Digital Commons Network^™

Beyond The Sayable: Wittgenstein, Theory Of Mind And Affective Simulation Of Llms, Haomiaomiao Wang, Lili Zhang, Tomás E. Ward

Women+ in Early Career Research Symposium

Wittgenstein’s distinction between what can be said and what can only be shown frames a limit of propositional language. Affect and aesthetic are not primarily matters of correct description but of how expressions function within shared forms of life. Large language models (LLMs), however, increasingly produce fluent language that resembles such understanding by reproducing the patterns through which people ordinarily talk about emotion and perspective.

This paper argues that apparent Theory of Mind (ToM) in LLMs is understood as competence in the publicly shared patterns of mental-state language, rather than as grounded understanding. Using abstract artworks, we show that LLMs …

Bridging Research And Practice: Your Guide To Implementing Evidence-Based Gender Equality Actions In Computing Education, Alina Berry

Women+ in Early Career Research Symposium

What if you could access proven strategies for promoting gender equality without spending months reviewing academic and grey literature? TechMate makes this possible. This free, open-access toolkit transforms scattered research into actionable guidance (actions) that anyone can use, whether you are a lecturer wanting to make your classroom more inclusive, a department head developing new policies, or a student advocate pushing for change. Actions are structured into four context-based categories and relevant subcategories. Each action comes with implementation instructions, where relevant, with ready-to-use templates, and links to the supporting evidence. While developed for computing higher education, TechMate’s research-driven approach is …

Capital Punishment And Domestic Terrorism: Reconsidering Domestic Terrorism As An Aggravating Factor, Josh B. Starner

Criminal Law Society Blog

Federal law permits the death penalty when an individual commits an offense after substantial planning to cause death or commit terrorism. Yet the ambiguity surrounding the term “terrorism,” particularly in domestic contexts, complicates the application of the federal statute. This Article argues that invoking the terrorism aggravating factor in domestic cases undermines the justifications for capital punishment and risks inconsistent enforcement. Drawing on recent examples, including the prosecution of Luigi Mangione and the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by ICE officials, this Article illustrates how the “domestic terrorist” label can cause harsh prosecutorial discretion, intensify political polarization, and …

Minority Stress In Children Of Lgbtq+ Parents: Extending Beyond Individual-Level Minority Stress Theories, Anna J. Sanchirico

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

To understand if children of LGBTQ+ parents experience minority stress, this narrative review integrates minority stress theory with empirical research on LGBTQ+ parent families. To this end, I will illustrate the history of LGBTQ+ parent family research, outline emerging frameworks for understanding the impact of minority stress on the family unit, and examine outcomes research on children of LGBTQ+ parents. Researchers have indicated that children of LGBTQ+ parents may experience discrimination due to their familial status; however, little is known about the extent to which children of LGBTQ+ families experience minority stress, or about nuanced protective and risk factors that …

The Narrative Voice And The Fragmented Self In Black Skin White Masks, Emmanuella Abaidoo Kwarteng

Department of French Studies Graduate Student Association Conference

No abstract provided.

When Irl Is Not An Option: Social Media Bans And The Exclusion Of Autistic Youth, Melanie Gruben, Ashley Sheil, Anne Ryan Duffy, Jacob Camillleri, Michelle O'Keeffe, Hazel Murray

Women+ in Early Career Research Symposium

After the roll-out of the social media ban in Australia in 2025, policy makers are considering psychosocial benefits and logistical implications. However, the needs of autistic people, who may rely more on the Internet for social connection earlier in life, should be taken into account. This white paper proposes a responsibility to support alternative means of social connection for autistic young people where bans are considered, as IRL (in real life) socialising is not always accessible.

Selfhealth: Continuous Semantic Intelligence For Privacy-Aware Lifelogging, Allie Tran

Women+ in Early Career Research Symposium

Lifelogging — the continuous digital recording of everyday experience through wearable cameras and sensors — has long promised benefits for memory augmentation, health monitoring, and lifestyle analysis. However, current systems follow a capture–store–retrieve model that delays analysis until after data collection, limiting their practical usefulness and creating significant privacy risks through prolonged retention of sensitive raw data. This paper argues that lifelogging should instead analyse data at the moment of capture, enabling timely, context-sensitive support and safer handling of personal information through privacy-by-design. We demonstrate the feasibility of this approach through SelfHealth, an early prototype system built on a custom …

Lovecraftian Hybrids And Transgender Embodiment, Mari K. Newman

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

     While much of Howard Phillips Lovecraft’s oeuvre has been analyzed by queer theorists for homosexual metaphors within Lovecraft’s monsters, less argued is the subject of his hybrids mirroring transgender embodiment. I posit the rise of transgender identities in the Western mainstream and access to breakthrough gender-affirming care in the United States during Lovecraft’s life lend to a reading of his hybrids as embodying gender queerness. The proposed research is a literature review which draws upon interdisciplinary texts ranging from scholars in the social sciences—such as sociology and anthropology—to the hard sciences such as ecology and health sciences.

In this paper, …

From Classroom To Real Life: Chinese Esl Learners And Sex-Related Taboo Language, Yusi Chen, Gage Weston

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Sex-related taboo language (SRTL) is common in everyday English but often absent from English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction due to teacher discomfort, limited training, and perceived inappropriateness (Gale & Fernández, 2016). However, SRTL is important for expressing emotion, building social relationships, and negotiating interpersonal boundaries (Jay, 2009). Without instruction, learners may misinterpret these expressions, causing embarrassment, social challenges, or increased vulnerability in contexts involving consent, discrimination, or safety (Dewaele, 2004). Understanding when and how to use such language is essential but under-addressed in ESL curricula (Kremin, 2017). Limited prior exposure to sex-related language among Chinese ESL learners (Shi …

Education In The Age Of Ai, Cecelia E. Monroe

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

This project argues that a central challenge in contemporary education is an incoherence between the inherited purposes of schooling and the realities young people now face. While schools continue to emphasize siloed content and performance measures, students are entering a rapidly changing, AI-mediated world that demands critical thinking, adaptability, collaboration, and reflection. Integrating research on depth of learning, interdisciplinary scholarship, and a practitioner case study, this project proposes competency-based learning as a practical structure for supporting deeper learning, increased relevance, and a renewed orientation toward wellbeing in the age of artificial intelligence. 

The paper employs a literature review and theoretical …

Advisors Are Ambassadors, Catherine Thogersen

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Advisors are Ambassadors

We can improve UM’s graduation rates by increasing our students’ levels of hope. (Snyder et al, 1999) found a significant positive correlation between student Hope Scale scores and graduation rates. In this study, about 56% of students with high hope graduated on time, compared to only about 40% of those with low hope (Snyder et al, 1999, p. 824). They further found that through consistent interaction with others, hope could be either increased or decreased. Snyder’s (2002) Hope Theory attributes hope to a combination of agency- a person’s willpower and confidence in their ability to accomplish …

Faculty Handbook Section Ii - All Faculty Policies And Procedure - Updated 03/06/2026, All Faculty

Faculty Handbooks

No abstract provided.

Legacies Worth Considering: (Re)Examining The Assumptions Behind Denial Strategies, Samuel Zilincik

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

Contemporary analyses of denial strategies risk conceptual confusion because they neglect the legacies of two distinct traditions: coercion versus control. This article explores the two traditions’ legacies from a broader perspective. It shows how neglecting those legacies contributes to conceptual confusion concerning operational conduct and strategic affairs in the South China Sea. The article facilitates smoother communication between and among civilians and military members involved in operational planning, which is essential if the United States and its allies want to combine military and nonmilitary instruments in future operations.

Exploring The Perceptions Of Religious Trauma Among Former Members Of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints Who Identify As A Sexual Minority, Samuel Clemens

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This qualitative study explored the perceived experiences of religious trauma among formerly active members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) who identify as sexual minorities. Religious trauma, characterized by psychological, emotional, and social harm, arises from interactions with religious institutions and teachings. For sexual minorities within the LDS Church, strict adherence to heteronormative principles and rigid gender roles often results in identity suppression, emotional distress, and social isolation. Utilizing a generic qualitative inquiry approach, this study investigated how participants interpret their experiences of religious trauma and its perceived effects on their lives. Twelve participants aged 20–74 …

Creating Supportive Learning Environments For Novice Nurse Educators: The Advanced Academy Experience, Judith M. Jarosinski, Tina P. Brown Reid, Lisa A. Seldomridge, Nicole Hall, Brad Hauck, Beverly Payne

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Purpose: The Faculty Academy and Mentorship Initiative of Maryland (FAMI-MD), a grant-funded collaborative of nursing programs, universities/colleges, and healthcare organizations, develops clinical faculty while promoting a healthy work environment during their transition from clinician to educator. FAMI-MD offers two curricula: an Introductory Academy providing foundational content for new educators; the Advanced Academy developed in 2019 for nurses with teaching experience.

This presentation explores how the Advanced Academy prepares experienced nurses for new roles as clinical teachers equipped with skills effective in reducing incivility and promoting a safe learning environment (Layne et al., 2019).

Background: There is a need to increase …

Reexamined Costs: A More Comprehensive Evaluation Of Economic Growth In Michigan’S Teaching Of High School United States History, Kelsee Hyble

Masters Projects

The Michigan Department of Education social studies standards were crafted with the primary goal of promoting “the knowledge, skills, intellectual processes, and dispositions required of people to be actively engaged in fulfilling their responsibility of civic participation” (Michigan Department of Education, 2019, p.3).  The “Purpose of Social Studies” section goes on to explain that, “As members of a culturally diverse, democratic society in an interdependent world, young people need to learn how to make informed and reasoned decisions for the public good” (Michigan Department of Education, 2019, p.3). While the standards provide an accurate explanation of how the United States …

Different Experiences, Shared Connections: Program Leaders Autoethnographic Storytelling Reflections From A Panama Study Abroad Program, Beverly A. King, Kay Coates

University Libraries: Faculty Presentations

No abstract provided.

2026 Jsu Student Symposium Program, Jacksonville State University

JSU Student Symposium 2026

No abstract provided.

Parameters Spring 2026, Usawc Press

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

No abstract provided.

Approaching The Military As A Profession Through The Clausewitzian Trinity, Adam T. Biggs

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

The Clausewitzian trinity (people, government, and military—or passion, reason, and chance) can enhance existing scholarship and discussions about military professionalism by emphasizing the fundamental purpose of military forces. Specifically, managing chance incorporates elements of reducing uncertainty and applying creativity as individuals develop coup d’oeil. Junior personnel manage chance by reducing cognitive load while enhancing cognitive skills needed to quickly assess battlefield conditions as they progress to becoming senior leaders. This article contrasts these ideas against the various roles assigned to civil-military forces in the Clausewitzian trinity to emphasize professionalism in developing military leaders.

Negotiating Fatherhood: Young Men’S Narratives Of Care, Responsibility, And Struggle In A Low-Income South African Setting, Urlridge A. Thompson Dr, Tshepang Headman Mr, Leballo Tjemolane Mr, Lukhanyo H. Nyati Dr

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Financial provision continues to factor significantly in how Black men perceive and enact fatherhood, influencing the extent and manner of their paternal engagement. The enduring representation of men primarily as financial providers constrains the generation and enactment of alternative modalities of fatherhood within families and society. This qualitative study explored how the everyday lived experiences of young Black men in Soweto, South Africa, influence their varied engagements with fatherhood as they navigate structural constraints to pursuing their ideal of fatherhood. An exploratory descriptive qualitative approach was employed. We conducted two sets of semi-structured interviews with 19 young Black men in …

Risk Decision Making And Intertemporal Choice: Lessons From The Taiwan Strait, Rachel Downing

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

This article argues that domestic and political factors may incentivize US presidents to use risky military options to resolve crises quickly, though high costs or threats to long-term vital interests can overcome leaders’ natural tendencies to focus on the present. Recently declassified documents from President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s administration allow a detailed examination of how US leaders balanced risks over time during the First and Second Taiwan Strait Crises. The findings inform policy recommendations to enhance military planning and enable military advisers to communicate long-term risks more effectively to political leaders.

Book Reviews, Usawc Press

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

No abstract provided.

Spezialpropaganda: The East German Military’S Covert Information-Warfare Program, Joe Cheravitch

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

This article details the East German military’s extensive, innovative covert-propaganda program, which was designed to influence West German attitudes for almost two decades during the Cold War. Unlike existing scholarship that primarily addresses intelligence-led disinformation, this study exclusively analyzes military-led information warfare. The article uses previously classified East German military records to examine capabilities and tactics ranging from fake conscription notices to radio broadcasts. The findings offer contemporary US military planners and practitioners insight into the complexities of integrating information-warfare capabilities, measuring the effectiveness of propaganda, and understanding adversarial influence campaigns, with direct implications for current Joint Force planning and …

Committee's Plan With Redline Comparing Debtor's Plan

Catholic Dioceses in Bankruptcy

No abstract provided.

A Collaborative Approach To Supporting Nurses' Well-Being Across An Integrated Health And Care System, Grace M. Cook, Joanne P. Bosanquet, Chris Caldwell, Claire J. Shaw

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

An Integrated Health and Care System in England with workforce priorities including staff wellbeing and equality, inclusion and diversity, together with the Foundation of Nursing Studies, wanted to develop a programme that supported the psychological wellbeing and development of resilience for nurses across the region.

Resilience-based Clinical Supervision (RBCS) is an evidence-based model of restorative clinical supervision (Stacey et al., 2017; Stacey et al., 2020) that is structured using compassionate mind theory (Gilbert, 2010; Gilbert and Simos, 2022). It is also underpinned by an ecological viewpoint on resilience which considers the roles of communities and systems as a response to …

Impact Of A Self-Care Intervention Program On Clinician Health And Well-Being, Melissa Rouse, Joanna Carrega

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Purpose: The health and well-being of healthcare clinicians has become a national priority. More than half of the nurses and health care clinicians report symptoms of burnout.^1-2 Burnout can lead to decreased overall wellness an increase in medical errors, and negative patient outcomes.^3-4 The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of the self-care management program on clinician health and well-being over six months. This study aimed to answer the following questions: 1) Among clinicians practicing in an acute care setting, does participating in a self-care management program impact perceived health and well-being at six months? …

Multi-Stakeholder Perspectives On Barriers To Mental Health Support For Informal Caregivers, Maria Lizette Rangel, Donaji Stelzig, Cassandra Martinez Enriquez, Hoda Badr

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Informal caregivers experience elevated psychological distress but face substantial challenges in accessing mental health support. Prior research has focused primarily on individual or interpersonal determinants, with less attention to how organizational, community, and policy contexts shape access and contribute to inequities in service availability.

METHODS: Fifty-one stakeholders, including 17 informal caregivers, 23 community health workers (CHWs), and 11 mental health professionals, completed a demographic survey and 60-90-min semi-structured interviews in English or Spanish. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis, combining deductive coding guided by the Socioecological Model with inductive identification of emergent themes.

RESULTS: Participants identified both barriers and …

Ai-Driven Mental Health Support For Caregivers Of Individuals With Alzheimer Disease: Systematic Literature Review And Development Of A Conceptual Framework, Sweta Sneha, Chandra Renduchintala, Isa Siddique, Evelina Sterling, Sweta Sneha, Nazmus Sakib

Faculty Articles

Background:Caregivers supporting individuals with Alzheimer disease and related dementias (AD/ADRD) frequently encounter prolonged emotional strain, psychological distress, and social isolation, yet their needs are largely overlooked in current technological and clinical interventions. The special routines and obligations of caregivers of individuals with AD/ADRD are frequently not well-suited to the many artificial intelligence–driven (AI-driven) mental health solutions that are currently available. This reveals a critical need for sophisticated, customized solutions created especially to help the mental health of caregivers for patients with AD/ADRD.

Objective:To address the existing limitations of personalized mental health interventions, we aimed to identify existing literature on personalized …

Hyoid Bone Fracture In A Division 1 Football Player: A Conservative Management Case Study, Kynnedy Louis, Andrew Crane, Mark Knoblauch, Layci Harrison

Clinical Practice in Athletic Training

Introduction: The hyoid bone plays an important role in speaking, swallowing, and supporting the tongue. Hyoid bone fractures account for 0.002% of all fractures and are typically seen in cases dealing with strangulations or a blunt force trauma such as occurs from vehicle accidents or martial arts injuries. Signs and symptoms of hyoid fractures can include dyspnea, pharyngeal tear, or subcutaneous emphysema, and if not recognized early can significantly damage the airway. Patient Information: A 23-year-old male collegiate football player sustained blunt trauma to the anterior part of his neck due to a tackle forcing the helmet chin strap against …