Digital Commons Network^™

Sustainable Cloud Operations For Research (Score): A Guideline For Cost-Efficient And Carbon-Aware Data Pipelines Design In Low- And Middle-Income Countries Research, Nigel Thuku Kamotho, Allan Zablon, Stephen Wong, Amos Bunde, Antony Kagure, Thembi Kiiru, Anthony Ngugi, Amina Abubakar, Akbar Waljee, Farhana Alarakhiya

Research projects, including grant records

As cloud computing becomes a growing pillar for modern data intensive research, especially in fields like global health, many organizations across low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) remain hindered by operational constraints. These include limited DevOps capability, unreliable internet connectivity, fixed grant ceilings, and growing demands for environmental sustainability. Standard cloud architecture is based on stable infrastructure and high technical ability, making them neither viable in terms of cost nor sustainability within LMICs environments.

This report introduces the Sustainable Cloud Operations for Research (SCORE) guidelines. It is a guideline for context-specific cloud architecture models for LMICs research groups to optimize architecture …

Surviving Leadership Change Within A Collegiate Athletic Department, Anna Flores

Master of Education in Applied Human Development Graduate Projects

Turnover rates in college athletics occur for a multitude of reasons, often leading to changes in leadership (Pack & Won, 2017). Poor working conditions, low salaries, and overall employee burnout are just a few of the reasons why people leave their roles in college athletics, according to Pack and Won (2017). This phenomenon affected me deeply in the fall of 2025, but not in the way one might think. My long-time boss and mentor, Taylor Jefferson, stepped away from his role as Assistant Athletic Director for Marketing and Brand Enhancement at Bowling Green State University, leaving me blindsided. Since then, …

Sport Injuries And The Impact On Athlete Mental Health, Chloe Crompton

Master of Education in Applied Human Development Graduate Projects

Over the last decade, there has been an increased focus on athlete mental health (Wiese, 2010). More studies have focused on why athletes struggle with mental health and how mental health can significantly impact athletic performance. According to research, “Across mental health disorders, injury is frequently identified as a sport-specific risk factor for mental health conditions and is one of the most frequently researched risk factors for mental health concerns in elite athletes” (Haugen, 2022, p.4). Considering the inherent risk of injury with athletic participation, the impact of sport-related injuries on individual athletes’ mental health remains an important area for …

Marketing Plan For Community Service Initiative L.A.C.E.S. (Limitless Accessibility For Children To Experience Sports), Grace Bryant

Master of Education in Applied Human Development Graduate Projects

I. Executive Summary

L.A.C.E.S. (Limitless Accessibility for Children to Experience Sports) is a community-based initiative focused on increasing access to youth sports for children in underserved communities. The mission of L.A.C.E.S. is to ensure that every child can experience the joy and benefits of sport by addressing barriers such as cost, transportation, lack of resources, and limited awareness. While youth sports are widely known to support physical health, mental well-being, and social development, access to these opportunities is not equal. Research shows that participation rates are significantly lower among children from low-income households and marginalized communities, largely due to structural …

Mac Conference Realignment Strategic Implications, Sam Schommer

Master of Education in Applied Human Development Graduate Projects

College athletics have always been a catalyst for a community to unite and have set aside their differences in support of their teams. NCAA member institutions have been organizing themselves into athletic conferences since the late 1800s. Unfortunately, these conferences have seen themselves change substantially. The original idea behind college athletic conferences was for institutions with “similar geographical locations and provide a structured framework for competition.” (Sport Team History, 2025) In today’s NCAA, the “Power 4” Conferences have moved away from this idea and have found themselves comprised of universities from across the country. The term “Power 4 Conference” refers …

Facility Development And Its Effect On Performative Outcomes In Ncaa Division I Hockey, Luke Bodeis

Master of Education in Applied Human Development Graduate Projects

This study was designed to compare the performative outcomes two years before the construction of a new facility against the outcomes 2 years after the opening for NCAA Division 1 Men’s Ice Hockey Programs. Using historical performance records of wins, losses and ties, a Chi-Square test of independence was chosen to analyze and determine if there was a significant relationship between new construction facilities and the on-ice performance of 15 programs. Facility quality is often cited as a key factor in the decision-making process for high performance athletes when determining school of choice. This study found that when looking at …

The Contributors, Marites Tiongco

DLSU Business & Economics Review

No abstract provided.

Smu Launches Resilient Workforces Institute To Strengthen Singapore’S Workforce In The Age Of Ai, Singapore Management University

SMU Press Releases and News

Singapore Management University (SMU) announced the launch of the Resilient Workforces Institute (ResWORK), a new university-level research institute advancing workforce resilience and lifelong learning amid accelerating technological change. It is among the first institutes in Singapore and the region to jointly study adult-learning and the future of work through an integrated, interdisciplinary lens spanning economics, management, behavioural science and technology.

Evaluating Donor Site Recovery Following Halodule Wrightii Harvest For Restoration In Northwest Florida, Katie M. Konchar, Becca A. Hatchell, Colin P. Shea, Bradley T. Furman, Kent Smith

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Bare‑root harvesting of Halodule wrightii is widely used to supply donor material for seagrass restoration, yet the capacity of donor meadows to recover in near‑temperate systems remains poorly documented. We evaluated donor‑site recovery following bare‑root harvesting in St. Andrew Bay, northwest Florida—an estuary at the northern extent of Tropical Atlantic Bioregion 2 where H. wrightii exhibits strong seasonal senescence and a shortened growing season. Thirty harvest impact sites were monitored for 388 days to quantify changes in shoot density, percent frequency, and sediment elevation relative to nearby reference conditions. Shoot density and percent frequency at harvested sites converged with reference …

Professional Identity Exploration And Commitment Development By Stem Undergraduates From Underrepresented Groups During Near-Peer Mentoring, Joseph A. Brobst, Joanna K. Garner, David Hartenstine, Perry Fizzano

Center for Educational Partnerships Publications

This study examines near-peer mentoring as a context for professional identity development by undergraduates from groups that are underrepresented in STEM higher education. Mentees were students in a computer science/mathematics‑focused scholarship program, with a two-tiered near-peer mentoring component that paired 1st-2nd‑year undergraduate mentees with 3^rd-4^th year mentors and 3^rd-4^th year mentees with early‑career professional mentors. We analyzed mentoring conversation summaries from three mentor–mentee pairs, spanning one academic year. Mentoring relationships provided safe spaces for students’ professional identity exploration and the development of commitments toward career paths and life goals. Across all cases, conversation summaries …

Mind The Gap: A Synthesis Of Research On The Theory Of The Mind Differences In Autism And Educational Bridging Strategies, Christopher K. Hansen

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This master’s thesis analyzes “Theory of the Mind” (how we understand other people’s thoughts) through a neurodiversity affirming lens. Rather than looking at autism as a one-sided social flaw, this paper explores the idea that communication gaps occur because neurotypical and neurodivergent individuals naturally speak different social languages. This literature review examines how forcing autistic students to mask their natural traits causes academic frustration and emotional and mental exhaustion. This can also cause anxiety and lead to depression. Part of this paper focuses on translating these findings into practical bridging strategies for the classroom, using a variety of approaches to …

Strengthening Literacy Outcomes For Students With Severe Disabilities: The Impact Of Teacher Preparation, Evidence-Based Approaches, And Learning Environments, Kallie Casale

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This literature review thesis examines factors influencing literacy instruction for students with severe disabilities, focusing on evidence-based approaches, educator training, and learning environments. The findings highlight that systematic instruction and specialized training, such as online modules, eCoaching, and practice-based feedback, significantly improve educator knowledge and student skill acquisition. The review demonstrates that comprehensive curricula, such as the Early Literacy Skills Builder (ELSB), yield greater gains in phonics and decoding than traditional sight-word approaches. The review of research also illustrates that inclusive settings promote academic progress through peer modeling and higher learning expectations than traditional self-contained environments. However, some educators prefer …

Supporting Early Literacy In Preschool: The Influence Of Activity Settings, Shared Reading, And Teacher–Child Interactions, Megan Turnquist

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This literature review explores current research about the activities and settings currently in place in preschool classrooms across North America. While a majority of the preschool day is spent in whole-group and free-choice activities, research indicates that instruction provided in small groups and book reading are two important ways to harness engagement and deliver high-quality instruction. Different kinds of teacher-child interactions during book reading can support the development of crucial early literacy skills, such as vocabulary and print knowledge. While time spent on literacy content varied widely across classrooms, teachers responded well to training in both print referencing and dialogic …

Pafex: Compiler-Based Floating-Point Exception Detection For Gpu Kernels With Papispecific Software-Defined Events, Samin Islam, Shirley V. Moore, Christoph Q. Lauter

Graduate Student Papers (CS)

As high-performance computing becomes progressively heterogeneous, the dependence upon vendor specific tools for numerical correctness has become an impediment to portability. Although modern GPUs comply with the IEEE 754 standard, the lack of practical native hardware support to raise and handle exceptions (special values like ±∞ or NaN) is a well-known architectural limitation. To embed portable numerical correctness across heterogeneous systems, we propose an architecture agnostic prototype based on LLVM-compiler infrastructure. This framework detects floating-point exceptions in GPU kernels at the Intermediate Representation (IR) level, instrumenting both device code and host code, strictly complying with the 2019 IEEE 754 standard. …

Health And Nutrition In The First 1000 Days Of Life, Yaojiang Shi, Qi Zhang, Yiliang Zhu, Jingchun Nie

Health Behavior, Policy & Management Faculty Publications

Malnutrition and health issues remain persistent global crises, with developing regions bearing the brunt of the burden. According to the World Health Organization, nearly half of under-five deaths in low-and middle-income countries are linked to malnutrition, while stunting, wasting, and micronutrient deficiencies impair the development of millions of children annually. The studies in this special issue focus on countries facing distinct yet interconnected challenges: Sub-Saharan African nations grapple with high rates of stunting and maternal high-risk fertility behaviors; China confronts rural-urban disparities in dietary diversity and grandparenting practices; Colombia struggles with intersectional inequalities driving infant mortality; and Zambia faces unique …

Exploring Healthcare Students' Perceptions About Race And Privilege At A Large Academic Medical Center: A Pilot Study Of A Peer Education Program, Elizabeth A. Brown, Dante Pelzer, Katrina Black Reed, Chinieka Jackman-Rogers, Madison Kimmell

Health Behavior, Policy & Management Faculty Publications

Amid the racial unrest stemming from the summer of 2020, in the United States, many institutions had difficult conversations about race and the impact of racism with employees, students, and patients. In January 2021 and February 2021, we recruited undergraduate students for the Peer Education Program (PEP), a voluntary program conducted at a large academic medical center, and encouraged students to have a safe space to discuss controversial topics in healthcare. From April 2021 to July 2021 four interdisciplinary healthcare students met once a month for 1 hr to discuss privilege, race/racism, leadership, and advocacy and their influence on health …

Advancing Food Equity Through Explainable Ai (Xai): Identifying Place-Based Factors And Conditions Of Food Security, Leslie Hoglund, Hyoshin Park

Health Behavior, Policy & Management Faculty Publications

Food behaviors, food security, and their association with socioeconomic factors constitute a critical area of study with implications for public health, economic stability, and social equity. Understanding these relationships are essential for developing effective policies and interventions that promote sustainable, healthy food systems and greater food equity. This paper employs explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) methods to identify key features influencing household food behaviors. The insights gained from the XAI analysis are further utilized in conjunction with inverse reinforcement learning (IRL) to examine expert behaviors related to eating habits satisfaction. The XAI results reveal that household health conditions, spending patterns, and …

Niu Working Papers 2025 - 2026, Northern Illinois University

Working Papers

No abstract provided.

Elr Masthead Volume 47

ELR Past Editorial Board

No abstract provided.

Chapter 3: Diamonds In The Rough: The Development And Occurrences Of The Rhombus Motif, Its Components, And Its Variations In Olmec And Olmec-Related Textiles, Billie J. A. Follensbee

Precious Pattern: The Dotted-Diamond Motif in Indigenous American Textiles, Explorations in Mesoamerica, the American Southwest, and the Andes

Discusses the development of textiles in the Mesoamerican Preclassic/Formative period from the Gulf Coast, the rhombus textile patterns and motifs in Olmec and Olmec-related imagery, and includes further reflections on the dotted-diamond motif, its components, and their correlations.

12th Baker & Whitehill Student Artists' Book Contest 2026 Poster, Special Collections, Fleet Library

12th Baker & Whitehill Student Artists' Book Contest 2026

Opening reception and award ceremony Wednesday, February 25, 2026 at 6:30pm, Fleet Library, 1st Floor Main Reading Room. Juror: Gabrielle Reed.

From Myers To Slaughter: A Brief Theory Of The Constitutionalization Of Secondary Sources, Dana Neacsu, Paul D. Callister

Faculty Works

For more than two centuries, American constitutional adjudication has relied upon secondary sources. Yet constitutional theory has almost entirely ignored them. Originalism debates constitutional text. Living constitutionalism debates constitutional evolution. Theories of precedent debate judicial authority. None asks a more fundamental question: What role do secondary sources play in constitutional adjudication? This Article argues that the answer has fundamentally changed in the last 100 of years. Chief Justice William Howard Taft's opinion in Myers v. United States (1926) marked a constitutional revolution by transforming secondary authorities from explanatory materials into evidence of constitutional continuity. Exactly one century later, Chief Justice …

Investigating Intersectionality: How Multiple Marginalized Identities And Social Perceptions Of Victims Influences The Efficacy Of Panic-Defense Narratives In Bathooms, Demitri James Aguilar

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Despite transgender Women of Color being the main victims of violent victimization and panic-narrative cases, very little research has investigated how race/ethnicity might impact perceptions of violence or the influence of panic-narratives. Thus, the current experiment (N = 1275) examined the social and legal ramifications of using panic-narratives against transgender and cisgender women of color (Black vs. Latino vs. White) in bathroom victimization contexts. The predictions were partially supported. Regardless of racial identity, the justification of transgender (versus cisgender) victimization via panic-narratives produced more anti-victim (e.g., increased victim guilty verdicts, sentencing, victim culpability, perceived deception, and threat) and prodefendant outcomes …

Brief Exposure Therapy With Exercise For Ptsd: A Pilot Study Using Single Case Experimental Design, Troy J.J. Hubert

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common and often disabling psychiatric disorder associated with an increased risk of multiple mental and physical health conditions. Exposure therapy is a gold standard treatment for PTSD, but attrition rates and treatment response are notable limitations. Animal and human research collectively indicate that aerobic exercise can enhance preclinical and experimental models of exposure by improving consolidation of fear-extinction memories. To date, only one clinical trial has attempted to translate exercise augmented exposure therapy for PTSD. The current study is an open-label pilot clinical trial aiming at gauging the effectiveness of a brief eight-session PTSD …

Stress Dynamics Between Clinical Supervisors And Allied Health Students: A Scoping Review, Piao Wang, Laurie Peebles, Aine O'Connor, Xinrong Li, Yongsheng Wang

Funded Scholarship

Stress within clinical supervision in allied health education functions as a reciprocal and relational process that shapes both learning and professional development. This scoping review synthesizes findings from 54 studies published between 1980 and 2024 to examine how stress is experienced, transmitted, and managed between students and clinical supervisors. Four interconnected domains were identified through the synthesis: the supervisory relationship, systemic and contextual pressures, personal factors, and the placement environment. Together these domains illustrate how organizational demands and supervisory strain influence student engagement, feedback processes, and educational outcomes. The literature provides valuable descriptive insight but remains fragmented, methodologically inconsistent, and …

The Transforming Image | Wintersession 2026 Syllabus, Hunter Whitaker-Morrow, Movement Lab

Course Materials

This studio course engages the contemporary digital moving (and sounding) image as a medium undergoing rapid development. Advancing the exploratory ethos of early video art, participants will probe new possibilities for experimentation against the contemporary backdrop of ubiquitous access to smartphones and production capabilities as well as the proliferation of tools for digital signal manipulation, media recycling, and image sequencing.

Coursework will center on a variety of hands-on creative exercises that challenge predominant conceptions of the moving image and engage with medium-specific approaches including video installation, desktop performance, generative cinematics, recycling media, realtime audio-visual performance, and notions of digital materiality. …

The Transforming Image | Class 1.1, Hunter Whitaker-Morrow, Movement Lab

Course Materials

No abstract provided.

The Transforming Image | Class 1.2, Hunter Whitaker-Morrow, Movement Lab

Course Materials

No abstract provided.

The Transforming Image | Class 1.3, Hunter Whitaker-Morrow, Movement Lab

Course Materials

No abstract provided.

The Transforming Image | Class 3.2, Hunter Whitaker-Morrow, Movement Lab

Course Materials

No abstract provided.