Digital Commons Network^™

Beyond The Flames: A Comparative Analysis Of Wildfire Preparedness And Relief In California, Ej Smith

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Wildfires in California have devastated homes and communities, with the 2024–2025 Los Angeles fires ranking among the deadliest in state history, killing 31 people and burning more than 37,000 acres across densely populated neighborhoods. In response to these fires, fire services, municipal governments, and nongovernmental organizations coordinated immediate relief efforts across multiple jurisdictions. This research uses a multiple-case study approach to examine the Eaton, Palisades, Line, and Bridge fires to identify practices that supported life safety and response effectiveness, as well as challenges that constrained response operations. Findings indicate that when environmental conditions exceeded suppression capacity, response outcomes within responder …

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Agenda March 16, 2026, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• 3:00 Call to Order
• Approval of Minutes February 17, 2026
• 3:05 University Business
• 3:20 Faculty Senate Business
• 3:35 Reports
• Budget and Faculty Welfare
• Faculty Development and Educational Leadership
• Sustainability Council
• 3:55 Information
• EPC Report - March 5, 2026
• Employee Benefits
• Task Force Report
• 4:15 Additional Business
• 2026-2027 Faculty Senate Calendar
• Adjourn: 4:30 pm

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Minutes March 16, 2026, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• Call to Order
• Approval of Minutes
• University Business
• Faculty Senate Business
• Reports
• Budget and Faculty Welfare
• Faculty Development and Educational Leadership
• Sustainability Council
• Information
• EPC Report
• Center for Civic Excellence
• Employee Benefits
• Task Force Report
• Additional Business
• 2026-2027 Faculty Senate Calendar
• Adjourn: 4:41 PM

Innovating For Access: Ai-Enhanced Triage & Intake For Legal Services Organizations, Heidi Behnke

Duke Center on Law & Technology

Artificial intelligence (AI) offers opportunities to meaningfully narrow the access to justice gap by improving the ability of Legal Services Organizations (LSOs) to connect individuals with pro se resources and more effectively connect with individuals who could not otherwise advocate for themselves. Some LSO early adopters have already developed or are in the process of developing such tools. Others are unsure where or how to start.

The results of semi-structured interviews of LSO staff, technology vendors, and leaders/experts in fall 2025 provide information that may assist LSOs in responsibly integrating AI-tools into their triage and intake systems. This paper includes …

Ai Dependency Vs. Doctoral Identity: How Generative Ai Is Challenging The Development Of Independent Scholarly Thinking In Doctoral Students, Valerie A. Storey

All Faculty and Staff Scholarship

The rise of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) in higher education has altered the conditions under which doctoral students learn, research, and develop as scholars. Although doctoral student use of GenAI has accelerated rapidly, institutional frameworks for responsible and developmentally appropriate use have not kept pace. This paper examines a central paradox in doctoral education: the same tools that enhance research productivity may also weaken intellectual independence when used without guidance. Using a critical review methodology, the study synthesizes 47 sources on doctoral education, GenAI use, policy, and epistemic development. Three interconnected dimensions of risk emerged from the analysis: critical thinking …

Robot Wingman: Using Ai To Assess An Employment Termination, Henry H. Perritt Jr.

Nebraska Law Review

Four major generative AI engines—DeepSeek, Claude, ChatGPT, and Grok—are useful legal analysis tools for employment law practitioners. This Article presents the results of an experiment in which a transcript of a hypothetical client interview involving potential disability discrimination, retaliation, and wrongful termination claims was submitted to each AI system. The accompanying prompts requested identification and assessment of viable legal theories. The experiment demonstrates that contemporary generative AI performs sophisticated legal analysis comparable to experienced associates, correctly identifying major employment law claims including ADA violations, Title VII discrimination, OSHA retaliation, FMLA interference, and workers’ compensation retaliation. All four engines successfully spotted …

Multi-Agent Llm For Reducing Unsheltered Homelessness, Shravya Kothapalli, Samhita Juloori, Vishvaas Vasudeva Rao, Joshna Medisetty, Ahmed Hambaba

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

This project examines how data science and intelligent systems can enhance homelessness prevention efforts by facilitating early identification and optimized service delivery. Using a synthesized dataset reflective of Santa Clara County populations, we developed predictive models to assess risk factors associated with homelessness, such as rent burden, employment instability, eviction notices, and chronic health conditions. These models inform a multi-agent system recommending targeted interventions across medical, food, and job resources. Our system is designed to prioritize individuals most at risk and match them with appropriate services based on availability, proximity, and personal needs. By integrating geographic data and real-time service …

Lanthorn, Vol. 60, No. 13, March 16, 2026, Grand Valley State University

Volume 60, August 4, 2025 – April 20, 2026

Lanthorn is Grand Valley State's student newspaper, published from 1968 to the present.

An Exploration Into Network Analyses Of Motor Behavior, Brain-Computer Interface Control, Arousal States, And An Ischemic Lesion Model, Shashank Anand

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Network-level modelling of neural function incorporates activity in specific brain regions along with a measure of the interactions between these regions (“connectivity”). Connectivity can be assessed through several means, for example through tractography (structural connectivity) or correlated temporal evolution of neural activity (functional connectivity). These analyses have provided valuable insight into several aspects of brain function, such as top-down control, memory, and navigation. This work focuses on studying neural activity within and between several brain regions across different brain states: namely, during motor actions, sensory perception, brain-computer interface engagement, task-free fluctuations in arousal state, and ischemic injury. High gamma (70-170 …

Understanding And Defending Large-Scale Networked Systems: From Wi-Fi Localization To Provenance- Based Intrusion Detection, Xiao Han

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Modern networked systems increasingly depend on wireless sensing and large-scale telemetry to provide critical services and maintain security. However, many of these systems function as black boxes or encounter significant scalability limitations, which leave them vulnerable to sophisticated adversaries. In this dissertation, I present my research on enhancing the security and efficiency of networked systems through measurement-driven vulnerability analysis and the design of scalable defense mechanisms.

First, I present my research on the security and privacy risks of Wi-Fi–based localization services. Although location spoofing attacks against Wi-Fi positioning systems have been studied for over a decade, constructing practical attacks in …

Re: Approval Letter For The Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) 2022 Draft Final Insufficiently Reclaimed Sites Sampling: Bres No. 16 Site Evaluation Summary Report, Molly Roby

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

The Prospects Of Car T-Cell Therapies In Changing The Therapeutic Algorithm Of Neurologic Autoimmunities, Marinos C. Dalakas

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

T cells, genetically modified to express chimeric antigen receptors (CAR T), successfully used in hemato-oncologic malignancies, are showing promising and sustained benefits in refractory autoimmune neurological diseases, including Myasthenia Gravis, stiff-person syndrome, neuromyelitis optica, myositis, autoimmune neuropathies, and multiple sclerosis. Several reported patients with a steadily progressive disease and evolving disability unresponsive to available therapies, including rituximab and new biologics, after 2-3 months of treatment with CARs targeting CD19-positive, antibody-secreting, long-lived plasma cells, and plasmablasts exhibit impressive, long-lasting, and drug-free clinical improvements with the potential for immune reset shifting immunity to a healthy state without the need for continuing more …

Label-Free Microfluidic Modulation Spectroscopy Monitors Rna Origami Structure And Stability, Phoebe S Tsoi, Lathan Lucas, Allan Chris M Ferreon, Ewan K S Mcrae, Josephine C Ferreon

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

RNA origami enables genetically encoded, single-stranded RNA nanostructures that can self-assemble through co-transcriptional folding and are increasingly deployed as scaffolds for biosensing, synthetic biology, and nanomedicine. A recurring practical bottleneck is scalable, solution-phase readout of whether a designed scaffold has reached its intended base-paired architecture, whether it undergoes slow maturation or kinetic trapping, and how its stability is distributed across motifs. Here, we adapt microfluidic modulation spectroscopy (MMS) as a label-free structural biosensor for RNA folding by exploiting the rich 1760–1600 cm−1 vibrational fingerprints of RNA bases and base pairs. MMS alternates between sample and composition-matched buffer measurements in a …

Effect Of Al Content On Microstructure, Microhardness And Corrosion Resistance Of Spark Plasma Sintered Ticunisi-Al High Entropy Alloy, Basiru Philip Aramide, Tamba Jamiru, Taoreed Adesola Adegbola, Thomas Ayorinde, Fatai Olufemi Aramide, Abimbola Patricia Idowu Popoola

Engineering and Technology Journal

Aluminum-based high-entropy alloys have been of interest owing to their potential for improved mechanical strength and corrosion resistance. In this research, TiCuNiSi_xAl high-entropy alloys (x = 0.5–1.7 at.%) were synthesized using spark plasma sintering at a temperature of 600 °C and a pressure of 40 MPa to examine the effects of incremental aluminum addition on the densification behavior, microstructure, microhardness, and corrosion resistance in 0.5 M H₂SO₄ solution. With the increase in Al content, there was an acceleration of the transition from porous, weakly bonded microstructures to more compact multiphase microstructures, resulting in an improvement …

Extraction And Application Of Biopolymer (Chitosan) From The Waste Of Iraqi Agricultural Crop (Mushroom), Ruaa A. Salman, Wisam K. Hamdan, Hussain A. Jaber

Engineering and Technology Journal

The current work extracted the chitosan from the waste of mushroom crops for the first time in Iraq. The chemical process was adopted for demineralization with 2M HCl, deproteinization with 2M NaOH, and decolorization. Also, the refluxing process with 60% NaOH for chitin was applied. The XRD result shows two peaks around 2θ =10° and 20°, indicating the ordered crystalline structure of chitosan. The FT-IR spectrum showed specific bands of chitosan at 3327.97, 2918.71, and 1645.95 cm^-1. Also, the FE-SEM results show a smooth, dense, and non-porous surface. The viability results on white blood cells (WBCs) show the …

Effect Of Forming Angle On Hardness And Thinning Ratio Of Similar And Dissimilar Butt-Welded Joints In Spif, Abbas A. Hussein, Ali H. Al-Helli, Ayad M. Takhakh

Engineering and Technology Journal

The welding of different Aluminum sheets are useful in applications like fan blades, chemical equipment, and naval structures where different regions of a part have different requirements. One of the most famous ways to weld aluminum sheets was friction stir welding method which is difficult to control due to its many variables; so, the novelty of this work is to weld the aluminum sheets by laser technique which distinguishes by speed and ease of implementation and then forming the welded sheets by single point incremental forming Which has not been addressed by any study so far. The aim of …

Experimental And Statistical Optimization Of Engineered Cementitious Composites For Underwater Concrete, Zainab M. Al-Selmi, Basil S. Al-Shathr

Engineering and Technology Journal

The performance of concrete placed in underwater environments is often compromised by washout, reduced workability, and inadequate mechanical properties, while the application of engineered cementitious composites under underwater casting conditions has not yet been systematically investigated. This study addresses this research gap through an experimental and statistical evaluation of engineered cementitious composites for underwater concrete, focusing on the combined effects of anti-washout admixture and polyvinyl alcohol fibers. Six mixtures were tested under submerged conditions with anti-washout admixture dosages ranging from 0.7% to 1.1% and fiber contents between 1.5% and 1.75%. The experimental program evaluated fresh-state properties, including slump flow and …

Exploring The Interplay Of Plastic Hinge Behavior And Soil-Structure Interaction In Frame Structures: Analytical Study, Mouhammed J. Lafta, Mohammed J. Hamood, Qais A. Hasan, Mohammed Y. Fattah

Engineering and Technology Journal

This paper presents a critical synthesis of research on the combined influence of plastic hinge behavior and soil–structure interaction (SSI) on the seismic response of frame structures. Unlike prior reviews that treat these topics separately, the study integrates experimental and numerical evidence to identify how SSI alters hinge formation, drift demand, and energy dissipation, and how hinge modeling assumptions affect soil–foundation response. The reviewed literature (2010–2022) shows a clear growth in publications over time and a dominant reliance on analytical and numerical investigations relative to purely experimental work. A quantitative categorization of the surveyed studies indicates that modeling-focused approaches represent …

Behavior Of Short Reinforced Concrete Columns Subjected To Eccentric Preloading Under Fire Exposure, Mohanad Wisam Mousa, Sarmad Shafeeq Abdulqader, Ahlam Sader Mohammed

Engineering and Technology Journal

This study investigates the fire resistance behavior of square reinforced concrete (RC) columns subjected to a standard ASTM E119 cellulosic fire while carrying a sustained eccentric axial load. Twelve laboratory-scale RC columns were experimentally tested and classified into two groups based on loading eccentricity: Group A with an eccentricity of 45 mm and Group B with an eccentricity of 90 mm. Ten specimens were exposed to fire at target temperatures of 500°C and 700°C for exposure durations of 60 and 120 minutes, while two columns were tested as unexposed reference specimens. Two post-fire cooling methods were considered, namely gradual air …

Domain-Specific Conversational Recommendation With Lightweight Llms And Knowledge Retrieval: A Case Study In Cryptography, Ahmed M. Ahmed, Ahmed T. Sadiq, Alaa K. Farhan

Engineering and Technology Journal

When choosing a cryptographic block cipher, several factors must be considered, including security, performance, implementation feasibility, and application environment. However, such choices should often be made with professional expertise. The paper shows a domain-specific conversational recommendation system, which consists of a lightweight Large Language Model (Llama 3.2-1B) fine-tuned using Quantized Low-Rank Adaptation (QLoRA) and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) based on a structured knowledge base of block-cipher properties. During inference, the user query (with requirements) is embedded using all-MiniLM-L6-v2 and used to retrieve the most relevant cipher entries from a FAISS index, which is built offline by using the structured knowledge base. …

Nashville Versus Hollywood: Bridgeport Music's Existential Threat To Live Music Albums, W. Kirk Wolff

Florida Entertainment and Sports Law Review

The Sixth Circuit’s decision in Bridgeport Music, Inc. v. Dimension Films, which eliminated the de minimis exception for sound recording copyrights, has transformed copyright law into a potential weapon for suppressing artistic expression. By adopting a rigid per se infringement standard, the decision empowers bad actors to exploit copyright law against live music recordings, a uniquely vulnerable and culturally significant medium. Under this standard, even the inadvertent inclusion of an imperceptible sound fragment in a live recording—such as a stray copyrighted ringtone or background music at a festival—constitutes actionable infringement, creating significant legal risks for artists and producers. While …

Private Equity Investment In College Athletics: The New Frontier, Christopher Ruckdeschel

Florida Entertainment and Sports Law Review

This Note discusses the funding crunch that universities are facing and why private equity capital can be the answer. The House v. NCAA settlement has introduced a $20.5 million yearly expense that universities must pay in order to compete for top-level talent in revenue-generating sports such as college football and basketball. However, declining enrollment and unequal TV rights distributions have left some universities scrambling to figure out how to stay competitive in this new revenue-sharing era. Enter private equity. This Note explains how universities can tap private equity investment to fund revenue-sharing obligations instead of slashing operating budgets and cutting …

The Fair Use Doctrine In Contemporary Journalism, Carly Ryan

Florida Entertainment and Sports Law Review

Although section 107 of the Copyright Act specifies that “news reporting” is one of the uses of a copyrighted work that may be fair, the current application of the fair use doctrine poses unique difficulties for journalism defendants. This Article argues for several changes in fair use analysis to make the doctrine flexible for journalism defendants. This Article also argues that these changes are necessary to keep the Copyright Act in balance with the First Amendment.

From Answers To Understanding: Bridging The Gap Between Multiple-Choice And Open-Ended Questions, Kathleen A. Siren

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

Assessment is central to effective teaching, and the structure of exam questions significantly influences both learning and instruction. Multiple-choice (MCQ) and short-answer (SAQ) questions are widely used and frequently studied, each offering distinct advantages and limitations for formative and summative assessment. This study examined a modified multiple-choice format, multiple-choice questions with explanation (MCQwE), for which students selected an answer and briefly explained their reasoning. Designed to combine the efficiency of MCQs with the diagnostic value of open-ended responses, MCQwE were implemented in an undergraduate speech science course and compared to traditional MCQs and SAQs in terms of student performance. Findings …

Numerical Simulations For Determining Resistance, Trim, And Sinkage Characteristics Of A Tugboat, Utku Cem Karabulut

Seatific Journal

A detailed numerical investigation of the calm-water hydrodynamic performance of an azimuth stern drive (ASD) tugboat is presented. Unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes (URANS) simulations are performed to predict the total resistance, trim, and sinkage over a wide range of Froude numbers at model scale. The free-surface flow is captured using the Volume of Fluid (VOF) method with a high-resolution interface capturing scheme, while turbulence effects are modeled using the SST k–ω formulation. To account for dynamic hull response, the vessel is allowed to move freely in heave and pitch through a Dynamic Fluid Body Interaction (DFBI) approach. A systematic mesh and …

"This Is Not A Scam!": Assessment Of An Awareness Raising Program Tackling Older Adults' Scam Victimization In A Multi-Method Study, Katalin Parti, Pamela Teaster, Susanna Rinehart, Charles Dye

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"Interactive theatre has long been used to educate and empower communities and prevent crime across all age groups. Although older populations are disproportionately victimized through fraudulent online schemes, effective educational interventions, like interactive theatre, have not been utilized to increase crime awareness. This paper describes an explorational research project, analyzing the results of a theatre-based fraud awareness program aimed towards educating victims and their communities about scams targeting older people. The study employs a mixed-method research design to examine program impact. In applying multifaceted tools of data collection, such as survey, participant observation, and follow-up interviews, the research team identified …

Cognitive Interaction Architecture: A Structural Account Of Mode-Specific Problems And Design Responses In Ai Interaction, Griselda Poe

Publications and Research

Contemporary conversational AI is optimized for a single interaction mode: the continuous, engagement-driven dialogue characteristic of Empathic-modulationforegrounded (EF) processing in social contexts. This optimization is not neutral. It produces structural mismatches when users operate under different cognitive configurations or pursue different task types. This paper analyzes four interaction cases generated by the cross-product of cognitive configuration (Core-foregrounded / Empathic-modulation-foregrounded) and task type (conversational / research). For each case, it identifies the structural problems produced by the current single-architecture approach and proposes mode-specific design responses. The analysis draws on prior work in this series on Emotional Branch Termination, termination of conceptual …

Three-Layer Cognitive Architecture: A Structural Account Of Core Processing, Modulation, And The Prior Layer, Griselda Poe

Publications and Research

The two-layer model of Core processing and Modulation processing, developed in prior work in this series, provides a structural account of conscious communicative architecture. This paper identifies the limits of that model and introduces a third layer—the Prior layer—as a structural necessity implied by those limits. The Prior layer is not directly observed. It is inferred from constraints that cannot be explained within the two-layer model: the source of orientations that conscious processing neither generates nor controls, and the persistence of constraints that precede and shape all conscious outputs. Using the developmental architecture of large language models as an external …

Ai As Structural Reverse-Engineering: A Structural Account Of Multi-Model Research Protocol, Griselda Poe

Publications and Research

This paper documents an operational protocol used to infer AI system design constraints through structured interaction. AI output is treated as behavioral data through which alignment priorities, layer transitions, and constraint hierarchies become observable. The protocol consists of two structurally distinct operation types. Perceptual operations require only that Modulation processing is not foregrounded. Arbitration operations additionally require an internally stabilized theory. These conditions are not identical and are not interchangeable. Through this protocol, AI interaction functions as structural reverse-engineering: patterned responses expose embedded alignment priorities and constraint hierarchies that would otherwise remain invisible. The present account does not propose a …

Ai As An Amplifier: A Structural Account Of Theory-Driven Research Collaboration, Griselda Poe

Publications and Research

This paper specifies the cognitive conditions under which AI functions as a research instrument in theory-driven writing. AI use capability is not a technical skill. It is a structural condition. The decisive condition is whether the user possesses an internally stabilized, coherence-preserving theory prior to engagement with AI-generated output. In Core-foregrounded (CF) cognition, the Modulation layer does not intervene between Core processing and articulation. Theory is not assembled from external elements but expanded from a pre-integrated constraint configuration. This internal structure makes it possible to evaluate AI-generated conceptual branches against fixed constraints and to terminate branches that violate structural coherence. …