Digital Commons Network^™

The Next Generation Of Free Expression Scholarship: A Very Short Manifesto (In Memory Of Fred Schauer), Mark Tushnet

William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal

This Manifesto begins with a discussion of the accomplishments of the prior generation of free expression scholarship. The core of the Manifesto starts with a description of the idea of epistemic authority and draws upon Leiter’s analysis to show its importance in free expression theory. It emphasizes, with Leiter, that epistemic authority is relational: between and among epistemic authorities, and between such authorities and “ordinary” citizens (that is, those who aren’t near the core of an epistemic community that, as a collective, defines the community’s core and boundaries).

That discussion is followed by a description of challenges to the idea …

Resilience In The Face Of Climate Change: Exploring The Ecophysiology, Adaptation, And Conservation Of Mytilus Edulis In The Gulf Of Maine, Mackenzie J. Arnott, Justin Baumann

Standard Theses

The Gulf of Maine is among the fastest-warming marine environments globally, facing rapid increases in temperature and ocean acidification. These stressors jeopardize the Blue Mussel, Mytilus edulis, a foundational species vital for maintaining biodiversity, water quality, and coastal economies. This research investigates the resilience and vulnerability of M. edulis under combined thermal and acidification stressors, with a focus on thresholds of physiological breakdown. Key findings reveal critical thermal limits (>25°C) and pH thresholds (<7.3) beyond which metabolic, immune, and shell formation processes deteriorate. Conservation strategies such as selective breeding, habitat protection, and adaptive management are essential to ensure the survival of this keystone species in a changing climate.

Navigating The Tides Of Change: Girls’ Experiences In Scouts Bsa, Alexandra Rush, Olivia Kochis, Beth Belanger, Jennifer Brown Urban, Miriam R. Linver

Journal of Youth Development

On February 1, 2019, Boy Scouts of America officially accepted girls into its signature program (ages 11–18) and changed its name to Scouts BSA. This historic shift provided a novel opportunity for researchers to investigate the experiences of some of the first 13 girls to enter this traditionally all-boy space and examine how participation influenced sense of self and purpose. A qualitative phenomenological approach was adopted to explore girls’ experiences and perceptions and meanings they constructed, using secondary data consisting of 38 transcribed interviews from all 13 girls. Girls ranged in age from 12–18 years old (M = 13.72, SD …

Modeling Buprenorphine Treatment Discontinuation In Opioid Use Disorder – Predictors And Disparities Using Statistical And Machine Learning Approaches, Wanru Guo

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Background: Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) remains a major public health crisis in the U.S., and while buprenorphine is an effective treatment, early discontinuation undermines its impact. Existing statistical and machine learning (ML) models often overlook key social and healthcare-related predictors and fail to capture subgroup disparities, limiting their utility for equitable intervention design. This study addresses these gaps using a nationwide, longitudinal dataset and a two-stage modeling approach focused on disparity identification. Methods: We analyzed buprenorphine treatment episodes for OUD from the IQVIA Pharmetrics Plus database (2006–2023), defining discontinuation as episodes lasting under 180 days. A Cox proportional hazards model …

3d Bioprinting Of Hydrogel Scaffold Skin Equivalents For Cosmetic And Drug Testing, Allison Reno

All Dissertations

Tissue engineering scaffolds are a crucial element of generating larger 3D tissue equivalents for modeling and clinical grafting. Currently, much of scaffold technology has not been significantly updated since the introduction of manually pipetted hydrogels and electrospun fiber scaffolds. Both of these approaches have their advantages and disadvantages, but neither utilize emerging biofabrication techniques such as advanced 3D bioprinting and plotting. In addition to more precision in the outer geometries of the scaffold, the use of bioprinting also introduces the ability to shape hydrogels into very intricate porous inner patterns within the outer geometries. This allows for the design of …

Statistical Designs For Learning User Preference And Experience, William S. Fisher

All Dissertations

For any organization, designing a new product or planning the features of a new service is a complex decision-making process which depends on understanding its users' preferences and the experiences they have with prototypes of the new product or service. Design of experiments (DOE) offers a framework to aid in the modeling and collection of data to learn user preferences and experiences to facilitate this decision-making process. Questions such as ``which of our newly proposed products is preferred most by our customers" and ``which version of our new service results in the highest monthly revenue" can be readily addressed by …

Hickory Street Square Revitalization, Spencer Knight, Grace Dungan, Tim Kula, Evan Lauritsen, Lindsey Mennenga

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The Hickory Street Square Revitalization Project seeks to transform a central public space in Sidney, Nebraska into a dynamic, community-oriented area that supports local events, economic activity, and cultural heritage. The project addresses six core objectives: 1) convertible street design, 2) parking lot reconfiguration, 3) public amenities, 4) event flexibility, 5) lighting and signage, and 6) old electric plant renovation. A conceptual design was developed by the design team (S.T.E.E.L. Sentinel Solutions) by synthesizing the most effective features of three preliminary alternatives, shaped further through community feedback and evolving project constraints. The final project design minimizes disruption to existing activity …

Monthly Salary Report, May 2025, Eastern Michigan University

EMU Salary Reports

No abstract provided.

Novel Chloroviruses With Unique Glycans On Their Major Capsid Proteins, Cayden J. Homolka

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Chloroviruses, of the family Phycodnaviridae, are large, dsDNA viruses with a genome of 290 to 410 kb. These virus genomes are so large that they are classified as “giant viruses”. Within this genome, up to 16 tRNAs and 330 to 450 proteins are encoded. Among the massive amounts of genes and proteins are unique carbohydrate synthesis/metabolism genes, which are responsible for the glycosylation of chloroviruses major capsid proteins. In most viruses, these proteins are glycosylated by the host enzymes located in the endoplasmic reticulum. Instead, Chloroviruses encode their own glycosylation machinery; essentially decorating themselves. Furthermore, these chlorovirus glycans are unlike …

Improvement Of Hanford Waste Vitrification Algorithms With Machine Learning, Uncertainty Quantification, And Gradient-Based Optimization, Lagrande L. Gunnell

Theses and Dissertations

Over 200 million liters of nuclear waste is stored in tank farms in Hanford, Washington, USA. An ongoing effort to immobilize non-solid nuclear waste is through waste vitrification, where waste is mixed and melted with glass-forming chemicals (GFCs) to form a waste glass. Algorithms to determine the ideal mixing recipes are formalized as constrained optimization problems to maximize waste loading in the glass product, with constraints on several properties of the glass melt and final product. These properties are on the glass melt, such as viscosity, electrical conductivity, and corrosion rates, as well as the final glass product, such as …

I-630: Divisive Connection, Jacob A. Key

Architecture Undergraduate Honors Theses

The United States’ highway infrastructure provides ease of access to and through cities and towns across the nation. For many of us, this system of interconnected infrastructure is little more than a means of wayfinding with easy access via plentiful exits to just about anywhere along their footprint. This study peels back this veneer of excess and access to relay an uncomfortable truth: these highways have been and continue to be weapons of segregation and White Supremacy, afflicting millions nationwide with mental and physical health issues, restricted mobility, and further restricted access to social mobility in a nation already rife …

Stories From El Dorado: An Exploration Of Art, Design, And Community Belonging, Madison Harper

Architecture Undergraduate Honors Theses

This project examines the history and cultural impact of the downtown arts district in El Dorado, Arkansas through a series of interviews with local community members conducted in February 2025. El Dorado is a city in Southwest Arkansas popularly known as “Arkansas’ first boomtown.” Since the discovery of oil in the area in 1921, El Dorado saw a rapid rise in population from 3,000 residents to nearly 30,000 residents. This rise in population brought in a desire for more entertainment, which led to the development of cultural institutions including the “new” Rialto Theater built in 1929 on top of the …

Evaluating Ai As A Design Tool In Architectural Workflows: Exploring Its Effectiveness In Addressing Design Problems And Integrating Into Studio Processes, Seth S. Cutlip

Architecture Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper examines the integration of AI imaging tools into traditional analog workflows within architecture studios. This looks specifically at the early conceptual design phase and examines, through a research through design approach, how AI imaging tools like Comfyui and Krita can support ideation, material exploration, and spatial composition. This approach will be remaking design exercises from a prior architectural studio, the study critically evaluates the effectiveness of AI tools in addressing design problems, enhancing workflow efficiency, and supporting creative agency. The findings show both the generative potential and the limitations of these AI imaging tools. This emphasizes the need …

John Leonard Jordan (Course 13), Nick Jordan

Documents

No abstract provided.

One-To-One Chromebook Best Practices In Secondary-Level English Language Arts Classrooms, Jonathan M. Cook

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This hermeneutic phenomenological study aims to examine the lived experiences of secondary-level English Language Arts (ELA) teachers to better understand what, if any, best practices exist for the use of one-to-one Chromebooks in these teachers’ classrooms. Seventeen participants agreed to be interviewed for this study. All participants had at least two years of teaching experience and at least two years of Chromebook experience. Interviews took place over Zoom and were digitally recorded. Five common themes emerged from these collected data: 1) the importance of training; 2) the frequently problematic oversight from administrators; 3) the overall lack of innovation in classroom …

The Inequitable Impacts Of Sea Level Rise: How East Palo Alto Serves As Both A Warning And Beacon Of Hope For Coastal Communities, Justin Capone

UC Law Environmental Journal

As sea level rise and coastal flooding continue to threaten communities globally, the impacts on shoreline residents will not be distributed equally. Projections of physical damage do not account for other environmental and socioeconomic contexts that overlap to disproportionately burden the most vulnerable communities. East Palo Alto, a city that regularly suffers from destructive flooding, is at high monetary and social risk from sea level rise due to a history of racially discriminatory practices that contributed to residents’ current socioeconomic disadvantage. This inequity poses a distinct environmental justice issue, requiring adaptation strategies that place the city’s environmental burden within past …

Quantifying Freshwater Salinization Impacts On Nitrate Removal Via Denitrification In Urban Streams, Brynnen Beck

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

As the urban world expands, the construction of impervious surfaces increases erosion and runoff into nearby streams. Urbanization also adds waste from human activity into the environment. One of these wastes is runoff from road salt application in winter months, which can increase stream salinization and interfere with other important ecological processes, such as denitrification. Therefore, the objective of this study was to compare nitrate removal via denitrification between two urban streams to understand the role of road salts in freshwater salinization. We compared conductivity measurements between the streams to see how background conductivity (a proxy for salinity) influences resilience …

Development And Validation Of A Computational Fluid Dynamics Model Using Wind Tunnel Experiments, Savanah G. Godwin

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

A gas release computational fluid dynamics model was developed and validated using a previous wind tunnel experiment conducted by Daniel Williams. This simulation was modeled using CHEM software, and based on experimental conditions used in the University of Arkansas’ Chemical Hazard Research Center’s wind tunnel. These include ultra-low wind speeds, working in the atmospheric boundary layer, and using finite release durations with a neutrally buoyant gas. The simulation was developed in two phases: inflow and release. The inflow phase consisted of the development of the atmospheric boundary layer. The data from the simulation aligned well with the wind tunnel data. …

Emerging Applications On Reconfigurable Computing Platforms, Zhenyu Xu

All Dissertations

Security and high-performance computing have become two of the most critical demands in modern technology. The increasing complexity of digital systems, the need for real-time processing, and the emergence of sophisticated cyber threats require computing solutions that balance computational power with adaptability and security. Reconfigurable computing platforms, particularly Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), offer a promising solution to these challenges by combining flexibility with hardware acceleration. Many new applications have emerged with the developing of reconfigurable platforms.

FPGAs can be utilized in two primary directions: as control and high-precision measurement units for security-sensitive applications, and as accelerators capable of outperforming GPUs …

Rhettech Wrtc Undergraduate Journal Volume 7 Full Issue

RhetTech

No abstract provided.

Baby, Did You Get Your Diploma?: The Lived Experiences Of Formerly Incarcerated African American Men In The Pursuit And Attainment Of College Degrees, Charles D. Gidney

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of formerly incarcerated African American men in the pursuit and attainment of college degrees. This qualitative study examined the post-incarceration educational journeys of eight men. Formerly incarcerated African American men were selected based on the limited amount of academic research that exists targeting this student demographic. A broad cross section of educational attainment was represented in this study with two participants possessing PhD’s; one doctoral candidate; two doctoral students; and three undergraduate students (one freshman, one sophomore, and one junior). At the time of the study their ages ranged …

2025 Nsu Undergraduate Commencement Program, Nova Southeastern University

NSU Commencement Programs

May 5, 2025

• Halmos College of Arts and Sciences and the Guy Harvey Oceanographic Research Center
• Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice
• College of Psychology
• H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship
• Shepard Broad College of Law

May 6, 2025

• Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Dr. Pallavi Patel College of Health Care Sciences
• Ron and Kathy Assaf College of Nursing

Understanding University-Level Food Recovery Programs’ Approaches To Minimizing Food Waste While Combating Food Insecurity In The United States, Ella F. Flesher

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Food is wasted every day at each level of the food system from production to consumption. This surplus has significant negative impacts on the environment after food is sent to the landfill and allowed to rot. However, some surplus food can be repurposed and diverted from the landfill. This study served as an initial investigation to explore multiple food waste diversion programs and analyze their structure, best practices, and methods to divert leftover food. This study specifically aimed to compare and contrast food recovery programs by interviewing participants from three food recovery programs from different university institutions. With the key …

Stop Design: Rethinking The Approach To Public Transit's Architecture, Elizabeth M. Nielsen

Architecture Masters of Science Program: Theses

Public spaces are the foundation of our social health and wellbeing, but are often designed without considering the needs of the public, creating spaces that people do not feel encouraged to use. Just as public space design as a whole often falls short of serving the public, the same can be said for a subset of public space design, public transit stops. While they are public spaces created for the purpose of waiting, their design rarely reflects this.

Well-designed public transit stops are capable of both maintaining existing ridership and drawing in new riders. Most commonly, this design occurs at …

The Geopolitics Of Digital Regulation, Aziz Z. Huq

University of Chicago Law Review

Contemporary regulation of new digital technologies by nation-states unfolds under a darkening shadow of geopolitical competition. The United States government operates simultaneously in a domestic political environment dominated by oligopolistic firms competing to expand, and in an international political environment wherein it competes against other sovereign nations by cultivating and deploying digital technological capacities for geostrategic economic and military ends. Thanks to the ensuing burst of crosscutting pressures, both national and supranational regulation can take on surprisingly reticulated, even baroque or perverse, forms.

Three recent monographs offer illuminating and complementary maps of these geopolitical conflicts and the national responses to …

University Employee Recognition Event Guide, Molly Anslinger

Student Projects for Graduate Degrees

This project developed a comprehensive and scalable event planning template for university employee recognition. Universities tend to struggle with employee engagement and retention, in part due to inconsistent or underdeveloped recognition events. The template was designed to celebrate employee milestones and contributions while simultaneously promoting morale, engagement, and a sense of belonging throughout the institution. As many universities encounter challenges related to employee retention and engagement, this plan offers a practical approach to recognizing employee achievements. Recognizing the longevity milestones and contributions of employees throughout the institution proved critical for improving job satisfaction and overall employee engagement retention. Key components …

The (N)Ice Cream Shop Business Plan Project: Applying Project Management Tools And Principles To A Business Plan, Christopher Jimenez

Student Projects for Graduate Degrees

The (N)ice Cream Shop Business Plan Project explores the feasibility of launching a nitrogen-infused ice cream shop in Eagle River, Alaska. With no direct competition, this venture offers a unique opportunity, though it must address financial feasibility, regulatory requirements, and market competition. The project follows a structured two-phase approach: 1. Research and Planning: Conducting market analysis, financial forecasting, and risk assessment to determine demand, pricing strategy, and potential challenges. 2. Business Plan Development: Using findings to create an investor-ready business plan, including operations, funding, and a project management framework for implementation. A key component involves assessing consumer interest. Among respondents …

The Anchorage School District (Asd) Project Management Curriculum Project, Julia Wigren

Student Projects for Graduate Degrees

The growing need for project management (PM) skills in post-secondary careers presents a significant opportunity for early career preparation. Industry projections indicate that millions of professionals will be needed in project management-oriented roles in the coming years. As the workforce becomes increasingly project-based, the demand for well-trained early career project managers continues to rise. Ensuring that students gain PM skills before graduation provides them with a competitive advantage in the job market. Recognizing this opportunity, the Anchorage School District (ASD) sought to incorporate PM education into its newly implemented Academies of Anchorage, aiming to prepare students for college, career, and …

Risk Management Planning For Arctic Infrastructure Construction Projects, Michel Scott

Student Projects for Graduate Degrees

Arctic construction projects face unique challenges such as ice-rich aggregates, severe weather, and limited resources. This project creates an Arctic-specific risk management system for Alaska Arctic Constructors (AAC), featuring a tailored Risk Register, Lessons Learned Archives, Past Performance Register with historical costs and production rates, and ongoing management of these tools. These scalable tools mitigate risk and enhance planning capabilities. Estimating and management teams gain sharper awareness of threats and opportunities for optimization. Leveraging expertise from knowledgeable key stakeholders via surveys and interviews (designers, government professionals, contractors) plays a critical role in developing these tools while addressing threats inherent to …

An Intranasal Subunit Vaccine Induces Protective Systemic And Mucosal Antibody Immunity Against Respiratory Viruses In Mouse Models., Aina Karen Anthi, Anette Kolderup, Eline Benno Vaage, Malin Bern, Sopisa Benjakul, Elias Tjärnhage, Fulgencio Ruso-Julve, Kjell-Rune Jensen, Heidrun Elisabeth Lode, Marina Vaysburd, Jeannette Nilsen, Marie Leangen Herigstad, Siri Aastedatter Sakya, Lisa Tietze, Diego Pilati, Mari Nyquist-Andersen, Mirjam Dürkoop, Torleif Tollefsrud Gjølberg, Linghang Peng, Stian Foss, Morten C Moe, Benjamin E. Low, Michael V. Wiles, David Nemazee, Frode L Jahnsen, John Torgils Vaage, Kenneth A Howard, Inger Sandlie, Leo C James, Gunnveig Grødeland, Fridtjof Lund-Johansen, Jan Terje Andersen

Faculty Research 2025

Although vaccines are usually given intramuscularly, the intranasal delivery route may lead to better mucosal protection and limit the spread of respiratory virus while easing administration and improving vaccine acceptance. The challenge, however, is to achieve delivery across the selective epithelial cell barrier. Here we report on a subunit vaccine platform, in which the antigen is genetically fused to albumin to facilitate FcRn-mediated transport across the mucosal barrier in the presence of adjuvant. Intranasal delivery in conventional and transgenic mouse models induces both systemic and mucosal antigen-specific antibody responses that protect against challenge with SARS-CoV-2 or influenza A. When benchmarked …