Digital Commons Network^™

“That Felt Weird”: International Graduate Students’ Emerging Critical Awareness Of Their Experiences With Microaggression, Romaisha Rahman

Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies ETDs

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to uncover and understand international graduate students’ experiences with microaggressions that stem from native speaker fallacy; microaggressions are the subtle discriminatory behaviors executed toward marginalized groups and native speaker fallacy is the false belief that only some “native” English speakers are effective teachers and users of the language. Put simply, this research aimed at unveiling the subtle language-based discriminations that international graduate students experience in their day-to-day lives in U.S. educational settings. To collect data for the study, the Critical Incident Technique (CIT) was utilized. CIT is a method that allows the …

Slavery And Architecture Across The Mediterranean, John Behnken

History ETDs

Enslaved people as architectural material, found in the cultural examples of the Great Mosque of Cordoba and the Hagia Sophia, provide a lens from which scholars can re-envision the historical narrative. The scholarship surrounding the development and transition of the Great Mosque of Cordoba from a mosque to a church, elicits new research into what medieval people thought about race, race-making, and cultural ownership. The conceptions of race are evident through the medieval paradigms of enslavement. Who could and could not become enslaved establish social, cultural, and phenotypic classifications which in turn become race. The work of scholars such as …

Ayllus And Haciendas: Social Reproduction Of Community And Reciprocity In Nineteenth Century Ecuador, Laura Powell

History ETDs

This dissertation argues that indigenous peons of nineteenth-century Ecuador maintained ayllu practices of community and reciprocity through the reconfiguration of kinships networks and the reinterpretation of reciprocity within the context of the hacienda system. This argument challenges prevalent beliefs that indigenous networks of kinship and reciprocity largely dissolved with the rise of the hacienda system and the oppressive exploitation of the institution of debt peonage known as concertaje. However, a close reading of the hacienda records shows that, first, indigenous peons used their ability to accrue debt in order to build and maintain communities of both real and fictive kinship …

“The Wild Ones: Violence, Vengeance, And Sensationalism In The Borderlands”, Leah Candolin Cook

History ETDs

“The Wild Ones: Violence, Vengeance, and Sensationalism in the Borderlands” provides a microhistory of an incident that took place in the Arizona-Sonora border region in the late 1920s and early 1930s. The event involved the kidnapping of a Mexican boy by an Apache band living in the Sierra Madre Occidental, the American volunteer expedition to recover him, and the media frenzy that ensued. Untangling the multifaceted motivations behind the “Fimbres affair,” as the situation came to be known, and situating them within a longer history of sensationalizing and exploiting cross-cultural violence in the borderlands is one purpose of this study. …

The Haunting Aesthetics Of Empire: Filipinx America, Us Empire, And Cultural Production, Alana J. Bock

American Studies ETDs

Throughout this dissertation, I argue that US imperial knowledge production affirms US exceptionalism by disavowing the imperial violence wrought on the Philippines and its people. This disavowal not only renders the Philippines and Filipinx bodies illegible, but also haunts the Filipinx American diaspora. I argue that the haunted logics of empire are a set of relations, rather than specters of specific times and places, in which knowledge and power work together to continually produce and reproduce a specific and limiting reality and sensorium through which to view the world. In my interrogation of empire’s haunted logics, I not only look …

Greening The Desert: Emirati Youth’S Perceptions Of Green Branding, Gergana Alzeer, Tilde Rosmer

All Works

This chapter focuses on Emirati youth’s understanding of and practices related to a green shift in the UAE and how this correlates with the state’s efforts to brand the UAE as green and sustainable. This is part of a larger research project that investigates Emirati youth’s understanding of climate change. The UAE experience of environmental sustainability is unique as its green shift was initiated by the government in a top-down approach compared to the bottom-up green movements in most western states that has been the focus of most environmental studies so far. Environmental sustainability is part of UAE’s national Agenda …

Transformational Leadership Qualities Of Teacher Candidates In Classrooms: A Study From Uae, Laila Mohebi, Areej Elsayary

All Works

Universities have an objective of enhancing leadership skills in its students’ personalities. This study explores these skills in College of Education teacher candidates’ character, personality and performance during teaching in classrooms. The current research is structured around Northouse (2016) transformational leadership model. He states that transformational leaders possess four components; idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration. In the current study, the four components were identified during teaching and interaction with students in classrooms. Thirty-two teacher candidates were observed during teaching in the classroom and several traits were exhibited most while another set were observed least. The study …

A Comparison Of Fixed Versus Moving Eulerian Meshes For 1-D Radiative Shock Problems, Dylan Weatherred

Nuclear Engineering ETDs

Testing codes used to solve the radiation-hydrodynamics equations requires the use of radiative shock problems. These problems contain stiff shocks and test the coupling of the material motion and the energy exchange between the radiation and material. However, these problems are difficult to solve due to large differences in time scale between radiation and material equations, resolving shocks, and modeling radiation and material interactions. This thesis will look to solve radiative shock problems in 1-D using the Eulerian formulation on fixed and moving meshes. The moving mesh method proposed takes advantage of the more simple Eulerian formulation of the radiation …

Miniature, Submersible Electromagnetic Pumps Of Molten Lead And Sodium For Gen-Iv Nuclear Reactors Development, Ragai M. Altamimi

Nuclear Engineering ETDs

Heavy metals and alkali Liquid Metals are suitable coolants for Generation IV terrestrial nuclear reactors for operating at elevated temperatures for achieving plant thermal efficiency more than 40% and the thermochemical generation of hydrogen fuel. In addition, the low vapor pressure of these liquids eliminates the need for a pressure vessel and instead operates slightly below ambient pressure. A primary issue with the uses of these coolants is their compatibility with nuclear fuel, cladding and core structure materials at elevated temperatures more than 500oC. Therefore, in pile and out-of-pile test loops have been constructed or being considered for quantifying the …

Probabilistic Modeling Of Social Media Networks, Distinguishing Phylogenetic Networks From Trees, And Fairness In Service Queues, Md Rashidul Hasan

Mathematics & Statistics ETDs

In this dissertation, three primary issues are explored. The first subject exposes who-saw-from-whom pathways in post-specific dissemination networks in social media platforms. We describe a network-based approach for temporal, textual, and post-diffusion network inference. The conditional point process method discovers the most probable diffusion network. The tool is capable of meaningful analysis of hundreds of post shares. Inferred diffusion networks demonstrate disparities in information distribution between user groups (confirmed versus unverified, conservative versus liberal) and local communities (political, entrepreneurial, etc.). A promising approach for quantifying post-impact, we observe discrepancies in inferred networks that indicate the disproportionate amount of automated bots. …

Front Matter, New Mexico Law Review

New Mexico Law Review

No abstract provided.

Tracing The Roots Of A Poisonous Tree: On The Origins And Impact Of Criminal Terminology In A Civil Apprehension Scheme, Shani Mahiri King, Nicole Silvestri Hall

New Mexico Law Review

Language is powerful. It can affect how we think about and treat groups of people. Poor language choices have a massive impact on immigration law, an area of the law that determines how groups of perceived “outsiders” are classified and regulated. Language and bias in judicial opinions have been studied, but less research has been done on poor language choices in immigration statutes. This Comment focuses on the harmful effects of poor language choices in immigration statutes, including the criminal terminology “arrest” and “warrant” in civil immigration apprehension statutes 8 U.S.C. Sections 1226 and 1357. Two fundamental problems arise when …

Big Data Policing Capacity Measurement, Ronald J. Coleman

New Mexico Law Review

Big data, algorithms, and computing technologies are revolutionizing policing. Cell phone data. Transportation data. Purchasing data. Social media and internet data. Facial recognition and biometric data. Use of these and other forms of data to investigate, and even predict, criminal activity is law enforcement’s presumptive future. Indeed, law enforcement in several major cities have already begun to develop a big data policing mindset, and new forms of data have played a central role in high-profile matters featured in the Serial and To Live and Die in LA podcasts, as well as in the Supreme Court’s leading privacy and criminal procedure …

Banding Together: Law Versus People Power In The United States, Benjamin E. Douglas

New Mexico Law Review

To become a democratic society, the United States must respect the people’s right to associate. This does not sound like a radical principle—freedom of association is part of the First Amendment—but realizing this freedom requires serious changes in existing policy. State and federal laws obstruct the ability of people to band together to shape the type of society that they wish to live in. People face severe restrictions impeding their right to form and direct value-based, powerbuilding, membership-driven organizations. I begin with an examination of the democracy deficit in this country, explored in three dimensions. First, when there are conflicts …

The Mindful First Amendment, Gary Myers

New Mexico Law Review

The mindfulness movement has begun to play an expanding role in personal well-being and in society more generally. Although there is an active push for mindfulness in law, its primary focus is on ways in which mindfulness techniques can help lawyers in their personal and professional lives. This article explores the possible contributions of mindfulness to the widely recognized challenges facing freedom of speech and freedom of the press in an era of severe cultural and political polarization. This article focuses on the external aspects of mindfulness—the interaction with others and with society—to assess whether its techniques might assist in …

Action Is Not Activism: Moving Martinez/Yazzie V. State Forward, Griffin Arellano

New Mexico Law Review

Education has long been regarded as the foundation of a strong society and fundamental to an individual’s ability to determine the course of their own life. Article XII of the New Mexico Constitution asserts that all students in New Mexico have a right to not just an education but one that is “sufficient.” However, in 2018, a state district court found that at-risk students across New Mexico were being denied that right. In Martinez/Yazzie v. State of New Mexico, the court ordered the State to quickly provide more funding for education and accountability mechanisms to ensure that money was spent …

Reaping The Rewards Of Hard Work: Eliminating The New Mexico Minimum Wage Act’S Exemption For Workers Paid On A Piecework, Flat Rate, And Commission Basis, Jackie Munro-Vahey

New Mexico Law Review

The federal Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) of 1938 created minimum wage, maximum hours, and overtime protections for the first time in United States history. One of the core principles of the FLSA was that states could also pass their own wage and hour laws, provided they were more protective of workers than the federal Act. In 2023, however, New Mexico is the only state where workers paid on a piecework, flat rate, and commission basis are exempt from the basic wage and hour protections of the federal Act because of a less protective state law. So, for example, medical …

The Outer Limits: Jury Discretion, District Court Deference, & Excessive Damages In Morga V. Fedex Ground Package Sys., Inc., Aaron Sharratt

New Mexico Law Review

What is the value of life? Courts and commentators have long debated the question of the inherent value of life in relation to the awarding of compensatory damages. The New Mexico Supreme Court’s recent decision affirming a record $165 million civil award in Morga v. FedEx again brings this debate into public view. The decision effectively shuts the door to the prospect of higher State courts overturning a jury’s noneconomic compensatory damages award based on an excessive verdict claim. The case highlights the district court’s power and discretion in awarding monetary damages for nonmonetary injuries and the implications of defense …

Virtual Learning Environments And Digital Twins: Enhancing Accessibility, Diversity, And Flexibility In Training Secondary Educational Administrators, James Hutson, Robert Steffes, Joe Weber

Faculty Scholarship

This study investigates the potential of Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) and digital twins to overcome geo-graphical, scheduling, and diversity barriers in the training of secondary educational administrators. Recognizing the limitations in traditional in-person visits to schools-particularly for graduate students in rural areas and those working fulltime with dependents-and the current ethnic composition of educational administrators, where White individuals comprise 64.5% of the population in the US (71.01% for principals), this research explores how VLEs can democratize access and foster diversity in educational leadership training. Over the academic year 2022–2023, pre- and post-engagement surveys were administered to students in a Visionary …

Military Women In World Cinema: A 20th Century History And Filmography, Introduction, Deborah A. Deacon, Stacy Fowler

Faculty Articles

From British soldier Flora Sandes to the fame World War II Night Witches of the Soviet Air Force, women across the globe stepped up to defend their countries during every major and minor conflict of the twentieth century, and filmmakers have long attempted to capture their stories.

This book analyzes real and fictional military women's portrayals in world cinema, including movies from Israel, the United Kingdom, Italy, China, France, the Soviet Union, and others. It includes theatrical releases, direct-to-video productions, and made-for-television films.

Chapters, organized by decade, address topics including the women's sexuality, maternal and marital status, leadership skills, actual …

Modeling Heat Propagation And Thermal Enhanced Decay In A Solar Thermal Remediation System, Justin Trainor

All Theses

Low temperature solar thermal remediation is designed to accelerate ongoing biotic and abiotic treatment processes at a much lower temperature and cost than high temperature thermal remediation strategies. An array of borehole heat exchangers are used to circulate a solar-heated fluid through a closed-loop system of thermally conductive pipes. Thermal energy heats the surrounding contaminated zone through the process of thermal conduction which serves to enhance the degradation of the contaminant.

A three dimensional analytical solution was previously constructed to model heat propagation from borehole heat exchangers into the surrounding subsurface. The model utilizes a system of finite line sources …

“Oh, That’S For Girls”: Barriers To Men’S Enrollment In College Sex Education Courses, Savannah Burke

All Theses

American teens have diverse experiences with sex education that may leave some inadequately prepared for navigating their sexuality as emerging adults. For those who seek higher education, college-level sex education classes could fill this void. Yet, there is a notable gender gap in enrollment in college-level sex education classes across the US, with men being reluctant to taking these courses. Thus, it is important to understand what barriers prevent men from taking these classes. This study explores the roles that masculine ideology plays in dissuading men from enrolling in college-level sex education courses. Interviews with 17 masculine-identified college students who …

Racial Discrimination In Nba Contracts, Andrew Byrne

All Theses

Throughout NBA history, there has been discrimination that has been faced by black players. This is not limited to the compensation that black players receive compared to white players. Literature in this are showed a significant amount of discrimination occurring between white and black NBA players when holding player performance constant when looking at the mid 1980s. This changed with later literature, as analyses of the early to mid 1990s found that this discrimination had subsided in NBA contracts.

This paper analyzes seasons from the early 1990s through to early 2020s to see whether this change in discriminatory practices holds …

Salinity In Propagation: Germination And Juvenile Acclimatization Of Wetland Halophytes Using Saline Irrigation, Morgan Tomlin

All Theses

The introduction of poor water quality into commercial nursery crop production is predicated on optimized methods that apply saline irrigation without compromising plant success and health. Halophytes have many mechanisms of salt tolerance; however, these are greatly tied to physiological and developmental maturity. Thus, evaluating salt tolerance of halophytic crops (Hibiscus moscheutos and Kosteletzkya virginica) during seed germination and juvenile phases of life may provide insight into the efficacy of integrating poor quality water in horticultural operations.

Four seed priming methods (hydropriming, proline priming, low concentration halopriming, and high concentration halopriming) were evaluated as pre-sowing techniques to ameliorate …

Evaluating The Effect Of Biochar Soil Amendments On Belonolaimus Longicaudatus Populations Damaging Bermudagrass In South Carolina, Malone Thomason

All Theses

Belonolaimus longicaudatus Rau, (1958) (sting nematode) is a prevalent plant-parasitic nematode found in association with Cynodon spp. (bermudagrass) in South Carolina (Ye et al., 2012). Due to the persistence of the pest, long-term management strategies are necessary. Applications of biochar and compost amendments have reduced nematodes in various crop systems, but research on turfgrass systems is limited. The objectives of the studies were to determine: (1) The effect of topdressing or soil incorporated biochar amendments on sting nematode populations, and (2) The effect of topdressing or soil incorporated amendments on turf quality. A field study was established to examine topdressings …

Comparison Of Vegetative Community And Soil Organic Matter Depth Among Reference Sites And Two Restored Wetlands In The Coastal Plain Of South Carolina, Jessica Clark

All Theses

Wetland loss and degradation from agriculture, urbanization, forestry, and mining is a global issue. South Carolina alone has lost over 27% of its wetlands. This historical wetland loss and climatic changes and impacts make restoring wetlands critical for the state. In restoration, understanding the difference in restored and reference wetland’s vegetation and soil organic matter depth can be crucial in assessing the recovery rate and determining environmental functions and services. The main objectives for our research were to determine differences in soil organic matter depth and vegetative community between the restored Brosnan Forest wetlands, the headwater flats and headwater slopes, …

Screening For Dmi And Mbc Fungicide Resistance In Monilinia Fructicola And Evaluation Of Biorational Products For Control Of Brown Rot On Peach In The Southeast United States, William Gura

All Theses

Monilinia fructicola (G. Winter) Honey is a fungal pathogen and is the causal agent of blossom blight, twig blight, green fruit rot, preharvest brown rot, and postharvest brown rot of peach (Prunus persica (L.) Batsch). Especially pre-and postharvest brown rot can have devastating economic impacts and negatively effects yield for peach growers throughout the southeastern United States. The most effective method for the control of pre- and postharvest brown rot is the application of synthetic fungicides during preharvest season. However, the consecutive use of fungicides with the same mode of action potentially give rise to resistance. This thesis focuses …

Examining Biological Algal Harvest For Use In Clemson University’S Algal Carbon Capture System Using Freshwater Mussel Elliptio Complanata, Jack Grimes

All Theses

Capture of atmospheric carbon by freshwater algae is being proposed in Clemson University’s outdoor algal carbon capture system, formerly described as the Partitioned Aquaculture System (Drapcho and Brune, 2000). Several algal species have been present in the system, depending on cultivation conditions. However, mechanical harvesting of the algae has proven difficult because of the cost of chemical flocculants, the energy cost of filtration due to small particle size of algae, and the relatively dilute algal cell concentrations in the system. Prior research on algal filtration by freshwater mussels has indicated its potential for use as a biological filter. This research …

Towards Validating Satellite Remote Sensing Of Aerosols With Ground-Based Low-Cost Sensors, Francine Roberts

All Theses

Poor ambient air quality has significant impacts on the environment and human health. Extensive regulation and monitoring has resulted in improvements since the first iteration of the Clean Air Act was passed in 1955. However, work still needs to be done in regard to higher spatial and temporal monitoring. Temporally, sensors used for regulatory purposes often only report every other or every third day. Spatially, they are often spread across vast distances due to cost. The following research is working towards improving the spatiotemporal measurements of particulate matter (PM), specifically in South Carolina. The two methods available for improving the …

Patterns And Drivers Of Wiregrass Gap Longleaf Pine (Pinus Palustris Mill.) Woodland Succession As Part Of Restoration Efforts, Armin Weise

All Theses

Longleaf Pine (Pinus palustris) communities are widespread throughout the Southeastern United States with a dominant understory vegetation of wiregrass (Aristida spp.) in most of its range. A small area in central South Carolina that is naturally free of wiregrass is called the “Wiregrass Gap”. Here, the understory vegetation is dominated by bluestems grasses (Andropogon spp. and Schizachyrium spp.) which drive the disturbance regime of frequent low-intensity fire. The successful establishment of these grasses is key for longleaf pine woodland restoration efforts in this region, but few resources detail the ecological drivers at play that enable successful restoration in these longleaf …