Digital Commons Network^™

Effect Of Repeated Readings And Positive Praise On Reading Comprehension, Lisa Stroeing

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This research is about repeated readings among 5th graders and the effect of praise or acknowledgement of different areas on a student's reading comprehension and fluency. Three test groups were given a six week intervention of repeated readings with one group receiving praise for fluency gains, one for comprehension gains and one group was give no praise. After six weeks of intervention, benchmark assessments were given to the three groups as well as the control.

Reflections Of Growth As A Counselor Trainee, Rachelle Brown

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Abstract

This Plan B project aims to highlight the development of self-awareness that took place for me over the course of my time in the Counseling graduate program. Throughout this project, I draw from a reflection of my own personal experiences throughout my childhood, as well as my current experiences at my internship site, The Rape and Abuse Crisis Center (RACC). I also highlight the objective knowledge I have gained in the form of assessments, as well as data from personal interviews in order to consider the perspectives of others. This project also includes emphasizes my newly formed philosophical conceptualization …

The Promise Of Happy Cows: How American Milk Brands Persuade Consumers Regarding Farm Animal Welfare Conditions And How Consumers Respond To Incidents Of Being Misled, Chelsea Newson

Student Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to examine how American dairy companies employ language and imagery in brand communications (marketing, advertising, and public relations) to persuade consumers regarding farm animal welfare (FAW) conditions on supplier farms, and to examine how consumers respond in instances in which conditions on supplier farms are shown to be counter to what is depicted in brand communications. In other words, it examines how the dairy industry communicates its FAW-related values and promises to consumers and investigates consumer tolerance for being misled regarding FAW conditions. This project is thus intended as an exploration of the intersection …

Rideshare Issues And Implications For Curb Management, Brandon Leonard Utterback

Landscape Architecture Masters & Design Theses

As autonomous vehicles continue to prove themselves on our roads today, a look at the considerations of implementation will be necessary. The potential for rethinking our infrastructure requirements, as a result of this new technology, could be a significant benefit to everyday life in terms of safety, congestion, and travel behavior. We must also consider the potential impact on the environment, which is often overlooked. If automobile infrastructure such as roads and parking lots are reduced in urban areas, how will this rediscovered urban space be used? How will planners, designers, and policymakers adapt our infrastructure needs when less pressure …

Getting Them In The Door: A Study Of Programming Within Boys & Girls Clubs Of Vermont, Hannah Macon

Capstone Collection

While it is clear that strong, evidence-based youth-centered programming has a significant impact within an organization, there are often challenges and barriers which can significantly impact these programs. To understand these barriers more fully, it is important to understand the context through which these programs are being operated in, and by analyzing the perceptions surrounding what makes a program successful or sustainable over time. The Boys and Girls Club of Brattleboro is a local non profit which strives to grow and increase its impact on the youth members of the community. The purpose of this research was to collect and …

W()Men, Natalia M. Keogan

Capstones

W()MEN is a short documentary that examines the horror movie genre and the way that it focuses on women’s bodies. It integrates talking head interviews, clips from over 50 horror films, and narration in order to critically examine how women’s bodies have been portrayed as monstrous within the genre.

nataliakeogan.com/thesis-film

The Never-Ending Lap, Ennica D. Jacob, Alexis Reese

Capstones

This personal film documents the journey of a Haitian-American woman dealing with sexual trauma in a culture that doesn’t speak candidly on the topic. How can women of the African- American diaspora break the cycle of sexual trauma and what are coping mechanisms to navigate their life choices with awareness?

The Never-Ending Lap will follow Ennica’s own healing process, delving delve into the cycles of sexual trauma. The film will explore past experiences through journal entries, therapy sessions and her love for track and field as she is on the road to search for coping mechanisms and healing.

Link: https://ennicajacob.myportfolio.com/videos

Postpartum Pains, Lakea Youngblood

Capstones

The Academy once again came under fire. This time for banning a commercial that advertised a postpartum support. People all over the country became enraged. The Academy seemed more friendly to movies about murder than postpartum, in alignment with the sexist ideas that have been pervasive in this country since its foundations. This short documentary pushes back against this narrative and the silence around postpartum by showing the realities of it through a woman’s journey.

The film is a personal documentary about myself. After having my first child, I found myself traumatized and scarred by the pains of postpartum. Because …

“Plough Up Some Literary”: Signifying On “Ole Massa” And White Authority Through Oral Space In Zora Neale Hurston’S Mules And Men And Eudora Welty’S “Powerhouse”, James Vaughan

Student Research Submissions

This essay compares representative methods of black storytelling and signifying that overcome white authority in Hurston’s Mules and Men and Welty’s “Powerhouse.” Though many critics disagree with Mules and Men’s ambivalent structural frame, this essay defends Hurston’s subversive use of anthropological features and humanization of the storytellers as an act of authority over the white-dominated genre of anthropology she portrays. Likewise, the “Ole Massa” tales the workmen tell in Mules and Men signify on or subvert the legacy of slavery by depicting the slave-owner as a man easily and consistently fooled by John the slave. In using oral space, the …

Women And Fiber: The Role Of Craft Traditions In The Transmission Of Cultural History., Brooks Vessels

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses

This thesis investigates the role of fiber and historic craft processes in the documentation and transmission of women’s history. It has inspired an original body of artwork that employs such traditional techniques as weaving, quilting, sewing, and dyeing in addition to the contemporary processes of performance art, installation, and video documentation as a means of connecting with a matrilineal line. The research conducted provides examples of women who have used fiber processes as a way to process grief, enact religious rituals, and perform domestic tasks, as well as contemporary artists and art historians who have considered the role of fiber …

Shtëpi Banimi B+P+1, Ramize Ismaili

Theses and Dissertations

Duke e marrë parasysh se Prishtina si qytet ështe shum i ngarkuar me ndërtime të mëdha e të paplanifikuara, te cilat nuk i ndjekin normativat dhe nuk i anlizojnë mundësite që krijon gjendja eksistuese e këto ndërtime po paraqesin probleme të shumta si në zhvillimin e jetës së banorëve, në komunikacion ashtu edhe në hapësirat publike. Duke i marr parasysh të gjithë këto probleme qytetarët më shum parapëlqejnë të jetojnë në periferi të qytetit duke i’u shmangur mbi ngarkesave të shumta të krijuar në qytet. Mënyra e planifikimit dhe krijimit të ndërtesave në pjesët e qytetit nuk i përmbushin kërkesat …

Stacioni I Autobusave Dhe Qendrat E Mobilitetit Bujanoc, Vullnet Abazi

Theses and Dissertations

Tema e këtij Punimi të Diplomës mbështetet në rëndësinë e dizajnimit dhe projektimit urban me pjesëmarrjen e publikut në vendimmarrjen e qështjeve që ndikojnë në zhvillimin urban të qyteteve dhe fshatrave. Trajtimi i një teme të tillë ka ardhur si rezultat i mungesës së stacionit të autobusëve dhe qendrave të mobiliteit në komunën e Bujanocit, komunë e cila vazhdimisht shoqërohet me rënie të numrit të banorëve e cila vie si pasojë e diskriminimit të vazhdueshëm që i bëhet banorëve të kësaj komunë. Me anë të këtij projekti është tentuar që përveç anës së planifikimit dhe dizajnit të preken edhe fusha …

Rhetsec_ | Rhetorical Security, Jennifer Mead

Culminating Projects in English

Rhetsec_ examines the rhetorical situation, the rhetorical appeals, and how phishing emails simulate "real" emails in five categories of phishing emails. While the first focus of cybersecurity is security, you must also understand the language of computers to know how to secure them. Phishing is one way to compromise security using computers, and so the computer becomes a tool for malicious language (phishing emails and malware) to be transmitted. Therefore to be concerned with securing computers, then you must also be concerned with language. Language is rhetoric's domain, and the various rhetorical elements which create an identity of the phisher …

Planning Practices For The Public Mental Health, Kaitlin A. Mcbride

Planning Theses

The rapid urbanization taking place in the 21st century poses its own unique set of public health concerns. In addition to changing lifestyles around the world, mental illness rates are higher in our cities. While the conversations surrounding public health usually focus on the physical, mental health has an equal impact on the overall wellbeing of individuals and populations. Just as the planning profession finds it crucial to be involved in efforts to improve the physical public health in cities, we must do the same for the public mental health. Like most professions, planning is guided by our theories. These …

Whose Birthright? Evaluating The Impact Of Birthright Trips To Israel On American Jewish Identity In The #Metoo And #Boycottbirthright Era, Christy David

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis critically examines both the impact of Birthright Israel trips on the formation of Jewish American identity but also confronts disparities in the participants’ experiences and the current evaluation methods being used to judge the ‘success’ of the trips. In 2018, the rise of the #MeToo and #BoycottBirthright movements coincided, and both participants of the trip and female educators called for a change in both the Birthright itinerary and supposed “goals” that were seeped in misogyny and an erasure of the Palestinian narrative. This research brings the two seemingly separate issues together by looking at the issues with the …

Helpless, Hunter Bosnick

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Helpless is a creative thesis featuring a series of illustrations that metaphorically represent instances of abuse and trauma through the use of mythological and supernatural creatures.

Exploring The Relationship Of Sound With The Urban Environment: A Strategic Inquiry On The Impacts Of And Design And Planning Responses To Sound In Transit-Oriented Developments (Tods), Yalcin Yildirim

Public Affairs Dissertations

Over the last decades, Transit-Oriented Developments (TODs) have stimulated heated debates. Researchers have fully explored the TODs' quality-of-life characteristics; however, sound/noise impacts are under-explored in the field. This dissertation explores the planning and design implications of sounds in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area TODs. TODs include potentials to cover a broad range of sounds that improve the quality-of-life (QoL). Since sound studies should not only rely on in-situ sound measurements and it should also examine the subjective aspects of the sound as the dissertation examines the perception of the individuals on sounds in TODs, the project required a certain number …

Comparing And Contrasting The Dynamics Influencing Urban And Economic Land Development Surrounding Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport And Dallas Love Field Airport, Anthony K. Chandler

Public Affairs Dissertations

With the surrounding layout of both Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) International Airport and Dallas Love Field (DAL) Airport being shaped by and through differing contributing influences, one intriguing question for this diverse aviation region would be understanding the strategies for the resulting development adjoining both airports. Specifically, the purpose of this study is to create a comprehensive narrative of what dynamics (factors) influenced the development of areas adjoining both DFW & DAL Airports, and to understand how these airport-driven dynamics (factors) affected urban and economic development throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Through a historical outlook of both airports, this study will …

Budgeting In Times Of Fiscal Stress: An Analysis Of The Budget Process And Resource Allocation Of Social Programs In A Large Urban County From 2006-2017, Ronica L. Watkins Babers

Public Affairs Dissertations

Grusky, et al. (2011) refer to the Great Recession as a transformative event that spiraled into as systemic crisis affecting both the public and private sector. Although the origin of the Great Recession was in the collapse of the housing market, it, in turn, created and sustained a crisis in both the financial sector as well as the labor market (Fligstein and Goldstein, 2012). The downturn would eventually lead to the most significant labor market dislocation in the post- Depression era, driving up high and long-term unemployment as well as involuntarily working part-time individuals (Grusky et al. 2011). Each level …

At The Nexus Of Dallas' Neighborhood Arts Districts And Tax Incremental Financing Zones: The Question Of Affordable Housing In A Socially Just Economy, Katherine M. Kosut

Public Affairs Dissertations

This dissertation examines the effects of urban economic development policies on affordable housing and the resident working-class populations within neighborhood arts district (NAD) and the Tax Incremental Financing (TIF) support of the NAD revitalization. This study questions whether municipally endorsed “creative gentrification” in the form of the tax-based economic development policy—tax incremental financing—increases the effects of gentrification and housing affordability loss in low-income neighborhood arts districts in the United States, using Dallas TX as a case study. Historically intended to provide fit-housing in low-income “blighted” neighborhoods, States have adopted TIF policies in reliance upon the concept that “but-for” the use …

Are Smarter Neighborhoods, More Walkable?, Golnaz Keshavarzihaghighi

Public Affairs Dissertations

This dissertation seeks to investigate the association between smart city initiatives and neighborhoods’ walkability. The preference for living in walkable neighborhoods has grown remarkably since 2017, in comparison to previous years, and residents of walkable neighborhoods show more satisfaction regarding their quality of life. In recent decades, people tend to live in communities that provide better QoL and are more receptive to their needs. Meanwhile, with new technology advancements, residents and visitors have become more involved, and cities have become more responsive in recognizing their demands and providing solutions and services. Although technology plays a vital role in smart cities, …

Adolescent Male Behaviors As Portrayed In The Disney Sitcom Hannah Montana, Erin T. Maurer

Honors College Theses

This research project uses content analysis to examine themes related to toxic masculinity and misogyny in the sitcom Hannah Montana. In particular, the sitcom’s child character Rico Suave is shown to be misogynistic when interacting with women. There is little literature on the topic of representation of toxic masculinity as shown in child characters, but there are many examples in modern media, such as the trope of the child being attracted to the babysitter, the lifeguard, and the friend of an older sibling. Using similarly-formatted transcripts from seasons two, three, and four, I pulled all lines of dialogue and stage …

The Impact Of Collusion On The Operation Of A Fraudulent Mortgage Origination Network, Cynthia Waddell

Presidential Alumni Research Dissemination Award

Statement on Auditing Standards (SAS) No. 99 illustrates the three fraud conditions (incentives/pressures, opportunities, and rationalizations/attitudes) in detail, but devotes less emphasis to collusion, another important element of fraud. The problem is that lack of research on the impact of collusion, especially at the transaction level, prevents auditors from focusing on this critical element during financial statement audits. Network theory was used to examine the impact of collusive relationships in a mortgage fraud network that operated in a midwestern city from 2003 to 2005. Data were collected from both private and public records. Research questions addressed the role of the …

Assessing The Impacts Of Road Capacity Improvements On Project Communities: A Case Study Of The National Highway 1 (N1-Highway) Accra, Ghana, Frank Adarkwa

Public Affairs Dissertations

The evaluation of road transportation projects has always been undertaken based on engineering and economic criteria. Road transportation projects are selected based on their significant impacts on key performance measures such as safety and travel time. In recent years, emphasis has been placed on the social and economic impacts of road transportation projects and how they affect members of society rather than the users of roads (Transportation Research Board, 2011). The provision of appropriate and effective road facilities is of the utmost importance in order to achieve well-functioning roads in terms of safety, capacity, user comfort, and minimized environmental impacts. …

Mass Incarceration And Voter Turnout Among African Americans In The United States (Is There A Correlation Between The Two?), Martha Wilson-Musgrove

Public Affairs Dissertations

In developing an understanding of political participation among historically underrepre-sented groups, a disproportionate number of African Americans receiving punishment (prison sentences) is an issue that warrants consideration when calculating voter turnout. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 protects the voting rights of people regardless of race or ethnicity. The in-creasing incarceration rate of African American men, popularly known as mass incarceration, is a criminal justice phenomenon ongoing since the 1980’s. This research focuses primarily on the relationship between voter turnout, general and more specifically African Americans, and mass incarceration. The study examines twelve General (Presidential) Elections since the passage of …

New Public Service: Gray Matters In The Delivery Of Public Added Value Through Creative Governance Practices – A Silver Lining To Managing The Effects Of A Changing Demographic, Salvador Portillo

Public Affairs Dissertations

The baby boomer generation, those people born worldwide between 1946 and 1964 are now making their mass exodus from the workforce and are on the imminent road to retirement. Or maybe they are not. The road to retirement is shrouded in uncertainty for countless older Americans. The financial crisis in 2008 left many reeling with debts and inadequate payments from their hard earned pensions. In addition to this, research has shown poor planning has left a significant portion of baby boomers facing financial insecurity, requiring them to work longer than anticipated. Nevertheless, large swaths of older adults are having difficulty …

Investigation Of Surface Topology Effects On Metal Flow Of Aluminum And Steel During Hot Compression, Andrew Richard Matcha

Master's Theses (2009 -)

An investigation was conducted to study the effect of die surface roughness and lay on metal flow and the friction factor under lubricated hot compression. 6061-T6 aluminum and AISI 1018 steel rings and rectangular bar stock workpieces were compressed on H-13 tool steel platens of varying roughnesses ranging from Ra 0.25 – 6.1 µm (10 – 240 µin). Each platen was machined in such a way to ensure that the surface roughness would be unidirectional. Platen temperatures of 149 °C and 204 °C (300 °F and 400 °F) were used for all aluminum ring samples whereas platen temperatures ranging from …

Modern Functional Reach Test Kit, Julia Y. List

Biomedical Engineering

The Functional Reach Test (FRT) is a measure of flexibility, often used in physical and occupational therapy to measure mobility. Currently, the FRT is conducted in a specific location, usually the rehabilitation center, and is highly dependent on the operator. Part of this is in order to ensure the test is performed properly by approval of an expert, but also to ensure safety for patients with limited motion. We created a universal portable Reach Test Kit that will ensure consistency with measurements while maintaining patient privacy and safety.

We focused on stability and mobility for our design. This is because …

The Militarization Of Ice And Hyper-Surveillance Of Latinx Immigrants, Karen Martinez Gonzalez

Global Honors Theses

Since the creation of this country, exclusion based on race and class has been upheld by racist immigration, citizenship and labor laws. From slavery to segregation and from mass incarceration to the exploitation and criminalization of immigrant labor. The capitalist inclusion and nationalist exclusion of people of color are not separate ideologies instead they work together to ensure the original purpose of a homogeneous nation. ICE’s most important but hidden purpose is to uphold a white homogeneous nation. Their practices not only target undocumented communities but specifically undocumented communities of color. Migrants of color in the U.S. are prevented from …

On Sectored Sensor To Actuator Networked Control Systems Architectures With Fault Tolerance At The Sensor Level, Rana Hassan Elmaraashly

Theses and Dissertations

Networked Control Systems are broadly implemented to meet the demands of many critical industrial applications. This study proposes an NCS system that employs Sectoring to a Sensor to Actuator (S2A) architecture. The proposed system guarantees no over delayed packets with zero packet loss using Gigabit Ethernet, and this is accomplished using Riverbed Modeler simulations. Hence, succeeding in meeting all the required real-time constraints. System performance is then compared quantitatively to the in-loop and the S2A NCS models. Moreover, Sift-out modular redundancy is implemented at the sensor level. It is evident that the system can sustain the extra network load with …