Digital Commons Network^™

Breaking The Cycle: The C.A.R.E. Manager Model To Address Intergenerational Incarceration, Amber Pelan, Miranda Jacobsen

Criminology and Criminal Justice Theses and Dissertations

Generational incarceration is a significant social problem in which criminal justice involvement is repeated across multiple generations of the same family. Children of incarcerated parents face elevated risks of trauma, poverty, educational disruption, mental health challenges, and later justice system involvement. These patterns demonstrate that incarceration often harms the entire family rather than only the individual offender. This project examines why generational incarceration occurs and identifies strategies to interrupt the cycle. The project uses a literature review methodology to integrate criminological 4 theory, sociological research, and policy analysis. These theories explain how parental incarceration disrupts child development, weakens family bonds, …

Proactive Violence Prevention: A Universal Bi-Annual Violence-Needs Assessment Tool For Grades K-12, Millie Fritzler, Emily Linehan

Criminology and Criminal Justice Theses and Dissertations

“Violence prevention begins in the high chair, not the electric chair” (Reiner, as cited in Davis et al., 2002). Two elements are essential to successful violence prevention: interventions that start early and interventions that are consistent (Davis et al., 2002; Dodge et al., 2015). The first five years are crucial for development; therefore, violence prevention needs to happen as early as possible to identify and address potential risk factors before harmful behaviors become reinforced (Davis et al., 2002). Despite this knowledge for the need for early violence prevention, schools still lack a truly proactive, universal system for identifying violence-related risk …

Crowding, Capacity, And Reform: Exploring The Dynamics Of Correctional Policy, John Ursino

Criminology and Criminal Justice Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the dynamic mechanisms that drive correctional population change and evaluates strategies for sustainable decarceration. Despite widespread calls for evidence-based corrections, methodological tools such as time series analysis remain underutilized for understanding population management. This dissertation addresses this gap through a three-paper design that applies advanced time-series methods to key stages of the correctional continuum. Chapter Two uses interrupted time-series analysis to evaluate the impacts of both proactive (policy-driven) and reactive (COVID-19 and court mandate-related) decarceration events in Washington State on admissions, technical violations, and recidivism outcomes, clarifying how policy design affects prison admission flows. Chapter Three employs …

Carrying The Dream Forward: Intergenerational Hope And Academic Persistence Among Historically Underserved Caregiving Graduate Students, Deborah D. Gaspard

Educational Leadership Theses, Dissertations, and Student Creative Activity

This qualitative study examined the lived experiences of eight graduate students who serve as caregivers, including those raising children and supporting elderly family members, and how these responsibilities complicate traditional forms of academic engagement. Despite a growing proportion of students with overlapping academic and caregiving roles, institutional structures remain largely oriented toward traditional students with minimal external obligations. Drawing on in-depth narratives, this study explored how caregiving demands shape students’ academic and social integration as well as how institutional policies and practices influence their persistence. Other research has shown that caregiving responsibilities significantly impact students’ time, energy, and access to …

May 7, 2026

The Breeze, 2020-

No abstract provided.

A Multi-Layer Graph-Theoretic Framework For Understanding Electric Vehicle Adoption Across U.S. Counties, Fahad Alrasheedi

Computer Science Theses, Dissertations, and Student Creative Activity

This dissertation develops a multi-layer analytical framework to understand electric vehicle (EV) adoption across U.S. counties by integrating (1) temporal correlation networks, (2) predictive modeling, and (3) similarity networks. Existing research often focuses on coarse geographic units, embeds charging infrastructure (CI) within broad multivariable models, or overlooks structural differences among counties. These limitations leave open key questions regarding the directionality of EV–CI relationships, the determinants of county-level adoption, and whether similar counties exhibit similar adoption patterns. The first component examines temporal correlations between counties for EV adoption and CI expansion, as well as Granger-causality relationships under two scenarios: Early Adoption …

“Gc Flight, Lock The Doors” How Communication Resilience Shapes Crisis Response In Human Space Flight, Jessica Hilt

Communications Theses, Dissertations, and Student Creative Activity

A precursor to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) has been pushing the boundaries of space flight since 1915 (“NASA History – The NACA,” 2024c). Space flight as we know it today began in 1962, with an address given by President John F. Kennedy at Rice University. “We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard…” (Kennedy, 1962, p. 3). Words of which have inspired generations of children, men, and women who were courageous enough to …

Colorectal Cancer Screening: Implementation And Evaluation Of A Screening Algorithm In A Rural Family Practice Clinic, Mollie M. Tate, Whitney Dubas

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects: College of Nursing

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality in the United States and disproportionately affects rural populations. Although more than 90% of cases occur in adults older than 50 years, increasing incidence among younger adults prompted an update to national guidelines recommending screening beginning at age 45. Rural residents face multiple barriers to colorectal cancer screening (CRCS), including limited access to care, transportation challenges, lack of insurance, and absence of standardized screening processes in primary care. These barriers contribute to lower screening rates, delayed diagnosis, and poorer outcomes. Evidence demonstrates that CRCS reduces CRC morbidity and …

Countering Negative Language Attitudes: Adopting A Critical Multidialectal Approach To Language Teaching, Farah Ali, Kristen Terry, Rebecca Pozzi, Chelsea Escalante, Tracy Quan, Xinye Zhang

Global Language Studies Faculty publications

Language attitudes have been recognized as an important area of study in sociolinguistic research (Evans & Preston, 2023; Preston, 2013), and the consequences of prescriptive ideologies and negative attitudes toward non-privileged varieties extend to language instruction. These ideologies regard certain uses of the language as unacceptable if they diverge from what is considered the “standard” variety, established through linguistic imperialism and a colonial heritage (Benaglia & Smith, 2022) and perpetuated by linguistic authorities. Adherence to a prescriptive perspective without questioning its ideological and discriminatory function leads to the reproduction of a “deficit perspective”, in which those who use alternative varieties …

Transition To Noninvasive Testing From The Gold Standard Of Liver Biopsy, Heidi Bien, Sabina Choudhry, Christine Pocha, University Of South Dakota Sanford School Of Medicine & Avera Health System

Scholarship Pathways Program

Purpose: Metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), formerly known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, represents a rapidly growing public health concern, affecting roughly 30% of the global population. MASLD encompasses a spectrum from simple steatosis to its more progressive form, metabolic dysfunction–associated steatohepatitis (MASH). Early and accurate assessment of liver disease is critical for risk stratification and management, yet the current gold standard-liver biopsy remains invasive, costly, and limited by sampling variability and interpretive subjectivity. Noninvasive imaging modalities, particularly magnetic resonance elastography (MRE), have emerged as promising alternatives, but their concordance with biopsy in real-world clinical practice remains underexplored.

 Methods: …

Impact Of Dermatology Access On Dermatofibrosarcoma Protuberans Outcomes, Joseph H. Kelly, Marcus L. Frohm

Scholarship Pathways Program

Impact of Dermatology Access on Dermatofibrosarcoma Protuberans Outcomes

Joseph H. Kelly MD

Mentor: Marcus L. Frohm, MD

Introduction: Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans is a locally aggressive rare dermal sarcoma with a relatively high rate of local recurrence. Incidence in the United States has been reported around 4 occurrences per million people per year, and recurrence rates have been reported between 2 to 19%. Recurrence poses a higher risk for sarcomatous transformation, increasing the risk for metastasis. Early and accurate diagnosis, coupled with appropriate management, is essential to minimize these risks. This study extended previous research by evaluating whether access to dermatology care …

So All Students Learn And Thrive: An Improvecrit Analysis Of A School’S Multi-Tiered System Of Supports, Rebekah Kang

LMU Theses and Dissertations

Multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) is an integrated K-12 educational framework that addresses the needs of all students in a systematic way by focusing on prevention and the implementation of evidence-based practices (California Department of Education, 2023). The “Guide to Implementing California’s Multi-Tiered System of Support” (Orange County Department of Education, 2023) promotes the maxim “All Means All” which paints a picture of schooling where all students are receiving the supports they need to learn and succeed. However, critical MTSS researchers have argued that MTSS failed to address the needs of all students, especially students of color, because it did …

A Restoration By Mangroves: Marilao And Pasig River Plan For Restoration, Julian Luis Flores

Student Theses 2015-Present

This paper discusses the restoration of the Pasig Rivers of the Philippines using the wondrous magic of mangrove trees to bring back various aquatic, flora, and bird species. The Pasig River was once the Philippines’ most beautiful river, spanning the entire Metro Manila, with different floral species blooming, teeming marine life, and being a significant transportation route. However, throughout the years, urbanization has caused the state of the river to decline drastically. Improper waste segregation, disposal, and improper river maintenance have given it the title “Manila’s toilet.” This is why it is essential to restore the river to its status …

Navigating The Tension Between The Rule Of Law And Judicial Discretion Without Robot Judges, Michael H. Simon

Mercer Law Review

The rule of law is a multifaceted concept about which there is no generally accepted understanding of what that phrase precisely means or all that it includes or excludes. It is, however, something that is widely praised and that almost all governments and officials claim to follow. One of the few areas in which there appears to be consensus is that the rule of law requires that like cases be treated alike. When a substantive legal rule directs only one correct answer, it is not difficult to treat like cases alike. There are many disputes, however, that come before trial …

Environmental Law, Travis M. Trimble

Mercer Law Review

In 2025, in a Clean Water Act (“CWA”) citizen-suit challenge to a landowner’s filling of a tract of land on St. Simon’s Island, Georgia, under a nationwide dredge-and-fill permit issued by the United States Army Corps of Engineers (the “Corps”), the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit held that the landowner did not waive its right to challenge whether the tract was a wetland by virtue of submitting a form to the Corps in connection with its obtaining coverage under the permit that stated that the landowner accepted that the tract at issue was a jurisdictional water …

Federal Income Taxation, Andrew Todd

Mercer Law Review

In 2025, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit issued a handful of published opinions involving U.S. federal income tax issues. One of those cases, United States v. Schwarzbaum, presented an issue of first impression in the Eleventh Circuit: whether civil penalties for a U.S. citizen or resident’s willful failure to file a Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (commonly known as the “FBAR”) are “fines” within the meaning of the Eighth Amendment and, therefore, are subject to the constitutional prohibition on excessive fines. This Article surveys that opinion.

Trial Practice And Procedure, John O'Shea Sullivan, Leesa M. M. Guarnotta

Mercer Law Review

The 2025 Survey period yielded a range of decisions impacting trial practice in the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, from detailed analysis of the constitutional requirements for personal jurisdiction, expounding upon the limited opportunities for interlocutory appeal, and reinforcing pleading standards. This Article analyzes some of this Survey period’s notable opinions on issues of first impression in the Eleventh Circuit, but it is not intended to be an exhaustive discussion of the Eleventh Circuit’s important decisions during the Survey period.

Children, Clicks, And Constitutional Blind Spots: The First Amendment And The Regulation Of Social Media For Minors, Pepper Miller

Mercer Law Review

“A fundamental principle of the First Amendment is that all persons have access to places where they can speak and listen, and then, after reflection, speak and listen once more.” This oft-quoted maxim from Packingham v. North Carolina has become a touchstone for the wave of litigation challenging state laws that restrict minors’ access to social media platforms. But, in the rapidly advancing age of social media, should the principle still stand that all persons, specifically minors, are entitled to unfettered access to such novel spaces where they can speak and listen? Underpinning the discussion of this issue lies “a …

Eye In The Sky: The Eleventh Circuit Allows Warrantless Surveillance Of The Home Via Pole Cameras In United States V. Gregory, John T. Roberts

Mercer Law Review

What does “search” mean? Defining the word seems simple enough, yet, courts have struggled to provide a consistent answer under Fourth Amendment jurisprudence. This difficulty has only been exacerbated by rapidly advancing technological innovations in the field of surveillance. Specifically, courts across the country are split on whether long-term surveillance of an individual’s home via a pole camera is considered a search under the Fourth Amendment.

In United States v. Gregory, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit addressed this issue head on, holding that surveillance of this kind is not considered a search under the Fourth …

Table Of Contents

Mercer Law Review

No abstract provided.

Editor's Note, Skylar E. Toto

Mercer Law Review

No abstract provided.

Real, Not Rhetorical: Children’S Rights As The Strongest Constitutional Defense Of Obergefell Against Religious-Liberty Challenges, Tanya Washington

Mercer Law Review

Justice Kennedy’s decision to center adults’ rights in the Obergefell majority opinion—despite his awareness of children’s legal vulnerabilities—created space for Justice Thomas, in his Davis statement, to ignore children altogether and to reframe the constitutional question as a clash between adults’ rights: the right to marry and to be free from discrimination versus the right to exercise one’s religious beliefs and to refuse to engage in conduct that abrogate those beliefs. This distorted constitutional framing eclipses entirely the rights of children in same-sex families and the concrete harms they will face if their parents are barred from marrying—harms that provide …

Trapped By Immunity: Women, Prisons, And The Need For Obvious Clarity, Alexandria E. Hatten

Mercer Law Review

For many Americans, the mere thought of the prison system evokes great fear and uncertainty. The fear is justified and reflected through rampant reports of sexual abuse, exploitation, and abuse of power by prison officials. Lack of privacy in prisons is largely supported and expected. The general population of prisons have unique safety concerns which require closer surveillance and diligent observation by correctional officers. Prison officers are tasked with ensuring that all contraband stays out of inmate possession—notwithstanding the constant changes of the general population. The security interests of a prison also extend to prison visitors. The known security concerns …

All Rights Reserved . . . For Disney: Corporate Mouse Traps, A Frozen Public Domain, And How A.I. May Usher In A Whole New World For Copyright, Matthew A. Shatto

Mercer Law Review

Copyright, as a body of law, is a recent development in the human consciousness, originating in 1710 with England’s Statute of Anne. Nevertheless, in the three hundred years that followed, more copyright laws were enacted than murder statutes throughout recorded history. With these successive statutes, corporations have effectuated the largest land grab ever seen. Modern copyright law is the elephant in the room in discussions of wealth inequality, perpetuating evil inside and between countries. Moreover, it has deprived humanity of cultural roots, locking ideas behind a paywall that funnels wealth to the few and stymies ingenuity through the sterilization of …

No More Guessing Games: Rebuilding Clarity In Georgia’S Ante Litem Notice Statute, Ethan Debruicker Terrell

Mercer Law Review

Imagine a child’s shape sorter toy—the kind with square, circle, and triangle-shaped holes and equivalent pegs in the same shapes. The toy forms a foundation in a child’s development because, among other things, it teaches the child to problem-solve by (1) recognizing the problem (different-shaped pegs that must go in the sorter a certain way) and (2) solving it (placing each peg in the correct hole to sort the pegs). For simplicity’s sake, let us imagine the toy only has a square and circle-shaped hole with square and circle-shaped pegs. As the child intuitively learns the “rules” of the toy, …

Finally, A Fair Shot: Supreme Court Shoots Down The Moment-Of-Threat Doctrine In Barnes V. Felix, Noah Ring

Mercer Law Review

The Framers designed America’s legal system with the belief that no one, not even the government, is above the law. The right to hold government officials accountable before a court reflects the Framers’ vision that justice resides in the people themselves. Unfortunately, countless citizens who suffer excessive force are barred from presenting their stories to the jury. Nowhere is the clash between liberty and authority more visible than in encounters between police and citizens. Every day, those who wear the badge are forced to make difficult judgment calls in volatile situations.

In 2024, 147 officers lost their lives in the …

What Attorneys “Ott” To Do: The Supreme Court Clarifies Judgmental Immunity In Georgia, Valeria Notte

Mercer Law Review

The Supreme Court of Georgia dealt a swift blow to the Court of Appeals of Georgia’s interpretation of judgmental immunity in a recent decision. For over three decades, the court of appeals recognized a subjective defense that shielded attorneys from liability for mistakes made while representing a client. Under this interpretation of judgmental immunity, attorneys prevailed on motions for summary judgment by demonstrating that they had exercised their honest professional judgment in making the challenged decision. Now, in Cox-Ott v. Barnes & Thornburg, LLP, a unanimous opinion by the supreme court held that attorneys are no longer entitled to the …

From “Filed Under Seal” To “Frivolous On Appeal”: Potts V. Richardson And Georgia’S Movement Toward Enforceable Professionalism, H. Walker Purvis

Mercer Law Review

Potts v. Richardson marks a turning point in Georgia’s professionalism movement. On its face, the case involved an application of Georgia’s anti-SLAPP statute and the privilege afforded to communications made in connection with judicial proceedings. But the Court of Appeals of Georgia did more than resolve a defamation dispute. By imposing a $2,500 sanction under Rule 7(e) for what the court deemed a frivolous appeal, it in effect sanctioned a lawyer for conduct that violated the Georgia Lawyer’s Creed and Aspirational Statement on Professionalism.

Georgia has been a leader in the modern professionalism movement for decades. Central to that commitment …

Celiac Plexus Radiosurgery For Retroperitoneal Pain In Advanced Cancer: A Pre-Specified Secondary Analysis Of Health-Related Quality Of Life In A Phase Ii Single-Arm Trial, Aisling Barry, Ronen Fluss, Laura Dawson, David Hausner, Michael Buckstein, Talia Golin, Laurence Freedman, Marcin Miszczyk, Dayssy Diazpardo, Artur Aguiar, Dror Limon, Raphael Pfeffer, Moaz Ben-Ayun, Liat Hammer, Ziv Symon, Ofir Morag, Gali Jacobson, Adam Dicker, Jerzy Wydmanski, Camilla Zimmermann, Yaacov Lawrence

Department of Radiation Oncology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Retroperitoneal pain syndrome seen in pancreatic cancer is a major clinical challenge. Celiac plexus radiosurgery, a new palliative technique for retroperitoneal pain syndrome, decreased pain levels in a phase II study. Here Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) outcomes are reported.

METHODS: Evaluable patients, who were enrolled between January 2018 and December 2021, in an international single-arm Phase II ethics-approved study (NCT03323489), were included. The pre-specified secondary endpoint-change in HRQOL from baseline to 3- and 6-weeks post-treatment, was measured by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - Hepatobiliary (FACT-Hep) version 4 questionnaire. Mean change was deemed clinically significant (CS) if …

Applied Accounting Perspectives: Case Studies In Theory, Regulation, And Practice, Zoe Justice

Honors Theses

This document includes two semesters of casework completed under the instruction of Dr. Victoria Dickinson in ACCY 420. These case studies were designed to expose accounting students to more applicable research to their field of study that will help them in their future careers. This document includes a total of eight case studies, spanning various topics in the accounting field. Most cases were completed in a group, with a few being completed individually. For each case, the topic was researched thoroughly using online resources and a solution was proposed or observations synthesized. During the second half of the course, my …