Digital Commons Network^™

2021-May-01-Etsu Class Of 2021 Spring Commencement, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

Final ceremony Sunday, May 9

JOHNSON CITY (May 8, 2021) – East Tennessee State University continued its four-day Commencement celebration on Saturday as degrees were presented to graduates of the colleges of Nursing, Public Health, and Clinical and Rehabilitative Health Sciences and the Clemmer College.

Throughout the weekend, degrees are being conferred to over 2,000 students.  In addition, the university held a special ceremony on Friday at 10 a.m. honoring the Class of 2020 graduates.  Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, degrees were conferred to these students in virtual ceremonies, but yesterday they had the opportunity to don their cap and …

2021-May-01-1911 Society - Class Of 2021, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

11 members of the Class of 2021

JOHNSON CITY – Eleven members of the Class of 2021 who have distinguished themselves for academic excellence, service and leadership at East Tennessee State University have been inducted into the 1911 Society.

1911 Society - Class of 2021

Named in commemoration of the year when ETSU was founded, the 1911 Society recognizes the university’s most notable graduates from undergraduate, graduate and professional programs. The selection committee evaluates applicants on academic achievement; sustained service; honors, awards, recognitions, publications and presentations; demonstrated leadership; work experience, such as study abroad, internships, externships and clinicals; and personal …

2021-May-01-Going Places, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

ETSU welcomes the following employees who recently joined the university: 

Thomas Bauer is an information security engineer in Information Technology Services. He was previously a security analyst with Affinity Tech Solutions.

Mark D. Christian is a police officer in Public Safety. Before coming to ETSU, he was a deputy in the Carter County Sheriff’s Office. He holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Bethel University.

Devin Clark is a dispatcher in Public Safety. He holds a B.S. degree in exercise science from ETSU.

Crystal Harrell is a career specialist with the Center for Community Outreach. She holds a B.S. …

2021-May-01-Grad Students Conclude Cdc Mascup Study, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

JOHNSON CITY — A team of graduate students from East Tennessee State University College of Public Health have been busy placing Johnson City on the map as they conclude four months of local observations for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) national MASCUP! study. 

Under the direction of Dr. Sam Pettyjohn, research assistant professor, ETSU is one of 66 locations nationwide chosen to assess mask wearing behaviors at U.S. colleges and universities as part of a larger “Mask Adherence Surveillance at Colleges and Universities,” or MASCUP!. Students have collected field data gathered on and off campus.

Since February, …

2021-May-01-Horsepower 2021 Tweetsie Celebration Running Back-To-Back, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

Horsepower 2021, Tweetsie Celebration running back-to-back

JOHNSON CITY — Prepare for two weekends filled with railroading history at East Tennessee State University. On May 29, the George L. Carter Railroad Museum, located in the Campus Center Building, will kick off its Modern Equipment “Horsepower 2021” Heritage Day, followed by a limited-attendance, two and a half-day Tweetsie Celebration, June 4-6.

Both events will allow visitors to see railroading’s diverse history, beginning with the annual modern diesel day to showcase today’s high-horsepower equipment. Operating in …

2021-May-01-Pocket Ace Published In International Journal, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

Study finds wording change in ACEs test could help find more childhood sexual abuse survivors

JOHNSON CITY – Could modifying the wording of a screening test commonly used to identify adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) result in identifying more survivors of childhood sexual abuse, and therefore lead to improved health outcomes for these individuals?

It could, if the findings of research led by East Tennessee State University’s Robyn Dolson spur changes in the way childhood sexual abuse is identified.

Dolson is the author of “Pocket ACE: Child Sexual Abuse Survivors Missed by the ACEs Study Questionnaire,” which appears in the July …

2021-May-01-Renaissance Child Camps Offered This Summer, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

JOHNSON CITY — East Tennessee State University’s Office of Professional Development invites children and youth to participate in its 2021 Renaissance Child Camps, scheduled for June 7-July 31. 

For the 19th year, these one-week camps will offer a variety of educational, hands-on and interactive opportunities for participants in first grade through high school, with programming based on the STREAM (science, technology, reading/recreation, engineering, arts and math) educational curriculum, which follows Tennessee Core State Standards. An emphasis on the well-rounded child is completed by outside play and creative activities.

Returning camps for participants entering seventh grade, and ages 12 and up, …

2021-May-01-Spring 2021 Commencement Schedule, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

After holding both spring and fall commencement ceremonies virtually in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, East Tennessee State University is pleased to host ceremonies on campus for its expected 2,091 spring 2021 graduates, as well as graduates from both spring and fall 2020.

For the health and well-being of those who will gather for the celebration, the university will host several ceremonies over the course of four days instead of the traditional two Saturday ceremonies. To support a safe environment for graduates, guests and all participants during these events, a number of protocols will be in place.

Ceremony programs …

2021-May-Cheer Tryouts For 2021-2022 School Year, University School, East Tennessee State University, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

No abstract provided.

2021-May-High School Boys Basketball Tryouts, University School, East Tennessee State University, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

No abstract provided.

2021-May-Petro's Fundraiser - Tuesday May 4th, University School, East Tennessee State University, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

No abstract provided.

2021-May-Uh Track Team State Qualifiers, University School, East Tennessee State University, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

No abstract provided.

2021-May-Uh Track Athlete Skyler Miller To Sign With King University, University School, East Tennessee State University, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

No abstract provided.

Advance Care Planning Protocols And Hospitalization, Rehospitalization, And Emergency Department Use In Home Health, Sharon Bigger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Aim. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship of advance care planning protocols with hospitalization, rehospitalization, and emergency department use rates in U. S. home health agencies (HHA).

Background. Since 2003, CMS has required HHAs to report on quality outcomes such as hospitalization, rehospitalization, and emergency department use rates, made publicly available online. Advance care planning (ACP) is a conversation about beliefs, goals, values, future treatment choices, and designation of a surrogate decision-maker, that someone has in advance of a health crisis. Most existing studies on ACP have taken place outside of HHAs among populations with serious …

“We’Re Sinking And We’Re Sinking Quick”: Family And Feeding Work During The Covid-19 Pandemic For Single, White, Middle-Class Mothers, Debora Garrison

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the work of single, white, middle-class women feeding and caring for their families during the COVID-19 pandemic in the year 2020. The study draws from qualitative analyses of one-on-one interviews conducted with seven single mothers. After situating single mothers and family food provision in the academic literature, as well as and current knowledge about the pandemic in the U.S., the author explores ways that the pandemic disrupted family life. Findings indicated that the single mothers were keenly impacted by being cut off from child care, schools, and other social connections they needed to maintain employment. Further, their …

2021-May-01-Etsu Concludes Four-Day Commencement Weekend, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

JOHNSON CITY – East Tennessee State University returned to in-person Commencement activities last week, celebrating the graduation of more than 2,000 graduates in the Class of 2021 and recognizing members of the Class of 2020 who returned to campus to cross the stage after being honored in virtual ceremonies last year.

The university hosted several ceremonies over the course of four days instead of the traditional two Saturday ceremonies and implemented a number of protocols for the health and well-being of graduates, their families and all participants.

ETSU awarded 2,091 degrees at the baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral levels to members …

2021-May-01-Explore Science And Fictions Cinema In East Tennessee, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

JOHNSON CITY – “Science and Fictions: Cinema in East Tennessee,” a virtual symposium presented by East Tennessee State University’s departments of Media and Communication and Literature and Language is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, May 14-15, via Zoom. 

This free event is focused on artists, filmmakers, researchers and writers who will share insights on key topics for the region using film as a catalyst for conversation and action. It is composed of three seminars, an asynchronous film screening, a film production skills workshop, and a collaborative film and design workshop. 

Online panels will engage interdisciplinary panelists around numerous topics, including …

Supporting Open Educational Resources In Digital Commons, Ashley Sergiadis

ETSU Faculty Works

At East Tennessee State University, an awards program incentivizes instructors to adapt or create Open Educational Resources (OERs) and publish them in Digital Commons@ETSU. Come to this presentation to hear lessons learned from the Digital Scholarship Librarian who supported the instructors during the creation and publication process. The presentation will cover the following topics: copyright, accessibility, promotion, timelines, and assessments.

Public Willingness To Pay For Continuous And Probabilistic Hazard Information, Wesley Wehde, Joseph T. Ripberger, Hank Jenkins-Smith, Benjamin A. Jones, Jinan N. Allan, Carol L. Silva

ETSU Faculty Works

Investments in new weather forecasting technologies and communication products can be costly and serve the ultimate purpose of protecting life and property. The Forecasting a Continuum of Environmental Threats (FACETs) paradigm attempts to improve technology and communication through the provision of probabilistic hazard information (PHI). The research and technology necessary to produce this information requires a substantial resource investment, but the societal value of the information may outweigh the costs. This study provides an initial estimate of this value by exploring public willingness to pay (WTP) for an app that provides continuously updated, geographically situated PHI that could be utilized …

The Importance Of Adaptability In Art And Travel: My Experience Abroad, Callie E. Dowd

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis presentation will expand on my personal experience studying abroad in Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria. I travelled there the semester of the unexpected pandemic causing a worldwide shutdown. I take the reader through past theatrical experience and my training as an actor at ETSU. These things led me to my personal revelation of connecting art with travel and the importance of adapting in every situation.

I share with the reader times of trial during my training as an artist along with lessons I learned before the ultimate expedition to Bulgaria, which tied all of the lessons into one. I reflect on …

Castle Building: Contemporary Poetry And Flash Fiction From Appalachia, Sharolyn Shae Johnson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Appalachian writing brings a voice to the region that is often obstructed or excluded by popular culture throughout the United States. Crowded with stereotypes, many stories of Appalachian culture are misconstrued or never heard at all. This makes the work of modern Appalachian writers especially significant. Perhaps one of the best ways to reach a broader audience of people in this fast-paced digital time is through shorter writings, and in this thesis I will be presenting my process of writing modern flash fiction and poetry and of sharing the truths of working class, Appalachian people.

Implications Of Emerging Technologies On The Accounting Profession, Collin Peace

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Automation recently implemented for some and awaiting to be implemented for others is set to revolutionize the field of accounting, as well as the roles and responsibilities of those who work in it. This study will present and analyze the impacts of current emerging technologies on the accounting profession through first-hand interviews with current accounting professionals. Secondary data obtained will provide the reader with the proper context and background of these technologies, while the primary data acquired from the interviews will explain the implications such technologies will have or are currently having in their respective companies/firms. The results of this …

Refugee Resettlement In Germany: An Analysis Of Policy Learning And Support Networks, Marianne Perkins

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The resettlement of refugees and asylum seekers in Germany since reunification in 1990 has been challenged by two peaks in asylum seeker applications in 1992 and again in 2016. From the 1992 peak, which was fueled by asylum seekers fleeing the former Yugoslavia, extensive research has already been conducted over the past thirty years. These studies have demonstrated the actual outcomes of these primarily Yugoslavian asylum seekers and refugees with these findings indicating legal and economic uncertainty having a detrimental effect even years after resettlement. Using Germany as a case study, this analysis aims to survey the available information in …

Distant Stars Become Future Homes: The Close Relationship Of Interstellar Between Hard Science-Fiction And Spectacle, Gabriel Davis

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Hard Science-fiction shares a close relationship with the element of spectacle. This is especially apparent in Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar (2014), a film based in realistic science and emotional appeal. Nolan makes use of creating a team comprised of creative minds with different backgrounds. This includes theoretical physicist Kip Thorne, co-writer Jonathan Nolan, and composer Hans Zimmer. Together, the four develop a film that focuses on three main facets of science: time dilation, black holes, and dimensions. Incorporating these elements based in the historical world gives Interstellar its classification as hard science-fiction, a genre based more solidly in realistic science than …

Getting Excited For Our Class: Instructor Immediacy, Rapport, And Effects For Students, Emily Napier

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis examined the relationships between instructors and students to determine the effects of prosocial instructor behavior on the college student experience for both in-person and online learning. Study One examined instructor rapport with students and verbal and nonverbal immediacy behaviors in face-to-face classes. Students reported on how their instructor constructed the classroom climate and perceptions of their instructor’s behavior. Results indicated that students’ perceptions of instructor verbal and nonverbal immediacy behaviors were related to lower student communication apprehension with instructors; whereas perceived classroom rapport was related with higher perceptions of their instructor’s credibility and was also related with a …

Constructing History: Richard Iii And The Wars Of The Roses: A Teaching Unit, Lawson Hammock

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The entirety of modern academia is founded on some form of historical authentication and interpretation. Historical exploration, in fact, represents the necessary element for the cognitive linking of interdisciplinary learning. At essence academic historiography is first - the product of intrigue - and then its contemporary expression. But though the field of academic history poses the perfect union of science and literary arts, modern instruction has sometimes grappled with finding and striking the optimal balance for effectively teaching historical authentication and its interpretation. Recognition and application of both aspects are essential to the effective demonstration of history as a viable, …

On Utilizing Prunable Blockchains For Secure Message Dissemination In Vanets, Edgar Bowlin Iii`

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Blockchain's use in Vehicular Ad-Hoc Networks (VANETs) research demonstrates that the technology provides useful attributes to allow for the safe and secure operation of VANET applications. The growth of blockchain applications pose a threat to the efficient operation of the MANET-like environment found within VANETs. Floating Genesis Blocks (FGB) can be used to preserve the state of the blockchain up to a certain point, and allows for the safe pruning of the chain without information loss. The early work presented here demonstrates two pruning techniques and compares the effects of each blockchain through simulation measurement of the chain's space requirements. …

The Disconnected Podcast, Sydney Wright

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Humans are social creatures. Yet when the pandemic forced the world into lockdown, social interaction became limited and more intentional. I explore the forms of communication people turned to during this time through a series of podcast episodes. I interview people who can provide first-hand experiences of how major areas of life changed. The areas I focused on are digital literacy in the elderly, online connections versus in-person ones, telehealth, education, journalism, and social media. The episodes can be listened to on the Disconnected website.

“It’S Never Going To Be Perfect Even Though I Want It To Be”: Quantitatively And Qualitatively Investigating Honors And Non-Honors Students’ Experiences Of Perfectionism And Related Variables, Julie A. Hartung

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Previous research has demonstrated that students in university honors programs may be distinct from their non-honors counterparts. To further examine these differences and the overall experiences of honors students, this thesis utilized a Study 1/Study 2 mixed methodology design to examine the experiences of honors students within East Tennessee State University’s University Honors Scholars program. Study One quantitatively examined the differences between honors and non-honors students’ levels of perfectionism, imposter syndrome, and academic and social competitiveness. Findings from Study One inspired Study Two, which qualitatively examined honors students’ experiences with perfectionism, uncovering the sources and effects of their perfectionistic behaviors. …

Trauma Informed Care Training Initiative: Implementation Study In Appalachia, Mattie V. Raza

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study aims to evaluate the implementation of Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) trainings in Johnson City, Tennessee, and the surrounding Appalachian area. Previous TIC trainees were sent an email survey asking them if they had followed through with their plan to implement the training at their place of work or in other areas of their lives. The response rate for this study was 2%, possibly due to extraneous variables such as the Coronavirus Pandemic and the lag time between the initial training and survey follow-up. The responses that were analyzed indicated promise for the practical implementation of TIC concepts at the …