Digital Commons Network^™

Characterizing Microplastics In Flood Sediments After Hurricane Helene In Asheville, North Carolina, Abigail Sgan

All Theses

Microplastics are contaminants of emerging concern whose ubiquity across natural environments results in their involvement in many kinds of natural processes, including transportation and deposition in natural systems. The purpose of this thesis is to characterize microplastics and determine the mechanisms that affect their distribution, transport, and sequestration within known Hurricane Helene flood deposits in fluvial and Southern Appalachian wetland environments after Hurricane Helene in Asheville, North Carolina. Four fluvial and four Southern Appalachian wetland environments were sampled after Hurricane Helene. Samples collected in fluvial environments were taken as grab samples from surficial sandy flood deposits left behind by flooding …

Equity In Healthcare: Exploring The Viability Of Reparations As A Means To Address Racial Health Inequities, Invest In The Community, And Bestow Reconciliation For African Americans, Alesia A. Smith

All Dissertations

Racial health inequities remain among the most persistent forms of health disparity in the United States, despite decades of policy efforts to eliminate them. African Americans, in particular, continue to experience disproportionately poor health outcomes rooted in generations of institutional racism and in inequities in the social determinants of health, income, wealth, education, housing, and access to care, disparities that the COVID-19 pandemic further exposed and intensified. These enduring, structurally produced harms strengthen the case for reparative investment as a potential intervention.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine whether reparations, framed as a community-based investment in health, …

Community-Based Participatory Research In Developing Online Nutrition Tools: A Pathway To Relevance And Engagement, Laura Justice, Stacy Phillips

EFNEP

This article explains how Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) can strengthen the design of digital nutrition tools by ensuring they are culturally relevant, accessible, and grounded in community needs. By engaging participants as equal partners, CBPR enhances trust, usability, and long-term impact. The approach aligns with EFNEP’s mission to deliver inclusive, community-driven nutrition education and provides a framework for developing sustainable, adaptable tools that reflect the lived experiences of the families Extension serves.

Do You Feel The Power? Affinity Spaces For Black Male Principals, Wallace Cobbs

All Dissertations

This qualitative study explores the experiences of Black male principals by examining how affinity spaces provide essential support in facing the challenges of school leadership. Using semi-structured interviews and a focus group, the research investigates how these spaces influence principals’ self-efficacy as they manage racial microaggressions, systemic barriers, and professional isolation. The findings show that affinity spaces help build confidence, encourage professional growth, and support personal well-being. By connecting self-efficacy theory to the real-life experiences of Black male principals, this study adds to the conversation on equity in education and the need for meaningful, culturally-relevant support systems.

Item 1: Syllabus: Civic Leadership: Theories And Action, Kara Dillard

Kara Dillard, Civic Leadership: Theories and Practice

Civic leadership involves students learning key skills to foster collaboration across differences, embracing complex decision-making in dialogue with others, and valuing pragmatic solutions that advance the common good. This class answers questions such as: “What are the essential traits, key skills and mindsets of a civic leader?” “How do history, legal frameworks, and socioeconomic theories shape the way civic leaders should approach solving wicked issues?” “How might civic leaders harness technology and design thinking to improve civic life?” “What are models of civic engagement that work and how can civic leaders implement them in real communities?” “How can James Madison’s …

Item 4: Assignment 1: Cultural Immersion: A Group Documentary Project, Salah D. Hassan

Salah D. Hassan, Global Citizenship: Culture and Climate Justice in Indonesia

This assignment asks students to explore how Indonesia is global. Working in small groups of 2 or 3 with an Indonesian student, the group will spend several afternoons and evenings with a host family, documenting local cultural activities in Jambi that are signs of globalization. Each group will prepare a concise documentary project that uses photos and/or video to explore a specific global topic in Jambi. Topics might include food, fashion, entertainment, advertising, automobiles, educational systems, language, religion, ethnicity, etc. Students will explore how the local cultures have incorporated or contributed to the burgeoning global cultures that define Indonesia in …

A Comparative Analysis Of Cultural Preservation Focused Land-Use Regulations Within The Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Of South Carolina, Nolly C. Swan

All Theses

This thesis is an analysis of three land-use regulations: conservation easements and fee simple ownership by conservation land trust, an area specific zoning overlay, and a town-wide ordinance, all aimed at protecting cultural heritage on different islands within the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor (GGCHC) of South Carolina: Edisto Island, St. Helena Island, and Hilton Head Island. The lower sea islands of South Carolina have a unique natural and cultural landscape under threat of loss, both tangible and intangible heritage is vulnerable. This study provides an individual and comparative analysis of goals for land-use regulations. The purpose statements of the …

Area Character Appraisal Hamlin Beach, Preservation Project

Master of Science degree in Historic Preservation - Research Reports

An Area Character Appraisal (ACA) is a tool in identifying key elements that define a community’s character with the goals of informing community members and future generations, community outreach, and perhaps most importantly guiding future development practices to preserve the character of the community. These documented elements include architectural character, typical lot sizes and coverage, building footprints, county zoning, and flood risk zones. This document can be used as a reference in future community planning for Charleston County, community representatives, and nonprofit organizations.

This ACA is part of a larger set of ACAs conducted under the supervision of Erin Mehard …

A Study Of The Impact And Mitigation Strategies For Community-Defined Historic Places At Immediate (Within Three Decades) Risk Of Sea Level Rise, Isaac Quaye

All Theses

The rising sea level casts formidable threats on community-based historic places within coastal communities. These community-defined historic places derive their meaning from local values and are more recognized within the local community. Unlike recognized iconic historic places, these resources are confronted with inadequate resources to address the impacts of punctuated climate events. This study investigates the imminent threats posed by sea level rise (SLR) to community-defined historic places within the next three decades (2025) and explores mitigation strategies proposed by stakeholders. The study used a GIS-based (enhanced bathtub model) to model the impact of coastal inundation on three historic places …

Voices From The Countryside: Unveiling The Stories Of Rural Teachers In Stem Education, Devan A. Jones

All Dissertations

This narrative study delves into the overlooked perspective of rural communities within the broader educational landscape, highlighting their unique and vital role in education. It primarily aims to gain insights from K-8 teachers working in multigrade, multi-curricular Sustained Deep Rurality (SDR) schools situated in the challenging terrain of the Northern Rocky Mountain area. Employing a methodology centered around episodic narrative interviews and small story analysis, the study uncovers the intricacies and challenges inherent in teaching under the extreme conditions of rural environments.

These SDR schools, situated in remote and isolated regions, serve as vital pillars in rural education, embodying qualities …

Exploring Creative Placemaking Of Americana Outdoor Music Festivals In The Southeastern United States, Tyler Spencer

All Theses

Large outdoor music festivals have been a part of the American experience since the 1930s and are creative gatherings, economic engines, and vehicles of place attachment. This research draws on theoretical constructs of Creative Placemaking, the Biophilia Hypothesis, and Musicophilia to understand outcomes of outdoor Americana music festivals in the Southeastern United States from the perspective of the managers/organizers of these events. Interview data was collected from managers/organizers representing fifteen outdoor Americana music festivals in the Southeastern United States. The data was organized into nine thematic categories, and these were distilled into five key themes associated with the outcomes of …

Assessing Equitable Distribution Of The Urban Tree Canopy At The Neighborhood Scale In Greenville, South Carolina., April Riehm

All Theses

We are living in an era that necessitates adaptation and resilience. The Earth is warming. Our climate has changed (EPA, 2016). Our planet is also rapidly urbanizing. It is predicted that 68% of people will live in cities by 2050. The City of Greenville is a rapidly growing city in South Carolina that has been losing its tree canopy to development(City of Greenville, 2023). The Urban Tree Canopy (UTC) is a community asset that provides many quality-of-life benefits including improved air quality, stormwater management, carbon sequestration, mental and physical well-being, increased mobility and access, aesthetics, a reduction in energy costs, …

A Social-Ecological Systems Inquiry For Understanding Environmental Change In Los Angeles Outer-Ring Suburbs, Farnaz Kamyab

All Dissertations

Within the framework of the city's green infrastructure, urban and suburban green coverage play a pivotal role in delivering substantial benefits to health, economy, and the environment. However, the permanence of these green coverage is threatened by dynamic changes in neighborhood socio-economic, spatial, and ecological elements and their loss or degradation presents a problematic issue. Social-Ecological System Theory (SES) offers a comprehensive framework for understanding the potential correlations between socio-economic trends and the degradation of green coverage. This research is based on a case study of the highly diverse megacity, Los Angeles (LA), which encompasses a wide array of built-environments, …

A Mixed-Method Study On The Walkability Of Streets In Hospital-Anchored Neighborhoods, Xiaowei Li

All Dissertations

The field of healthcare design is adopting planning and design principles from the Healthy Communities movement to connect hospitals to their adjacent communities. This research explores the impact of neighborhood and street design on the walkability of Hospital-Anchored Neighborhoods (HANs), a concept integrating hospitals and satellite services with their surrounding communities to enhance public health. Walkability, a crucial marker of healthy and vibrant communities, was investigated through a mixed-method study across three HANs. A comprehensive Walkability Framework with 17 built environment dimensions was developed from the literature to inform data collection utilizing GIS archival data, ethnographic observations, street audits, and …

Systematic Literature Review Of Roof Systems On Energy Efficiency Of A Building To Support An Ideal Study Framework, Ayushi Raj Dua

All Theses

A sustainable building envelope is a crucial element to build energy efficient structures that contribute towards sustainable communities. The demand for sustainable building envelopes has grown in response to a growing emphasis on sustainable living. The roofing system is an important component of a sustainable building envelope because it influences the building's energy consumption and indoor comfort levels. The current study focuses on roofing systems and associated solar reflectance and albedo values to document the impact on energy efficiency via cooling/heating energy usage, dollar savings and temperature (ambient and surface) reductions due to the roofing systems. Additionally, the study focuses …

We Are Gullah: A Community Approach To Preserving Gullah Geechee Historical Sites Of Significance, Peter Gaytan

All Theses

The National Register of Historic Places is an inventory established by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 that identifies architectural and archaeological sites significant to American history. The National Register was created to encourage the documentation, evaluation, and protection of America’s historic resources. Over 96,000 historic properties, sites, and structures are currently listed on the National Register. Despite the number of historic places listed on the National Register there is still an overwhelmingly low number of sites listed on the National Register relating to underrepresented communities. This thesis assessed the definition of significance laid out in the National Register …

“We Felt Powerful And Rebellious”: Contested Spaces, Lesbian Identity, And The Evolution Of Separatism, Sarah Cooper

All Dissertations

Drawing on theoretical perspectives from lesbian studies, queer theory and studies and, feminist rhetorics while using rhetorical analysis, interviews, and archival research, this project traces the relationships lesbians have had to place, through case studies. To date, research on how space occupancy or land practices have contributed to the constitution of a contemporary lesbian identity in the United States lack scholarly attention. My following chapters ask: how has separatism historically and at present contributed to the constitution of lesbian identity? To answer, I turn to archival evidence of women’s lands in Southern Oregon, Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival, and Olivia Travel. …

The Influence Of A Professional Sport Team’S Philanthropic Initiative On Fans’ Corporate Social Responsibility (Csr) Participation Intention, Young Suk Oh

All Dissertations

Within corporate social responsibility (CSR) research, there has been significant evidence of the positive impacts that CSR could bring to businesses. However, few studies, especially in the context of sport, have focused on how CSR benefits an actual social cause. Therefore, through a three-article format, the overall purpose of the dissertation is to examine how a professional sport team could use its CSR as a social marketing strategy to increase its fans’ willingness to participate in the team’s CSR program in contributing to a specific social cause. Specifically, Article 1 assesses whether CSR participation intention significantly differs among fans with …

Evaluation Of The Chinese Sponge City Program: The Resilient Transition Of Urban Stormwater Management, Wuhan, Chongqing, Zhenjiang, China, Case Studies, Jueminsi Wu

All Dissertations

The Sponge City Program (SCP) is a Chinese national-level policy initiative with the primary goal to ameliorate urban flooding created by rapid urbanization and climate change, and it incorporates both green and blue infrastructure strategies. China’s Sponge City construction guidelines (MOHURD, 2014) established the Volume Capture Ratio of Annual Rainfall (VCRa) as the SCP’s key performance index and a general target VCRa goal of 70% annual rainfall was set for all pilot Sponge Cities (General Office of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, 2015). Yet few studies have been conducted to assess the SCP’s obtainability of the …

Homestays In Nepal In The Era Of Covid-19, Anup K C

All Dissertations

Homestays are accommodation facilities provided by hosts in their own residence. Usually, guests are provided food and lodging by the host family members. These tourism facilities are a source of alternative income in rural areas of countries like Nepal. But now, COVID-19 has adversely affected homestays along with other tourism sectors, so it is necessary to assess homestays in Nepal in the COVID-19 era. For this dissertation, online interviews were conducted with homestay stakeholders (54 homestay operators, 12 homestay leaders, 11 homestay experts, and 8 biodiversity experts). These online interviews were recorded in the Nepali language and were translated and …

“You Can’T Hide Behind Being A House”: Examining The Policy Process, Design, And Implementation Of Short-Term Rental Regulations, A Case Study Of Nashville, Tn, Jamie L. Cathey

All Dissertations

Following the economic crash of 2008, the rapid expansion of platform capitalism and the recruitment of others to work for themselves using a company’s platform, has led to a ‘paradigm shift’ in which a sharing economy business model has enabled small entrepreneurial endeavors to become industry giants (Srnricek, 2017). One such platform, Airbnb, has created a new, informal tourism accommodation sector that is bringing with it questions of regulation and community impact. Airbnb regulation thus is a growing national and international trend affecting cities of all sizes and forcing policy response and change at the local government level. Current trends …

Lgbtq+ Inclusion And Support: An Analysis Of Challenges And Opportunities Within 4-H, Joseph Rand, Megan Paceley, Jessica Fish, Sloan Okrey Anderson

Journal of Youth Development

LGBTQ+ youth experience health disparities compared with heterosexual and cisgender youth. Community-based, positive youth development organizations are an important resource to support and affirm LGBTQ+ youth. This study aimed to identify the opportunities and challenges in supporting LGBTQ+ youth within 4-H. The study took place in one state in the United States within a 4-H program and employed qualitative, community-based methods using SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analyses and focus groups of 4-H staff, support staff, volunteers, and youth participants. The majority of participants were White and middle class with direct connections to the 4-H program. Thematic analyses were conducted …

Investigating Residents’ Attitudes Towards Tourism Growth In Downtown Greenville, Sc: The Effect Of Demographic Variables, Yuting An, Jang-Won Moon, William C. Norman

Open Access Publishing Fund

Given the high density of urban spaces, residents and tourists share resources and infrastructure in limited spaces. The purpose of the study is to investigate the influence of residents’ perceived tourism impacts on their attitudes towards tourism growth, the effect of proximity to tourism center on residents’ attitudes, and how this effect is moderated by residents’ demographic features (age, gender, length of residence) in urban settings. A total of 251 responses were collected in downtown Greenville, a tourist zone located in the heart of Greenville, SC, USA. Using multiple regression models and ANOVA, the study suggested that (1) economic impact …

The Role Of Wind Engineers In Advancing Climate- Responsive And Risk-Informed Sustainable Development: Opportunities And Responsibilities, Tracy Kijewski-Correa

American Association for Wind Engineering (AAWE) Workshop

No abstract provided.

6th Aawe Workshop Program - Conference Proceedings, Nigel Kaye

American Association for Wind Engineering (AAWE) Workshop

The Glenn Department of Civil Engineering at Clemson University is hosting the 6th AAWE Workshop with a focus on student and early career presentations. The workshop will include several keynote addresses and panel discussions on non-academic wind engineering careers and future directions for wind engineering research.

Disease And Disaster: Navigating Food Insecurity In A Community Affected By Crises During Covid-19, Andrew S. Pyle, Michelle Eichinger, Barry A. Garst, Catherine Mobley, Sarah F. Griffin, Leslie H. Hossfeld, Mike Mcgirr, Helen R. Saunders

Publications

This exploratory study examines how a community experiencing food insecurity while navigating multiple crises can be a model to inform resources, processes, and systems supporting communities facing similar circumstances. Data for this study were collected from residents of a community in Oconee County, a rural county in the northwest corner of South Carolina experiencing pervasive food insecurity. The community was severely impacted by the onset of COVID-19 and further devastated by a tornado in mid-April. The area of the county that sustained the greatest damage from the tornado was the Utica Mill Hill community, home to the county’s most vulnerable …

Breaking News: Professional Participatory Journalism, Charmayne Lavone Smalls Brown

All Dissertations

This dissertation analyzes the current principles of journalism that govern professional journalists. For more than a century, mainstream journalists accepted objectivity as the best practice to report fairly, accurately, and without bias. As defined by Brian Brooks, Beverly Horvit, and Daryl Moen (2020) in News Reporting & Writing, “Objectivity was a reliance on observable facts, but it was also a methodology for freeing factual reporting from the biases and values of source, writer or reader” (Brooks et al. 2020). Today in the 21st century, journalism still holds itself up as objective. Participatory journalism has been demeaned by many in the …

Creating Community Through Cohort Learning: A Training Model For Youth Development Professionals, Amber Shanahan, Trisha Sheehan

Journal of Youth Development

University of Minnesota Extension Center for Youth Development (CYD) initiated a learning cohort for their local youth development professionals, 4-H Extension educators (EEs) to fulfill a need to better support staff beyond onboarding. The Youth Development Learn and Lead (YDLL) cohort is grounded in integrative leadership that influences professional relationship building through the sharing of applicable skills and theory across hierarchical boundaries while providing a community of practice to discuss ideas and share resources. The cohort has positively impacted employee engagement and has shown impressive results around networking, relationship building, and learning objectives. The YDLL cohort has been deemed an …

Leadership Development And Service Learning: A Case Study Of The Human Ecology Social Impact Assessment, Joseph Aaron Tonjuk

All Theses

Civic engagement, personal growth, and cognitive development are just a few beneficial outcomes that students gain when they participate in service-learning courses. Assessing these outcomes is often challenging; determining an ideal outcome, like leadership development, can be especially so. Leadership development as an outcome for students who participate in a service-learning is an understudied area, especially for how students develop leadership in a service-learning course throughout the semester, which critical incidents are identified as impacting student’s leadership development, and how a service-learning course that utilizes Social Impact Assessment (SIA) influences these outcomes. Designed as a case study, this research describes …

Territorial And Trans-Territorial Community-Institutional Partnerships To Build Healthier Communities In Developing Countries: Lessons Learned From A Dominican Republic Low-Resource Community, Arelis Moore De Peralta, Emily Schultz, Katherine Brown, N. Suzanne Falconer

Publications

This descriptive case study examines the value of multi-level partnerships to foster a Building a Healthier Community (BHC) process in a low-resource community in the Dominican Republic. Partnerships developed for this BHC project were categorized under the Global Health Education Framework. Partners included a U.S-based university (trans-territorial partnership), a Dominican university, and various governmental, non-governmental, and community organizations in the Dominican Republic (territorial partnerships). Las Malvinas BHC project is an interdisciplinary and holistic approach to community health and well-being improvement that supports community members’ efforts and at the same time promotes participating students’ global health competence. Strategies, methods, the value …