Digital Commons Network^™

Cmn 3980 : Strategic Social Media Communication, Communication And Journalism

Approved Course Proposals

No abstract provided.

Factors Students Consider In The Decision Making Process For Graduate Education, Kiley Sturm

Masters Theses

Using a qualitative methodology, the researcher studied the factors students consider in the decision making process for graduate education. Through conducting two focus groups that contained a total of thirteen participants, the researcher identified the factors that were the most significant to their decision making during the decision making process for pursuing graduate education, applying to institutions, and the selection and enrollment at their institution. The researcher also identified reasons affecting the students' decision of when to pursue graduate education and how their undergraduate experience impacted the decision making process.

Vote Choice Of Minority Groups: Emphasizing Their Issue Preferences, Md Kamrul Islam

Masters Theses

In explaining vote choice of minority groups, scholars of American politics often characterize them as natural democrats. They argue that they have become natural Democrats because of their minority identity and the constraints they faced throughout the history of the United States. However, this thesis questions the characterization and highlights the issue preferences of minority groups; it analyzes whether their issue preferences have an impact on shaping their vote choice. By analyzing the Cooperative Congressional Election Study (CCES) 2016 survey, this thesis has explored that minority groups vote for candidates who pay greater emphasis on the issues they care about. …

The Impact Of School Nutrition Education And Physical Education Programs On Weight Status Of Obese Children Aged 5-12 Years, Lamia Alotaibi

Masters Theses

Epidemiological studies indicate that 12.5 million children and adolescents are considered obese (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017). Obesity is on the rise globally, and while it affects both children and adults, early measures can be taken to reduce the number of children who are obese, and therefore, come into adulthood at a higher risk for obesity-related diseases, such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and sleep apnea. There are many studies in which programs are implemented and tested for effectiveness; therefore, a systematic review of these studies that examine which factors play into overall obesity prevention and health improvements among …

Juxtaposing Primary- And Intermediate-Elementary Trade Books’ Historical Representation Of Amelia Earhart, Rachael A. Burkhardt

Masters Theses

Amelia Earhart can be used in the classroom not only to interest students but can also be used to cover Common Core State Standards (CCSS), National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) framework, and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). When teaching Amelia Earhart, textbooks, trade books, and primary sources can be used, however one must be careful with the misrepresentations each resource can portray. To look at what is misrepresented, omitted, and included within primary and intermediate grade level trade books, 32 books were scrutinized. The trade books being analyzed were found to have some historically representative and misrepresentative elements …

Impact Of First-Generation Student Status On Graduate School Experience, Rachelle Ann Krausen

Masters Theses

Just because first-generation students are in graduate school and have accomplished a bachelor’s degree docs not mean they overcame the status risks and are prepared for the graduate school experience. This at-risk population is left relying on the same tactics utilized during undergrad to endure graduate school. The present qualitative study describes how first-generation graduate students (FGGS) experience a master’s degree program with new challenges mentally, socially, and academically. To gain insight, semi-structured interviews of four participants were conducted to answer the following questions: 1) what motivated FGGS to pursue a master’s degree: 2) What resources are FGGS aware of …

Exploratory Factor Analysis Of The Canadian Wechsler Intelligence Scale For Children-Fifth Edition For A Sample Of First Nations Students, Jessica Hanson

Masters Theses

Native Americans and First Nation students are overrepresented in special education and underrepresented in structural bias research of the intelligence measures that place them there. There are several empirical studies of test bias on the Wechsler scales due to their popularity within the school system, however there is little exploratory factor analysis research on these scales with the Native American Indian population. Further, the Native American Indian and First Nation population is a relatively small minority group compared to other racial and ethnic groups in North America and this group is underrepresented in government statistics and overlooked in funding for …

Effective Partnerships Between Campus Police And Student Affairs, Michael Dipalma

Masters Theses

This study examined partnerships between campus police and student affairs. The study specifically analyzed the essential elements, benefits, and best practices and programs of partnerships between campus police and student affairs. Participants were a Chief of Police and Chief Student Affairs Officer from large public research one institutions in the Northeast and Southwest. Participants were selected by evidence of a strong partnership between campus police and student affairs on their campus. Data was collected from four one-on-one semi-structured phone interviews. Findings suggest partnerships between campus police and student affairs are beneficial to creating a successful educational environment for students.

Analysis Of Construction Fall Protection Guardrails In A Population With Changing Anthropometrics, Connor S. Klinzing

Masters Theses

The construction trade has commonly been cited as one of the most dangerous industries within the United States, with falls from elevation being the most predominate cause for injuries and deaths. The OSHA standards related guardrails has not changed since its implementation in 1970. These standards originally derive from the 1950s, which expect a 160-pound person with 40 pounds of equipment, tools, etc. However, the anthropometries of the common working age citizen has dramatically changed in respects to their weight. This study examines the relationship of the guardrail system to the changing anthropometries to determine if a reform is necessary …

White Grub In Bluegill In The Sangamon River: Impact Of Sewage Effluent And Flow Regime On Infection Parameters, Miranda White

Masters Theses

White grub (Posthodiplostomum minimum) is a digenetic trematode that uses a piscivorous bird, a pulmonate snail, and a centrarchid fish to complete its life cycle. To assess the impact of impoundment and sewage effluent on white grub infection parameters, infections in bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) were monitored in 3 reaches of the Sangamon River near Decatur, Illinois: Reach 1- free-flowing river upstream of Lake Decatur Dam, unimpacted by sewage effluent, Reach 2- impounded flow below Lake Decatur Dam, unimpacted by sewage effluent, and Reach 3- free-flowing river downstream of Sanitary District of Decatur, impacted by sewage effluent. Liver and kidney abundances …

Ela And Esl Educators’ Lived Experiences In Urban, Middle Level, Mainstream Classrooms, Georgia Danos

Masters Theses

This ethnographic qualitative study explores best practices for English Language Learning (ELL) students by analyzing one particular co-taught 8th grade English Language Arts (ELA) classroom where students received instruction from both a trained ELA teacher and one certified in English as a Second Language (ESL). The results suggest that the ELA mainstream teacher, Mr. Scott, was disengaged in class; disinterested in his students; unaware of his students’ backgrounds and needs; unaware of professional development offered; resistant and resentful towards new pedagogical approaches; tentatively interested in but unaware of best practices; displayed unprofessionalism; and indifferent about students' academic success. The ESL …

The Development Of The Late Adolescent Social Support Inventory And An Examination Of Social Support's Impact On Depression In Adolescents, Margaret Darlene Yeakel

Masters Theses

The current study set out to create the Late Adolescent Social Support Inventory (LASSI), a scale designed to measure adolescents' perception of the availability of social support in each of House's (1981) four types of social support and to explore the relationship between depression and types of social support in adolescents. There were 120 participants recruited from Central Illinois high schools and Eastern Illinois University. Participants completed the LASSI as well as the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale Revised (CESD-R; Eaton, Muntaner, Smith, Tien, & Ybarra, 2004). Due to the low number of participants recruited, we were unable to …

One Way: Miles To Go, Jamie Lynn Golladay

Masters Theses

This creative thesis is a memoir dedicated to a close examination of a childhood taking place in a meth ridden midwestern town, under the supervision of meth addicted parents. Using both prose and poetry to explore small excerpts of memory in a sequential vignette form, this memoir follows the author through early adolescents to middle school, tackling issues such as addiction in the home, prostitution, homelessness, and incarceration as well as more domestic points of interest like sibling bonds, childhood roleplay, and parent/child relationships.

At its core, this narrative looks at the home and the family from the perspective of …

Social Anxiety And Fear Of Evaluation In Middle Schoolers, Leslie Hunt

Masters Theses

Social anxiety can have a significant effect on adults and adolescents alike, causing significant distress and impairment. Fear of negative evaluation has been found to be positively correlated to social anxiety in adults and adolescents. Thus, an individual who has social anxiety tends to worry that they will be judged negatively by others in social situations. More recently, fear of positive evaluation also has correlated positively to social anxiety in adults (Weeks, Heimberg, & Rodebaugh, 2008); thus, adults with social anxiety tend to also fear when they are given positive feedback, such as a compliment. This study examines the links …

Campus Community's Perception Of Victimization And Fear Of Crime Regarding Campus Violence And Safety, Gianna White

Masters Theses

This study was designed to test perceptions and perceived safety and how it relates to fear of crime regarding university campus violence and safety. Faculty, students, and staff were drawn from a Midwestern university of the United States. This research examined vulnerability to stress, gender, age, and status, and its significance to fear of crime in comparison to the participation in precautionary and avoidance behaviors and campus crime statistics. It was hypothesized that there would be a general fear of crime regardless of overall low levels of campus crime and that both men and women would participate in precautionary or …

Waist Circumference And The Relation To Aerobic Exercise And Perception Of Illness In Adults With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Bailey J. Huebner

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to observe the relationship between waist circumference (WC), amount of aerobic exercise performed weekly and overall Health Belief Model (HBM) score in adults with diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Members from a local Midwest adult fitness program (n = 5) who had been diagnosed T2DM participated in this study. Participants ranged in age from 70 to 80 years with an average age of 74 years. Four of the participants were female and one participant was male. The questions included in this study were 1 .) in those with diagnosed T2DM, was a low …

Role Of Emotion Regulation In The Relationship Between Fears Of Evaluation And Social Anxiety, Jaismeen Dua

Masters Theses

Cognitive components influencing social anxiety have been well-researched for decades, especially fear of negative evaluation (Clark & Wells, 1995; Hofmann, 2007; Rapee & Heimberg, 1997; Schlenker & Leary, 1982). Relatively recent and emerging research has suggested a strong link between fear of negative evaluation and fear of positive evaluation, and how both of them influence social anxiety (Weeks, Heimberg, & Rodebaugh, 2008; Weeks et al., 2007; Weeks & Howell, 2012; Weeks et al., 2009). This study examined social anxiety in relation to both fear of negative evaluation and fear of positive evaluation. Findings from the study replicated previous research results, …

Studying Carbon Dioxide Solvent Properties By Microwave Spectroscopic Investigations Of Vinyl Fluoride/Carbon Dioxide Clusters And Developing New Approaches To Decode Rotational Spectra, Prashansa Kannangara

Masters Theses

Supercritical carbon dioxide (sc-C0₂) is an excellent green solvent, but its properties are not thoroughly understood. For example, fluorinated compounds have higher than expected solubility in sc-C0₂. Microwave spectroscopy is one way to learn more about sc-C0₂ because it can be used to determine detailed structures of small clusters of molecules. The purpose of this investigation was to study weak hydrogen bonding interactions in complexes of fluorinated ethylene (solute) with carbon dioxide (C0₂, solvent). Investigations on dimers with one C0₂ molecule and fluorinated ethylene were carried out previously and found two different …

Nutrition & Dietetics Minor, Nutrition & Dietetics

Program Revisions/Additions

No abstract provided.

Workplace Wellness Minor, Public Health

Program Revisions/Additions

No abstract provided.

Human Services Program Administration, Human Services

Program Revisions/Additions

No abstract provided.

Nutrition & Dietetics Bs, Nutrition & Dietetics

Program Revisions/Additions

No abstract provided.

Forgiveness: A Psychological Mechanism And Young Adult Fiction Motif, Paige Woolard

Undergraduate Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

"Mother Earth, Father God": The Binary Power Of Religion And Gender Codes In The Writing Of Jeanette Winterson And The Music Of Torres, Hannah M. Wilkes

Undergraduate Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Uridine Promotes Neurite Outgrowth In Neuro2a Cells, Jacquelyn Spathies

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's are the main causes of age-related dementia. These diseases can be due to neuronal cell death and/or impairment of neurite outgrowth. Giant oyster mushroom (GOM), Pleurotus giganteus, is used as a nootropic to improve cognitive function. GOM can also be used to prevent the onset of dementia. The underlying mechanism behind the medicinal property of GOM is unclear. Previous studies have shown that GOM has a high concentration of uridine. In this study, I examined the effects of uridine on neurite outgrowth in the Neuro-2a (N2a) neuroblastoma cell line. We also examined …

Decentering As A Facilitator Of Psychological Well-Being, Joe Milosch

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The current study examined one's ability to decenter (i.e., to take a third-person perspective of one's experiences) and its relationship with psychological well-being (levels of positive affect, life satisfaction, negative affect, depression, anxiety, and stress). The two dimensions of decentering are intentional decentered perspective and non-reactivity to thought content. The study also determined which of these two components is a stronger predictor of positive psychological outcomes. One hundred forty-nine college students completed measures of decentering (overall decentering, intentional decentered perspective, and non-reactivity) and psychological well-being (positive affect, life satisfaction, negative affect, depression, anxiety, and stress). Results indicated that overall decentering …

Public Health And Personal Choice: The Ethics Of Vaccine Mandates And Parental Refusal In The United States, Rebecca Horan

Undergraduate Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Exploration Of Sonic Hedgehog Gene Expression In Fathead Minnows (Pimephales Promelas), Brooke Renee Greiner

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Pollutants, as a result of wastewater treatments, have been shown to have negative impacts on aquatic ecosystems. To better understand the possible consequences caused by effluents on ecosystems, it is important to examine ecotoxicology data. One of the most commonly used species for water quality testing is the fathead minnow, Pimephales promelas. Ecotoxicology can then be taken one step further to understand the effects of pollutants on a molecular level. Previous research had identified effluents as causes for abnormal minnow fin morphology. In order to collect additional data on development, tanks with fathead minnows were placed at the Charleston …

The Relationship Between Prosocial Behavior And Teacher Perceptions In Preschoolers, Allie Endsley

Undergraduate Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Social Identity And Communicating Difference In The Current Sociopolitical Environment, Jennifer Folami

Undergraduate Honors Theses

As an individual, I have always valued diversity. The blending of different cultures has always been a part of my reality because of the environment where people from different tribes, ethnicity, and religion lived together in harmony. Growing up in Nigeria, the different tribes of my country were able to co-exist, more than that, they often shared the information about their different beliefs. The sharing of the different cultures helped foster a community that was accepting of people regardless of what made them different. Moving to the United States, I experienced a culture shock because I was in a new …