Education Commons^™

Acceleration Battery Predictive Model Utilizing Field-Based Testing​, Peterson Bohannon, Justin L. Montney, Emily Washburn, Jenifer Bechard, Michael Frangello Iii

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Sprint performance is a key determinant of success across many sports (particularly track and field athletes). Many of the biomechanical and physiological factors contributing to sprint performance are typically assessed using laboratory-based tools that are not accessible to most coaches. The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate a practical, field-based testing model capable of predicting 60 m sprint performance and identifying key performance determinants in sprint and jump athletes.

A cohort of 40 collegiate track and field athletes (ages 18–24) completed a comprehensive testing battery including 30 m acceleration, 30 m fly sprint, standing long jump, standing …

Fhsu Western Kansas Regional Water Quality Study, Gunnar F. Wainscott

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

This study, conducted by Fort Hays State University faculty and graduate students, aims to analyze water quality through systematic sampling and analysis of wells, ponds, and streams across the region. Each sample is analyzed for a suite of eighteen parameters, such as arsenic, lead, nitrate, etc. By combining laboratory results with spatial data, this project seeks to identify regional patterns, establish a foundation for future monitoring efforts, and provide participating landowners with clear, accessible information about their own water quality.

Cross-Cultural Differences In Academic Pressure, Anxiety, And Sleep Quality Among High-Achieving Students In The United States And South Korea, Yumi Choi, Brett Zollinger, Jisook Park

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

This study examines cross-cultural differences in academic pressure, anxiety, and sleep quality among high-achieving students in the United States and South Korea. As academic success becomes increasingly competitive in both countries, students often face significant psychological and physiological challenges. This research investigates how differing educational systems and cultural expectations influence levels of academic pressure and their subsequent impact on anxiety and sleep quality.

Data were collected from high-achieving high school students in both countries using standardized measures, including the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) scale. Comparative analyses were conducted to identify differences in perceived …

Guns, Blood, And Textbooks? Geopolitical Risk And U.S. Higher Education Spending, Daniel Bechle

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

• The study explores whether certain types of geopolitical risk contribute to shifts in U.S. higher education spending across time. 
• Information is drawn from Iacoviello and Tong’s (2026) database, which scores newspapers for various forms of geopolitical risk tied to the United States using Artificial Intelligence (AI) keyword-matching procedures. 
• Time series statistical analyses evaluate how changes in geopolitical risk relate to changes in higher education spending.
• The initial results indicate that when there is an increase in geopolitical risk where the United States is the direct target of geopolitical risk where it may respond to the threat or the performance of …

Powwow Sound: The Differences Between Northern And Southen Style Music, Alison P. Walker

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

The purpose of this study was to observe the music performed at Powwows and the differences of the sound according to region.

I examined the changes based on region that made the style of music performed different.

Sustainable Land Use Optimization In Radioactively Contaminated Landscapes Of Ukrainian Polissia, Iryna Mcdonald, Liudmyla Raichuk

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Sustainable Land Use Optimization in Radioactively Contaminated Landscapes of Ukrainian Polissia

Dr. Iryna McDonald¹, Dr. Liudmyla Raichuk²

¹Fort Hays State University, Department of Agriculture, Hays, KS, USA

²Institute of Agroecology and Environmental Management of the NAAS, Kyiv, Ukraine

Abstract

The radioecological situation in territories contaminated due to the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident remains challenging, particularly in the Zhytomyr, Kyiv, and Rivne regions, where certain products continue to exhibit elevated levels of radionuclide content. Contemporary challenges –  such as the full-scale war, which has led to the loss of productive lands in southern and eastern …

Manual Audiometry Vs. Iphone Hearing Test: A Comparative Analysis Of Hearing Screening Results, Kelsi White, Mckayla Sprague, Jennifer Sadler, Blake Roth

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

This study examined differences in hearing screening outcomes between manual audiometry and the iPhone Hearing Test using Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) among 30 adults. Participants completed pure-tone threshold screenings at frequencies ranging from 250 Hz to 8000 Hz in a sound-treated audiology suite. Manual audiometry followed a modified Hughson-Westlake procedure, while the automated test used Apple’s standardized protocol. After both screenings, participants reported perceptions of accuracy, convenience, and preference through a questionnaire. Results from the screenings and surveys provided insight into participant trust, perceived reliability, and the practicality of smartphone-based hearing tests compared to traditional methods. Findings highlight the …

Behaviorally-Anchored Team Member Feedback In Undergraduate Learning: Linking Verbal Communication To Ai-Detected Emotional Expressions, Ryan Will, Brent J. Goertzen, Magdalene Moy, Jace Hesford

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

This study examines how undergraduate team members’ verbal communication behaviors are associated with the emotional expressions of their teammates during student project team interactions. Drawing on data from a semester-long, team-based undergraduate course, three key team meetings were video-recorded across the team life cycle. Verbal communication was analyzed using a systematic content analysis with an a priori codebook capturing emotionally relevant behaviors such as optimism, empathy, building bonds, developing others, service orientation, and task-focused communication. Nonverbal emotional expressions were assessed using AI-based facial expression analysis grounded in Facial Action Coding System research, generating average emotion scores for each team member. …

Validating Llm-Assisted Coding Of Student Leadership Teams For Formative Feedback, Jace Hesford, Magdalene Moy, Ryan Will, Brent Goertzen

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Leadership education scholarship increasingly calls for direct assessment of leadership behaviors rather than reliance on proxy measures (Banks et al., 2023). This poster reports a validation study situated in a project-based leadership course at a midsized university. While teams meet regularly throughout the semester-long project, three meetings are digitally recorded, transcribed and analyzed to provide students with objective feedback based on the content of their communication. Team meetings are coded using an a priori framework grounded in emotional intelligence (Salovey & Mayer, 1990; Lee & Wong, 2017), with codes reflecting self-awareness, self-regulation, self-motivation, social awareness, and relational management as enacted …

Woven Color: Historical Uses Of Color Theory Woven Into Fiber Art Practice, Mary K. Greenwood

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

This semester-long project, created in Material Exploration, examines the use of historical color theory within contemporary fiber art to evoke emotion and narrative. Drawing from established color systems, artistic movements, and artist inspirations, the work explores how color relationships, such as harmony, contrast, and saturation, can communicate mood and meaning. Through experimentation with textile materials and processes, each piece integrates intentional color schemes to enhance storytelling through both visual and tactile elements. Ultimately, the project highlights how applying historical color theory within fiber art can deepen emotional resonance and connect traditional practices with contemporary expression.

Color Clash: When Opposites Create Harmony, Zachary Dean Esslinger

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Opposites attract is usually the saying and the same can be said for colors. Complimentary colors are pairs directly opposite each other on the color wheel. Warm versus cool, bright versus high intensity these are things that stand out when these colors are paired together Red/Green, Yellow/Purple, Blue/Orange and subsequently any hues, values and tints can be used as well. complementary color pairs, but if looking at a color wheel there are twelve consisting of your three primary and the othernine coming from different hues.

The Effect Of Water Pollution In Kansas, Chaejun Park Chaejun Park, Jeanne Sumrall

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Groundwater in Kansas shows significant nitrate contamination, with about 20% of samples exceeding the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) safe drinking water limit of 10 mg/L. This indicates that a considerable portion of groundwater sources are affected by pollution levels high enough to pose potential risks to human health and environmental quality. High nitrate concentrations are strongly associated with agricultural activity and land-use patterns, particularly areas with intensive fertilizer application, irrigation, and livestock operations. In addition, more than half of all monitored wells show evidence of human influence, reinforcing the idea that nitrate contamination is largely driven by anthropogenic rather than …

From Books To Justice: Public Libraries Strengthening Legal Access Across Kansas, Lauren J. Franks, Ziwei Qi

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Legal self-help centers across Kansas allow access to legal information for self-represented litigants in civil court cases. However, there is a lack of these centers in rural areas. In areas where this resource does not exist, libraries, which already serve as a trusted community-centered hub, can help provide legal information and resources. This project aims to identify best practices in increasing access to legal information and survey key staff including self-help center staff, court staff such as court clerks and judges, and librarians, to help inform our integration of legal self-help services into public libraries. By executing a short anonymous …

2026 April 13 - Staff Senate Agenda And Minutes, Staff Senate, East Tennessee State University

Staff Senate Agendas and Minutes

No abstract provided.

David Berkowitz, Enzyme-Assisted Organic Synthesis & Nsf Officer, Mark A. Griep, David B. Berkowitz

Department of Chemistry: Faculty Interviews

Dr. Dave Berkowitz was born in Urbana, Illinois. He earned his bachelor's degree in chemistry from the University of Chicago, where he did undergraduate research. Next, he earned his doctorate from Harvard University. However, his advisor, Steve Benner, moved from Harvard to ETH Zurich, also called the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. Dave accompanied him to Zurich, where he completed his dissertation work. When Dave returned to the U.S., he did a postdoc with the legendary Samuel Danishefsky at Yale University. In 1991, he joined UNL as an assistant professor of chemistry and quickly rose through the ranks. Dave is …

Heavy Metal In Water Resources, Zuming Bi, Jeanne Sumrall

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Heavy metal pollution in surface water has posed a serious threat to human health. The goals of this research are to analyze the concentration and distribution of key heavy metals and compare the measured values with global standards. This study analyzed major heavy metals like Fe, Mn, Cu, Pb, and Ag across several test points in Kansas and converted them to standard units mg/L. Based on the statistical graph, heavy metal iron and manganese levels are exceeded USEPA and WHO limits several times,  while other heavy metals stay in the safe range. The results indicate that the pollution in Kansas …

Ancestral Sequence Reconstruction Of Gh4, Chaejun Park Chaejun Park, Masakatsu Watanabe

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

GH4 enzymes use an unusual NAD⁺-dependent catalytic mechanism that remains poorly understood. Because of their roles in microbial metabolism and potential bioengineering applications, understanding how this mechanism evolved is important. In this study, we use the GH4 structure 1U8X as a reference for structural and functional analysis. Using ancestral sequence reconstruction and phylogenetic analysis, we inferred ancestral GH4 sequences and selected a particular ancestral node for detailed comparison with modern enzymes. These comparisons were used to examine stability, sequence conservation, and catalytic features, helping identify mutations and evolutionary transitions that contributed to the emergence of this distinctive NAD⁺-dependent mechanism.

Music In New Orleans, Brooklyn R. Thomas

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Buddy Bolden's Band 1905

Photo Hogan Jazz Archives

The Role Of Dna Exoneration In The Bloodsworth Case, John T. Brasfield

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

In the Kirk Bloodsworth case, a man was falsely convicted for the rape and murder of Dawn Hamilton. He spent eight years in prison after being convicted through witness testimony, where he learned about DNA profiling. After submitting a request to check his DNA against the DNA left at the scene, he was exonerated. Later, the DNA left at the scene was checked against a database and got a hit on a convicted rapist who had been charged shortly after Mr. Bloodsworth. If there had been the same access to DNA technology during the trial or if they had listened …

Key Biomechanical Predictors Of Driving Distance, Cooper M. Scheck, Justin L. Montney, David Fitzhugh, Helen Miles, Greg Kandt

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Abstract: This study investigated the key biomechanical factors that influence golf driving distance using 3D motion capture analysis. Nine swings from three golfers were analyzed using the Sportsbox Golf premium platform, allowing for detailed measurement of swing mechanics across nine phases of the golf swing. Variables included clubhead speed, X-Factor (torso–pelvis separation), body dimensions, and kinematic velocities.

Results showed that carry distance is most strongly associated with clubhead speed and X-Factor at impact, while X-Factor at the top of the backswing was not significantly related. Correlation and regression analyses indicated that a combination of body dimensions, swing speed, and impact …

Oktoberfest In Kansas: Music, Cultural Heritage, And Community Identity, Lauren June

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Oktoberfest began in Munich and is known for its strong connection to music and celebration. In Kansas, Oktoberfest reflects German heritage through live bands, dancing, and traditional songs. This project explores how music helps preserve culture and bring communities together.

Perceptions Of Online De-Escalation Training, May Yu-Harper

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Higher education and professional training have increasingly adopted online and compressed course formats to meet workforce needs and expand access (Al-Youssef, 2023; Pregowska et al., 2021). While these formats provide greater flexibility for learners, they also raise important questions about course duration and its impact on student learning, knowledge gains, and course evaluation ratings (Pregowska et al., 2021). Course evaluations are widely used to assess participants’ perceptions of course quality, value, and applicability (Al-Kharusi, 2023; Loveland, 2007). Prior research suggests that course evaluation ratings may be influenced by factors beyond instructional quality, including participant background and course structure (Daskalopoulou, 2024). …

The Solar Car Challenge’S Impact On Participants’ Stem College/Career Aspirations And Nace Career-Ready Competencies Development, Allan Phipps

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

This quantitative study examined the impact and efficacy of the Solar Car Challenge (SCC), a secondary-level science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) competition, on alumni postsecondary educational and career outcomes. The study investigated whether participation in the SCC influenced students’ pursuit of STEM college majors, entry into STEM-related careers, and development of career-ready competencies aligned with the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) framework. While prior research has identified positive relationships between participation in national STEM competitions and STEM aspirations, no empirical studies have examined the SCC or its long-term outcomes.

Using survey data from SCC alumni, this study …

A Revolution Of Rational Civility, Honorable Douglas S. Lang

St. Mary's Journal on Legal Malpractice & Ethics

This Article addresses a blind spot in the theorizing and debate over originalist interpretation: the implications of rules of legal ethics.  For the few originalist theorists who take the practical side of originalism seriously, attorneys’ rules of professional conduct are almost entirely absent from the discussion.  Incivility is at epidemic proportions in our society.  That condition is unacceptable.

This Article argues for each of us, lawyers and everyone in all walks of life, to take action and not merely offer lip service to push back against incivility.  We must repel incivility.  This “push back” is not compelled alone by written …

On Becoming A Lawyer: Authentic Professional Identity Formation And The Future Of Legal Education, Colin Black

St. Mary's Journal on Legal Malpractice & Ethics

No abstract provided.

A Light In The Darkness: Tribute To Professor Emeritus Vincent R. Johnson, Sarah Nicole Peacock

St. Mary's Journal on Legal Malpractice & Ethics

No abstract provided.

False Confessions Of A Teenage Boy: The Case Of Brian Boles And Charles Collins, Rebekah Bottner

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

On February 8, 1994, James Reid was found dead in his apartment in New York. In the days following the murder, detectives spoke to several people who lived in the building, looking for potential leads or suspects, including 17-year-old Brain Boles. Boles was initially released from questioning after he signed a statement confirming his alibi and that barely knew Reid. A month later, Boles was arrested for a separate assault and robbery. For this crime, Boles confessed, but he was then subjected to an intense and lengthy interrogation for the murder of James Reid. Eventually, Boles also confessed to the …

Ronald Jones – Guilty Until Proven Innocent, Treyton Schumacher

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Ronald Jones was arrested on January 1^st, 1989, for possible murder and rape in the incident on March 3^rd, 1985. He was beaten by the Chicago police force while in their custody for a false confession so they could close the case. With the forensic evidence skills and technology at the time not being up to par they could not exclude Ronald from being the actual perpetrator until 1997, after the second appeal made by Ronald for the re-examination of the DNA and evidence. Ronald was released two years later on May 18^th, 1999, …

Identifying Socio-Economic Areas Of Concern Towards Inclusion In Gis Hazard Management, Detroit, Michigan, Ernestina Osei

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

This study examines the spatial distribution of socio-economic vulnerability and access to emergency services in Detroit, Michigan, to identify areas of concern for hazard preparedness and urban resilience. While traditional hazard management strategies often prioritize physical infrastructure, this research emphasizes the importance of integrating social vulnerability factors into planning processes.

Socio-economic variables including poverty, unemployment, median household income, housing vacancy, and insurance coverage were obtained from the American Community Survey. These variables were normalized and combined to create a composite vulnerability index representing areas of heightened socio-economic risk. At the same time, proximity and accessibility to critical services such as …

Finding Her Voice: Communication Challenges And Strategies Among Young Women With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Sydney Holthaus, Averi Yeo, Madison Walt, Ran An

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Background/Rationale

Research on autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has historically centered on males, leaving the communication experiences of autistic females underrepresented (Lai et al., 2015). Although autistic females make up a substantial portion of the autistic population in the United States (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2023), far less is known about how communication differences affect their everyday lives. Diagnostic processes may also overlook communication-related signs in autistic women, particularly when masking or compensatory behaviors reduce the visibility of underlying pragmatic and social communication differences (Dean et al., 2017; Hull et al., 2020; Rynkiewicz et al., 2018). As a result, …