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Faculty Senate Executive Committee Minutes December 15, 2025, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• Call to Order
• University Business
• Faculty Senate Business
• Information
• Reports
• Council on Teacher Education
• Scholarship Annual Report
• University Studies Report
• Old Business
• New Business
• Adjourn 4:33

Analysis Of Leakage In Nearshore Pipelines Using Fitness For Service Method To Ensure Mechanical Integrity Based On Api-579 Level 3, Elriandri Elriandri, Dedi Priadi

Journal of Materials Exploration and Findings

The Fitness for Service (FFS) analysis is performed as a quantitative assessment to evaluate the integrity condition of a pipeline. Essentially, FFS assessment helps determine whether equipment components can operate safely despite existing deficiencies. This evaluation is carried out using the Finite Element Method (FEM). In the case of an underwater pipeline that experiences leak due to anchor pull at the flange connection, it undergoes plastic deformation and is lifted approximately 1 meter. As a mitigation step, inspection and repairs have been carried out by the company. Subsequently, modeling is performed to reconstruct the deformation process of the pipeline. Then, …

An Analysis Of Student Performance In Elementary Linear Algebra At Brigham Young University, Adrienne Irene Christensen

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates different factors that influence performance in the Elementary Linear Algebra (ELA) course taught at Brigham Young University. These factors include student characteristics such as true freshman status and college enrollment, and content-specific factors such as how performance on essential topics affects overall performance in the course. To analyze the various research questions posed in the study, I used robust linear mixed effects models with random effects controlling for the hierarchical structure of the data. The statistically significant results from these models indicate that (i) true freshmen perform better than other students on exams and in the ELA …

Studying Causal Inferences For Student Success In Higher Education, Prabesh Shrestha

Theses and Dissertations

Higher education institutions strive to support students in achieving their academic goals through targeted interventions and data-driven strategies. This study analyzed 19 variables, spanning student demographics, enrollment patterns, and institutional interventions, to identify predictors of students completing all enrolled courses in a semester. Using random forest, logistic regression, and bootstrap forest models, we assessed variable importance and derived causal estimates to determine their impact. Results from causal analysis indicate positive effects from session type, term load, referrals, kudos, flags, and scholarships, while negative impacts were associated with location, course delivery method, enrollment status, advisor contact, and registration interval. These findings …

Achieving More Accurate And Interpretable Fraud Detection With Double Machine Learning, Jeremy Andrew Berry

Theses and Dissertations

Fraud detection remains a critical challenge across industries such as insurance, healthcare, finance, and government. Global losses from fraud and financial crime are estimated in the trillions annually, including billions in healthcare and insurance fraud alone. While effective for prediction, traditional machine learning methods often lack causal interpretability and struggle to adapt to evolving fraud tactics. This dissertation investigates the application of Double Machine Learning (DML), an emerging causal inference technique, to enhance both the accuracy and interpretability of fraud analytics. The research compares DML against established causal inference approaches, leveraging a meta-learning framework to evaluate model performance on accuracy, …

Patterns Of Llm Weaponization: A Comparative Analysis Of Exploitation Incidents Across Commercial Ai Systems, George Antoniou

Faculty and Staff Publications & Presentations

This comparative study examines patterns of Large Language Model (LLM) weaponization through systematic analysis of four major exploitation incidents spanning 2023-2025. While existing research focuses on isolated incidents or theoretical vulnerabilities, this study provides the first comprehensive comparative framework analyzing exploitation patterns across state-sponsored cyber-espionage (Anthropic Claude incident), academic security research (GPT-4 autonomous privilege escalation), social engineering platforms (SpearBot phishing framework), and underground criminal commoditization (WormGPT/FraudGPT ecosystem). Through comparative analysis across eight dimensions—adversary sophistication, target selection, exploitation techniques, autonomy levels, detection evasion, attribution challenges, defensive gaps, and capability democratization—this research identifies critical cross-case patterns informing defensive prioritization. Findings reveal three …

The Lived Experiences Of African American Child Sexual Abuse Survivors And Their Relationships With The Perpetrators, Anita Joyner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Child sexual abuse (CSA) can be detrimental to survivors well into adulthood and can affect the relationships of everyone with whom they are involved. Knowing the perpetrator is a determining factor in the equation and is associated with increased odds of behavioral health challenges among survivors. This is especially true within African American communities, where cultural violence results in an increased level of trauma. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the lived experiences of African American CSA survivors and their relationships with the perpetrators. As part of the phenomenological design, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with …

A Less Than Ideal Journey: The Introduction Of Commercial Smart Card Ticketing For Local Bus Services In England, Jon Shaw, Iain Docherty, Andrew Seedhouse, Alison Rumbles

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Purpose: In the broader context of the pursuit of a more sustainable transport policy in the United Kingdom, the paper explores issues that emerged during the instigation, development and implementation of national smart ticketing policy for England.Design/methodology/approach: The primary empirical information in this paper was derived from 51 semi-structured interviews with 61 key stakeholders in the process of developing and implementing smart ticketing policy. Participants were identified through a purposive sampling approach designed to engage respondents because of the position they occupy and the quality of information they can provide.Findings: Difficulties emerged in the partnership approach to policy delivery made …

Measuring And Modeling Nonlinear Vibrations In Structures With Mechanical Joints, Suzanna Gilbert

Theses and Dissertations

Many assembled structures have bolted or riveted joints. Aside from providing a convenient method of assembly, mechanical joints have an important effect on the structure's dynamic response to its environment. Friction and microslip within the joints help to damp out unwanted vibration. However, the joints also introduce nonlinearity into the response. Most notably, the natural vibrational modes of the structure no longer have constant natural frequencies and damping ratios. Rather, they shift as a function of vibration amplitude. Several methods exist to characterize the dynamics of nonlinear systems, yet they are generally validated on simple benchmark structures, and many still …

The Negotiation Of Identities Through Humorous Discourse In Political Resistance: An Analysis Of Bassem Youssef's 'The B+ Show', Howaida Aref

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the strategic use of humorous discourse in negotiating identities and expressing political resistance during the 2011 Egyptian Revolution, focusing on Bassem Youssef's satirical YouTube show, "The B+ Show." Employing a mixed-method approach that combines Grice's maxims of cooperative communication and Fairclough's critical discourse analysis framework, the research investigates how humor functioned as a tool for challenging hegemonic narratives and power dynamics through constructing and deconstructing identities in a volatile sociopolitical context. The analysis reveals that Youssef skillfully exploited various discursive resources, particularly intertextuality and the flouting of conversational maxims, to generate implicatures that effectively debunked negative representations …

Information Management / Bim Technology Deployment Plan, Robert Moore

Tools

This technology deployment plan sets out the practical steps required to implement and operationalise selected Information Management and BIM (BIM) technologies. It defines activities, responsibilities, sequencing, and dependencies to ensure systems are configured, tested, and adopted in a controlled and coordinated manner. The plan supports effective change management, training, and transition to business-as-usual use, reducing risk and disruption. Overall, it provides a clear, actionable framework for moving from technology selection to consistent, reliable use that supports standards-aligned Information Management / BIM delivery.

Information Management / Bim Adoption And Implementation Roadmap, Robert Moore

Tools

This roadmap sets out a clear, practical approach for organisations to adopt and implement Information Management and Building Information Modelling (IM/BIM) in line with ISO 19650 and the Capital Works Management Framework (CWMF). It provides a phased pathway from early capacity to advanced capability, showing how organisations can progressively build skills, processes, and digital workflows while meeting the requirements of the Irish BIM mandate. The roadmap aligns organisational change with project-level delivery, emphasising the foundations of people, process, and technology, and the importance of collaboration, governance, and continuous improvement. Overall, it supports organisations in moving from basic information management to …

Myth In The Poetry Of Hassan Abd Rady, Zahraa Mousa Jabbar Aayed, Iman Mohammed Ibrahim Al-Obaidi

Alustath Journal for Human and Social Sciences

This research reviews the topic of (Myth in the Poetry of Hassan Abd Rady), as the myth received the attention of contemporary poets as an important source that enriches their poetic texts and deepens their connotations. The poet Hassan Abd Rady invoked myth in all its forms to enrich his poetic texts because of the suggestive connotations it carries. The research included the following: the introduction and the preface, in which the myth was defined linguistically, terminologically, and its types. The research was divided into the number of myths employed by Abd Radi, including: Greek myth, Babylonian myth, Greek myth, …

Lattice Thermal Transport Beyond The Quasiparticle Approximation: Nontrivial Spectral Competition Between Three- And Four-Phonon Interactions, Yi Xia

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The breakdown of the quasiparticle approximation (QPA) for phonons in strongly anharmonic materials necessitates advanced first-principles frameworks for accurate lattice dynamics and thermal transport predictions. We develop a comprehensive beyond-quasiparticle approximation (BQPA) approach incorporating both three- (3ph) and four-phonon (4ph) interactions and apply it to investigate lattice thermal conductivity (κL) in MgO, PbTe, and AgCl – materials that span a broad spectrum of anharmonicity, from weak to severe anharmonic regimes with overdamped phonons. We reveal that while BQPA consistently increases κL relative to QPA due to phonon softening when considering only 3ph interactions, the inclusion of additional 4ph interactions hardens …

Leveraging Social Capital For Value Creation In Public Procurement: The Role Of Strategic Purchasing Integration, Iryna Malacina, Jad El Bizri, Frederik G. S. Vos, Elina Karttunen, Aki Jaaskelainen

Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

Purpose Although the integration of the purchasing function within strategic decision-making has been extensively studied in the context of the private sector, its significance for the effective functioning of public procurement (PP) remains underexplored. Effective PP is critical for suppliers, users of public services and society at large. This study investigates how the strategic integration of PP influences operational, environmental and innovative value creation by developing social capital in buyer–supplier relationships. Design/methodology/approach This study empirically examined how strategic purchasing integration contributes to the development of social capital in buyer–supplier relationships, which in turn affects value creation. It utilizes survey data …

Intouch Week Of December 15, 2025, New York Medical College

InTouch

• Record Numbers, Remarkable Research Define 30th Medical Student Research Forum
• Wellness Ambassador Program Welcomes New Student Leaders
• New Test Could Revolutionize Lyme Disease Diagnosis
• Meal Plan Launches Through Vemos Pay
• Off Campus, On Craft: Jeanne Chamas Keeps the Department on Track and the Community in Step

Shallow Groundwater Extraction Strategies In The Las Vegas Valley, Nevada, Teryl Stacey

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Las Vegas Valley faces severe water scarcity due to Nevada’s limited Colorado River allocation and an arid climate. Population growth and prolonged drought have intensified these constraints, necessitating alternative resource strategies. This project evaluated a strategy to make use of brackish, shallow groundwater (from the top 30 feet below ground surface) located in the central and east-central parts of the valley. Its objective was to extract lower quality shallow groundwater for use as an alternative to fresh water currently being used for some applications that require little to no treatment. Dust suppression is among the most promising of such …

Beyond Additive Risk: Longitudinal Associations Between Discrimination And Positive Affect Development Among Adolescents With Single And Multiple Marginalized Identities, Vanni Jefferson V. Arcaina

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Adolescents with marginalized identities often face chronic exposure to discrimination, a social stressor linked to a range of negative mental health outcomes. While much of the existing literature focuses on internalizing symptoms, fewer studies have explored how discrimination may disrupt the development of positive affect (POA), which is a core dimension of emotional well-being linked to resilience, identity formation, and long-term health. The present study examined how overall, race/ethnicity-based, and sexual minority (SM)-based discrimination affects longitudinal patterns of POA among adolescents with single or multiple marginalized identities. Drawing on four waves of data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study, …

Automated Spectrum Analysis And Radionuclide Identification For Robot-Based Gamma Probes, Kennedy Ochieng Mengoh Alila

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Gamma spectroscopy is a technique used for the detection and identification of nuclear materials. Gamma-ray emission by radio nuclides is detected using scintillation detectors or semiconductor detectors such as NaI and CZT. Robot-based gamma probes enable radiation measurements in large areas and hard-to-reach cluttered hazardous environments, which significantly reduces radiation risks to personnel. The robotic probes require automated on-board gamma spectrum analysis and capabilities with platforms (unmanned aerial vehicles and unmanned ground vehicle systems) which use Robot Operating System (ROS). The aim of this thesis was to develop a method of an automated spectral analysis and isotope identification for robot-based …

Applying Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (Inaa) To Characterize Trace Elements In Water Samples Around Lake Mead, Danesha Hunter

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the United States is located on the boarder of Nevada and Arizona. Despite reaching historically low water levels, it continues to supply water and energy to millions of Americans in the southwest. It is well known that the United States suffers from negative implications from nationwide drought. The ongoing megadrought affecting the Colorado River Basin and its tributaries undergoes the urgent need to assess the future water quality of Lake Mead as it continues to shrink. With water levels depleting at an alarming rate, water quality is significantly impacted, indicating that heavy metal accumulation …

Computational Study Of Cavitation In An Inducer Pump, Jaylen Leonard

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Cavitation is ubiquitous in liquid-handling turbomachines. Cavitation bubbles form when the local pressure drops below a fluid’s vapor pressure, and their subsequent collapse causes implosions that generate shockwaves and microjets. These effects lead to fluid instability and structural damage to the blades and casing in turbomachines. This thesis investigates this cavitation phenomenon in turbomachines using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). The cavitation model built in ANSYS Fluent® is first validated in a venturi tube model and then applied to an inducer pump. The geometry of the pump is derived from the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) Low Pressure Oxidizer Pump (LPOP) …

Geometric And Proximity Based Substrate Targeting By Cullin-Ring Ligases, Jerry Li

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Homeostasis, the process of maintaining stable biochemical and biophysical conditions, is a fundamental facet of cellular viability. Biochemical homeostasis is critical to support the biological functions that sustain living organisms. Protein ubiquitylation is one of the primary cellular pathways that regulate protein homeostasis and turnover. Ubiquitylation is initiated through the conjugation of a small globular protein known as ubiquitin, onto a given substrate. There exists a myriad of cellular fates that ubiquitylated proteins may undergo, but the most widely studied pathway is protein degradation, whereby a ubiquitylated protein substrate is shunted to a large macromolecular protease known as the proteasome, …

Gaming: An Untapped Resource For Women In Computer Science Careers?, Claudia Quynh Luu

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This research focused on women who identify as gamers (i.e., an individual who regularly plays video games) with the goal of better understanding how being a gamer might help or hinder women’s interest in computer science careers. In particular, I examined the connection between interest in computer science careers, gaming, sexual harassment experiences, coping strategies, and allyship for women in gaming using a mixed-methods approach. The sample (N = 166) included women identifying as previous or current gamers. Participants were recruited from a psychology participant pool and gaming communities on Discord. We conducted a series of analyses to examine whether …

Quantifying Biocrust Evaporation In Arid Lands By Combining Thermal Imaging And Lysimeter Measurements, Rebekah C. Magness

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are miniature ecosystems of living organisms incorporated within the soil matrix and established in the topmost millimeters of the soil surface. Biocrust plays a critical role in the hydrologic processes in arid lands, yet the extent to which it increases or decreases evaporation remains unclear. To gain a better understanding of the impact of biocrust on evaporation compared to bare soil, I studied a cyanobacteria-dominated biocrust patch surrounded by bare soil atop a lysimeter in the Mojave Desert near Las Vegas, Nevada. Using high-resolution thermal imaging, and the known latent heat flux from the lysimeter, I …

Design And Development Of Biomimetic Hydrogel Interfaces For Enhanced Bioelectrical Signal Acquisition, Daniela Nikoloska

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Every second, human skin processes over one million sensory signals while maintaining properties such as electrical conductivity, mechanical adaptability, and regenerative capability that surpass all synthetic materials. Contemporary bioelectronic devices prove inadequate when contacting skin surfaces due to poor adhesion and electrical contact issues that prevent effective sensing. Despite advancements in wearable and bioelectronic technologies, current devices face major drawbacks when interfacing with human skin, particularly in maintaining firm adhesion, conformability, and low-noise electrical signal acquisition.

This research focuses on the development of a biomimetic hydrogel-based interface for bioelectronic sensing. Specifically, a hybrid hydrogel system composed of polydopamine (PDA)- doped …

Integrating Post-Quantum Cryptography Into A Cdn-Style Pki: Tls And Quic Performance Across Pqc Suites, Katrina Mary Parsom

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Post-quantum cryptography (PQC) adds larger certificates and extra workload to the Transport Layer Security (TLS) handshake. In order to analyze the effect of that change on content delivery, a controlled testbed with conditions replicating a Content Delivery Network (CDN) is used. The system uses a standard X.509 certificate chain over TLS 1.3. It compares RSA with classical key exchange, RSA with hybrid key encapsulation mechanism (KEM), and Module Lattice-based Digital Signature Algorithm (ML-DSA) with hybrid KEM. The test harness generates and provides certificates and establishes TLS parameters. The test harness also supports mixed web workloads and records key metrics, including …

Deciphering The Crl Code: Novel Mechanisms Of Canonical And Non-Canonical Ubiquitylation, Nicholas Wayne Purser

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Protein degradation is a fundamental process required for maintaining cellular homeostasis in eukaryotic organisms. In humans, distinct cell types exhibit unique proteomic landscapes that are dynamically balanced by the continual synthesis and degradation of proteins. The timely removal of damaged, misfolded, or old proteins is essential to permit new protein synthesis and to ensure proper cellular function.

Central to this regulatory network is ubiquitylation, a highly conserved posttranslational modification system that governs protein stability and function across all eukaryotic cells. Through the covalent attachment of ubiquitin molecules to protein substrates, this system modulates a broad range of biological processes, including …

Telling Herstory: The Preparation, Perspectives, And Persistence Of Novice Black Women Principals, Dana Roseman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Being a Black Woman public school principal is an intensified, all-encompassing yet rewarding role, marked by disparities that our white counterparts are not forced to navigate. Inspired by the daily, distressed calls from novice Black Women principals seeking support in their roles and personal experience, this qualitative study employs the Sista Circle Methodology (SCM) to explore their perceptions of principal preparation programs, professional support, and persistence strategies within the first five years of appointment in a large urban school district. Framed by Black Feminist Thought (Collins, 1990), the study examines the social, gender, cultural, and experiential contexts unique to Black …

Ultrafast Dynamics Of Two-Dimensional Electron Systems, Randy Michael Sterbentz

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

On-chip terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) is a technique useful for measuring the ultrafast electrodynamics of two-dimensional (2D) electronic systems. Charge carrier collisions occur on the sub-picosecond time scale, and strongly correlated electron interactions (such as superconductivity) typically have energies on the order of milli-electron-volts. These phenomena fall within the terahertz bandwidth, which has historically been difficult to access. Commercial electronics operate with transistors capable of switching rates of around 100 GHz, while small band gap semiconductors (like InGaAs) can detect light down to 0.75 eV (180 THz). When combined with the difficulty of measuring 2D layered materials, with lateral sizes …

Quantum Sensing Of Magnetic And Thermal Fields Using Nitrogen-Vacancy Centers On Spoof Surface Plasmon Waveguides, Maxwell Stonham

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in nanodiamonds are solid-state quantum defects capable of detecting magnetic fields and temperature at the nanoscale with high spatial resolution and optical addressability at room temperature. Their spin-dependent fluorescence enables optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR), a technique widely used for quantum sensing. However, enhancing optical readout efficiency remains a critical challenge for scalable integration and various methods can be used to improve this.

This thesis explores a hybrid quantum sensing platform that integrates NV-based sensing with spoof surface plasmon waveguides designed to enhance optical excitation and emission efficiency through localized spoof plasmon modes supported by subwavelength corrugated …