This dissertation is about a particular style of research. The philosophy of this style is that in order to scientifically understand deep learning, it is fruitful to investigate what happens when neural networks are trained on simple, mathematically well-defined tasks. Even though the training data is simple, the training algorithm can end up…

Machine learning (ML) techniques have been successfully applied to a wide array of applications. This dissertation aims to take application data handling into account when developing ML-based solutions for real-world problems through a holistic framework. To demonstrate the generality of our framework, we consider two real-world applications: spam…

K-12 school districts are on the frontlines of cyber warfare, with many districts across America to become victims of phishing, social engineering, malware, and ransomware attacks. As a result, many districts have been forced to cease operations for extended periods of time, pay costly ransoms, and endure the embarrassment of having highly…

Digital systems are pervasive in modern societies -- augmenting personal and commercial driving, detecting cancer, and exploiting transitory events in financial markets. Attacks on these systems are growing in number, sophistication, and impact. Current cyber defenses are proving inadequate against some of these attacks. Cyber defense tools that…

This qualitative descriptive study explored how full-time faculty of a California higher education institution described their experience with the Information Technology Services employees' commitment, communications, and quality of customer service when resolving classroom Wi-Fi issues. The study used the model of Total Quality Management (TQM)…

Cybersecurity best practices were the focus of this work and their use within the public school system. The problem of this study centered on the cybersecurity barriers Texas Independent School Districts faced during implementation. The educational system saw ransomware spread across the state, and without the implementation of best practices,…

Cyberattacks pose a significant threat to university institutions as universities increasingly rely on computer networks to conduct day-to-day business activities. University information technology (IT) leaders are concerned about the increasing level of cyberattacks because these attacks can result in the loss of sensitive data, identity theft,…

Despite significant investment in cyber security, the industry is unable to stem the tide of damaging attacks against computer networks. This unfortunate situation is, in part, because cyber security exists in a state of cognitive crisis defined by tacit knowledge and poorly understood processes. At the heart of the crisis are digital forensic…

This mixed methods research study explores the university student learning experience of IP subnetting. Using a constructivist perspective, VR software was designed, written, and utilized in a learning process to gather both quantitative and qualitative data about the experience of learning IP subnetting. Participants underwent pre-test and…

The increasing complexity of modern power systems, coupled with the integration of diverse rapidly evolving technologies involving physical systems requiring cybersecurity, has presented significant challenges for engineers in the field and researchers in laboratory facilities. This research and dissertation presents the development of a…

Although there have been numerous technological advancements in the last several years, there continues to be a real threat as it pertains to social engineering, especially phishing, spear-phishing, and Business Email Compromise (BEC). While the technologies to protect corporate employees and network borders have gotten better, there are still…

This dissertation addresses three separate questions in human capital and development economics. In the first chapter, I study how college admission concerns drive students' field choices in a field-specific college admission system. To study this question, I leverage a college admission policy reform in Ethiopia that sharply increased the…

The patient portal is an electronic repository of health information, including doctor's notes, laboratory test results, and diagnostic imaging reports. There are limited studies that explore how individuals make sense of their health information, and use that understanding to increase health literacy. Education leaders should consider the ways…