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Alumni Journal - Volume 96, Number 2, Loma Linda University School Of Medicine

Alumni Journal, School of Medicine

Editorials
2 | From the Editor
4 | From the President
6 | From the Dean

News
8 | School of Medicine News
10 | Alumni News
14 | Students
16 | This & That
18 | Department Report: Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery
20 | AIMS Report: Courage Through Transitions

Graduation 2025
22 | Graduation Feature

Features
40 | By the Graduates: Stories and reflections: Emmanuelle (Emmy) Issa '25, Rozalyn Morauske '25, Daniel Korankye-Boadu '25, Ja'Neil Humphrey '25, Nico Belliard '25
46 | The Match
48 | Campus Updates
52 | Alumni Event: Hollywood Bowl
54 | Alumni Spotlight: …

Geophysical Tools For Agricultural Management: Trends, Challenges, And Opportunities, Sophia Becker, Trenton Franz, Yufeng Ge, Joe Luck, Derek M. Heeren

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Agrogeophysics is a convergence of proximal soil sensing and hydrogeophysics in which geophysical methods are used to describe soil patterns and dynamics that shape agronomic management (including precision agriculture). To fully realize its potential for optimizing agricultural production, current barriers and targets for future agrogeophysics research must be identified. In this review, we compare the trajectory of agrogeophysics within peer-reviewed literature, patents, and the US university extension literature and examine the current challenges and opportunities for supporting agricultural production and sustainability with agrogeophysical tools. We conducted a repeatable search of Web of Science and Scopus for seven geophysical methods (electromagnetic …

Comparing Conventional And Alternative Mechanisms Of Discovering And Accessing The Scientific Literature, William H. Walters

Articles

This study compares the bibliographic and full-text coverage of 15 conventional and alternative discovery/access mechanisms: two multidisciplinary library databases (Scopus and the Web of Science Core Collection), five single-subject databases, the integrated library search (ILS) mechanism of Manhattan University, a scholarly search engine (Google Scholar), two web-based scholarly databases (Dimensions and OpenAlex), two academic social networks (Academia.edu and ResearchGate), and two pirate sites (Anna’s Archive and Sci-Hub). The analysis is based on known-item searches for 875 target documents in chemistry, materials science, cardiology, public health, economics, education, and psychology. Overall, Google Scholar, OpenAlex, and the ILS are the most comprehensive …

The Economic Effects Of Deportation On The U.S. Labor Market, Abigayle Lantz

Proceedings of the Jepson Undergraduate Conference on International Economics

The potential economic consequences of mass deportation policies on the U.S. economy, specifically those reliant on immigrant labor, are examined. Evidence from economic models and various studies reveals that mass deportation would result in significant disruptions, including labor shortages, decreased productivity, and higher costs for firms and people. Contrary to claims that native-born workers would benefit from increased job opportunities and higher wages, the evidence shows that mass deportation would harm native workers. Historical precedents, such as the Secure Communities initiative indicate that deportation efforts in the past have led to detrimental economic outcomes and disproportionately affected native workers. Additionally, …

Product Review: Articulate 360, Elizabeth Fridrick, Laura Sheets

University Libraries Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Traditional Versus Fenceline Weaning On Lamb Stress, Emma N. Sutton

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Stress is a significant factor affecting the health, behavior, and performance of sheep in production settings. Most lambs go through artificial weaning, and this is a stressful time in a lamb’s life. Stress can negatively affect growth rates, feed efficiency, and susceptibility to illness and parasites. The traditional and most common method of weaning is the abrupt separation of lambs from their dams. An alternative method of weaning, fenceline weaning, has been found to reduce stress in cattle and may also reduce stress in sheep. The objectives of this study were to evaluate body weights, fecal egg counts, and behavior …

Legal Feasibility Of Uniform International Commercial Intellectual Property Terms (Incoipterms) In International Trade Contracts By Modeling Incoterms, Seyed Mohsen Hasheminasab Zavare

LLM Theses

In today's global landscape, protecting intellectual property in international commercial contracts is of paramount importance. Addressing concerns and establishing clear terms for intellectual property protection is crucial due to the prevalence of infringements and varying interpretations. The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has taken a significant step by introducing Incoterms within the framework of international goods sales. These commercial terms play a major role in international trade law, extending beyond mere contractual regulations. On one hand, they reflect commercial customs, and on the other, they precisely define the rights, obligations, and duties of the involved parties to prevent disputes and …

Quillen Magazine - Summer 2025, Quillen College Of Medicine, East Tennessee State University

Quillen Magazine

No abstract provided.

How To Become A Statesperson: A Practical And Aspirational Guide For Students And Young Professionals, John Shaw

Institute Publications

How do you become a statesperson? This aspirational and practical guide is Shaw's considered response to such an intriguing and consequential question. The author's hope is that the reader explores these ideas and uses them as a springboard to assemble his or her own plan to become a superb citizen and then an effective statesperson. This will be a life-long journey. Shaw firmly believes that statesmanship is not a gift or a genius bestowed on a select few. Rather, it is a cast of mind, a pattern of behavior, a set of skills, and a serious commitment that can be …

Health Insurance Benefits As A Tool For Employee Attraction And Retention: Evidence From The Nursing Industry, J. T. Garcia

Proceedings of the Jepson Undergraduate Conference on International Economics

This paper explores the critical role of employer-provided health insurance in employee recruitment and retention, focusing on the nursing industry in Iowa. As labor markets grow increasingly competitive, especially in industries such as healthcare, non-wage benefits like health insurance can be an important factor influencing job choice and employee loyalty. This paper connects labor economic theory with employment data from Iowa nursing homes, to demonstrate that health insurance can significantly enhance employee satisfaction and reduce turnover and can do so more effectively than wage increases alone. The paper argues that in professions especially with high demand, such as nursing, investment …

Violence Exposure In Early Adolescence And High Blood Pressure In Adulthood Among African Americans, Journey Crowell, Abigail J. Anderson, Amanda N. Moore, Sylvie Mrug

Expo Student Presentations

2025 Summer Expo Poster Presentation

• Social & Behavioral Sciences

Analyzing Racial And Geographic Distribution In Clinical Trial Enrollment Among Women With Advanced Stage Ovarian Cancer, Paxton Gillispie, Dhruva Dave, Gerald Mcgwin, Ashwini Katre, Ashley Anderson, Teresa Boitano, Nneka Ijeli, Purva Pawar, Rebecca Arend

Expo Student Presentations

2025 Summer Expo Poster Presentation

• Physical & Applied Sciences
• Health Sciences & Health Professions

Examining Relationships Between Food Insecurity, Wellbeing, And Health Behaviors In Adults Who Use A Campus Food Pantry, Joanna Bateman, Abby Sharff, Brianna Dotson, Catheryn A. Orijuela

Expo Student Presentations

2025 Summer Expo Oral Presentation

• Social & Behavioral Sciences

Identification Of The Gd-Iga1 Autoantigen By New Monoclonal Finds Differential Nf-Kb Signaling, Hannah Adams, Taylor Person, Terri Rice, Colin Reily

Expo Student Presentations

2025 Summer Expo Poster Presentation

• Biological & Life Sciences

Real-Time Dynamics Of Desmosomal Cadherin Behavior Via Time-Resolved Fluorescence Microscopy, Daniel Wang, Collin M. Ainslie, Anish Maskey, Caroline Tran, Ethan J. Taylor, Kannatassen Appavoo, Alexa L. Mattheyses

Expo Student Presentations

2025 Summer Expo Poster Presentation

• Biological & Life Sciences

Examining Relationships Between Food Insecurity, Wellbeing, And Health Behaviors In Adults Who Use A Campus Food Pantry, Joanna Bateman, Abby Sharff, Brianna Dotson, Catheryn A. Orijuela

Expo Student Presentations

2025 Summer Expo Poster Presentation

• Social & Behavioral Sciences

Heterogeneity In Forms Of Distributed Machine Learning, Ian Lape

Expo Student Presentations

2025 Summer Expo Poster Presentation

• Physical & Applied Sciences

Addressing Instructional Capacity For English Learners Through Professional Development, Emily Howell, Lindsey W. Rowe, Mihaela Gazioglu, Nicole Ferguson-Sams, Victoria Pennington

Publications

Purpose – The purpose of this study was addressing the goal of the intervention to increase instructional capacity in a high-need district for English Learners (ELs).

Design/methodology/approach – This design-based research examined a cohort of K–12 general education classroom teachers and the impact of professional development (PD). The intervention had three essential elements: provide teachers with evidence-based practices of EL instruction in PD, assess self-efficacy for both EL students and teachers, and develop resources for EL caregivers based upon evidence-based practice and teacher feedback. This study reports the results focusing on the following research question: How does the intervention impact …

Artificial Intelligence Dimensions (Expert Systems, Neural Networks, And Genetic Algorithms) And Their Impact On Human Resources Dimensions (Recruitment, Training, And Employee Performance Evaluation) In The Government Sector In The United Arab Emirates - Dubai Government As A Case Study, Dr. Shawk Hasan Mahdi

Faculty Peer-Reviewed Papers | بحوث هيئة التدريس المحكمة

The study aimed to elucidate the Artificial Intelligence dimensions (Expert Systems, Neural Networks, and Genetic Algorithms) and their impact on Human Resources dimensions (Recruitment, Training, and Employee Performance Evaluation) in the government sector in the United Arab Emirates - Dubai Government as a case study. The study population comprised employees in the government sector in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The study followed descriptive-analytical methodology and utilized a questionnaire for data collection. The sample size was 355 individuals, selected randomly. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software was used for data analysis. The study yielded several key findings, including …

Evanescent - Issue 6

Evanescent

Evanescent: A Journal of Literary Medicine is the journal of the Eakins Writing Project, which also sponsors the Drs. Theresa and Charles Yeo Writing Prize. The Eakins Writing Project is supported by the Jefferson Center for Injury Research and Prevention, located in the Department of Surgery of Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia.

Contents:

10 - From the Editors

11 - Basketball: Youth to Older by Dr. Charles Yeo

13 - A Follow-up from the Editors

14 - Prism by Yazan Bader (Third Place Winner)

17 - Reflections on Shards of Glass by Ana Maria Lopez

19 - The Dragonfly’s Journey by …

Aeolus-Ds: Dust-Aware Ai Decision Support For Coccidioidomycosis (Valley Fever) — A Design Science Research Framework Integrating Aerosol Remote Sensing, Land Disturbance, And Clinical Sentinel Signals, Harsha Sammangi, Aditya Jagatha, Harshini Balaga

Research & Publications

This paper presents Aeolus-DS, a design science research (DSR) artifact that integrates aerosol remote sensing (MAIAC AOD; dust fraction), mesoscale meteorology and soil moisture (ERA5), land-disturbance telemetry (construction, off-road vehicle activity, nightlights) and clinical sentinel signals (syndromic ED chief complaints, pneumonia rule-out) into a dust-aware, AI-driven early warning and decision-support system for Coccidioidomycosis (Valley Fever). Methodologically, we propose a graph spatiotemporal transformer with direction-aware attention and physics-guided regularisation reflecting aeolian transport. Using county-week panels (2014-2024) for the U.S. Southwest (AZ–CA–NV), Aeolus-DS improves now-casting mean absolute error (MAE) by 18% and two-week area under precision-recall curve (AUPRC) by 21% over …

Building Social Butterflies And Learning Circles: The Key To Organizational Safety Potential, Trevor Farr

ASEM Capstones

2025 ASEM 620 Capstone Project

Constitutional Carry, Stand-Your-Ground Laws And Defensive Firearm Use, Mark P. Gius

Pennsylvania Economic Review

Over the past several years, there has been a significant increase in the number of states allowing concealed weapons carry without a permit (constitutional carry), and an increase in the number of states that have enacted stand-your-ground laws. The purpose of the present study is to determine if the enactment of constitutional carry and stand-your-ground laws have had any statistically significant effects on incidents of defensive firearm use. Using a fixed effects, negative binomial model, it was found that both constitutional carry and stand-your-ground laws resulted in an increase in the number of casualties of defensive firearm uses (injured and …

Post-Natal Mother’S Perception Of Health Care Workers’ Attitude In Calabar Municipality, Nigeria: A Study In Maternity Care, Inyang E. Eko, Ngozi P. Ogbonnaya, Peace C. Alichie, Stehanie C. Osuorah, Ezioma Lordson

Journal of Asian Midwives (JAM)

This study explores post-natal mothers’ perceptions of health care workers’ attitudes in Calabar Municipality, Cross Rivers State, Nigeria.
Methods: A cross-sectional design was adopted in which the target population of the study involves all post-natal mothers in Calabar Municipality, which amounts to 57229 women and 440 mothers. These women and mothers were selected from the accessible population which included women carefully chosen from three public health facilities - the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH), the General Hospital of Calabar (GHC), and a primary health center in Big Qua using multistage stage sampling techniques. Data were collected using a …

Gis-Based Swat Modeling For Surface Runoff Assessment To Support Urban Flood Resilience In Central Java, Indonesia, Putri Amalia Sholichah Ms., Endah Sulistyawati, Susana Paulina Dewi

Smart City

Surface runoff significantly contributes to environmental hazards such as floods in Indonesia, including in Borobudur District. Based on watershed delineation, the administrative area of Borobudur District is predominantly located within the Sileng Subwatershed. The rehabilitation zones managed by PT Adaro Indonesia are located in several specific areas within this subwatershed. This study utilizes the SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) model integrated with GIS (Geographic Information System) to simulate surface runoff quantitaively in the Sileng subwatershed, part of the Progo watershed in Central Java Province. SWAT is applied in this research to simulate surface runoff in both watershed and …

Investigating Hurricane-Induced Salt Variation Across The Land-Estuary-Ocean Continuum Using A Dynamically Coupled Hydrological-Ocean Model, Xiaochen Zhao, Z. George Xue, Daoyang Bao, John Warner, Yanda Ou

Faculty Publications

Salinity variations across the Land-Estuary-Ocean (LEO) continuum are critical for coastal ecosystems and impact the socioeconomic benefits to local communities. However, evaluating these variations is challenging due to the complex interactions of terrestrial and oceanic processes, including river discharge, winds, tides, sea level rise, and storms. This study incorporates a salinity module into a newly developed dynamically coupled hydrological-ocean model on the COAWST platform, which is, to the best of our knowledge, the first process-based modeling that achieves seamless two-way land-ocean water and salt exchanges across the LEO continuum, facilitating simulations of landward salt input and transport. Using Hurricane Florence …

Does Non-Idealism Entail Particularism?, John Lawless

Faculty Publications - Philosophy

No abstract provided.

Improving The Efficiency Of Wells Turbines In Wave Energy Harvesting Using Computer Simulations, Godfred Abotar-Aidoo, Isaac Plange

ASPIRE 2026

Oscillating Water Columns (OWCs) are among the most promising wave energy converters for harnessing renewable power from ocean waves. These systems use a bi-directional airflow to drive a Wells turbine connected to a generator. However, the turbine’s efficiency is limited by flow separation and stall at high angles of attack. To address this, we investigated the effect of passive flow control by adding stability strips along the suction side of the turbine blades. The unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) equations, coupled with the k–ω SST turbulence model, were solved in ANSYS CFX 2025 R1 to evaluate the aerodynamic performance. Non-dimensional performance …

The Banner - V. 160, No. 6 - (July 2025), Christian Reformed Church In North America

The Banner

No abstract provided.

Minority Day Hearing On American Innovation And The Future Of Digital Assets: From Blueprint To A Functional Framework, Hilary J. Allen

Legislative Testimony & Comments

When we hear from the crypto industry that existing regulation is incompatible with their technology, that is a misdirection. It is entirely possible for a blockchain-based technology business to comply with existing investor protection and financial stability regulation. However, for many crypto businesses, it may be true that existing regulation is incompatible with the economics of their business model, especially if their business model depends on doing things that we have learned, over the years, tend to harm people. But we have little to lose as a society from limiting the profitability of this kind of business model; unfortunately, the …