Science and Technology Studies Commons^™

"Data Science For Digital Privacy: A Practical Guide For Non-Technical Audiences", Kayla Ahrndt

SPARK Symposium Presentations

As companies increasingly rely on consumer data for personalization and profit, the need for stronger user protections, security measures, and transparency in data practices grows. Legal frameworks must be continuously re-evaluated and updated to ensure accountability, while individuals must be equipped with the knowledge to make informed decisions about their digital presence. However, personal data privacy education remains widely inaccessible due to the technical language and the effort required to navigate complex policies. This project, presented in both zine and blog formats, addresses this gap by providing clear, actionable, and accessible recommendations for data privacy and personal cybersecurity. As an …

Modeling The Relationship Between Calories And Activity Metrics: A Regression Analysis With Variable Selection, Felix Yeboah

Data Science and Data Mining

Physical activity monitors have become integral to daily routines, with wearable devices such as the Apple Watch and Fitbit offering continuous data on users’ physical activity. This study compares the measurement accuracy of these devices by examining how they record parameters relevant to fitness and health. Employing multiple linear regression, we modeled the relationship between calories expended and a set of explanatory variables, including heart rate, steps, distance, age, activity level, weight, and device type. Evaluation of all possible variable combinations identified heart rate, steps, distance, weight, and watch type as the most effective predictors of calorie expenditure. Although the …

Zombie-Auras: Genai And Hybrid Text Production, Joshua Nieubuurt

English Faculty Publications

This paper explores the iterative evolutions of textual production and their impact on the “aura” of texts, as conceptualized by Walter Benjamin. The study identifies three key phases of textual production: the natural, the mechanized, and the digitized, each progressively displacing the “cult value” of texts. This cult value is lost through increased ease of creation, reproduction, dissemination, and dislocation of creators and audiences in time and space. The advent of Generative AI (GenAI) marks the latest evolution, transforming the “aura” into a memetic “zombie” form—familiar yet opaque, evoking both the sublime and fear. By examining Benjamin’s notion of “aura” …

In Memoriam - Nora Sabelli: Master Orchestrator Of Grant Programs And Mentor For Advancing The Interdisciplinary Learning Sciences Field, Eric Hamilton, Jeremy Roschelle, Roy Pea, Barbara Means, Louis Gomez, Kim Gomez, Nancy Butler Songer

Education Division Scholarship

On Friday, September 6, 2024, the learning sciences field lost a giant in Dr. Nora Sabelli, 87 years old, a personal mentor to many researchers and an inspiration to so many learning scientists and STEM leaders. Nora’s first professional career was as a computational chemist, and later she became a passionate leader in research for improving STEM education. Nora’s time as a senior program officer at the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Education and Human Resources (EHR) directorate was legendary; she was a force of nature who reshaped funding priorities for stronger science and a stronger connection of science to education …

The Economic And Environmental Impact Of Shinkansen And High-Speed Rail Infrastructure: A Comparative Analysis Of Economic Growth And Carbon Emissions Reduction, Dillan R. Victory

SPARK Symposium Presentations

The development of Japan's high-speed rail system, the Shinkansen, has played a pivotal role in the country's post-war economic resurgence. Introduced in 1964 with the Tokaidō Shinkansen, this transformative infrastructure investment significantly reduced travel times, bolstered economic activity around station hubs, and facilitated regional development by enabling urban decentralization. This paper explores the long-term economic benefits of high-speed rail, including its impact on land value, business expansion, and carbon emissions. The case study of the Linear Chuo Shinkansen, Japan's latest maglev project, underscores both the economic promise and the political resistance to expansion, particularly in regions such as Shizuoka.

Using …

“Regression To The Mean”: The Confluence Of Eugenics And Statistics In The 19th And 20th Centuries, Emrys G. King

Pomona Senior Theses

The work of this thesis is twofold — first, qualitatively characterizing the confluence between the British eugenics and statistics movements in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and second, quantitatively analyzing the effect of this foundation on pedagogical materials in the growing field of statistics between 1880 and 1970. Towards the first goal, the history of the method of least squares, state statistics, and positive and negative eugenics are outlined, followed by a close reading of the foundational texts authored by Francis Galton and Karl Pearson that introduced linear regression. Towards the latter goal, English-language statistics textbooks published between …

Impact Of Urban Development On Uv Exposure: A Clustering And Machine Learning Assessment, Taufik Roni Sahroni Mr., Verdi Yasin, Lulut Alfaris, Reza Ariefka, Ruben Cornelius Siagian, Mohammad Alfin Karim, Nana Rahdiana, Ade Suhara

Journal of Environmental Science and Sustainable Development

The relocation of Indonesia's capital city is anticipated to promote inclusive economic growth while embracing cultural diversity. However, this transition may affect ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure patterns. The study investigated variations in UV exposure in the IKN region, focusing on urban development factors such as land use and population density that affect public health, sun protection, and skin cancer prevention. The research hypothesized that UV radiation is significantly correlated with these factors. UV Index data from 2010-2023, a hierarchical clustering method, identifies complex data patterns without determining the number of clusters. XGBoost, a machine learning model, was used for handling …

The Impact Of Student Engagement Activities On Future Climate Change Adaptation: The Case Of Student Simulation Models, Bassel Mostafa Elkalaf

Future Journal of Social Science

This paper explores the critical role of student engagement in addressing the growing challenges of climate change, with a focus on the Model United Nations (MUN) as a case study. As climate-related security threats increase globally, educational platforms that prepare youth for effective leadership in climate politics are more essential than ever. MUN, a widely practiced student activity simulating global policy-making, provides a valuable opportunity for students to deepen their understanding of the interconnectedness between climate change, peace, and security. By participating in MUN simulations, students engage in debates, develop innovative solutions, and practice diplomatic skills, all while exploring the …

Integrating Humanities Into Cybersecurity Education: Enhancing Ethical, Historical, And Sociopolitical Understanding In Technical Training, Joseph Frusci

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

The increasing complexity of cybersecurity challenges necessitates a holistic educational approach that integrates both technical skills and humanistic perspectives. This article examines the importance of infusing humanities disciplines such as history, ethics, political science, sociology, law, and anthropology—into cybersecurity education. Through a pilot course developed for Staten Island Technical High School, aligned with the New York State K-12 Computer Science and Digital Fluency Standards, students were introduced to an interdisciplinary curriculum that combined technical cybersecurity training with historical analysis, ethical reasoning, and sociopolitical context. The results of pre- and post-course assessments demonstrated significant improvements in critical thinking, ethical decision-making, and …

Simulating Interventions To Improve Reproducibility In Scientific Publications, Ben G. Fitzpatrick

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Network Analysis Of Progress In Mathematics Research, Anna Singley

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

The Use Of Social Media For Organisational Learning: A Systematic Review Of Literature, Harry Moongela, Marie Hattingh

African Conference on Information Systems and Technology

Social media (categorised as Web 2.0 platforms) has been reported to significantly impact and improve organisational learning (OL), but there seems to be a lack of systematic literature reviews (SLR) covering the use of social media to facilitate OL. Thus, this article conducted a SLR for both social media and OL by presenting the significant concepts, models and frameworks from literature. A total number of 48 articles were found for the analysis method and the findings reveal important concepts such as types of OL, levels of OL and frameworks incorporating both social media and OL. The results also show that …

Exploring Artificial Intelligence: A Collaborative Small Group Analysis And Application, Ellamarie Powell

AI Assignment Library

In this small group project, students will collaborate to explore the principles and applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Each group will research, analyze, and present on a specific AI topic, highlighting its real-world implications and ethical considerations. The project involves team members contributing to various roles, including research, technical analysis, and presentation. The final deliverable will be a video presentation integrating individual contributions, showcasing a comprehensive understanding of AI and its impact on society. This assignment fosters teamwork, critical thinking, and effective communication skills.

Reactive Dye Wash-Off Processing Of Cotton Fabrics Using Polymer Dye Transfer Inhibitors For Sustainable Dyeing, Muhammad Nazrul Islam, Tuba Toprak-Cavdur, Safiqul Islam, Fatema Tarannum, Keisha Walters

Chemical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Cotton fiber consumption is higher than any other natural fiber due to its superior mechanical and physical properties. In the conventional reactive dyeing process, the dye undergoes hydrolysis due to hydrogen bonding and weak Van der Waals forces, yielding poor washing color fastness. Additionally, the post-dyeing wash-off process consumes significant amounts of water, energy, and time in order to remove the unreacted and hydrolyzed dye. Therefore, reactive dyes are predominantly utilized to color cotton fabrics as the covalent bond formed between dye and fiber results in excellent washing fastness for a wide range of colors, and improved ease of use. …

Questioning Reality: The Progressive Development Of Modern Physics, Joshua Lancman

STEM Month

Humanity has a tendency to divide time. The past is distinct from the present which is entirely separate from the future. In supposedly 20-20 vision history is neatly divided into different sections, distinct eras with sharp lines between them. What is present and in the future is always modern. What is past is something else with another name.

Yet time is not divided so neatly. We know this living through it: years and decades blend into one another in a non-uniform progression. To divide human history into separate eras is a necessary simplification, as it helps to ascribe order onto …

Gps Accuracy Of Smartphones For Crowdsourcing Research, Derron L. Dike

Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects

ABSTRACT GPS Accuracy of Smartphones for Crowdsourcing Research Derron Dike Utilizing crowdsourcing with smartphones as a method for field data collection can contribute an array of data for scientific studies and land management applications. This study used crowdsourcing to examine smartphone built-in GPS performance for providing location-specific information with potential forestry applications. The usability of smartphones for GPS data collection in forestry studies or other practical applications is dependent on the level of accuracy required for those applications. A Smartphone Accuracy Trial was designed to test the GPS accuracy performance of current smartphones. Participants used the ArcGIS Field Maps application …

Sustainability Measures Of The Apparel Industry: A Longitudinal Analysis Of Apparel Corporations’ Sustainability Efforts, Lance Cheramie, Mahendran Balasubramanian

Apparel Merchandising and Product Development Faculty Publications and Presentations

Climate change is a paramount challenge of our era, with profound implications for various sectors, including the apparel industry, known for its extensive environmental footprint throughout the entire clothing lifecycle. This study assesses the industry’s carbon emission trends using six years of data (2017–2022) focusing on Scope 1 and Scope 2. Employing a one-way repeated measures ANOVA, this study evaluates the impact of sustainability strategies on emissions. The results indicate a notable decrease in Scope 2 and overall carbon emissions, while Scope 1 emissions remain relatively unchanged despite a downward trend. These findings underscore the success of current sustainability measures …

We Train Ai, Why Not Humans, Too? An Exploration Of Human-Ai Team Training For Future Workplace Viability, Caitlin M. Lancaster

All Dissertations

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the workforce is transforming team dynamics, leading to the emergence of Human-AI Teams (HATs). These teams offer opportunities to capitalize on human strengths with AI's prowess, offering significant opportunities for innovation and efficiency. Effective HAT functioning requires aligning human expectations with AI capabilities and bridging knowledge gaps between teammates. Despite this potential, key integration challenges remain, such as developing shared mental models, addressing skill limitations, and overcoming negative AI perceptions. Existing training efforts often apply human-human teaming principles directly to HATs, overlooking AI's role as a teammate and limiting the development of HAT-specific …

Virtual Fencing In Livestock Management: Effects On Beef Cattle Stress And Enhancing Wildlife Conservation, Kaitlyn E. Dozler

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

I examined the effects of virtual fencing on beef cattle stress and how implementing the technology can aid wildlife habitat conservation at the University of Nebraska Gudmundsen Sandhills laboratory (GSL) near Whitman, NE. First, I examined how virtual fencing influences acute heart rate changes in beef cattle fitted with the virtual fencing collars. No significant difference in the average heart rate of a cow (P > 0.05) was observed between the 30 min control and virtual fenced periods for both trial dates. Second, I examined the influence of topography on wildlife species richness and presence at GSL using wildlife camera …

Understanding And Tuning Magnetism In Layered Ising-Type Antiferromagnet Fepse3 For Potential 2d Magnet, Rabindra Basnet, Taksh Patel, Jian Wang, Dinesh Upreti, Santosh Karki Chhetri, Gokul Acharya, Md Rafique Un Nabi, Joshua Sakon, Jin Hu

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Recent developments in 2D magnetic materials have motivated the search for new van der Waals magnetic materials, especially Ising-type magnets with strong magnetic anisotropy. Fe-based MPX₃ (M = transition metal, X = chalcogen) compounds such as FePS₃ and FePSe₃ both exhibit an Ising-type magnetic order, but FePSe₃ receives much less attention compared to FePS₃. This work focuses on establishing the strategy to engineer magnetic anisotropy and exchange interactions in this less-explored compound. Through chalcogen and metal substitutions, the magnetic anisotropy is found to be immune against S substitution for Se whereas …

Electric Vehicle Usage Patterns In Multi-Vehicle Households In The Us: A Machine Learning Study, Vuban Chowdhury, Suman Kumar Mitra, Sarah Hernandez

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Electric vehicles (EVs) play a significant role in reducing carbon emissions. In the US, EVs are mostly owned by multi-vehicle households, and their usage is primarily studied in the context of vehicle miles traveled. This study takes a unique approach by analyzing EV usage through the lens of vehicle choice (between EVs and internal combustion engine vehicles) within multi-vehicle households. A two-step machine-learning framework (clustering and decision trees) is proposed. The framework determines the preferred trip category for EV use and captures the effects of household attributes, driver attributes, built-environment factors, and gas prices on EV use in multi-vehicle households. …

Open Source Supply Chain Security: A Cost-Benefit Analysis Of Achieving Various Security Thresholds In Build Environments, Carly Retterer

Computer Science Senior Theses

Open source software has become a cornerstone of modern software development, offering unparalleled opportunities for innovation and collaboration. However, its widespread adoption has also introduced a host of security vulnerabilities, particularly in the software supply chain. This paper provides a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis of achieving various security thresholds to harden the build environment, focusing on isolated, hermetic, reproducible, and bootstrappable builds. For each build type, we provide a clear definition and outline the steps required for implementation. We then evaluate the associated costs and benefits of each build, emphasizing their roles in strengthening the build environment and enhancing supply chain …

The Relationship Between Amygdala And Orbitofrontal Cortex Volume In The Context Of Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Rahul Alla

Honors Scholar Theses

Disobedient and rebellious attitude in children is on the rise and this type of behavior is categorized as Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD). ODD in children can be identified as a persistent pattern of angry or irritable mood, argumentative or defiant behavior or vindictiveness toward others according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5, Fifth Edition) of Mental Disorders.1 Children with ODD typically have difficulty regulating and processing their emotions. Issues with regulating emotions is defined as the process by which individuals “influence which emotions they have, when they have them, and how they experience and express them”.2 Dysregulation of emotions …

Traffic Sign Extraction From Mobile Lidar Point Cloud, Yushin Ahn, Riadh Munjy, Ziyuan Li

Mineta Transportation Institute

The extraction of traffic signs from Mobile Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) point cloud data has become a focal point in transportation research due to the increasing integration of LiDAR technologies. LiDAR, a remote sensing technology, captures detailed three-dimensional point cloud data, offering a comprehensive view of the surrounding environment. Mobile LiDAR systems mounted on vehicles enable efficient data collection, particularly for large-scale road networks. This study aims to develop and refine techniques for extracting traffic signs from Mobile LiDAR point cloud data, essential for enhancing road safety, navigation systems, and intelligent transportation solutions. By leveraging LiDAR technology, new possibilities …

Agricultural Producer And Non-Producer Perceptions Of Crop Residue Burning: A Focus On Arkansas, Jillian Hyink, Ryan Bresnahan, Brandon R. Mcfadden, Aaron M. Shew, James Mitchell

Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Faculty Publications and Presentations

Agricultural producers adopt management practices that positively and negatively affect the lives of non-producers in their communities. CRB has important environmental and human health implications, and local non-producers might have different perceptions and attitudes from agricultural producers about crop residue burning. In this paper, we use a multi-stakeholder approach to study the issue of crop residue burning (CRB). Survey data were collected from a sample of producers in Arkansas who burn crop residue and a sample of non-producers who resided in the same counties as the producers. Non-producers may not be willing to compensate producers at an amount that would …

Code For Care: Hypertension Prediction In Women Aged 18-39 Years, Kruti Sheth

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The longstanding prevalence of hypertension, often undiagnosed, poses significant risks of severe chronic and cardiovascular complications if left untreated. This study investigated the causes and underlying risks of hypertension in females aged between 18-39 years. The research questions were: (Q1.) What factors affect the occurrence of hypertension in females aged 18-39 years? (Q2.) What machine learning algorithms are suited for effectively predicting hypertension? (Q3.) How can SHAP values be leveraged to analyze the factors from model outputs? The findings are: (Q1.) Performing Feature selection using binary classification Logistic regression algorithm reveals an array of 30 most influential factors at an …

Learning To Teach About Climate Justice And Social Justice In Science Methods, Mindy J. Chappell

Northwest Journal of Teacher Education

In November, the Editors of NWJTE sat down for a conversation with Dr. Mindy J. Chappell, a Science Teacher Educator in the College of Education at Portland State University. Dr. Chappell’s passions include developing teachers who are prepared to disrupt normative science ideologies and provide young people with science instruction that encourages and empowers them to be leaders in their communities. She engages in arts-based educational science research through the methodology of Ethnodance (a term she coined). She places young people and their lived experiences at the heart of her work.

A Design Science Approach To Investigating Decentralized Identity Technology, Janelle Krupicka

Cybersecurity Undergraduate Research Showcase

The internet needs secure forms of identity authentication to function properly, but identity authentication is not a core part of the internet’s architecture. Instead, approaches to identity verification vary, often using centralized stores of identity information that are targets of cyber attacks. Decentralized identity is a secure way to manage identity online that puts users’ identities in their own hands and that has the potential to become a core part of cybersecurity. However, decentralized identity technology is new and continually evolving, which makes implementing this technology in an organizational setting challenging. This paper suggests that, in the future, decentralized identity …

Sustainable Shift: Analyzing Drivers For Low-Carbon Transportation Adoption In California’S Heavy-Duty And Off-Road Sectors, Vuban Chowdhury, Farzana Mehzabin Tuli, Suman Kumar Mitra

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The transportation sector stands out as a major challenge for California’s transition to a more sustainable transportation system, as it accounts for most of the greenhouse gas emissions. This underscores the urgency for government agencies to take decisive action in promoting the adoption of low-carbon transportation (LCT) within the heavy-duty vehicle (HDV) and off-road equipment (ORE) sectors. This study employs content analysis to investigate the impact of behavioral factors, specifically awareness and impression, on LCT adoption within these sectors. The analysis results are refined using a generative artificial intelligence (AI) tool. The results indicate that awareness about LCT, in conjunction …

A Case For Hope In A Warming World, Noreen L. Herzfeld

Reuter Professorship of Science and Religion Publications

It is difficult to feel hopeful in a rapidly warming world. But hope is not just a feeling. It is an active verb, one that calls for courage, solidarity, a clear vision, and hard work. First, knowing that each fraction of a degree counts, humanity is called not to despair but to use every technology and means, technologies we already have. Second, we can be encouraged by a vision of a new world and society that works for everyone. Third, we can be heartened by nature’s resilience and an evolutionary theology that looks toward the future.