Digital Commons Network^™

Thomas W. Christopher Collection, University Of Alabama School Of Law

Manuscript Collections

This collection includes administrative items regarding UA's School of Law and various personal items and notes from Dean Thomas W. Christopher.

Southern Courier Newspaper Collection, University Of Alabama School Of Law

Manuscript Collections

Produced by Peter Cummings and Ellen Lake, two Harvard journalism undergraduates and veterans of the 1964 Freedom Summer, Montgomery's Southern Courier serves as an important primary source of the civil rights movement.

Pelham J. Merrill Collection, University Of Alabama School Of Law

Manuscript Collections

The Pelham J. Merrill Collection includes personal docket books, scrapbooks, photographs, awards, and publications pertaining to Justice Pelham J. Merrill, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Alabama. The docket books span the years 1953-1976, and the scrapbooks span the years 1919-1985.

Mirza Anwer Beg Collection, University Of Alabama School Of Law

Manuscript Collections

This collection consists of a large number of books, files, photographs, and notebooks on topics ranging from Islam and Islamic/Arabic themes to poetry and art as well as topics on law, diplomacy, history, and philosophy.

Jay Wesley Murphy Collection, University Of Alabama School Of Law

Manuscript Collections

The Jay Wesley Murphy Collection is comprised of personal and professional papers, including arbitration case files, audiotapes, notes, transcripts of classroom presentations and discussions, and books.

September 11, 2001 Memorial Newspaper Collection, University Of Alabama School Of Law

Manuscript Collections

Contains newspaper reports on 9/11 from Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, Huntsville, Montgomery and Mobile, Alabama, as well as a New York Times pictorial report on the year 2001 as a whole. Also contains several national newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times, the New York Law Journal, and the Wall Street Journal, printed directly following the attacks of that day.

"A Southerner's Plan For Desegregation" Journal Collection, University Of Alabama School Of Law

Manuscript Collections

“A Southerner’s Plan for Desegregation” is a 13-page memoir and manifesto concerning aspects of civil rights. It was anonymously written in the 1950s. The work is composed in a Queen Elizabeth II coronation journal.

The Ideological Work Of Penal Reform: How Reformers Justify Penal-Welfare Hybridization, John Halushka, Brandon Miller

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

This article uses the Santa Clara County Reentry Resource Center (RRC) as a case study to explore the cultural content of penal reform. Specifically, we explore the discourses that officials use to publicly justify projects of penal-welfare hybridization, or the linking of state systems of punishment and welfare to manage criminalized populations. Our qualitative analysis draws on a dataset consisting of county planning documents, budgets, videos, press releases, and newsletters published online between 2011 and 2023. By examining these materials over time, we are able to chart patterns of consistency and variation in how officials justify hybridization. We find that …

Preserving Large-Scale Railroad Infrastructure Sites: The Louisville And Nashville Ravenna Yard As A Case Study, Zachary Jones

Graduate Final Projects

This project consists of a draft National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) nomination for the Ravenna Louisville and Nashville Railyard, located in Irvine, Kentucky. Developed in the early twentieth century as the operational center of the L&N Railroad’s Eastern Kentucky Division, the rail yard played a significant role in the transportation of coal and other natural resources while contributing to the growth of the towns of Ravenna and Irvine. Through the review of historical resources, field documentation, and examination of preservation scholarship, this project evaluates the historical significance and integrity of the surviving rail yard resources and argues for their …

Evaluation Of The Healthy Eating And Recovery Together (Heart) Digital Health Intervention To Support Head And Neck Cancer Caregivers And Survivors, Katherine R. Sterba, Jessica L. Burris, Rong Duan, Benjamin A. Toll, Kent Armeson, Christina Sithideth, Bhishamjit Chera, Kenneth Ruggiero, Evan M. Graboyes

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background: Head and neck cancer (HNC) survivors and their caregivers face significant challenges at the end of treatment and interventions are critically needed to support their needs. The Healthy Eating and Recovery Together (HEART) intervention includes a needs assessment and tailored care plan for dyads and an application (App) for caregivers. The objectives of this trial were to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and short-term effects of HEART on unmet needs and depression in HNC survivors and caregivers.

Methods: In a single arm clinical trial, HNC caregivers and survivors (n=23 dyads) completed baseline surveys followed by an in-person or virtual HEART …

Catching The Drift, Jason S. Tsukahara, Anthony P. Zanesco, Brooke Schwartzman, Ekaterina Denkova, Amishi P. Jha

Psychology Faculty Publications

Sustained focus is essential for effective goal-directed behavior. Yet, as sustained attention tasks drag on, the occurrence of mind wandering increases. Recent studies suggest that such increases in mind wandering correspond with increases in response time variability and declines in accuracy with greater time-on-task. Relatively little is known about how large-scale brain dynamics unfold over similar timescales. EEG microstates offer a way to characterize these dynamics by capturing brief, quasi-stable topographical patterns that index distinct large-scale neural configurations. Prior work has shown that microstate C corresponds with episodes of mind wandering, whereas microstate E corresponds with task-focused periods. The present …

Charities Can Use Visual Progression Appeals To Communicate Solution Longevity, Josh Lundberg, John Peloza, Adam W. Craig

Psychology Faculty Publications

Donors seek to make donations that will generate sustainable, long-term changes. However, little is known about how charities can communicate their ability to effect lasting change. Across several charitable donation contexts, this work demonstrates that charities can use progression images to heighten perceptions of solution longevity and yield greater prosocial support than traditional before-and-after images. The authors also establish two moderators for this effect, showing that the presence of copy that outlines how the charity creates lasting change mitigates the effects of progression images and that charities not known as competent are well positioned to capitalize on the benefit of …

Listening To Teachers, Deborah Rivas-Drake, Victoria Vezaldenos, Laura Ann Jacobs, Dawn P. Witherspoon, Jozet Channey, Enrique Neblett, Christia Spears Brown, Tiffany Yip, Gabriela Livas

Psychology Faculty Publications

Teachers are uniquely positioned to promote racial and immigration justice in schools. This study draws on interviews with a U.S. educator sample (N = 26; 50% ethnoracially minoritized; 42.3% pre-K or elementary, 15.4% middle school, 34.6% high school) from a needs assessment for a public scholarship effort aimed at providing resources to advance anti-racism and anti-xenophobia. Combining a rigorous and accelerated data reduction (RADaR) method and reflexive thematic analysis, we developed 8 themes: 5 pertaining to substantive issues, 2 to format concerns, and 1 integrating both substance and format issues. Our expansive approach in the present study, including educators from …

Racial/Ethnic Identity Moderates Changes In Skill Use And Therapeutic Alliance But Not Anxiety Or Depression In The Unified Protocol, Matthew W. Southward, Alex G. Urs, Thomas G. Adams, Shannon Sauer-Zavala

Psychology Faculty Publications

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) patients with minoritized racial/ethnic backgrounds report similar outcomes as White patients but may report weaker alliances and less frequent CBT skill use. Given its transdiagnostic utility, we tested how racial/ethnic background impacted treatment outcomes, the alliance, and therapy skill use in the Unified Protocol (UP). Participants (N = 70, M_age = 33.7, 67% female, 74% White) with emotional disorders completed six sessions of core UP modules. Participants rated their past-week anxiety, depression, and skill use before each session and the strength of the alliance after each session. We tested whether racial/ethnic background moderated the slopes of …

Generating A Gfp Reporter Via Crispr To Visualize Ssa4 Export, Aara Khairollahi, Rebecca Adams

SPARK Symposium Presentations

In eukaryotic cells, the transport of mRNA from the nucleus to the cytoplasm is a very regulated process controlled by nuclear pore complexes (NPCs). During stress conditions, such as heat shock, most mRNA export is inhibited in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, yet the transcript for SSA4, a gene responsible for refolding denatured essential proteins, is exported. The mechanism behind this selective export remains unknown. To investigate this, we used CRISPR-Cas9 to generate a reporter strain in which the SSA4 open reading frame was replaced or inserted with green fluorescent protein (GFP). This reporter is designed to produce GFP only under conditions that …

Reliability Of Staged Maximal Aerobic Capacity Protocol Using A Combined Upper- And Lower-Body Air-Braked Ergometer, Jack J. Livingston

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Maximal oxygen uptake (VO₂max) is widely recognized as the preeminent measure of aerobic capacity and is typically assessed using graded exercise testing (GXT). This study examined the test–retest reliability of VO₂peak and associated physiological responses during a staged GXT performed on a combined upper- and lower-body air-braked ergometer. Fifteen recreationally active adults (9 males, 6 females; age: 26.9 ± 7.2 years; body mass: 75.1 ± 11.0 kg) completed one familiarization session and two trials separated by ≥72 hours. Participants performed a staged GXT (40 RPM start, +3 RPM every 3 min to exhaustion) on a combined upper- and lower-body air-braked …

Temporal Patterns Of Storm Surges: Event-Identification, Clustering, And Count Modeling, Ariadna Martin Oliva

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Coastal regions face compounding risks when extreme events strike in rapid succession, yet most statistical frameworks treat such events as independent, a simplification that can critically underestimate hazard. This thesis addresses that gap through three interconnected contributions focused on the temporal clustering of storm surges at the global scale. A new automated method is developed to extract independent storm surge events from continuous tide gauge records. By leveraging event correlations and a soft-margin approach that accounts for local variability, the method identifies characteristic event durations across 1,485 global tide gauge stations, revealing the influence of both local site conditions and …

The Two-Step Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplant Is Associated With Excellent Engraftment, Improved Survival And Low Nonrelapse Mortality In Patients With Myelofibrosis, Xia Bi, Shaik Rashid, Joanne Filicko-O'Hara, Joseph Van Galen, William O'Hara, John L. Wagner, Dolores Grosso, Neal Flomenberg, Usama Gergis

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

Myelofibrosis is a chronic myeloproliferative disorder primarily affecting older adults, and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) remains the only curative treatment option. However, HSCT for myelofibrosis presents significant challenges, including high nonrelapse mortality (NRM) and an increased risk of graft failure. In this 20-year retrospective study, we evaluated outcomes for 32 myelofibrosis patients who underwent HSCT at our institution, with particular focus on a two-step transplant approach designed to optimize T-cell dosing by separating the lymphoid and myeloid graft components, with cyclophosphamide administered after the lymphoid infusion and before infusion of CD34-selected stem cells. Eighteen patients underwent transplantation using …

Statutory Interpretation In The Oklahoma Supreme Court: Making The Case For Modified Textualism, Mahak H. Merchant

Oklahoma Law Review

No abstract provided.

Anti-Domestic Violence In China: Re-Accessing The Public Value Of Individual Experience, Xiaoran Tang

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

In December 2019, Kim Lee, a symbolic figure in China’s anti-domestic violence (ADV) movement, publicly stated on the Chinese social media platform Weibo that she forgave her ex-husband Li Yang, sparking widespread controversy.

Drawing on Joan W. Scott’s method of examining experience, this study analyzes Kim’s case within the broader historical development of China’s ADV movement. It traces how Kim’s personal experiences and public images were continuously constructed, interpreted, and reshaped across different stages of the movement. This study finds that Kim’s experiences became public knowledge through the social, legal, and institutional processes that framed her as a domestic violence …

John Frederick Kensett & Lotus-Eating, Elizabeth Montfort

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

This thesis examines Lotus-Eating: A Summer Book (1860) by George William Curtis, with illustrations by John Frederick Kensett. Situating the work within the broader culture of the nineteenth-century travel literature, it analyzes the text’s intermedial construction across memoir, poetry, and visual imagery. By considering each of these modes both independently and in relation to one another, the thesis argues that Curtis and Kensett collaboratively produce a hierarchical framework for viewing and experiencing nature.

Drawing on intermedial and ecocritical methodologies, this project demonstrates how the book does not simply depict landscape but actively instructs its audience in how to see it. …

The Secret Life Of Ferns: Narratives And Reflections On Homesteading, Mindy M. Wren

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

The Secret Life of Ferns is a collection of personal essays that contemplate the joys and difficulties of homesteading and rural life in the northern Vermont region known as the Northeast Kingdom. Observations and experiences over the last three decades serve as catalysts for reflection as I explore themes of isolation, loss, adaptability, and connection. My insights are informed by my role as an immersed outsider: a native New Yorker who has endured the playful label of “flatlander” for many years. My reflections draw from my experiences growing up in a large city.

My work highlights relationships between women, family, …

Review Of The Red Market: On The Trail Of The World's Organ Brokers, Bone Thieves, Blood Farmers, And Child Traffickers, Christine Parker

Nebraska Anthropologist

Review of The Red Market: On the Trail of the World's Organ Brokers, Bone Thieves, Blood Farmers, and Child Traffickers (2011) by Scott Carney.

North Korean Archaeology And Archaeological Interpretation In The Twentieth Century, Gabrielle E. Stoddard

Nebraska Anthropologist

This paper examines how political unrest in North Korea during the twentieth century affected Korean Archaeology. During the occupation of the Korean peninsula by the Empire of Japan during 1910–1945, Japanese scholars embarked on the study of archaeology in Korea. Japanese archaeologists used Korean archaeological data and materials to push a colonial viewpoint that Korea was a weak state that could not advance without oversight from a conquering nation. After Korea was liberated by the Soviet Union and the United States in 1945, it was divided into the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North) and the Republic of Korea (South). …

Smudging And Polishing To Create A Non-Stick Surface For Ceramic Cookware: An Experimental Study, Galazie Pendleton

Nebraska Anthropologist

This paper examines whether smudging and polishing the interior of a ceramic cooking vessel will result in a non-stick cooking surface. The experimental study displayed in this paper is inspired by the prehistoric Southwestern practice of smudging and polishing ceramic bowls in the Mogollon region. Many scholars have assumed that smudged and polished cooking surfaces result in non-stick cooking surfaces, but no experimental studies have been conducted to test this. This paper aims to restart the conversation around the non-stick nature of smudged and polished bowls by recording the cleaning process after cooking. To create a holistic approach to this …

Clinical And Community-Based Recovery Models: The Focus On How They Can Be Better Together, Alicia Wilder

Graduate Research Papers

Two of the main pathways for individuals to access recovery services are clinical and community-based. The clinical model focuses on medical stabilization and treatment, followed by community-based care that provides peer-driven support and sustainability through connection. The purpose is to examine how recovery models aim to support those in recovery and pinpoint the ways they can integrate medical and social systems to meet client needs. Comparing the two will allow us to understand how each model supports sustained recovery and overall well-being. The question that will be researched in this study is: How do acute clinical treatment and community- based …

Sight Or Sound?: A Review Of The Literature, Benjamin Chavers

Graduate Research Papers

This literature review examines the longstanding pedagogical debate between rote (aural) and note (notation-based) approaches to music learning, exploring their respective impacts on student performance, retention, and overall musicianship across diverse educational contexts. Drawing on historical, cultural, and empirical research, the study synthesizes findings from non-traditional settings (including culturally transmitted music practices and music education for visually impaired learners), instrumental and vocal classrooms, and general music environments. The literature reveals that rote learning, deeply rooted in global musical traditions and early American pedagogy, supports rapid skill acquisition, audiation, and expressive performance, particularly among beginning and younger learners. Conversely, note-based instruction …

“En La Clase, Sí. En Estados Unidos, No.”: La Motivación, La Pertenencia Y El Intercambio De Recursos En Clases Para Adultos Aprendices De Inglés, Katie Hunter

Graduate Research Papers

En los Estados Unidos, los programas de educación para adultos pueden abrir la puerta a varias oportunidades para estudiantes con trasfondos académicos no tradicionales. Los programas como la educación básica para adultos, la equivalencia de escuela secundaria, la preparación profesional y técnica y, lo más importante para los propósitos de este estudio, la educación para adultos aprendices de inglés, promueven el progreso profesional y apoyan a los estudiantes a identificar y trabajar para alcanzar sus metas personales. Sin embargo, en este contexto educativo es de suma importancia reconocer el conocimiento arraigado en la experiencia vivida que los estudiantes traen al …

Hardwiring Hercules?, Courtney M. Cox

Faculty Scholarship

It is time to reorient the debate over the right to a human decision. Within that debate, the strongest arguments in favor of human decisionmakers are Arguments from Explanation: AI technology is increasingly and necessarily opaque, and so machines should not replace human decisionmakers because machines cannot give the required explanations. Or so the humanist argument goes. Meanwhile, machinists argue that most humanist principles have been deflated by the Better Decision Argument, which reframes such principles as grounding not a right to a human decision, but merely to a “better” decision— whether by human or machine.

This Article turns that …

Should Statutory Interpretation And Contract Interpretation Be Harmonized?, Ethan J. Leib

Faculty Scholarship

This paper develops four case studies about how states have harmonized or separated their statutory interpretation regimes and their contract interpretation regimes.  After exploring the choices of Texas, Alaska, New York, and Alabama—all of which take different approaches to their lumping or splitting—the paper seeks to make state courts more aware of what their options are; to help states think about whether their commitments to formalism or contextualism make sense to apply in both domains; and to help them evaluate their meta-choices about whether to bring their interpretive regimes closer together or further apart.