Digital Commons Network^™

How Nondiscrimination Takes Root: An Examination Of Methods To Implement Statewide Nondiscrimination Legislation In Kentucky., Blake Nona Gould

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research examined the numerous fairness ordinances in Kentucky’s cities for repeated trends, patterns, and practices in their language. Through the use of a cumulative case study, cases were selected from the ordinances as well as state and federal law, judicial actions, and other relevant factors from within the state. Each of the ordinances were examined for generalizability and their ability to be applied to a single, unified state nondiscrimination law that conforms with existing state and federal law. It was found that significant similarities exist between the various ordinances, though discrepancies would also need to be addressed. In the …

This Month, Jennifer N. Figueroa

Theses

This Month is a series of collages that depict police violence at civil rights and Black Lives Matter protests. By pairing events from 1964 to contemporary protests that occurred in the same month, the collection draws a connection between the past and present.

Go To Your God Like A Soldier: A Theory For Covert Intervention In Civil Conflict, Shelby Robertson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Under what conditions will a third party intervene covertly in a civil conflict? Scholars have researched the motivation and strategies used by states in third party intervention in civil war. However, little research explores the type of intervention meaning covert or overt. This paper aims to fill the gap in that literature and provide a theory and preliminary evidence to explain the conditions under which a third party would choose to intervene covertly versus overtly in a civil conflict. The domestic audience of the supported actor in the civil conflict will determine the type of intervention available to the external …

Steel Bridge Truss Analysis, Alastair Seed

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The purpose of this project is to conduct a study comparing the effectiveness of different cross frame orientations in lowering the deflection of the main stringers of a bridge. Three different orientations of cross frames were researched; vertical, angled with the superstructure webbing, and halfway-angled. All of these were studied when the stringers were placed directly under the superstructure and when the superstructure was placed outside of the stringers. Analysis was performed in a program called SAP 2000 to find the deflections along the stringers under different loading conditions. The results showed that when the superstructure was oriented over the …

A Survey Of Education In Civil Engineering, Tyler Fuller

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This paper provides an overview of the current education requirements in the field of civil engineering. This is achieved through means of an anonymous survey sent to civil engineering academics and data gathered from the published curricula of ten existing civil engineering programs. These ten programs were selected by means of a random number generator from the list of institutions the survey was sent to. Such an overview is important for gauging the effectiveness of civil engineering education for current and future students.

The Civil Rights Struggle For Black Economic Opportunity In Birmingham, Logan Montgomery Barrett

All ETDs from UAB

This thesis examines the intersection between Birmingham, Alabama’s civil rights movement and labor history. It considers the city leadership’s exploitation of black labor and the radical resistance these oppressive conditions fostered. A long civil rights struggle in Birmingham emphasizes the movement’s pursuit of economic opportunity in securing a better quality of life for the city’s African American population. Showcasing three distinct eras of Birmingham’s black freedom struggle, this thesis argues that economic justice remained at the core of the prolonged movement. During the first half of the twentieth century, the city’s black working class embraced radical influences in combating workplace …

Photographs Of The Children’S March And Their Afterlives, Carmen Gonzalez Fraile

All ETDs from UAB

ABSTRACT This thesis examines the photographs taken during “The Children´s March” on May 3, 1963 in Birmingham, Alabama. These images of dog attacks and people being sprayed down by water hoses are considered some of the most representative images of the Civil Rights struggle. They were published in national newspapers and magazines and made visible the social injustice suffered by African Americans in Birmingham. Civil Rights photographs have engendered different readings and interpretations over time, and their presence in American history has been a constant from the 1960s up to the present. This thesis analyzes the roles Civil Rights photographs …

Expendable: Eight Soldiers From Massachusetts Regiments Executed For Desertion During The United States Civil War, Stephen F. Ragon

Graduate Masters Theses

The written history of the United States Civil War provides limited analysis on the topic of desertion and execution for desertion in the Army of the Potomac. The specific numbers involved are well documented. With the exception of occasional narratives on the executions themselves, there is no examination of the human decisions taken; beginning with the soldier’s choice to desert. In addition, while the military court-martial trial was rigid in its structure and process, it allowed for discretion in the sentencing phase. Human choice exerted its greatest influence in the aftermath of the trial as the sentence was reviewed up …

"Somewhere Toward Freedom:" Sherman's March And Georgia's Refugee Slaves, Ben Parten

All Theses

When General William T. Sherman's army marched through Georgia during the American Civil War, it did not travel alone. As many as 17,000 refugee slaves followed his army to the coast; as many, if not more, fled to the army but decided to stay on their plantations rather than march on. This study seeks to understand Sherman's march from their point of view. It argues that through their refugee experiences, Georgia's refugee slaves transformed the march into one for their own freedom and citizenship. Such a transformation would not be easy. Not only did the refugees have to brave the …

The Civil, Silent, And Savage In Ishiguro's The Buried Giant, Alexander J. Steele

Theses and Dissertations

In this paper I argue that the political situation between Britons and Saxons within Kazuo Ishiguro’s The Buried Giant further articulates Ishiguro’s ongoing critique of Western humanism’s logic of labelling the Other. I also argue for a definition of the figure of the buried giant broadly speaking as the Other par excellence, as an entity of pure alterity, and as a Lèvinasian “infinite other.” As The Buried Giant demonstrates, Ishiguro continues to write against the politics of humanism that have flourished in Western art, science, and political philosophy since the Enlightenment. Though Ishiguro sets The Buried Giant loosely in the …

War And Women Wielding Power: Lessons From Burundi, Liberia, And Chad, Emily Myers

Honors Theses

Since 1989, the world has seen civil war replace traditional war as the prevailing paradigm of conflict. Simultaneously, the world’s leading thinkers, international bodies, and aid organizations have encouraged the idea that women’s rights are human rights, and urged that policy issues be considered through a gendered lens. My thesis aims to connect these two concurrent shifts in geopolitics by examining the relationship between civil war and women. How do women experience civil war differently from men? How does the legacy of civil war change women’s lives? Specifically, my thesis examines the effects civil war has on women’s political power. …

Ncma Groundwater Model Using Usgs Modflow-2005/Pest, Brian Matthew Wallace

Master's Theses

A numerical model for the NCMA aquifer complex is presented. The objective of the study is to develop a numerical groundwater model for the NCMA aquifer system to enhance the understanding of subsurface groundwater flow. Infiltration, streamflow, pumping, and return flows are implemented to characterize the aquifer complex over time. The numerical model is calibrated to municipal and monitoring well data, average monthly water balances, and hydraulic contours. Transient aquifer inflows and outflows are assessed in the results of the study and are compared to balance terms from previous studies. The 2007 Todd Engineers Study subsurface inflows and outflows generate …

Negotiated Settlement And The Durability Of Peace: Agreement Design, Implementation, And Mediated Civil Wars, Chong Chen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Since the end of the Cold War, outright military victories in civil wars have been rare. As a result, the number of peace agreements designed to end civil wars in the post-Cold War era has increased exponentially compared to the entire Cold War period. However, according to some statistics, about a third of those peace agreements failed to secure postwar peace. These failures to get warring parties to live up to their peace agreements not only restarted armed conflict, but they also escalated the violence. Therefore, this project is aimed to explore why some civil war settlements break down within …

Factors Which Prolong Civil Conflict In Africa: The Case Of Angola, Liberia And Sierra Leone, Ntesang Lorraine Molemele

Dissertations and Theses

It has been a long journey for this thesis accomplishment and now finally it is accomplished. First and foremost I thank God for my mother, Seskhutshwe, who has always wanted her children to accomplish through education. It would not have been possible of course without my dad, Judge and my little sister Ikey. My 9 year old daughter, I also thank her for always making sure she did not disturb me whenever I had to concentrate on this project. Above all, I wish to express my gratitude to my exceedingly patient Professor and supervisor, Jacqueline Braveboy. I have probably been …

Bridging The Justice Gap: Exploring Approaches For Improving Indigent Access To Civil Counsel, Kelsey Atkinson

Pomona Senior Theses

The United States is among one of the only democratic industrialized nations in the world that does not provide guaranteed access to civil representation in cases involving basic human need. This leaves indigent litigants who are at risk of losing their homes or their children left to seek counsel through insufficient pro-bono programs or limited scope legal self-help centers. This thesis provides a history of the struggle for the right to civil counsel, known as Civil Gideon, and explores a variety of proposed solutions to bridge the justice gap for indigent litigants. Despite considerable support for Civil Gideon among scholars …

Enhancing Asphalt Binder's Rheological Behavior And Aging Susceptibility Using Nano-Particles, Renaldo C. Walters

Theses

The life expectancy of Asphalt Binder (AB) has been negatively impacted by the harsh bombardment of UV rays. UV rays cause asphalt to oxidize faster which results in deterioration of asphalt rheological characteristics that can lead to pavement distresses. This study investigates the impact that nano-particles and bio modification have on the aging susceptibility of asphalt binder. As such, the following hypothesis was investigated: Introduction of nano particles to asphalt binder will reduce asphalt oxidation aging by increasing the inter layer spacing of the nano particles. Two nano scale materials were used for this study, nano-clay and bio-char as well …

Optimizing Ice Thermal Storage To Reduce Energy Cost, Christopher L. Hall

Theses

Energy cost for buildings is an issue of concern for owners across the U.S. The bigger the building, the greater the concern. A part of this is due to the energy required to cool the building and the way in which charges are set when paying for energy consumed during different times of the day. This study will prove that designing ice thermal storage properly will minimize energy cost in buildings. The effectiveness of ice thermal storage as a means to reduce energy costs lies within transferring the time of most energy consumption from on-peak to off-peak periods. Multiple variables …

Investigating Effects Of Amine-Based Modifier On Recycled Asphalt Shingles Blending Index, Govinda Sedhay

Theses

This study was undertaken to investigate the effects of amine-based modifiers on the rheological characteristics of particle-filled viscous media such as recycled asphalt shingles (RAS). RAS are a recycled material that contains high concentrations of asphalt which has the potential for use in hot mix asphalt (HMA) when added to virgin asphalt. When using the RAS as a binder in HMA it is important to mix it with the virgin asphalt properly to achieve the best performance, which can also be enhanced by the incorporation of amine-based modifiers. Tear-off shingles were acquired from a roofing company and ground very fine …

Impact Of Supply Air Flow Rate On System Performance And Space Comfort Of Residential Air Conditioning Systems, Rifaie Fouad Al

Theses

The amount of air flow rate supplied to the space by the residential air conditioning system can have significant effect on the whole system performance and on the thermal comfort level. This study investigates the impact of air flow rates when they are higher or lower than the current practices or manufacture's specified values on system performance and on space comfort. In addition, this work examines the performance operation data such as (1) the annual and hourly energy consumption, (2) the system operation hours, (3) the temperature of air supplied to the space, (4) humidity ratio of the space, (5) …

Absentee Soldier Voting In Civil War Law And Politics, David A. Collins

Wayne State University Dissertations

During the Civil War, twenty northern states changed their laws to permit absent soldiers to vote. Before enactment of these statutes, state laws had tethered balloting to the voter's community and required in-person participation by voters. Under the new laws, eligible voters - as long as they were soldiers - could cast ballots in distant military encampments, far from their neighbors and community leaders. This dissertation examines the legal conflicts that arose from this phenomenon and the political causes underlying it.

Legally, the laws represented an abrupt change, contrary to earlier scholarship viewing them as culminating a gradual process of …

Rendez Donc A Cesar, Problemes Avec Les Mots De Dieu: Land And The Civil Constitution Of The Clergy Of 1790-1791, Jonathan Monroe

All Theses

This study investigates the state's sale of Church lands and the Civil Constitution of the Clergy during the French Revolution. The Civil Constitution has been seen as a turning point in the era's progression; it created very sharp divisions in revolutionary ideals by forcing clergy members to take an oath to the state that was condemned by the pope. These divisions helped feed Jacobin extremism and an era of Christian suppression and the Terror eventually ensued. Despite these problems, the struggling country under the Old Regime was desperate for Church reform that the Civil Constitution provided. The prohibition of the …

Geotechnical Test Embankment On Soft Marine Clay In Newington-Dover, New Hampshire, Amy Getchell

Master's Theses and Capstones

During the fall of 2012, the New Hampshire Department of Transportation built a test embankment for the new alignment segment of the proposed Exit 6 Southbound On-Ramp site off Route 4 in Newington-Dover, New Hampshire. The purpose of the test embankment is to determine effective and efficient treatment for the long-term ground settlement of the local soft marine clay native to the site. In addition to the test embankment, prefabricated vertical drains were installed to allow pore water from the soil to seep out and accelerate time-rate consolidation. Various in situ field testing methods were performed including: piezocone penetration, flat …

Development Of Unsaturated Flow Functions For Low Impact Development Stormwater Management Systems Filter Media And Flow Routines For Hydrological Modeling Of Permeable Pavement Systems, Iulia Aurelia Barbu

Doctoral Dissertations

Low Impact Development - Stormwater Management (LID-SWM) systems are relatively new technologies that were developed in order to meet the water quality criteria imposed by the Clean Water Act. LID-SWM is also used to replicate the natural hydrology of developed sites. However, the hydrological benefits of LID systems cannot be accurately predicted with the existing simulation models. Currently used software packages represent LID systems as storage units and do not specifically represent water routing through the systems' hydraulically restrictive sublayers. Since the LID's functionality at system level is not fully understood, the relationships of design variables and the systems' hydrological …

Evaluation And Optimization Of Bioretention Design For Nitrogen And Phosphorus Removal, Robin M. Stone

Master's Theses and Capstones

Laboratory and field investigations were conducted into the performance of modified bioretention system designs to reduce nutrient loads from stormwater runoff. Bioretention design characteristics of particular interest were filter media composition and structural configuration. A filter media admixture of raw aluminum-based water treatment residuals (WTR) in bioretention soil mix effectively adsorbed orthophosphate in laboratory tests (90-99% median removal efficiencies). WTR dewatered to 33% solids demonstrated consistently higher removal efficiencies (>99%). A bioretention system constructed in Durham, NH in 2011 includes a bioretention soil mix with raw WTR admixture (9% solids) and a structural design modeled after the UNHSC subsurface …

Approaches To Modeling Pathogen And Natural Organic Matter Removals In Slow-Rate Biofilters, Jeffrey Dale Senders

Doctoral Dissertations

There are limited expressions capable of estimating removals in one of the world's oldest and most sustainable water treatment systems: slow-rate biofilters. This research addresses the problem by deriving semi-empirical models that predict pathogen and natural organic matter removals within these natural and engineered sand filters. The more complex pathogen model, or phenomenological colloidal filtration theory (pCFT), applies the 1937 Iwasaki solution to New England pilot scale E. coli observations. The derived pCFT was then calibrated through a series of experimental bench scale phases. Further pCFT validation came by way of a seamless application to multiple microorganisms. Viruses (MS2 as …

Characterization Of Low-Temperature Properties Of Plant-Produced Rap Mixtures In The Northeast, Marcelo S. Medeiros Junior.

Doctoral Dissertations

The dissertation outlined herein results from a Federal Highway Administration sponsored project intended to investigate the impacts of high percentages of RAP material in the performance of pavements under cold climate conditions. It is comprised of two main sections that were incorporated into the body of this dissertation as Part I and Part II. In Part I a reduced testing framework for analysis of HMA mixes was proposed to replace the IDT creep compliance and strength testing by dynamic modulus and fatigue tests performed on an AMPT device. A continuum damage model that incorporates the nonlinear constitutive behavior of the …

Leveling Device Settings And Transverse Joint Material Testing For Full Depth Precast Panel Bridge Deck Assembly, Rowen E. Prescott

Master's Theses and Capstones

Across the United States there are many deteriorating highway bridges that are in need of replacement. In 2013, the Federal Highway Administration estimated that one-fourth of the Nation's bridges are in need of rehabilitation, repair, or complete replacement. (FHWA, 2013) To address these needs, innovative techniques must be developed to reduce both lifecycle costs and construction times while increasing both the quality and safety of bridge rehabilitation projects.

This research aims to further develop a method of integrating structural analysis software, during the modular construction process, to predict the leveling device settings for precast prestressed panels to ensure the desired …

Forensice Analysis Of Long Term Aged Hot Mix Asphalt Field Cores Containing Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement, Kelly Barry

Master's Theses and Capstones

The practice of incorporating Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) into Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) is common within the paving industry as a cost effective source of quality paving binder and aggregate. As prices for these resources continue to rise, investigations are being made to further increase the amount of RAP in new paving projects. These mixtures incorporate already aged asphalt binder into new mixtures, which can impact the performance of the mixture in the field in terms of cracking, rutting and aging. The goal of this research project was to determine if a difference in aging between high and low RAP …

Rapid Bridge Deck Replacement Using Finite Element Modeling As A Construction Aid, Justin Pelletier

Master's Theses and Capstones

Many bridges in the nation are listed as structurally deficient. This calls for new and innovative ways to repair these bridges that cause as little impediment to traffic flow as possible. A modular deck replacement system using full-depth precast prestressed concrete panels has been tried and proven in the field as a time efficient and cost effective deck replacement option.

The goal of this research project was to improve upon this modular system of deck replacement by investigating the viability of using finite element analysis software to aid in the construction process. The purpose of using a finite element model …

Digital Image Correlation As An Inspection Tool For Assessing Bridge Health, Adam Joseph Goudreau

Master's Theses and Capstones

According to the American Society of Civil Engineers more than one in nine bridges is considered to be structurally deficient (ASCE, 2013). This ranking is based on load ratings from visual inspections which aim to assess the condition of a bridge but are inherently subjective. It is vital to determine the true structural health of bridges in order to ensure efficient allocation of limited resources for critical infrastructure elements. The purpose of this research is to develop digital image correlation into a tool that bridge inspectors can rapidly deploy as part of In-Depth Bridge Inspection for an objective assessment of …