As we reflect on the past year and look to the future, we are entering a new era for the College of Engineering and Science (COES) — one marked by renewed vision, fresh leadership, and bold ambition. With the arrival of Dr. Jim Henderson as Louisiana Tech’s newest president, the energy and momentum across our campus is palpable. Here in COES, we are embracing this spirit of progress with open arms. I am honored to serve as the dean of this incredible college, and I’m joined by a dynamic...| Louisiana Tech Digital Commons
The common factor with current implementations of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is data. Companies are constantly looking for new ways to analyze data, but it comes in various formats: Text, Comma Separated Value (CVE), JavaScript Object Notation (JSON), Extensible Markup Language (XML), and Excel. How can AI be adapted to standardize formats for data analysis, integration, and digestion efficiently? Published research acknowledged that Machine Learning (ML) and AI can provide an automated met...| Louisiana Tech Digital Commons
Flannery O’Connor, though often labeled a Southern Gothic writer, preferred to place herself in the genre of “Christian Realism.” For her, the grotesque nature of her stories’ endings reflects not grace itself but the culmination of repeated rejections of grace. In her essays and letters, O’Connor argues that grace should be depicted “the way it comes—through nature,” equating the spiritual with the natural world. In her stories’ farm landscapes, O’Connor presents an ever-...| Louisiana Tech Digital Commons
Obesity is a condition that affects over 40% of American adults and contributes to numerous preventable health issues. This condition is caused by increased adipose tissue, which forms when stem cells transform into adipocytes. Mesenchymal stem cells, including human adipose-derived stem cells (hASC), are multipotent with the ability to differentiate into adipocytes, osteocytes, or chondrocytes. Many factors affect this transformation, including the peptide growth hormone-releasing hormone (G...| Louisiana Tech Digital Commons
Human dermal fibroblasts are essential for maintaining skin homeostasis. However, exposure to exogenous and endogenous stressors can lead to fibroblast instability, extracellular matrix degradation, and excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. These factors contribute to skin aging and ROS-induced skin disorders leading to hair loss. Adverse effects from synthetic treatments have driven interest in natural alternatives like plant extracts for skin therapy. However, the polyphenols ...| Louisiana Tech Digital Commons
Eating disorders can cause a disturbance in how the health of food is viewed (Cerniglia et al., 2017). If a person has disturbances in their eating behaviors that can cause harm to their health, but the behaviors do not fit into the criteria of a specific eating disorder, they fall into the category of a disordered eating pattern (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 2018). Because of the stress the college environment can cause students, some college students may cling to anything they can co...| Louisiana Tech Digital Commons
As artificial intelligence (AI) systems become increasingly embedded in auditing processes, questions arise regarding how professional auditors perceive and allocate responsibility for AI-assisted decisions. This study investigates the effects of AI explainability and auditors’ perceived autonomy on perceived responsibility in the context of audit decision-making. Drawing on theories of moral responsibility and professional judgment, the study employs a 2x2 experimental design using hypothe...| Louisiana Tech Digital Commons
Wireless networks, susceptible to a range of attacks due to their simplicity and ease of evasion, face a significant threat from control data attacks, notably the elusive wormhole attack. Detecting and mitigating such attacks poses challenges, particularly in the absence of a digital signature. This dissertation introduces an innovative approach that utilizes the propagation delay associated with malicious nodes’ timing characteristics for detection, employing the Ad-hoc On-Demand Distance ...| Louisiana Tech Digital Commons
This study is a qualitative interpretive phenomenological single case study of Black leaders in an urban, public school district in the southern region of the United States. In this school district, demographic disparities existed between the student population and the leadership. This study analyzed the work of Black leaders and better understand how their leadership experiences shape the school environment for faculty, administrators, students, and community stakeholders outside of traditio...| Louisiana Tech Digital Commons
This qualitative case study examines leadership dynamics within hybrid and remote work environments in higher education, focusing on the enrollment management department of a university. As institutions shift toward flexible work models, the study explores how leaders adapt communication, support, and collaboration strategies to maintain effectiveness, employee well-being, and inclusion. Grounded in Siemens’ (2004) connectivism and supported by insights from Prensky (2001) and Shirky (2009)...| Louisiana Tech Digital Commons
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This qualitative autoethnographic study explores the role of a lower elementary principal in leading a co-teaching initiative to create a more inclusive educational environment for students with disabilities. Rooted in Lewin’s Change Theory, the study examines how personal experience, professional vision, and intentional leadership contributed to the implementation and expansion of co-teaching practices within an early childhood setting. The research focuses on the principal’s dual role a...| Louisiana Tech Digital Commons
The purpose of this study was to identify a set of knowledge, skills, dispositions, and practices that are important for STEM leaders to consider as constructs of a STEM theory as they plan and implement a STEM program. The research design included a modified Delphi panel to gain consensus on the knowledge, skills, dispositions, and practices, called competencies, that effective STEM leaders consider when planning and implementing a STEM program. The panel participants were experts in STEM ed...| Louisiana Tech Digital Commons
Along with new faces, Fall Quarter always brings a sense of adventure to the College of Engineering and Science, Louisiana Tech, and Ruston. It's nice to see the buildings filled with students eager to begin a new year of studies. We've reached the point in the quarter when students and faculty have settled into a rhythm, and first-year engineering students are well on their way to fabricating their first projects. Seeing their progress and watching them become part of the Tech community is o...| Louisiana Tech Digital Commons
As you may already know, Dr. Hisham Hegab retired after serving a decade as Dean of the College of Engineering and Science. He was a tremendous leader throughout his time in the position and still is a true friend and mentor to me. I am grateful for what he has done and is still contributing to the betterment of the College. I will work to follow in his footsteps of steady leadership, and I appreciate Drs. Daniela Mainardi, Teresa Murray, and Mary Caldorera-Moore for serving as Interim Associ...| Louisiana Tech Digital Commons
I'm excited to share that the 2023-2024 academic year has been another success. While the year has had its share of challenges, our faculty, staff, and students have met every one with the indomitable Bulldog spirit that has defined our University and College for decades. Faculty and staff continue to impact students through their steady guidance and commitment to the Tenets of Tech, and our students continue to grow - not just academically, but as the leaders of tomorrow. The problems they a...| Louisiana Tech Digital Commons
In this paper, we will explore the intersection of two classes of graphs which are foundational in graph theory. The class of planar graphs, P, and the class of bipartite graphs, χ2. In particular, we will explore the edge-maximal graphs in the intersection. Excluded minors are well studied, and the two fundamental operations of deletion and contraction have become core to the field. The focus of our work is to consider the operations in reverse – that is, through single-edge extensions an...| Louisiana Tech Digital Commons
The objective of this paper is to analyze the annual Alaskan salmon harvest and the variables that effect the harvest differently each year. Every year, thousands of workers’ livelihoods depend on the annual salmon harvest to provide for themselves and their families. This paper takes this reality and aims to use data gathered from previous fishing seasons to understand what variables affect the salmon population. To analyze the salmon harvest, multiple linear regression will be used over a...| Louisiana Tech Digital Commons
This study investigates the correlation between the diversity of STEM faculty and the enrollment rates of minority students in honors, Advanced Placement (AP), and dual enrollment STEM courses at Neville High School. Recognizing the long-standing underrepresented minority students in advanced STEM education, this research explores whether a more diverse faculty positively influences student participation in these courses. Using a quantitative correlational design, data on faculty demographics...| Louisiana Tech Digital Commons
In this paper we define a characteristic of toroidal graphs called the handle number. The handle number is the minimum number of edges which must traverse the handle in a toroidal embedding of a graph. After defining the characteristic, flat polygon projections are used to explore efficient toroidal embeddings. Using this exploration we then show an upper bound for the handle number of toroidal graphs. Finally, we prove an inequality between the handle number and graph skewness and conjecture...| Louisiana Tech Digital Commons
The repository is a service of the Louisiana Tech University libraries. Research and scholarly output included here has been selected and deposited by the individual university departments and centers on campus.| digitalcommons.latech.edu
Celiac disease (CD) is a chronic, autoimmune disorder with an increasing global prevalence. As the only current treatment is a strict gluten-free diet (GFD), adherence is imperative to maintain optimal health in individuals with the disease. There are many potential barriers to GFD adherence, including social, mental, and financial difficulties. College also presents a unique set of challenges for students with CD that may not be experienced by those without the disease. The purpose of this s...| Louisiana Tech Digital Commons