Digital Commons Network^™

Equine Rescue Success In The United States: A Statistical Analysis, Carly J. Cave

Honors Theses and Capstones

The high inflation that has characterized the post-pandemic period in the United States has increased the costs of horse ownership for private owners and equine rescue organizations, which are facing critical pressures. Over 200,000 equines are at risk for neglect or slaughter in the United States each year, which far exceeds the capacity to house these equines at rescue organizations. While demand on these organizations is high, their ability to afford appropriate resources for their care is insufficient. This study examined geographical and economic factors that impact equine rescues’ success in taking in at-risk equines and adopting them to forever …

Alpaca Assisted Activities In The New England Alpaca Industry: A Possible Solution To Farm Profitability And Participant Mental Health, Ashley Michele Masse

Honors Theses and Capstones

The high operating costs of the New England alpaca industry were putting the majority of alpaca farmers in this region in a state of financial loss. On a separate note, American communities were experiencing a prevalence of anxiety and depression. What if a single solution could help improve the outcome of both these challenges that seem to have little to do with each other? Alpaca Animal Assisted Activities (alpaca AAAs) was a possible solution. This study explored New England alpaca farm profitability and alpaca AAAs in a way no other research study has done before. A Farmer Survey was mailed …

The Expansion Of Language Interpretation Services Post-Executive Order 13166: Effects On Maternal And Fetal Outcomes Of Non-English-Speaking Patients, Lilly Annabelle Smith

Honors Theses and Capstones

Over 69 million people older than the age of 5 in the U.S. speak a language other than English at home (U.S. Census, 2022). Of this population, around 38% report speaking English less than "very well" or limited English proficiency, “LEP”. Research has shown patient-provider communication quality in healthcare settings to be directly linked to the provider's ability to deliver safe and suitable care for LEP patients (Au et al., 2009). Executive Order (EO) 13166, signed into law in 2000, requires all federal agencies to implement and document language interpretation services in their establishments (Basu et al., 2017). LEP mothers …

Hohenschönhausen As A Tangible Representation Of The German Democratic Republic’S Development Of Operative Psychology, Zoe Werth

Honors Theses and Capstones

Located in Lichtenberg, Berlin (part of the former borough of Hohenschönhausen), Gedenkstätte Berlin-Hohenschönhausen stands today as a memorial for the thousands who were killed and imprisoned there, from its construction in 1939 until its closure in 1990. This paper will trace the evolution of Hohenschönhausen from a physical space of confinement, to a sophisticated psychological apparatus designed to exert control over its political prisoners through the development of “Operative Psychology” (OP). Through an architectural and historical analysis of the prison, alongside a review of prisoner testimonies, this paper works to reveal how the environment of Hohenschönhausen was methodically designed to …

Investigating The Relationship Between Politics And Education, Alaina M. Winrow

Honors Theses and Capstones

This paper looks into how politics plays a role in the public K-12 education system in the United States, specifically looking at the state of New Hampshire. Federal, state, and local governments provide important resources through funding to schools and create the laws that govern them. However, educational politics can be controversial at times. Within the past several years, there have been more tense school board meetings and divisive laws being passed or considered around the nation. Overall, the divisive political climate has influenced much of the discussion surrounding education and has created more stress for educators, administrators, school staff, …

Implementation Of The Dutch Biking System In The United States Subject: Portsmouth Nh, Linda K. Freeman

Honors Theses and Capstones

This thesis explores the feasibility of implementing the Dutch Biking System in the United States, focusing on Portsmouth NH as a potential candidate for such infrastructure development. By analyzing the history of bicycles, the Dutch biking system, and the American biking system, the study aims to establish the need for enhanced biking infrastructure in the U.S. The research outlines a comprehensive implementation plan based on cost considerations and project scope, with a long-term vision spanning several decades. Key stakeholders, including civil engineers, communications specialists, and data analysts, play crucial roles in designing, promoting, and evaluating the biking infrastructure. The study …

Looking For The Answer: Exploring The Choice Between Ai And Search Engines, Joseph Driscoll

Honors Theses and Capstones

With the meteoric rise of artificial intelligence, consumers have found themselves faced with an abundance of options for information retrieval. This study is designed to explore when consumers choose to use an AI tool as opposed to a traditional search engine, as well as determining what the user segments look like for AI tools. The results of this study indicate that there are two AI user segments, along with a third segment of non-users that were not included in the study. One segment has fully embraced the use of AI, while the other has tested it and only uses it …

A Review Of Executive Functioning And Social Communication Supports For Neurodiverse College Students, Reilly Morgan Gray

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.

Global Analysis Of The Neutron Magnetic Form Factor, Joseph P. Jayne

Honors Theses and Capstones

Protons and neutrons, the nucleons, are made up of smaller particles called quarks. Nucleons have three valence quarks, which are the dominant contributors to its properties, as well as sea quarks (quark-antiquark pairs) and gluons. The distribution of the charge and magnetization of these particles is described by the electric and magnetic form factors. These form factors can be measured with scattering experiments since they directly affect the particle’s cross section. Neutron form factors are challenging to measure because a pure neutron target will decay very fast and is not viable for experiments. Instead, targets like 2H and 3H are …

The Continuation Of Thoroughbred Racing: A Dual Mission, Isabella V. Williams

Honors Theses and Capstones

Thoroughbred racing is the highest-profile segment of the equine industry in the United States and around the world, accounting for 50% of industry jobs and 25% of industry revenue. Public interest in the sport is rising thanks to social media and celebrity involvement at marquee events like the Kentucky Derby, leading to increased scrutiny of the sport, posing a high risk to human and equine participants alike. Public outcry at equine injuries in particular threatens the sport’s social license to operate (SLO), making it critical to protect the “whole-life welfare” of the animals involved in the sport to ensure its …

A New Industry For Student- Athletes: An Analysis Of Nil Implications On Well-Being And Team Dynamics, Jamison W. White

Honors Theses and Capstones

As of June 2021, college athletes are allowed to benefit from selling their name, image, and likeness (NIL) by engaging in contracts with sponsors and businesses. Even though this law was passed to allow athletes to earn a fair pay for their hard work though utilizing their popularity and engaging with fans, its potential effect on athletes remains uncertain. This research examines the effects of NIL agreements on student-athletes’ well-being and team perceptions. More specifically, does the adoption of NIL place additional stress on student- athletes or disrupt their team dynamics? If so, what support can be granted to allow …

The Lighthouse Keepers Daughter: The Life And Work Of Celia Laighton Thaxter, Haley J. Parker

Honors Theses and Capstones

Living on the edge of the American empire, Celia Thaxter explored the dimensions of her life in ways that transcended, yet never fully abandoned traditional gender boundaries by cultivating her lifelong relationship with nature through creative expression. The lighthouse keeper's daughter constructed her identity based on the experiences that shaped her on the very edge of civilization. Coming of age on the Isles of Shoals, Celia reveled in flexibility and unrestricted freedom of her natural environment isolated from the cultural spheres on the mainland that reinforced the ideology of domestic femininity. This ideology was dominant in the 19th century in …

Judging Our New Judges: Why We Must Remove Artificial Intelligence From Our Courtrooms Now, Kieran Duffy Newcomb

Honors Theses and Capstones

In this paper, I explore some of the ways in which artificial intelligence might enhance the sentencing process through recidivism prediction technology. Notably, this technology can increase the accuracy of risk predictions and the speed with which sentencing decisions are reached. I then show, however, that the recidivism prediction technology is likely to turn into what data scientist Cathy O’Neil calls a Weapon of Math Destruction. The potential harmfulness of this technology is due not to the inherent nature of the technology, but the symbiotic relationship it will have with our already harmful criminal justice system. I argue that the …

Artificial Intelligence And The Entertainment Industry, Caroline Rae Mccarthy

Honors Theses and Capstones

Artificial intelligence is a fast-growing technology that is quickly taking over many industries, such as the entertainment industry. Artificial intelligence has the capability to replicate voices, create fake videos and photos, called deepfakes, of just about anything, and can practically bring people back to life. This technology, as it stands now, is similar to the wild west because in the vast majority of places, it’s lawless. Artificial intelligence is growing so rapidly that lawmakers haven’t had a chance to keep up. This paper explains more of what AI does in everyday life, and how its abilities can impact the entertainment …

Developing A Gender Diverse Stimulus Set For Emotion Expressions, Amir Robertson

Honors Theses and Capstones

Much past research has demonstrated that gender plays an important role in emotion perception, such that gendered stereotypes about emotion seem to shape how we perceive and interpret the emotion expressions of men and women. However, the stimulus sets that are typically used in the vast majority of this research have been based on binary ideas of gender, and purposefully limit common elements of gender presentation, with models posing with limited accessories or personal aesthetic choices. In everyday life, however, individuals’ gender and gender presentation are not limited in these ways and likely contribute in important ways to how we …

Implementation Of Stronger Community Resilience In The United States Before Natural Disasters Strike, Andrew J. Widdekind

Honors Theses and Capstones

Since 2000, the United States has not sustained viable mitigation and preparedness solutions to combat the frequent and intense onset of natural disasters; more must be done on how communities can adapt and withstand them. Instead, environmental and human-induced factors have exacerbated the likelihood of these threats, which has caused billion-dollar weather events to occur more often. This paper focuses on how congressional policymakers would have to incorporate new mitigation/preparedness approaches into current emergency management methodology by creating a new federal statute known as the National Resiliency Act (or similar). A policy like this would strengthen the overall resilience of …

Research Report: Radicchio Cultivar Performance In New Hampshire, Rebecca G. Sideman, Ella Lukacz, Lilly Hartman

Faculty Publications

Radicchio (Cichorium intybus var. latifolium) is grown widely throughout Europe, especially northern Italy. In addition to having interesting color and flavor profiles, they are rich in phenolics and other bioactive compounds. While increasingly popular as a niche vegetable in the region, there is little research-based information to guide growers. The New England growing climate is very different from that of major production regions, and it presents unique challenges. There is tremendous phenotypic variation among and within groups and cultivars. The availability of varieties to commercial growers in the U.S. has expanded greatly, but there remains a need for reliable …

‘Routines’ And ‘Formulaic Language’ In Conversation Analysis, Danielle Pillet-Shore

Faculty Publications

Though the field of conversation analysis (CA) was founded upon examinations of interactional “routines” such as conversation openings and closings, conceptualizing and categorizing communicative phenomena as “formulaic” is anathema to CA. This chapter details how, since its inception, CA work has empirically elucidated how participants to recorded episodes of naturally occurring social interaction actively and collaboratively accomplish conversational activities as ‘routine’ or not by selecting from available action alternatives, spontaneously coordinating their selections vis-à-vis one another. Taking a multimodal CA approach, this chapter reviews state-of-the art literature on how people open and close in-person and telephone conversations, showing the immense …

‘Routines’ And ‘Formulaic Language’ In Conversation Analysis (Author's Extended Data), Danielle M. Pillet-Shore

Faculty Publications

Though the field of conversation analysis (CA) was founded upon examinations of interactional “routines” such as conversation openings and closings, conceptualizing and categorizing communicative phenomena as “formulaic” is anathema to CA. This chapter details how, since its inception, CA work has empirically elucidated how participants to recorded episodes of naturally occurring social interaction actively and collaboratively accomplish conversational activities as ‘routine’ or not by selecting from available action alternatives, spontaneously coordinating their selections vis-à-vis one another. Taking a multimodal CA approach, this chapter reviews state-of-the art literature on how people open and close in-person and telephone conversations, showing the immense …

Halpin Named Fellow Of American Physiological Society, Unh Communications And Public Affairs

UNH Today Archive

No abstract provided.

Sustainability Post-Graduation: Energy Industry, George Anderson

Sustainability Institute Blog

No abstract provided.

Latest Data Show All New England States Gain Population, Kenneth M. Johnson

Carsey Publications

In this brief, Carsey Senior Demographer Kenneth Johnson reports that population gains were widespread in New England last year, according to new Census Bureau estimates. All six states gained population for the first time since before the pandemic. New Hampshire and Maine continued to gain population, just as they have in each of the last four years. In contrast, Massachusetts and Rhode Island gained population last year after several years of population decline. Vermont and Connecticut also continued to add population.

Most of New England’s population increase came from migration, because deaths continue to exceed births in four of the …

Embrace The Future, Gwendolyn Goguelet

UNH Today Archive

No abstract provided.

Unlocking The Gates Of Change: Exploring The Impact Of Transformational Leadership On Openness Toward Organizational Change, William A. Whipple Iii

M.S. in Leadership

This capstone delves into the contemporary challenge of organizational change, specifically focusing on leadership's influence on employee openness to change. The objective is to provide leaders with practical tools for fostering employee receptivity to change in today's dynamic work environment. This study employs a mixed-method approach involving a literature review and a quantitative survey. The research reveals a positive relationship between transformational leadership and employee openness to change. A 21-item survey evaluates the correlation between five subdimensions of transformational leadership and employee openness. Practical implications suggest that leaders emphasizing inspirational communication can enhance employee openness to future organizational changes, contributing …

Barriers To Hiring And Retaining Educators In New Hampshire, Melissa N. Fazlic

M.S. in Leadership

The COVID-19 pandemic brought to light the teacher shortage; however, school districts across the country have faced shortages for many years. While the state of New Hampshire is not alone in the shortage of teachers, New Hampshire faces additional barriers when it comes to recruiting and retaining a diverse group of certified educators. This project explores barriers to hiring educators that include: the demand for teachers, the COVID-19 pandemic, teaching reciprocity challenges, budget constraints and low wages, and local competition. The methodology used includes a combination of research using online tools such as Google Scholar, the UNH virtual library, and …

Unh Celebrates Students And Alumni At Annual Social Venture Innovation Challenge, Unh Communications And Public Affairs

UNH Today Archive

No abstract provided.

Unh Involved In National Report Outlining Carbon Dioxide Removal At Gigaton Scale, Robbin Ray

Media Relations

No abstract provided.

Expert Available To Offer Insight On 250th Anniversary Of The Boston Tea Party, Robbin Ray

Media Relations

No abstract provided.

University Of New Hampshire 2023-2024 Faculty Senate Xxviii - December 11, 2023 Minutes Summary, Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Agendas & Minutes

No abstract provided.

More U.S. Women Of Childbearing Age, But Fewer Have Given Birth, Kenneth M. Johnson

Carsey Publications

In this brief, Senior Demographer Kenneth Johnson reports that, in 2022, there were 21.9 million women aged 20–39 who had not given birth in the United States. This is 4.7 million more childless women of prime child-bearing age than would have been expected given fertility patterns prior to the Great Recession. In 2022, there were 9 percent more women 20 to 39 than in 2006, but the share who had never had a child was up by 37 percent.

The cumulative result of fewer women having children and diminishing fertility levels was 9.6 million fewer U.S. births between 2008 and …