Digital Commons Network^™

Preparedness Of Student Affairs Professionals: The Difference Between A Council For Accreditation Of Counseling And Other Related Educational Programs Accredited And Council For The Achievement Of Standards- Best Practice Guided Academic Preparation Programs, Kelly J. Smith

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

A complicated relationship exists among several variables related to entry-level student affairs professionals’ preparedness for their first positions in the field of student affairs. In order to better understand the academic preparation of and the unusually high levels of attrition for entry-level student affairs professionals, their influence on job satisfaction and self-efficacy needed to be examined. The purpose of this study was to determine a difference between Council for the Advancement of Standards (CAS) best practice guided and Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Program (CACREP) accredited academic preparation programs and intentions to leave the profession of …

Analysis Of Aluminum-Air Battery By Physics-Based Mathematical Model, Chong Zhou

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The demand of electrical energy system is increasing rapidly these days for diverse applications from portable electronics and electrical vehicles to grid-scale energy storage. Lithium-ion battery has been utilized for most of those applications, but due to high cost (about $600/ kWh) and lower energy density (0.37 kWh/kg), the advent of low cost and high performing battery system is required. In this study, we will revisit aluminum-air battery as a promising system which has excellent features such as high energy density of 2.8 kWh/kg, low cost, and safe in nature, but it was abandoned due to challenging issues. One of …

Learning About Identity, Race, History, And Sexuality By Viewing Musical Theatre : A Social Learning Theory Perspective, Molly Ginn

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Relational dialectics 2.0 (Baxter, 2011) argues that individuals use cultural discourses to make sense of what is being said in relational interactions. However, relational dialectics does not explain how people learn these cultural discourses. This thesis uses relational dialectics 2.0 and social learning theory (Bandura, 1977) to focus on five cultural discourses that are present in four musicals in order to better understand how people learn and apply what they learn about cultural discourses to their daily interactions. The five cultural discourses examined are historical representation, identity, race, sexuality, and social class, and the four musicals are Hamilton, Hairspray, Les …

Risk Perception In Small Island Developing States: A Case Study In The Commonwealth Of Dominica, Hannah Eboh

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Small Island Developing States (SIDS) face high vulnerability to natural hazards. Understanding risk perception in SIDS is an essential step towards reducing vulnerability on these at-risk island states. A case study in the Eastern Caribbean's Commonwealth of Dominica, which has a notable volcanic risk, is used to explore risk perception. Specifically, focus groups were conducted in 18 villages throughout Dominica where participants produced hand-colored maps to show where they believed volcanic risk existed on the island and shared their reasoning behind their maps.

Surveys were administered to all focus group participants to collect necessary socio-demographic information. Subsequently, participant’s hand-drawn maps …

Exploring The Role Purpose-Related Experiences Can Play In Supporting Interest Development In Stem, Neil J. Naftzger

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The focus of this study was to explore how select practices and approaches with a self-transcendent orientation delivered in STEM-oriented summer learning programs serving middle-school aged youth were related to both (a) in-the-moment experiences that over time are believed to be related to possible continued engagement and interest in STEM and (b) changes in STEM-related youth outcomes during the span of the program. Using data obtained from surveys collected using the experience sampling method, activity leader interviews, video footage of programing, and pre-post youth surveys, a series of multilevel models were constructed to assess how activity leader practices that put …

The Relationship Between Learners' Motivation, Gender, And Completion Of Moocs In Saudi Arabia, Farraj Ali Alshehri

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are widespread and still growing due to their modernity and proliferation. However, one of the concerns of MOOCs is the high dropout rate of enrollees. Focusing on this issue, especially in Saudi Arabia where there is a lack of literature and special characteristics such as adopting single-sex education system, was an essential reason for conducting the current study. This study examined the relationship among learners' motivation, gender, and completion of MOOCs in Saudi Arabia. Keller's ARCS motivation model was used as the theoretical framework. In this non-experimental survey study, 238 Saudi learners of MOOCs completed …

A New Model For Calculating The Transient Displacement Field Within A Linear Elastic Isotropic Solid With A Through Hole Under Dynamic Impact : A 3d Model Is Developed And A 2d Case Study Is Examined, Drew Mitchell

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This paper presents an exact analytical solution in tensor notation for solving the elastic wave propagation for any 3-dimensional shape objects with a hole (from infinitesimal to finite). For validating the proposed model, a case study of an axisymmetric thick walled cylindrical metallic tube with finite length under a dynamic impact, was modeled and computed. The case study was also computed and validated by using an explicit time integration finite element method, LS-Dyna, for comparison purpose. The LS-Dyna simulation results were used to calculate the boundary conditions for the proposed model for obtaining the analytical solution because in the real …

Democracy In The Classroom : Addressing Teacher Dispositions During Post Observation Conferences With The Danielson Framework For Teaching, Jean M. Rowe

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to investigate the experiences of a group of high school administrators in assessing teacher dispositions that are reflected in post observation conferences. It is argued that through a better understanding of the techniques used by these administrators and the way the Danielson Framework for Teaching (FFT) contributes to the success of their methods, more informed decisions about using the FFT for teacher evaluation and supervision may be made by policymakers and teacher/leadership preparation programs. The qualitative nature of this study allows administrators to share what is important about each of their experiences. Analysis …

Development Of Persistence Among Uruguayan Adult Students, Aldo Rodriguez

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

In Uruguay, one constant concern for policy makers, authorities, teachers and administrators is student retention. Among adult learners who have returned to secondary school, dropping out of school is an even larger problem. However, there are several students that in spite of their problems and barriers continue studying and return to school. This study focuses on why some Uruguayan adult students attending a night school succeed, finish the school year and think about continuing with their education. These students previously dropped out of traditional education, then decided to re-enroll in education, and are now persisting to graduation. The aim of …

Does Active Leisure Improve Worker Well-Being? : An Experimental Daily Diary Approach, Xinyu Hu

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Engagement in leisure activities during non-work hours has been associated with benefits to workers' general well-being through need fulfillment and satisfaction during leisure experiences. This study proposed an active leisure intervention that aims to improve workers' well-being. Based on the Job Demands-Resources model and Self-Determination Theory, this study explored whether an active leisure intervention is beneficial for leisure well-being (both subjective evaluation and need satisfaction components) across seven days and global subjective well-being. This study used an experimental daily diary study approach, which randomly assigned employed participants (N = 80) to engage in either an active leisure intervention for one …

Does Excluding A Top Mesopredator Induce A Trophic Cascade : Effects And Diet Of An Omnivorous Predator In A Restored Prairie, Kirstie Savage

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Predators can shape prey communities through consumptive and non-consumptive interactions. By inducing fear of predation, predators can cause changes to prey foraging behavior that can negatively impact prey reproduction and body-condition. Furthermore, both consumptive (density-mediated) and non-consumptive (trait-mediated) predator-prey interactions can cascade down the food web to have indirect impacts of vegetation (trophic cascade). As we continue to lose apex predators and undergo land change, understanding how the new top dogs shape prey communities and restorations is increasingly important. Through utilizing predator-exclosure fences, mark-recapture analysis, plant biomass and stable isotopes we evaluated the role of coyotes as top mesopredator in …

Effect Of Tart Cherry Concentrate On Pain, Inflammation, And Strength, Natasha Kirkbride

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this double-blinded, randomized control study was to assess the impact of tart cherry concentrate on pain, inflammation, and strength in resistance-trained males (n = 24). Specifically, it analyzed the impact of tart cherry supplementation following an eccentric exercise protocol without the use of NSAIDs. Participants received their supplementation of either tart cherry concentrate (TC) or the placebo (PL) to consume over 8 consecutive days. Participants supplemented twice daily with either the TC concentrate (one ounce of concentrate mixed with water) or the placebo. On day 5 of the study, participants completed an eccentric knee extension exercise with …

Using Arts-Facilitated Reflection To Elicit Meaning-Making Explorations From Adult And Higher Education Master's-Level Students On Topics Related To Diversity, Social Justice And Inclusion, Amy S. Franklin

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to investigate how student affairs graduate students make meaning of their prior significant experiences or professional development activities related to diversity, social justice, and inclusion (DSJI). The study examined how participants describe a significant experience related to DSJI; how participants believe that these experiences regarding DSJI influence their work as student affairs educators; how participants describe an emerging professional identity as an inclusive practitioner because of these experiences; and how participants describe the influence of arts-based research practices on their reflection about topics related to DSJI. Findings included participants' understandings of DSJI; that diversity-related …

The Role Of "Because" In Mechanistic And Teleological Explanations In Science, Lillian Asiala

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

In science, mechanistic and teleological explanations differ in their account for why a phenomenon occurs. A mechanistic explanation presents events within the phenomenon’s causal history, while a teleological explanation presents the function or benefit of the phenomenon. These explanation types present two different types of causal coherence relations; a cause- consequence relation for mechanistic explanations, and an enabling relationship for teleological explanations. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of the causal connective “because” in inference generation for the relations present in each explanation type. Two first experiments show that readers accept “because” as an appropriate causal …

Static Optimization Of Fuel Cell Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle, Sunday Julius Balogun

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This thesis focuses on the static optimization of a fuel cell plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. The vehicle is been powered by three (3) sources of electrical energy. These sources of electrical energy are: fuel cell, supercapacitor, and lithium-ion battery.

The main target of this thesis is to make good the performance of a fuel cell plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. This will be achieved by applying static optimization method on the dynamic equations of a moving hybrid vehicle.

The optimization model of this plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) was formulated bases on multiple objectives. The objective parameters are: cost, volume, and …

Reconstructing Insect Pursuit Flight Kinematics In The Wild, Haribabu Boddeeti

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

With their agile maneuvers and aerodynamic feats, flying insects continue to inspire the design, sensing, and control of unmanned aerial vehicles. Among the different behaviors that such insects perform, the mating pursuit stands out in terms of the high speeds and quick turns that each insect performs during the chase. Despite their frequent occurrence in nature, pursuit events between mating insects are rarely analyzed. This is because mating events are difficult to film in the wild or elicit in laboratory settings. The long-term goal of this research is to quantify the kinematics of flying insects in pursuit. The specific objective …

“I’M Not A Traditional Teacher Anymore”: Ecuadoran Teacher Perspectives Regarding A Us Professional Development Program, Gail Cappaert

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

In this dissertation, the retrospective perspectives of five Ecuadoran English

teachers regarding their experience in a seven-month professional development program in the

US were investigated. Attention was given to how they believed the program impacted their

identity, self-efficacy and how they perceived the program functioned as a community of

practice (CoP). Data were collected through interviews using stimulated recall based on

classrooms observation notes and memos in the teacher participants’ Ecuadoran schools.

Findings included that the Ecuadoran teachers felt they were positively impacted by the program.

They perceived themselves as more legitimate speakers of English and more effective educators;

however, …

Adult Syrian Refugees Resettled In The United States: Social Support, Personality, Somatic Complaints, And Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Zena Dadouch

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This study examined the relationships between perceived social support, personality traits, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in adult Syrian refugees resettled in the United States. Participants (N = 19) were recruited from resettlement organizations across the United States. To be eligible, participants had to be at least 18 years old, and had to have been resettled in the United States after 1/1/2015. After being screened for eligibility, participants completed a series of self-report questionnaires online, and were able to enroll in a drawing for 5 $50 Visa gift cards for their participation. The findings failed to lend support to …

Occupational Seasonality And Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction At Quebrada Jaguay 280, Stephanie Melissa Gruver

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Quebrada Jaguay 280 (QJ-280) is one of the oldest maritime archaeological sites in the New World. Previous excavations of the southern Peruvian coastal site have dated occupation from ~13,000-8,000 cal yr BP. These excavations also determined that the occupants of the site used preferential maritime resource procurement strategies and had an interzonal connection to the highlands. In 2017 a new excavation was conducted at QJ-280 and the remains of the marine mollusk Mesodesma donacium were recovered. Geochemical examinations on the shell remains informed on the occupational seasonality of the site and reconstructed sea surface temperatures experienced off the coast of …

The Relationship Between Motor Vehicle Accidents, Traffic Volume, And Winter Weather In Northeast Illinois, Kai Funahashi

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Motor vehicle accident research has focused primarily on macroscale assessments of traffic accident occurrence and the unsafe behaviors affiliated with drivers. Additionally, while the relationship between weather and traffic volume and the relationship between weather and traffic accidents have been analyzed separately, the connection of weather and traffic volume on traffic accidents has not been quantitatively appraised. This research uses the northeast Illinois region---an area with a diverse roadway system within rural agricultural expanses, vast suburban development, and the densely populated Chicago and Rockford urban cores---to determine the relationship of fatal and nonfatal traffic accident occurrence as a function of …

The Representation Of Children In Hellenistic Sculpture : Continuity Or Change?, Alexandra L. Heller

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

From the late Neolithic period to the Hellenistic period, ancient Greek literature and art are filled with images of the escapades of children, both mortal and immortal. What distinguishes the representations in the Hellenistic period, however, is that they appear to reflect a society-wide change in the perception and valuation of children. This shift is demonstrated by the appearance of new forms of iconography as seen by the extant examples of freestanding and relief sculpture. The purpose of this thesis is to explore these supposedly new forms of iconography, including their character and number, and to compare them with their …

The Role And Impact Of Engrossment For The Caring Art Teacher, Samantha Anne Goss

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Care is difficult to define, identify, and assess, which has led to a lack of focus on care in state standards, teacher preparation programs, teacher evaluation tools, and art education research. Engrossment, or an in-depth attention to another, is a key component of care. Engrossment is a part of care and care is part of aesthetics, which necessitates the study of engrossment in art education. Engrossment and care are very individualized based on the contexts and unique individuals involved. I utilized a modified version of Eliot Eisner's educational criticism as my methodology. Through three educational criticisms influenced by Nel Noddings …

The Space-Time Continuum : Examining The Cortical Contributions To Spatial And Temporal Processing, Philip A. Blankenship

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Spatial and temporal processing are critical for an animal's survival. Many neurological disorders are associated with disruptions of these processes. Converging lines of evidence have suggested that these processes are mediated by a cortico-striatal network of structures. Limited research has investigated the role of the medial agranular cortex (AGm) and posterior parietal cortex (PPC) in relation to their overlap in spatial and temporal processing. The current study evaluated the roles of the AGm and PPC in spatial processing and interval timing. Long-Evans rats received unilateral devascularization of either the left hemisphere AGm or PPC followed by testing in the Morris …

Thomas Hobbes On Inequality, Poverty And Sedition : A Seventeenth-Century Blueprint For The Welfare State, Richard Rivard

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Thomas Hobbes is often portrayed as a proponent of an absolutist government ruled only through fear of punishment. This portrayal overlooks the concern Hobbes had for the safety and security of the citizens of the commonwealth. Inequality and poverty were major concerns for Hobbes as they serve as pathways to sedition and the dissolution of the commonwealth. This essay emphasizes Hobbes's concerns with respect to inequality and poverty. Hobbes's laws of nature provide a blueprint for a welfare state that addresses these issues. The sovereign is obliged to follow the laws of nature and therefore the blueprint for the welfare …

Towards A Dune Photon Detection System, Logan Clutch Jackson Rice

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) will be sensitive to neutrino interactions in it liquid argon detector volume. Its primary objective is to measure mixing parameters relevant to neutrino oscillations. Another aspect of the primary science program is to measure neutrinos produced in core-collapse supernovae should one occur in the Milky Way Galaxy while the far detector is operational. The first 10kt module of DUNE will be a single phase Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber (LarTPC). The goal of measuring neutrinos from supernovae requires an advanced photon detection system. Its design is driven by lessons from protoDUNE where testing of …

A Cultural Competency Training Model For The Public Health Workforce: Public Health Cares, Hana Hinkle

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Cultural competency training (CCT) programs are often used to train healthcare providers on the cultural needs and related healthcare disparities of patients. However, the current literature does not provide standardized best practice methods for CCT implementation, and CCT content is not consistent within healthcare disciplines and/or across disciplines (Beck & Boulton, 2012; Betancourt, Green, Carrillo, & Owusu Ananeh-Firempong, 2016; Crandall, George, Marion, & Davis, 2003; Lie, Lee-Rey, Gomez, Bereknyei, & Braddock, 2011). Additionally, current training programs do not typically address other factors of culturally appropriate care delivery in practice, such as provider bias. Current training programs also lack evaluation standards …

Development Of A Multi-Robot Testbed For Direct Human-Swarm Interaction, Venkata Satya Kiran Maridi

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Robotic swarms are well suited for missions that involve covering large areas such as environmental monitoring, search-and-rescue operations, as well as those that require fusing information from multiple sources such as target tracking and machine inspection. However, navigating a swarm of robots effectively requires performing higher-level functions that are typically executed by humans such as commanding them to stay close and guiding them along with a preplanned route. In this context, the ability of multiple robots to stay together autonomously significantly reduces the cognitive load on a human operator. The goal of this thesis is to design and build a …

Food Insecurity, Depression, Disordered Eating Styles, And Body Mass Index Among University Students, Cristal Medina

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Food insecurity is higher among college students than in the general population. Food insecurity can lead to a variety of health outcomes. The present cross-sectional study investigated the relationship between food insecurity and body mass index (BMI), depression, and disordered eating among university students. The study was carried out at eight public universities in the Midwest.

Students at participating universities in the Midwest were recruited electronically. They were asked to complete an online survey which consisted of the U.S. Adult Food Security Scale, the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, and the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire. Participants were also asked …

Risk Factors For The Female Athlete Triad In College Age Athletes Compared To Non-Athletes, Micaela Shirley Miller

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The Female Athlete Triad (Triad) is the three interrelated conditions of low energy availability with or without disordered eating, menstrual irregularity or amenorrhea, and osteoporosis, and is a health concern that affects active women of all ages who participate in physical activity. Although associations have been found between the individual components of the Triad, research is still limited on all Triad components occurring simultaneously in athletes. In addition, research on the college-age female population is currently limited. The purpose of this study was to examine Triad risk factors in the college-age female athlete population compared to the non-athlete population, specifically …

Theoretical Study Of Laser-Assisted Machining On Silicon Nitride Hollow Ceramic Cylinder Using Finite Element Method, Mudassar Hussain Ansari Mohammed

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The most commonly used technique for machining ceramics is diamond grinding. It accounts for up to 75% of the manufacturing costs resulting in high cost of the product. An LED bulb offering increased brightness, energy saving and long life by using ceramic integration to LED chips costs around 10 times to a normal LED bulb. Complex geometries used in electronics, medical surgeries, aerospace, and automobile industries require the use of costly molds or powder metallurgy for low batch production which does not justify the cost. Laser Assisted Machining (LAM) is a process that uses a laser to locally heat the …