Digital Commons Network^™

2023 Conference Schedule, Georgia Southern University

Southeast Conference on School Climate

.

2023 Conference Schedule, Georgia Southern University

SoTL Commons Conference

Virtual Schedule Link: https://sotlcommons2023.sched.com/

Fostering Career Readiness Among Biology Students Taking A Research Course In Diagnostic Parasitology, Alexa Von Dohlen

SoTL Commons Conference

No abstract provided.

Analysis Of Student Success: Hybrid Versus Traditional Classroom Model Of Instruction For Introductory College Science Classes, Rebecca Brosky

SoTL Commons Conference

TBD

Exploring Adolescent Resilience During Covid-19 In A South African Township Context, Shannon Enid Wakefield Ms, Linda Theron Prof

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Journal

Abstract

COVID-19 has permeated news since December 2019 and has impacted all areas of life. Despite widespread coverage of COVID-related risks, there is limited understanding of adolescent resilience in Global South contexts (e.g., Africa) and against the backdrop of COVID-19. We, therefore, conducted a qualitative secondary analysis of 79 documents (i.e., drawings and written explanations) generated by school-attending adolescents in grades eight to ten in Zamdela, South Africa, during 2020 lockdown. Using a multisystemic resilience approach, we explored what these documents revealed as resilience enabling for adolescents in a township context during COVID-19. The thematic findings highlight the importance of …

Securing Global Health: Global Citizenship And Covid-19 Awareness, Birol Bulut, Muhammed Kursat Oksuzoglu

Georgia Educational Researcher

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between prospective social studies teachers' global citizenship levels and their COVID-19 awareness levels. To do that, Relational survey model, one of the quantitative research methods, was used. The sample consisted of 409 prospective social studies teachers selected by simple random sampling method from six universities in Turkey. Global Citizenship Scale (GCS), The Coronavirus (COVID-19) Awareness Scale (CAS), and the Personal Information Form developed by the researchers were used in data collection. The t-test, Pearson Correlation Analysis and Multiple Regression Analysis were per-formed to analyze data. A positive and significant relationship …

Executive Function & Self-Regulation In Preschool Age Children: Mindfulness Intervention, Larissa Lamarca

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Executive function is an umbrella term used in psychology to define a number of cognitive processes that are important for success in daily life. Both self-awareness, being able to focus one’s thoughts and behavior, and self-regulation, being able to manage emotional and behavioral responses, are important components of executive function. Between three- and five-years of age, children begin developing such skills rapidly which are necessary for school readiness. This study recruited children participants from four local preschools to test for improvement in attention and self-regulatory skills. Two schools completed a mindful yoga activity for five consecutive days, while a second …

Using Voting As A Lens To Teach Central Tendency And Impact K-8 Future Teachers, Ha Nguyen, Heidi Eisenreich

Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Georgia Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators

This study discusses how teaching K-8 preservice teachers (PSTs) about the measures of central tendency through the context of the voting process impacted their learning about mathematics as well as the voting process and issues that may arise. Being a well-informed citizen, especially for people who will be teaching in the next few years, is important as they will influence many children in the future. Findings show changes in the PSTs' perspectives on the voting process, voting issues, and learning center measures. Additionally, PSTs indicated they enjoyed learning about the measures of central tendency through context of the voting process …

Can Gratitude Lists Mitigate Burnout In First-Year College Students?, Catherine Jones

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

In recent years there has been a significant uptick in people expressing feelings of being burnt out. Many studies have looked at burnout in other students, such as college athletes, but none have looked at the true freshman first-year student. This study applied this intervention to a group of first-year college students to examine the impact of making gratitude lists on feelings of burnout. When comparing a control group that did not engage in gratitude list making, there was no statistically significant difference in feelings of burnout. However, correlation analyses revealed connections between gratitude and burnout variables that may lay …

Developing Best Practices For The Propagation Of Spartina Alterniflora For Use In Salt Marsh Restortaion, Justin Hinson

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Coastal salt marshes are valuable ecosystems under threat from climate change and sea level rise. Living shorelines offer a promising solution, often incorporating the foundational salt marsh species Spartina alterniflora due to its ability to tolerate natural stressors and maintain sediment stability. However, research suggests that seed-based propagation protocols should be developed on a local scale due to the genetic heterogeneity within and between S. alterniflora populations. Here, we attempt to contribute to the development of one such protocol for coastal Georgia S. alterniflora.

In Fall 2021, seeds were collected bi-monthly from four marshes of varying ocean proximity and …

Comparative Analytics On Chilli Plant Disease Using Machine Learning Techniques, Sai Abhishta Roy Seelam

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This thesis concerns the detection of diseases in chilli plants using machine learning techniques. Three algorithms, viz., Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), Recurrent Neural Network (RNN), and Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP), and their variants have been employed. Chilli-producing countries, India, Mexico, China, Indonesia, Spain, the United States, and Turkey. India has the world’s largest chilli production of about 49% (according to 2020). Andhra Pradesh (Guntur) is the largest market in India, where their varieties are more popular for pungency and color. This study classifies five kinds of diseases that affect the chilli, namely, leaf spot, whitefly, yellowish, healthy, and leaf curl. A …

Endogenous Antioxidant Response And Lipid Peroxidation Levels In Muscle Tissue Of The Cownose Ray (Rhinoptera Bonasus), Bailey Berry

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Oxidative stress is the result of an imbalance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidant response within cells. ROS generation is a natural consequence of ETC activity within the mitochondria and is associated with aerobic metabolism. Oxidative stress data on elasmobranch muscle is limited, with previous studies primarily focusing on mammalian and teleost muscle. Elasmobranch skeletal muscle is generally composed of large proportions of white muscle fibers (anaerobic), low proportions of red muscle fibers (aerobic), and low proportions of pink muscle fibers (anaerobic). The cownose ray, a benthopelagic batoid species, presents an interesting model of study because it contains relatively …

Extralegal Bias In The United States Military In Sexual Assault Cases, Taylor F. Blackston

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

By evaluating the case recommendations following a preliminary hearing from military sexual assault cases from fiscal years 2016-2018, this study aims to assess whether or not extralegal factors are influencing decisions of case recommendations of assigned convening authorities. Using secondary data from the Department of Defense’s annual reports on sexual assault in the United States military (n=5,171), this study aims to answer the following questions: Do extralegal factors contribute to convening authorities’ recommendations following Article 32 hearings? If so, what extralegal factors contribute to convening authority's decision on non-judicial hearing recommendations? The results of the following analyses identified several extralegal …

Use Of Hematological Markers To Assess Physiological Condition And Health Status In Free-Ranging Sand Tiger Sharks (Carcharias Taurus), Chestina N. Craig

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The contents of blood can provide information about the physiological condition and health of vertebrates. This study seeks to better understand the stress physiology and blood bacteria presence of the sand tiger shark (Carcharias taurus), as sharks are known to have unique physiology and immune systems. In this study the blood metabolites glucose, lactate, and ketones (3-hydroxybuteric acid and acetoacetate), were used to understand how biotic and abiotic factors affect the acute stress response to capture and handling. Metabolite concentrations from blood plasma were analyzed using colorimetric assays. Glucose and ketones showed no significant responses to capture and …

Exploring Relationship Among Programmatic Expertise, Work Engagement, And Turnover Intentions Across Different Generation Cohorts In State And Local Governmental Public Health Agencies, Stephanie L. Irvin

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This study examined the relationship among public health programmatic competencies, work engagement, and turnover intentions among state and local public health workers. It also explored the moderating role of generational cohorts in these relationships. It employed a quantitative secondary data analysis using the 2021 PHWINS survey, a collaboration between the de Beaumont Foundation and The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. The study's principal findings shed light on critical relationships within the public health workforce: Firstly, an increase in programmatic expertise among public health professionals is linked to increased work engagement, particularly notable within the Millennial cohort. Secondly, a …

Graduate Catalog, Georgia Southern University

Graduate Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Perpetrator And Victim Gender, Rape Myths, And Report Timing On Blame Attributions Following Sexual Assault, Katherine E. Kennon

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Previous research examined the effects of victim gender, perpetrator gender, and rape myth acceptance on victim blaming attribution; however, fewer studies explore victim and perpetrator gender at the same time, and even fewer studies examined the relevance of factors like timing of reporting (immediate or delayed) or rurality. The primary purpose of the study, therefore, was to explore the effect of victim gender, perpetrator gender, and report timing (same day vs. six months later) on victim blaming attributions. The study also examined the role of rape myth acceptance on victim blame and compared levels of rape myth acceptance across participant …

Training Specificity And Functional Performance In Collegiate Cheerleaders, Carly Routman

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

INTRODUCTION: Competitive collegiate cheerleading requires participants to be conditioned for explosive powerful movements. Studies have shown cheerleading is associated with a high incidence of catastrophic injury (Mueller, 2009; Boden, 2005; Xu et al., 2021). In response to high injury rates, studies have recommended strength and conditioning requirements to decrease the likelihood of injury due to the lack of cheer-specific training (Jacobson et al., 2004). Although it has been recommended for cheerleaders to receive formal strength training, many schools do not provide these resources to their cheerleading teams. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine if there are differences …

Evaluation Of The Loving Support Peer Counseling Program On Breastfeeding Duration Rates Among African American Women Enrolled In The Program (2017-2018), Nancy S. Jeffery

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Mothers and babies form an inseparable biological and social unit; the health and nutrition of one group cannot be divorced from the health and nutrition of the other.”-World Health Organization. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Loving Support Peer Counseling (LSPC) program, under the WIC program in the state of Georgia, on breastfeeding duration rates among African American postpartum primiparas women. This observational study analyzed state-level data from January 2017 through December 2018. A cross-sectional design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the Loving Support Peer Counseling Program (LSPC) in six of the …

The Portrayal Of Disability In 19th And 20th Century American Novels, Taylor Whittington

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This thesis explores the treatment of disabled characters by their family and communities in 19^th and 20^th - century American literature. The three works being evaluated are, The Monster (1898) by Stephen Crane, The Sound and The Fury (1928) by William Faulkner, and Of Mice and Men (1937) by John Steinbeck. Although The Sound and The Fury and Of Mice and Men contain a white disabled character, The Monster details the disfiguration of an African American man. In The Monster, race exacerbates the community’s response to the disfigured Henry Johnson, compared to Lennie in Of Mice and Men, …

Intersectionality Of Self-Reported Food Insecurity And Perceived Stress Of College Students At A Land-Grant Southeastern Higher Education Institution During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Kendra Oonorasak, Makenzie Barr, Michael Pennell, Dylan Hardesty, Kotomi Yokokura, Samantha Udarbe, Tammy Stephenson

Journal of Higher Education & Student Affairs

College food insecurity (FI) and poor psychosocial health are prevalent public health issues in the U.S., yet often overlooked. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, repercussions on these critical inequity issues remain unclear. During the summer months of 2020, this cross-sectional survey examined associations between students’ self-reported FI and perceived stress (PSS-10), one aspect of poor psychosocial health. An anonymous online survey was distributed to a convenience sample of college students at a land grant institution of higher education in the southeastern U.S., and $10 e-gift card was provided to survey respondents. The survey response rate was 26.2% (n=235) and participants were …

The Effect Of Larval Competition On Adult Life History Traits And The Immune Response Of Adult Cat Fleas (Ctenocephalides Felis), Piper N. Zellner, Lisa D. Brown

Honors College Theses

In holometabolous insects, conditions during the larval stage can affect the adult stage. For instance, in mosquitoes, reduced larval food and high density can make adults more susceptible to infection. Fleas (Siphonaptera), like mosquitoes, go through complete metamorphosis and have adult stages that exclusively feed on the blood of vertebrates, including humans. However, flea larvae have chewing mandibles and rely on nutrients from dried fecal matter containing vertebrate blood proteins. Their limited mobility and unique nutritional needs confine their development to specific areas, likely leading to frequent larval competition in natural conditions. Yet, the influence of larval density on the …

The Effect Of Genetic Relatedness On Mate Selection And Spatial Distribution In The American Alligator, Alligator Mississippiensis, Mark Hoog

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

To date, most genetic studies on the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) have focused on population genetics and multiple paternity. There have not been any studies looking at how relatedness affects alligator behavior and movement. This study focused on three main questions: 1) what is the genetic diversity among alligators in this location? 2) can parentage be accurately defined among parents and offspring? and 3) how does individual relatedness affect their spatial distribution? We examined the relatedness of 174 unique individuals from the Okefenokee Swamp Park, in South Georgia, USA. In addition, we placed Telonics^® satellite tags on …

The Effects Of Cucurbitacin B And Silmitasertib On Metastasis And Itga6 Using The Zebrafish Tumor-Xenograft, Alexandra Griffis

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Ninety percent of cancer deaths are resultant from the metastasis of cancer cells. When cancer cells translocate through blood vessels or the lymphatic system, they may form tumors outside of their primary site. The processes of metastasis can begin quickly; after onset, metastasis is unforgiving, as it does not participate with the body’s physiological systems in an orderly way. In the past, our lab produced results indicating that a cell adhesion molecule, Integrin Alpha-6, may contribute to cancer cells' ability to metastasize. Integrins mediate interactions between the cell and the Extracellular Matrix (ECM), regulating cell attachment and cell migration. With …

Spatial Drivers Of Freshwater Fish Biodiversity, Community Structure, And Diet Composition Across Georgia, Usa, Patrick Lewis

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The geographic complexity of the Southeastern United States, in particular Georgia, is evident in the diversity of stream habitats present throughout that host unique stream fish communities but is threatened by anthropogenic activity. This spatial complexity can be captured through the ecoregion framework, which delineates areas of distinct habitat. However, this differing habitat character between ecoregions leads to different environmental pressures that may promote species heterogeneity between communities, may create intraspecific niche diversity in widely distributed species, and may complicate the transferability of widely accepted theoretical models of fish ecology between them. I analyzed a long-term fish community dataset, examining …

Understanding The Feasibility Of Improving Interfacial Properties In Direct Ink Writing Of Silicone-Polyurethane Resin Hybrid Material, Ayobami Samuel Akinfenwa

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The progress in materials engineering and the ability to make various models possible have made soft robotics a popular alternative to traditional robotics. Still, soft robots need various parts, like Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs), batteries, cables, fittings, and more, to work correctly or to get attached to other complex parts. These parts can have different material properties, like elastic moduli, strength, etc. Because of these differences, mechanical failures happen at the points where two materials meet, making soft robots less durable and less lasting in real-life situations due to failure. Conventionally, the fabrication of soft robot parts is through moulding. …

Eagle Executive Magazine, Georgia Southern University

College of Business: News & Publications

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Nanoparticle Conjugated Photosensitizer For Targeted Photodynamic Inactivation Of Cancer Cells, Symone D. Crowder

Honors College Theses

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is considered to be a potential replacement for traditional methods of chemotherapy. It includes the administration of photosensitizing agents (PS), which generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) upon excitation at a specific wavelength. With new outlooks and techniques, cancer research is advancing each day. It has allowed the progress of several theranostic drug delivery systems (DDS) exploring the area of nanomedicine.2 In the present work, a Rhodamine derivative, Rhodamine 6G (R6G) was used as the PS. In general, rhodamine compounds undergo cytotoxic reactions on photoexcitation by electron transfer reactions with folic acid within cells, making them a favorable …

Newsroom, Georgia Southern University

Newsroom (2006-2023)

• Approximately 2,100 Degrees Conferred During Georgia Southern’s 2022 Fall Commencement Ceremonies
• Graduating Student had ‘Wild’ Time at Georgia Southern
• Educator Turned Soldier: Georgia Southern ROTC Graduate Commissions as Officer in National Guard After Returning for MBA Degree
• Nontraditional Student Returns to Georgia Southern University to Chart New Career Path

Newsroom, Georgia Southern University

Newsroom (2006-2023)

• A Graduate of Firsts: Honors College Double Major and Navy Intelligence Analyst Emma Williams Crosses New Frontiers
• ‘Instead of Retiring, I’m Refiring,’ Says Public Health Advocate Who Earns Georgia Southern Doctoral Degree this Week
• From Georgia Southern to Aerojet Rocketdyne: December Graduate Finds Her Wings
• Georgia Southern Graduate Finds Career at Top Cybersecurity Consulting Firm
• Aspiring Lawyer Becomes Georgia Southern Graduate at 17
• ‘It’s Like Something from a Movie’ for a Pair of Graduating Eagle Singers