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“I’M Not Good At Math”: Mathematical Illiteracy And Innummeracy In The United States, G. Wesley Rogers

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Why do we view mathematics the way we do in the United States and how have these views created an environment where we consider mathematical illiteracy and innumeracy socially and culturally acceptable when a lack of this knowledge and ability can function to enslave, exploit, restrict, and oppress. Throughout this investigation, I have explored some of the possible reasons for why we view education, mathematics, and the learning of mathematics the way we do and the impact of these views on our motivation and desire to learn mathematics. Using my over 20 years of teaching experience and the review of …

Approaches Toward Novel 1,2,3-Triazole Sensors For The Detection Of Anions And Heavy Metal Cations, Richard D. Govan

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Cations and anions play pivotal roles in biological and physiological processes, however an imbalance in concentration of any ion can be detrimental. Therefore, research into the selective recognition of anions and heavy metal cations has acquired much attention. One approach involves the use of chemosensors. Upon interaction with targeted analytes, chemosensors produce a distinct response, in some cases a fluorescent or colorimetric signal. The 1,2,3-triazole unit has much potential as a chemical sensor due to its unique photophysical properties. The specificity, selectivity, and signaling mechanism of triazole sensors can be tuned with conjugation in the motif and choice and placement …

Fiber Products In Commutative Algebra, Keller Vandebogert

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to introduce and illustrate some of the deep connections between commutative and homological algebra. We shall cover some of the fundamental definitions and introduce several important classes of commutative rings. The later chapters will consider a particular class of rings, the \emph{fiber product}, and, among other results, show that any Gorenstein fiber product is precisely a one dimensional hypersurface. It will also be shown that any Noetherian local ring with a (nontrivially) decomposable maximal ideal satisfies the Auslander-Reiten conjecture. To conclude, generalizations of results by Takahashi and Atkins-Vraciu shall be presented.

Adrc Based Control Of Nonlinear Dynamical System With Multiple Sources Of Disturbance And Multiple Inputs, Chan Mi Park

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

In this thesis, we study the stability of Active Disturbance Rejection Control (ADRC) applied to controlling the Lorenz system. The Lorenz system is a nonlinear dynamical system that we attempt to control. In fact, the system is used to model convection flow such as that found in thermosyphons, electric circuits, and lasers. We are stabilizing the Lorenz system along with a few disturbances. Thus, to stabilize this chaotic system, a robust controller is required. The ADRC system is known as as effective method to stabilize a dynamical system. With the help of the Extended State Observer (ESO), the system can …

My Life Is A Manifesto: From Rich, To Poor, To Teacher, Angela M. Pieniaszek

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This inquiry travels through stages of my education and life in order to explore the following three questions: How do a teacher’s values and personal experiences translate into teaching lives and teaching acts? How do teachers and students live counterstories inside and outside of the classroom? How do class, gender and place impact teaching and learning? Building on the works of critical theorists, (Apple, 2004; Ayers, 2004; Delpit, 2006; Freire, 2005; hooks, 1994; Kincheloe, 2004; Kincheloe & Pinar, 1991; Kozol, 1992; Watkins, 2001,2004), autobiographical studies (He, 2003, 2010; Miller, 2005; Pinar, 1994; Schubert & Ayers; 1990) and memoirs (Angelou, 1993; …

Α-Eleostearic Acid Extraction By Saponification Of Tung Oil And Its Subsequent Polymerization, Amanda Murawski

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The goal of environmentally sound research is to provide alternatives that are more sustainable and renewable, such as vegetable oil-based polymers, than the current petroleum-based products. Vegetable oil-based polymers have received a lot of attention recently due their multifaceted properties, which are simply achieved by adjusting the monomer or resin composition. The carbon-carbon double bonds in unsaturated oils are ideal reactive sites for the free radical or cationic polymerizations. Most vegetable oils must be modified before polymerization due to the low reactivity of their non-conjugated fatty acid chains. Tung oil (TO) contains ~83% of a triply conjugated fatty acid ( …

Optimization Methods For Tabular Data Protection, Iryna Petrenko

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

In this thesis we consider a minimum distance Controlled Tabular Adjustment (CTA) model for statistical disclosure limitation (control) of tabular data. The goal of the CTA model is to find the closest safe table to some original tabular data set that contains sensitive information. The measure of closeness is usually measured using l₁ or l₂ norm; with each measure having its advantages and disadvantages. According to the given norm CTA can be formulated as an optimization problem: Liner Programing (LP) for l₁, Quadratic Programing (QP) for l₂. In this thesis we present an alternative …

The Difference In Academic Achievement For Students In The Healthy Fitness Zone Compared To The High Risk Zone For Bmi And Aerobic Capacity, Nathan C. Pennington

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Childhood obesity rates have climbed significantly over the past 40 years. With that, there has also been an increase in the number of associated health concerns, such as diabetes, heart disease, and asthma, of many. Quite independently, there has also been an increase in the accountability placed on schools to improve their reading and math test scores. This has resulted in a decrease in physical activity times in schools in order to provide more class time for reading and math. This study’s purpose has been to identify whether a difference exists in academic outcomes for students in the HFZ compared …

An Interactionist View Of African American Males In Educational Leadership, Samuel D. Dasher Jr

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

During the segregation era, African American males held positions of leadership in schools in African American communities. When schools were integrated as a result of Brown v. The Board of Education, the number of African American males in positions of educational leadership began a rapid decline. Even as the demographics of the United States have become much more diverse, the gap between African American male educational leaders and their white male counterparts remains significant. This study examines the perceptions of African American male K-12 educational leaders about their positions, why they chose to become educational leaders, and the paths they …

Applications Of Flow Network Models In Finance, Angel J. Woods

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

In this thesis we explore the applications of flow networks in practical problems in finance. After introducing basic definitions and background information, we first survey some known applications of flow networks in theoretical mathematics. We also briefly comment on their potential applications in the setting of financial flow networks. We then construct networks from practical financial flows and present the construction, reasoning, and known applications. Lastly, we show a design of financial flow networks that takes time into consideration and discuss its applications.

Antibiotics And Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria In Coastal Plain Streams, Jason Duff

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Streams across the United States and globally are influenced by environmental contamination, including antibiotics, which enter streams due to widespread use and multiple pathways into the environment. Antibiotics are also likely to enter streams in mixture with other contaminants that alter the effects on aquatic organisms. Furthermore, antibiotic-resistant bacteria enter streams through similar pathways as antibiotics with implications for natural microbial communities. Therefore, understanding the presence and effects of antibiotic-contaminant mixtures and antibiotic-resistant bacteria in streams is important for resource management.

Chapter one describes an experiment that tested the hypothesis that the antibiotic tetracycline (TC) alone influences phytoplankton communities differently …

Pattern Containment In Circular Permutations, Charles Lanning

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Pattern containment in permutations, as opposed to pattern avoidance, involves two aspects. The first is to contain every pattern at least once from a given set, known as finding superpatterns; while the second is to contain some given pattern as many times as possible, known as pattern packing. In this thesis, we explore these two questions in circular permutations and present some interesting observations. We also raise some questions and propose some directions for future study.

The Bessel Function, The Hankel Transform And An Application To Differential Equations, Isaac C. Voegtle

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

In this thesis we explore the properties of Bessel functions. Of interest is how they can be applied to partial differential equations using the Hankel transform. We use an example in two dimensions to demonstrate the properties at work as well as formulate thoughts on how to take the results further.

Silver Nanoparticle Fate And Accumulation In The Aquatic Food Web Of Stream Microcosms, Stefan J. Petersen

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are used in 25% of all nano-enabled products and applied for anti-microbial properties. Silver nanoparticles are discharged into aquatic environments through wastewater discharge, runoff, and chemical spills. Once in aquatic environments silver nanoparticles have the potential to harm aquatic organisms. While the fate of silver nanoparticles in lentic systems has been investigated, limited information is available for the fate of silver nanoparticles in flowing environments. The purpose of this study was to compare the fate of AgNPs following a one-time pulsed application simulating a chemical spill, or small repetitive applications simulating effluent discharge, in artificial stream communities …

Application Of The Misclassification Simulation Extrapolation (Mc-Simex) Procedure To Log-Logistic Accelerated Failure Time (Aft) Models In Survival Analysis, Varadan Sevilimedu

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Survival analysis is the study of time to event outcomes. Accelerated Failure Time models (AFT) serve as a useful tool in survival analysis to study the time of occurrence of an event and its relation to the covariates of interest. The accuracy of estimation of parameters in a model depends upon the correct measurement of covariates. Considering that perfect measurement of covariates is highly unlikely, it is imperative that the performance of the existing bias-correction methods be analyzed in AFT models. However, certain areas of bias-correction in AFT models still remain unexplored. One of these unexplored areas, is a situation …

Intuition And Curriculum: From Precognition To Agency, Sandra Martinaitis

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The dissertation is a speculative essay using the framework of Joseph Schwab’s (1969) commonplaces of: subject matter, student, teacher and milieu to examine how intuition can and should form part of curriculum. The overarching theme is that intuition and intuitive teaching and learning is an iterative path which leads to self-knowledge, reflection, cognition and acceptance of ‘other’ -- the Freirian (2010) notion of tolérance-- resulting in critical thinking and agency to ameliorate lives -- particularly of the oppressed. It embraces the clichéd notion of education leading to informed citizens who will make the right choices for society as a …

Examining And Exposing The Darknet, Ton H. Don

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This thesis consists of two studies; the first study is “Diving into the Darknet” and the second is “Exposing the Darknet on Mobile Devices”. The Darknet is a network of hidden sites and services which are built based on anonymity. In “Diving into the Darknet”, we applied different data science methods to establish the relationships between the data in the data set. This data set has information related to seller, drug types, and transactions. Additionally, we used Tableau to visualize the data set. For the second study, we took a digital forensics perspective of the Darknet. Orfox and Orbot, a …

Quasi-Random Action Selection In Markov Decision Processes, Samuel D. Walker

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

In Markov decision processes an operator exploits known data regarding the environment it inhabits. The information exploited is learned from random exploration of the state-action space. This paper proposes to optimize exploration through the implementation of quasi-random sequences in both discrete and continuous state-action spaces. For the discrete case a permutation is applied to the indices of the action space to avoid repetitive behavior. In the continuous case sequences of low discrepancy, such as Halton sequences, are utilized to disperse the actions more uniformly.

A Correlational Study Of The Georgia School Board Association's Board Recognition Program And Student Achievement, Holly E. Rutledge

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The role of school boards in American public education has been intensely debated for well over a century (Johnson, 2013). A broad variety of research on school boards exists, ranging from the topic of school board elections, to board member leadership styles, and to decision making processes. Much less research exists, however, on the impact of school boards on student achievement, even though school boards are increasingly targeted as one of the main reasons for poor student achievement (Jacobsen & Linkow, 2014). Johnson (2013) contends there is a growing body of evidence that indicates school boards play a critical role …

Modeling Volatility Of Financial Time Series Using Arc Length, Benjamin H. Hoerlein

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This thesis explores how arc length can be modeled and used to measure the risk involved with a financial time series. Having arc length as a measure of volatility can help an investor in sorting which stocks are safer/riskier to invest in. A Gamma autoregressive model of order one(GAR(1)) is proposed to model arc length series. Kernel regression based bias correction is studied when model parameters are estimated using method of moment procedure. As an application, a model-based clustering involving thirty different stocks is presented using k-means++ and hierarchical clustering techniques.

Oasis - Identifying The Core Attributes For Rdbms Alternatives, Benjamin P. Mcpherson

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Since their introduction in the 1970s, relational database management systems have served as the dominate data storage technology. However, the demands of big data and Web 2.0 necessitated a change in the market, sparking the beginning of the NoSQL movement in the late 2000s. NoSQL databases exchanged the relational model and the guaranteed consistency of ACID transactions for improved performance and massive scalability [1]. While the benefits NoSQL provided proved useful, the lack of sufficient SQL functionality presented a major hurdle for organizations which require it to properly operate. It was clear that new RDBMS solutions which did not compromise …

Audio-Based Productivity Forecasting Of Construction Cyclic Activities, Chris A. Sabillon

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Due to its high cost, project managers must be able to monitor the performance of construction heavy equipment promptly. This cannot be achieved through traditional management techniques, which are based on direct observation or on estimations from historical data. Some manufacturers have started to integrate their proprietary technologies, but construction contractors are unlikely to have a fleet of entirely new and single manufacturer equipment for this to represent a solution. Third party automated approaches include the use of active sensors such as accelerometers and gyroscopes, passive technologies such as computer vision and image processing, and audio signal processing. Hitherto, most …

Solar Irradiance Forecasting And Implications For Domestic Electric Water Heating, Christopher Nutter

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

As the effects of burning fossil fuels continues to present its prevalence, the interests in alternative forms of energy is expanding. Within the home, the domestic electrical water heater accounts for approximately 17% of its energy consumption. Reducing the amount of energy required to produce hot water from this thermal system alone can have a significant effect on reducing its carbon footprint. In this presented work, a modeled domestic electrical water heater was supplied photovoltaic and on-grid electrical power to increase its energy efficiency. As photovoltaic (PV) energy is directly related to solar irradiation, it is important to receive accurate …

Energy Storage Management And Simulation For Nano-Grids, Shantu Ghose

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Energy storage has been utilized in many forms and applications from a flashlight to the Space Shuttle. There is a worldwide effort to develop battery model with high energy level and power densities for a variety range of applications, including hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) and photovoltaic system (PV). To improve battery technology, understanding the battery modeling is very important. So, modeling the thermal behavior of a battery is a vital consideration before designing an effective thermal management system which will operate safely and prolong the lifespan of an energy storage system. The first part of this work focused on the …

Eagle Educator, Georgia Southern University

College of Education: News & Publications (2003-2023)

• Shaping Youth in Bulloch County
• M.Ed. in Educational Leadership
• Certificate in Curriculum and Pedagogy for Social Justice
• Bachelor of Science in Education, Secondary Education
• College to Offer New Degree Program, M.Ed. in TCLD
• The Innovation Studio Offers an Instructional Technology Experience
• MAT in Early Childhood
• From the Department of Leadership, Technology and Human Development
• COE Piloting Faculty-in-Residence Program Starting Spring 2017
• Partnership Summit 2016
• edCamp @GeorgiaSouthern
• COE Professor Travels the World for Comparative Research and Understanding
• COE Professor Wins University’s Excellence Award
• Jack Miller Award 2016 Winners Named
• Marvin Pittman Lab School Reunites
• NEW BOARD MEMBERS
• COE Alumnus Named Georgia …

Text Summarization Techniques: A Brief Survey, Mehdi Allahyari, Seyedamin Pouriyeh, Mehdi Assefi, Saeid Safaei, Elizabeth D. Trippe, Juan B. Gutierrez, Krys Kochut

Computing: Faculty Publications

In recent years, there has been a explosion in the amount of text data from a variety of sources. This volume of text is an invaluable source of information and knowledge which needs to be effectively summarized to be useful. Text summarization is the task of shortening a text document into a condensed version keeping all the important information and content of the original document. In this review, the main approaches to automatic text summarization are described. We review the different processes for summarization and describe the effectiveness and shortcomings of the different methods.

Faculty Senate Librarian's Report 2017 Combined, Georgia Southern University

Faculty Senate: Librarian's Reports

No abstract provided.

Faculty Handbook, Georgia Southern University

Faculty Handbooks

Faculty Handbook for Georgia Southern University for the 2017-2018 academic year. The Faculty Handbook is published online by the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs and archived in Digital Commons@Georgia Southern.

2017 Georgia Southern University Men's Soccer Media Guide, Georgia Southern University

Men's Soccer Records

• Georgia Southern 2017 Men's Soccer Media Guide & Record Book

2017 Georgia Southern University Men's Soccer Roster, Georgia Southern University

Men's Soccer Records

• Georgia Southern University Athletics 2017 Men's Soccer Roster