Digital Commons Network^™

Lgbt People's Sense Of Linked Fate: Belonging And Utility, Kay Hales

Theses and Dissertations--Political Science

This is a three study dissertation. While the LGBT community is often referred to as a monolith, research suggests that it may be separate subgroups under one umbrella. Linked fate is the sense that what happens to one member of a group will affect all other group members with consequences for political behavior. While research on racial identity groups suggests that members often feel a sense of linked fate with other group members, this research has not been generalized or explored in the LGBT community. This study empirically explores whether there is a sense of linked fate in the LGBT …

A Case Study In Program Evaluation, Soma Dutta

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Program evaluation is a systematic process of assessing a program’s design, implementation, and outcomes to determine its effectiveness, efficiency, and impact, guiding data-driven improvements and decision-making. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Evaluation Framework provides a structured approach to assessing public health programs, ensuring they are effective, accountable, and continuously improving. By systematically applying this framework, evaluations can provide actionable insights that inform program improvements, guide resource allocation, and ensure that evaluations are practical and meaningful to all stakeholders involved (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2024).

The Bourbon County Health Department (BCHD) has implemented a Physical Activity …

Stable Oxygen And Hydrogen Isotopic Ratios Of Precipitation And Modelling Of Precipitation Sources In Central Kentucky, Usa, 2017-2022, Ariel Gold-Mccoy

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

Our goals were to carry out analyses of a multi-year δ¹⁸O and δ²H dataset of precipitation from central Kentucky and to analyze the source of precipitation for storm events from 2017 to 2022. δ¹⁸O and δ²H were measured for 244 weekly precipitation samples collected by the National Atmospheric Deposition Program at Mackville, Kentucky, USA. Modelling precipitation source was carried out using HYSPLIT model for 414 events. Results of δ¹⁸O and δ²H from central Kentucky show: consistent seasonality, including summer highs and winter lows for δ¹⁸O and δ²H; correlation with air temperature; and …

Measuring Accessibility Of Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure: A Case Study In Kentucky, Oluwasola Elijah Fagbohun

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

This thesis assesses spatial accessibility to electric vehicle charging infrastructure across Kentucky by investigating methodological approaches to measure accessibility: provider-topopulation ratios, regional accessibility metrics, and several methods in the family of gravity models. The Enhanced Two-Step Floating Catchment Area method was employed to measure electric vehicle charging station accessibility across Kentucky using a network-based approach in ArcGIS Pro. The analysis integrated 2023 American Community Survey 5-year Census block group data, Kentucky road network datasets, charging station locations from the Alternative Fuels Data Center, and Alternative Fuel Corridor designations. We examined existing infrastructure and proposed stations outlined in the Kentucky electric …

Earthquake Wrangler: Leveraging Ios Technology For Earthquake Detection And Early Warning Application To Enhance Public Safety., Luis F. Salome

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

Earthquakes are devastating natural phenomena and generate secondary hazards such as tsunamis, landslides and fires. Their catastrophic impacts span both developed nations including the United States, Japan, Turkey, and Italy and developing countries such as El Salvador, Haiti, Nepal and the Philippines, where disparities in early warning infrastructure remain important. Seismic events start with stress waves generated by tectonic plate motion, with body waves (P- waves and S-waves) and surface Rayleigh and love waves that carry energy through the earth. While some regions have adopted advanced early warning systems based on seismic hazard models and strong ground motion analysis, others …

Preserving Nature: Mapping Patriarchal And Imperial Control In Victorian Fiction, Hannah Schultz

Theses and Dissertations--English

In Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the D’Urbervilles, a group of fallen women see “themselves and surrounding nature forming an organism of which all the parts harmoniously and joyously interpenetrated each other” (65). As relational, boundary-dissolving, ecological subjects, these women are empowered above society’s judgment, made “sublime as the moon and stars” (65). By analyzing such representations of ecological relationality in Victorian fiction, my dissertation reveals new forms of agency for women and racialized others. While many ecofeminists have historically disavowed the nature-gender link as reinforcing the shared oppression of nature and marginalized groups, I depart from this standpoint, as …

Fatal Futures: Slow Violence, Utopia, And The Postnatural Human In Contemporary American Literature, Shelby Roberts

Theses and Dissertations--English

Fatal Futures: Slow Violence, Utopia, and the Postnatural Human in Contemporary American Literature investigates the ways in which ideas of futurity are articulated in narratives that conceptualize both the end of the world and post-calamity society through the lens of a pessimistic, queer approach to understanding the future. The purpose of this project is to not only build previous research in the configurations of the body in queer, gothic, and speculative American writing as a whole, but to enter into a developing conversation surrounding Appalachian literature through the idea of kinship (the broadening of relationships both chemical and postnatural) as …

Plastic Gerontologies: Epigenetic Clocks As Instruments Of The Profitable Medicalization Of Aging, Hans T. Purisch

Theses and Dissertations--Geography

Epigenetic clocks are algorithms that use epigenetic biomarkers of aging to calculate an organism’s ‘biological age.’ Through discursive analysis of commercially available epigenetic clock marketing materials, scientific articles, and interviews with actors in the longevity biotechnology industry, this study examines the commercialization of epigenetic clocks in the form of consumer test-kits. The study argues that longevity biotechnology companies leverage the malleable and fluid qualities of epigenetic markers of biological age to extend the domains of profitable therapies. It shows that epigenetic clock companies market the dynamic qualities of epigenetic biological age measurements to redefine health around the project of optimizing …

Lust, Labor, & Legitimacy: Visibility And Precarity In Platformed Sex Work, Sable J. Augustyn

Theses and Dissertations--Geography

This thesis examines the labor of platformed sex workers, positioning their experiences as a site for understanding the entanglement of multiple intersecting economies. Through qualitative interviews, it explores how sex workers navigate platform infrastructures, manage audience engagement, and contend with visibility as both an economic necessity and a site of risk. Drawing on theories of emotional labor, visibility labor, and platform governance, the project highlights how sex work on digital platforms is shaped by overlapping systems of economic extraction, technological constraint, and cultural regulation. Platformed sex work emerges here as a layered and context-specific practice—embedded within creator ecologies, attraction economies, …

Woke-Lahoma: Anti-Trans Ideology On The Frontlines, Sarah H. Fogel

Theses and Dissertations--Geography

The past decade (2015-2025) of American politics has been marked by a sharp rise in anti-trans politics. Indeed, during this period, anti-trans rhetoric and legislation have become central to American conservative politics more broadly. As the Republican party under Donald Trump works daily to remake the federal government in its image, studying the recent past of Republican-controlled states like Oklahoma offers a window into the future of anti-trans politics at the national scale. This thesis uses a mix of discourse analysis of anti-trans media and participant observation at 2SLGBTQ+ Pride events to analyze the ideological underpinnings of the present-day anti-trans …

Spatializing The Tax Code: Using Property Records To Locate The Fiscal Face Of Rentiership, Michael J. Mccanless

Theses and Dissertations--Geography

This dissertation analyzes how the tax code shapes housing financialization in mid-sized US cities. Employing a mixed-methods approach that integrates critical computational analysis with qualitative fieldwork in Memphis, I examine the role of public rent-seeking in shaping housing financialization in U.S. cities. The first article analyzes the property tax appeal strategies of corporate landlords and their implications for public revenues and municipal budgets. The second article explores how the IRS 1031 exchange provision—which allows for capital gains deferrals when the proceeds of a property sale are reinvested in a ‘like-kind’ property—facilitates the movement of capital from high-cost coastal markets into …

The Houston Climate Justice Museum As A Catalyst For Environmental Justice: Exploring The Intersection Of Art, Activism, And Creative Placemaking In Houston, Texas, Aylin Castro

Theses and Dissertations--Geography

This thesis explores how the Houston Climate Justice Museum (HCJM) functions as a site for environmental/climate justice education through art and community engagement. Drawing on interviews, participant observation, and document analysis, this research examines how the museum’s curating practices generate new understandings of environmental in/justices, fosters local partnerships, and creates a welcoming space for community dialogue. Findings show that the HCJM does more than exhibit art, it demonstrates how art can be leveraged to advance both activist and educational projects. This study positions the HCJM as a model for how local and justice orientated museums and cultural spaces can contribute …

Making Slums Legible, Visible And Calculable: Geospatial Technologies And The Governance Of Urban Land In Mumbai, Sanjana Krishnan

Theses and Dissertations--Geography

This dissertation examines how geospatial technologies are used to make slums in Mumbai legible, calculable, and hypervisible, and how these practices reshape urban land governance. It situates mapping, remote sensing, and algorithmic systems within their political-economic contexts, showing how technologies intending to see the city often function as instruments of dispossession. The research has three interconnected empirical chapters. The first empirical chapter traces the history of slum mapping in Mumbai, from their absences in early development plans to their selective hypervisibility under the contemporary governance regimes. Using critical cartographic methods, it highlights how novel technologies such as remote sensing, biometric …

Shaping A City: Municipal Housekeeping, Civic Activism, And Urban Environmentalism In Progressive Era Louisville Through The Women’S City Club, Amy J. Malventano

Theses and Dissertations--History

At the turn of the twentieth century, rapid industrialization and urban expansion transformed American cities, creating urgent challenges in governance, public health, and environmental management. In response, women across the United States extended their domestic expertise into the public sphere, spearheading initiatives to improve sanitation, waste disposal, and urban infrastructure. This dissertation examines the Louisville Women’s City Club (LWCC) as a case study of municipal housekeeping, demonstrating how middle-class women used their traditional roles to influence systemic reform in Louisville, Kentucky. By bridging gender history, urban environmentalism, and Progressive Era activism, this study reveals how the LWCC shaped public policy …

“A True And Broad Sympathy:” Thomas Hughes, Medievalism, And Social Justice In The Nineteenth Century, Sarah E. Stapleton

Theses and Dissertations--History

Thomas Hughes, author of Tom Brown’s Schooldays (1857), used medievalism to help solve social problems of the Nineteenth Century. This contravenes the traditional view of medievalism, especially Anglo-Saxonism, since others have used it to justify the subjugation of people of lower social status, namely the poor in England, enslaved African Americans in the United States, and Indians under British rule.

While the use of medievalism is veiled in Hughes’ work, the subtext of Tom Brown’s Schooldays demonstrated Hughes’ Anglo-Saxonism. Tom Brown and the intertextual material surrounding his narrative exhibit the characteristics of Anglo-Saxonism through cultural primitivism, the concept of allodial, …

Harnessing Ethnicity For Effective Leadership: Reimagining Ethnic Politics As An Institutional Asset In Africa, Obaloluwa A. Aka

Theses and Dissertations--Political Science

Ethnic identity remains one of the most enduring forces shaping political behavior and leadership in Africa. Often viewed as a source of division, this study reframes ethnicity as an institutional asset capable of fostering accountability and enhancing leadership quality. Drawing on Afrobarometer Round 9 data from 35 African countries, the paper shows that ethnicity consistently predicts vote choice affirming its political salience. Rather than treating this as a democratic obstacle, the analysis demonstrates that when mediated through trusted traditional leaders, ethnic identity can strengthen satisfaction with democracy, trust in institutions, and perceptions of governance. Logistic regression models reveal that trust …

Come Hell Or High Water: A Constructed Grounded Theory Of Disaster Preparedness In Nonprofit Arts Management, Leah D. Hamilton

Theses and Dissertations--Arts Administration

This dissertation study constructs a grounded theory of disaster preparedness in nonprofit arts management, a research area that is underrepresented in broader disaster science research, and underrecognized by US government emergency management policy. Using the Constructivist Grounded Theory methodology, this qualitative study involves a systematic document review of more than 20 years of US practices and standards related to arts preparedness in combination with a two-year inquiry using a purposive sample of nonprofit arts managers who have recently been affected, directly or indirectly, by disasters in the state of Kentucky. The findings and the subsequent Theory of Performative Preparedness provide …

Evaluating A Public Health Program Using The Cdc Framework: A Case Study Approach, Brooke A. Poe

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

In Bourbon County, Kentucky, where rural health challenges and chronic disease burdens persist, a coalition of public health partners set out to improve population-level physical activity through an innovative, community-centered initiative. The Bourbon County Physical Activity Program emerged through collaboration between the Bourbon County Health Department, the University of Kentucky College of Public Health, and UK HealthCare. Together, these partners designed a six-month intervention that combined discounted YMCA memberships, partnerships with employers, a physical activity tracking app with behavioral incentives, and community-wide events to promote accessible and sustained engagement.

Guided by the CDC’s framework for program evaluation in public health, …

A Demographic Description Of Children And Adolescents With Concomitant Autism And Anxiety Along With A Comparison Of Receipt Of Psychological Services, Elizabeth Salt, Amanda T. Wiggins, David N. Toupin, Emma Parks, Chizimuzo Okoli, Mary Kay Rayens

Biostatistics Faculty Publications

Objective:(1) Evaluate differences in demographic distributions between those with autism alone and those with autism concomitant with anxiety and (2) assess demographic factors associated with receipt of psychological therapy in patients with autism.Methods:Using deidentified health care claims data, we extracted all encounters among children with the International Classification of Diseases-10-CM for Autism Spectrum Disorder (F84) and flagged those with concomitant anxiety (F41.9). Extracted data included age, sex, race, ethnicity, insurance status, and Rural-Urban Continuum Codes. Current procedural terminology codes for psychological services were extracted. Data were analyzed using Mann-Whitney U tests, χ² tests of association, and logistic regression.Results:Demographic differences …

Leveraging Machine Learning Models To Explore Disparities In Prostate Cancer Diagnosis, Treatment, And Survival, Reuben Adatorwovor, Rasaq Oladapo, Parisa Ghasemi, Gaurav Kumar, Daniel J. Morton, Motolani E. Ogunsanya, Olufunmilola Abraham

Biostatistics Faculty Publications

Introduction: Prostate cancer (CaP) is the second most common cancer in men globally and a leading cause of cancer-related mortality, particularly among older men. In the United States, disparities in incidence, stage at diagnosis, and outcomes persist across racial, socioeconomic, and geographic lines. Men in medically underserved regions like Appalachia experience higher mortality due to limited access to timely screening and treatment. Given the complex interplay of clinical, behavioral, and sociodemographic factors, machine learning (ML) offers promise in identifying survival predictors that traditional models may overlook. This study applies ML models to assess the impact of age at diagnosis, treatment …

How Elementary Schools Support Families In Mandatory Middle School Choice: A Comparative Case Study, Eleni Filippatos

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

This dissertation examines the role of New York City elementary school leaders in shaping fifth graders' middle school choice processes in two public schools serving predominantly economically disadvantaged, Latino families. As school choice increasingly influences students' academic trajectories, understanding how leaders engage families in this decision-making process is essential for promoting educational equity. The study explored how public elementary school principals, counselors, and teachers support families during the universal middle school application process.

Using a qualitative comparative case study design, I conducted semi-structured interviews, field observations, and document analysis to compare leadership practices at two demographically similar elementary schools with …

An Evaluation Of Kentucky’S Policy Landscape And Its Impacts On High-Growth Firms In The Commonwealth, Ivanna Patrick, Jordan Arnold, Devin Dunigan

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

There is significant research on high-growth firms (HGFs), though there is little research focusing on such businesses in Kentucky. By comparing Kentucky to two similar states that are economic competitors and in the context of the Kentucky Innovation Act of 2000, we find that Kentucky has a relatively fewer number of HGFs, even compared to itself at the time of the bill’s passage. Ultimately, we determined that there was a focus on high-tech firms in Kentucky that may be detrimental to the growth and success of HGFs in other industries; furthermore, it would serve the state to focus enhanced efforts …

Comparison Of Machine Learning Models For Colon Cancer Survival: Predictive Modeling Approach, Reuben Adatorwovor, Motolani E. Ogunsanya, Bin Huang, Richard Charnigo, Olufunmilola Abraham

Biostatistics Faculty Publications

Background: Colon cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, with survival influenced by risk factors, treatment type, and patient characteristics. Traditional statistical models, such as Kaplan-Meier curves, have been widely used to estimate survival probabilities. However, these models often have difficulty handling complex interactions, covariates, and nonlinear relationships between risk factors. Recently, machine learning (ML) techniques have emerged as promising tools for improving survival prediction by handling large covariates and capturing complex patterns.

Objective: This study compares several ML models to accurately estimate colon cancer survival by leveraging data from the Kentucky Cancer Registry. By identifying key risk …

James M. David’S Ghosts Of The Old Year: A Formal Analysis And Instructional Guide, Brian P. Froedge Dr.

Theses and Dissertations--Music

James David’s Ghosts of the Old Year (2016) is a significant work for wind ensemble which was performed at the American Bandmasters Association Convention in 2019 by the Colorado State University Wind Ensemble under the direction of Rebecca Phillips and at the 2019 Texas Music Educators Association Convention by the North Texas Wind Symphony under the direction of Eugene Migliaro Corporon. The piece was recorded by the North Texas Wind Symphony on the album titled noteworthy. Ghosts of the Old Year has also been performed by such prestigious ensembles as the University of Illinois Wind Orchestra, the University of Florida …

From Campus To Career: Enhancing Career Support Services For Graduate International Students At The University Of Kentucky, Aku Fiagbeto, Ratwah Alhazmi

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

During the 2023–2024 academic year, the University of Kentucky enrolled a total of 1,285 international students, with 784 (61%) being graduate students. International students play a crucial role in enriching the university’s cultural and academic landscape. While UK has achieved record enrollment and improved student success rates, including a 66% graduation rate that places it among the top 100 public institutions in the U.S., it is important to consider whether these trends apply to international students as well. Retention and graduation rates for this demographic may differ from those of domestic students, highlighting potential challenges such as visa restrictions, financial …

Public University Gift Management Policies: Building A Best Practice Guide, Cristin Costello

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Currently, no consistent standards exist for how institutions of higher education should manage their non-endowed gift revenue. Good stewardship of gift funds is vital to ensuring the maintenance of donor relationships to create unions that bring further financial opportunities to universities for years to come. Public institutions, as recipients of government dollars, are especially vulnerable to the negative repercussions that could come with the scandal of misappropriated gift dollars. Overall cash donations to higher education have significantly increased in the past few decades as state appropriations fall short and the need to keep tuition rates stable increases. It is more …

Reforming Need: How Certificate Of Need Laws In North Carolina Can Be Reformed To Promote Rural To Regional Health Network Integration, Taylor Fulk

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Across North Carolina, many rural hospitals are facing closures, staffing shortages, and financial turmoil. Many hospitals, such as Morehead Hospital in Eden, NC (now UNC Rockingham), have utilized mergers with larger regional networks (e.g., UNC Health, Duke, Novant, Atrium) to stabilize operations and preserve local access to care. (deBruyn, 2017). However, even after successful integration efforts to bring some rural hospitals into larger regional networks, Certificate of Need laws in North Carolina are preventing these smaller, rural integrated hospitals from expanding their service offerings, thereby driving up healthcare expenditures for residents. As a result, patients experience longer-than-normal travel times and …

Racial And Rural Disparities In Financial Toxicity And Healthcare Transitions Among Adolescent And Young Adult Cancer Survivors In Kentucky, Jean S. Edward, Brent J. Shelton, Lauren Corum, Haafsah Fariduddin, Katie Brown, John A. D’Orazio, Kimberly D. Northrip

Physiology Faculty Publications

Introduction: Adolescent and young adult cancer survivors, especially racial/ethnic minorities and rural residents are particularly vulnerable to financial toxicity due to limited healthcare access, socioeconomic disparities, and cultural/language barriers. These social determinants of health compound financial hardship and contribute to poor healthcare transitions from pediatric to adult care, leading to worse outcomes and higher mortality rates. Methods: Our cross-sectional survey study examined racial (Black vs White) and geographic (rural vs urban) disparities in financial toxicity and healthcare transition outcomes among 260 adolescent and young adult cancer survivors through the Kentucky Cancer Registry. Survey data were collected on financial toxicity, healthcare …

Emplacing Deaths Of Despair Within The Rural Mortality Penalty: The Spatial Inequality Of Violent Death Across Rural America, Cameron A. Mcalister

Theses and Dissertations--Sociology

American life expectancy continues to diverge from most developed nations. Literature spanning several fields of scholarship has documented an uneven distribution of life expectancy between social groups and across geographic contexts. Frameworks such as “Deaths of Despair” and the rural mortality penalty describe the declining health trends among working class whites and rural America. But, conceptual development around these frameworks is still limited. This dissertation utilizes a rural sociological approach to bridging the gap between the Deaths of Despair framework and the rural mortality penalty by examining violent death patterns across diverse rural contexts. In doing so, I incorporate several …

Measuring The Impact Of A Catchment Area Surveillance Tool On Cancer Center Adopters, Todd Burus, Caree R. Mcafee, Natalie P. Wilhite, Pamela C. Hull

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Background: The University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center developed the data gathering and visualization platform Cancer InFocus (CIF) as a solution for cancer center catchment area surveillance. CIF was released in June 2022 and made available for use to other institutions through a no‐cost licensing agreement. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact CIF has had on cancer centers since its release.

Methods: The authors adapted an existing management evaluation framework to assess the impact of CIF across three spheres—idea dissemination, product engagement, and adopter satisfaction. This assessment included an online survey administered between the dates of …