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Validating an 'Unusual' Approach to Automated Formative Feedback
No full textA Master of Arts thesis in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) by Hoda Mollaei entitled, “Validating an 'Unusual' Approach to Automated Formative Feedback”, submitted in May 2025. Thesis advisor is Dr. Philip McCarthy and thess co-advisor is Dr. Kristen Highland. Soft copy is available (Thesis, Completion Certificate, Approval Signatures, and AUS Archives Consent Form).This paper addresses the validity of Auto-Peer, an Automated Writing Evaluation (AWE) tool designed to provide formative feedback by highlighting ‘unusual’ elements in student writing. Unlike traditional AWEs, which tend to focus on errors, Auto Peer encourages critical thinking and self-assessment by prompting students to modify their text or justify their choices. I analyzed 134 student papers and found that the number of highlighted issues by Auto Peer significantly correlated with human evaluations of writing quality. This suggests that Auto-Peer's approach of flagging the ‘unusual’ can be an effective indicator of student writing quality. The paper's findings are of interest to educators and researchers seeking to promote student autonomy and feedback literacy through technology-aided writing instruction.College of Arts and SciencesDepartment of EnglishMaster of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (MA TESOL
Socially Prescribed Perfectionism
No full textA Master of Arts thesis in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) by Essa AlKandari entitled, “Socially Prescribed Perfectionism”, submitted in April 2025. Thesis advisor is Dr. Phillip McCarthy and thesis co-advisor is Dr. Maria Eleftheriou. Soft copy is available (Thesis, Completion Certificate, Approval Signatures, and AUS Archives Consent Form).College of Arts and SciencesDepartment of EnglishMaster of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (MA TESOL
An Economical and Sustainable Optimized Data Center Design
No full textA Master of Science thesis in Engineering Systems Management by Abdalla Waheeb Alzarooni entitled, “An Economical and Sustainable Optimized Data Center Design”, submitted in November 2025. Thesis advisor is Dr. Noha Hussein. Soft copy is available (Thesis, Completion Certificate, Approval Signatures, and AUS Archives Consent Form)Data centers are major electricity consumers, and their impact is magnified in hot climates where cooling demand is high. In the United Arab Emirates, rapid expansion of digital infrastructure combined with persistent high temperatures and a national target of net-zero emissions by 2050 intensifies the need for energy systems that reduce both energy cost and indirect CO₂ emissions. Addressing this challenge requires configurations that lower grid dependence and enhance renewable energy integration under realistic regional conditions. This research evaluates and optimizes a grid connected, solar assisted energy configuration for medium to large UAE data centers. The objective is to quantify how photovoltaic (PV) deployment, panel technology, and IT load conditions influence techno-economic performance and carbon emission reduction. Two detailed MATLAB Simulink models were developed, one for the combined grid–PV electrical supply and another for the water cooled chiller plant serving an average 6000 kW IT load. A structured Minitab based experimental framework was then implemented. Average IT load between 2000 to 6000 kW, and PV capacity between 10000 to 20000 panels were treated as continuous factors, while PV technology such as, crystalline silicon, CIS, CdTe and seasonal months of January, May, October were included as categorical factors. Results show that PV capacity, panel type, and seasonal solar availability dominate system behavior, whereas IT load dictates the cost and emission trade-off. Increasing PV deployment from 10000 to 20000 panels nearly doubles monthly solar generation and lowers total cost, with crystalline silicon delivering the highest yield. Carbon emission savings range from around 1.0×10³ to over 7.0×10³ tCO₂, peaking in May for large crystalline silicon installations. Optimization indicates that 2000 kW with 20000 panels in May is optimal for minimizing
cost and maximizing excess power, whereas 6000 kW with 20000 panels in May is preferred when prioritizing emission reduction. This work provides a quantitative framework for designing solar assisted data centers and supports national sustainability objectives by identifying practical pathways to reduce grid dependency and carbon footprint.College of EngineeringDepartment of Industrial EngineeringMaster of Science in Engineering Systems Management (MSESM
Green impact: Unveiling the influence of social and environmental values on sustainable entrepreneurship within regulatory boundaries
No full textAmid rising global concerns around social inequality and environmental degradation, this study examines the impact of social entrepreneurship orientation (SEO) and environmental orientation (EO) on sustainability outcomes among firms in Ecuador—an emerging economy with a progressive regulatory framework. Drawing on data from 474 Ecuadorian firms across multiple sectors, this study investigates the influence of distinct dimensions of SEO-social innovativeness, risk-taking, proactiveness, and socialness on social performance, as well as the impact of internal and external dimensions of EO on green innovation performance (GIP). Based on partial least squares structural equation modelling, the findings reveal that among SEO dimensions, socialness, defined as the centrality of social mission, exerts the strongest positive influence on social performance. External EO, reflecting responsiveness to stakeholders and regulatory pressures, significantly predicts GIP, whereas internal EO demonstrates no significant effect. Furthermore, regulatory forces positively influence both social performance and GIP and function as critical institutional drivers in shaping sustainable business practices. Moreover, social performance significantly enhances green innovation outcomes, reinforcing the interconnectedness of social and environmental priorities in corporate sustainability. By integrating strategic orientations and institutional pressures, this study advances the understanding of how sustainable entrepreneurship unfolds in emerging markets and provides practical implications for firms and policymakers seeking to align profit, purpose, and environmental responsibility
National Culture of Secrecy and the Use of Offshore Incorporation as a Determinant of Audit Fees
No full textA Master of Science in Finance (MSF) by Rim Abdulkarim Mohsen Alamoudi entitled, “National Culture of Secrecy and the Use of Offshore Incorporation as a Determinant of Audit Fees”, submitted in June 2025. Thesis advisor is Dr. Kimberly C. Gleason. Soft copy is available (Thesis, Approval Signatures, Completion Certificate, and AUS Archives Consent Form).This study will, therefore, discuss how such national-level secrecy culture and offshore Incorporation influence audit fees. The expected outcome of the current research is that the cost of audit is high for those companies belonging to the nations that have a high level of culture concerning confidentiality and more of offshore formation as some recent studies on factors affecting audit fees have shown. This paper will take a look into the audit fees of companies from several countries to evaluate variables such as the level of transparency within the economic reporting of an organization, the number of offshore incorporations together with average fee audit required by publicly traded corporations. The contribution of this study will be an increased understanding of the drivers that underpin audit fees, while also offering useful insights from regulators and auditors. This article will analyze the likely implications of government secrecy, coupled with the registering of companies offshore, on credibility and the reliability of financial reporting.School of Business AdministrationDepartment of FinanceMaster of Science in Finance (MSF
A New Feature Selection Method for Qualitative Variables
No full textA Master of Science thesis in Mathematics by Lama Sayegh entitled, “A New Feature Selection Method for Qualitative Variables”, submitted in April 2025. Thesis advisor is Dr. Ayman Alzaatreh. Soft copy is available (Thesis, Completion Certificate, Approval Signatures, and AUS Archives Consent Form).College of Arts and SciencesDepartment of Mathematics and StatisticsMaster of Science in Mathematics (MSMTH
On some Quadratic Diophantine Equations And Semiperfect Numbers
No full textA Master of Science thesis in Mathematics by Imane Sahel entitled, “On some Quadratic Diophantine Equations and Semiperfect Numbers”, submitted in April 2025. Thesis advisor is Dr. Abdel Rahman Yousef and thesis co-advisor is Dr. Issam Louhichi. Soft copy is available (Thesis, Completion Certificate, Approval Signatures, and AUS Archives Consent Form).This thesis investigates quadratic Diophantine equations of the form χ^α + y² = z² and explores properties of semiperfect and weird numbers. We derive explicit formulas for the number of integer solutions when χ^α is a perfect square and when it is not. Using these results, we make some observations about odd and even perfect numbers. The second part examines sum of divisor based number classifications; we study abundant, semiperfect and primitive weird numbers.College of Arts and SciencesDepartment of Mathematics and StatisticsMaster of Science in Mathematics (MSMTH
A natural MSSM from a novel SO(10), Yukawa unification, light sparticles, and SUSY implications at LHC
No full textThe SO(10) model with a heavy Higgs spectrum consisting of 560 + 560 and a light Higgs spectrum consisting of 2×10 + 320 plet representations of SO(10) is unique among SO(10) models. It has the remarkable property that VEVs of 560 and 560 can simultaneously reduce the rank of the gauge group and further reduce the remaining symmetry down to the Standard Model gauge group. Additionally, on mixing with the light felds all the Higgs felds become heavy except for one pair of light Higgs doublets just as in MSSM. This model has not been fully explored thus far because of the technical difculty of computing the couplings of the heavy and the light Higgs sectors, specifcally the interaction (560 × 560) · 320 involving the coupling of tensor-spinors with a third rank mixed tensor 320. An explicit analysis of such couplings is given in this paper. Spontaneous symmetry breaking of the SO(10) symmetry is carried out by reducing the gauge group to SU(3) c×SU(2)L×U(1)Y with just one pair of light Higgs. Thus a natural deduction of MSSM arises from the SO(10) model with no fne tuning needed. Further, it is shown that the light Higgs doublet of the model is a linear combination of the Higgs doublet felds of the 2×10 and the 320 Higgs felds. It is shown that in this class of SO(10) models b − t − τ unifcation can be achieved with tan β as low as 5–10. An analysis of the sparticle spectrum within g˜SUGRA renormalization group evolution is given which leads to a bi-modal sparticle spectrum consisting of a compressed low mass spectrum for sleptons and weakinos and a high mass spectrum of gluino, squarks, and heavy Higgs. While the LSP is the light neutralino, the NLSP is found to be the light stau lying close to the LSP, while the remaining leptons, and the weakinos are also in close proximity to the LSP with masses in the few hundred GeV range. The cross section for slepton production and weakino production are estimated and appear promising for SUSY at the LHC. However, a more dedicated analysis is needed to predict the size of the supersymmetric signatures at the LHC.National Science FoundationSponsoring Consortium for Open Access Publishing in Particle Physic
INScription: Department of International Studies (INS) Issue #28 (February 27, 2025, Issue 6)
No full textCollege of Arts and SciencesDepartment of International Studie
Analysis of Fast-track Projects in the Public Sector in the United Arab Emirates
No full textA Master of Science thesis in Engineering Systems Management by Mariam Alsuwaidi entitled, “Analysis of Fast-track Projects in the Public Sector in the United Arab Emirates”, submitted in April 2025. Thesis advisor is Dr. Abdulrahim Shamayleh. Soft copy is available (Thesis, Completion Certificate, Approval Signatures, and AUS Archives Consent Form).The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has emerged as a global leader in large-scale public infrastructure projects, driven by an ambitious national development agenda. To meet pressing deadlines and accommodate growing demands, many governmental projects adopt a fast-tracking approach. Although this method shortens delivery timelines, it also brings about significant challenges, including cost overruns, quality risks, coordination difficulties, and heightened safety concerns. This study investigates the practical application of fast-track project management in the UAE public sector using a mixed-methods approach. It incorporates literature review, in-depth regional case studies, a structured survey of UAE-based project managers, and advanced analysis using Bayesian Belief Networks to uncover relationships between key success factors.The results reveal that frequent changes in project requirements, limited adoption of digital tools, and gaps in stakeholder communication are major barriers to success. Technologies like Building Information Modeling (BIM), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learing (ML), and Internet of Things (IoT) remain underutilized despite their potential to improve project performance. Recommendations include developing structured fast-track frameworks, promoting technology integration, enhancing contingency planning, and utilizing post-project evaluations. The findings offer practical guidance for improving fast-track execution and provide a foundation for future research into sustainable and technology-driven project delivery.College of EngineeringDepartment of Industrial EngineeringMaster of Science in Engineering Systems Management (MSESM