Digital Commons Network^™

Identifying Collegiate Athlete's Motivation To Continue Training In Quarantine Compared Between Sexes, Delaney A. Jamison

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Purpose: To identify the type of motivation that was most common among NCAA Division I athletes to continue training during a period of quarantine and how this differs between sexes. Methods: Male and female student-athletes from a university in the southern United States were recruited for the study. 47 participants (males = 13, females = 34) completed the Sport Motivation Scale-II (SMS-II) and Basic Needs Satisfaction in Sport Sale (BNSSS) questionnaire to determine their motivation and basic needs satisfaction during the period of imposed quarantine. Data Analysis: A Mann-Whitney-U test was calculated to determine the differences of composite intrinsic motivation …

An Exploration Of Depression In African American Adults With Sickle Cell Disease: Symptoms, Coping Strategies And The Potential Benefits Of Religiosity, Delores P. Quasie-Woode

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Depressive symptoms in adults with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) often go unrecognized and untreated. SCD is one of the most common inherited hemoglobin disorders in the United States, affecting 1 in 365 African Americans. Individuals with SCD and co-morbid Depression lead to high hospitalization rates and healthcare utilization. The objective of this study is to explore depressive symptoms and preferred coping strategies among African American Adults with SCD. Furthermore, the aim is to explore the acceptability of religiosity among those who self-identify as religious.

Interviews were conducted with 30 African American adults, recruited during their hematology appointment at the Center …

The Effects Of Nacl On The Triple Helix Structure Of Collagen And The Reinforcement Of Tung Oil-Based Polymers With Collagen Peptides, Christopher Dzorkpata

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

In this research, a collagen-reinforced bio-composite from tung oil was prepared using free radical initiation and thermal polymerization, leading to polyolefinic tung oil-based matrix. Two peptides (long and short) were synthesized and their secondary features were analyzed using circular dichroism spectroscopy. After this analysis, the long peptide exhibited more triple helix characteristics as compared to the short peptide. The full protein will ultimately have a better interaction with the tung oil, was used in the synthesis of the collagen-reinforced bio-composite. The presence of NaCl in the triple helix and its overall effect on the thermal and mechanical properties of the …

Myelination: A Plastic Religion, Cody A. Thomas

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Plastic products are convenient, abundant and our use of them has become routine. This acceptance of

plastics’ presence has become a dogma that most humans adhere to. The continual consumption of

these single-use plastics in our daily lives has unknowingly shaped our environmental consciousness,

behaviors, and justification for them. This belief in plastics function has been strategically developed by

companies that rely on our behaviors to distribute their products. Humans have become the faithful

consumers of these goods and this belief. The brain and its ability to remain plastic and develop

decision-making skills are known as Myelination. New experiences enhance …

Numerical Approximation Of Lyapunov Exponents And Its Applications In Control Systems, Nakita K. Andrews

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The progression of state trajectories with respect to time, and its stability properties can be described by a system of nonlinear differential equations. However, since most nonlinear dynamical systems cannot be solved by hand, one must rely on computer simulations to observe the behavior of the system. This work focuses on chaotic systems. The Lyapunov Exponent (LE) is frequently used in the quantitative studies of a chaotic system. Lyapunov exponents give the average rate of separation of nearby orbits in phase space, which can be used to determine the state of a system, e.g. stable or unstable. The objective of …

Applicant Religion And Work Qualifications Impacting Hiring Decisions, William T. Cagle

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The underlying effect of religious bias towards Muslims has negatively impacted their chances of receiving equal employment opportunities. The current study attempts to observe this effect by having Christian participants pretend to be a boss of a company and asking them to evaluate a fictitious resume and rate the applicant on their suitability for the managerial job at hand. The applicants were either Christian or Muslim. Based on the justification-suppression model, we also attempted to observe the effect having different hiring qualifications had on the applicant ratings. To do this, applicants either had a high or low GPA, and they …

Assessing Short-Term Microalgal Community Responses Over Altering Hydrological Conditions In Experimental Wetlands Of Costal Georgia, Maggie M. Kuhn

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Wetlands provide valuable ecosystem services such as nutrient cycling and carbon storage. Microalgae (i.e., diatoms) provide the foundation of primary production and determine rates of energy transfer throughout the system. Climate change models predict an increase in frequency of intense storms and severe drought conditions that pose a threat to known hydrological regimes and wetland ecosystem stability. The purpose of my study was to assess the effects of water permanence (i.e., duration of flooding) on diatom community structure in experimental wetlands. I predicted that wetlands with prolonged periods of flooding (i.e., permanent) would harbor a consistent diatom community throughout flooding …

Understanding Racial Experiences And The Influence Of Family On Stress And Familism Attitudes, Jaqueline Miranda

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Sixty-five percent of undergraduates reported family as their most important in-group and 79% reported family as being in their top three in-groups (McConnell, 2019). Familial bonds are vital for racial ethnic minorities because of their unique experiences as minorities such as experienced racism, acculturative stress, and other forms of adversity. The current study examined the effects of a racially-based stress induction and imaginal exercise on state stress levels and familial attitudes, and the relationship between racial-ethnic socialization and racial battle fatigue including kinship social support as a moderator. The study used an experimental design, manipulating stress induction through a script …

Using Genetic Approaches To Understand Tumorigenesis In Drosophila, Shawna Defreitas

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The large number of conserved molecular and signaling pathways between Drosophila melanogaster and humans, makes Drosophila an effective model organism to better understand human diseases, including cancers. Previous studies by clinicians and researchers have identified PTEN, BRCA2, P53, NF1, and RB1 as key mutational drivers in High Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer (HGSOC), the most malignant form of ovarian cancer in humans. The objective of this study was to develop a tumor model in the follicle cell epithelium of the Drosophila ovary and to use immunohistochemistry to study the molecular mechanisms behind tumor development. First, the Drosophila …

Macroinvertebrate Responses To Hydrological Variation In Experimental Wetlands., Sergio A. Sabat-Bonilla

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Predicted increases in the frequency of intense storms and periods of severe drought due to climate change represent a threat to wetland macroinvertebrate communities through alterations to the hydrological regime. I used experimental ponds to assess the effects of water permanence (i.e., duration of flooding) on the communities of aquatic macroinvertebrates. I predicted that permanent ponds would harbor higher diversity of longer-lived taxa whereas temporary ones will favor colonization by quick turnover, short-lived taxa and support lower consumer diversity. Results show differences in macroinvertebrate communities between permanent and temporary ponds can be mostly explained by hydrology and the amount of …

Mothering Through Our Pain: Single Black Mothers’ Narratives, Yolanda E. Surrency

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Black women’s voices and historical contributions have been dismissed, and even excluded, making it difficult for their cultural knowledge to be transmitted to future generations. Black women battle with an unsettled consciousness from subscribing to the normalization of what dominant culture defines as good mothering. This study uses Black feminism to examine single Black mothers who navigate the negative images of the welfare queen and the matriarch. This narrative study uses Black feminism to examine the stories of single, Black mothers and their daughters. The purpose is to investigate Black mothers’ lived experiences to understand their struggles and resistance. Purposeful …

United States Nursing Homes And Health Equity During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Carla Cooper

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected older populations, with nursing homes impacted early on by the disease. The contribution of race/ethnicity of nursing home residents and facility characteristics on COVID-19 were unknown. The Donabedian model framework was used to study the relationship between the racial/ethnic characteristics of nursing home residents and COVID-19 outcomes and to examine if this relationship was moderated by the racial/ethnic composition of the county of nursing home location.

Method: Cross-sectional research design merging data from five publicly available sources. Laboratory confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths were compared by the racial composition of the county and nursing …

Lipid Metabolites As Energy Stores In Four Stingray Species, Lauren Moniz

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Assessing macronutrient transfer is important for estimating ecosystem health and structure. This nutrient transfer is facilitated through trophic position interactions and the consumption of biomass. Lipids are macronutrients that can be used to assess energy flow. Triglyceride (TAG) and free fatty acids (FFA) are important lipids that are obtained from diet and integrate into tissues. They are representative of energy stores and potential energy available for metabolic processes. In marine ecosystems, stingrays occupy the mesopredator niche, facilitating nutrient transfer from lower to higher trophic positions. Stingrays consume a variety of prey items ranging in lipid content, but how lipid metabolites …

Working Memory Capacity Among College Students: The Role Of Gender And Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms, Lydia R. Bickham

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Among college students, 81.8% report experiencing at least one traumatic event in their lifetime, and approximately one third report experiencing Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms (PTSS) (Overstreet, Berenz, Kendler, Dick, & Amstadter, 2017). Individuals who experience PTSS may have impaired cognitive functioning when processing trauma-relevant material (Blanchette, Rutembesa, Habimana, & Caparos, 2018). An example of this is working memory capacity (WMC), which can be disrupted by affective distractors (Vytal, Cornwell, & Letkiewicz, 2013). In addition to impaired daily functioning (American Psychiatric Association (APA), 2013) those with lower cognitive performance also respond less effectively to clinical treatment options for PTSS (Wild & Gur, …

Design And Development Of Soft Earthworm Robot Driven By Fibrous Artificial Muscles, Beau Ragland

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Earthworm robots have proven their viability in the fields of medicine, reconnaissance, search and rescue, and infrastructure inspection. These robots are traditionally typically hard-shelled and must be tethered to whatever drives their locomotion. For this reason, truly autonomous capabilities are not yet feasible. The goal of this thesis is to introduce a robot that not only sets the groundwork for autonomous locomotion, but also is safe for human-robot interaction. This was done by ensuring that the actuation principle utilized by the robot is safe around humans and can work in an untethered design. Artificial muscle actuation allowed for these prerequisites …

Assessing The Utility Of Environmental Dna Techniques To Monitor White Shrimp (Litopenaeus Setiferus) Abundance On The Georgia Coast, Raven Hurt

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Environmental DNA (eDNA) surveys have developed over the last decade from once being a novel tool to now acting as an effective technology often used in complement to traditional capture surveys for assessing the distribution of organisms in freshwater and marine environments. However, many uncertainties on how to properly develop, operate, and analyze eDNA based techniques still hinder this technology effectiveness in the field. The white shrimp, Litopenaeus setiferus, is a common, commercially and recreationally important species in the United States, with landings exceeding $254 million in 2020. L. setiferus is also used as a key indicator species to changes …

Evaluating St. Catherines Island's Shoreline, Vegetation Line, And The Locations Of Loggerhead Sea Turtle Nests, Sydney O. Davis

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

St. Catherines Island is a highly dynamic barrier island on the Georgia coast that is also federally listed critical nesting habitat for loggerhead sea turtles. Understanding how St. Catherines’ shoreline and vegetation is changing over time is geographically important as a potential template for other barrier islands. Measuring sea turtle nest locations will provide insight into their natural patterns and how they adjust those locations on a changing barrier island. Analyzing Moving Boundaries Using R (AMBUR) is implemented in this research to assess the movement of the vegetation and shorelines from 2005-2017 using the End Point Rate (EPR) and Linear …

Lack Of Plasticity In Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus Polyphemus) Nesting Behavior And Fecundity In A Translocated Population, Jennifer N. Desha

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Lack of Plasticity in Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) Nesting Behavior and Fecundity in a Translocated Population

"Who's The Man?" Examining The Relationships Between Black Masculinity, Perceived Social Support, And Sexual Behavior In Black Male College Students, James Thomas

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Introduction: Sexual health disparities in college-aged Black men remains a critical public health issue. Black men are likely to have an earlier sexual debut, acquire sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV at higher rates, and enter fatherhood at earlier ages than their White counterparts. Previous research has identified masculinity and perceived social support as predictors of sexual risk behavior for men in the U.S. However, when exploring masculinity’s influence on sexual behavior, studies that are culturally sensitive to Black men’s experiences and perspectives on manhood are few. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between Black masculinity, …

The Retention Of African American Male College Students In East Georgia State College, Larry R. Braddy

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This study focused upon the perceptions of twenty African American male students enrolled in an undergraduate degree program at East Georgia State College regarding retention initiatives, student support services, and student engagement inside and outside the classroom. Previous research of Black male college achievement addressed almost exclusively the extent to which students were disengaged and underrepresented among college students. Utilizing an anti-deficit framework, I examined the participant’s perceptions of their pre-college socialization and readiness, including the influence of their families, peers, and educators upon their college enrollment. Also, I presented in this research the findings from the perceptions of staff, …

Using Zebrafish (Danio Rerio) To Evaluate The Use Of Food Waste Based Feed In Sustainable Small-Scale Aquaculture, Caitlin May

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Food waste is rich in nutrients and a valuable resource, but currently its primary method of disposal in the United States (US) is unsustainable. In 2018 the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimated that the commercial, institutional, and residential sectors of the US economy wasted 63 million metric tons of food, most of which was sent to landfills. Instead, food waste could be recycled and used to supplement or replace commercial feed in aquaculture to sustainably stimulate production of fish. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) are a well characterized animal model closely related to other fish species that are important …

Advance (Fall 2021), Georgia Southern Division Of Continuing And Professional Education

Division of Continuing & Professional Education

No abstract provided.

The Morass Of Misconceptions: How Unjustified Beliefs Influence Pedagogy And Learning, Morgan Mcafee, Bobby Hoffman

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

When teachers harbor misconceptions or unjustified beliefs about teaching, learning, and academic motivation, the pedagogical consequences can be severe. It is likely these teachers will unintentionally perpetuate such false beliefs upon students through ineffective teaching strategies or misinterpretations of learning science. Misconceptions among K-12 teachers are particularly deleterious due to the substantial influence teacher beliefs exert upon curriculum development, pedagogy, and the construction of effective learning environments. Prior research has explicated the prevalence of erroneous beliefs about general psychology and neuroscience among various populations but has rarely examined teachers’ misconceptions about pertinent topics in educational psychology. Consequently, this review highlights …

The Sotl Body: Identifying And Navigating Points Of Entry, Jessica Raffoul, Michael K. Potter, David M. Andrews

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

The scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) as a field invites researchers to examine their teaching practice with the goal of understanding its impact and effect on student learning (Hutchings & Shulman, 1999). Though inclusive by nature – belonging to no discipline yet informing practice in all – SoTL does have its own discourse, assumptions, and literature that may intimidate disciplinary scholars. This paper uses the human body as a metaphor to explain how researchers from diverse disciplines can use familiar entry points to ease their transition into SoTL. We identify and analyze parts and systems of the human and …

Supporting Stem Faculty Of Large Enrollment Undergraduate Courses: A Mixed Methods Study Of Impact, Lindsay B. Wheeler

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

A plethora of literature exists identifying the importance of engaging students in learning within Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) undergraduate courses, making professional development (PD) for faculty teaching these courses vital. Yet few studies of PD programs focus on STEM faculty, incorporate direct measures of faculty practice, and seek to understand the student experience in courses taught by these faculty. In this study, I examine the impact of a program for faculty teaching large enrollment STEM courses on their perceptions, instructional practices, and student perceptions of learning. The program included a week-long course design institute (35 hrs) and a …

Student-Generated Questions: Developing Mathematical Competence Through Online-Assessment, Sima Caspari-Sadeghi, Brigitte Forster-Heinlein, Jutta Maegdefrau, Lena Bachl

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

This action research study presents the findings of using a formative assessment strategy in an online mathematic course during the world-wide outbreak of Covid-19 at the University of Passau, Germany. The main goals of this study were (a) to enhance students’ self-regulated learning by shifting the direction of assessment from instructors to the students, (b) to promote deep active learning in mathematics. Students were required to conduct self-regulated learning on a selected topic. They were encouraged to formulate two multiple-choice questions (MCQs) and pose them after each presentation in an online course. The effectiveness of Student-generated Questions (SGQs) as a …

Georgia Southern Magazine, Georgia Southern University

Georgia Southern Magazine

This issue is labeled 2020, but is for Winter 2021.

• News and Events
• True Blue Spotlight
• Then & Now
• Tracking an Invisible Enemy
• Rising Star
• Best Foot Forward
• Meet Our 40 Under $0
• University News
• Research
• Athletics
• Alumni
• Support
• In Memoriam

2020-2021 Georgia Southern University Women's Swimming And Diving Roster, Georgia Southern University

Women's Swimming Records

• 2020-21 Swimming and Diving Roster

Cosm Diversity & Inclusion Newsletter, Georgia Southern University

College of Science & Mathematics: News & Publications (2012-2022)

• This Month’s Theme: Being a Good Ally in STEM
• COSM Diversity & Inclusion Webpage
• Attention Men: How to Become an Ally to Women
• Advice from the SafeSpace team at Georgia Southern
• COSM Diversity & Inclusion Webpage

Graduate Catalog, Georgia Southern University

Graduate Catalogs

No abstract provided.