MS, Kent State University, 2013, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Computer Science

We propose a new visualization interface for navigating the ACM digital library. It supports effective literature exploration with a set of web-based functions including search, detail summary, conference summary, author summary, and citeology. These functions are designed and integrated with enhanced perceptual understanding and human-machine interaction, where colors, diagrams, layouts and other informative visualization factors are utilized to analyze the collective metadata from the ACM digital library. We use a large-scale data set of the titles, authors, categories and abstracts based on the ACM digital library. A phrase extraction algorithm is designed to retrieve meaningful phrases from the data set. All the web based functions mentioned above uses this algorithm. These phrases, instead of single keywords, can represent the publications with improved semantics, which enhance the visualization output and user experience. We do this by sequentially scanning the paper’s abstract and using pre-defined dictionaries, punctuations to pull out groups of meaningful phrases and throwing out junk words such as verbs, possessive pronouns and other pre-defined stop words that would prevent us from returning meaningful data. The visual interface provides an advanced platform for researchers in their literature study. It can be further extended to the exploration of other libraries and databases.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2020, EDU Teaching and Learning

The goal of this qualitative study was to better understand what guides middle-school mathematics teachers' colloquial evaluation (CE) of digital mathematics resources and to explore how the introduction of the EDCITE evaluation rubric, more recently published as the Digital Content Evaluation Rubric (DCER; Gallant & Luthy, 2020) influenced said evaluations. This study is based on the year-long professional development (PD), Algebra Ready, intended to help develop teachers TPACK through the use of digital resources, digital resource evaluation, and the implementation of technology, but also to better prepare their middle-school students for the transition to algebra by having teachers explore mathematical activities and student work. Participants included 33 middle-school mathematics teachers, coaches, and intervention specialists. Teachers explored digital mathematics resources and responded to informal prompts to judge the quality of the resource (CE), which served as the data source for this study. These CEs were explored qualitatively through multiple lenses—emergent, TPACK, magnitude, and the EDCITE evaluation rubric framework. Qualitative results were then quantified to provide further insight into findings. Emergent findings showed that the digital mathematics resources' attributes of usability, student feedback, implementation, accuracy, and affect were the most frequently cited characteristics. With respect to TPACK, more than one-third of all comments aligned to pedagogical constructs, followed by pedagogical content and technology. The other T-related fields contributed very little to the overall number of CE comments. This is akin to the findings when coding with respect to the EDCITE evaluation rubric in which pedagogy was the most frequently cited dimension. Most surprisingly, however, was the lack of attention paid towards the alignment of the digital mathematics resource to standards which is in conflict with previous findings. When (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2020, Geography

User-generated data are the key to access and engagement in the modern digital ecosystem, shaping not only the ways we interact with platforms and applications but increasingly how we move through the physical world as well. The scope and magnitude of what data enables is matched only by the diversity and complexity of ways that internet users can generate it. Thus, the data-driven shaping, coercion, and regulation of behaviors by the digital traces of individuals movements and actions is a key component of algorithmic governance, within which race acts as a determining factor of differentiation and intensity. To that end, examining how Black people are surveilled, coerced, and quantified within digital ecosystems prefigures how engagement is eventually shaped for all users, and in many cases serves as impetus to enroll non-Black individuals into regimes of control requires a reckoning with the foundational influence of anti-Blackness on the internet. It is not enough to look at the data and formulate hypotheses about what actions could have produced it, if we do not understand those behaviors as rooted in an individual's awareness of their specific context and identity. The secretive, “black box” nature of these algorithms means that users know little, if anything, about how they function, their outputs, their priorities, or their inaccuracies. Yet how individuals perceive their own position within digital ecosystems, and conceive of what responses are available to them, are widely divergent. To discern how individuals perceive their ability to exert control over their data and privacy, it is necessary to first understand how user engagement with digital platforms relies on asymmetries in experience, knowledge, and access in order to facilitate the production and collection of user data.

Master of Arts (MA), Ohio University, 2014, Sociology (Arts and Sciences)

As the new generation of students is entering college, they are frequently assumed to be digitally savvy with information and communication technologies. However, these assumptions are rarely supported in empirical research and substantial inequalities in the capacity to use digital skills remain, even among the highly-connected. Although students arrive to college with basic digital skills, a majority of students hold crucial deficiencies. Inequalities result from the differentiated use and access of technology, affecting students' skills and self-efficacy. These inequalities have implications for differentiated use on the individual and collective society. The capacity to participate online, or digital citizenship, emphasizes the importance of the Internet in daily life and underlies the perpetuation of social inequalities and exclusion as a result of participation online. This study examines the inequalities in digital citizenship among college students at a midsized Midwestern university and explores ways to reduce the inequalities through a collective orientation rather than individual capital accumulation. Additionally, the study aims to advance students' digital literacy skills in ways that help students become better contributors to society as students and as citizens. This study has three objectives—first, I examine differences in the students' self-reported digital skills; second, I analyze the role and benefits of an online learning community, developed as part of the study; lastly, I examine the differences in students' self-reported skills in the specific domains of digital literacy, from their first semester to current semester and compare the differences in participants and non-participants of the online learning community. Results suggest that younger students with more access to technology perceive their prior digital skills as more advanced, although older students with greater social support tend to perceive a greater change in their digital skill (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Education (MEd), Bowling Green State University, 2007, Career and Technology Education/Technology

Digital information is becoming increasingly prevalent and libraries must develop new strategies to effectively archive electronic materials. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify and synthesize best practices of digital asset management of electronic texts in academic research libraries. The study was a “snapshot” of major topics related to digital asset management. Minimal research has been conducted to identify best practices in this field when compared to the amount of research that has been conducted for the print domain. The main issues that are seen in existing literature are digital materials selection, funding, digital rights management (DRM), and information authenticity. Several major trends also arose from the literature, including digital library architecture, metadata standards and search strategies, and bibliographic management software. A modified Delphi study was used to gather qualitative data from librarians at several institutions within the Association of Research Libraries (ARL). Eight librarians from several ARL institutions participated in two E-mail questionnaires. Participants were selected by identifying research-extensive libraries on the ARL website and selecting potential participants based on their job titles. Data was analyzed by identifying major themes and patterns that arose in the individual responses. Participants all possessed baccalaureate degrees, but had varied educational backgrounds, representing fields such as computer science, history, humanities, and natural sciences. Most of the participants also held advanced degrees in library science. Each library represented by the participants had a unique organizational structure and used different systems and strategies. There was significant discussion about the use of proprietary versus open-source software, content management systems, and other specific digital asset management strategies. Participants revealed that each library has a specialization and fulfills (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Fine Arts, The Ohio State University, 2022, Design

In video games, interactions with digital animals remains an underdeveloped area, as animals are often portrayed as monsters and food sources—to kill and harvest—without allowing players to behave otherwise. As a response, this thesis investigates how to design play activities with digital animals through the creation of a video game about fish migration, with special focus on player-fish interactions. A game AI technique known as behavioral animation is used to create seemingly intelligent fish that players can play with. The thesis also reviews and analyzes examples of realistic digital animals to showcase them as an important part of virtual game worlds and their capability to make players emotionally invested. To achieve the goal of designing play activities with digital animals, the thesis project has first created seemingly intelligent fish that autonomously move towards their destination, while sticking together with the group, avoiding obstacles, and running away when detecting predators. On that foundation, the player can play with the fish by leading them to explore the water environment, pushing them upstream against strong currents, and directing them to form the shape of a big fish to swim swiftly away from predators.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), University of Dayton, 2014, Electro-Optics

In this work digital holography is utilized to perform three dimensional tomographic and topographic measurements. Digital holography is combined with multiple projection tomography to solve the ill-posed problem of three dimensional object reconstruction with high axial accuracy. Reconstruction methods based upon both traditional and compressive sensing methodologies are applied to tomographic reconstruction, including three dimensional reconstructions utilizing digital holographic microscopy. Various multiple-projection recording architectures are explored, including multiple-projection/single-exposure and multiple-projection/multiple-exposure methods. Additionally, multi-wavelength digital holography is applied to calculate the three dimensional surface profile and volume displacement of various topographic features. To accurately measure the volume displacement of macroscopic features, long synthetic wavelengths up to several millimeters are employed, while nano-scale features are measured using very short synthetic wavelengths combined with digital holographic microscopy. Practical methods of implementation are considered, including both multiple-exposure and single-exposure/spatial heterodyne techniques and an analysis of geometric effects due to both Michelson and Mach-Zehnder recording configurations.

Master of Science in Engineering (MSEgr), Wright State University, 2010, Electrical Engineering

In this work we present the design and characterization of a parameterizable Digital Single Sideband Modulator (DSSM) circuit for use with a Digital Radio Frequency Memory (DRFM) or other signal processing circuits. Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) can be used as a prototyping platform for quickly verifying and hardware testing a digital circuit or system. FPGAs can also be used as an implementation platform for a digital circuit or system. A main advantage of FPGAs over that of an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) is that it can be quickly (and often dynamically) reprogrammed; whereas an ASIC can take months to fabricate. Currently there is limited capability to quickly and easily generate backend digital signal processing systems for electronic warfare (EW) applications for implementation on an FPGA or an ASIC platform. It is advantageous (especially for dynamically reprogramming FPGAs) for backend EW processing to have parameterizable hardware description language (HDL) code to assist in quickly implementing digital processing capabilities for EW systems. The purpose of this thesis work is to provide just such a capability. We present a completely generic VHDL digital single sideband modulator (DSSM) based on a parameterizable Hilbert Transform (HT). We characterize and test the code so that the user can quickly implement a system to meet their expectations. The entire system is described in VHDL to provide an inexpensive, long term, portable, and parameterizable solution which allows for rapid design and redesign of DSSM circuits. This design is technology portable so it will be viable now and in the future for rapid prototyping, demonstration, and implementation. So as technology changes this code transitions with it. The DSSM via HT rapidly delivers digital circuits for FPGA or ASIC radar or other EW applications.

Master of Science in Engineering (MSEgr), Wright State University, 2006, Electrical Engineering

For the process of converting low-power digital signals into their high-power analog counterparts, the functions of digital-to-analog conversion (at low power) and analog power amplification are separately implemented. This thesis proposes a new “STAC-DAC” circuit topology which directly realizes high-power analog output from low-power digital input signals. The ability to achieve a “direct from digital” high-power analog output in a single high-efficient, low-distortion design has significant potential in audio reproduction, and flexible signal generation applications. In this thesis, the “STAC-DAC” is described and its implementation via MATLAB and LTSpice is discussed. The results of simulations are used to prove the concept of the design. The 16-bit design features a high-power output of 100 watts or more at an efficiency of 93%. The design is optimized to feature low total harmonic distortion (THD) of 0.055% for a 1 kHz signal at 100 watts into an 8 Ω load and low phase distortion of less than 10° for a 20 kHz signal and only 1° at 1 kHz. The “STAC-DAC” design is applicable to any design which requires a high-power analog output that is controlled by a logic level digital input. The results validated that the “STAC-DAC” can produce low-level THD figures over the audio frequency range. If very low THD figures are not necessary, high-power analog operation can be achieved into the hundreds of kilohertz while maintaining high efficiency. These results show that the power “STAC-DAC” is capable of simultaneously achieving the highly efficient circuitry associated with digital-to-analog converters with the low harmonic and phase distortion requirements associated with high fidelity analog audio amplifiers.

MDES, University of Cincinnati, 2011, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Design

I see myself as a Digital/CNC Craftsman. What does that mean? It means that I utilize new and emerging tools to produce quality objects. The criterion for what constitutes “quality” emerges from my contemporary redefinition of what “Craftsmanship” means and its use applications. For too long, the idea of craftsmanship has been relegated to the unsubstantiated realm of “hand work” and “non-machine made” with no consideration for the processes involved. However, it is exactly the process' involved, and how well they are holistically integrated into the built object that this new redefinition of Craftsmanship argues for.

Master of Arts, Miami University, 2012, English

This thesis, based upon literacy narratives collected through one-to-one interviews, explores the reading, writing, and technology experiences of four composition students and six composition instructors. This project elucidates how students' and instructors' digital and paper-based literacies are developed and sponsored in diverse contexts, by analyzing four literacy narratives in detail as well as discussing themes that emerged in the other literacy narratives. Implications for both the composition classroom and instructor training are discussed.

PHD, Kent State University, 2013, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Lifespan Development and Educational Sciences

The purpose of this study is to determine the perceived technology capabilities of different levels of undergraduate students of Kent State University in the College of Education, Health, and Human Services teacher education programs; to determine if the perceived technology capabilities of students beginning the teacher education program differ from those nearing completion of the program; and, if the perceived technology capabilities of students change from the start to the end of the Educational Technology course. Examining student perceptions may provide insight on whether preservice teachers think they can prepare students for the 21st century once they become inservice teachers. To determine whether preservice teachers perceive that they are being prepared to teach 21st century skills by integrating technology into teaching and learning, three groups of students were surveyed: incoming students, junior-level students at the beginning and end of the Educational Technology course, and students nearing graduation. The TPACK survey for preservice teachers (Schmidt, Baran, Thompson, Mishra, Koehler & Shin, 2009) was used to examine preservice teachers’ perceptions of their technology capabilities as related to teaching. Teachers comprise an integral factor in the effective incorporation of technology into classroom activities, yet many current teachers remain unable or unwilling to employ technology fully or effectively. The findings from this study led to several conclusions, including that the students perceived themselves to have better technological abilities after completing the Educational Technology course and as seniors near the end of the teacher education program, and the results of this study should challenge teacher education faculty to consider how their beliefs, attitudes, and use of technology in teaching and learning are transmitted to their students.

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 1968, Graduate School

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2008, Graduate School

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 1970, Graduate School

MFA, Kent State University, 2024, College of the Arts / School of Art

As an artist and writer, I create work to explore my own complicated identification and disidentification with queer aesthetics, experiences, and environments through conceptual and physical processes. My thesis, entitled Someone's Sun, is a meditation on gay loneliness in the current age of gay-male sociality made material in a series of handwoven tapestries. I aim to embody a sense of self-inflicted ennui, a self-defeating act of seeking for connection while simultaneously hiding oneself behind banal / insipid landscapes. Through the remediation of photographs of sunrises and sunsets posted by gay men as placeholders for their own portraits on social media apps, I abstract and amplify saturation and composition in photoshop to create a digital painting of an otherworldly environment akin to those of Science Fiction films and television. I use my digital paintings as references, glancing up at them as I dye-paint warps with a variety of color using painterly brushstrokes, once again filtering each image through a further filter of abstraction. Through these digital and analog painting processes I explore color and scale, culminating in a final remediation by weaving with single toning color of wool and a metallic lurex weft yarn on traditional floor looms to create shimmering watercolor tapestries. I weave queer tapestries, that whisper seductively hushed desires while screaming “look at how I shine.”

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2024, Geography

Despite ongoing geopolitical concerns and influence of big data companies, this research focuses on the everyday practices on TikTok that reveal different aspects of the platform's use. This research explores the impact of TikTok on the lives of Bhutanese-Nepali women residing in Central Ohio. Through six ethnographic interviews with Bhutanese-Nepali women – who use TikTok to showcase their–everyday domestic practices – this study reveals how TikTok practices facilitate (digital) placemaking, fostering a sense of belonging for relocated refugees living in the suburbs. By contextualizing the history of displacement from Bhutan to Nepal and the US, and mapping relocation patterns from urban areas to suburbs, I illustrate how these recent movements can traced within online practices of Bhutanese-Nepali refugees. While acknowledging the potential risks of manipulation and public scrutiny associated with sharing content on a public platform, Bhutanese-Nepali women demonstrate adeptness in navigating and leveraging the algorithm, showcasing their agency and resilience both online and offline.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2024, English

This dissertation explores the contrast between the Athenian and metic rhetorical paradigms through the lens of the hacker. Arguing the dominant Athenian rhetorical paradigm is marked by public, persuasive, often-disembodied rhetorics in pursuit of epistemic truths, I argue the metic paradigm focuses on stealthy, deceptive, embodied rhetoric in pursuit of advantages over adversaries. Noting how today's digital rhetorical situation is largely adversarial, this dissertation points to the hacker as an exemplar of metic rhetorics. Through three case studies, each focusing on a different type of computer hack, this dissertation explores how the hacker subjectivity is produced and describes its beneficial lines of flight, discusses the interplay of metaphor and physicality in digital activism and cyberwar, and shows how metic rhetorical practices can be leveraged to create a safer and more just world and thus improve personal and organizational cybersecurity.

MS, University of Cincinnati, 2023, Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services: Information Technology

The aim of this thesis is to explore patterns of commonly used digital inclusion strategies of 16 cities in the United States of America to establish the prevalent e-waste management strategies. This approach explores the refurbishing and redistribution of This work also characterizes the technology-environment nexus with the goal of finding innovative strategies that even less resource-intensive states can adapt to achieve less costly and more sustainable connectivity. Thematic analysis was conducted using a three-step method to collect the data and conduct an overall thematic analysis to determine which strategies are prevalent and which cities have strategies in common to create a best-practice E-Waste management framework based on tested strategies. The results show that the adoption of digital inclusion pursued alongside sustainability and recycling, rather than the predominant sourcing of new devices to accelerate accessibility, could be one of the most useful measures for connecting historically underserved communities. These results open a new avenue of study focused on the growing impact and complexity of the development and use of technologies on the environment. The findings highlight some often employed solutions as well as those that are less typically considered when it comes to addressing digital sustainability as a means to enhance access in communities.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2023, English (Rhetoric and Writing) PhD

This dissertation examined media rhetoric in the Los Angeles Times about 51 murdered marginalized women in the “Southside Slayer” serial killer cases. The “Southside Slayer” was five different Black men who did not fit the profile of a serial killer and were able to continue murdering women from 1983 to 2007. The victims and/or killers were all associated at one point with the “Southside Slayer” moniker and/or task force, even though some of the killers were later given different nicknames in the press. The goal of this study was to identify harmful narratives against marginalized women victims, and how they were perpetuated through the Los Angeles Times. Through qualitative archival research and a feminist social constructionist lens, language and word/phrase choices in 126 articles from the Los Angeles Times dating from 1985 to 2020 were examined for the use of synecdoche, derogatory language, and negatively connotative language when referring to the fifty-one women. In addition, use of the victims' names, use of the killers' names, and use of killer-friendly language were examined. Using critical discourse analysis and grounded theory, harmful narratives and dehumanization of the women were perpetuated through the underuse of victims' names combined with overused combinations of synecdoche, derogatory, and/or negatively connotative words/phrases. Digital media of today was also examined, and perpetuation or disruption of the harmful narratives and dehumanization varied.