Digital Commons Network^™

Performance-Based Funding’S Influence On Higher Education Through The Eyes Of Department Chairs, Jonathan W. Lackland

Theses and Dissertations

Performance-based funding (PBF) has become a widely adopted policy in higher education, linking state appropriations to measurable outcomes such as graduation rates, degree completions, and workforce alignment. While PBF aims to enhance institutional accountability and efficiency, its implementation has raised significant concerns about equity and political influence. This dissertation examines the political equity and implications of PBF policies through a mixed-methods approach, including surveys, interviews with department chairs, and critical discourse analysis of state statutes and legislative debates. The findings reveal that PBF often exacerbates inequities, particularly for non-flagship universities serving diverse and under-resourced student populations. Department chairs expressed concerns …

South Asians And Renal Disease: Traditional Food Lists For Management Of Chronic Kidney Disease, Ashwini Wagle

Open Educational Resources

The renal food list is a culturally tailored nutrition education tool designed to address the specific dietary needs of the South Asian population. It is an original intellectual work created by Ashwini Wagle, Ed.D., MS, RD, FAND, Chair and Professor, Department of Nutrition, Food Science, and Packaging at San José State University (SJSU).

An earlier version of this tool was published in 2011 with the assistance of graduate student Kalpana Balasubramanian. The development of this renal food list was strengthened by the encouragement and support of the registered dietitian community, whose contributions included verifying the accuracy of the nutritional information …

An Application Of Molecular Dynamics To Hed Plasma Physics: Point And Group Defect Diffusion In Coulomb Crystals, Levi Webb

Theses and Dissertations

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are used to explore the microscopic behaviors of complex systems that cannot be easily studied experimentally. In particular, the microphysics of high energy density (HED) astrophysical plasma environments remain inaccessible by modern experiment---even in laser facilities, these plasmas exist only on short timescales that do not lend easily to investigation. The diffusion of point and group defects through crystallized plasmas in the cores of white dwarfs and neutron star crusts, called Coulomb crystals, has potentially macroscopic implications for the evolution of these bodies. Thus, I employ the widely-used MD code LAMMPS to simulate small Coulomb crystal …

The Impact Of Sports Betting Legalization On Marital Status, Hosea Gitonga Njogu

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the causal Impact of sports gambling legalization on marital stability in the United States using data from the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS-ASEC) and the American Community Survey (ACS) from 2013 to 2024. The analysis leverages variation in the staggered adoption of state-level sports gambling laws and applies two-way fixed effects, event-study, and the Callaway and Sant’Anna (2021) difference-in-differences estimators, controlling for geographic and individual characteristics. Legalization increases divorce rates by 0.42 percentage points in the CPS and 0.51 percentage points in the ACS, corresponding to increases of 2.4% and 2.6%, or approximately …

Stock Market Reactions To Interest Rate Changes: Evidence From Emerging Markets, Binali Selman Eren

The Indonesian Capital Market Review

This study investigates the impact of interest rate decisions made by national central banks, including the Federal Reserve (Fed), and the European Central Bank (ECB), on the stock markets of emerging economies. It analyzed stock market reactions to interest rate hikes and cuts through the use of an event study approach. The findings provided evidence of heterogeneous effects of interest rate decisions by national central banks, the Fed, and the ECB on stock markets in emerging economies. Specifically, the results indicated that, in most emerging economies, stock markets reacted negatively to interest rate hikes and positively to cuts by national …

Identifying Risk-Free Asset Proxies In Companies Listed On The Indonesia Stock Exchange From 2017 To 2023 Using The Zero-Beta Capital Asset Pricing Model, Fajri Alan Ghazali Mr., Lenny Suardi Mrs.

The Indonesian Capital Market Review

This study evaluates Bank Indonesia Certificates (SBI), IndONIA, and gold as zero-beta proxies for Indonesian equities. Using daily returns for 213 firms listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (2017–2023) and the Jakarta Composite Index as the market return, we estimate firm-level zero-beta CAPMs and compute Wald statistics test to identify the appropriate risk- free asset proxy for each individual company; and firm-level outcomes are then aggregated under a Bernoulli/Binomial criterion with a 95% threshold. Empirical results show that gold satisfies the zero-beta condition for 207 of 213 firms (97.18%), whereas SBI and IndONIA satisfy it for five (2.35%) and six …

Escaping The Crash? The Protective Power Of Liquidity In The Pakistan Stock Market, Sana Saleem, Muhammad Usman, Amna Rafique

The Indonesian Capital Market Review

This study investigates the effect of stock liquidity on the risk of stock price crashes, taking sample of non-financial firms listed on the Pakistan Stock Exchange, from 2009 to 2024. A two-step system GMM estimation is applied to test the hypotheses. The results reveal that greater stock liquidity significantly reduces crash risk, whereas illiquidity amplifies it. Two underlying channels explain this relationship; first, liquidity strengthens block holders’ capacity to intervene, discouraging managerial tendencies to withhold adverse information, second, liquidity enhances price informativeness, limiting managerial discretion to manipulate prices through delayed disclosure of bad news. The findings imply that liquid stocks …

The Professional Constructor, Full Issue

The Professional Constructor

Full Issue, Winter 2026

Volume 50, Number 01

The Development Of A Convenient And Consistent Methodology For Flight Proficiency To Certify Multi-Rotor Uas Pilots For State Departments Of Transportation, Colin H. Dees, Joseph M. Burgett

The Professional Constructor

To fly an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), commonly referred to as a “drone,” the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires pilots to pass a knowledge test. There is no requirement at the state or federal level for drone operators to demonstrate the ability to operate a UAS. The National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST) has created an exam for public and private entities to assess basic UAS flight proficiency. It is the only nationally recognized flight proficiency protocol. NIST does not provide a scoring recommendation and leaves it to the user to determine the minimum criteria to pass. There is …

Campus Sexual Assault: Cybersex At Bucknell, Rebecca Bonomo

Master’s Theses

Campus sexual assault continues to be a prevalent problem, particularly at Bucknell. The present study is the first study out of Bucknell Campus Sexual Assault Research team to explore the new module of the Sexual Experiences Survey - Victimization (SESV) Cybersex (Koss et al., 2024). This is a mixed methods approach to exploring cybersex at Bucknell. The study explored prevalence rates, differences between gender binary, sexual orientation, and post-traumatic stress symptoms. The first hypothesis was that cybersex victimization will be prevalent at Bucknell. The next hypothesis was that women and sexual minorities would have higher rates of cybersex scores than …

Launching Love Online: How Soft-, Hard-, And No-Launch Practices Shape Perceptions Of Commitment And Relationship Security, Aleana Goetz

Master’s Theses

Social media has introduced new ways couples signal relationship status, ranging from a “hard launch” (a clear couple post) to a “soft launch” (subtle cues such as hands or hints) to a “no launch” (no posting at all). Although these posting choices may seem minor, they may shape how committed and secure a relationship feels. Guided by the Investment Model (Rusbult, 1980) and interdependence theory (Kelley & Thibaut, 1978), the present study examines whether relationship visibility on Instagram relates to perceived partner commitment and relationship security.

A total of 176 participants (36 male, 118 female, 22 did not report) viewed …

The Spaces Of Queer Childhood, Haley Beardsley

Master’s Theses

This thesis examines how Victorian and early twentieth-century British literature imagines queer childhood as a spatial condition that generates alternative temporalities, rather than as a stable identity. Focusing on The Well of Loneliness (1928), Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and Through the Looking-Glass (1871), and Peter Pan (1904) and Peter and Wendy (1911), this project argues that queer childhood emerges within literary environments that actively produce misalignment with normative developmental logics of innocence, growth, and reproductive futurity. Drawing on the work of Lee Edelman, Kathryn Bond Stockton, Jack Halberstam, Sara Ahmed, Elizabeth Freeman, and Guy Debord, this study contends that …

Mitochondrial Efficiency: Bridging Early-Life Environment And Organismal Performance, Kayla E. Lichtner

Master’s Theses

Mitochondria operate at the forefront of organismal-environmental interactions. Despite remarkable diversity in mitochondrial function both within and among species, all mitochondria serve a universal role in facilitating the flow of energy between organisms and their environment. Energetic efficiency, the way in which organisms assimilate and transform environmental substrate into physiological currency, is a major determinant of organismal performance. Although previous studies have shown that early-life environment can have lasting effects on metabolism, the underlying mechanisms driving the emergence of mitochondrial phenotypic variation remain poorly understood. Leach’s storm-petrels (Hydrobates leucorhous) provide a valuable opportunity to investigate longitudinal hypotheses of …

Feasibility Of Upcycling Spent Lithium-Ion Battery To Carbon Dioxide Capture Adsorbent, Chimezie Frank Onwudinjo

Master’s Theses

This study investigates the feasibility of repurposing spent lithium-ion battery (SLIB) to lithium orthosilicate (Li₄SiO₄), a high temperature carbon dioxide sorbent. Two synthesis pathways including conventional acid-leaching method (Scenario 1) and a pyrolysis-based route (Scenario 2) were explored. Additionally, techno-economic analysis (TEA) and lifecycle assessment (LCA) of the two processes were also performed. Different analytical characterization techniques were performed to understand the material properties of Li₄SiO₄ including surface area, crystallinity, morphology and thermal stability. CO₂ capture performance of the synthesized Li₄SiO₄ was tested in a thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) using …

Control System Emendation And Ai-Driven Optimization For Enhancing A Smart Residential Microgrid, Anthony Nyoyoko

Master’s Theses

This thesis began with a simple idea: to restore the control system of a smart residential microgrid to respond intelligently to electricity prices while remaining safe, reliable, and practical on low-cost hardware. At the start, the goal was to design an economically aware microgrid that could look at electricity prices from the PJM market and make better operational decisions than traditional rule-based control. The motivation was straightforward. As residential renewable energy adoption increases, microgrids are expected to do more than just supply power. They are expected to respond to price volatility, integrate renewable generation, and operate reliably using embedded controllers …

From The Big Leagues To Little League. Identity Tensions And Experiences Of Former Elite Athletes Coaching Their Children In Athletics, Jake Manning

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

For many families, their children’s athletic activities are a primary source of parent-child bonding for both parents and children, and many parents choose to coach their children’s sports teams to be more involved. While research shows the benefits and challenges that come when the parent navigates a dual role of parent and coach, research has not yet looked at parents who played sports at a professional or collegiate level. Through semi-structured interviews with 5 former elite athletes who coached their children in athletics, this study applies communication theory of identity to analyze their experience and explore the benefits and challenges …

Soil Tent: Make A Career Connection, Haley F. Wicklein, Alicia Carlson, Nh Globe Team

Earth Around Us

No abstract provided.

Globe Atmosphere: Air Temperature Data Sheet 2026, Globe U.S. Coordination Office

GLOBE Data Sheets

No abstract provided.

W462-001a-04 - Staff: Staff Assembly: Various Records, Staff And Staff Assembly

University Archives Finding Aids

No abstract provided.

W432-003 - Office Of Admissions: Ambassadors Program, Office Of Admissions

University Archives Finding Aids

No abstract provided.

W415.2-004d-13 - Memorabilia: Scrapbooks And Albums: 2010-2019, Memorabilia

University Archives Finding Aids

No abstract provided.

W415.2-004d-11 - Memorabilia: Scrapbooks And Albums: 1990-1999, Memorabilia

University Archives Finding Aids

No abstract provided.

Discovering Naturally Occurring Antifreeze Peptides From Microbiome By Integrating Protein Language Models And Molecular Dynamics Simulation, Ibrahim A. Imam, Trevor Morey, Yuexu Jiang, Duolin Wang, Dong Xu, Qing Shao

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Antifreeze peptides inhibit ice crystal growth and recrystallization, and are promising components of cryoprotective formulations for cell, tissue, and food preservation, as well as anti-icing surface coatings. However, the discovery of new antifreeze peptides has been hindered by their sequence diversity and the limited scalability of experimental screening. In this study, we identify novel antifreeze peptide candidates from a microbiome-derived sequence library using ensemble machine learning and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. We developed an ensemble classifier composed of 10 adapter-tuned protein-language models and a random forest meta-learner. After training on a curated dataset of 73 766 sequences, we applied this …

Functionalization Of Microfiltration Media Towards Catalytic Hydrogenation Of Selected Halo-Organics From Water, Subrajit Bosu, Samuel S. Thompson, Doo Young Kim, Noah D. Meeks, Dibakar Bhattacharyya

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Contaminated water detoxification remains difficult due to the presence of persistent halo-organic contaminants, such as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and chlorophenols, which are chemically stable and resist conventional purification methods. Functionalized membrane-based separation and decontamination have garnered immense attention in recent years. Commercially available microfiltration membrane (PVDF) and polymeric non-woven fiber filters (glass and composite) are functionalized with poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA) that shows outstanding pH-responsive performance and tunable water permeability under ambient conditions perfect for environmental applications. Polymer loading based on weight gain measurements on PMAA–microglass composite fibers (137%) and microglass fibers (116%) confirmed their extent of functionalization, which was significantly …

Hydrogel Nanoparticle Synthesis Using Liquid–Solid Separation For A More Efficient, Greener Process, Emily N. Ingram, Jason Stallings, Mara Leach-Baughman, Endras Fadhilah, Anastasia Shaverina, Brittany E. Givens, Malgorzata Chwatko

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Water swollen nanoparticle synthesis methods have been fine-tuned and universally used to create materials in the medical and cosmetic industries. However, these methods often utilize toxic solvents and generate excess waste during the separation and purification processes. This work presents a protocol using an inverse nanoemulsion wherein liquid–liquid separation is replaced with liquid–solid separation, i.e. crystallization to isolate nanoparticles. Using low toxicity oils that are solids at room temperature, water-in-oil nanoemulsions can be generated at elevated temperatures, and upon removal of heat, solid–liquid separation isolates nanoparticles in the aqueous phase. Poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEG-DA) was chosen to create polymer nanogels …

Ion Diffusion Overestimates Figures Of Merit In Polymeric Mixed Conductors, Maryam Shahi, Vianna N. Le, Paula Alarcon Espejo, Bowen Ding, Joel H. Bombile, Chad Risko, Martin Heeney, Alexandra F. Paterson

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Figures of merit are used to translate science to technology. For organic mixed ionic–electronic conductors (OMIECs), the product of mobility and volumetric capacitance, i.e., the µC* product, is the figure of merit used to guide the development of technologies ranging from bioelectronics to neuromorphics. While organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) are used extensively to measure the µC* product, if there is a kink in the transistor current, then the µC* product is overestimated. Here, we show that the origin of the kink is a change in the rate with which the ions diffuse into the channel. We also discover that the …

Jasmonic Acid And Nanoparticle Elicitation Of L. Cardinalis – Differentiating Elicitor Contributions In Nanoparticle Delivery Strategies, Rachel P. Sutherland, Mckenna F. Clinch, Kristen Bruce, D. Trent Rogers, John Littleton, Bert Lynn, Stephen Rankin, Barbara L. Knutson

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Elicitation is an important strategy for producing plant secondary metabolites, which are responsible for a plant's highly dynamic chemical defense against environmental stressors such as UV light, predators, and pathogens. Elicitation strategies have recently employed nanoparticles as carriers to effectively deliver the elicitation agent through the cell membrane. This study examines the elicitation of secondary metabolites in Lobelia cardinalis hairy root cultures (HRCs) in response to the plant hormone jasmonic acid (JA) and a JA-loaded nanoparticle carrier (mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNPs)). Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS) with high resolution mass spectrometry identified 12 m/z features only upregulated in the …

Stochastic Mechanical Mesoscale Modeling Of Cylindrical Cavities In Metallic Foams, Mujan N. Seif, Alexandre Martin, Matthew J. Beck

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Aluminum foam is a critical component of state-of-the-art micrometeoroid and orbital debris shielding. However, its randomly oriented constituent ligaments create significant variability in properties at different length scales. Previous efforts have thoroughly characterized the statistical implications of micro- to macro-scale-length transitions on the homogenized elastic behavior of damage-free, pre–micrometeroid and orbital debris (MMOD) strike structures. In this work, the properties of the residual material post MMOD impact are assessed by introducing cylindrical cavities representing the damage track. It was observed that configuring the cavity parallel to the through-the-thickness direction transformed a nominally isotropic foam into an anisotropic (transverse isotropic) material, …

A Systematic Review Of Socioeconomic Status On Infant-Directed Speech, Laura K. Flaker

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project reviews the impact of socioeconomic status (SES) on infant-directed speech (IDS) and examines potential interventions aimed at increasing the use of IDS. Existing research indicates that caregivers from higher-SES backgrounds tend to use more frequent and higher-quality IDS, including greater vocabulary diversity and more responsive interactions, compared to caregivers from lower-SES backgrounds. These differences are often influenced by factors such as parental stress, limited time, and access to resources. Understanding the differences in IDS is crucial to reducing disparities in language development. Findings from this review suggest that interventions such as increasing access to mental health services and …

Overview And Methods Of Molecular Paleontology: A Review, Shelby Touchstone

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Molecular paleontology—the study of ancient biomolecules preserved in fossils and sediments, including ancient DNA, lipids, and proteins—has motivated researchers since the 1950s, inspiring both scientific inquiry and broader cultural imagination. Think Jurassic Park. This honors thesis presents a comprehensive review of the history, current state, and methods of the field of molecular paleontology. Drawing on peer-reviewed literature and scholarly resources accessed through databases such as EBSCO and Bierce library, this review examines key techniques such as Next Generation Sequencing and amino acid racemization and will go over limitations and controversies in the field. It will also explore potential new …