Digital Commons Network^™

Engaging With Arabic Speaking Refugee Mothers, Rawan Yaghi

Capstones

In my research and interviews throughout my Practicum, the topic of refugee representation in the media was frequently discussed. The most common narrative around refugee lives constructs them as dehumanised victims. In an article for The Independent, Emily Cousens writes about the portrayal of the so-called “good” and the “bad” refugee -- in other words, the refugees who are deemed deserving of reception, and those who are not. Cousens reflects upon how the photo of a dead refugee child on the shore of Turkey sparked a wave of global interest in the issues that refugees were facing. She highlights …

Everlasting Love, Adelaida Espinoza

Capstones

This documentary follows Adelaida Espinoza’s journey to healing after experiencing a miscarriage. While on her journey, she meets other women with similar experiences. These similarities spark up conversations of mistreatment for women within the healthcare system.

Link to Capstone: https://vimeo.com/user130240636/review/495852940/f75617b925

Mayoral Candidates Scott Stringer, Eric Adams Travel Different Roads On Police Reform, Ryan Songalia

Capstones

Police reform is likely to be among the most consequential issues in the 2021 New York City Mayoral Democratic Primary and general election. Two of the leading candidates, Eric Adams and Scott Stringer, have long records to dissect on the issue.

Karla Arroyo - Deeper Than Hair Social Journalism Practicum, Karla Y. Arroyo

Capstones

This project package is my final project as a Social Journalism student at the Newmark J-School. For 16 months, I engaged with and reported on Black and brown people who are subject to or have lived experiences of hair discrimination in workplaces, schools and society. In my final report, I offer a lengthy summary of my process of engaging with people in my community and how I created an effective medium to serve them: via a newsletter. The Deeper Than Hair Newsletter is a monthly news service in collaboration with the CROWN Campaign where we offer community members resources like …

Meta Analysis Of Rct Interventions, Ayo Ellis

Master's Theses

External validity of an RCT intervention enables understanding of where interventions are successful.

Meta-analysis allows for more generalized statements to be made on the effectiveness of RCTs across countries of different geographic and national income profiles. By comparing the findings from similar studies carried out in different settings I seek to describe whether RCTs in certain sectors are more sensitive to high GDP growth or higher levels of GDP. I consider 402 health, education, and industry development RCT studies done between 1980 and 2015 in 201 countries compiled by development non-profit Aidgrade. I find no significant effect of income level …

Characterizations Of Bimetallic Silver-Copper Nanoparticles, Omar Lezcano

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The goal of this study was to characterize alloy nanoparticles with different bimetallic ratios of silver (Ag) and copper (Cu) by determining the composition and alloy structures. One specific objective was to determine how the composition affects the electrical properties of the nanoparticles in terms of electrical resistance and nanoparticle sintering. The desire for this study stems from the need to make conductive pastes for low-cost solar panel manufacturing. We performed experiments to develop the aqueous synthesis of core-shell bimetallic nanoparticles.

We investigated the room temperature sintering properties with the nanoparticles of varying compositions. The nanoparticles were characterized with several …

From Teacher To Teacher-Leader: A Phenomenographic Study Of Transition, Jennifer Santi

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

As Education evolves, the roles within traditional teaching and learning also evolve. School structures change and leadership roles within those structures change as well, creating and recreating the educational experience for students and practitioners alike. As these structures change the nature of education, the roles found within them also transform what it means to be a professional educator. Increases in teacher-leadership positions have led to more instructional coaching roles for teachers and it is necessary to understand how those roles are perceived by those that are now changing the nature of their chosen work. As teachers leave the classroom to …

The Fear Of Reptiles And How To Change It, Maxwell Lyman

Honors Projects

Reptile fear is prominent across many cultures. Anti-reptilian attitudes can lead to anti-conservation attitudes towards reptiles. Person-animal interaction has been shown to decrease fear desensitization and increase positive attitudes towards "unpopular" animals. My project demonstrates the effectiveness of live animal presentation in dispelling negative attitudes of reptiles. However, due to the sample size of the project, further research is highly suggested.

Vitrina Virtuale E Librit, Genti Sheholli

Theses and Dissertations

Zhvillimi i aplikacioneve moderne në ditët e sotme nuk është vetëm proces i ndërtimit të aplikacionit. Procesi përfshin zhvillimin e shërbimeve në anën e serverit dhe aplikacionit në anën e klientit. Teknologjitë dhe opsionet për të zhvilluar një web aplikacion janë të shumta dhe varësisht se cfarë web aplikacioni duhet të zhvillohet mund të vendosim edhe për teknologjitë në secilin aspekt.

Qëllimi i këtij web aplikacioni është hulmtimi në teknologjit të kohës që kanë marrë hov të zhvillimit në aplikacionet moderne dhe hulumtim në zhvillimin e aplikacionit me struktura moderne.

Ky web aplikacion është një sintezë e proceseve, procedurave dhe …

Building On Spatial Mismatch: A New Review Of Literature And An Example Case Study, Steven Matthew Reeves

Planning Theses

Barriers to employment exist at different levels for minority groups, especially those that are residentially segregated. Many studies have examined these barriers, including a physical separation between the residential location and the available job opportunities since John Kain’s 1968 Spatial Mismatch Hypothesis. However, recent studies of modal mismatch, racial mismatch, and skill or language mismatch, have been identified with significant impact on accessible employment without being included in a comprehensive review of mismatch literature. This research provides an updated literature review of Spatial Mismatch. It also includes a case study of a little-studied region, Dallas – Fort Worth metropolitan area. …

Evolution Of Sustainability And Resilience In Military Master Planning: Examining Planners' Perceptions, Rhonda E. Fields

Public Affairs Dissertations

An increasingly globalized world and mounting threats to our economy, environment, and social structures have brought the concepts of sustainability and resilience into sharp focus. These threats include climate change, rapid urbanization, and loss of biodiversity in an increasing volatile, uncertain, ambiguous, and complex world. Sustainability and resilience have emerged as key concepts in understanding and addressing urban dynamics toward a livable urban future. These concepts are important because resilience typically deals with the short-term issues surrounding predicting and responding to immediate threats, while sustainability looks at the long-term, steady state of the built and natural environment. Focusing on resilience …

Application Of The Critical Race And Latino Critical Theories To Explore Social Innovation In Nonprofit Services Addressing Hiv/Aids Issues In Texas, Jack Brandon Philips

Public Affairs Dissertations

The nonprofit sector is an essential and valuable resource in the United States for aiding marginalized populations. This study focuses on how nonprofit health organizations provide and innovate HIV services, and how they can overcome barriers in delivering quality services for HIV/AIDS education, prevention, and treatment to Latinos in Texas. Nonprofit organizations are on the front lines of the HIV/AIDS fight, through their outreach in the areas of education, prevention, and testing. Nonprofit organizations are examined for barriers and innovations in service delivery as it applies to the Latino community. This study also examines how the integration of Critical Race …

An Exploratory Case Study: Analyzing Planning Approaches In Economic Development Through The Institutional Analysis And Development Framework, Priscylla Bento

Public Affairs Dissertations

This exploratory case study examines planning and economic development through the Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) framework in the New Institutional Economic Theory. Two selected case studies highlight economic development orchestrated under two planning approaches, Transactive Planning and Market Oriented Planning. A case study of the Bishop Arts District urban revitalization in Dallas, Texas and the Bexar Street Retail Development Project in Dallas, Texas provides an exploratory analysis of the specified planning methods. This study moves away from previous forms of analysis of economic development planning, highlighting the New Institutional Economic theory through the Institutional Analysis and Development framework as …

Trumpism Against The Public Interest: A Political Discourse Analysis, Walter L. Taylor

Public Affairs Dissertations

Trumpism has come to mean different things to different people. This dissertation explores whether Trumpism is an extreme form of New Public Management, privileging values of efficiency and effectiveness, in public policy and public administration, to the exclusion of the value of social equity. Fairclough & Fairclough’s (2012) political discourse analysis method is applied to Trump’s immigration policy to enact merit-based immigration and to his housing policy to eliminate the Community Development Block Grant program. Using Fairclough & Fairclough’s (2012) political discourse analysis method consisting of argumentation theory and critical discourse analysis, along with Frederickson’s “Compound Theory of Social Equity” …

Paid Family Leave & The Media: A Narrative Policy Framework, Nichole Angelic Horn

Public Affairs Dissertations

This study seeks to understand how paid family leave laws influence traditional gender roles and stereotypes. The mother homemaker/father breadwinner narrative, a prominent concept within feminist circles, assumes particular gendered roles that include women’s responsibility for unpaid labor within the home. The implications of these gendered roles leave women in an economically disadvantaged position. Given the media’s influence in policy making and function to echo current social values, this study utilizes the Narrative Policy Framework (NPF) to investigate how the media frames these policies, and whether that framing helps to dismantle traditional gender narratives. This study finds that as these …

Move For A Healthy Mind: A Program Of Peer-Led Physical Activity For Adolescents With Depression And Anxiety, Emily Edwards

Master's Projects and Capstones

The following discusses adolescent depression and anxiety and the utilization of physical activity as an intervention or coping mechanism. Adolescents have been experiencing increased rates of anxiety or depression diagnoses over the past roughly two decades. Adolescence is, physiologically, a formative period in the developmental stage from childhood to adulthood. Current barriers to achieving optimal mental health among the adolescent population include the stigmatization of mental health issues, lack of education, socioeconomic status and healthcare access. Further, physical activity has been studied and identified to be an effective treatment for individuals experiencing depression and anxiety. In an effort to treat …

Unremitting Resilience: How Gender Shaped The Lives Of Women During The Holocaust, Savannah L. Savage-Johnson

Honors College Theses

Memoirs and oral histories of the Holocaust reveal that Jewish women in Germany experienced a significant change in gender roles and expectations following the passage of the Nuremberg Laws in 1935. These women adapted as a means of survival. As Nazi occupation spread, similar observations can be made in Jewish communities across Europe. In ghettos and work camps, many women formed bonds with one another, despite coming from different backgrounds. This thesis investigates the Holocaust as a gendered experience by examining the specific ways that women were affected and forced to adapt. In each woman’s story there was one common …

Ndikimi I Tatimeve Në Zhvillimin E Bizneseve Në Kosovë Në Periudhën E Pas Luftës, Art Bekeri

Theses and Dissertations

Ndërtimi i politikave tatimore dhe zbatimi i tyre në mbushje të buxhetit të vendit kanë një rol të rëndësishëm në zhvillimin ekonomik të vendit si dhe për mbajtjen dhe zhvillimin e një sërë sektorësh të shoqërisë kosovare. Reformimi i sistemeve tatimore është njëri nga segmentet më të rëndësishme të tranzicionit ekonomik të udhëhequr nga aspirimi për t’u anëtarësuar në Unionin Evropian.

Politika Tatimore e një shteti është pjesë e politikës fiskale që lidhet me përcaktimin e llojeve të tatimeve të zbatuara në një vend, nivelet dhe llojet e përqindjeve tatimore si dhe për burimet e ndryshme të të ardhurave. Përveç …

Analysis Of Homeownership Outcomes In The Dallas-Fort Worth Region And Growing Disparities An African American Perspective, Gwendolyn Isokpan

Public Affairs Dissertations

Since the housing bust and Great Recession, in the United States, the homeownership gap between black and white households has widened to its largest levels in 50 years (Choi, McCargo, Neal, Goodman & Young, 2019). With overall inequality continuing to grow, policy decisions must be implemented to begin to mitigate the decreasing levels of homeownership. I argue decreased levels of homeownership are one contributing factor to inequality. More specifically, for African Americans, the homeownership rates have decreased back to the levels during the Civil Rights Era. Within the United States, owning a home is considered an important social and economic …

Assessing Community Mediated Settlements: Enugu, Nigeria's Neo-Customary Approach To Land Delivery And Development At The Peri-Urban Interface, Emma Chetuya

Public Affairs Dissertations

Like most states in Nigeria, the Enugu state government is unable to meet the high demand of land for housing development in Enugu and as a result, the vast majority of land available for purchase is through customary sources. Rapid urbanization is expanding and the urban population is seeking relatively affordable land for development. This is happening predominantly in the peri-urban areas of Enugu. It is in this area where community-mediated settlements (CMS) are developing. CMSs are joint ventures between local communities and the government that provide subdivided land for development. These initiatives are neo-customary in nature as they have …

The Impact Of Perceived Organizational Support On Member Satisfaction With Community Health Worker Organizations, Denise Adame Hernandez

Public Affairs Dissertations

Community Health Workers (CHWs) organizations are professional associations that support the growing CHW workforce and advocate for the unique needs of CHWs. CHWs have successfully improved health outcomes of vulnerable populations and helped alleviate the burden of high healthcare costs. The professional support provided by CHW organizations can play a significant role in addressing the downward trend in the number of CHWs and certification renewals. However, there is little research on the effectiveness of the professional support provided by CHW organizations. This interdisciplinary study applied principles from public administration and behavioral sciences research to apply organizational performance measures to CHW …

Spatial And Dwelling Determinants Of Adult Asthma Exacerbations In The North Central Texas Region, Jinat Jahan

Public Affairs Dissertations

Asthma is an important public health concern as it is one of the major chronic diseases and is influenced by both environmental and genetic factors. The asthma situation is deteriorating in the North Central Texas. In such degrading condition of asthma, this research is one of the first attempts to investigate both indoor and outdoor environment quality and their relationships with adult asthma exacerbation i.e. adult asthma hospital admission rate in this region. To investigate this, I analyzed the geographical variation of about 12,000 adult patients hospitalized for asthma in the North Central Texas (NCT) Region and their association with …

Why People Remain In Socially Disorganized Communities: A Critique Of Social Disorganization Theory, Lasheyla Kajuan Jones

Public Affairs Dissertations

The literature surrounding social disorganization has typically focused on crime and a communities inability to influence existing social rules of behavior upon individuals (Paulsen & Robinson, 2004). This qualitative study examines twenty-one tenure tract residents, business owners, and/or leader’s motivation for remaining in areas deemed socially disorganized under the HUD R/ECAP standards. Utilizing interviews and surveys to understand how individual participants experience living, working, and/or advocating in communities classified as socially inadequate, allowed patterns to emerge that pinpointed why people chose to remain in these communities. Leaders, business owners, and residents alike, offered an array of information supporting their position …

Publicly Supported Rental Housing And Affordability For Very Low-Income Suburbanites: A Study Of Metropolitan America, Eric Varela

Public Affairs Dissertations

This dissertation is about subsidized housing and its provision in the contemporary metropolis, with particular focus on suburbs. Subsidized housing has typically been conceived as fundamentally an urban issue given its historical roots largely centered on addressing destitute slums and inner-city poverty (Stoloff, 2004). Yet today’s American metropolis is fundamentally different from that which existed one hundred, fifty, or even twenty-five years ago. Suburbs are more prominent now than ever before, both as economic centers and diverse cultural mosaics in metropolitan America (Zhang & Logan, 2017). In fact, suburbs are now home to more impoverished Americans than principal cities (Kneebone, …

Assessment Of Mass Transit In Medellin Colombia - A Case Study, Francisco Wilfred Kessler

Public Affairs Dissertations

In Latin America, the rapid growth of large cities due to a rise of population along with increased urbanization has posed serious challenges in developing adequate infrastructure for mass transit. In these cities the demand for travel has risen sharply exceeding the supply. This case study intends to track the historical development of the City of Medellin, Colombia’s transportation system, to assess the success level of the system and how the unique concept of “social urbanism” that centered on inclusive regional mobility and accessibility was instrumental in the development of its transportation system. Medellín, a city of over 2.5 million …

Effects Of Ethnic Neighborhood Socioeconomic-Physical Characteristics And Individual Attributes On Immigrants’ Travel Mode Choice In North Texas, Kukhyoung Kim

Public Affairs Dissertations

Previous studies of immigrants’ travel behavior have been conducted mostly in California and the United States as a whole. Even though immigrant population and the share of immigrants have rapidly increased in Texas, only limited studies have been conducted for travel behavior of Hispanic immigrants. No study has examined the effects of attributes at multiple geographic levels on travel behavior. This study intends to fill the void. It examines the effects of ethnic neighborhoods’ social, economic, and physical characteristics on residents’ travel mode choice, with a focus on immigrants in North Texas using the 2017 National Household Travel Survey, the …

The Charismatic Dog And Public Space: Are Dog Parks A Third Place?, Lori Dynette Lee

Public Affairs Dissertations

Exiting research supports dog parks as a third place based on the ability of dog-supportive public space to bring people together informally outside home and work (Graham and Glover, 2014), yet offers little clarity in terms of strength of interaction. Ray Oldenburg (1989), the originator of the notion of third place, stresses the importance of certain contexts in supporting repeat encounters, which he explains are of crucial importance to effective third places, while lamenting their absence in suburban America. A careful review of his work in this dissertation raises the question, is a dog park within a suburban Dallas context …

The Effect Of Investor Sentiment On Earnings Management, Lin Chen

Accounting Dissertations

The association between investor sentiment and corporate reporting decisions/outcomes has been recently examined in the accounting and finance literature. As an important outcome of corporate reporting decisions, earnings management (EM) may be affected by investor sentiment. In this dissertation, I examine two research questions. The first is whether investor sentiment is associated with the propensity of firms’ engaging in the two primary forms of EM: accrual earnings management (AEM) and real earnings management (REM). The second question is whether firms’ internal governance strength and external audit quality would moderate the association between investor sentiment and AEM as well as REM. …

Emotional Demands-Abilities (Ed-A) Fit, Emotional Labor, And Resource Depletion, Joohan Lee

Management Dissertations

Perceived emotional demands-abilities (ED-A) fit, defined as a perception of the congruence or fit between emotional demands of a job and abilities to fulfill these demands (Diefendorff, Greguras, & Fleenor, 2016), has been recently introduced to the area of management research. The main goal of this study is to test how a service employee’s psychological ownership of a job (POJ) predicts his or her ED-A fit and whether/how ED-A fit is related to emotional labor and depletion. I also look into the underlying mechanism by testing the mediation effect of commitment to display rules (CDR) on the relation of POJ …

Shah-Dissertation2020-Humancapitalofupperechelons, Tushar R. Shah

Management Dissertations

My dissertation studies strategic change in the context of digital transformation and the role of organization’s upper echelons (specifically the human capital of TMTs and CEOs) in predicting digital transformation. I concur with the prevalent belief that digital transformation is the fourth industrial revolution. It is already disrupting several businesses and business models as a result of which existing models of strategic change may have to be modified to explain these drastic transformations. I begin with defining the domain of strategic change as experienced by organizations when they intend to or are undergoing digital transformation. To support my theoretical assertions, …