Digital Commons Network^™

Analysis Of Computational Approaches To Cognitive Diagnosis, Andrew Toussaint

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Access to good education is crucial to the well-being of individuals as well as communities. Recent technological advancements in the field of computer science show promise of generating precise descriptions of student cognitive states regarding specified knowledge concepts through a process called cognitive diagnosis. This can facilitate the creation of more targeted lesson plans and more personalized educational software. Experiments were conducted to evaluate the performance of four computerized cognitive diagnosis models. The models include three existing models: Item Response Theory, Neural Cognitive Diagnosis, Knowledge Association Neural Cognitive Diagnosis, and a proposed model, Concept Agnostic Knowledge Evaluation, which was used …

Developing Phenanthroimidazole-Based Fluorescent Sensors For Efficient Analyte Detection, Brian Kellogg

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The highly efficient design and synthesis of organic fluorophores with an excellent quantum yield have received extensive attention. Compared with instrumental techniques, fluorescent sensors derived from organic small molecules offer many impressive benefits, such as selective detection, lower cost, and higher efficiency. Various detection mechanisms such as colorimetric, ratiometric, and fluorescence turn on/off have been reported for single analyte detection. Developing molecular probes that are capable of detecting two (or more than two) different analytes (cations, anions, and/or biomolecules) had emerged as a new research area and attracted considerable attention in the field of chemo- and biosensors.

Phenanthroimidazole represents a …

Rain-On-Snow Event Climatology And Hydrological Impacts In The Connecticut River Watershed, Samuel Davidson

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Rain-on-snow events, characterized by rain falling on existing snowpack, have the potential to bring about significant hydrological and environmental impacts including snowmelt, flooding, landslides, and other natural hazards. Despite prior evidence suggesting the Connecticut River Watershed has endured socioeconomic and environmental setbacks due to rain-on-snow events in the past, limited prior research has been performed on the role of rain-onsnow events within the region’s hydroclimatology. Gaining a deeper understanding of the occurrence and impacts of such events would provide valuable insights for risk and water resource managers. The purpose of this research was to create a climatology of rain-on-snow events …

Deriving The Efficiency Of Electron Acceleration Within Current Sheets In The May 8th, 2021 Solar Flare Using A Centroid Analysis Method On Stix X-Ray Data, Isaiah Beauchamp

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Solar flares are powerful explosions that take place on the Sun, equivalent to a billion atomic bombs, and eject billions of tons of material into space. Flares that reach Earth can disrupt power grids and damage satellite communication systems, presenting challenges for our national security. Studying solar flares is crucial to better understand and prepare for these events.

During a solar flare, electrons are accelerated into the surrounding plasma. The interaction between electrons and heavier particles within the plasma causes the emission of powerful X-rays. Studying X-rays from solar flares can, therefore, provide insight into the accelerated electrons that produce …

Provenance Of Clastic Rocks In The Inner Hornsund Trough, Svalbard, Noah Riccardi

Geology Honors Projects

Late Paleozoic clastic sedimentary rocks in the Inner Hornsund Trough (IHT) in southern Svalbard represent an archive of regional tectonic events and are key to accurate paleogeographic reconstructions of the Arctic. To tap this archive, ~1800 detrital zircon grains were separated and analyzed from six total samples of sedimentary rock, including samples from both sides of the Hornsund fjord. Two samples came from the Marietoppen formation (Late Devonian), and four from the Adriabukta formation (Late Devonian and/or earliest Carboniferous). Detrital zircon U-Pb age spectra from both units are similar, with the majority of analyzed grains falling in the 1.0-2.0 Ga …

School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions And Supports As A Framework For Equity: Addressing The Discipline And Academic Achievement Gap In Minnesota Schools, Amy Danielle Mcguire

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In response to state-level legislative initiatives, many Minnesota schools have implemented Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) to improve student behavior and school climate, guided in part by the assumption that these improvements will lead to higher academic achievement. This study explored the possible association between PBIS implementation and academic proficiency among third-grade students, focusing on reading and mathematics outcomes on the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCA). A t-test was conducted to determine whether statistically significant differences existed in MCA proficiency rates between elementary schools that had implemented PBIS with fidelity and those that had not. Results indicated no significant differences …

Airline Quality Rating 2024 & 2025, Andrea Irish

Airline Quality Rating Report

The Airline Quality Rating Report is a product of academic research from the previous co-authors Dr. Dean Headley and Dr. Brent Bowen. The research originated at the W. Frank Barton School of Business, Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas. Throughout the 34 years this rigorous research has been conducted at the University of Nebraska, Purdue University, and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

Dr. Bowen and Dr. Headley’s research on the development of the national Airline Quality Rating (AQR) is viewed by more than 75 million people each year and is annually featured by national news outlets such as ABC’s Good Morning America, …

Culturally Relevant Pedagogy In Mathematics Education, Efe Mensah-Brown

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The literature review explored how Ladson-Billings’ (1995) definition of culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP), with the three tenets of academic achievement, cultural competence and sociopolitical consciousness, could be used in mathematics education. The use of CRP in mathematics education to positively transform mathematics instruction and combat racial stereotypes by improving the mathematics identities of all students was explored. The research found that the integration of CRP in mathematics education improved the academic success of students by making the mathematics more engaging and relevant. The research also showed that the use of CRP in mathematics education positively influenced students’ mathematics identities. For …

Investigating The Relationship Of Feminization Of Education And Teacher Attrition, Kate Irene Toriseva Trosen

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The feminization of teaching has taken place over multiple centuries, born of a mixture of social-political movements which reveal current complex issues leading to a shortage of young women entering and staying in education careers. Through a review of literature and study on the subjects of educational feminization, teacher attrition, and female workplace concerns and preferences, this thesis assessed the correlations between current teacher shortages and female-based causes and solutions. By assessing these reasons, studying the working habits of women, and evaluating teachers’ reported concerns and reasons for leaving the classroom, this literature review identified important causational effects directly related …

The Unsurprising Lack Of Deia In Nasa’S Pathways Program Hiring Patterns, Shelita Augustus, Tiasia Saunders

Division of Strategic Enrollment Management and Student Success Publications

Working for NASA, a symbol of exploration and scientific advancement, is a dream for many, sparking aspirations of becoming an astronaut and contributing to humanity's understanding of the unknown universe. However, the path to a NASA career is often filled with unfair challenges and barriers, particularly for talented individuals from underrepresented groups who have no control over systemic bias. NASA's Pathways Program is an entry point for undergraduate and graduate students seeking opportunities within the agency with a highly competitive hiring rate of only 1.4% between the fiscal years (FY) of 2021 to 2024. While NASA publicly affirmed its commitment …

Delineating Ecologically Distinct Groups For Annual Cycle Management Of A Declining Shorebird, E. C. Knight, J. Carlisle, A. J. Boyce, D. Bradley, P. Cimprich, S. Coates, L. A. Powell Et Al.

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Investigating The Relationship Between Discovery Learning And Students' Engagement And Knowledge Acquisition In Montessori And Traditional Schools, Jessica Phelps

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative study examines the relationship between discovery learning and student engagement and knowledge acquisition in Montessori versus traditional schools within the Dallas Independent School District (DISD). This study, grounded in constructivist and experiential learning theories, compared Montessori schools with traditional schools in DISD. A sample of middle school students, grades 6-8, participated in the research. Data was collected through standardized engagement surveys, academic assessments, and classroom observations. A comparative non-experimental design was employed to analyze differences in engagement and knowledge outcomes between the two educational approaches. Findings revealed that instructional method was not a significant predictor of student engagement, …

Icipe Monthly Digest – Volume 1, Issue 1, January 2025, International Centre Of Insect Physiology And Ecology (Icipe)

icipe Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Profile: Innovation Through The Liberal Arts, Communications And Marketing

Profile (1996-)

In this issue: Alumnus Chooses to Pay It Forward with Scholarships ; Gallant Makes the Most of Scholarships ; Newell Gives Back with Entrepreneurship Class ; Giving Allows Students to Get Business Ownership Experience ; Competitive Ethics Team Earns National Bid ; Tollefsrud Named Fulbright Finalist ; Noujdi Receives 2024 Undergraduate SEED Award ; Faculty and Staff Awards ; Hands-On Observatory Experience for Physics Students ; Zavada, Students Travel to Peru for Fulbright Research ; Morris Model Wins Second Department of Energy Competition ; 2025 Commencement ; Spotlight: Highlighting the Degree in Three Option ; AI Philosophy Tutor: Using AI …

Lawrence University Course Catalog, 2025-2026, Lawrence University

Course Catalogs

No abstract provided.

The Perceptions Of Directors And Supervisors Of Guidance As It Pertains To Counselors Preparing High School Students For Their Future Careers, Kitty R. Klein

Selected Full Text Dissertations, 2011-

Early career awareness is essential in guiding students to explore their strengths and interests. Counselors serve as vital constituents in helping students foster academic and personal growth, while also providing opportunities to build salient ramps for career exploration. Although professional literature has recognized the vital role school counselors have in promoting college and career readiness, limited research has examined how their efforts are perceived by individuals in supervisory and administrative roles. Hence, the purpose of this study was to assess the perceptions of directors and supervisors of guidance on the importance and existence of career development practices. Understanding how high …

Does Land Conservation Financially Harm Renters?, Corey Lang, Jarron Vanceylon

Environmental and Natural Resource Economics Working Papers

Environmental public goods and hazards are unequally distributed, with minority and low-income communities faring far worse. While environmental improvements are likely to benefit disadvantaged groups, these improvements can increase the desirability of neighborhoods and increase housing prices. For homeowners, this yields a gain in equity but can negatively impact renters through increased housing costs. This paper seeks to evaluate how rental prices respond to gains in land conservation relative to owner-occupied home values using a panel of census and conservation data from the United States. We employ a first-difference regression model and use propensity score matching as a pre-processing method …

“Science Belongs Everywhere”: Outlooks On Post-Secondary Stem Education For Correctional Centers In Virginia, Shelita R. Augustus

Division of Strategic Enrollment Management and Student Success Publications

Virginia has an incarceration rate of 679 per 100,000 residents, the highest among independent democratic nations. This scoping review examines perspectives on post-secondary STEM education to promote STEM education within Virginia's correctional facilities, assesses programs to improve rehabilitation, reduce recidivism, and address systemic inequalities by developing the scientific potential of incarcerated individuals. The review finds that while STEM education in correctional facilities faces limitations, its potential benefits are being realized nationwide. Virginia has made strides through initiatives like House Bill 2158, which aims to expand higher education access for incarcerated individuals. Examples such as the programs at J. Sargeant Reynolds …

Cross-Sectional Household Heterogeneity In The Business Cycle, Gavin Engelstad

Economics Honors Projects

Research into the effects of business cycles often focuses on aggregate macroeconomic consequences. This paper explores the heterogeneous effects of business cycles on households at different wealth and income levels. I perform a Bayesian estimation on a HANK model to identify business cycle forces. Then, I decompose the business cycle shocks and transmission channels driving changes in household decision rules using variance and historical decompositions. I find the factors causing changes in consumption levels for households vary substantially across the income distribution and the factors causing changes in savings levels vary substantially across the wealth distribution. In addition, I find …

Floquet Theory For First-Order Delay Equations And An Application To Height Stabilization Of A Drone’S Flight, Martin Bohner, Alexander Domoshnitsky, Oleg Kupervasser, Alex Sitkin

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Research & Creative Works

In this paper, we proposed a version of the Floquet theory for delay differential equations. We demonstrated that very natural assumptions for control in technical applications can lead us to a one-dimensional fundamental system. This approach allowed researchers to work with classical methods used in the case of ordinary differential equations. On this basis, new original unexpected results on the exponential stability were proposed. For example, in the equation x' (4)+a(t)x(t—-T(7)) = 0, t € [0, co), we avoided the assumption on the smallness of the product sup,j9,.) 41 SUP;< {9,00) TD) < 3/2 for asymptotic stability. We obtained that in the case of w-periodic coefficient and delay, the fact that the period w was situated in a corresponding interval can lead to exponential stability. We then applied our new tests of stability to the stabilization of a drone's flight, where smallness of the noted above product could not be achieved from a technical point of view. For an equation with periodic coefficient and delay, we got a formula of the solution's representation on the semiaxis.

Caves, Calculus, And Climate Change: Measuring And Modeling The Discharge Of Biz Falls In Mammoth Cave National Park, Ava Lich

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Climate change poses a significant global challenge, with increasing levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide as a primary driver of rising temperatures and environmental disruptions. Karst systems, such as those in South-Central Kentucky, play a role in sequestering atmospheric CO₂ through the dissolution of limestone, a process that forms unique landscapes while mitigating climate impacts. This study investigates the discharge dynamics of Cascade River in Great Onyx Cave to enhance understanding of the relationship between hydrology and carbon sequestration in karst environments. A barrel weir equipped with pressure transducers was employed to collect and measure water flow, and Torricelli’s law was …

Population Increases Of The Threatened American Burying Beetle (Nicrophorus Americanus) Linked To Large-Scale Collaborations In A Working Lands Ecoregion, C. P. Roberts, A. K. Ludwig, D. T. Fogarty, E. F. Stuber, Daniel R. Uden, T. L. Walker Jr., D. Twidwell

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Utilizing Financial Modeling To Make Informed Equity Decisions Situated In The Scholarly And Public Sphere, Max Kimmel

Honors Senior Capstones and Theses

As of 2025, there is an estimated total of “US$145.4 trillion” (Olatunji-Albert and Meres) under management by institutional investors according to PricewaterhouseCoopers. This capital is primarily composed of high-net-worth individuals (individuals with liquid assets of at least $1 million (Hayes) in addition to universities' endowments and pensions. With the main intention of investing to be to preserve wealth, many retail investors believe that they are capable of outperforming the market, eliminating the need for industry professionals such as asset managers. After thorough examination and implementation of financial management concepts such as Stovall Sector Rotation and Markowitz Modern Portfolio Theory, it …

"Dental Health For Mental Wealth": A Comprehensive Analysis Of The Underexplored Impact Of Oral Health And Behaviors On Neurobiology And Psychological Well-Being, Brooke C. Beck

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

This thesis explores the link between oral health and psychological state, specifically, the effect of oral health on psychological state and how appropriate oral health impacts this relationship. A review of the literature was conducted and studies interpreted within the scope of oral health’s impact on psychological health and detailing some of the pathways proposed for such a link. The literature search was limited to the English language from well-known databases mainly from 2015 to 2025. A few outliers are present to include foundational information.

The effects of oral disease and oral self-care behaviors were dissected through a biochemical perspective, …

Faculty Senate Standing Committees, Councils, And Working Groups, The University Of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Faculty Senate.

Faculty Senate Administrative Documents

No abstract provided.

Artificial Intelligence In Health Care: Business Opportunities And Ethical Challenges, Ankita Srivastava, Marco Marabelli, Jeffrey Moriarty

Philosophy Faculty Publications

Artificial intelligence (AI), and in particular generative AI (GAI), are making incredible progress toward automation. The pervasive and invasive nature of these technologies are affecting every industry, and health care is no exception. This paper summarizes insights derived from a panel that the Hoffman Center for Business Ethics and the Center for Health and Business at Bentley University hosted in March 2024. The panel invited three qualified health care professionals: Evan Carey, Susan Persky and John Torous. The panelists are all active in multiple aspects of AI in health care but represent a focus on the key areas of policy …

Southern Adventist University Graduate Catalog 2024-2025, Southern Adventist University

Catalog, Graduate

Southern Adventist University's graduate catalog for the academic year 2024-2025.

Projecting The Loss Of Shark Tooth Island From Sea Level Rise And Land Subsidence, Katherine L. Stoneman, Holly Anthony

Research and Creativity Symposium

Shark Tooth Island, a popular recreational location on the Virginia side of the lower Potomac River, is disappearing. The causes include sea level rise, groundwater withdrawal, and isostatic adjustment. Given the island’s popularity, this presents a unique opportunity to educate the public about real impacts of climate change in a region with climate change denialism.

Determining The Concentrations Of Trace Metals In Caffeinated Beverages By Icp-Aes, Lillian B. Gruss, James O'Donoghue, Maya Schram

Research and Creativity Symposium

A myriad of different caffeinated beverages are advertised and readily available to consumers. Previous research has identified the presence of elevated levels of metals unsafe for consumption in many of these beverages, energy drinks in particularly. We aim to analyze concentrations of chromium, aluminum, and lead, three such metals, in a variety of different caffeinated beverages. A calibration curve relating concentration of chromium, lead and aluminum to corrected peak height for five solutions of standardized concentration was created using a ThermoFisher iCAP 6000 Series. The same instrument was then used to analyze samples of eight different caffeinated beverages. The corrected …

The Impact Of Postsecondary Programs On The Transition To Adulthood And Key Strategies Educators Can Implement To Support Students With Disabilities, Dava M. Huls

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Postsecondary education (PSE) programs play a crucial role in preparing students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) for adulthood by enhancing employment, independent living, and social skills Zhang et al., (2023). The expansion of PSE programs has provided students with diverse opportunities tailored to their needs, benefiting both individuals with disabilities and their peers without disabilities. However, significant disparities remain in health, economic, and social outcomes for individuals with disabilities. Legislative support, such as the Higher Education Opportunity Act, has promoted inclusion. Still, challenges persist, including low self-disclosure rates and inconsistencies in Summary of Performance (SOP) documentation (Graybill et al., …