishing

Motivation:
Fishing is a fun hobby everyone should be able to enjoy – the lack of resources makes that difficult

Solution:
An application that integrates learning tutorials with helpful practices tools for both novice and experienced anglers

Race-Based Violence Against Educators And School Personnel: The Roles Of Race And Harm, Jared Hunt

Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

Educator-directed violence is a serious problem that has adverse effects on the careers and lives of those victimized. Educators and school personnel in the United States experience this violence within institutions that are shaped by long-checkered histories of racism and racial discrimination (Bickford and Clabough, 2021) that continue today (Carver-Thomas, 2018). Thus, there is a need to consider the roles of race and racism in the violence educators and school personnel experience. This study investigated educators’ and other school personnel’s experiences of physical and verbal/threatening violence, harm, and psychological distress. Through a racial stress and trauma framework, this study also …

Automation Of Discovery And Classification Of Compact X-Ray Binaries In Globular Clusters, Justin Brooks

Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

The discovery and classification of Compact X-ray Binaries (CXRBs) within globular clusters improves our understanding of stellar encounters, the evolution of globular clusters, accretion physics, and the high-energy physics of the compact objects involved in these systems. For this reason, scientists compare X-ray observations from the Chandra X-ray Observa?tory with visible and UV observations from the Hubble Space Telescope to find objects of unusual colors and magnitudes which might be CXRBs. However, this process is time-consuming and requires significant amounts of data and expertise to achieve reliable classifications. This paper de?scribes this process, as well as a proposed automated process …

Foxbuddy, Luis Eduardo Garza Jr.

Presentations - 2026

Problem:
•Many people are still unprepared incase of an emergency. (42%-46% are prepared for an emergency)
•Supplies can be scattered, expired, or forgotten.   •Reliable guidance is often not easy to access.

Raptor Abundance And Occupancy In Urban Parks Within Metropolitan Landscapes, Mary- Esther Leblanc

Posters - 2026

Rapid urbanization is one of the most significant and accelerating drivers of global biodiversity change, reshaping wildlife communities by fragmenting habitat, altering prey availability, and introducing human disturbances. Despite these pressures, some wildlife species are attracted to and may even flourish in urban settings, primarily because urbanization creates an altered landscape that often unintentionally provides resources functioning as components of habitat. (Chiron et al., 2024) Raptors, as apex predators within avian food webs, offer a valuable lens through which to examine these dynamics. While raptor communities are broadly negatively impacted by urbanization, some species can thrive in urban areas. (Leveau …

Fisheasy, Jake Ryan Rankin

Posters - 2026

The purpose of FishEasy is to create an all-in-one fishing application that supports both beginner and experienced anglers through education, recommendations, and data tracking. Many new anglers struggle with understanding gear, knots, bait, and locations, while existing tools often limit access through paid features. FishEasy addresses these gaps by providing:

• Educational Tutorials for knots, rigs, and beginner guidance • Smart Recommendations based on location, species, and conditions • Catch Logging & Analytics to track performance • Regulation Awareness for legal fishing practices


Overall, FishEasy aims to make fishing more accessible, efficient, and easy to learn for all users.

Polylactic Acid (Pla) Microplastic Toxicity In C. Elegans, Maria Gamez, Dana Farley, Chiara Maldonado, David Mares

Posters - 2026

• Microplastics (MPs, > 5 mm1) are an environmental pollutant that pose health risks to humans. • Primary MPs are created for direct use or plastic stocks, and secondary MPs are created when plastics in the environment break down over time. • Microplastic exposure can cause oxidative stress, metabolic disorders, immune responses, neurotoxicity, and reproductive issues2-3. • Polylactic Acid (PLA) is a biodegradable plastic used in everyday items, such as food packaging, and as a polymer in 3D printing. • PLA exposure to fish causes organ damage5 and C. elegans exposure to primary PLA MPs and UV-aged MPs reduced reproduction6-7 . …

Spinlock Game Engine, Shane Misley

Posters - 2026

Modern game engines prioritize developer convenience at the cost of performance and transparency. Large frameworks like Unity and Unreal Engine abstract away implementation details, which simplifies development but introduces computational overhead—often 40-50% of CPU and memory usage goes to engine infrastructure rather than the actual game. For developers targeting low-end hardware, older systems, or performance-critical applications, this overhead becomes prohibitive. The Spinlock Engine addresses this problem by adopting a "close-to-the-metal" philosophy, stripping away unnecessary abstraction layers to deliver raw speed and predictable behavior. Built in C++ with SDL3 and Raylib, Spinlock prioritizes memory efficiency, CPU optimization, and developer transparency—allowing you …

Sentra, David Aguilar

Posters - 2026

In the fast-paced space of event organization, fostering continuous collaboration among participants is essential. However, organizers often lose valuable time monitoring multiple, disconnected systems once an event is underway. Enter Sentra: an all-in-one Discord bot tailored specifically for weekend events like hackathons. Sentra bridges the gap between participants and organizers by consolidating seamless team matchmaking, robust support ticketing, and automated AI moderation into a single, unified interface.

Bird Population Response To Abiotic And Biotic Stresses In Urban & Restored Oak Savannah Habitat, Annabelle Ball

Posters - 2026

Birds are heavily impacted by urban development. Many experience habitat fragmentation and removal of food sources. However, other species can adapt to and even thrive in urban environments, thanks to certain tree species, bird feeders, and buildings. In North America, the house sparrow and the European starling are invasive species that benefit from urban environments (Bartelt, 2011; Fitzwater, 2014). Meanwhile, many habitats across the continent are experiencing restoration/rewilding efforts for the benefit of birds. One such habitat is the oak-savannah, which is characterized by 10-30% canopy cover and a mixture of prairie & woodland vegetation, supporting a high diversity of …

Synapse, Nicolas Diaz, Alexander Murphy, Sonia Cerrillo, Naomi Ramirez, Jesse Kemmer

Posters - 2026

People tend to accumulate a great deal of notes throughout their lives with no coherent way to organize them. Even with the built-in notes app, the notes eventually accumulate until it becomes borderline impossible to find what is needed. Our proposed solution is Synapse, an LLM powered notes app with a tagging system that allows notes to be sorted by topic. The LLM will be able to read the user's notes and recommend tags

Saved From The Brink Of Collapse: Evaluating The Success Of The Sussex Kelp Recovery Project, Keagan Farrell, Kelly Swyers, Adan Vasquez

Posters - 2026

Kelp forests are vital to ocean health, they provide habitat, food, and nursery grounds for a variety of marine species. These forests support fisheries, improve water quality, and help to protect coastlines (Eger et al. 2024). The Sussex Kelp Recovery Project is a marine conservation effort aimed at restoring their kelp forests along the Sussex coastline in southern England. This area lost up to 96% of its forests mainly due to the fishing practice trawling. Trawling is used to gather large amounts of fish, while dragging a net at the seafloor (Our history 2026). The main goal of the Sussex …

Ai Dependence And Its Impact On Human Decision-Making Quality And Supply Chain Efficiency, Jesus Salazar, Leonardo Fabbri, Axel Villegas

Posters - 2026

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming supply chain management by enabling:
  • Data-driven decision-making
  • Improved forecasting accuracy
  • Enhanced operational efficiency (Choudhary et al., 2023; Ivanov & Dolgui, 2021)
• AI applications such as predictive analytics support:
  • Inventory optimization, Logistics planning
  • Procurement decisions in real time
• However, increasing reliance on AI introduces risks:
  • Automation bias (over-trusting AI outputs)
  • Reduced human critical thinking
  • Overdependence on algorithmic recommendations (Raisch & Krakowski, 2021)
• This study examines the dual impact of AI dependence on:
  • Decision-making quality
  • Supply chain efficiency
• Objective:
  • Identify whether AI improves performance or reduces human effectiveness
  • Determine the optimal balance between AI support and human …

Measuring The Flux Of Cosmic Ray Muons With A Coincidence Telescope, Carlos C. Sifuentes

Posters - 2026

❖ Cosmic Ray Muons are short-lived fundamental particles formed in the upper atmosphere, and have a half-life of 2.2 microseconds.[3] They travel down to surface level due to relativistic effects.

❖ Cosmic Watch Muon detectors were placed in coincidence. [1]

❖ Varied the angle from zenith using a 3D printed telescope designed in AutoCad.

❖ Varied the distance of the detectors and viewed changes in flux

Thermal Vacuum Technical Report, Taiye Ibukun Fatima Ougundare, Ryan Bade

Senior Project

This system enables ground-based testing of components prior to space deployment. It replicates key Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) conditions, including both pressure and temperature. The chamber reduces pressure from atmospheric conditions (~760 Torr) to ~7.6 × 10⁻⁶ Torr. The thermal vacuum system achieves temperatures ranging from −60 °C to +125 °C for realistic environmental simulation.