Digital Commons Network^™

Establishing A Christ-Centered Understanding Of The Minor Prophets At First Baptist Church, Greenville, Ky, John Michael Galyen

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this action research project is to help members of First Baptist Church Greenville, KY, interpret and apply the Minor Prophets from a Christ-centered perspective. This project measured church members’ understanding of the Minor Prophets as they pertain to Christians today. It also measured attitudes and affections toward the Minor Prophets. A total of eleven people participated in the study. Eight were female; the other three were male. Each participant completed a pre-intervention survey, along with three instructional workshops that focused on biblical exposition, biblical theology, and hermeneutics. An eight-part sermon series was implemented to model the kind …

Exploring Hangar Flying As A Communication Practice For Vicarious Learning: A Qualitative Content Analysis Of General Aviation Storytelling On Youtube, Timothy Aaron Frizzell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

More than 50% of general aviation accidents are caused by pilot error, often due to inadequate formal training or inexperience in real-life situations (Pilot Institute, 2023). Some scholars suggest that learning from other pilots’ experiences could supplement formal training and increase general aviation safety (Cohn, 1994; Harnagel, 2021; Krog, 2022). With this in mind, this study explored the communication phenomenon known as hangar flying, an aviation storytelling practice in which pilots share flying experiences. The goal was to investigate how hangar flying may enable vicarious learning, influence personal flying culture, and, as a result, increase flight safety. Employing a qualitative …

Disability And News: How Audiences Respond To Disabled Messengers In A Newcast, Daniel J. Andersen

Theses and Dissertations

Starting in the 1960s, many communications theories sprung to life in response to social movements that thrived in that era. While those theories were applied to movements such as gender equality, the equal rights movement, and racial and ethnic minority recognition efforts, the disability community has largely been left outside of academic exploration. Building off of decades of stereotype and representation research within communications psychological theories, this study used eye tracking to understand how audiences respond to seeing disabled newscasters. Using quantitative analysis and experimental design to expose participants to a news anchor in a wheelchair, this study built off …

Coffee In Brasil: Sustainability And The Role Of Intermediaries, Livia Petzinger

Capstone Collection

ABSTRACT

Coffee is traded in a highly complex global value chain where countless sustainability initiatives have emerged to address social, economic, and environmental issues, challenges which persist due to dominance of the market structure by largescale traders and roasters. Specialty coffee and direct trade have emerged as alternative trade arrangements that promote high-quality coffee through the use of sustainable practices, transparency, and a shortened supply chain. This research analyzes the role that intermediaries in the Brazilian specialty coffee supply chain play in the implementation of sustainability initiatives asking what kinds of sustainability practices they implement and why, and how this …

Agile Methodologies On Software Product Project Success, Ying Wang

Harrisburg University Dissertations and Theses

Despite the popularity of using agile methods in software development, many companies still struggle with efficiency problems. These issues lead to financial losses and make it harder for them to compete in the fast-paced software industry. This study aims to find solutions to these problems by looking into effective ways to improve how agile methods are used and to overcome the challenges of putting them into practice. By examining what factors contribute to the success of agile project management, this research hopes to offer useful advice for making software development projects more efficient and productive. The findings from this study …

Changing Landscape Of Liver Transplant In The United States—Time For A New Innovative Way To Define And Utilize The “Non-Standard Liver Allograft”—A Proposal, Rashmi Seth, Kenneth Andreoni

Department of Surgery Faculty Papers

Since the first liver transplant was performed over six decades ago, the landscape of liver transplantation in the US has seen dramatic evolution. Numerous advancements in perioperative and operative techniques have resulted in major improvements in graft and patient survival rates. Despite the increase in transplants performed over the years, the waitlist mortality rate continues to remain high. The obesity epidemic and the resultant metabolic sequelae continue to result in more marginal donors and challenging recipients. In this review, we aim to highlight the changing characteristics of liver transplant recipients and liver allograft donors. We focus on issues relevant in …

Binary Gendered Language: A Qualitative Study Of Psu Students, Dakota Abercrombie

University Honors Theses

This study explores experiences of gendered language in use in academia among two marginalized groups: women and those identifying beyond the gender binary. Guided by the theory of linguistic relativity this study attempts to understand specific ways in which gendered language, including generic language may show up and contrasted within these groups. While this data is not generalizable, the findings indicate that both women and nonbinary students experience binary pronoun use in written formats such as syllabi. However, nonbinary students describe more negative feelings associated with this experience. We also noted participants' gender identities intersecting with other identities, leading to …

Minimising The Risk: Teen Perspectives On Sexual Choking In Pornography, Giselle Woodley, Kelly Jaunzems

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Sexual choking / strangulation encompasses a range of practices where pressure is applied to the neck to restrict air or blood flow during a sexual encounter. While choking is most commonly associated with the application of hands around a person’s neck, other limbs or ligatures, such as the forearm or rope, may also be used (Herbenick et al., Frequency 3122; Herbenick et al., Prevalence 1059). This article will predominantly use the term “choking” or “sexual choking” to match teen vernacular and public discourse. These terms, however, may be used interchangeably with other more context-specific terms used in the literature such …

Lindenwood Digest, August 7, 2024, Lindenwood University

Lindenwood Digest

The Lindenwood Digest has been a digital employee newsletter since 2009.

"These Lyrics But It's The Opening Of A Ted Talk" - A Public Speaking Activity Inspired By Tiktok, Abby Ferrell

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

This activity encourages students to practice delivery skills in a fun and laid-back way that connects to social media. This activity can be used in-person or online and is intended for public speaking, oral/interpersonal communication, and introductory theatre classes. Based on content creator Madeleine Chalk’s “These lyrics but it’s the opening of a TED Talk” videos, students will deliver song lyrics as if they were giving a TED talk. In doing so, they will practice delivery skills such as eye contact, vocal variety, and body language. After the activity, students will debrief on the mechanics of delivery, audience engagement, and …

You Never Walk Alone: Bts As A Symbol Of Light For Youth, Aaliyah Robinson

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

This essay examines how the South Korean music group, BTS, has utilized their platform to bring awareness to mental health in youth. I specifically analyze the use of their personal stories and experiences as a means of communication or outreach to their fans, also known as the ARMY. Exploring the theory of identification, or a direct sense of connectedness between a speaker and an audience, I argue that through their music and personalized rhetoric speech patterns, BTS seeks to allow their fans to view their experiences as the same. This has created a dynamic encompassing a sense of friendship and …

"You Are More Than Just Your Gift:" Facework And Idealization In Disney's Encanto, Janelle L.H. Gruber, Valerie Lynn Schrader

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

In this rhetorical analysis, we apply Goffman’s theory of facework to the Disney film Encanto, arguing that Encanto provides important lessons regarding facework and advocates for using facework in moderation. Encanto tells the story of the Madrigals, a family who experiences a miracle that results in each member of the family having a special gift – all except for one, the teenage protagonist, Mirabel. When Mirabel recognizes that both the miracle and her family are in danger, she realizes that her individual family members are using facework in order to fit in with the rest of the family and impress …

"Like Grasping At Wisps Of Smoke:" Interactional And Educational Challenges For College Students With Invisible Chronic Physical And Mental Conditions, Jennifer A. Butler, Daniel P. Modaff

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

Past research has explored the experiences of college students with chronic conditions from a variety of methodologies; however, student-driven, longer-term qualitative data is needed to explore how students with chronic conditions describe the challenges they face in attempting to manage their conditions and succeed in college. The current study gathered qualitative data in the form of daily journal entries over a 14-day period (pre-pandemic) from 23 college students who self-identified as having a chronic physical or mental condition. The themes were discussed through the lens of communication theory of resilience. We envision the management of student chronic illness as resiliency …

From The Editor, Bradley Wolfe

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

Letter from the Editor of the Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal, Dr. Bradley Wolfe, for Volume 47, 2024 issue.

Volume 47, 2024, Communication And Theater Association Of Minnesota Journal, Front Matter

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

Front matter and Table of Contents for Volume 47 (2024) of the Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal.

Volume 47, 2024 Communication And Theater Association Of Minnesota Journal

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

Complete digitized volume (volume 47) of Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal.

A ‘Nuclear Bomb’ Or Just ‘A Joke’? Groundwater Models May Help Communicate Nuanced Risks To The Great Salt Lake, Matthew D. Laplante, Piyush Dahal, Shih-Yu Simon Wang, Kirsti Hakala, Avik Mukherjee

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

The Great Salt Lake entered the zeitgeist of environmental concern in 2022 when a coalition of scientists and activists warned in a highly publicized report that the lake might be just five years away from complete desiccation, a possibility one state official warned was tantamount to an “environmental nuclear bomb”. Shortly thereafter, an unpredicted and unprecedented pluvial winter resulted in an increase in inflow, temporarily halting the lake’s decline and prompting Utah’s governor to mock the dire prediction as “a joke”, an outcome that speaks to the tension between agenda-setting and trust-building that researchers face when sharing worst-case warnings, particularly …

Modeling Knowledge Graphs And Its Applicability In Multi-Source Social Network Data, Abiola Sylvester Akinnubi

Theses and Dissertations

Social network analysis is becoming more relevant with the rise of Large Language Models and other AI frameworks, particularly as online content creation surges. However, analyzing social network data from different platforms to study online opinions and influence campaigns remains challenging. Even more complex is the concept of multi-source social network analysis. Knowledge graphs, an essential part of Web 4.0 and crucial in information modeling and encoding, offer a unique solution. They allow for a more concise encoding of relationships between entities and related discussions. However, there is limited investigation into using multi-source data for examining online information campaigns and …

Age. Cultural Intelligence, Social Media Use And Anxiety, Bill Comstock

Master's Theses & Other Graduate Student Works

This August 2024 Master of Science in Psychology thesis at Lipscomb University study investigated the intricate relationship between social media use, age, cultural intelligence, and anxiety levels, aiming to unravel potential interactions and influences across diverse demographics. In a survey-based approach, 49 participants from various age groups and cultural backgrounds were tested for age, cultural intelligence scores (CQS), anxiety levels (GAD-7), and social media use patterns assessed by the Social Networking Time Use Scale (SONTUS). The central hypothesis posited that age, cultural intelligence, and social media use collectively interact in predicting anxiety levels. To address this, a multiple linear regression …

Staff Perspectives Of Deaf And Hard Of Hearing College Students’ Alcohol Use, Christine L. Gannon, Theresa H. Gibble, Retta Evans

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

A predominant health issue at colleges and universities is alcohol use. This is also true for deaf and hard of hearing college students. Key stakeholders who observe and witness this alcohol dynamic are staff. Researchers used a semi-structured qualitative guide to interview Gallaudet University staff (N = 26) to learn about their perspectives on and experiences with student alcohol use. Through thematic analysis, they identified several dominant themes that were then grouped into the three levels of the social-ecological model. First, they identified intrapersonal factors, including fear of missing out and coping strategies. Second, they identified interpersonal factors such …

Analyzing The Message Complexity, Signal Words, And Readability Of Medical Tourism Warning Messages, Alicia Mason, Sakshi Bhati

Faculty Submissions

Medical tourists are deemed to be a vulnerable patient population because they often have limited knowledge of the specialized health care treatment and services they seek. They are also frequently unfamiliar with the medical tourism physicians, providers, and facilitators with whom they interact. As a result, travel, biomedical, and procedural risks are often difficult to define and estimate. This analysis uses computer-automated technology to analyze the risk and warning messages distributed by government and private medical associations to medical tourists. Results show these messages are often complex and highly textual with little visual graphic elements. The messages frequently lack key …

Newsletter, Wku Staff Senate

Staff Council

Newsletter created by WKU Staff Council to report on work accomplished.

Empowering Ugandan Women Smallholder Farmers: Documenting Her Mighty Hands Agriculture Extension Nonprofit, Anna Mathis

Agricultural Education, Communications and Technology Undergraduate Honors Theses

Women smallholder farmers in East Africa, including Uganda, provide the majority of agriculture labor. However, women are significantly less productive than men due to extreme barriers such as their lack of decision-making rights, inability to solely own land, and familial responsibilities. The purpose of this project was to create a full integrated communications and fundraising campaign for Her Mighty Hands, an agriculture extension nonprofit whose mission is to connect Ugandan women subsistence farmers to technology and knowledge which empower them to advance their agricultural business; enabling them to improve the quality of life for themselves, their families, and communities. Photos …

Policy, Practice, And Perceptions Of K-12 Social-Emotional Learning, Janice Filer, Ebony C. Cain, Della Thompson-Bell

Education Division Scholarship

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of K-12 school staff who participate in social-emotional learning (SEL). Since the global pandemic, several school districts have included SEL as part of the school curriculum. Teachers, counselors, social workers, school psychologists, and school administrators participate in SEL instruction and/or practices. Classroom teachers instruct students in SEL instruction and other school staff practice the SEL components of self-awareness, self-management, decision-making, social awareness, and relationship skills through their daily interactions with students. This study was conducted in various schools throughout the Los Angeles area using open-ended interview questions that utilized focus …

Cultural Humility As A Mechanism For Building Working Alliance With International Counseling Supervisees, Alexandra Ioakeimidou

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The counseling field constitutes a choice of study for many international students pursuing graduate studies in the United States. A critical training aspect of the counseling field is clinical supervision. It is documented in the literature that international counseling supervisees encounter many challenges in the context of supervision. The field of mental health and, in particular, the counseling field often emphasize the concept of cultural competence as a critical component in providing effective cross-cultural supervision. However, scholars have pointed out some negative aspects of cultural competence. The present study stipulated that the emphasis of supervisors on cultural competence could be …

Arab Citizens’ Contributions To Investigative Reporting: An Examination Of Arabs' Awareness, Willingness, And Satisfaction Toward Citizen Investigative Reporting, Ahmed Makharesh

Dissertations

This dissertation aims to measure Arabs' understanding of investigative reporting and willingness to engage in investigative reporting practices through a survey of 421 Arab citizens from countries that include the Eastern African, Northern African, Arabian Peninsula, and Fertile Crescent regions. It also aims to measure Arabs' understanding of gatekeeping and their willingness to serve as gatekeepers. Further, this dissertation emphasizes various hypotheses, including that increased investigative reporting would benefit the region's citizens and increase the quality of journalistic work. The gatekeeping theory fits into this dissertation because of the significant development of the news delivery process on social media in …

Exploring Healthcare Chatbot Information Presentation: Applying Hierarchical Bayesian Regression And Inductive Thematic Analysis In A Mixed Methods Study, Samuel Nelson Koscelny

All Theses

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, significantly increases the risk of heart disease and stroke, which are leading causes of death in the United States. While contributing to over 691,000 deaths in 2021 alone in the United States (U.S.), it also imposes immense economic burden on the healthcare system, costing approximately $131 billion annually. One way to address this issue is for increased self-care behaviors and medication adherence, both of which require sufficient health literacy. Despite the importance of health literacy, 90% of U.S. adults struggle with health-related subjects. Overcoming the issues associated with health literacy requires addressing the …

“Koláče In The Blogosphere: Cultivating Food Expertise Through Domesticity, Femininity, And Ethnicity”, Cathryn Janka

Institute for the Humanities Master's Papers, Projects, and Capstones

Koláče in the Blogosphere is an analysis of food blogs to determine how female food bloggers cultivate food expertise through domesticity, femininity, and ethnicity. Their readership are predominately the adult children and grandchildren of immigrants seeking rediscovery of lost recipes or the completion of partial recipes of loved ones that have passed on. The bloggers are typically recent immigrants themselves or native writers in their home countries sharing recipes with those seeking rediscovery. Gender and food studies scholars have studied women as guardians of domesticity, ethnicity, the world of ethnic cuisine, and food authenticity along with the matrilineal transmission of …

Further Developing Drought Early Warning Information Systems Using Mixed-Methods And Multiple Streams Of Data, Caily Claire Schwartz

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Drought is a complex phenomenon with varying degrees of impacts and monitoring methods. No drought is alike, creating a challenge for both water managers and communities. No area is immune to a drought. Due to the cyclical nature of drought events, clear information to those impacted is necessary to reduce risk and move towards proactive responses, as opposed to reactive responses. To better provide communication and mitigation tools, Drought Early Warning Information Systems (DEWIS) have been developed in various regions and contexts. To improve early warning, an understanding of the end user’s perceptions of risk, and the applicability of data …

We're Swarming Again! Swarming, Collectivity, And Trope: The Case Of Extinction Rebellion, Tyler J. Behymer

Department of Communication Studies: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This thesis explores the rhetoric of the eco-movement Extinction Rebellion, focusing on the use of swarming and nature tropes to mobilize collective action and revivify contemporary notions of collectivity. Drawing on rhetoric of social movement scholarship, cultural studies, and psychoanalysis, this essay theorizes swarming as a tropological economy that expands the conditions of propriety in the context of collectivity. Through an analysis of Extinction Rebellion’s discourse, this study demonstrates how the naturalization of swarming tropes works in various ways to rewild conventional political discourse, galvanize disruptive collective assembly, and challenge green neoliberalism.

Advisor: Casey Ryan Kelly