Digital Commons Network^™

The Model Minority Myth And The Mental Well-Being Of Academically Struggling Asian Americans, Jan Michael Roa Ballesteros

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This dissertation investigates relationships between pressures Asian Americans experience to be academically successful and their feelings of depression and stress. The model minority myth (MMM) stereotype characterizes Asian Americans as industrious, intellectually-gifted, assimilating to U.S. values of meritocracy, and achieving higher academic and employment success levels compared to other racial groups in the general population. While many consider MMM a positive stereotype, it also comes with a cost. Prior research demonstrates the tensions that exist among Asian Americans who do not uphold the MMM stereotype and its corollary, the Asian Academic Success Frame. Those unable to meet academic success standards …

Foster Youth In The Mountain West, Zachary Billot, Elia Del Carmen Solano-Patricio, Sofia Takhtadjian, Joshua Padilla, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Demography

This fact sheet examines population trends for foster youth and their experiences with foster care in the Mountain West region. The data are sourced from the report “State-level Data for Understanding Child Welfare in the United States” which cites the National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect (NDACAN) for fiscal year (FY) 2020 and the “State-by State Data” report by the Casey Family Programs from FY 2020. This fact sheet highlights the number of foster youth in the Mountain West (Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah) and their demographic composition.

The Void Of Covid: Cmhs, Sabrina Basharyar

Second-Year Seminar Posters (COE 202)

This poster attempts to provide information on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on local high schools in Las Vegas, specifically Cimarron-Memorial High School. Findings include chronic absenteeism, phone usage, and engagement levels.

Selfless Selfishness: The Me And We Of Individuality, Jacob Bennett

Taboo: The Journal of Culture and Education

In this provocation, I argue against contributors to the global publication The Economist that the biggest threat to western liberalism is not equity but rather an incomplete and misplaced definition of individualism. Such a definition does not take the history of racism in the context of the United States (U.S.) into consideration. Through lessons taught by a heyoka of the Oglala Lakota people, Black Elk, a refined conceptualization of individuality could center both the personal and communal to set the stage for truly equitable policy development within the U.S.

Teaching Haitian Studies And Caribbean Digital Humanities: A Rasanblaj Of Critical Pedagogical Approaches And Black Feminist Theory In The Classroom, Crystal A. Felima

Taboo: The Journal of Culture and Education

Digital humanities provide an opportunity for collaborators to connect with various people, disciplines, and resources to produce and share knowledge. It also allows creators and users to navigate research and scholarship through partnerships and online engagement. This article features an undergraduate digital humanities course taught in spring 2018 titled “Haitian Studies and Culture” at the University of Florida. In this course, students considered ways of speaking, writing, researching, and representing Haiti, while engaging in critical discussions related to issues and questions of access, authorship, interpretation, and representation. This essay serves as a reflection statement by highlighting how the author explored …

Birthing While Black: The Maternal Health Experiences In Kansas, Joi Wickliffe, Alicia O’Neal, Kyla Morris, Todd Moore, Michelle L. Redmond, Sharla Smith

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

The state of maternal health and infant mortality in the United States is far worse than 33 developed countries (CDCP NCHS, 2018). Black mothers and infants die at twice the rate in comparison to mothers and infants of other races (CDC, 2020). Infant mortality is the death of a child before the age of one. The Sisters and Brothers for Healthy Infants Initiative focuses on education, community engagement, elevating the voices of Black mothers and fathers, and a community birthday party to celebrate Black infants first birthday. This signature event is known as Celebrate Day 366, a day to share …

A Cut Above The Rest: A Qualitative Study To Evaluate The Feasibility Of Implementing Early Childhood Mental Health Interventions Into Boston Black/African American Barbershops And Beauty Salons, Lauren Ansong-Depass

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Objective: This qualitative research aimed to fill a gap in literature by determining the feasibility of implementing early childhood mental health tools into Black/African American barbershops and beauty salons in three Boston neighborhoods: Dorchester, Mattapan, or Roxbury.

Methods: Qualitative data collection included key informant interviews with two African American pediatric mental health clinicians who worked with children and families that lived in Mattapan, Dorchester, and/or Roxbury neighborhoods (n=2), a barber who worked in Mattapan (n=1), and a focus group of an active parent council hosted by the city of Boston (n=9). Data was analyzed using descriptive and simultaneous coding methods …

Understanding Inservice Middle School Teachers’ Views Of Nature Of Science (Vnos), Merika Charupoom, Yasmeen Hernandez, Emily Carter, Nicole J. Thomas, Tina Vo

Spectra Undergraduate Research Journal

The Nature of Science (NOS) is a component of science literacy that supports critical thinking around science concepts, speaking to how and why science is conducted and connected to creating data and evidence. NOS is designed to be more than the standardized lessons of science; it helps children critically analyze and solve real-world and societal issues using scientific knowledge. The interpretation of science varies between the ideology and beliefs of each individual. Given the importance of this idea, it is necessary that teachers be able to provide NOS opportunities to students; however, first, they must have a firm grasp of …

Emotional Resilience Emerges As Novel Aspect Of Meta-Mood Experience: A Confirmatory Factor Analysis Accounting For Data Censoring, Fitsum A. Ayele, Orei Z. Odents, Kimberly A. Barchard

Spectra Undergraduate Research Journal

Meta-mood experience refers to the thoughts and feelings that serve to monitor, evaluate, and at times change mood. The Trait Meta-Mood Scale (TMMS) was designed to gauge meta-mood experience along three factors: Attention, Clarity, and Repair. Previous factor analyses have verified this three-factor structure. However, one study by Palmer and colleagues found strong support for a four-factor structure. In light of this discrepancy, the present study aimed to replicate Palmer and colleagues’ study in a new sample, comparing the models they used to determine which is best-fitting. We also aimed to correct the effect of data point censoring when estimating …

The Impact Of Psychosocial Stress On Maternal Health Outcomes: A Multi-State Prams 8 (2016-2018) Analysis, Blessing Chidiuto Lawrence, Anna Kheyfets, Keri Carvalho, Shubhecchha Dhaurali, Marwah Kiani, Alison Moky, Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Introduction: Significant racial disparities persist in maternal morbidity rates, disproportionately affecting Black women. Experiencing high levels of stress during pregnancy is associated with increased risk for preterm birth, infant mortality, and preeclampsia. This study investigates the impact of psychosocial life stressors on maternal morbidity and racial disparities utilizing the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) dataset.

Methods: Participants (N=24,209) included were from Phase 8 (2016-2018) of the PRAMS survey across five states. Stressors were grouped into traumatic, partner-related, financial, or emotional. Maternal outcomes included gestational diabetes, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, prenatal depression, and postpartum depression. The association between life stressors …

From A Place Of Love: The Experiences Of Birthing In A Black-Owned Culturally-Centered Community Birth Center, J'Mag Karbeah, Rachel Hardeman, Numi Katz, Dimpho Orionzi, Katy Kozhimannil

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Introduction: Racial and ethnic disparities in perinatal health outcomes are among the greatest threats to population health in the United States. Black birthing communities are most impacted by these inequities due to structural racism throughout society and within health care settings. Although multiple studies have shown that structural racism and the disrespect associated with this system of inequity are the root causes of observed perinatal inequities, little scholarship has centered the needs of Black birthing communities to create alternative care models. Leaning on reproductive justice and critical race theoretical frameworks, this study explores good birth experiences as described by Black …

Death On The Job: Mountain West States, 2022, Miguel A. Soriano Ralston, Joshua Padilla, Saha Salahi, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Economic Development & Workforce

This fact sheet examines select data from the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) 2022 report, “Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect,” which reports on worker safety, health, and workplace fatalities. The original report provides a comprehensive national and state-by-state profile of workplace conditions in the United States. These data were originally reported to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). This fact sheet highlights workforce fatalities and injuries in the Mountain West region (Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah).

Crime Attractors In Sin City? A Pre/Post Test Of Crime Patterns And Police Enforcement Around Recreational Marijuana Facilities, Joshua Donnelly

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The federalist system in the United States has created criminal opportunities within jurisdictions that have approved recreational marijuana facilities (RMFs). These facilities have characteristics that are attractive for motivated offenders including marijuana and marijuana-related tangible goods. Through ArcGIS, this research examined the crime patterns and police enforcement patterns that occurred within a 288-meter street-network buffer around RMFs through a pre/post-test exploratory design in the Las Vegas area. The time periods examined were 2015 to 2016 (pre-legalization), and 2018 to 2019 (post-legalization). Calls for service data were used to demonstrate both crime and enforcement patterns. Furthermore, facilities were classified into “local …

Diffusion Return: A Case Study Of New Orleans, Neiufi Iongi

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study establishes and explores the concept of diffusion return. This study utilizes a qualitative case study of the city of New Orleans and their regulation of short-term rentals to establish and explore diffusion return. A network map is constructed of cities that diffused short-term rental regulation information with New Orleans. Information movements are sketched with the network map, and the resulting patterns illustrate how diffused information travels both inward and outward across jurisdictions. Additionally, thematic analysis is applied to qualitatively analyze data gathered from five interviews with New Orleans city staff, three short-term rental reports. and public meeting minutes …

To Report Or Not To Report: Student Reporting Behaviors Of Violent Crimes In Schools, Heather Monaghan

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

School-based violence is a criminal justice topic that often captures the attention of the media and the public. As a result, measures - such as school security strategies, safety personnel, and teacher training - are put into place to help combat school-based violence. These measures are not only costly and time consuming, but also have inconclusive research findings to support them. However, violence in schools can still be prevented. Research has found support for the role that student reporting has in preventing violence. However, many students may choose not to report violent crimes. Using a modified version of Sykes & …

Repeating Patterns: Does Emotional Child Abuse Lead To Intimate Partner Abuse?, Kathryn R. Henry

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Childhood abuse and intimate partner abuse (IPA) are serious issues in the United States This study examines the correlation between emotional childhood abuse and IPA. Anyone regardless of gender, race, or socioeconomic status may be a victim of childhood abuse or IPA. One in seven children are victims of childhood abuse, which results in a lifetime cost of $428 billion. The costs of IPA are even higher and estimated by the CDC (2020) to be near $3.6 trillion as 25% of women and 20% of men have been victims of IPA. Previous research has found a connection between childhood maltreatment …

What You See You Perceive: Public Opinions Of Potential Negative Consequences And Support For Officer Body-Worn Cameras, Jordyn Marian Sanders

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Officer-body worn cameras (BWCs) are used in policing to provide visuals from the perspective of the officer during interactions with the community. BWCs are often promoted for the ability to improve the relationship between the community and police by providing accurate and transparent accounts of the interactions. Millions of dollars have been spent to distribute BWCs to police departments across the Unites States, with an estimated 80% of departments implementing the devices through various policies and procedures (White & Malm, 2020). Most studies on BWCs have provided empirical evidence showing the potential benefits of the devices in policing (Lum et …

Broadened Possibilities: Undocumented Community College Student Course Enrollment After The California Dream Act, Federick Ngo, Juanita K. Hinojosa

Educational Psychology, Leadership, and Higher Education Faculty Research

Some states have enacted inclusive policies that reduce constraints and uncertainty for undocumented students, potentially changing their academic decisions and postsecondary goals. We explore shifts in continuing undocumented community college students’ course-taking before and after the California DREAM Act, which provided access to state financial aid. We use difference-in-differences comparisons with permanent residents, refugees, and U.S. citizens who were unaffected by these policies to examine policy impacts. After its implementation, continuing students increased their enrollment intensity, primarily in degree-applicable and transferable courses, and decreased coursework in career/technical education. This suggests state financial aid may have broadened postsecondary possibilities and made …

Parking In Progress: The Evolution Of Parking Garages, Jazmin Isabel Navarro

Hospitality Design Graduate Student Capstones

In the U.S. there are approximately 40,000 parking garages (Hartt, 2014) and that number continues to grow rapidly; for years the design of those structures has stayed stagnant, not being rethought since their conception around the 1950's. Meanwhile the automobile industries are evolving more rapidly than ever before to create smarter and more energy efficient technologies. The automobile has become a staple of society and there is little chance of it being eliminated from our society; it is a necessary evil at this point.

As vehicles rose in popularity there came the need for parking, and before long there was …

Student And Faculty Diversity: University Of Nevada, Las Vegas (Unlv) And University Of Nevada, Reno (Unr), 2012-2020, Olivia K. Cheche, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Higher Education

This fact sheet highlights data on the racial and ethnic diversity of students, tenured faculty, tenure-track faculty, and non-tenured/tenure-track faculty at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and University of Nevada, Reno (UNR). Data are presented for each year from 2012 to 2020. The UNLV Office of Decision Support and representatives at UNR assisted in the compilation of this data.

Racial/Ethnic And Gender Differences In Smoking In Early Middle Adulthood, Junhee Woo, Elizabeth Lawrence, Stefanie Mollborn

Sociology Faculty Research

Research has documented important differences in smoking rates across race/ethnicity, gender, and age. Much of the research has either focused on smoking initiation among adolescents or cessation among adults, but little is known about racial/ethnic patterns in intermittent and daily smoking across young and early middle adulthood. We therefore use the life course perspective to identify how racial/ethnic and gender differences in smoking unfold across adulthood. Analyses investigate whether racial/ethnic and gender differences exist in the likelihood of daily smoking in early middle adulthood and whether these disparities persist after the inclusion of adolescent and early midlife sociodemographic characteristics and …

Direction Of Attentional Focus In Prosthetic Training: Current Practice And Potential For Improving Motor Learning In Individuals With Lower Limb Loss, Alexander Bonczyk, Maria Katrina Tillada Dimapilis, Sarah Partridge, Samantha Ruiz

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Objective: Adopting an external focus of attention has been shown to benefit motor performance and learning. However, the potential of optimizing attentional focus for improving prosthetic motor skills in lower limb prosthesis (LLP) users has not been examined. In this study, we investigated the frequency and direction of attentional focus embedded in the verbal instructions in a clinical prosthetic training setting.

Methods: Twenty-one adult LLP users (8 female, 13 male; 85% at K3 level; mean age=50.5) were recruited from prosthetic clinics in the Southern Nevada region. Verbal interactions between LLP users and their prosthetists (mean experience=10 years, range=4-21 years) during …

Zooarchaeological Analysis Of Subsistence Practices At The Lake Roberts Vista Site (La71877) Gila National Forest, New Mexico, Laura A. Benedict

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This work examines the faunal subsistence practices at Lake Roberts Vista, a small Mimbres pueblo with a pithouse component occupied during the Late Pithouse to Classic Mimbres periods (A.D. 550-1130). It is in the Sapillo Valley, a tributary to the Gila River in southwestern New Mexico. Inhabitants consumed mostly deer and rabbits throughout their occupation. Evidence suggests a decline in Artiodactyla resource abundance in later years based on a declining Artiodactyl Index and an increasing fragmentation rate of Artiodactyla bones. Inhabitants captured more cottontails than jackrabbits throughout their occupation.

Commercial Sexual Exploitation: A Survey Of The Knowledge, Concerns, And Training Of Transit Personnel In Las Vegas, Nevada, Elena A. Bejinariu

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Transportation personnel, in particular bus drivers, encounter young people who are commercially sexually exploited frequently and throughout the course of their daily jobs. Given the frequency of this interaction, bus drivers are perceived to be the eyes and ears of the transportation industry, playing a key role in the identification and prevention of trafficking. To support national efforts in combating human trafficking, between September 1st, 2020 and June 15th, 2021, the Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) of Southern Nevada trained all its existing employees and new hires on human trafficking dynamics and reporting protocols. These included legal definitions, victim characteristics, recruitment …

Classroom Management Practices Appropriate To Children Of Military Families: A Case Study, Felicia Bucher

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this sociocultural study was to analyze the lived experiences of exemplary teachers who teach on a military base school. By teaching a lesser-known diverse group of students who are children of military families, the teachers in this study shared the sociocultural perspective of Vygotsky’s perezhivanie of the adjustment to how they approach classroom management and facilitate student learning despite the differences in teaching children of military families. The dissertation employed qualitative methodology using in-depth interviews with six teacher participants and a triangulation interview with the school principal. The findings are discussed in relation to classroom management strategies …

Measuring Social Studies Teacher Self-Efficacy: Development Of A Valid, Reliable, And Fair Social Studies Self-Efficacy Scale, Leona Calkins

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Social studies education provides unique opportunities for students to learn about the democratic process and, more importantly, how to engage in civic life to become active citizens. It is through meaningful social studies education that students are deliberately helped to understand the world, and are provided space to discuss, deliberate, and inquire about problems in the world, both past and present, and then learn how they can work to solve these problems (NCSS, 2013a; Parker, 2008). Considering the role of social studies education in helping develop active citizens, there has been a call for social studies teachers to provide instruction …

An Examination Of Interactions Of U.S. Players With Offshore Gambling Sites And Online Casino Reviews: Are They Offenders Or Victims?, Sinyong Choi

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

While the recent liberal stance of the United States has facilitated the proliferation of legal online gambling venues, the ‘black market’ of online gambling remains prevalent. Illegal online gambling poses concerns for the legal market and risks for gambling addiction and consumer protection. Numerous law violations occur in this domain, which are produced by the interactions between players, gambling sites, and online casino reviews. Exploring the interactions of players with online gambling sites and online casino reviews is vital in enhancing our understanding of illegal online gambling activity and therefore allows us to develop preventive measures that can reduce the …

Built Environment, Land Use, And Crime: A Las Vegas Study, Stacey Lynn Clouse

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study examined land use and crime against persons and crime against property in Las Vegas, Nevada at varying spatial levels of analysis. Using crime data provided by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and the Clark County Assessor’s office, results at the macro-level of analysis reveal that property crime rates concentrated on commercial, transportation, communication and utilities, and industrial land use, whereas violent crime concentrated at commercial, multi-residential, and civic, institutional, and recreational land use. Upon examining the subtypes of land use that generate or radiate more crime, property crime concentrated on transportation land use, class 1 resorts, and …

Women’S Use Of The Gym Space: How Physical Activity Spaces Communicate Inclusion And Exclusion To Women, Rachel Glaze

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Women are less likely than men to participate in recommended levels of physical activity. As gyms are built around exercise, this research sought to understand if women’s gym participation is limited, due to the space communicating messages of exclusion. Semi-structured interviews with seven women participants led to the discovery of three themes surrounding women’s experiences in the gym setting: Comfort and confidence in the space stem from self-perceived levels of attractiveness, women treat the space as communal to better understand how to navigate it, and organizational spaces can communicate messages of class and socioeconomic differences. Recommendations for future research included …

Historical Patterns Of Regional, Residential, And Socioeconomic Inequities In The Utilization Of Maternal Health Care In Tanzania, East Africa, Neema Langa

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The United Republic of Tanzania (URT) has been experiencing alarming maternal and neonatal mortality rates. While these deaths have decreased over time, they fall short of the World Health Organization's (WHO) standards. Due to their strong associations, understanding maternal healthcare utilization (MHC) is critical for improving our understanding of existing maternal and neonatal mortality patterns. Existing research, primarily focusing on antenatal care (ANC), indicates that utilization of maternal health care (MHC) has steadily increased since 1990. However, very little attention has been paid to period-based changes in other MHC measures (e.g., postnatal care) and how those changes vary across socioeconomic …