Digital Commons Network^™

Bald Cypress “Knees” Contribute To Methane Emissions In A Bottomland Hardwood Wetland, Skylar Ross

Steeplechase: An ORCA Student Journal

Bald Cypress “Knees” Contribute to Methane Emissions in a Bottomland Hardwood Wetland

Skylar Ross¹, Niklas Klauss¹, Marissa Miles¹, Bassil El Masri¹, Jessica Moon¹, Kabiraj Khatiwada², Benjamin Runkle², Gary Stinchcomb³

^{1 Murray State University, Murray, KY;}

^{2 University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR; and}

^{3 University of Memphis, Memphis, TN}

Project Abstract:

Relatively little is known about carbon source-sink dynamics in bottomland hardwood wetlands. Identifying carbon pathways and their dominant controlling factors within these systems is critical. Bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) is a dominant tree …

An Evaluation Of Rural Access To Education, Caroline Ackerman, Kera B. Ackerman

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

In Kentucky, educators serve over 100,000 students who qualify for special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Given Kentucky's topography, and the designation of 86 of the Commonwealth's 120 counties as rural, it's essential to understand how the socioeconomic and geographic qualities of the state impact the students being served. Previous research has indicated that nearly a quarter of children in Kentucky live in poverty, with the highest rates existing in rural Eastern Kentucky counties. This statistic, compacted with the knowledge that high-need children in poverty are more likely than their peers to have a disability …

Lessons Learned: Considerations For Enhancing Principal Preparation Programs With Inclusive Special Education Practices, Ellen G. Casale, Stacy Leggett

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

Western Kentucky University has a long-standing history in preparing principals. Recognizing the ever-growing importance of explicit training in supporting students with disabilities, we applied for and received a minigrant from the Kentucky Excellence in Educator Preparation to enhance our curriculum to address this need. In this article, we provide an overview of the context for this need and provide considerations for principal preparation programs considering enhancing their own curricula. Implications are provided.

Interwar Patriotism: From Military Bands To Marching Bands, 1920s And 1930s, Elise Eaton

Steeplechase: An ORCA Student Journal

High school bands have evolved greatly since the first band boom in the early 1920s. Beyond the performance responsibilities and commitments to football and sporting events, bands have their own cultural elements that only band members, band staffs, and families of band students truly understand. This thesis will demonstrate that high school band culture since the 1920s developed alongside the changing fortunes of the U.S. military. Accordingly, U.S. military history shaped the evolving culture of high school marching bands and other youth performing arts groups while these civilian youth groups in turn embedded and reinforced elements of U.S. militarism in …

The Effects Of Citrulline Malate On Multiple Bout, High-Intensity Aerobic Exercise: A Pilot Study, Macy Kate Bynum, Annika Marie Pschorr, Taylor Carrico, Morgan Maleske, Matthew Hermes, Brenda Reeves

Steeplechase: An ORCA Student Journal

Citrulline malate (CM) is suggested to improve performance and post-exercise recovery. There is limited research on the effect of CM on short duration, high-intensity aerobic exercise with ambiguous results. The effects of acute CM supplementation on combined aerobic/anaerobic performance in novice CrossFit® participants is unknown. PURPOSE: To examine the effects of acute CM vs. placebo (PL) supplementation on multiple-bout, high- intensity aerobic performance in novice Nancy CrossFit® participants. METHODS: Eight recreationally trained males (X±SD; age = 20.8 ± 2.7 yrs, height = 180.0 ± 6.1 cm, body fat 6.9 ± 2.3%, VO2max = 52.2 ± 4.8 ml/kg/min, 1RM squat = …

Effectiveness Of Mycorrhizae And Vermicompost Seed Inoculation For Germination, Vegetative Growth, Cannabinoid Content, And Cured Flower Weight Of Cbd-Rich Hemp (Cannabis Sativa L.), Hannah Boyer, Nicole Wagner, Merritt Drewery

Journal of Agricultural Hemp Research

Effective germination and vigorous growth of hemp cultivars is paramount to cultivators’ ability to produce high-quality hemp products. Beneficial bacteria and fungi are known symbionts to plants and are used in regenerative agriculture to increase plant health and crop yield. This pilot study investigated the effect of microbial seed inoculation on germination rate, plant height, cured flower weight, and cannabinoid content of cannabidiol (CBD)-rich hemp (Cannabis sativa L). The experiment included a control and the following treatments: 1) seed inoculation of Great White ^â Premium Mycorrhizae (GW), 2) seed inoculation of vermicompost (V), and 3) seed inoculation of Great …

A Critical Policy Analysis Of Kentucky School Districts’ Trauma-Informed Education Plans, Tommy Wells, Alexandra J. Taylor, Amy Lein

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

The Commonwealth of Kentucky has taken its first steps in creating trauma-informed K-12 schools through passing the School Safety and Resiliency Act of 2019. School districts were tasked with developing trauma-informed education plans by July 2021. However, the Commonwealth’s mandate gave broad autonomy to school districts in shaping their trauma-informed education plans’ processes and content. Through a critical policy analysis design, this study examined the availability and quality of trauma-informed education plans from each school district in Kentucky and compared them to the trauma-informed framework developed by the National Child Traumatic Stress Network. Findings indicate that only 19 out of …

6 Strategies To Increase Your Classroom And School’S Culture And Climate, Stacey Keown-Murray, Rob Carroll, Kristi Livingston

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

Creating a positive culture and climate in the classroom and school environment is crucial for fostering student engagement, well-being, and academic success. This article presents six effective strategies that educators can implement to enhance the culture and climate within their classrooms and schools. The strategies focus on promoting a sense of belonging, establishing clear expectations, fostering positive relationships, celebrating diversity, empowering student voice, and encouraging collaboration and teamwork. By implementing these strategies, educators can cultivate a supportive and inclusive environment that nurtures the holistic development of students and promotes a positive learning experience. The abstract provides a concise overview of …

Triumph Through Tragedy, One Student At At Time, Chanel M. Schwenck

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

The EF-4 tornado that struck Mayfield, Kentucky on the evening of December 10, 2021 caused tremendous destruction to the entire community of Mayfield. Two education professors at a neighboring university sought to help students in the Mayfield Independent School District and were able to do so via funding from a KEEP mini-grant. 81 of their college students were trained in Response to Intervention (RtI) practices and provided individual and small group instruction to students in Mayfield for 2 hours a week for 17 weeks during the 2022-2023 school year. Altogether, struggling students in Mayfield received 1,377 hours of RtI instruction …

One Step Forward For Inclusion: Integrating Assistive Technology Across Teacher Preparation Program, Jiyeon Park, Marie L. Manning Dr.

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

Assistive Technology (AT) is recognized as a valuable tool for supporting their access to the curriculum. However, many educators lack experience and competence in AT implementation. This study examines the effects of a modified technology course on preservice teachers' preparedness for and perceptions of AT in inclusive classrooms. We modified Instructional Technology Course, which is mandatory for pre-service teachers across programs. After receiving the modified technology course, pre-service teachers show a significant improvement in their AT competence and a positive shift regarding inclusion.

Pre-Service Teachers’ Experiences With Multi-Tiered Systems Of Support: Universal Screening & Intervention Planning, Alexandra J. Taylor, Tommy Wells, Amy Lein

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

Assessment plays a key role in the multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) model. Universal screening is an assessment component embedded into MTSS, specifically within the response to intervention framework. The process of administering, scoring, and analyzing data from a universal screener is an essential skill that pre-service teachers need to gain in their educator preparation programs. In this qualitative, case study approach, we examined the ways an experimental learning project in implementing universal screeners impact pre-service teachers’ beliefs and practices for Tier 1 of MTSS. The project was provided to pre-service teachers to give them familiarization with the implementation of …

Dark Times In Dark Academia, Hayden Eubanks

Steeplechase: An ORCA Student Journal

Quickly rising in popularity through the help of social media platforms, Dark Academia has become an established literary subculture with a vast fanbase. With similar qualities to the Campus Novel, the Dark Academic genre differs because the characters themselves are college students instead of a professor or other faculty member. This aesthetic is comprised of Anglo-Saxon style of architecture, course study, and fashion combining to create an overall gothic tone that by surrounding the characters with a foreboding foreshadow of the tragedy that the students will embark. The architecture associated with the genre is comprised of red brick clock towers …

Orca Annual Report 2022-23, Msu Orca

Steeplechase: An ORCA Student Journal

Quick Facts about ORCA, AY 22-23

• 12 of 12 slots filled for Posters-at-the-Capitol with projects from the College of Business, the College of Humanities and Fine Arts, the School of Agriculture, and the College of Science, Engineering & Technology
• 350 students presented in both Scholars Weeks with support from 88 individual faculty members
• 20 grants awarded totaling over $15,000
• 17 items published in Steeplechase: An ORCA Student Journal

When Cooking Sous Vide, Do Different Bags Change The Color Reading Of The Spectrophotometer?, Kathryn Beard, Thomas Powell

Steeplechase: An ORCA Student Journal

Meat color changes over the course of cooking and storage. Companies for many years now have been measuring the color changes of meats when both cooking and storing over a period of time. When it comes to packaging there are two ways to measure color, through the packaging or by taking the meat out and measuring. Measuring the meat in the bag allows you to keep the process of whatever you are studying going, without ruining it by taking the meat out of the bag. The purpose of this project was to see if using different kinds of film cooking …

College Women’S Traditional Attitudes Towards Femininity And Homonegativity, Kaid Marek, Amanda Watson Joyce

Steeplechase: An ORCA Student Journal

Approximately 41% of sexual and gender minoritized (SGM) youth report considering suicide in 2022 (The Trevor Project, 2023), and they are 11 times as likely become the victims of violent crimes compared to non-SGM individuals (Flores et al., 2022). Thus, it is important to explore the roots of negative views toward SGM via internalized and projected gendered expectations from men and women. In men, precarious masculinity and self-image could predict homonegativity (Vandello et al., 2008). However, little is known about how women’s attitudes towards femininity and self-image could also predict sexual prejudice (Basow & Johnson, 2000).

One hundred thirty-seven predominantly …

Childhood Experiences And Obesity In Adulthood, Hannah Eriksen, Esther Malm

Steeplechase: An ORCA Student Journal

It has been clearly demonstrated that adversity in childhood begets a myriad of health issues, which seep into adulthood. Recent research has demonstrated the importance of benevolent childhood experiences (BCEs) and how they can mitigate the effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Despite the importance of BCEs, there is a need for a measure to look at not only the presence of BCEs, but also how long they endured throughout childhood as well as assess subjective memories surrounding the home and family environment. Thus, researchers in the UK have recently devised a measure that seeks to capture the presence of …

Enhancing First-Grade Math Fluency: A Multi-Tiered Intervention Approach, Kiah Goettlich, Sean Simmons Ph.D.

Steeplechase: An ORCA Student Journal

This study assesses the impact of a three-tiered Response to Intervention (RTI) framework on first-grade math fluency. Tier 1 used Explicit Timing with goal setting, graphing, and reinforcement. Tier 2 employed Cover Copy and Compare for low accuracy. A struggling student received Tier 3 interventions: Fact Families for accuracy and Explicit Timing for fluency. Results demonstrate improved class scores on AIMSWEB, supporting the effectiveness of the comprehensive RTI framework for math fluency.

A Grounded Theory Study Of The Styles, Strategies, And Perceptions Of Performing Arts Leaders, Liane Weintraub, Jessica Arriaza, Stephanie Viggiano

International Journal of Regional Issues in the Arts

The responsibility of leading an arts organization is distinct from other leadership roles due to the complexity and delicate nature of balancing tactical responsibilities while also nurturing an ecosystem that encourages artistic expression. Leaders’ duties are multifarious with often conflicting aims: managing complex organizations, navigating thorny governmental policies, and addressing critical social issues to foster diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), all while cultivating a creative environment. This study aims to identify the specific traits, characteristics, and strategies demonstrated by current arts organization leaders who are navigating the shifting demands of arts leadership. In this grounded theory study, the research team …

2023 Sale Conference Proceedings, Elise Lael Kieffer

International Journal of Regional Issues in the Arts

conference proceedings

Letter From The Editor, Elise Lael Kieffer

International Journal of Regional Issues in the Arts

Letter from the Editor

Science Of Hemp: Production And Pest Management Meeting Proceedings (2022)

Science of Hemp Annual Meeting

The third meeting of the Science of Hemp: Production and Pest Management held on November 3-4, 2022 at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, KY. Ninety-two agricultural scientists attended a series of scientific presentations. Topics included discipline-specific presentations in agronomy, entomology, horticulture, economics, and plant pathology, as well as general sessions. The abstracts for presentations and posters are included within this publication.

Science Of Hemp: Production And Pest Management Meeting Proceedings (2021)

Science of Hemp Annual Meeting

The second meeting of the Science of Hemp: Production and Pest Management was held in 2021 as a virtual meeting. The 2021 virtual meeting was hosted by Auburn University and took place on November 19th, 2021. One hundred twenty-nine participants joined online for scientific presentations, breakout sessions, workshops, and poster and oral student competitions. Attendees presented 41 oral talks, 13 posters, 8 workshops, and 3 Lunch and Learns. The abstracts for presentations and posters are included within this publication.

Science Of Hemp: Production And Pest Management Meeting Proceedings (2019)

Science of Hemp Annual Meeting

The first annual meeting of the Science of Hemp: Production and Pest Management was held on October 10-11, 2019 at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, KY. Ninety-two agricultural scientists attended a series of scientific presentations, breakout sessions, and discussion panels. Attendees presented 33 oral talks, 19 posters, one grower panel, and one outreach/education panel. Topics included discipline-specific presentations in agronomy, entomology, horticulture, and plant pathology, while general session topics included regulatory, pesticides, and economics. The abstracts for presentations and posters are included within this publication.

Beyond Certification: Innovative Strategies To Tackle The Teacher Shortage, Abbigail Lp Morris

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

This article challenges educational leaders to look beyond alternative routes for teaching certification and more towards an increased collaboration between districts and universities to help alleviate the teacher shortage issue in Kentucky. It specifically highlights the works of Omaha Public School District and the University of Nebraska Omaha as a model for proactive teacher pipeline.

Evaluating The Impact Of Brief Electronic Professional Development On Emotional Intelligence And Burnout Among In-Service Educators, Michelle Fast, Steve Mccallum, Gini Mcclurg, Jiaju Wu

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

To evaluate the impact of an intervention to improve emotional intelligence (EI) and reduce burnout in educators, 48 in-service educators were randomly assigned to a control or experimental group and administered the Scales of Emotional Functioning: Educators (SEF:ED; McCallum et al., 2019) and the Maslach Burnout Inventory – Educators Survey (Maslach et al., 2016) before and after intervention. The control group served as a waiting control and completed these instruments again after receiving the intervention. No statistically significant interaction effects from pre to post-test occurred for the SEF: ED Total EI score. A significant main effect did occur between the …

A Bayesian Examination Of The Effect Of A Mental Health Psychosocial Education Vignette On Stigma Toward Persons With Schizophrenia And Depression, Lainie Krumenacker

Steeplechase: An ORCA Student Journal

Psychosocial education has been used to combat stigma in several settings, but familiarity with and exposure to mental illness may also be key factors in reducing stigmatizing comments and behaviors. In this study, we implemented a between-subjects design where participants were allocated into two groups: one who received psychoeducational information about mental health (i.e., the “education group”) and one who received no psychoeducational information (i.e., the “control group”). Regardless of their group, all participants then read vignettes which discussed information about the diagnosis of schizophrenia or the diagnosis of depression. Following the vignettes, all participants completed a series of questionnaires …

Letter From The Editor, Caroline Winnenberg

Steeplechase: An ORCA Student Journal

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Standardized Oral Care Regimen In Medical Surgical Hospitalized Patients, Abby Breite

Steeplechase: An ORCA Student Journal

-Purpose/goal statement: In medical surgical hospitalized patients, how does nursing staff education on the importance of a standardized oral care regimen in the prevention of non-ventilator hospital acquired pneumonia, compared to no oral care education, affect the documentation rates of oral care in a 23-day period?

-Relevance to conference themes and objectives: Oral care is considered a routine part of daily care for patients in acute care settings. However, education and implementation of standardized oral care regimens can be lacking (Lounsbury & Munro, 2020). Additionally, documentation of oral care is often overlooked and omitted in the acute care environment (Meehan …

Analyzing Post-Fledging Movements, Survival, And Space Use Of First-Year Black Vultures (Coragyps Atratus) In Kentucky, Philip Kavouriaris, Andrea Darracq

Steeplechase: An ORCA Student Journal

The time span between a fledgling’s first flight from the nest and dispersal from its natal area is known as the post-fledging dependence period. This period is a critical life stage because it affects an individual’s survival and recruitment into adult populations. In Black Vultures, young birds learn to navigate their environment but remain dependent on their parents for food during this prolonged period. We analyzed movement data from nine fledglings equipped with backpack-mounted solar-powered transmitters (GPS/GSM 20-70 PTT, 45g, Microwave Telemetry, Inc.), which included over 450,000 locations collected over a period of approximately 250 days. Home range sizes and …

One-Dimensional And Two-Dimensional Simulations Of Helical Homopolymers: A Comparative Analysis Of Energy Stabilization And Efficiency, Matthew Hooks, Nathan Roberts, Matthew Williams Ph. D.

Steeplechase: An ORCA Student Journal

The purpose of our work is to analyze the results of a two-dimensional parallel tempering simulation of a coarse-grained helical homopolymer. We aim to measure the efficiency of the simulation and apply this efficiency to the theoretical protein free energy landscape.The stable states for helical homopolymers will be analyzed using the folding funnel theory of free energy landscapes for given polymer configurations. The genesis of each simulation is defined by a randomly configured polymer; as time progresses, the energy of each structure decreases until equilibrium is reached. Data collected after equilibrium is reached is used to understand polymer behavior for …