Digital Commons Network^™

Rocket Injector Flowfield Characterization Through Local, Instantaneous Gas Composition Tracing Using Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy, Michaela Renee Hemming

Dissertations

Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) was developed for applications in the characterization of rocket engine injectors to evaluate the instantaneous, local gas concentration, or local mixture ratio of the injector flowfield. In this work, LIBS was tested in steady flows of premixed methane and air to create the correlation of the LIBS spectral species ratios H/O ratio, followed by a steady non-premixed flow to extract the localized mixing and shape of the flow field, then a transient study was performed to measure the development of the flow of the reactants in a pentad impingement injector previously used in RDE tests. …

Out Of Sight Is Out Of Mind? Experimentally Testing A Gradually Materializing Public Bad, Alexander Egberts, Christoph Engel, Joshua Fairfield

Scholarly Articles

Many social ills can be modeled as a public bad. In such scenarios, private benefit is often immediate, while the public damage takes some time to materialize. In this experiment, we investigate the behavioral effects caused by such delays in the realization of collective harm. By manipulating the weight with which the damages caused by group contributions are carried over to the next round, we alter the number of periods required for the social damage to unfold fully. We keep constant the economic consequences of contributions between treatments (by introducing a multiplier for the damage) and between periods (by deducting …

Administrative Council Minutes (3-26-2026), California State University, San Bernardino

President’s Office records

No abstract provided.

Administrative Council Minutes (2-19-2026), California State University, San Bernardino

President’s Office records

No abstract provided.

President's Report (2-19-2026), California State University, San Bernardino

President’s Office records

No abstract provided.

Bio-Based Oxalic Acid Production In Issatchenkia Orientalis Enables Sustainable Rare Earth Recovery, Jingxia Lu, Wenjun Guo, Ziye Dong, Sarang S. Bhagwat, Shih-I Tan, Zhixin Zhu, Andrew Johnson, Jeremy S. Guest, Rick Q. Honaker, Dan M. Park, Yongqin Jiao, Huimin Zhao

Mining Engineering Faculty Publications

The growing demand for rare earth elements (REEs) in clean energy and high-tech industries underscores the need for sustainable recovery methods and a reliable supply of processing chemicals. Here, we establish a microbial platform using the acid-tolerant yeast Issatchenkia orientalis SD108 to produce bio-oxalic acid for REE recovery. By introducing an oxaloacetate cleavage pathway and applying metabolic engineering, the engineered strain produces 39.53 g·L^-1 oxalic acid at pH 4.0 in fed-batch fermentation. The crude fermentation broth, used without purification, efficiently precipitates over 99% neodymium (Nd), 99% dysprosium (Dy), and 98% lanthanum (La) from individual REE chloride solutions. Recovery from …

Chinese Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual Positive Identity Measure (C-Lgb-Pim), Yawen Yang, Ellen D. B. Riggle, Fang Wang, Mengyan Wu, Ye Sun, Huilan Liu, Lisha Dai

Gender and Women's Studies Faculty Publications

To support research and interventions using a positive, strength-based framework of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) identities in China, this study translates the Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Positive Identity Measure (LGB-PIM) into Standard Chinese and evaluating its reliability and validity among Chinese sexual minorities. Following Brislin’s standardized translation procedures (translation, back-translation, cultural adaptation, and pretesting), the scale retained 25 items across 5 dimensions. A convenience sample of 392 participants underwent assessments of internal consistency (α = 0.92), retest reliability (α = 0.80), structural validity (68.54% variance explained), and construct validity. The five-dimensional structure showed robust convergent validity (AVE > 0.50, CR …

Closing The Loop In Sustainable Fashion: Recycling Textile Waste And Its Environmental, Social, And Consumer Impacts, Anthony Amotoe-Bondzie

Sustainability Program Posters and Papers

Fast fashion has intensified textile waste, emissions, and social inequities across global supply chains. This study examines sustainable fashion frameworks and the role of textile recycling in advancing circularity. It employes a qualitative integrative literature review synthesizing interdisciplinary research on waste streams, recycling technologies, policy instruments, and consumer behavior. However, advanced recycling technologies offer environmental benefits but remain limited in scale. Nonetheless, rising consumption offsets efficiency gains, while economic and behavioral barriers hinder systemic change. Technological innovation alone is insufficient; circular design, regulatory enforcement, and reduced overproduction are essential for sustainable transformation.

Characterization Of Full Bridge Strain Transducers For Haulage Equipment Payload Distribution Monitoring, Jean-Pierre Strydom, Steven Schafrik, Zacharias Agioutantis, Matthew J. Beck, Joseph Sottile

Mining Engineering Faculty Publications

Creating a dependable approach for identifying both the mass of a shuttle car and how material is distributed in it removes the need for equipment operators to manually engage the flight chain. The quantification of environmental and installation conditions and the extent of influence considering their combined contribution towards inaccurate or exclusive measurements are to that degree limited. This experimental study investigated how two different strain transducers—installed in a force-shunt configuration—respond to thermo-mechanical loads when used to determine load distribution and position. Initial observations indicated that thermal effects at the installation site contributed to measurement inaccuracies or exclusive readings. The …

Modeling The Vibration Of The Steel Tongue Drum, Rj Chandler

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

In this paper, I plan to analyze the tones and frequencies of a steel tongue drum. I will be modeling the vibration and expected frequency of each tongue of the drum based on the solutions to the plate equation with the following boundary conditions: One fixed edge and three free edges. The fundamental frequencies are recognized as the first mode of longitudinal vibration in combination with the zeroth mode of transverse vibration of a rectangular steel plate clamped at one end. Then the first and second harmonics, which correspond to the first and second overtones respectively, are associated with higher …

The Case Against State Emotional Support Animal Documentation Laws, Krista Wirth

Animal Law Review

Under the Fair Housing Act (FHA), a tenant with a service animal or emotional support animal (ESA) may request a reasonable accommodation from their housing provider to have their assistance animal live with them in housing that might not otherwise permit animals. In recent years, several states have implemented laws that aim to address “fraudulent” emotional support animals (“state ESA laws”). These laws limit the types of acceptable verifying documentation or place requirements on a healthcare provider’s ability to produce documentation to verify an individual’s disability and disability related need for a support animal—documentation an individual often needs to support …

The Last Human Question: Generative Ai's Existential Threat To Consensus And Law, Joshua Fairfield

Scholarly Articles

The true risk of artificial intelligence (“AI”) is not that the toasters will rise up. It is that AI will be competent to perform human tasks and indifferent to human welfare. The risk is that we will be outcompeted by generative automated processes that create output similar to ours (although never the same, as this Article explains), but which need none of the outputs of the economy for food, shelter, or human flourishing. Further, a more precise and existential description of the threat is that generative AI will disrupt and crowd out humanity’s evolutionary superpower, our ability to generate agreement …

I Want To Be The Very Best: Are Gamified Applications Like Pokémon Go Associated With Positive Health Outcomes?, Derek D. Mesa

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Physical activity is a significant problem facing the United States, which can be associated with several negative health outcomes. Poor physical health and poor mental well-being are two outcomes that are often examined by researchers alongside reported physical activity. With the introduction of more advanced technology, interventions such as gamification can be made widely available to diverse groups. Gamification is the use of game-like elements in non-game environments, such as physical activity and health improvement. To determine if gamification has an association with the domains of physical activity, mental well-being, and physical health, this study employed a cross-sectional mixed methods …

Caught In The Midwife’S Hands: A Black Feminist Exploration Of Reproductive Health And Justice In Massachusetts, Nina Bakum

Gender, Sexuality, and Intersectionality Studies Honors Papers

No abstract provided.

Reframing Latina Incarceration: An Exploration Of Intersectional Identity, Mass Incarceration And Criminalization In The United States, Melia Lorch

Hispanic Studies Honors Papers

This thesis examines the incarceration of Latina women in the United States through an intersectional lens that centers ethnicity, gender, and class, among other factors. While mass incarceration has been widely studied, Latina experiences are often overlooked or reduced to statistics, making their specific pathways into and through the criminal legal system largely invisible. This project argues that Latina incarceration is not simply the result of individual behavior, but is shaped by overlapping systems of structural inequality. Drawing on the interdisciplinary research of an array of scholars, recent government data and report, as well as observations from York Correctional Institution …

“Which Side Are You On?”: The Historical Creation And Political Implications Of An Appalachian White Other, Zoe Davin

History Honors Papers

No abstract provided.

A Cold War Story: The Emigration Of Soviet Jews 1967-1980, William Bernstein

History Honors Papers

No abstract provided.

Reflections Of A Queer Latvia: How The Past Has Shaped Contemporary Activism, Gray Ruffer

Slavic Studies Honors Papers

This thesis aims to create a transhistorical map of queer Riga through the tolerance, treatment, and activist moments in Latvia from the early twentieth century to 2025, with special focus on the divided legal and social attitudes toward LGBT identities in different pockets of Riga. By tracing the role the Russo-Soviet occupations on Latvian soil from 1914-1991 had on the structure of governmental organizations, the treatment of the Latvian language and culture, and the social atmosphere in the capital of Riga, this thesis establishes a Latvian national historical memory through memory narratives that focus themselves in authentic Latvian traditionality, as …

Love & Mercy: Records Of Self, Change, And Relationship, Jessie Perryman

Sociology Honors Papers

No abstract provided.

Queer Experiences Of Double Disadvantage: The Moderating Effects Of Rejection On The Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Experiences And Attachment Style, Isabella Kinney

Psychology Honors Papers

This thesis examines how intersecting forms of disadvantage – particularly experiencing identity-based rejection and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) – can negatively impact a queer-identifying individual. Previous research highlights that both ACEs and rejection are linked to poor mental health and insecure attachment patterns within LGBTQ+ populations. This study aimed to determine whether rejection serves as a moderator for the relationship between ACEs and attachment. Data was collected through an anonymous online survey of 81 participants recruited from Connecticut College and Connecticut’s LGBTQ+ Justice and Opportunity Network, and included measuring ACEs, rejection experience, and attachment patterns. Using a regression and moderation …

The English You Speak Matters: Immigrants, Phonological Roots, And Psychological Perspectives On Accent Discrimination, Sophia Hauschildt

Psychology Honors Papers

Accent serves as a highly salient social cue that influences how speakers are perceived, particularly in multicultural contexts where linguistic diversity is increasing. The present study examined how English accent affects evaluations of speaker warmth and competence, and how individual differences in cultural intelligence and colour-blind racial attitudes shape these perceptions. Using a between-subjects experimental design, participants (N = 225) were randomly assigned to listen to a standardised speech passage presented in one of five accents: General American English (GAE; control), Spanish-accented English, Chinese-accented English, Hindi-accented English, or Filipino-accented English. Participants then completed measures of speaker evaluation based on …

Use Of Ai In Expert Testimony: Understanding The Attorney Perspective, Emma S. Puntin

Psychology Honors Papers

Artificial Intelligence is becoming increasingly incorporated into different aspects of society, including our legal system. AI has potential to enter into legal proceedings through the introduction of its evidence in case and expert witness testimony. Expert witnesses are called to offer knowledge on matters relevant to a case and can vary in specialization. This study aimed to explore how attorneys view experts who use AI and how they would approach this in a courtroom setting. Structured interviews were conducted with ten attorneys from various jurisdictions. During these interviews, attorneys were asked what they have encountered during their work in the …

Embodied Aging: Older Adults’ Gendered Participation In Physical And Recreational Activity In Assisted Living, Gavin Anderson

Self-Designed Majors Honors Papers

This study examines how older adults interpret their experiences with physical and recreational activity in assisted living, and how these interpretations influence how they engage in their everyday social and physical contexts. In the fall of 2025, eleven older adults—nine women and two men—living in an assisted living facility in a coastal city in Southeastern Connecticut participated in in-depth semi-structured interviews. The facility provides both short-term post-acute care and long-term residential care, offering structured opportunities for physical and recreational engagement.

Past research demonstrates that participation in physical and recreational activity provides substantial benefits for older adults; yet, the lived experience …

Searching For The Floridian Sublime In Contrast : An Exploration Of Atmosphere, Memory, And Place In Contemporary Ink Landscapes, Tereza Koniakovska-Bors

Theses & ETDs

Coming from Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic and a city shaped by a diverse architectural landscape, my experience in Florida has been overwhelmingly influential on my perception of the place and its visual identity. Compared to the historical order of Prague, Florida seems defined by its natural qualities, ecological tensions, and the coexistence of natural forces with modern human life rather than by architectural continuity. Through a series of monochromatic paintings, I aim to capture and explore this distinctive visual atmosphere, inviting viewers to reflect on their own perceptions of Florida’s evolving landscape identity amid ecological and cultural …

Correlation Of Nfl Quarterback Statistics And Attributes To Their Contract’S Monetary Value In 2025, Drew Leavell

Theses & ETDs

‘Examining and Analyzing the Correlation of NFL Quarterback Statistics and Attributes to their Contract’s Monetary Value in 2025’ is more than an observation of correlations without causation. In my thesis, I present the correlation numbers from the gathered research of every active NFL quarterback before the start of the 2025 season minus players on rookie-scale contracts. Furthermore, presented is a best-fit equation that may be used to forecast potential future earnings of quarterbacks. I explain the papers I have researched and explain how I can take value from them to develop a strong conclusion, discuss the considerations and process of …

The Language Of Collaboration: Analogs In Digital Media, Orion Martins

Theses & ETDs

To collaborate is to share meaning together, which is already to collaborate; sharing of meaning defi nes language. This co-emergence of collaboration and language happens through interplay between the known and the unknown—what we expect and what surprises us—held open by trust, which is not a precondition but a leap into uncertainty that allows transformation to emerge. Through three collaborative projects—Palm Bike Court Girl, Unruly Subjects, and Eat My Love—I investigate how this dynamic unfolds in artistic practice, documentary witness, and romantic devotion. Understanding collaboration as the ground of meaning-making matters because learning to hold the tension between known and …

The Joy Of Recognition Vs. The Violence Of Erasure: Gender Queer And Fun Home As Literary Targets And Queer Bibliographies, Alicia Luguri

Theses & ETDs

In this thesis I examine controversies surrounding Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home and Maia Kobabe’s Gender Queer, while exploring select events of book censorship, theft, and destruction, and how these activities have been employed to specifically target queer, trans, Jewish, and other marginalized communities. I trace the intertwined histories of pornography and the comics medium, and the ways in which this connection has shaped and influenced public opinion, legislation, and the genesis and implementation of the restrictive 1954 Comics Code. Additionally, I argue that as a part of Bechdel’s and Kobabe’s reaction to the heteronormative, homophobic and transphobic threats and pressures …

An Amalgamation Of Genre: Creating A Multi-Style First Ep As A Musical Artist, Emily Mcgoogan

Theses & ETDs

As someone with the desire to continue creating music for most of my life whether as a full-time career or just as a hobby to fulfill leisure time with, choosing where to devote energy to can be quite difficult. The objective of this EP was to obtain as much exposure to the musical genres, styles, and programs that interest me in order to attempt to figure out how I work as a musical artist. I aimed for six different genres to explore: Pop, Experimental Pop, Alternative, Tech House, Blues, and Surf Rock. The process consisted of stages where I would …

Industry Analysis: Investment Banking, Alison Ribeiro Nunes

Theses & ETDs

This thesis provides a comprehensive analysis of the United States investment banking industry, focusing on the structural, macroeconomic, and regulatory factors that shape its performance and evolution. Using publicly available data from institutional sources such as the Federal Reserve, SIFMA, MSCI, and the FDIC, this study examines how variables including interest rates, credit spreads, equity valuations, and market volatility influence the activity and profitability of investment banks between 2015 and 2025. The research integrates theoretical perspectives from industrial organization and financial-cycle frameworks with empirical data to explain the cyclical nature of deal activity, capital formation, and market confidence. Findings demonstrate …

Global Stock Market And Day-Trading Ecosystem: Structural Dynamics Between Retail And Institutional Forces, Juan David Polania

Theses & ETDs

This paper analyzes the global stock-market and day-trading ecosystem through the structural duality between retail access platforms and institutional liquidity providers. Using Robinhood (retail) and Citadel (institutional) strictly as illustrative anchors, not as case studies, it applies five economic lenses to explain how access, execution, and information co-evolve. Empirical context is drawn from market-cap trends, volume data, volatility series, and Federal Reserve policy cycles. The core finding is that democratization and concentration advance together: retail innovation broadens participation, while institutional market making concentrates liquidity, speed, and data advantage. These forces form a closed feedback loop that delivers efficiency yet encodes …