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Iere Annual Report 2025, Erin Largo-Wight, Heather Barnes Truelove, Kelly Rhoden, Nicole Lowe, Ruby Cox

Annual Reports

2025 Annual Report of the Institute for Environmental Research and Education

Considerations Of Undrained Behavior Of Compacted Clay Embankments Under Extreme Wetting-Drying Cycles, Ghada Ellithy, John F. Peters

Publications

Many geotechnical analyses, including slope stability, involve unsaturated soils or soils in thevadose zone. Undrained loading happens when the increase in driving forces occurs quicker thanthe ability of the soil to dissipate its pore-water pressure (PWP). During undrained loading forcompacted clay embankments, in which the material is typically unsaturated, it has beenestablished that the increase in shear strength caused by an increase in confining pressure is largerthan the reduction in shear strength due to a decrease in matric suction. This concept is not wellestablished in engineering practice because the conventional understanding is that the strength ofunsaturated soils is larger than …

Analysing Nontraditional Students' Chatgpt Interaction, Engagement, Self-Efficacy And Performance: A Mixed-Methods Approach, Mohan Yang, Shiyan Jiang, Belle Li, Kristin Herman, Tian Luo, Shanan Chappell Moots, Nolan Lovett

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Generative artificial intelligence brings opportunities and unique challenges to nontraditional higher education students, stemming, in part, from the experience of the digital divide. Providing access and practice is critical to bridge this divide and equip students with needed digital competencies. This mixed-methods study investigated how nontraditional higher education students interact with ChatGPT in multiple courses and examined relationships between ChatGPT interactions, engagement, self-efficacy and performance. Data were collected from 73 undergraduate and graduate students through chat logs, course reflections and artefacts, surveys and interviews. ChatGPT interactions were analysed using four metrics: prompt number, depth of knowledge (DoK), prompt relevance and …

Asynchronous Trials: A New Approach To High-Volume Civil Adjudication, Henry Zhuhao Wang

Scholarly Publications

For thousands of years, trials were held in brick-and-mortar courthouses. Then COVID-19 ravaged the world, and many businesses and institutions, including judicial courts, went online. For the first time many people realized, accepted, and benefited from online trials held via videoconference software like Zoom. But Zoom fatigue is real. As the epidemic subsides, we must explore the next exciting growth point for judicial reforms.

Outside the courtroom, since the second half of the twentieth century, a revolution in communication methods has profoundly affected people’s daily life: we have switched from almost entirely real-time, synchronous human interactions, such as in-person meetings …

The Role Of Occupational Therapy In Vision Rehabilitation In The Rural Outpatient Setting, Hailey Jo Mcguire

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Background: Vision is a complex part of the sensory system that is often overlooked in patient care or mistaken for cognitive impairment (Aravich & Troxell, 2021). As visual disruption often comes secondary to a plethora of physical and cognitive health conditions, addressing the visual system is part of the role of occupational therapy in treating clients holistically. There is a lack of available resources to support practitioners in rural outpatient settings in working with patients who have vision-related complications. Oculomotor skills are one of the three foundational skills considering at the visual system (Warren, 1993) and has multiple subskills underlying …

A Holistic Program Manual For Permanent Supportive Housing: Integrating Housing First And Occupational Therapy Approaches, Melody Mackenzie

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Background: Individuals experiencing chronic homelessness often face complex challenges including trauma, mental health conditions, and barriers to daily living. While permanent supportive housing provides long-term housing with supportive services, gaps exist in resources tailored for both residents and residential support staff. Many existing permanent supportive housing programs emphasize behavioral or mental health approaches, with fewer addressing the full range of occupational participation needs. Occupational therapy, with its holistic and client-centered perspective, offers a valuable lens to enhance service delivery in permanent supportive housing.

Purpose: The purpose of this scholarly project was to develop two compatible tools–a Permanent Supportive Housing Residential …

Artificial Intelligence And Constitutional Interpretation, Andrew Coan, Harry Surden

University of Colorado Law Review

No abstract provided.

Facial Chick Sexing: An Automated Chick Sexing System From Chick Facial Image, Marta Veganzones Rodriguez, Thinh Phan, Arthur F.A. Fernandes, Vivian Breen, Jesus Arango, Michael T. Kidd, Ngan Le

Computer Science and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Chick sexing, the process of determining the gender of day-old chicks, is a critical task in the poultry industry due to the distinct roles that each gender plays in production. While effective traditional methods achieve high accuracy, color, and wing feather sexing is exclusive to specific breeds, and vent sexing is invasive and requires trained experts. To address these challenges, we propose a novel approach inspired by facial gender classification techniques in humans: facial chick sexing. This new method does not require expert knowledge and aims to reduce training time while enhancing animal welfare by minimizing chick manipulation. We develop …

Focused Feature Extraction For Driver Drowsiness Detection Using An Enhanced Attention-Based Resnet Model, Nada Ayman Atia, Rawan Sameh

The Undergraduate Research Journal

In the context of increasing road safety concerns, particularly in Egypt, this paper addresses the critical issue of driver drowsiness, a significant contributor to road accidents worldwide. With alarming statistics from the World Health Organization citing human error, chiefly drowsiness, as the cause for a majority of road accidents in Egypt, there is a compelling need for an effective drowsiness detection system. This research introduces a novel, vision-based driver drowsiness detection system leveraging a multi-dimensional approach with a Residual Neural Network (ResNet) architecture and attention layers. This system aims to accurately identify drowsiness by analyzing key facial features. The paper …

Women In Orientalist Paintings: The Different Symbols Women Represented In Orientalist Paintings In The Late Nineteenth And Early Twentieth Century, Malak Ahmed

The Undergraduate Research Journal

Art is one tool that indirectly affects people’s thoughts and perceptions. Orientalist painting is a type of art that reflects some of the mistaken stereotypes the West has about Oriental societies, such as inferiority, hypersexuality, and objectification of women. Understanding the artistic symbols and elements of representation defining women’s roles in Oriental societies in such paintings is one way to take further steps towards eradicating stereotypes about Oriental women. Research to date has mainly focused on the sexual representations of women in Orientalist paintings, and no due care has been given to the different symbols that the paintings include. This …

How The Expansion Of The Egyptian Tech Sector Can Attract Foreign Investment, Mohamed Hany Eldeib

The Undergraduate Research Journal

Egypt’s growing tech sector presents a significant opportunity to attract foreign direct investment (FDI), foster economic growth, and address critical challenges such as unemployment and skill gaps. This research examines how expanding the tech sector and implementing key policy reforms can position Egypt as an attractive hub for technology and innovation. Drawing on Paul Romer’s Endogenous Growth Theory—which underscores the role of innovation, human capital, and knowledge spillovers in driving sustained economic growth—this study explores how these elements, combined with investments in infrastructure and workforce development, contribute to Egypt’s competitiveness. Comparative insights from countries such as Vietnam and India further …

Fire And Mammal Herbivory On Arthropods In The Protected Savannas: A Systematic Review, Ludzula Mukwevho, Mduduzi Ndlovu, Frank Chidawanyika

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Protected areas in the savannas are key global reserves for biological diversity, including arthropods. Fire and mammal herbivory disrupts the diversity of biological organisms that alternately affects the functioning of the ecosystem. The study presents a global synthesis review of arthropod responses to varying intensities of fires and mammal herbivory in the protected savannas. We hypothesise that the intensity of predetermined fires and mammal herbivory has cascading impacts on abundance, species richness and diversity of terrestrial arthropods in the protected savannas. A minimum selection criteria was used to collate relevant literature from electronic databases of previous studies performed in the …

New Science Teacher Experiences In A Mentor Program With Same Content Vs Different Content Mentors: A Qualitative Study, Melissa Niemi

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study explores the impact of mentor content knowledge on the experiences of novice secondary science teachers and what qualities novice science teachers find important in a mentor. This study investigates whether having a content-specific mentor affects a new science teacher’s self-efficacy, teaching practices, and career satisfaction compared to those mentored by teachers from different content areas. Using Social Cognitive Theory as a framework, the study examines how the interactions between mentors and mentees shape new teachers’ development and instructional effectiveness. Data was collected through participant images, card sorts, and interviews to uncover themes regarding the value of …

An Evaluation Of Frank Brown's Free Market, Leigh Ann Mccormick

Theses and Dissertations

Background: This study aimed to conduct an in-depth evaluation of Frank Brown Hall, Free-Market (Food Pantry), within the grant timeframe from January to April 2024. The central objective was to examine the distinct resource demands of students limited to selecting three items each day. By employing careful observation, effective communication, and active listening, we successfully obtained essential student feedback that enhanced our understanding of their needs and preferences, improving the support provided during that semester. Methods: Throughout the grant, data were systematically classified according to the chosen items, the students’ academic majors, and the cumulative number of visits to the …

Social Media Strategy For The Continuing And Professional Education Program, Kayla Ford

Theses and Dissertations

Continuing and Professional Education (CPE) allows adults to pursue professional or personal development opportunities outside of a college degree. When it came to marketing these opportunities, CPE relied more on traditional marketing from a lack of digital marketing professionals, creating a weak social media presence. To help elevate their social media presence, a social media marketing strategy approach was utilized to improve CPE’s digital presence by setting objectives that focus on engagement, awareness, and as well as a campaign that focuses on the importance of continuing education. Data from research studies and professional articles specializing in digital marketing directed what …

Riverside Readings: Audio Drama Development And Implementation Plan, Trent P. Mylie

Theses and Dissertations

The current state of media includes broadcasting, podcasting, and a new yet familiar form of accessible media through streaming. Numerous examples illustrate the significance of broadcasting and counter the notion that it is a niche or outdated form of media. Younger generations, including mine, have grown up in an era rich in media, witnessing the dawn and resurgence of formats that once seemed lost. As we transition into a collegiate environment, we seek to channel our creativity through a medium; for us, that medium is radio and podcasting. Riverside Readings allows individuals to explore their creative passions and engage in …

Exploratory Data Analysis (Eda) And Predictive Machine Learning (Ml) For Buildings’ Energy Fault Detection, Akshith Nukala

Theses and Dissertations

Building energy load fault detection is a critical challenge in energy usage analysis. It helps uncover energy wastage, machinery/appliance degradation or inefficiency, and failures or faults in buildings’ HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) systems. Early identification of machinery failure and energy wastages due to operational maintenance negligence in large sites such as campus buildings is indispensable for achieving energy efficiency. This is crucial for saving patrol and minimizing the response time to restore the building appliances or systems to their optimal state.

Advancements in state-of-the-art AI/ML data-driven algorithms and techniques enabled us to build accurate, efficient and scalable fault …

Flavorful Foes: Assessing Students’ Perceptions Of Processed And Fast Food And Its Health Implications., Soumi Roy Banerjee

Theses and Dissertations

High fast-food consumption is a common public health concern due to its link to a number of non-communicable diseases and mental health, but increased consumption of processed food, rapid urbanization, and changing lifestyles have led to a shift in dietary patterns. People are consuming more foods high in energy fats and free sugars. This mixed methods study was conducted at a college campus in Georgia, to assess knowledge and understanding of the students between the ages of 18 and 22 years about highly processed Fast Food, and its effects on health. Forty student participants were chosen through convenience sampling and …

Exploring Brent-Kung Adders In Balanced Ternary Cmos Logic, Astrea J.C. Rojas

Theses and Dissertations

The modern computer operates on a 64-bit architecture. These devices can store large numbers and precise decimals, but more advanced devices are needed to support progressing technologies every day. A more efficient system with higher speeds and larger operable numbers would be a key to optimization of computation as we know it. The ternary device, operating in base-3, has the potential to be that optimization. However, binary technology has such precedent and research that it is a difficult gap to span to compare the ternary system to the modern binary system. With a more advanced adder and optimized gates using …

Cultivating Mindsets And Transformative Practices Of Beginning Alternative Certified Teachers: A Teacher Perception Study, Rodney Keith Wilkerson

Theses and Dissertations

The shortage of qualified teachers in the United States has been a persistent issue for decades. The number of qualified candidates to fill teaching vacancies has fallen short as the number of teachers needed to educate today continues to increase (Carothers et al., 2019). Traditionally, teacher preparation programs were the primary source of certified teachers. However, these programs have been decimated by declining student enrollment and by criticisms that they do not meet the needs of prospective teaching candidates today (Darling-Hammond, 2020). In recent years, the shortage has become even more acute, with some regions facing severe teacher shortages (Carothers …

A Close Look At Dissolved Silica Dynamics In Disko Bay, West Greenland, Mark J. Hopwood, Dustin Carroll, Yuanyuan Gu, Xin Huang, Jana Krause, Stefano Cozzi, Carolina Cantoni, María Fernanda Gastelu Barcena, Shandy Carroll, Arne Körtzinger

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Discharge of calved ice, runoff and mixing driven by subglacial discharge plumes likely have consequences for marine biogeochemistry in Disko Bay, which hosts the largest glacier in the northern hemisphere, Sermeq Kujalleq. Glacier retreat and increasing runoff may impact the marine silica cycle because glaciers deliver elevated concentrations of dissolved silica (dSi) compared to other macronutrients. However, the annual flux of dSi delivered to the ocean from the Greenland Ice Sheet is poorly constrained because of difficulties distinguishing the overlapping influence of different dSi sources. Here we constrain silica dynamics around Disko Bay, including the Ilulissat Icefjord and four other …

Examining Equity And Graduation Rates At Two Institutions Using A Course Deficit Model And The Collaborative Learning Through Active Sense-Making In Physics Curriculum, Cassandra A. Paul, David J. Webb

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

We have previously described the reformed introductory physics course, collaborative learning through active sense-making in physics (CLASP), for bioscience students at a large public research one university (Original University) and presented evidence that the course was more successful and more equitable than the course it replaced by several measures. Now we compare the original success of CLASP with an implementation at a second institution. We find that the original results hold at another institution despite some changes to the original curriculum and a somewhat different student population. We find that students who take CLASP are (1) less likely to drop, …

On Modeling Agent Behavior Change Through Multi-Typed Information Diffusion In Online Social Networks, Masaaki Miyashita, Norihiko Shinomiya, Daisuke Kasamatsu, Genya Ishigaki

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

The rapid spread of information on online social networks (OSNs) has had both beneficial and detrimental societal impacts. Notably, the propagation of misinformation during events such as the COVID-19 pandemic has driven collective behavioral responses, sometimes exacerbating crises such as panic buying and bank runs. The toilet paper shortage in Japan in 2020 caused by people's selfish behavior owing to the diffusion of information to correct misinformation, which is considered a general phenomenon based on three sociological characteristics: a collective action problem, a self-fulfilling prophecy, and pluralistic ignorance. Understanding what kind and how information can inhibit selfish behavior to mitigate …

Measurement Resolution Enhanced Coherence For Lattice Fermions, Hilary M. Hurst, Yik Haw Teoh, I. B. Spielman

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Weak measurement enables the extraction of targeted information from a quantum system while minimizing decoherence due to measurement backaction. However, in many-body quantum systems, backaction can have unexpected effects on wave-function collapse. We theoretically study a minimal many-particle model consisting of weakly measured noninteracting fermions in a one-dimensional lattice. Repeated measurement of the on-site occupation number with single-site resolution stochastically drives the system toward a Fock state, regardless of the initial state. This need not be the case for measurements that do not, even in principle, have single-site spatial resolution. We numerically show for systems with up to 16 sites …

Optogenetic Methods To Stimulate Gamma Motor Neuron Axons Ex Vivo, Apoorva Karekal, Remie Mandawe, Cameron Chun, Sai Kiran Byri, Danitza Cheline, Serena Ortiz, Shawn Hochman, Katherine A. Wilkinson

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

It is challenging to stimulate gamma motor neurons, which are important regulators of muscle spindle afferent function, without also recruiting alpha motor neurons. Here, we test the feasibility of stimulating gamma motor neuron axons using optogenetics in two transgenic mouse lines. We used an ex vivo muscle–nerve preparation in adult mice to monitor muscle spindle afferent firing, which should increase in response to gamma motor neuron-induced lengthening of the sensory region of the muscle spindle. A force transducer measured alpha motor neuron-mediated twitch contractions. Blue LED light (470 nm; 1–5 mW) was delivered via a light guide to the sciatic …

Opportunities And Barriers In Iowa’S Teacher Apprenticeship Program, Patricia Ryan

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this qualitative study is to better understand opportunities and barriers in Iowa’s Teacher and Paraeducator Registered Apprenticeship Program (TPRA), framed through the lens of social capital and wellbeing. By examining the lived experiences of apprentices and journeyman/mentor teachers, this study aims to provide deeper insights into the dynamics of teaching apprenticeships, highlighting the challenges and successes faced by teachers in this alternative route to teacher certification. Through in-depth interviews with both apprentices and journeyman/mentor teachers, this research explores how participants build social capital through mentoring relationships, as well as how these connections impact career wellbeing for both …

A Review Of Social, Behavioral, And Ethical Considerations For Smart Life Engineering, John Murray

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Smart Life (SL) systems do not exist in a technological vacuum; they are embedded in a social ecosystem and have rich and complex interactions with their surroundings. It is important to recognize that their design and implementation will have an impact on the individuals and communities around them. This chapter examines the social, behavioral, and ethical issues to be considered in a holistic systems approach to SL engineering, to help practitioners and stakeholders to design the strategies needed for successful SL deployments. It addresses these topics from several disciplinary viewpoints and provides a comprehensive set of references for those requiring …

Reinforcement Learning-Based Dynamic Field Exploration And Reconstruction Using Multi-Robot Systems For Environmental Monitoring, Thinh Lu, Divyam Sobti, Deepak Talwar, Wencen Wu

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

In the realm of real-time environmental monitoring and hazard detection, multi-robot systems present a promising solution for exploring and mapping dynamic fields, particularly in scenarios where human intervention poses safety risks. This research introduces a strategy for path planning and control of a group of mobile sensing robots to efficiently explore and reconstruct a dynamic field consisting of multiple non-overlapping diffusion sources. Our approach integrates a reinforcement learning-based path planning algorithm to guide the multi-robot formation in identifying diffusion sources, with a clustering-based method for destination selection once a new source is detected, to enhance coverage and accelerate exploration in …

The Next Generation Science Standards And Their Implementation In Iowa High Schools, Janell Wright

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Almost a decade ago, the state of Iowa used the Next Generation Science Standards’ (NGSS) performance expectations as the basis for its state science standards for K-12 students. Several key changes were implemented within these standards, including an increase in the amount of Earth and space science content at the high school level and a three-dimensional approach interweaving science and engineering practices and crosscutting concepts along with disciplinary core ideas. In this dissertation, I used a three-paper format in an explanatory sequential mixed methods design to explore how districts in Iowa are using scope and sequence to address the NGSS. …

Resilience Practices In Health Science And Medical Libraries During The Early Stages Of The Covid-19 Pandemic, Justin F. Gaynor

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

This paper uses the concept of resilience engineering as an organizing principle to discuss best practices that evolved within health science/medical libraries in the United States during COVID-19 crisis, focusing on the period March–August 2020. Protection of library staff, assistance to medical staff, reducing the circulation of misinformation and public health consumerism all required substantial changes to standard processes. These process changes had to arise in the context of both physical isolation and information overload. Some practices became widespread due to their utility, and these are the focus of this report.