Digital Commons Network^™

Perspective: Arabia Infelix: The War Devouring Yemen, Sheila Carapico

Political Science Faculty Publications

For many centuries, European cartographers labeled the southwest corner of the otherwise mostly desert Arabian Peninsula as Arabia Felix, or “Happy Arabia.” It was a place where towering mountains trapped clouds blown in from the Indian Ocean so that twice-annual monsoon rains blessed terraced slopes and lowland wadis with plentiful crops. Sadly, since fighting engulfed the country in late March 2015, Yemen has never been less felix.

Print Exposure Modulates The Effects Of Repetition Priming During Sentence Reading, Matthew W. Lowder, Peter C. Gordon

Psychology Faculty Publications

Individual readers vary greatly in the quality of their lexical representations and consequently in how quickly and efficiently they can access orthographic and lexical knowledge. This variability may be explained, at least in part, by individual differences in exposure to printed language, as practice at reading promotes the development of stronger reading skills. The current eye-tracking experiment tests the hypothesis that the efficiency of word recognition during reading improves with increases in print exposure by determining whether the magnitude of the repetition priming effect is modulated by individual differences in scores on the Author Recognition Test (ART). Lexical repetition of …

Weight Beliefs And Messages: Mindsets Predict Body-Shame And Anti-Fat Attitudes Via Attributions, Jeni L. Burnette, Crystal L. Hoyt, Carol S. Dweck, Lisa Auster-Gussman

Jepson School of Leadership Studies articles, book chapters and other publications

In two samples (N=247, N= 291), we examined the link between beliefs and messages about the changeable (incremental theory) vs. fixed (entity theory) nature of weight, attributions for weight, and body shame. We recruited participants using online sampling, employing a correlational design in Study 1 and an experimental design in Study 2. Across both studies, we found evidence for the stigma-asymmetry effect—incremental, relative to entity beliefs/messages of weight predicted both (a) stronger onset responsibility attributions, indirectly increasing body shame and (b) stronger offset efficacy attributions, indirectly decreasing body shame. Study 2 replicated the stigma-asymmetry effect with anti-fat …

Cattle As Technological Interventions: The Gender Effects Of Water Demand In Dairy Production In Uganda, Elizabeth Ransom, Carmen Bain, Harleen Bal, Natasha Shannon

Sociology and Anthropology Faculty Publications

Smallholder dairy production dominates the country of Uganda, with over 90% of the national herd owned by smallholders. To reduce hunger, malnutrition, and raise families out of poverty agricultural development, interventions in Uganda have focused on increasing milk production through the introduction of improved dairy cow breeds. Development actors, such as the East Africa Dairy Development (EADD) program in Uganda, see crossbreed dairy cows as a key technological intervention for improving production. Drawing on a multi-method study (spatial analysis, surveys, and qualitative interviews) of dairy smallholders, our paper examines the gendered effects of the introduction of crossbreed dairy cows. To …

Ethnic Violence, Local Security And Return Migration: Enclave Communities In Kosovo, Sandra F. Joireman

Political Science Faculty Publications

Forced migration has become commonplace in the international political landscape. In 2015, 60 million people were displaced by violence, more than ever before recorded (UNHCR, 2015). While we know that violence leads to displacement, we know little about return migration after conflict – who comes back and where they settle. This article seeks to engage and supplement the literature on return migration after conflict, advocating for a broader understanding of the security choices made by displaced people. Emphasized here is the importance of a local understanding of safety and the role played by enclave communities in providing a secure context …

Urva: A Social Initiative To Connect Ur With Rva, Joe Han

Jepson School of Leadership Studies Research Symposium

Overview: uRVA is a pilot program with the Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce (ChamberRVA), the University of Richmond, Uber, and RVA businesses to connect students with the city. It consists of providing students 50% Uber codes to popular neighborhoods, recruiting businesses in those neighborhoods to offer student discounts, and marketing the program to students. This pilot program is the culmination of work done through ChamberRVA and two independent studies from the Robins School of Business and the Jepson School of Leadership Studies.

Mission: Integrate RVA into the University of Richmond campus culture by (a) showcasing RVA neighborhoods with publicity …

The Rise Of Stalin And Mussolini: The Importance Of Historical Context In The Study Of Leader Emergence, Patrick Hughes

Jepson School of Leadership Studies Research Symposium

This study uses historical comparisons of Joseph Stalin and Benito Mussolini to better understand the factors that contribute to leader emergence. Leader effectiveness is not evaluated in this study. The focus of these historical inquires is early ascensions to power during the early to mid-1920s. The factors that contribute to leader emergence can be divided into the categories of 1. individual traits and skills and 2. social, cultural, and political contexts of the follower base. The conclusion of these historical analyses is that leader emergence is facilitated as an interaction between historical contexts and the traits and skills of the …

What’S The Secret To Longevity?, Hannah Wolfe, Chris Selwood, Sara Cloonan

SSIR Presentations 2017

Capstone presentation for the University of Richmond SSIR (Sophomore Scholars in Residence) Program.

The Lives And Lessons Of Richmond Nonagerians And Centenarians, Jieyi Ding, Grace Holzer, Caitlin Livesey, Haley Neuenfeldt

SSIR Presentations 2017

Capstone presentation for the University of Richmond SSIR (Sophomore Scholars in Residence) Program.

The Lives And Lessons Of Nova Scotian Nonagerians And Centenarians, Susie Shepardson, Ayaka Hasegawa, Chris Cushman, Maryann Adesoba

SSIR Presentations 2017

Capstone presentation for the University of Richmond SSIR (Sophomore Scholars in Residence) Program.

Reedy Creek: Formal And Informal Policies Influencing The Stream Restoration, Emily Onufer

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

Many analyses, especially in the field of sociology, have debated the influence of informal groups such as nonprofits, coalitions, and consultants on formal policy-making bodies, mainly government agencies (see West 2004, Verloo2016). The Reedy Creek restoration project involved numerous policy-makers and stakeholders, all of whom influenced the project’s direction and outcomes in some way. Policy was a driving force behind the project from its inception. This analysis examines the roles and influence of the various stakeholders involved in the Reedy Creek restoration project, and attempts to analyze the influence formal and informal policy-making bodies can have on small-scale environmental management …

Food Security At The University Of Richmond, Kayla Sherman, Donald Edmonds, Yuncheng Liu

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

The University of Richmond’s Strategic Plan states the University’s goal to be “a leader in innovative practices that sustain our environmental, human, and financial resources” (Crutcher 2017). The University has also signed multiple national and global sustainability commitments such as the Talloires Declaration (2003), the American College and University President’s Climate Commitment, (2007) and the American Campuses Acton Climate Pledge (2015). These commitments set ambitious climate action goals and address the responsibility of colleges and universities not only to cultivate an environmental consciousness on campus but also to transform the conventional operation systems on which college and universities depend. While …

Environmental Management In Richmond, Virginia: A Case Study Of Reedy Creek, Emily Onufer, Jared Goldbach Ehmer, Andrew Loesch, Christie Marsh

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

This report analyzes the Reedy Creek restoration project through four distinct lenses and aims to achieve a fuller understanding of the factors influencing the project’s success or failure. We hope this report contributes to a greater appreciation of the complex and vast amount of decisions both cities and stakeholders make when complying with environmental regulations. Moreover, we hope to provide invaluable learning opportunities for future environmental projects undertaken in the City of Richmond.

Paper prepared for the Environmental Studies Senior Seminar/Geography Capstone.

Faculty Advisor: Dr. David Salisbury

The Trayless Dining Movement And The University's Future Transition, Jacquelyn Pearlmutter, J. R. Mastro

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

Across the globe, and in the United States, food waste causes negative financial, environmental, and social impacts (Plano, 2016). At the United States retail and consumer level, 90 billion pounds of food are wasted each year, which is equivalent to $161.6 billion annually (Plano, 2016). More than 50% of waste is diverted to landfills where the organic matter contaminates soil and groundwater, decomposes, and produces methane (Lopez et al., 2016). Methane, a greenhouse gas, is more potent than CO2 as it traps 25 times more radiation than CO2 (Lopez et al., 2017).

Poster prepared for the Environmental Studies Senior Seminar/Geography …

Reedy Creek: A Stream Science And Spatial Statistics Approach, Jared Goldbach Ehmer, Andrew Loesch

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

In 2009, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued updated rules regarding Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) levels for three primary pollutants in the Chesapeake Bay: nitrogen, phosphorus, and total suspended sediment (TSS). The EPA required Richmond to draft Watershed Implementation Plans (WIPs) detailing individual pollution reduction goals and specific actions required to achieve those goals. The City of Richmond intended to complete stream restoration projects on five urban streams, including Reedy Creek. The City of Richmond commissioned Timmons Group to complete erosion analyses and recommend stream sections for restoration. The following (1) examines the relationship between spatial stream statistics …

Achieving Waste & Emissions Reduction Goals On University Of Richmond Campus: The Biodigester Approach, Joe Walderman, Alexa Williams

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

This project proposes the installation of a small-scale anaerobic digester (biodigester). This is a reactor that breaks down biodegradable organic waste producing biogas. Food waste is considered one of the most efficient for producing biogas of typical biodigester feedstocks (Poschl, 2010). The UR Dining Hall produces 614 lbs of food waste per day to be used as feedstock, with landscaping scraps available for additional feed. The University boiler plant is capable of using biogas for heat production, making the plant a suitable destination for the digester's waste output. The digester may allow for waste diversion and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions …

A Proposal For Geothermal Heating & Cooling At The University Of Richmond, Zachary Snelling, Coleman Harris, Chelsea Wilson

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

This poster explores the viability of installing a geothermal heat pump at the University of Richmond. By analyzing geothermal reports, interviews with key informants, and installation requirements, we conclude whether the instillation of a geothermal heat pump is feasible at the University of Richmond. In addition, we explain the environmental and economic benefits of installing a geothermal heat pump.

Poster session for the Environmental Studies Senior Seminar/Geography Capstone.

Reedy Creek: Values Constraining The Adaptive Capacity To Environmental Regulation In The Forest Hill Neighborhood, Christie Marsh

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC 2014, 1) defines vulnerability as, “The extent to which a natural or social system is susceptible to sustaining damage from climate change.” Vulnerability is a function of both the physical system’s sensitivity to changes in climate and the ability of the societal system to adapt to said changes. Recently, organizations formed to produce assessments that define regional vulnerabilities to environmental issues for the sake of informing adaptation policies. With the increasing threat of a changing climate, adaptation policies are both a necessary and urgent response for successful adapting (Adger 2009). The majority of …

An Analysis Of Science Instruction And Environmental Education In Virginia And Oklahoma, Megan Wing

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

Through this project, I hoped to understand how scientists, politicians, and educational experts view climate change education for elementary students, organize current learning standards that relate to climate change education in Virginia and Oklahoma, highlight specific ways to incorporate climate change education in the classroom, and provide resources for teachers to use in the future.

Poster prepared for the Environmental Studies Senior Seminar.

Environmental Education At The University Of Richmond And Proposal For A Stewardship/ Sustainability Themed First Year Experience, Janet Goldbach Ehmer, Minyao Li

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

In the University Strategic Plan 2017: in the fifth value, Stewardship in A Changing World, The University of Richmond has set the goal to be a leader in innovative practices that sustain our environmental, human and financial resources in response to emerging environmental and financial challenges globally. The University Strategic Plan 2017 proposes three key initiatives aiming to help the community to achieve the goal of sustainability. First, the University and the Office of Sustainability will complete a Sustainability Strategic Plan that guides the University to build a more sustainable and environmentally friendly campus through the development and implementation of …

A Proposal For Geothermal Heating & Cooling At The University Of Richmond, Zachary Snelling, Coleman Harris, Chelsea Wilson

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

Ground source heat pumps (GSHPs) offer a more efficient and environmentally responsible alternative to traditional heating and cooling systems. Using the earth’s constant subsurface ground temperatures to generate heating and cooling, GSHPs allow for a decrease in fossil fuel dependence and greenhouse gas emissions. Higher education institutions, such as the University of Richmond, have a responsibility to model sustainability for their students when expanding and developing their campuses. Environmental, educational, and economic factors must be evaluated when considering new and replacement heat and energy installations. The viability of a GSHP installation on the University of Richmond’s campus should weigh current …

Waste Reduction At The University Of Richmond: Recommendations For A Greener, Cleaner Campus, J. R. Mastro, Jaquelyn Pearlmutter, Joe Walderman, Alexa Williams

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

Connecting with the University of Richmond goals of stewardship and academic achievement both in and outside the classroom, we have constructed a plan for making the University campus more sustainable. By applying knowledge acquired throughout our Environmental Studies education, and understanding its connection to global issues, we hope to make a positive, lasting impact on our campus community. In the 2017 Strategic Plan, the University describes a vision of "modelling the way that colleges and universities can effectively meet the challenges of our time" (UR Strategic Plan, 2017). Although there is a broad range of environmental issues that can be …

Food Systems And Security At The University Of Richmond, Kayla Sherman, Donald Edmonds, Yuncheng Liu

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

In the past fifteen years, the University has signed multiple national and global sustainability commitments, such as the 2003 Talloires Declaration, the 2007 American College and University President’s Climate Commitment, and the 2015 American Campuses Act on Climate Pledge (OFSb 2017). These commitments set ambitious climate action goals and address the responsibility of colleges and universities not only to cultivate a culture of environmental stewardship on campus but also to transform their conventional operational systems into sustainable systems. The University of Richmond’s 2017 Sustainability Report highlights the steps the University has taken to achieve these goals and identifies areas in …

Ni Rara, Ni Extraordinaria: Política Y Corporalidad En Eva Perón, Karina Elizabeth Vázquez

Latin American, Latino and Iberian Studies Faculty Publications

Este ensayo analiza imágenes indiciales y representaciones icónicas de Eva Perón a partir de un enfoque que combina las nociones de corporalidad y afectividad con las teorías de la imagen fotográfica propuestas por WJT Mitchell, Roland Barthes y Susan Sontag. La tesis principal de este trabajo propone revisar los mitos sobre la figura de Eva Perón a partir de un análisis de su corporalidad y su relación con el imaginario pre-peronista en torno a la mujer, la política, la belleza y el consumo.

International Environmental Law And American Leadership, Chelsey Davidson

Student Publications

The purpose of this paper is to detail and explore both the ethical and pragmatic implications of aggressive climate change mitigation on a coordinated international level. Particularly, this paper attempts to assess the extent to which the leadership of the United States influences the relative success and failure of international agreements, and the agreements, structures and mechanisms themselves. A secondary assessment is the extent to which the United States has incurred additional responsibilities to mitigate beyond those shared by the world, from both a harm-based and special responsibilities standpoint. In this paper, I will ultimately argue that the United States …

An Analysis Of Science Instruction And Environmental Education In Virginia And Oklahoma, Megan Wing

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

In order to understand how science instruction, and specifically instruction targeting environmental and climate change science, in K-5 classrooms can help form students into responsible and conscientious global citizens, I looked specifically at science education in K-5 curriculum. I explored how the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs) currently include environmental education and climate change education and how the SOLs provide the potential for future climate change education. For comparison, and to understand how states other than Virginia value environmental science education in the elementary grades, I considered the current Oklahoma Academic Standards (OASs) for K-5 students. In this paper, I …

"Authentic Tidings": What Wordsworth Gave To William James, David E. Leary

Psychology Faculty Publications

It is widely recognized that William James had a profound and pervasive impact upon literary writers, works, styles, and genres, not to mention upon the encompassing frameworks of modernism and post-modernism, throughout the 20th century. Much less recognized is the impact of literature upon James’s life and work, whether in psychology or philosophy. This article looks at the influence of one particular author, William Wordsworth, primarily through his long 1814 poem The Excursion, from which James drew “authentic tidings” that helped him weather some early storms and create his distinctive way of thinking about the human mind and its …

Punishment And Reconciliation: Augustine, Peter Iver Kaufman

Jepson School of Leadership Studies articles, book chapters and other publications

Punish the sin, not the sinner; easier said than done. Preaching on the second Psalm and purporting to address 'all who judge the earth,' Augustine wrestled with the problems attending punishment and reconciliation. The results recorded in his sermons and correspondence as well as in a few treatises perplex yet are worth considering before we investigate Augustine's more explicit remarks on the punishment of Donatist dissidents resisting reconciliation with the African church from which, he insisted, their predecessors had seceded in the early fourth century. At stake during Augustine's tenure as bishop, toward the end of that century and three …

Changing Owners, Changing Content: Does Who Owns The News Matter For The News?, Allison M.N. Archer, Joshua D. Clinton

Jepson School of Leadership Studies articles, book chapters and other publications

The press is essential for creating an informed citizenry, but its existence depends on attracting and maintaining an audience. It is unclear whether supply-side effects – including those dictated by the owners of the media – influence how the media cover politics, yet this question is essential given their abilities to set the agenda and frame issues that are covered. We examine how ownership influences media behavior by investigating the impact of Rupert Murdoch’s purchase of the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) in August 2007. We collect data on every front-page story and editorial for 27 months, and we …

Poverty By Race Of Poor In Henrico County, Virginia, John V. Moeser, Taylor Holden, Evelyn Jeong, Jacob Salamy

Poverty in Metropolitan Richmond

Data for the charts, tables, and maps are the most recent from the U.S. Census, American Community Survey (ACS), 2011-2015, Five-Year Estimates. Five-year estimates are used rather than one-year or three-year estimates in order to reduce the margin of error. Slides reflect ACS and Census data from 2000-2015. This update also includes maps and figures pertaining to the Asian and Hispanic/Latino foreign born populations in the region.