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2nd Place Contest Entry: Aquí y Ahora: The Role of US Spanish-Language TV News in Financial Vulnerability
No full textThis is Cintya Felix\u27s submission for the 2025 Kevin and Tam Ross Undergraduate Research Prize, which won second place. It contains their essay on using library resources, their bibliography, and a summary of their research project on Spanish-language media’s impact on financial attitudes.
Cintya is a third-year student at Chapman University, majoring in Political Science and Spanish. Their faculty mentor is Dr. Ann Gordon
Connecting The Montessori Philosophy Through EdTech
Get PDFThis thesis explores the evolving landscape of Educational Technology (EdTech) and examines how the Montessori educational philosophy is translated into digital learning environments. The study aims to identify design implications for children’s educational applications (apps) that seek to align with Montessori principles and what aspects of a Montessori-based application excel over a non-Montessori-based application. A qualitative thematic analysis was conducted using a custom-developed codebook to analyze user reviews posted by guardians of children on the Apple App Store. These reviews pertained to apps identified as Montessori-based, either through explicit labeling or meta-data. In addition to this review analysis, a user study was carried out in which children interacted with two educational apps, one Montessori-based and one non- Montessori-based. To gather richer insights into user experience, a ladder interview protocol was employed alongside an emoji-based User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ). The findings reveal key differences in design approaches, user engagement, and perceived educational value between Montessori and non-Montessori apps. Montessori-aligned apps were found to foster child-led exploration, offer greater personalization, and provide calming, non-overstimulating environments. In contrast, non-Montessori apps often focused on structured, goal-oriented tasks with less flexibility for individual learning styles. These differences highlight how Montessori principles, such as independence, freedom within limits, and respect for the child’s natural development, can be meaningfully integrated into digital learning experiences. This research contributes to the field of EdTech by offering design insights for application developers aiming to create educational tools that align with Montessori values. Ultimately, this thesis underscores the importance of child-centered design in Montessori-based educational apps and suggests directions for future research on developmentally Montessori digital learning environments
Soldiers of Fortune: A Historical Analysis of American Mercenary Employment
Get PDFIn the Simba Rebellion, which occurred during the Cold War, senior American officials chose to employ mercenaries rather than rely solely on the United States military. Similarly, during the War on Terror, government bureaucrats elected to hire non-state actors to support the American military. To better understand these events, this thesis poses two questions. First, why did the United States government utilize mercenaries in those conflicts? And second, what factors motivate individuals to join a mercenary company in the modern era?
Research into various government databases revealed key documents pertaining to the decision to employ mercenaries in both periods. These sources show that senior leadership within the American government justified the use of non-state actors as a convenient and cost-effective method to accomplish their foreign policy goals. Such sources, however, do not consider the known risks and problems of mercenary employment.
An analysis of mercenary memoirs reveals that financial benefits and a desire for adventure remain the major motivating factors in each period. Although these memoirs cannot speak to every mercenary, they do present a suitable sample size for study. The questions posed by this thesis, as well as the findings, provide a basis for future research on the benefits, risks, and consequences of mercenary employment in the future
What Role do Economic Interests Play in Improving Bilateral Relations Between Algeria and Morocco?
Get PDFTensions between Algeria and Morocco began after Algeria gained independence from France in 1962, culminating in the Sand War of 1963. Since then, various mediation efforts and economic reconciliation attempts have been initiated, but have consistently been hindered by differing stances—particularly regarding the Western Sahara conflict. I argue that economic interests, especially those in illicit trade, are impactful factors that have negatively affected the bilateral cooperation between Algeria and Morocco. To explain the factors facilitating bilateral relations, this project explores four variables: mediation attempts, regional development schemes, trade, and illicit economy. Qualitative data is used to provide historical-contextual and thematic analysis to assess the likelihood of economic rapprochement between the two countries spanning from 1954 to 2023. The empirical findings suggest that illicit trade has influenced the bilateral relationship between the two countries, which has negatively impacted each country’s economy. The other variables provide a favorable background on past cooperation attempts done from the 1960s to the 1980s, but are not as significant as illicit trade in the present. The project fills a gap in literature on bilateral cooperation between the countries by considering the important role of illicit trade in cooperation attempts. It provides policy implications to regional integration to improve the historical tensions between Algeria and Morocco by highlighting a potential cooperation opportunity in regards to security over illicit trade. Furthermore, these findings suggest that a legally recognized trade solution for those on the borders would allow for both countries to strengthen their economies rather than lose billions of dollars to illicit trade
Death, Violence, and Condemnation: The News Media Coverage of the 1981 Prisoners’ Hunger Strike in Northern Ireland in the United Kingdom and Ireland
Get PDFDuring the Troubles, the ethno-political conflict between the majority Catholics and minority ruling Protestants in Northern Ireland that lasted from 1968 to 1998, the 1981 prisoners’ hunger strike in Belfast’s HM Prison Maze was a key turning point. The starvation death of 10 striking prisoners gained the world’s attention, as one by one Irish prisoners died in British custody. This tragedy helped push the Irish nationalist movement toward a diplomatic means of negotiation. As one of the most influential events during the conflict, the news media covered the strike extensively, shaping the narrative of the strike to largely uninformed audiences. Newspapers presented differing perspectives of the hunger strike as it unfolded. This research will focus on news coverage of the hunger strike in Irish and British papers, dissecting how these media outlets guided the flow of information from Northern Ireland through their headlines, editorial choices, and perspectives. Seeing how the media differently portrays the same series of events, this study emphasizes the power of the media in shaping interpretations of events
Development of Interactive Games on an Affordable Braille Display
Get PDFDeveloping an affordable and STEM learning-focused Braille display addresses a significant disparity in the market for Braille displays, where most fail to provide a cost-effective, accessible, and education-oriented solution. This research aims to bridge this gap through innovative hardware and software development, offering a comprehensive learning experience to elementary school children (K-6) who are blind/visually impaired. The hardware features a piezo-electric tactile display that displays up to six Braille characters at once or a shape in an 8x8 pin array configuration. The educational software includes a user-friendly website packed with engaging STEM activities specifically designed for blind/visually impaired children. The overall system is designed to be plug-and-play, minimizing technical setup and user errors so that students can focus on exploration and discovery through STEM
Contracted Wars, Compromised Oversight: Private Military Companies in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Decline of U.S. Accountability Standards
Get PDFThe Global War on Terror, beginning in 2001, started U.S. military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, facilitating the expansion of Private Military Contractors (PMCs) through a combination of operational necessity, strategic policy decisions, and systemic oversight failures. Despite their growing role, PMCs operate in legal and oversight grey zones. Despite a growing body of work on PMC accountability, there remains little agreement on how U.S. military interventions created conditions for their proliferation. This paper examines how U.S. military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan facilitated the expansion of PMC influence, resulting in reduced oversight and accountability for both the U.S. government and PMCs. This study employs a qualitative content analysis of government documents, third-party critiques, and case studies to examine how U.S. military operations enabled PMC expansion. Quantitative data is used from the analysis of government reports, PMC missions, and the effectiveness of oversight mechanisms. Accountability levels vary across administrations but consistently fail to ensure transparency and ethical governance. U.S. military campaigns created operational and legal space for PMCs. Also, oversight mechanisms that have been put in place for these accountability issues have fallen short of the implementation of policy and taking corrective action towards PMC human rights violations committed in Iraq and Afghanistan. PMCs’ ambiguous status blurs civilian-military lines and undermines international norms. These findings have implications for the need for more national and international regulation. Normalizing privatized warfare could lead to the erosion of democratic oversight of military operations
Ultraviolet C Inactivation of \u3cem\u3eSalmonella enterica\u3c/em\u3e in Raw Chicken Juice on Food Contact Surfaces with the Contamination Sanitization Inspection and Disinfection (CSI-D+) Device
No full textSalmonella is the top bacterial cause of foodborne illness in the United States, with outbreaks commonly associated with poultry products. The Contamination Sanitization Inspection and Disinfection (CSI-D+) device is a handheld portable system equipped with fluorescence imaging with dual operations of detection and disinfection of microorganisms on food contact surfaces. The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of the disinfection module of the CSI-D+ device on Salmonella enterica in food residue (i.e., chicken juice) on food contact surfaces (FCS) commonly found in food processing environments. Raw chicken juice was inoculated with S. enterica serovar Enteritidis and added to the following food contact surfaces: stainless steel 304, polycarbonate, polyethylene, and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). The inoculated food contact surfaces were exposed to low (5 mW/cm²) and high intensity (10 mW/cm²) UV-C at a wavelength (λ) of 275 nm using the CSI-D+ device for 15 and 30 s. The results showed that higher UV-C irradiance (10 mW/cm²) led to significantly higher S. enterica serovar Enteritidis log CFU/ml reductions across all tested food contact surfaces compared to lower irradiance (5 mW/cm²). The higher exposure time of 30 s yielded statistically significant improvements compared to the 15 s exposure time. Among the food contact surfaces, PTFE demonstrated a significantly higher reduction (0.52-1.00 log CFU/ml) in S. enterica following CSI-D+ treatment as compared to polycarbonate, which showed log reductions ranging from 0.50-0.97 log CFU/ml. A reduction in the range of 0.59-1.01 log CFU/ml was observed for the stainless steel surface. These findings suggest that the CSI-D+ device may be used in poultry processing facilities as an additional sanitization step to help control S. enterica on food contact surfaces
Owning the Narrative: Black Working-Class Males’ Social Identity and Resistance
No full textThis study investigates how working-class Black males perceive their present and historical experiences of growing up as men in a capitalist-white-supremacist society in the U.S. It provides insight into how these oppressive forces shape their social identity formation and create counter-hegemonic spaces for transformative actions that challenge anti-Black racism and the capitalist order, including their development of critical Black consciousness and identities of resistance. This study utilized Critical Race Theory and Revolutionary Critical Pedagogy as theoretical frameworks to comprehend participants\u27 lived experiences. Therefore, a qualitative method was employed, utilizing a critical narrative approach through observations and interviews, which offered an anti-deficit perspective and counter-narrative on the lived experiences of four Black males. A cross-analysis of the narratives indicates that participants make sense of their current and historical experiences in U.S. capitalist-white-supremacy society by (1) constructing the self, (2) fostering brotherhood and community, (3) engaging in resistance and resilience, (4) embodying Black joy and pride, and (5) exemplifying Black love. Finally, I discuss implications emphasizing the importance of anti-racist policies aimed at addressing systemic racism within our economic system, workforce, criminal justice system, law enforcement, media, education system, and the activism and transformative actions of the Black community. To conclude, I propose a range of research recommendations that can contribute to and expand the disciplines of Critical Race Theory (CRT), Revolutionary Critical Pedagogy, and other relevant academic fields
Monitoring Mangrove Dynamics and Evaluating Future Afforestation Potential in the Egyptian Red Sea
Get PDFMangrove forests are vital for ecosystem services and coastal management but face stressors from anthropogenic activities and climate change. This study estimates the extent and afforestation potential of mangroves along the Egyptian Red Sea coast from 1984 to 2022 using NDVI derived from Landsat-5 and Sentinel-2 data in Google Earth Engine. Aboveground biomass (AGB), belowground biomass (BGB), carbon (C) stock, and CO2 sequestration potential were evaluated using Sentinel-2 and elevation data. Future afforestation suitability (2020–2050) under SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5 scenarios was assessed with the MaxEnt model. Mangrove area increased from 0.95 km2 in 1984 to 1.46 km2 in 2022, with Landsat-5 classification accuracy between 89 and 94 % and Sentinel-2 at 92–96 %. Mean AGB and BGB were 63.48 Mg/ha and 18.41 Mg/ha, while mean C stock and CO2 sequestration were 40.94 Mg/ha and 150.25 Mg/ha, respectively, below global averages. Under SSP2-4.5, 18.60 km2 and 21.40 km2 were identified as highly and moderately suitable for afforestation, decreasing to 12.34 km2 and 12.50 km2 under SSP5-8.5. Under the SSP2-4.5 scenario, high-suitability areas for mangroves would be predominantly located along the northern coast, with fewer areas identified along the southern coast. Under the SSP5-8.5 scenario, high-suitability areas are expected to shift and concentrate only in the northern regions. Significant predictors under SSP2-4.5 included sea water velocity, bathymetry, and air temperature, while SSP5-8.5 highlighted bathymetry, sea surface temperature, and salinity. This study provides insights into mangrove dynamics, biomass potential, and afforestation opportunities, offering critical guidance for conservation and restoration strategies