Digital Commons Network^™

Boosting Employee Morale Through Team Building, Nancy Marquez

IPS/BAS 495 Undergraduate Capstone Projects

This project focuses on the creation of a team building manual, suggestions of team building activities that can be used in the workplace for both in-office and virtual teams, and results of a pilot activity. PowerPoint outlines the process of creating a Manual for management, implementing a pilot activity, measuring results and obtaining feedback from a team of 45 employees working remotely and onsite across 3 states.

PDF Manual shows each page of the OneNote manual delivered to management at the conclusion of the project. Resources on managing cliques in the medical office and silos in the workplace are linked. …

Change The World One Worm At A Time!, David C. Goff

IPS/BAS 495 Undergraduate Capstone Projects

My Capstone Project aims to blend the old with the new. It's about taking tried-and-true farming practices and breathing new life into them with innovative, sustainable solutions. It seeks to balance making a living from the land and caring for it for future generations.

The project's core revolves around Organic Worm Tea, a natural product we've been developing and testing. This process involves rolling up our sleeves, getting our hands dirty, and observing the tea's effect on various farms, including those run by immigrant farmers who bring unique farming traditions from their home countries.

But this project isn't just about …

Making Home: The Role Of Social Networks On Identity, Health, And Quality Of Life Among Rural Lesbian And Gay Older Adults, Marc A. Guest, Elizabeth G. Hunter, Nancy E. Schoenberg

UK CARES Faculty Publications

Background and Objectives: Gay and lesbian older persons face a host of health inequalities related to their identity as they age. Challenges to health access and appropriate social support may be even more exacerbated for those living in rural environments; this may be due to the lack of supportive and affirming social connections. This project aimed to explore and describe the social networks and the relationship of these social networks to identity, health, and quality of life of gay and lesbian individuals in rural communities.

Research Design and Methods: Social network data on network type, size, and social capital were …

Organizing The Process, Erika Arellano

IPS/BAS 495 Undergraduate Capstone Projects

The capstone project that I chose to complete for this semester is program organization. Our developmental preschool program offers services for children with disabilities from three to five years of age. Having a well-organized and structured program is a foundational must as so much time is consumed with paperwork and meetings. As a first-year preschool teacher, I started the school year with more questions than answers, and answers that confused me even more. The way it is currently set up is with piles and piles of loose files stacked up on a desk, and post-it notes with all sorts of …

The Dark Side Of Giving: Examining The Relationship Between The Dark Tetrad And Charitable Behavior, Bruno Bonfá-Araujo, Bonnie Simpspon, Julie Aitken Schermer

Management and Organizational Studies Publications

While the relationships between aversive personality traits and prosocial behavior still leave a lot up for debate, typically, people with a darker personality tend not to be associated with prosocial behavior. Interestingly, a few studies have found that behaving prosocially is not incompatible with the Dark Tetrad. In this study, we examine the relationships between the Dark Tetrad (subclinical narcissism and psychopathy, Machiavellianism, and everyday sadism) and charitable giving. Individuals (N = 529) completed measures of the Dark Tetrad, the Big Five, and individual charitable giving questions. Direct-entry regression revealed that everyday sadism positively predicted keeping more money …

Migraine Journeys: An Exploration In Connecting Cultures, Ashley D. Barnes

IPS/BAS 495 Undergraduate Capstone Projects

"Migraine Journeys: An Exploration in Connecting Cultures" is a research project that looks at headaches from different cultures. Through the blog "Beyond Migraine Pain," this project looks at how different cultures use language, how they think about headaches, and how they treat them. The goal is to shed light on how migraines affect people and communities around the world and get rid of the stigmas that come with this disease. Such as women only being the only ones to get migraines and not men, the fact that very simple everyday actions can manage migraines because they aren’t “that serious”, and …

Fundraisers For Pajamas For Residents At Deasano Assisted Living, Melissa Ruvalcaba

IPS/BAS 495 Undergraduate Capstone Projects

After brainstorming and drawing on my final proposal for my project in 492, I decided that I either created two different kinds of fundraisers for those in need at Desano Assisted living or I create an event where people donate essentials for the nursing home. I came to the conclusion that creating fundraisers and providing the residents with their needs/wants from the funds raised was more beneficial. Raising money myself is going to give me the opportunity to provide the residents with personalized items that will provide them with a better quality of life. It has and will continue to …

Ani-Care Animal Shelter Fundraiser, Linda Cisneros

IPS/BAS 495 Undergraduate Capstone Projects

My capstone project was an action project. I decided to collaborate with the Ani-Care animal shelter in Malheur, County after hearing about their lack of pet food and pet supplies. I wanted to make an impact and share with the community how any small contribution could make a difference. My goal was to help out the manager of this shelter by providing pet food and pet supplies for the animals. I created two fundraisers, as well as reaching out to local pet stores for donations. I decided to help out by promoting my fundraisers to stakeholders to be able to …

Preschool/Early Learning Educational Options, Alok Padhi

IPS/BAS 495 Undergraduate Capstone Projects

For my capstone project, I created a resource that gathered information about local preschool and early learning options in the Pensacola, FL area. I identified the need for this resource because of the utter lack of resources available to parents seeking to learn about educational options for their children. The resource I created is in the form of a publicly-accessible website that summarizes information about multiple educational institutions in the local area. I supplemented information available online by visiting schools and collecting information in the form of brochures, pamphlets, and business cards. In the end, I think the resource I …

Naturalization Workshop: A Capstone Project, A. H. Diaz

IPS/BAS 495 Undergraduate Capstone Projects

The capstone project I embarked on focused on the naturalization process and how I could create a plan to better prepare immigrants that are going to begin the process, as well as how I could instill a grandiose sense of confidence in them that will not falter throughout the process. My plan of action consisted of creating a workshop for immigrants that would implement a lesson plan that would prepare and then help improve whatever knowledge of the English language and the tests that come with the naturalization process. A majority of the resources came from the USCIS ``Start a …

Oral Histories Of The Silver Valley In Northern Idaho, Bobbie-Jo Stepro Bighill

IPS/BAS 495 Undergraduate Capstone Projects

The purpose of my capstone project is to preserve the oral histories of the people who grew up in the Silver Valley of Northern Idaho. It was once an area known as the Silver Capital of the world. More Silver was produced in the small towns in this area nestled between the Connection of Highway 3 and the Montana border on I-90. It earned its name as the Silver Capital of the world before most of the mines closed in the 1980s. At that time, they had produced more Silver than anywhere else in the world. Now there are several …

Improving Childhood Literacy, Amy Williams

IPS/BAS 495 Undergraduate Capstone Projects

This paper discusses my approach and solution to the problem of declining literacy rates among children in recent years. While there are many contributing factors, COVID lockdown and the reliance on technology have played a part. The approach to this problem was to start within my own community by building a Little Free Library. This library gave children the opportunity to have increased access to reading materials that interest them, free of charge. The children were also incentivized to read by the initiation of a summer reading program that included prizes for completion of a reading log. By generating interest …

Transition A Squadron To Microsoft Teams, David C. Methvin Jr.

IPS/BAS 495 Undergraduate Capstone Projects

Over the past six weeks, I have embarked on a quest to increase my squadron's productivity by addressing continuity, communication, and file storage. The method by which I addressed these issues is by transitioning the squadron to Microsoft Teams. The transition to Teams required planning, as we have four major sections of the squadron, all working different shifts because we operate 24/7. It required creativity, not only because of the 24/7 ops but also because utilizing Teams was different from the traditional way in which we would solve these sorts of problems. It also required me to get out of …

Moms Support Group: Lack Of Support To Moms Postpartum, Brooke C. Labit

IPS/BAS 495 Undergraduate Capstone Projects

This service learning project is centered on organizing and running a mom support group regularly to provide moms with the chance to assist one another in a safe atmosphere for their recovery following childbirth. Additionally, I created a social media page on the platform found on Instagram for this support group so that moms may communicate frequently and follow and interact to join for upcoming events. The project will benefit the moms by helping them make more meaningful connections and feel more supported during this time. Navigating parenting while maintaining all aspects of your life can be difficult. Going through …

At The Heart Of Our Communities: Parent/Caregiver & Youth Leadership, Deschutes County System Of Care, Callie H. Lambarth

Center for Improvement of Child and Family Services Publications

In lieu of an abstract, here are the vision and goals of the Deschutes County System of Care:

Vision
The vision of System of Care is to create an array of services and supports for children, youth and young adults in Deschutes County that are youth- and family-driven, community-based, and culturally and linguistically responsive.

Goals

1. Collaboration between services, families, and youth to improve the system of supports that serve children, youth and young adults with complex and significant mental health needs.
2. Leadership that includes youth and parents/caregivers impacted by the System of Care to advise on service processes, identify system …

Missed Connections In The U.N. Agenda: Applying The Women, Peace And Security Framework To The Feminization Of Poverty, Lauren A. Fleming

Michigan Journal of Gender & Law

Women, Peace and Security, a multifaceted agenda intended to address the particular ways in which conflict affects women, has been on the United Nations agenda since the landmark Security Council Resolution 1325 passed in 2000. The unequal burden of poverty on women, a phenomenon that has been coined “the feminization of poverty,” has been on the United Nations agenda for even longer, since the 1995 Beijing Conference on Women. Yet, despite the fact that poverty and inequality both cause and result in conflict in a violent cycle, the problem of the feminization of poverty has not been integrated into the …

Being And Becoming Global Citizens: Measuring Progress Toward Sdg 4.7. Phase I: Monitoring Teacher And School Readiness To Enact Global Citizenship In The Asia-Pacific Region, Rachel Parker, Jennie Chainey, Payal Goundar, Sarah Richardson, Anna Dabrowski, Amy Berry, Claire Scoular

Global education monitoring

Substantive work has been undertaken to define and frame global citizenship education (GCED). Global citizenship and related terms are included in the curricula and policy statements of many diverse nations around the world (Parker & Fraillon, 2016; APCEIU, 2020b), however, the education sector often struggles to enact and monitor GCED in ways that reflect the changing conditions of students and schools. This study responds to an identified need for enhanced tools and resources for schools and systems to monitor and evaluate GCED, in accordance with United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4.7. This need is particularly pressing in the …

Sleep Savvy Student Solutions Blog, Cassandra M. Hinnenkamp

IPS/BAS 495 Undergraduate Capstone Projects

This service-learning capstone project, Sleep Savvy Student Solutions Blog, addressed the prevalent issue of insufficient quality sleep among college students. Through this blog, the goal is to educate students about the importance of quality sleep and its direct impact on academic success. By providing valuable insights into the connection between sleep and academic performance, practical recommendations and strategies are offered to help college students achieve better sleep. The project is aimed to empower students with knowledge and tools to optimize their sleep patterns, ultimately contributing to improved overall well-being and academic achievements. A follow-up survey was sent to the blog …

Stock-Oriented Measurement Of Financial News Correlation: Based On Theory Of Quantifying News Value, Jing Shi, Bin Zhang, Ye Chen

Journal of Scientific Information Research

[Purpose/significance]To identify crucial financial news information and tap its potential value related to specific stocks more quickly and accurately, we conduct financial news correlation measurement research in terms of stocks.[Method/process]Natural Language Processing and Machine Learning are used to measure the correlation by text analysis in the word's dimension. Then, the theory of quantifying news is applied to construct a stock-oriented evaluation index system for financial news correlation.[Result/conclusion]This paper realizes a personalized and automatic measurement of news correlation with the index system. Further, the influence of each index is also be analyzed.

Analyzing The American Artificial Intelligence Researches Based On Ntis Technology Contracts, Lihang Wang, Guo Chen

Journal of Scientific Information Research

[Purpose/significance]Science and technology contract is an important form for the US government to fund relevant institutions to carry out basic and systematic research. The contract number field contained in the NTIS science and technology report can be used to reveal the continuous research of several science and technology reports around the same contract objective.[Method/process]This article takes the NTIS technology report contract number in the field of artificial intelligence as the entry point, identifies many of the important technology contracts and interprets their background information one by one, and further focuses on the four most important technology contracts to reveal their …

The Parental Well-Being Gap Before And After The Covid-19 Pandemic, Morgan Renee Koziol

Theses and Dissertations

Prior research has examined the emotional costs and benefits associated with parenting. In general, this body of literature finds that parents experience lower levels of subjective well-being compared to non-parents—a phenomenon referred to as the parental well-being gap. There is evidence that this parental well-being gap has narrowed or disappeared altogether in more recent years. However, the COVID-19 pandemic presented unprecedented challenges to parents that may have resulted in a widening or reopening of this gap once again. This project aims to test this possibility by drawing on data from The General Social Survey that capture the survey year prior …

Effective Leader Development Within A Church-Planting Organization For A Changing And Chaotic World, Jeremy Davis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A challenge in cross-cultural church planting is developing leaders. Cross-cultural church-planting organizations like Latin American Mission (LAM; pseudonym) that lack a leadership development strategy struggle to form lasting leaders, sending missionaries with Biblical training but not leader development training. Additionally, developing leaders in a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) environment creates specific challenges that missionaries must address. The purpose of this qualitative, Delphi method study was to investigate the leadership development perceptions and experiences among existing LAM missionaries in the regions of Latin America (Colombia, Cuba, Mexico City, Peru, Brazil, and Ecuador) to provide suggestions for improving effective leadership …

Psu Student Housing Insecurity Interim Report, Jacen Greene, Homelessness Research & Action Collaborative, Portland State University

Homelessness Research & Action Collaborative Publications and Presentations

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Project Background

This study on student housing insecurity and homelessness was funded as part of a HUD FY2023 Community Project Funding Opportunity awarded to Portland State University. Phase 1 of the study, which led to this report by PSU’s Homelessness Research & Action Collaborative (HRAC), includes a literature review; a summary of PSU student survey results; a description of PSU programs based on interviews with staff and administrators; an analysis of programs at other institutions; and a set of recommendations for better addressing student housing needs. Phase 2 of the study will include the results of a comprehensive …

Living Below The Line: Racial And Ethnic Disparities In Economic Security Among Older Americans, 2022, Jan Mutchler, Yan-Jhu Su, Nidya Velasco Roldán

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

New estimates based on the 2022 Elder IndexTM show that the risk of economic insecurity in later life is especially high for people of color. Comparing household incomes to the Elder Index, we calculate the percentage of independent older adults with incomes that fall short of what is required to support economic security. National averages suggest that among older people living alone, 43% who are White, 59% of those who are Asian, 61% of those who are Black, and 67% of those who are Latino have annual incomes below the Elder Index. The risk of economic insecurity is lower among …

Early Health Conditions, Family Processes, And Educational Achievements, Han Liu

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This dissertation examines how childhood health affects children’s own and their siblings’ educational attainment through home environments and family processes. While health and socioeconomic status have been recognized as reinforcing dimensions of stratification in the past few decades, their linkage has not been contextualized in the critical social institution of families. To fill this gap in prior research, this project uses rich data on childhood health, home environments, academic achievement and educational attainment, sociodemographic background, and linkages between family members from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 Children and Young Adults to (1) estimate the extent to which home …

Disparities In The Operative Experience Between Female And Male General Surgery Residents: A Multi-Institutional Study From The Us Rope Consortium, Leah K Winer, Sarah Kader, Jonathan S Abelson, Austin C Hammaker, Chukwuma N Eruchalu, James C Etheridge, Nancy L Cho, Darci C Foote, Felicia A Ivascu, Savannah Smith, Lauren M Postlewait, Kathriena Greenwell, Katherine M Meister, Kelsey B Montgomery, Polina Zmijewski, Samuel E Byrd, Mary K Kimbrough, Stephen J Stopenski, Jeffry T Nahmias, Jalen Harvey, Deborah Farr, Zachary M Callahan, Joshua A Marks, Christopher C Stahl, Motaz Al Yafi, Jeffrey M Sutton, Ali Elsaadi, Samuel J Campbell, Shah-Jahan M Dodwad, Sasha D Adams, Matthew R Woeste, Robert C G Martin, Purvi Patel, Michael J Anstadt, Bilal Waqar Nasim, Ross E Willis, Jitesh A Patel, Melisa R Newcomb, Brian C George, Ralph C Quillin, Alexander R Cortez

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVE: To examine differences in resident operative experience between male and female general surgery residents.

BACKGROUND: Despite increasing female representation in surgery, sex and gender disparities in residency experience continue to exist. The operative volume of male and female general surgery residents has not been compared on a multi-institutional level.

METHODS: Demographic characteristics and case logs were obtained for categorical general surgery graduates between 2010 and 2020 from the US Resident OPerative Experience Consortium database. Univariable, multivariable, and linear regression analyses were performed to compare differences in operative experience between male and female residents.

RESULTS: There were 1343 graduates from …

Norfolk Integrated Waste-Energy Framework, Emma Kurtz, Abigail Schroeder, Jonah Mcdowell

Project Energy Nebraska: Student Projects

Environmental Engagement in the Community projects, spring 2023 A poster titled Norfolk Integrated Waste-Energy Framework for client City of Norfolk, Nebraska and Nebraska Public Power District.

Faculty sponsor: David Gosselin

Coverage Error Properties Of Smartphone And Smartphone Operating System Ownership On Web Surveys: A Total Survey Error Perspective, Angelica Phillips

Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

While smartphone ownership rates near 90% of the US population, differences in the types of people who do or do not own smartphones may contribute to coverage error biases within smartphone-exclusive web surveys. Therefore, understanding the predictors of smartphone ownership is of interest for survey researchers. Further, differential ownership of smartphone operating systems (OS) such as Android OS and iOS across groups of the population is also of interest for researchers who administer smartphone application surveys which are only compatible with one OS. However, little research has assessed differential rates of smartphone ownership over time nor has any research to …

A Case For Friendship: A Mixed Methods Investigation Of Close Friendships In Adulthood, Grace Kelly

Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Social connections profoundly impact mental and physical health, identity development, and overall well-being. The landscape of personal relationships has changed dramatically over the past decades. Formalized connections and older social structures are evolving (Smock and Schwartz 2020). Loneliness and social isolation are at epidemic proportions and rising, posing widespread societal consequences (Buecker et al. 2021; Cacioppo and Cacioppo 2018). Sociologists have studied relationships like kinship and romantic partnership extensively but have devoted substantially less attention to friendship as a means of providing connection (Eve 2002). My dissertation investigates the importance of platonic friendship bonds in adulthood and explores how these …

Care Labour Shortage Needs A Cure, Not More Band-Aids, Yasmin Y. Ortiga

Asian Management Insights

Retaining care workers will become more difficult for Asia’s ageing economies.