Digital Commons Network^™

Introductory Note: Profound Guatemala, Alan Lebaron

Maya America: Journal of Essays, Commentary, and Analysis

Words have historic and contemporary variations in meaning. People who write about the Maya employ words such as revitalization, resurgence, agency, resistance, authenticity, and cosmovision, for example. “Profound” is the theme for Maya America this issue, and we present three examples, two from the past and one from today. The 1st profound comes from Raúl Leiva’s poem Mundo Indigena, and the second from Guillermo Bonfil Batalla who applied the word to Mexico. Our third example of profound comes from Silvia Patricia López Juan, one of the authors in this issue of Maya America.

Remixing The Integrative Model Of Pedagogy Through Varied Hip-Hop Contexts, Colleen A. Wilkinson, Caitlin Riegel, Elizabeth Falzone

Journal of the Arts and Special Education

Embedding literature which promotes positive views of disabilities into teacher preparation programs is not an uncommon practice (Hansen et al., 2023; Yu & Meyer, 2024). However, multimedia, such as music and television, allow a more inclusive approach to disability studies. Hip-Hop music serves to represent the underrepresented in society and the overrepresented in disability categories. This paper describes how to incorporate three multimedia projects utilizing an Integrative Model of Pedagogy and Hip-Hop into teacher preparation programs for more inclusive, strategic and reflective teacher candidates. Within each project the instructor embeds specific High-Leverage Practices for students with disabilities and culturally responsive …

Jase 5.2 Front Matter

Journal of the Arts and Special Education

No abstract provided.

Journal Of The Arts And Special Education: Volume 5, Issue 2

Journal of the Arts and Special Education

No abstract provided.

Editors’ Introduction To The Special Issue On Hip-Hop Pedagogy For Students With Disabilities (Side A), Jasmine Begeske, Kathleen M. Farrand

Journal of the Arts and Special Education

The co-editors of the Journal of the Arts and Special Education (JASE) introduce the special issue by outlining the impetus for its development. The editorial concludes with a description of why Hip-Hop is a timely and relevant topic for JASE and it’s readership.

If You Don’T Know, Now You Know: Jase Special Issue On Hip-Hop Pedagogy For Students With Disabilities (Side A), Jonte C. Taylor

Journal of the Arts and Special Education

This special issue examines Hip-Hop pedagogy (HHP) as a culturally grounded, multimodal approach that supports K–12 students with disabilities. Hip-Hop is presented as a comprehensive culture rooted in the five elements—MCing, DJing, breakdance, graffiti, and knowledge—which offer inclusive pathways for identity development, community, and learning. This special issue of JASE highlights HHP as an asset-based framework that enhances engagement, self-expression, assessment, and social-emotional growth while aligning with high-leverage practices. Research demonstrates that hip-hop–infused instruction can deepen academic understanding, reframe behavioral challenges, and promote equitable, disability-affirming learning environments. The included articles explore belonging for students who stutter, integrated pedagogical models, mentorship …

Hip-Hop Culture As A Catalyst For Belonging Among Black Male High School Students Who Stutter, Antonio L. Ellis

Journal of the Arts and Special Education

This ethnographic study explores how Hip-Hop culture fosters belonging, identity, and agency among six Black male high school students who stutter in a public charter school in Baltimore, Maryland. Grounded in culturally sustaining pedagogy, DisCrit, and Hip-Hop pedagogy, the research draws on participant observation, interviews, and field notes to examine how students use freestyling, beat-making, and cyphering as expressive tools. Findings reveal that Hip-Hop repositions stuttering as rhythmic expression, cultivates emotional safety through peer collaboration, and challenges deficit-based speech norms. Participants described Hip-Hop spaces as sites of affirmation where their voices were valued and their identities celebrated. The study calls …

I Am Mentorship: Hip-Hop As A Mirror For Belonging And Becoming, David J. Berg

Journal of the Arts and Special Education

This paper presents MENTEE-SS (Mentorship, Engagement, Nurturing, Trust, Empowerment, Excellence-Systems of Support for Students and Families), a practitioner-focused reimagination of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) through the lens of hip-hop pedagogy, mentorship, and culturally sustaining practices. While traditional MTSS frameworks often emphasize compliance and deficit-based intervention, MENTEE-SS situates support in student identity, creativity, and voice.

Grounded in relational trust and arts integration, the framework uses the author’s original song I’M HIM as a case study in identity reclamation. Three tiers bring this vision to life: co-designed classroom rituals (Yo DJ, Spin That Class!, Tier 1), lyric-writing groups for recovery (The …

Keeping It Real: Hip-Hop Based Education In A Mathematics Classroom, Michelle J. Cook, Elizabeth M. Hughes, Jonte C. Taylor

Journal of the Arts and Special Education

Hip-Hop based education (HHBE) infuses elements of Hip-Hop culture into teaching and learning. Growing research shows that HHBE engages students, validates students’ identities and lived experiences, and supports academic success. In this article we share how HHBE can be used in mathematics with a focus on teaching word problem solving strategies. Using vignettes and real-life examples, we illustrate how creative elements of Hip-Hop (i.e., breakdancing, graffiti art, DJing, MCing, knowledge of self) naturally enhance mathematics and word-problem solving instruction. Educators can sample/adapt strategies shared to create HHBE lessons to meet the interests of their students with disabilities. We hope that …

Hip Hop Integration With Transition Planning: Empowering Middle And High School Students For Post-Secondary Success, Lasheba Hilliard, Develyn Biagas

Journal of the Arts and Special Education

This manuscript explores the integration of hip-hop pedagogy into transition planning for urban middle and high school students with disabilities. Grounded in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and aligned with Indicator 13, the paper highlights how culturally responsive strategies can amplify student voice, foster goal setting, and enhance post-secondary outcomes. By embedding hip-hop elements such as lyric reflection, storytelling, and motivational music into instruction, educators can increase student engagement across four key transition domains: post-secondary education, employment readiness, independent living, and community involvement. The framework encourages early implementation, personalized supports, and strong school-community partnerships. Practical strategies, including vision …

Jase 5.2 Table Of Contents

Journal of the Arts and Special Education

No abstract provided.

Evaluation And Calibration Of Coupled Low-Cost Particulate Matter Sensors, Tyler Cargill

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Low-cost sensors (LCS), if used appropriately, are useful instruments to elucidate human exposure to particles suspended in the air (i.e. particulate matter, PM). Characterizing this exposure is crucial, as exposure to PM2.5 (i.e. particles with aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 μm) negatively affects the respiratory, cardiovascular, and other organ systems and is the leading environmental burden for global mortality. Similarly, exposure to particles with aerodynamic diameters greater than 2.5 μm and less than or equal to 10 μm, here forth termed as PMCoarse, is known to cause health ailments for the upper respiratory system. This dissertation focuses on the MODULAIRTM-PM (MOD-PM), …

Investigating Metabolic Heterogeneity In Engineered Isogenic Microorganisms, Xinyue Mu

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Engineered microorganisms play an increasingly important role in the sustainable production of fuels, bioplastics, and other valuable biomaterials. Successful industrial deployment depends on maximizing product titers and ensuring process robustness at large scale. However, one of the major obstacles is non-genetic cell-to-cell heterogeneity arising from stochastic intracellular processes. Such heterogeneity can result in subpopulations that divert substrates toward growth rather than product biosynthesis, ultimately reducing yield and contributing to batch-to-batch inconsistency. To better understand the mechanisms by which cell-to-cell variation emerges, propagates, and impacts bioproduction, this dissertation investigated how intracellular energetic dynamics and stochastic biosynthetic noise contributed to metabolic heterogeneity …

Learning From Images And Text (Clinical) Data: Toward Putting Ai In Radiology Workflows, Pan Xiao

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

The rapid growth of medical imaging data highlights the need for intelligent systems that can understand both radiological language and image content. This dissertation presents two complementary research directions that advance machine learning in radiology through large-scale natural language understanding and unsupervised image representation learning. The first part develops and benchmarks machine learning models for identifying follow-up recommendations in radiology reports—a task essential for improving patient care and reducing missed follow-ups. Using 49,769 reports across multiple modalities and three institutional datasets, along with external and temporal test sets, thirty-two classification methods were systematically evaluated on both findings and impression sections. …

Late-Stage Capitalism And Consumerism In Higher Education: A Morphogenetic Analysis, Kallen Zhou

Publications

Facing widespread student disengagement and dissatisfaction, U.S. higher education is undergoing a paradigm shift, detaching from its civic and pedagogical origins. A key force driving this transformation is the rise of student consumerism. While existing literature documents market-driven actions adopted by higher education institutions (HEIs) and the consumer roles students play, it overlooks structural market forces. Specifically, little theorization exists on the relationship between late-stage capitalism and student consumerism. This paper addresses that gap through two steps: first, offering a historical analysis of the traditional university model, late-stage capitalism, academic capitalism, and the decline of the liberal arts; second, developing …

Creating A Radical Social Change Campaign To Restore Rational Thinking: A Theoretical Framework, John S. Long

Student Theses and Dissertations

Rational thinking is a skill and mindset that is under siege in modern society, becoming increasingly endangered as we devolve into increasingly hyper-partisan communities rife with echo chambers and confirmation biases. The most basic processes of analyzing issues and facts to develop clearly thought-out and defendable positions have been abandoned in favor of a zealous devotion to toe the party line, no matter the evidence or implications. What we are witnessing firsthand is the fast-approaching culmination of the post-truth era.

One might assume that an issue with such far-reaching implications across our entire society would generate a significant amount of …

Data Storytelling For Reputation Management: A Multiple Case Study Of Formula 1, Patagonia & Spotify, Michael O. P. Lowsley-Williams

Student Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates data storytelling as a reputation management strategy by examining how organizations leverage data narratives to enhance brand identity, build stakeholder trust, and reshape public perception. Through analysis and comparison of three qualitative case studies of Patagonia, Formula 1, and Spotify, this research explores how these companies construct and utilize data-driven narratives to address reputational challenges across distinct industry contexts. Drawing on elements of framing, situational crisis and stakeholder theories as well as the concepts of encoding and decoding, this study analyzes narrative structures, framing devices, and audience engagement tactics within reports, campaigns, and multimedia content from 2015-2025. …

Betting Apps, Broadswords, And A Battle For Better Pay: Stories Of New York City As Reported On “Audiofiles”, Jarrod Barry

Capstones

This capstone is comprised of three different stories for “AudioFiles”, a bi-weekly radio and podcast news show that covers current events in and around New York City. The portfolio covers three different types of pieces: a narrated feature, a nonnarrative feature, and a quick-turn daybook story. The narrated feature looks at the growing popularity in gambling apps and their link to gambling addiction. The second piece is a nonnarrated feature profiling a modern gladiator and his experience fighting in the Armored League. The final piece looks at City Council legislation that provides a bonus to the city’s paraprofessional teaching assistants. …

Inside The Gen Z Vote Across Gender And Race, Juliet La Sala

Capstones

This capstone examines how two people from two different Gen Z groups are navigating the 2024 U.S. election. One story revolves around a young woman adopting a U.S. version of South Korea’s 4B Movement and another reflects on a Gen Z Arab American responding to the Israel–Hamas war. Through reported stories and interviews, it explores how personal experience, gender and ethnic violence, and political disillusionment shaped these young voters’ choices and activism. Sierra Bee's story is in light of Trump's election and Liam's is right before the 2024 election took place. Together, the pieces highlight how global events and identity-based …

The Bmt: Will This Time Be Different?: Red Hook Braces For A Mega-Project On The Waterfront. Can It Avoid The Mistakes Of Atlantic Yards?, Steve Kastenbaum

Capstones

"The BMT: Will this time be different?" investigates how New York City's push to rapidly build housing is reshaping communities. A $3.5 billion mega-project at the Brooklyn Marine Terminal promises transformation through 6,000 apartments, a modernized port, and waterfront improvements, but residents are split on whether it represents progress or displacement. The development uses a controversial "general project plan" process that bypasses normal community review, the same approach that enabled the still-unfinished Atlantic Yards project. Local voices in Red Hook range from excitement about investment, jobs and amenities to fears about gentrification and broken promises. This pilot episode launches a …

¡Ausente!: La Censura De Los Migrantes Dentro Del Museo Smithsonian, Gretchen Lembcke Peña

Capstones

El museo Smithsonian cerró su exhibición sobre migrantes latinos sin notificarles a los artistas. Ahora, grupos de defensa y los mismos artistas están empujando contra la censura de su arte.

City Council Bill To Decrypt Police Radio Has A Surprising Winner — Citizen App, Mikella Schuetter, Kennedy Sessions, Marina Samuel

Capstones

After the NYPD encrypted police scanners in 2024, eliminating public access to police radio communications, the New York City Council passed a bill on Dec. 18 to restore limited access for journalists and the public. The move could benefit Citizen, a crime-alert app that has pushed for decryption while entering a “no cost” partnership with the city, even as former employees and advocates raise concerns about the app’s practices and growing role in New York City’s public safety.

Gowanus Faces A Hidden Threat Beneath Its Neighborhood Boom, Emma J. Rosenberg

Capstones

This article investigates urban redevelopment, climate change and environmental contamination in Brooklyn’s Gowanus neighborhood. The Gowanus Canal itself has been a designated EPA Federal Superfund Site since 2010, this designation does not apply to the land surrounding it where legacy industrial contamination still exists. This includes coal tar from former manufactured gas plants which poses a risk to groundwater and indoor air. Under a 2021 rezoning plan, large-scale residential redevelopment is rapidly moving forward, rising groundwater and increased flooding associated with climate change may exacerbate contaminants. Utilizing agency documents, Community Advisory Group meetings, and conversations with residents, advocates, officials and …

The Debate Over The Lebanese Diaspora’S Vote: As Lebanon Tries To Reform Itself, The Diaspora Wants A Say At The Ballot Box, Sandra Sadek

Capstones

The Lebanese diaspora is demanding full voting rights ahead of the 2026 parliamentary elections. The movement comes at a time when the 2026 parliamentary elections coincide with a moment of national reckoning. Despite urgency from a vocal diaspora and pressure from several members of parliament and the cabinet, the bill to permanently amend the current electoral law has stalled on the speaker’s desk. The outcome of that struggle stands not only to determine how much influence this global constituency can have on Lebanon’s future but also what the country’s recovery path can look like amid a dramatically changing regional landscape. …

Flooding, Not Just A Rain Problem, Annisha Singh

Capstones

This capstone focuses on the Rockaway Peninsula and how high-tide flooding also known as "sunny-day flooding" is not only affecting Rockaway but neighboring areas, such as Jamaica Bay.

More Nyc Households To Qualify For Energy Efficiency Upgrades Under Tweaked State Program, Elise Robley

Capstones

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority's EmPower+ program aims to provide low- and moderate-income households with energy-efficient upgrades. These upgrades help lower people's energy costs, especially how much it costs to heat and cool their homes. Starting this year, more low-income households in New York City will be eligible to apply for the program's benefits. This piece looks at this history of the EmPower+ program, why it's so beneficial to low- and moderate-income New Yorkers, and the potential positive impact the program's tweaks could have on local communities of color that might be dealing with high energy …

Amidst The Struggles, Nyc Actors Say The Pursuit Of Their Craft Is Always Worth It, Allison Dubrow

Capstones

Despite high ticket prices and safety concerns, Broadway has had a record-breaking season, surpassing pre-pandemic box office revenue largely due to star-driven productions. While the industry is financially thriving, many NYC actors struggle to make a livable wage and rely on non-acting jobs to support themselves. The uncertainty of auditions and booking work makes sustaining an acting career especially difficult in such a competitive city. This project highlights the contrast between Broadway’s success and the resilience it takes for actors to survive and pursue their craft in New York City.

Recortes Federales Amenazan La Ayuda A Sobrevivientes De Violencia Doméstica En Nueva York, Ilvea Lezama Melendez

Capstones

Este reportaje examina el impacto de los recientes recortes federales en el financiamiento de organizaciones sin fines de lucro en Nueva York. Esas que brindan servicios a sobrevivientes de violencia doméstica y dependen en gran medida de subvenciones federales y fondos públicos para operar refugios, líneas de ayuda en crisis, servicios legales, consejería y apoyos culturalmente específicos. La reducción de recursos ha provocado interrupciones en los servicios y una disminución en la capacidad de atención, justo cuando la demanda de apoyo por parte de las sobrevivientes dentro de comunidades inmigrantes. A través de entrevistas con proveedores de servicios y expertos …

From Elmhurst To Astoria, Indonesia’S Thousand Islands Find A Home In Food Bazaars, Adrian O'Farrill

Capstones

In Elmhurst and Astoria, three different bazaars focused on Indonesian food pop up once a month, all within two miles of each other, dubbed by the vendors as the unofficial “Little Indonesia” of New York. While there’s a handful of Indonesian restaurants in Elmhurst, for those Indonesians who don't have the necessary funds or even paperwork to start a brick and mortar establishment, or who don’t want to cook at a restaurant scale, the three bazaars in Queens present an opportunity to emphasize authentic Indonesian food and to make a profit for the culinary inclined of the tight-knit community.

https://adrianofarrill.com/cuny-capstone

Two Major Ontario Hospital Labs Bought Research Dogs From U.S. Breeder With Troubled Pastdogs Bred For Scientific And Medical Testing Suffer Abuse As The Scientific Industry Increasingly Turns To Alternatives For Research., Allison Hunter, Mary Beech, Sami Marshak, Kate Morano

Capstones

The purpose-bred dog breeding industry for research is little known. Each year, thousands of dogs are bred for scientific and medical testing, supplied to research facilities by a handful of major commercial breeders. But gaps in enforcement and regulation have allowed abuses to persist, even as the industry increasingly turns to alternatives to animal testing. Animal rights advocates have been decrying the treatment of these dogs. A federal Inspector General report found lax oversight of the industry, raising further concerns about how dogs are treated. This story was reported in collaboration with the Investigative Journalism Bureau, based in Toronto, and …