Digital Commons Network^™

Effects Of Occupational Tasks And Personal Protective Equipment On Static And Functional Balance Among Career Firefighters, Petra Kis

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

BACKGROUND: Musculoskeletal injuries are commonly incurred on the fireground among firefighters. Most injuries are attributable to overexertion, fall, jump, slip, and trip mechanisms. These injuries may be caused by many factors, including the independent and collective effects of wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) and the fatigue induced by performing occupational tasks. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of PPE and fire suppression tasks on static and functional balance among firefighters. METHODS: 32 healthy male career structural firefighters (Age: 31.8±9.5 yr) volunteered for this study. Static and Functional Balance Tests (FBT) were performed in …

Art As Ritual: The Realm Between Identities, Haley Scarboro

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Ritualism is everywhere in the world and something that everyone takes part in, whether we acknowledge it or not. Rituals can be as simple as a morning routine or as monumental as memorializing a loved one. The works in this thesis are within the covenant of southern witchcraft and how it comes together in Ritual Art. Through documentation, memory-fueled found objects, and time-based installation I consider how growing up in Georgia and being a practicing witch played a role in my identity formation. Rituals are vital to the identities themselves and the history they hold. Symbolism plays a major role …

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, …

Views Of Asexuality And Transgender Individuals: The Role Of Religious Beliefs, Allison Davis

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Asexuality is a lifelong, continuous lack of sexual attraction or the inability to feel sexual attraction. Asexuality is a naturally occurring sexual orientation thought to be present in 0.4-1.1% of the American population. However, asexuality is still relatively unknown by the general population and understudied by scientific researchers. Even less known is how religious individuals view asexuality. According to the 2020 US census, around 70% of American adults identify as Christian. The current study examined how degree of religiousness related to feelings toward sexuality and asexual individuals. Main hypotheses included: religious fundamentalism would predict negative attitudes toward asexual and transgender …

Examining The Nexus Of Housing Instability And Neighborhood Within New York City (Nyc), Benjamin Boateng

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Housing instability within the New York City (NYC) area significantly affects the community's well-being. As a robust and growing city, many families in the low-income bracket face the challenge of spending a significant portion of their monthly income toward housing costs (rent, utilities, insurance). With families spending 50% (extreme housing burden) and more of their monthly income to stay in their housing units, various disparities have presented themselves within the housing context.

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, families within NYC have struggled to maintain their housing stock. Policy and community-based actions are needed to reduce the burden …

The Influence Of Urban Forms And Street Infrastructure On Pedestrian-Motorist Collisions, Taylor J. Foreman

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Unwalkable cities are afflicted by serious issues such as increasing rates of pedestrian traffic accidents, public health concerns, and the denied right to have an accessible city. This study examines how different types of urban forms and street infrastructure contribute to the prevalence of traffic accidents in two major metropolitan cities in the United States: Atlanta, Georgia, and Boston, Massachusetts. This study utilizes geospatial analysis through the Average Nearest Neighbor and Optimized Hot Spot Analysis tools to determine the spatial distribution of traffic accidents throughout both cities. Additionally, statistical tests were conducted to explore the relationships between the number of …

Predictions Of The Dynamic Complex Modulus Of Non-Conventional Asphalt Concrete Using Machine Learning Techniques, Annie Benson

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The complex dynamic modulus (|E*|) is a characterization property that defines the stiffness of an asphalt mixture. The dynamic modulus can be found through lab testing or predictions. Since lab testing can be time-consuming and expensive, the prediction method can be used as an alternative method. While a statistical method has been traditionally used for the |E*| prediction such as the Witczak’s predictive equations, machine learning (ML) is recently emerging as an alternative way that |E*| predictions can be made. This research attempted to predict the |E*| using several ML techniques including linear regression, support vector machines (SVM), decision trees, …

The Precontact Utilization Of A Depressional Wetland At The Gresston Spring Site (9dg152) In Dodge County, Georgia, Jonathan L. Brown

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The natural formation processes of depressional wetlands and the resultant resources they provided along the South Atlantic slope were important to a variety of plant and animal species during the Pleistocene and Holocene epochs. The utilization of these areas by precontact indigenous populations has provided important data for archaeological interpretations of site formation processes and settlement patterns seen predominately during the Paleoindian and Archaic periods. Prominent archaeological research conducted within the Savannah River Site (SRS) in South Carolina looks at indigenous utilization of depressional wetlands and Carolina bays, however, minimal research on this subject has been pursued in Georgia. This …

Effects Of Imagined Financial Difficulties On State Adult Attachment Systems, Loren Jones

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

According to Bowlby’s definition of attachment theory, insecure attachment systems negatively regulate individuals' behaviors, thoughts, and feelings (Mikulincer & Shaver, 2007). As individuals age, negative views of others and the self can grow, inevitably hindering relationships with others and self-esteem. Empirical research suggests a strong positive relationship between low socioeconomic status (SES) and developing an insecure attachment style among children (Sherry et al., 2013; van IJzendoorn & Bakermans-Kranenburg, 2010). With many similarities between child and adult attachment models, there is a gap in the literature examining the impact of lower SES on adult attachments. Although socioeconomic status's effects on general …

Desistance As A Signal Of Rehabilitation: Understanding Public Perception And The Moderating Role Of Redeemability, Jasmyn Stevens

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The criminal offender label is enduring and comes with significant real-world consequences. While there is a wealth of literature on offender rehabilitation, less emphasis has been placed on the varying ways that individuals define this concept. The goal of this study is to understand how variations in both punitiveness and rehabilitative definitions affect general beliefs about desistance from crime. Additionally, belief in redeemability is examined as a moderator of this relationship. Using data from an anonymous, national-level, opt-in survey collected through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk) platform, I test three hypotheses using logistic regression. Results indicate that while increased punitiveness is …

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 …

Decision Making Related To Situations When Sexual Violence Might Occur, Shakeia Salem

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The definition of sexual violence has changed over the years to include all unconsented sexual contact. Sexual violence is a global issue targeting young, college-aged adults. We used hypothetical scenarios to determine the discounting rates of participants in situations where sexual violence might occur. Undergraduate students (n = 146; mean age 20.18 years) from Georgia Southern University participated in our study. The sample of participants included 116 (79.45%) females and 30 (20.55%) males, identifying as White (n = 85; 58.22%), Hispanic (n = 5; 3.42%), Black (n = 28; 19.18%), Asian (n = 1; .68%), …

Perfectionism And Psychological Well-Being In Sport And Performance Psychology Professionals, Kaytlyn M. Johnson

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Sport and performance psychology (SPP) professionals working in performance-enhancement training, counseling/clinical psychology, academia, and the military, face various work demands that can lead to chronic stress and impaired well-being (McCormack, 2019). Perfectionism is a multi-dimensional personality trait in which an individual sets excessively high personal standards of performance (Burns, 1980; Frost et al., 1990; Hamachek, 1978; Hewitt & Flett, 1990). While striving for high standards is not necessarily a negative trait, perfectionism is not considered a healthy pursuit of excellence, rather a “compulsive drive to achieve flawlessness” (Burns, 1980, p. 38). Given that SPP professionals’ responsibilities are to help athletes …

Mitigation Of Aeroacoustic Noise Of A Fixed Wing Using Passive Flow Control, Cameron L. Perry

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

As the world becomes more environmentally conscious, noise pollution is of increasing concern. In this study, shallow dimples are applied to a NACA 0012 airfoil at multiple angles of attack (AoA) with the intent of reducing aeroacoustic noise emissions. Both Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) and Large Eddy Simulation (LES) models are used for aerodynamic and aeroacoustic investigations, respectively, at a fixed Reynolds number of 4.8 x 10⁵. Altering the dimple depth to diameter ratio (d/D) from 2.5% to 15% is first investigated, with a d/D of 5% or lower resulting in the least aerodynamic impact. The transition from …

An Experimental Study On The Mechanical Properties And Chemical Composition Of Lcd 3d Printed Specimens, Sebastian Gomez

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Additive manufacturing technologies have been enhanced throughout the years yet have surprised the manufacturing industry due to their high-end surface finish and dimensional accuracy. Different experiments have been done to identify a specific phenomenon known in the vat-polymerization field. Distortion and dimensional inaccuracy tend to affect the overall properties of the process, either physical or chemical. This approach allows the understanding of how the physical properties have been affected and how to study the chemical properties to avoid this type of phenomenon. The chemical reaction between polymer and UV light has been studied and experimented with to the point that …

Remote Sensing Of Georgia Tidal Marsh Habitats Using Aerial Photography And Planetscope Satellite Imagery, Harrison M. Currin

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Globally, tidal marshes cover about 90,800 km. Within the state of Georgia tidal marshes are primarily located behind the barrier islands and total 1,619 km². The combination of high salinity environments and daily inundation, and being dependent on river output, make these dynamic systems. Tidal marshes provide numerous ecosystem services such as carbon and nitrogen sequestration, flood control, coastal protection, and numerous biogeochemical processes. Due to their unique position, tidal marshes are under threat from sea level rise, drought, coastal development, and large-scale disturbance events. Tidal freshwater marshes are especially susceptible to these threats due to their geographic …

Application Of Big Data Technology, Text Classification, And Azure Machine Learning For Financial Risk Management Using Data Science Methodology, Oluwaseyi A. Ijogun

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Data science plays a crucial role in enabling organizations to optimize data-driven opportunities within financial risk management. It involves identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks, ultimately safeguarding investments, reducing uncertainty, ensuring regulatory compliance, enhancing decision-making, and fostering long-term sustainability. This thesis explores three facets of Data Science projects: enhancing customer understanding, fraud prevention, and predictive analysis, with the goal of improving existing tools and enabling more informed decision-making. The first project examined leveraged big data technologies, such as Hadoop and Spark, to enhance financial risk management by accurately predicting loan defaulters and their repayment likelihood. In the second project, we investigated …

Examining Second-Year Retention: Student Perceptions Of Campus Resources For Sophomores, Theresa Rose Duggar

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This qualitative study examined the perceptions sophomore students at one public, southeastern doctoral research university had regarding campus resources and the potential impact on their decision to remain enrolled. Using a transcendental phenomenological approach, the researcher conducted individual semi-structured interviews to identify resources four students perceived to have played a role in their retention choices. In addition to the data collected from the student experiences, a review of social media and the student newspaper was conducted. An analysis revealed two themes that impacted students’ decisions: faculty and staff relationships and academic and co-curricular involvement. Findings align with the current literature, …

Sustainability Practices In Aquaculture: Using Algae Turf Scrubber Biomass To Raise Black Soldier Flies As An Alternative Feed In Blue Tilapia, Oreochromis Aureus, Culture, Michelle C. Lowery

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Since the 1980s, non-algal aquaculture has grown to encompass 49% of all seafood production in response to a growing human population and increased seafood demand (FAO, 2022). Hurdles exist to aquaculture sustainability, including dependence on wild sourced fishmeal (FM) and the impacts wastewater discharge. It takes 4-5 tons of wild forage fish to produce one ton of dry FM (Miles and Chapman, 2006) and as aquaculture is primarily conducted in earthen ponds and public open water bodies (FAO, 2022), finfish culture can have a high impact on the surrounding environment by discharging excess nutrients. This study used algae turf scrubber …

Investigation Of Additives And Ingredients Of Bio-Resin For Visible Wavelength Laser-Induced Polymerization, Patrick Riggs

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Optical 3D printing is a branch of Additive manufacturing (AM) that utilizes low-waste production leading to efficient and rapid prototyping. Currently, this method of AM is associated with mainly petroleum-based resins. Bio-resin polymerization is an emerging research area for finding replacements for petroleum-based resins, but curing the resin with laser energy is not normally a practical use case. Current optical 3D printing uses lasers to cure liquid resins to form solid 3D objects in a layer-by-layer process which is time consuming, defect prone, and a leading limiting factor for high volume production; so, finding a way to incorporate bio-resin into …

Perspectives On The Use Of Molecular Hiv Data For Public Health, Margaret Watson

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Background. Effective HIV treatment and pre-exposure prophylaxis can drastically reduce the risk of acquiring HIV and prevent most future transmission, but these advances are not accessible to many who could most benefit from them. Advances in use of molecular sequence data to inform prevention efforts, paired with supportive interventions, have the potential to identify clusters of rapid HIV transmission and focus prevention resources toward areas of highest need. Although molecular cluster detection has been successfully used in other areas of public health, advocates for people with HIV have raised concerns about the application of this approach because of HIV …

Using The Cipp Model Of Evaluation On A Health Disparities Curriculum Delivered To Medical Residents In 12 Residency Programs, Gauri K. Shevatekar

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Background: Although the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) has provided educational directives on health disparities education during residency program for the medical residents, there is paucity of curricula focused on disparities education within the graduate medical education.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate a Health Disparities Curriculum (HDC) that was delivered to twelve residency programs at a College of Medicine.

Methodology: The study employed a cross-sectional study design. Stufflebeam’s Context-Input-Process-Product (CIPP) model was utilized as theoretical framework to assess whether the curriculum achieved its stated goals and objectives, the teaching and learning processes, and the …

Child Sexual Abuse Cases In The Catholic Church Vs. Secular Groups: A Media Content Analysis, Hannah G. Adkison

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a serious public health problem in the United States, with estimates suggesting that approximately 8% of males and 20% of females experience some form of sexual violence before adulthood (Pereda et al., 2009). Adult acquaintance victim-offender relationships account for 83% of all cases (Ullman, 2001). And while the acquaintance of victim- offender relationships is facilitated by a range of social institutions, perhaps none have received as much media attention as those occurring in the context of the Catholic Church (Formicola, 2014). Although child sexual assault is recognized as a serious punishable charge in all 50 …

You Can't Have It All: Faculty And Student Priorities In The Online Classroom, John P. Steele, Thomas D. Dyer, B. Jean Mandernach

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

While potential teaching activities in the online classroom are unlimited, an instructor’s teaching time is not. As such, it is essential that online instructors prioritize limited time to instructional strategies that have the greatest impact on student learning. A survey of 413 faculty and 2386 students examined faculty and student perceptions about instructional components or strategies that have greatest impact on student learning in the online classroom. Findings revealed significant differences in faculty and student perceptions with faculty giving the highest value ratings to non-instructor generated content and students prioritizing text-based instructional content (regardless of source). Overall, faculty tended to …

The Hr Connection, Georgia Southern University

Human Resources (2010-2023)

Annual Performance Evaluations

Fire Safety Tips

Recruiting Self Service

Wellness Corner

Conflict of Interest Disclosure

Faculty & Staff Housing

2023 Georgia Southern University Softball Roster, Georgia Southern University

Women's Softball Records

• Georgia Southern University Athletics 2023 Softball Roster

2023 Georgia Southern University Women's Soccer Media Guide, Georgia Southern University

Women's Soccer Records

No abstract provided.

2023 Georgia Southern University Softball Statistics, Georgia Southern University

Women's Softball Records

No abstract provided.

2022 Georgia Southern University Softball Media Guide, Georgia Southern University

Women's Softball Records

No abstract provided.

2023 Georgia Southern University Men's Soccer Roster, Georgia Southern University

Men's Soccer Records

No abstract provided.