Digital Commons Network^™

June 12, 2026 Ereporter, University Of Alabama At Birmingham

eReporter (campus newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Staff Education To Improve Nurses’ Knowledge Of Standardized Car, Relax, Alone, Forget, Friends, Trouble (Crafft) Screening In Outpatient Psychiatric Care, Linda Edeity

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Association Between Food Insecurity And Mental Health Of Active-Duty Service Members And Their Families, Ashley Harr

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Student-Faculty Pedagogical Partnerships Humanize Teaching And Learning: A Phenomenological Study, Kiersten Ann Hillkirk

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This hermeneutic phenomenological study, guided by Gadamer’s (2004) ideas, explored the lived experiences of student consultants and faculty members participating in a student-faculty pedagogical partnership program. Framed by humanizing pedagogy (Freire, 1970; Salazar, 2013) and students as partners (Healey et al., 2014) as the conceptual foundation, the study examined how collaborative teaching and learning relationships can promote more equitable, dialogic, and transformative educational practices. Participants included three student consultants and three faculty members at a private research university in the western United States.

Data were collected through nine in-depth phenomenological interviews (Seidman, 2019) and supplemented with written reflections and entry/exit …

Ai Hallucinations, Academic Integrity, And Learning-Centered Design, Robert K. Mott, Mary Myers

Teaching & Learning with AI

No abstract provided.

School Leader Implementation Of Transformative Social And Emotional Learning Professional Development, Alana Raybon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite the wide use of social and emotional learning (SEL) in schools, and some evidence of SEL positively impacting students of color, racially and ethnically marginalized students experience inequitable educational outcomes. Transformative SEL (tSEL), a justice-focused framework from the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), provides students with the liberatory tools to dismantle systemic inequity through collaborative problem solving. More research is needed on the professional development of staff implementing justice-focused SEL in diverse school settings. This revelatory, qualitative, single case study examined how a school leader implemented tSEL professional development in a school setting that served racially …

The Palm Farm Next-Door: Land Concessions, Livelihoods, And Nutrition In Plantation-Adjacent Communities, Julia Entwistle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Large-scale land concessions have reshaped agrarian landscapes globally, yet their implications for community land tenure, livelihoods, and nutrition remain unevenly understood. This dissertation examines how plantation agriculture and foreign investment have transformed land access, labor relations, and food systems in Liberia, a country with one of the highest proportions of land under concession globally. Guided by a political ecology framework, the study employs a mixed-methods design integrating policy analysis, in-depth interviews, and household surveys across two palm oil concession sites. The findings show that ambiguous land policies historically facilitated dispossession, while recent legal reforms have enabled communities to strategically mobilize …

Congestion Pricing: A Comprehensive Look At International Congestion Pricing Models And Applying Them To The United States, Ian Ertel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Urban traffic congestion imposes large costs through wasted time, excess fuel consumption, air pollution, and lost productivity. Although congestion pricing has been recognized as the economically efficient remedy since Pigou and Vickrey, implementation has been rare. This thesis examines the conditions under which congestion pricing succeeds by analyzing three pioneering cases: London, Singapore, and New York City. Across all three, charges reduced traffic volumes and improved speeds within the priced zones. Benefits extended beyond cordon boundaries, with measurable improvements on untolled suburban roads. The distributional effects depended on how revenues were recycled rather than on the charge itself. Political viability, …

Open Materials For Ant-Psy 210, Sex And Culture, Melissa Zavala

Open Educational Resources

Sex and Culture explores the cultural construction of human sexuality from the framework of the individual in society. Students will examine the social learning of sexual behaviors, beliefs and practices. Analytic focus will include how culturally prescribed gender roles for men and women inform notions of right and wrong. Specific topics may include institutionalized gender inequality, marriage and the family, homophobia and other issues involved in the relationship between sex and culture. All topics will be considered from a historical and cross-cultural perspectives.

The Dictatorial Public Goods Game, Gabriele Camera, Gary Charness, Nir Chemeya, Ro'i Zultan

ESI Working Papers

We propose a novel game, the Dictatorial Public Goods Game, to study the interplay between collective resource generation and centralized provision of public goods. After making choices in a standard Voluntary Contribution Mechanism (VCM), one player is selected from the group to administrate the contributions: either provide the public good or expropriate the collected resources for personal gain. We find that adding this centralized mechanism reduces efficiency compared to the standard VCM. Although higher contributions increase the material incentive to expropriate, they lead to more provision. Thus, pro-social choices in the contribution and in the provision stages act as …

Offline Fashion Shopping Trends: Factors Influencing Millennial And Gen Z Purchase Decisions, Muhammad Alfikri, Ma'mun Sarma, Irni Rahmayani Johan

ASEAN Marketing Journal

Type of manuscript: Scientific Paper

Research Objective: This study aims to identify the characteristics and behaviour of millennials and generation Z in Medan City in purchasing fashion products, and analyse the influence of various factors such as information, lifestyle, word of mouth, technology, place, promotion, product, and price on their purchasing decisions, which include aspects of product choice, quantity, and time of purchase.

Design/methodology/approach: Data was collected online using Google Forms from 350 respondents. Respondents were millennials and generation Z who had shopped in person for at least the last 3 months, and the data was analysed using …

The Power And Pitfalls Of Constructive Journalism: The Effects Of Hopeful Narratives In The News On Attitudes, Engagement And Knowledge, Oren Livio, Rebecca Tukachinsky Forster, Liran Peretz, Yael Ella-Hay, Yariv Tsfati, Nurit Tal-Or

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Recent research has argued that constructive journalism, which presents negative news by focusing on positive values and solutions, may reduce audiences’ tendency to avoid news without sacrificing perceived news credibility. This study uses a between-subjects experimental design (N = 1011) to examine in greater nuance the psychological outcomes of constructive narratives highlighting the protagonist’s hope in face of adversity. Our respondents reported more positive emotions in the hopeful protagonist condition (compared with the despairing protagonist), but they also perceived the government as less responsible for the situation and reported lower levels of support for necessary policy changes. They also …

Induction Programming For Novice Special Education Directors: The Significance Of Informal Supports In The Absence Of Formal Structures, Julie E. Rottier-Lukens

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The role and responsibilities of a special education director are unique and highly complex when compared to other district-level leadership roles. Since the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) passed in 1975, states gradually increased requirements for certification of these administrative roles, more clearly defining the criteria and standards to incorporate within preparation programs. Despite improvements in preparation programs for special education directors, there continues to be variation in preparation and certification requirements across states and persistent challenges with shortages of special education directors. After completing a preparation program, what support exists for novice special education directors to help them …

Disproportionality And Possibilities: State-Level Policy Recommendations For Special Education Oversight In A Shifting Federal Landscape, Amanda B. Roberts

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study employed a convergent parallel mixed-methods design to explore how U.S. states identify and respond to disproportionality in special education within a shifting federal policy landscape. As uncertainty surrounds the future role of the U.S. Department of Education, questions have emerged about states’ capacity to safeguard educational equity. Without federal oversight, states would assume responsibility for maintaining protections for students with special needs, making it critical to strengthen safeguards for marginalized and underresourced populations.

This study analyzed the current special education governance structures nationwide to inform equity-oriented policy and practice recommendations. Quantitative data were collected from Individuals with Disabilities …

School Policy, Health Equity, And Lgbtq+ Youth: Implications Of Mahmoud V. Taylor, Anna Folta

Online/Hybrid MPH Integrative Learning Experience (capstone projects)

School-based policy functions as a critical lever for reducing health disparities among LGBTQ+ youth, who face elevated risks of suicidality, bullying, unsafe school environments, and housing instability. An extensive body of research identifies inclusive school practices—such as affirming curricula, supportive staff, and student organizations—as key protective factors that foster belonging and improve mental health outcomes. However, recent political and legal developments threaten the implementation and consistency of these protections.

Using a structured literature review and comparative policy analysis of federal, state, and district responses, this project integrates public health evidence with legal interpretation to assess how emerging parental opt-out frameworks …

2026-06-12 Agenda Booklet, Morehead State University. Board Of Regents.

Morehead State Board of Regents Agenda Books and Meeting Minutes

Agenda booklet for the Board of Regents meeting of June 12, 2026, held in Prestonsburg, which includes the meeting minutes of the meeting held on March 27, 2026.

Identity-Conditioned Rewards For Gender Quotas In Autocracies: A Cross-National Conjoint Experiment, Zixuan Diana Wang

Quantitative Social Science Undergraduate Senior Theses

Do gender quotas in autocracies increase international public support for providing foreign aid to those regimes, and are such rewards conditioned by identity? A recent study by Bush et al. (2024) finds that quotas increase public support for foreign aid to autocracies among the U.S. public. I replicate their study beyond the U.S. to test the generalizability of their findings. I also extend their study by examining how religious and racial identities condition the reputational benefits associated with quotas, as recent studies show that identity shapes foreign aid preferences and support for democracy. I fielded a harmonized conjoint experiment in …

Interactive Social Game Design For Sustainability Learning, Kayla Mattson, Kayla Huffman, Megha Thottam, Shreeya Koritala

Computer Science and Engineering Senior Theses

Our Roots is a community-centered, web-based social game designed to improve sustainability education by turning everyday environmental actions into shared, visible progress. While many existing tools provide information about sustainability, they often focus on individual tracking and short-term motivation, which can lead to disengagement over time. This project addresses that gap by reframing sustainability as a social practice: users log real-world sustainable behaviors, earn points, and see those actions represented as growth in both personal and community digital gardens. By combining friendly competition, peer visibility, and collective outcomes, the platform encourages users to view sustainability not as an isolated task, …

Quantifying Terrain Controls On Satellite-Based Snow Water Equivalent Estimation: A Spatially Explicit Machine Learning Approach, Brant Giovannetti

Geography and the Environment: Graduate Student Capstones

Terrain variables are widely incorporated into machine learning Snow Water Equivalent (SWE) models but are rarely evaluated for their independent contribution relative to spectral predictors. Using a four-tier stepwise Random Forest framework with Harmonized Landsat Sentinel-2 imagery and Airborne Snow Observatory LiDAR ground truth, this study isolates the contribution of elevation, slope, northness, and eastness across Peak and Ablation snowpack regimes in the East Taylor River Watershed, Colorado. During peak snowpack, adding terrain improved R² by 0.214, with elevation alone accounting for 42.8% of model importance. During ablation, full-dataset terrain gains were modest, increasing R² by only 0.036. However, when …

Geospatial Governance Failures In The Department Of Defense: Contractor Noncompliance, Ai Adoption, And The Parallel Treatment Of Gis And Cybersecurity, Lyndsey Olmstead

Geography and the Environment: Graduate Student Capstones

The Department of Defense's treatment of geographic information systems and cybersecurity as parallel rather than integrated policy domains produces geographically predictable vulnerability patterns across its global military installation footprint. This capstone investigates that conclusion through original spatial analysis, constructing a five-variable composite geospatial vulnerability index across the six U.S. Combatant Command regions using publicly available unclassified data. EUCOM ranked highest overall, driven by GPS/PNT spoofing density, commercial satellite coverage, and cyber incident frequency; CENTCOM ranked second, driven by OSINT exposure incidents and governance risk. The null hypothesis of random geographic distribution is rejected. Findings confirm the structural governance gap documented …

Using Ai To Add Tables Of Contents To Cataloging Records, Marissa Bischoff, Lance Hansen

Faculty Publications

A table of contents and summary are important metadata that improve the discoverability and description of our materials. They are optionally included in catalog records, though, because transcribing these by hand is time intensive.

We sought the most efficient way to scan and AI format the table of contents pages for inclusion in the 505 field of catalog records.  We explored different AI software, iterative prompting and the time-effectiveness of the process, in comparison to hand-typed metadata fields.

Making Sense In Trump's America: How Material Concerns And Affective Reactions Are Used To Construct Motivated Realities, Benjamin E. Southworth

Sociology Undergraduate Senior Theses

No abstract provided.

Prevalence And Practice Patterns Of Facial Plastic And Reconstructive Procedures Among Otolaryngologists: A National Medicare Claims Analysis, Justin Z. Heckman, Shizue Mito

MEDI 9331 Scholarly Activities Clinical Years

Facial plastic and reconstructive procedures represent a small but relatively well-reimbursed component of ENT Medicare billing. Of 860 otolaryngologists identified in the 2023 CMS Physician and Other Practitioners Public Use File, 104 (12.1%) billed at least one facial plastic CPT code, with a mean of 16.9 services per participating provider. A total of 1,756 facial plastic services were rendered, representing 0.16% of total ENT Medicare volume, with a cumulative reimbursement of $584,834. Mean reimbursement per facial plastic provider-CPT combination was $435, compared to $104 across all ENT services, a 4.2-fold difference. Facial plastic billing was concentrated in non-rural settings (95.5%) …

Food System Science Lesson-2 For First Graders. Makhózula Etáŋhaŋ Wiyútapi Ke: From Planting To Eating, Arlene A. Abao, Madhav P. Nepal

iLEARN Teaching Resources

Feeding the Land That Feeds Us In this delicious adventure, kids will trace the journey of their food from the deep, dark soil all the way to their lunch forks! They will discover that the land is like a giant, magical kitchen called Makhózula, where plants cook up energy using sunlight and "vitamins" from the soil. Students will learn that when we eat a crunchy carrot or a sweet berry, we are actually tasting the strength of the Earth and the warmth of the sun. Through stories of Wopila (gratitude), they’ll see that the food system is a big, …

Avoiding Libel (And Possible Defamation Consequences) In The Age Of Ai Detection: Lesson From Journalism For Higher Education, Thomas A. Pear

Teaching & Learning with AI

This presentation argues that educators should not rely solely on AI‑detection tools when accusing students of AI‑assisted plagiarism. Instead, it proposes using detector scores only as “pedagogic probable cause,” a term developed by the author that signals when a submission warrants closer review, not a basis for disciplinary action. The presentation opens by outlining the limitations of current AI detectors, including high false‑positive rates and documented bias against non‑native English writers.

The presentation then reframes the issue through two complementary lenses: investigative journalism and defamation law. Drawing on the Woodward‑and‑Bernstein “two‑source rule,” it contends that a single detector score …

Neoliberalism & The Care Economy: Exploring The Gendered Impacts Of Social Protection Systems, Rachel Carruthers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines how neoliberal transformation of social protection policy influences gender dynamics within the care economy. Care is necessary for well-being, but traditionally excluded from economic thinking. This thesis completes a historical overview of how care has been incorporated or excluded by different economic paradigms and is anchored in feminist political economy that emphasizes care as a central consideration. A comparative analysis across California, Texas, and Sweden demonstrates how social protection, specifically access to paid parental leave, varies across regimes and results in inconsistent care outcomes. The findings suggest that social protections can reduce some inequalities, but inadequately address …

Data Governance Maturity, Ai Integration, And Equity In Colorado K-12 Public Schools, John R. Curtin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Colorado's 179 K-12 public school districts operate as autonomous governance units, each responsible for securing and managing student data assets that span health, financial, residential, and academic records. The accelerating integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) tools into administrative workflows, productivity software, and instructional platforms has fundamentally altered the risk landscape for student data, yet governance frameworks at the state, district, and school levels have not kept pace. This dissertation investigates whether Colorado's decentralized educational governance structure is institutionally capable of producing equitable, secure, and sustainable data governance outcomes in the AI era.

Drawing on Institutional Theory …

Flame Retardant Metabolites In Urine Samples Associated With U.S. Consumer Dietary Behaviors, Heather Marie Holliday

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

The Permanent Emergency: The Anti-Fascist And Anti-Colonial Intersections Of James Joyce’S Ulysses And Roberto Bolaño’S 2666, Lily V. Mcmanamy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

My thesis is going to explore the (Irish) Anti-Colonial and (Spanish) Anti-Fascist parallels between James Joyce’s Ulysses (1922) and Roberto Bolaño’s 2666 (2004). Using the major epic novels of two exiled authors, I hope to explore the intersections of poetic fiction and political resistance. I read these texts as bookends spanning the pre- and post-war periods, highlighting the continuities of colonialism, totalitarianism, and fascism, and the way these authors develop a post/modernist narrative that nods towards these themes. I plan to draw on Alberto Toscano’s LateFascism (2023) as a means of situating these authors’ novels with our own political moment …

Perceptions Of Giftedness: A Mixed Methods Study Of General Education Classroom Teachers And Gifted And Talented Specialists, Rachel J. Martino

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This convergent mixed methods study examined similarities and differences in perceptions of giftedness held by general education teachers and gifted specialists in two suburban elementary school districts. Grounded in social constructivism and labeling theory, the study explored how educator role shapes understandings of giftedness and gifted education. Survey data from 70 educators and interviews with eight participants were analyzed and integrated. Findings revealed alignment regarding the multidimensional and social–emotional nature of giftedness, but statistically significant differences in perceptions were found related to instructional practices and differentiation, identification, autonomy, and service models. Findings also revealed a gap between belief and practice, …