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Faculty Members’ Perceptions Of Community College Centers For Teaching And Learning: A Qualitative Study, Sandra Ann Frey Dec 2012

Faculty Members’ Perceptions Of Community College Centers For Teaching And Learning: A Qualitative Study, Sandra Ann Frey

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore faculty members’ perceptions of community college Centers for Teaching and Learning (CTLs); whose main purpose is to promote, facilitate, and honor excellence in teaching and learning through the support of full-time and adjunct faculty, at all career stages. A generic qualitative study with a grounded theory approach was conducted to understand faculty members’ perceptions and to develop recommendations for community college CTL directors, administrators, and faculty. Focus group interviews were conducted with groups of faculty at each of three Midwestern U.S. community colleges. Faculty were placed in one of three groups; frequent …


Examining Institutional Climate In Higher Education: Administering The Nilie-Pace Instrument At A Private University In Central China, Linda Fraser Jacobsen Dec 2012

Examining Institutional Climate In Higher Education: Administering The Nilie-Pace Instrument At A Private University In Central China, Linda Fraser Jacobsen

Dissertations

The first known campus climate study in central China was conducted for purposes of formative assessment by mixed methods, utilizing an instrument called the Personal Assessment of the College Environment (PACE) developed by the National Initiative for Leadership and Institutional Effectiveness (NILIE) at North Carolina State University in Raleigh. Surveys were translated into Mandarin and distributed in bilingual format to 1,170 campus employees at Central China University (a pseudonym) in Henan Province, and 945 surveys were returned, a rate of 80.8%. Participants who self-identified included both Chinese and foreign faculty, administrators and staff. Because the North American-normed instrument was administered …


Adult Jewish Women’S Motivations To Participate In Adult Jewish Education, Teresa Lynn Mareschal Dec 2012

Adult Jewish Women’S Motivations To Participate In Adult Jewish Education, Teresa Lynn Mareschal

Dissertations

Although there have been numerous studies on adult education participation and on adult religious education, little is known about Jewish women’s participation in adult education. A key component of the Jewish religion is lifelong learning, which is nurtured in Jewish people from an early age. Research has indicated that Jewish women participate in adult Jewish educational programs at higher rates than their male counterparts, yet there is a lack of research into what motivates them to engage in these learning opportunities. This research study was designed to examine Jewish women’s motivations and participation in adult Jewish educational programs. A survey …


The Effect Of Co-Teaching On Student Achievement In Ninth Grade Physical Science Classrooms, Karen M. Lafever Dec 2012

The Effect Of Co-Teaching On Student Achievement In Ninth Grade Physical Science Classrooms, Karen M. Lafever

Dissertations

Co-teaching is a method that is increasing within schools across the US as educators strive to leave no child behind. It is a costly method, having two paid instructors in one classroom, with an average of 24 students shared between them. If it significantly increases the achievement of all students, it is well worth the costs involved. However, few studies have analyzed the effectiveness of this method on student achievement. This research follows the academic accomplishments of students in a ninth grade physical science course. Nine sections of the course “Force and Motion” were taught with a single teacher, and …


Family Science: An Ethnographic Case Study Of The Ordinary Science And Literacy Experiences Of One Family, Glenda Margaret Mccarty Dec 2012

Family Science: An Ethnographic Case Study Of The Ordinary Science And Literacy Experiences Of One Family, Glenda Margaret Mccarty

Dissertations

Despite the copious research available on science learning, little is known about ways in which the public engages in free-choice science learning and even fewer studies have focused on how families engage in science to learn about the world around them. The same was true about studies of literacy development in the home until the 1980s when researchers (e.g. Bissex, 1980; Heath, 1983; Taylor, 1983) began documenting the literacy happenings and practices of young children in natural settings. Findings from intensive emergent literacy research studies have challenged traditional approaches to the teaching and learning of literacy, especially drawing attention to …


The Role Of The Nurse Practitioner In The Patient-Centered Medical Home, Patricia M. Sohn Dec 2012

The Role Of The Nurse Practitioner In The Patient-Centered Medical Home, Patricia M. Sohn

Dissertations

The Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) was established to improve patient access to high quality, cost-effective primary care. Critical to this new model of care is the optimal utilization of nurse practitioners (NPs) in performing services traditionally offered by physicians. This study compared the roles of NPs and physicians in providing primary care in two PCMHs in a local health care system. During the calendar year 2011, a total of 50,471 patient visits occurred in the two PCMHs. Each PCMH consisted of a Traditional Clinic that saw patients on a scheduled basis and a Convenient Care Clinic that accepted walk-in …


The Feasibility Of An Advanced Practice Registered Nurse-Managed Adhd Resource Center In Missouri, Kara Janelle Stackley Dec 2012

The Feasibility Of An Advanced Practice Registered Nurse-Managed Adhd Resource Center In Missouri, Kara Janelle Stackley

Dissertations

The primary objective of this project was to develop a survey to determine provider receptiveness to referring patients to an advanced practice registered nurse-(APRN) managed center for the diagnosis and management of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). A secondary aim of this project was to develop a business plan for the center, provided feedback from the survey was determined to be supportive. Physicians were more likely to use ADHD clinical guidelines (65%) in their practice and expressed greater comfort managing ADHD. Only 50% of APRNs use the clinical practice guidelines and 50% reported they were uncomfortable diagnosing and managing ADHD. Almost …


Identification And Management Of Vertebral Column Fractures In Primary Care, Christopher Richard Hemmer Dec 2012

Identification And Management Of Vertebral Column Fractures In Primary Care, Christopher Richard Hemmer

Dissertations

The purpose of this project is to perform a program evaluation of current treatment patterns of primary care providers for osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (VCF). VCF’s result in significant morbidity and long term sequelae following a VCF is not uncommon. Additionally, there is controversy regarding the diagnosis and management of this disorder, especially as these relate to the clinical practice guidelines. This practice evaluation project included a pre and post-test survey and a continuing education offering. Thirty-nine physicians and nurse practitioners completed the survey instruments and attended the continuing education sessions. The educational session resulted in improvement of the provider’s …


Coexistence Of Sympatric Taxa Of Chamaecrista Section Xerocalyx: Addressing The Interplay Between Morphology And Biotic Interactions, Beatriz Baker-Méio Dec 2012

Coexistence Of Sympatric Taxa Of Chamaecrista Section Xerocalyx: Addressing The Interplay Between Morphology And Biotic Interactions, Beatriz Baker-Méio

Dissertations

Animal-plant interactions may prevent gene flow and promote divergent selection among closely related plants, ultimately leading to formation of new species. This may be the case for Chamaecrista sect. Xerocalyx, in which two or more of the 24 varieties often are encountered in the same area, with marked morphological and phenological differences among them. Over a broad geographical range, however, the morphological gaps among varieties disappear. Several biotic interactions contribute to the fitness of Chamaecrista species. Their flowers are pollinated by bees, and herbivores attack their leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds. In addition, all species produce extrafloral nectar, which …


Nordic Cooperation In The Post-Cold War Era: A Case Study Of Institutional Persistence, Pavla Landiss Dec 2012

Nordic Cooperation In The Post-Cold War Era: A Case Study Of Institutional Persistence, Pavla Landiss

Dissertations

Long-lasting cooperation among a group of nations is rare. Scholars of different traditions disagree about the possibilities of sustained cooperation. This dissertation focuses on the cooperation among the five nations in Northern Europe sometimes referred to as the Nordics – Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, plus three self-governing territories – the Faroe Islands, Greenland, and the Åland Islands. They form a distinct region with a common identity and a well developed cooperation. The overarching norm is cooperation based on respect for national sovereignty. It started emerging in the 19th century, but was formalized first after World War II. The …


Narrative Identities Of American Muslim Women In A Midwestern City, Emily Anastasia Hager Dec 2012

Narrative Identities Of American Muslim Women In A Midwestern City, Emily Anastasia Hager

Dissertations

In the years since September 11, 2001, increased racial profiling changed what it means to be an Arab, and/or Muslim in the United States. While a small but growing number of studies have focused on Arab-American adolescents and identity development (Chadhury, 2008; Sarroub, 2002), few have studied those who were “emerging adults” (Arnett, 2000) at the time of the attacks, or analyzed how they construct their current lifespan narratives (McAdams, 2006) in light of the national discourse linking terrorism and Islam. To fill this gap in the literature, my study explored the links between community discourse and narrative identity development …


A Behavioral Analysis Of Counselor Supervision: A Multiple Baseline Design, Deirdre J. Walker Dec 2012

A Behavioral Analysis Of Counselor Supervision: A Multiple Baseline Design, Deirdre J. Walker

Dissertations

This paper consists of a concurrent multiple baseline across participants study that measured the effects of behavior analytic techniques to teach three counselor trainees basic counseling skills. The literature surrounding the development of basic counseling skills is reviewed in addition to the use of single case designs in counseling and counselor supervision. The literature surrounding combining behavior analysis and counseling research methodologies is also examined. Results indicated that a behavior analytic approach to basic skills training was an effective means for increasing targeted basic counseling skills. The supervisory working alliance between the principal investigator and all participants was measured and …


The Characterization Of Volatiles Associated With Young Stellar Objects, Kari Anne Wojtkowski Nov 2012

The Characterization Of Volatiles Associated With Young Stellar Objects, Kari Anne Wojtkowski

Dissertations

In the first portion of this work, we searched for differences in volatiles within a single star forming region, Rho Ophiuchi. We determined the amount, temperature, and composition of two ice features, the bending modes of CO2 and H2O at 15 μm and 6 μm, respectively, toward 28 Young Stellar Objects (YSOs). We found that more than 50% of the YSOs studied contained a portion of crystalline CO2 ice. We also found that some sources with Flat or borderline Class II Spectral Energy Distributions (SEDs) have a larger abundance of CO2 ice with respect to H2O ice. In addition to …


Nanoporous Gold As A Solid Support For Protein Immobilization For The Development Of Immunoassays, And For Biomolecular Interaction Studies, Binod Prasad Pandey Nov 2012

Nanoporous Gold As A Solid Support For Protein Immobilization For The Development Of Immunoassays, And For Biomolecular Interaction Studies, Binod Prasad Pandey

Dissertations

Nanoporous gold (NPG) is a versatile material of high surface area to volume ratio that can be readily modified with self-assembled monolayers of alkanethiols to which biomolecules can be linked. NPG presents new opportunities for the development of immunoassays, and for the development of carbohydrate based assays. This thesis explores the use of NPG as a support for self-assembled monolayers, their linkage to antibody-enzyme conjugates for immunoassay development, and for the study and application of carbohydrate-protein interactions. Direct kinetic electrochemical immunoassays were developed on NPG for prostate specific antigen (PSA) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). The decrease in enzymatic conversion of …


Impact Of An Online Homework Program On The Achievement Of College Students Enrolled In First Semester General Chemistry, Brian D. Huesgen Nov 2012

Impact Of An Online Homework Program On The Achievement Of College Students Enrolled In First Semester General Chemistry, Brian D. Huesgen

Dissertations

Technology is finding an ever increasing role in university level courses. One area of particular interest is the use of online or computer based homework programs. This study investigated the potential impact of one of the leading commercial chemistry homework management systems on the performance of students in a first semester general chemistry course. Two groups of students were identified, one which used a basic homework program and one which used a Web-based, customizable, problem-grading application that was provided prompt feedback. The 2005 American Chemical Society First Semester General Chemistry Exam as the benchmark of understanding general chemistry. No statistically …


An Assessment Of Procedural Justice: Do Perceptions Of Job Relatedness Alter Criterion-Related Validities?, Dana M. Grambow Nov 2012

An Assessment Of Procedural Justice: Do Perceptions Of Job Relatedness Alter Criterion-Related Validities?, Dana M. Grambow

Dissertations

Two studies examined an application of procedural justice to the field of human resources by investigating participant reactions to different selection assessments administered in the same session. Following Gilliland’s model of organizational justice applied to human resources, the first study investigated how reactions to a cognitive ability assessment and a measure of Conscientiousness may alter the participants’ test-taking motivation for these assessments. Extending beyond Gilliland’s proposals, the first study assessed if these changes in test-taking motivation ultimately altered the validity of the assessments and tested a model depicting changes in the effect on reactions when two assessments are taken together. …


Urban Development In Costa Rica: The Direct And Indirect Impacts On Local And Regional Avian Assemblages, Jeff L. Norris Aug 2012

Urban Development In Costa Rica: The Direct And Indirect Impacts On Local And Regional Avian Assemblages, Jeff L. Norris

Dissertations

Urban development, the pinnacle of human land use, has drastic effects on native ecosystems and the species they contain. For the first time in recorded history there are more people living in cities than in the rural areas surrounding them. Furthermore, the global rate of urbanization continues increasing; raising serious concerns for earth's tropical regions as they harbor a disproportionate amount of the earth's species, and where the impacts of urban development on natural communities are poorly known. Therefore, for my dissertation research I investigated the impacts of urban development on avian community structure and organization at both local and …


Synthesis And Catalytic Applications Of Platinum(Ii) And Palladium(Ii)-Pta And Dapta Complexes, Sitaram Acharya Aug 2012

Synthesis And Catalytic Applications Of Platinum(Ii) And Palladium(Ii)-Pta And Dapta Complexes, Sitaram Acharya

Dissertations

The cage-like tertiary phosphine, 1,3,5-triaza-7-phosphaadamantane (PTA) has recently received interest because of its water-solubility, air-stability, non-ionic, non-surfactant, and basic nature. These properties can solubilize transition metal complexes in the aqueous phase. A related air-stable derivative, N,N’-diacetyl-1-3-5-triaza-7-phosphaadamantane (DAPTA) has greater water-solubility than PTA, however, its coordination chemistry has not been significantly explored. This study involved the synthesis and characterization of a series of novel air-stable and water-soluble four-coordinated dialkyl, dialkynyl, dihalo, and halo(alkyl) complexes of platinum and palladium bearing PTA and DAPTA ligands. The alkyl complexes of the type MX(R)P2 (M = Pt, Pd; X = Cl, Br, I; R = …


Nickel Catalyzed Homoallylation Reactions And Synthesis Of Potent Inhibitors Of Yoph, Mahesh Prasad Paudyal Aug 2012

Nickel Catalyzed Homoallylation Reactions And Synthesis Of Potent Inhibitors Of Yoph, Mahesh Prasad Paudyal

Dissertations

Amphidinolides are cytotoxic natural products isolated from marine dinoflagellate Amphidinium species. Amphidinolides C, C2 and F are active against cancer cell lines. Homoallylation of aldehydes with isoprene and triethylborane catalyzed by Ni(acac)2 gave hydroxyalkenes in good yield with excellent regio- and stereoselectivity. Cross metathesis of the hydroxyalkenes with methyl acrylate using second-generation Grubbs catalyst and copper(I) iodide afforded α,β-unsaturated esters, which underwent cyclization in the presence of DBU to produce tetrahydrofurans with the correct relative configuration for the C1-C9 fragment of amphidinolides C, C2, and F. Homoallylation of chiral and achiral diene carboxylate esters and dienecarboxamides with various aldehydes were …


Temporal Characteristics Of Monoptic, Dichoptic And Half-Binocular Collinear Lateral Masking Of Contrast Detection, Wesley Tod Kinerk Aug 2012

Temporal Characteristics Of Monoptic, Dichoptic And Half-Binocular Collinear Lateral Masking Of Contrast Detection, Wesley Tod Kinerk

Dissertations

Purpose: The temporal characteristics of dichoptic contrast integration across space in primary visual cortex are relatively unknown. This study investigated the effect of varying interstimulus interval (ISI) and flank duration on contrast detection threshold (CDT) of a sinusoid target under monoptic, dichoptic and half-binocular viewing. Methods: Eleven subjects with normal vision participated for a mean of 25 hours each. In the main experiment, target and flanks were 3 cpd vertical sinusoids with 6 lambda (sigma = 1.5 lambda) center-to-center vertical separation. Flank contrast was normalized to 3X flank CDT. Flanks were presented at 4 durations (67-500ms) and ISIs were presented …


Perspectives Of Higher Education Administrators And Staff: Programs And Services For First Generation College Students, Latishua E. Lewis Aug 2012

Perspectives Of Higher Education Administrators And Staff: Programs And Services For First Generation College Students, Latishua E. Lewis

Dissertations

This dissertation is an investigation of the perspectives of higher education administrators and staff who provide services that support the academic and social sustainability of African American first generation college students (FGCS). In this study the researcher operated in a dual capacity. The two roles the researcher served as are FGCS and staff member. The researcher is a first generation college student and provides programs and services for the FGCS student population. The participants were from two urban institutions that are in the same overarching academic system. This inquiry focused on administrators and staff sharing their perspectives in narrative form. …


Bias Crime And Minority Threat, Michele Stacey Aug 2012

Bias Crime And Minority Threat, Michele Stacey

Dissertations

Beginning in the 1980s, the term hate crime became part of the research canon of criminologists across the United States. Researchers have examined the characteristics of hate crime victims, offenders, and offenses. However, little is known about the context of hate crime, and more specifically about the ways that the changing demographics of the United States have contributed to hate crime. The dissertation examines the relationship between these demographic shifts and the trend in hate crime from 2000 to 2007 through the use of population averaged panel models. These models assess changes over time and across place in the number …


Studies Toward Tetrahydrofuran-Containing Natural Products: Total Synthesis Of Amphidinolide C And Oxylipids, Sudeshna Roy Aug 2012

Studies Toward Tetrahydrofuran-Containing Natural Products: Total Synthesis Of Amphidinolide C And Oxylipids, Sudeshna Roy

Dissertations

Tetrahydrofurans (thf) and tetrahydropyrans (thp) are important structural motifs found in a broad array of biologically relevant natural products such as polyether antibiotics and acetogenins. Classic methods used for thf- or thp-ring synthesis have their own advantages and disadvantages which tend to be substrate specific. Therefore, development of new and efficient methods is imperative especially to address the issue of diastereoselectivity when attainment of both cis- and trans-2,5-thf (or 2,6-thp) is highly desirable. Herein, a strategy of cross-metathesis and Pd(0)-catalyzed cyclization, useful for obtaining both cis- and trans-2,5-disubstituted thf (or 2,6-disubstituted thp), will be discussed along with its application in …


Anxiety Symptoms, Parent Anxiety And Functional Impairment In Pediatric Cardiology Patients With Noncardiac Chest Pain And Benign Cardiac Complaints, Cassandra Jo Mcdonnell Jul 2012

Anxiety Symptoms, Parent Anxiety And Functional Impairment In Pediatric Cardiology Patients With Noncardiac Chest Pain And Benign Cardiac Complaints, Cassandra Jo Mcdonnell

Dissertations

Chest pain is regularly encountered in pediatric medical settings. Because of the popular association of chest pain with coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction adults, it is often frightening for both patients and parents. However, up to 88% of pediatric chest pain patients receive no medical explanation for their pain. Chest discomfort in the absence of medical explanation that is characterized by no more than one typical angina symptom is classified as non-cardiac chest pain (NCCP). This study examined parent anxiety, child anxiety and chest pain related functional impairment in a sample of pediatric patients with NCCP in comparison to …


A New Look At Genre And Authenticity: Making Sense Of Reading And Writing Science News In High School Classrooms, Angela Marie Kohnen Jul 2012

A New Look At Genre And Authenticity: Making Sense Of Reading And Writing Science News In High School Classrooms, Angela Marie Kohnen

Dissertations

This qualitative study examined the importance of the genre and authenticity as teachers sought to bring science journalism to the high school science classroom. Undertaken as part of the National Science Foundation-funded grant “Science Literacy through Science Journalism (SciJourn),” this work was conducted as a series of smaller studies addressing the following issues: the definition of the genre from the point of view of professional journalists; teachers’ motivation for joining the SciJourn project; qualities of science teachers compared to science journalists; science teachers’ approach to writing and writing response; and the teachers’ reflections on their own implementation strategies. Data collected …


The Effect Of Legal Financial Obligations On Reentry Experiences, Breanne Rae Pleggenkuhle Jul 2012

The Effect Of Legal Financial Obligations On Reentry Experiences, Breanne Rae Pleggenkuhle

Dissertations

In 2010, over 700,000 offenders were released from prison (Guerino, Harrison, and Sabol, 2012), and on any given day over seven million individual are under some form of correctional supervision (Glaze, 2011). Research has documented the collateral consequences of transition such as diminished employment prospects and limited housing availability. Fiscal concerns have shifted some of the costs of prosecution and correctional supervision to the offender, resulting in accumulation of legal financial obligations. However, little research has examined of the effect of legal financial obligations on reentry outcomes. This study has two broad goals. The first objective was to document the …


Neonatal Isoflurane Exposure On Apoptotic Neurodegeneration And Long-Term Behavioral Functions, Susan E. Maloney Jul 2012

Neonatal Isoflurane Exposure On Apoptotic Neurodegeneration And Long-Term Behavioral Functions, Susan E. Maloney

Dissertations

Clinical studies have reported multiple exposures to anesthesia are associated with an increased risk of later learning disabilities. The general anesthetic Isoflurane (ISO) is commonly used in pediatric anesthesia and decreases the activity of the central nervous system through activation of the GABAA receptor. Other drug classes, such as anxiolytics, anticonvulsants, and alcohol, that share this mechanism increase neuroapoptosis during the developmental brain growth spurt period. Exposure to these agents during this time also can have detrimental consequences on behavior. Two experiments were conducted to examine the acute neuroapoptotic response and long-term behavioral impact of postnatal ISO exposure using an …


Finding Voice From A Distance: Learning Voice In Writing Through Online Learning, Amy Marie Ade Peach Jul 2012

Finding Voice From A Distance: Learning Voice In Writing Through Online Learning, Amy Marie Ade Peach

Dissertations

One of the primary objectives for many instructors of first-year composition (FYC) is to encourage students to use their own voice/persona, or express themselves with authority in their writing. While there are many pedagogical methods to address this in a face to face environment, there is now need to understand how the course tools and architecture in online versions of the course can facilitate “voice” in writing. This qualitative study observed a summer FYC (First Year Composition) course online at one institution in the Midwestern United States. At the conclusion of the course, two students and the instructors were interviewed …


Assessing The Feasibility And Perceptions Of Health Services For Refugees Of Resettlement Organizations, Heidi Jean Worabo Jul 2012

Assessing The Feasibility And Perceptions Of Health Services For Refugees Of Resettlement Organizations, Heidi Jean Worabo

Dissertations

Background: Since 1975 the U.S. has resettled 2.6 million refugees who had to flee from their home countries. Many refugee resettlement organizations have developed different models of innovation to promote a smooth transition between previous foreign refugee camps to U.S. communities so that refugees swiftly become economically and socially self-sufficient. Providing refugees with health benefits and resources has been foremost priority upon arrival as they try to overcome health care barriers. Yet there is a lack of literature examining the impact of these health services and how they are perceived by the program recipients. Purpose: This scholarly project aimed to …


Paradigm Adherence And Personality Correlates Across Mental Health Professions, Laura Anne Rauscher Jul 2012

Paradigm Adherence And Personality Correlates Across Mental Health Professions, Laura Anne Rauscher

Dissertations

Paradigm adherence has been developed as a meta-theoretical approach to organize and to classify the multitude of different theories of counseling and psychotherapy. Four paradigms have been identified in the literature: The Organic-Medical, The Psychological, The Systemic-Relational, and the Social Constructivist paradigms. Only one other study to date has examined paradigm adherence of a group (Marriage and Family Therapists) and how it can be of value to the mental health professionals. This study examined the relationship between paradigm adherence and different characteristics of mental health professionals in the state of Missouri. In this study, Licensed Psychologists, Licensed Clinical Social Workers, …