Digital Commons Network^™

Characterization Of Mtdna Minicircles In A Chewing Louse, Geomydoecus Centralis, John Lehmkuhl, Grace Mraz, James W. Demastes, Theresa A. Spradling

Research in the Capitol

The DNA of living organisms is packaged into chromosomes differently in different species, but typically following a standard set of "rules." Understanding how DNA can be packaged for different species provides a better understanding of life and the genetic rules that must be followed, and the "rules" that can be broken. Mitochondria are crucial subcomponents of cells, providing the energy for life. Mitochondria always have their own mtDNA. In our study, we have learned that chewing lice mtDNA differs from that of other animals by spreading the genes across 12 separate small, circular chromosomes instead of one large, circular chromosome. …

Gender Socialization And Social Media In College Students' Fear Of Crime, Ashlyn Miller

Research in the Capitol

The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between gender, viewing crime related material on social media, and fear of crime experienced by college students. While violent crime rates have fallen, the majority of college students report levels of crime are increasing. Many individuals lack both knowledge and experience related to crime, leading media exposure to influence their levels of fear. Previous research has focused on television media related to fear of crime with little research on social media, the preferred media source of young adults. College students (n = 126) from a midwestern university completed a survey …

Unearthing Uni's First Football Stadium, Hannah Huffman

Research in the Capitol

Campus archaeology conducted at the University of Northern Iowa unearths historical artifacts that are tied to the institution’s past. In 2020, students in the archaeological fieldwork class performed excavations at the former Latham Stadium site, where remnants of the structure were discovered, documented, and archived for further examination. My research of the artifacts includes collaborative efforts between university archives, close laboratory analysis, and the interpretation of hand-written journals from fieldwork students who recorded their data on-site. This interdisciplinary approach provides a comprehensive understanding of the site’s historical significance and glimpses of human occupation that span decades into the past.

18th Annual Research In The Capitol [Program], March 25, 2024, University Of Northern Iowa. University Honors Program. Iowa State University. Honors Program. University Of Iowa. Honors Program.

Research in the Capitol Programs

Program of research presentations given at the Capitol by students from the University of Northern Iowa, Iowa State University, and the University of Iowa.

Sortase-Encoding Genes, Srta And Srtc, Mediate Enterococcus Faecalis Og1rf Persistence In The Helicoverpa Zea Gastrointestinal Tract, Jerreme J. Jackson, Samantha Heyer, Geneva Bell

Faculty Publications

Enterococcus faecalis is a commensal and opportunistic pathogen in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of mammals and insects. To investigate mechanisms of bacterial persistence in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), we developed a non-destructive sampling model using Helicoverpa zea, a destructive agricultural pest, as host to study the role of bacterial sortase enzymes in mitigating persistence in the gastrointestinal tract. E. faecalis OG1RF ΔsrtA and E. faecalis OG1RF ΔsrtC, isogenic E. faecalis OG1RF sortase mutants grew similarly under planktonic growth conditions relative to a streptomycin-resistant E. faecalis OG1RFS WT in vitro but displayed impaired biofilm formation under, both, physiological and alkaline conditions. …

Culture, Politics, And Economics: Alcohol And The Dynamic Social Environment Of Celtic Europe, Trevor Davidson

Undergraduate Student Work

Celtic culture in Iron Age Europe set the stage for many modern European nations and their cultural geographies. This paper seeks to question the connection between historical accounts of Celtic culture and the production and consumption of alcohol. In particular, the interactions between alcohol and the cultural, economic, and political of Celtic Age European populations is explored through modern archaeological sciences and geographic interpretation. From this research, a clear connection between regional environments and trends of alcohol production, trade, and flavor preference is demonstrated from thematic artifacts and bioarchaeological remains. Interactions between the southern Celtic tribes and Mediterranean cultures is …

Toward Prebiotic Chemistry On Titan: Impact Experiments On Organic Haze Particles, Ben K.D. Pearce, Sarah M. Hörst, Christopher J. Cline, Mark J. Cintala, Chao He, Joshua A. Sebree, Shannon M. Mackenzie, R. Terik Daly, Alexandra J. Pontefract, Cara Pesciotta

Faculty Publications

Impacts are critical to producing the aqueous environments necessary to stimulate prebiotic chemistry on Titan’s surface. Furthermore, organic hazes resting on the surface are a likely feedstock of biomolecules. In this work, we conduct impact experiments on laboratory-produced organic haze particles and haze/sand mixtures and analyze these samples for life’s building blocks. Samples of unshocked haze and sand particles are also analyzed to determine the change in biomolecule concentrations and distributions from shocking. Across all samples, we detect seven nucleobases, nine proteinogenic amino acids, and five other biomolecules (e.g., urea) using a blank subtraction procedure to eliminate signals due to …

Does Chinese Investment Into Europe Facilitate Strategic Asset Growth In The Chinese Parent Company? The Role Of Entry Mode, John Anderson, Dylan Sutherland, Sean Severe

Faculty Publications

Strategic asset seeking foreign direct investment has undergone tremendous growth over the past decade. This paper first attempts to evaluate the location choice of such investments in Europe. We find that Chinese companies target strategic assets in Europe. The paper then moves to understand the efficacy of these investments in terms of the creation of strategic assets in the Chinese parent company. Our results show the intangible assets of Chinese domestic parent firms significantly increase in the wake of their investments. For greenfield investments, there is a longer time-lag in creation of intangible strategic assets than for acquisitions. However, greenfield …

5 Million Global Downloads: Expanding The Reach & Impact Of The University Of Northern Iowa, University Of Northern Iowa. Rod Library.

Library Documents & Reports (entire collection)

UNI ScholarWorks, UNI’s institutional repository, reached 5 million global downloads! Our repository showcases the knowledge, creativity and innovative spirit of UNI. UNI ScholarWorks demonstrates the reach and impact of campus departments and programs on a global platform. Works by UNI authors are being used to help solve global society issues and problems. The repository contains over 43,500 works and receives over 1 million downloads per year. The top downloaded work is a student article, “Factors Affecting Economic Growth in Developing Countries” (Major Themes in Economics), by Parash Upreti, with over 73,000 downloads. The Graduate College …

How Consideration Of Future Consequences, Prior Gain Or Loss, Personal Risk Profile, And Justification Affect Risk–Payoff Preferences, W. Eric Lee

Faculty Publications

This study examines (1) how risk–payoff preference can be affected by differences in consideration of future consequences (CFC), prior gain/loss, and personal risk profile, and (2) whether one’s risk–payoff preference may vary with justification prompts. Using an experimental design with 366 undergraduate business students, participants are tasked to make risk–payoff choices in two scenarios, with the combined risk–payoff outcomes serving as the dependent variable. In addition, participants are assessed on their personal risk profiles and also complete the 14-item CFC scale to gauge the propensity to take into account future consequences of their behaviors. Findings show that one who scores …

Global Change Impacts On Indigenous Sustainability In Sakha Republic: A Synthesis Of Knowledge, Stanislav Saas Ksenofontov, Andrey N. Petrov

Faculty Publications

Indigenous understanding of sustainability is embedded in close relations to land and environment, Indigenous Knowledge systems, Indigenous epistemologies and ontologies, and Indigenous languages. However, the sustainability of Indigenous peoples’ livelihoods is significantly affected by various global change drivers. In the Arctic, Indigenous peoples’ livelihoods are impacted by environmental, social, and cultural changes, including climate change, environmental pollution, economic processes, and resource extraction. This paper aims to review and synthesize recent academic and gray literature on the sustainability of Indigenous communities in Sakha Republic, Northeast Siberia, Russia in the face of global change with a particular focus on land- and water-based …

Regional Geographies And Public Health Lessons Of The Covid-19 Pandemic In The Arctic, Sweta Tiwari, Andrey N. Petrov, Nikolay Golosov, Michele Devlin, Mark Welford, John Degroote, Tatiana Degai, Stanislav Ksenofontov

Faculty Publications

Objectives: This study examines the COVID-19 pandemic’s spatiotemporal dynamics in 52 sub-regions in eight Arctic states. This study further investigates the potential impact of early vaccination coverage on subsequent COVID-19 outcomes within these regions, potentially revealing public health insights of global significance. Methods: We assessed the outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic in Arctic sub-regions using three key epidemiological variables: confirmed cases, confirmed deaths, and case fatality ratio (CFR), along with vaccination rates to evaluate the effectiveness of the early vaccination campaign on the later dynamics of COVID-19 outcomes in these regions. Results: From February 2020 to February 2023, the Arctic …

Academic Health Department Partnerships: Impacts And Implications, Madeline Kraft

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this paper is to give an overview of the Academic Health Department (AHD) partnerships, and the impacts that they provide to three entities: students, health departments, and academic institutions. Through AHD partnerships, internships and other kinds of field experiences are used. Internships provide an opportunity for academic institutions and students to interact with the community, provide experiences and motivations to work within the field, and cement the knowledge gained. For an AHD partnership to be mutually beneficial, it needs to provide benefits for both the academic institution, such as teaching and research opportunities, and the governmental side, …

Achieving Cost-Effectiveness In The Production Of High-Quality Plastic Tiles Through Chemical Recycling, Emmanuel Ophel Gilbert

Graduate Research Papers

No abstract provided.

University Of Northern Iowa Fact Book, 2023-2024, University Of Northern Iowa. Institutional Effectiveness & Planning.

University of Northern Iowa Fact Book

Contents

Quick Reference ... Inside front cover
Institutional Mission and Goals ... 1
UNI Organizational Chart ... 2
UNI Administration ... 3
Definitions of Terms Used ... 4
Calendar ... 6

New Students
Fall 2023 New Students Profile by College ... 9
Fall 2023 New Students ... 10
New Student Applications, Admissions and Enrolled ... 11
New Students Enrolled by Residence ... 12
New Freshmen Enrollment by Residence ... 13
New Undergraduate Transfer Students by Type of Transfer College ... 14
New Freshmen ACT Composite Scores and High School Class Rank ... 15

Enrollment
Fall Students Profile by College ... …

The Effect Of Gratitude Journaling On Counselor Stress, Emily Kause

Graduate Research Papers

Stress and burnout are significant problems among those in helping professions, such as school counselors. High demands, time limitations, and vicarious trauma all contribute to the seemingly ever-rising levels of stress these individuals experience. It is critical for counselors to find strategies to lower their stress levels in order to prevent burnout, compassion fatigue, and the negative physical and mental health impacts of prolonged stress.

Uni Lgbt* History, Hunter Thompson , Compiler/Editor

UNI Proud Documents

This project aims to provide the future of queer activists of this campus a better picture of the roots of activism on this campus. I think of this project as my own personal version of The Celluloid Closet, but instead of old movies it's old Northern Iowan articles. There has always been resistance at UNI, and this document hopes to show that resistance. It is however by no means complete, as often resistance has to occur in the shadows. What this work is hours and hours of searching the archives of The Northern Iowan, for those brief snapshots …

Uni Faculty Handbook, 2024 - 2025, University Of Northern Iowa.

University Faculty Documents

University of Northern Iowa Faculty Handbook, Effective July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2025.

Exploring Social Emotional Learning: Impact, Policy, And Effective Implementation, Rebekah Simmons

Honors Program Theses

Throughout my time in the education program here at the University of Northern Iowa, I have had the opportunity to witness many lessons surrounding Social Emotional Learning (SEL). This inspired me to want to do more research on the impacts of Social Emotional Learning relating to prosocial behavior and student learning, as well as how state and national legislation influences how Social Emotional Learning is taught within schools. The purpose of this thesis study is to explore the impacts of Social Emotional Learning within school settings and the legislation that influences it.

How Pizza And Stickers Drove My Kids To Read And Kept Them Reading, Tiya Montaño

Graduate Research Papers

Walk into any English/Language Arts (ELA) classroom across the country and you will find books on bookshelves, students on computers or cellphones, and a teacher struggling to garner the attention of their students long enough to make it through the short story, poem, or novel they are reading. This has become an all too familiar image that ELA teachers struggle with. Why won’t the students engage? Are the readings too difficult? Are the readings too boring? Am I teaching them all wrong? All these questions and more fly through our brains as they work towards trying to get the students …

Experiences Of Women High School Band Directors In Iowa, Karina Kelso

Graduate Research Papers

Women high school band directors in the state of Iowa may experience teaching in secondary band programs differently than men high school band directors. Previous research has shown that women have faced many challenges in music education, particularly in teaching high school band. Four women band directors from different school class sizes and currently teaching in Iowa were interviewed about their teaching experiences to collect data using a qualitative case study design. My findings support the literature reviewed in suggesting that women band directors in secondary band programs in Iowa may be treated differently than men band directors by experiencing …

Fostering Multiliteracies And Engagement With Multimodal Texts In The Secondary English Language Arts Classroom, Amanda J. Hargis

Graduate Research Papers

This study underscores the potential of multimodal texts to enhance student engagement and understanding in high school English Language Arts classrooms. While student preferences for different text formats varied, challenges remain in how to connect classic literature to contemporary students. However, the integration of multimodal resources can offer valuable opportunities for enriching the learning experience. Future research and continued adoption of culturally sustaining pedagogies in instructional practices will be key to maximizing the benefits of multimodal texts in diverse educational settings.

The Effect Of Student Discussion Groups On Music Preference, Abby Steffen

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of three different listening conditions on how students rate their preference of musical genre. The preferences of the students could then be analyzed and incorporated into daily teaching. The participants were fifth-grade students of the researcher. Students (N = 44) were divided into three groups: Listening Only, Small Group Discussion and Teacher Info. Students in the Listening Only group listened to a playlist of music representing ten genres and rated each genre on a scale from 1(I don’t like it) to 5 (I like it a lot). Students in the …

The Impact Of Sentiment On Iowa Farmland Values By Agricultural District, Skyler Kelly

Honors Program Theses

No abstract provided.

Small Business Burnout: Reversing The Entrepreneurial Exit, Adele Kuruppu

Honors Program Theses

This thesis aims to review the current literature on entrepreneurial burnout, identify critical issues, evaluate and assess the research findings, and produce a plan for both new and experienced entrepreneurs to both avoid and minimize burnout. As a business and entrepreneurship student interested in opening a small business myself, I have become drawn to the topic of burnout and how it affects the family dynamic. Qualitative interviews revealed correlations between entrepreneurial characteristics and burnout as well as work-family conflict and burnout. By drawing from current literature and insight from small business owners, this study seeks to identify fundamental causes, symptoms, …

Impact Of Esg Initiatives On Stock Returns, Reagan Lommell

Honors Program Theses

In recent years, there has been an uproar of the term “ESG” to describe a firm’s risk on the environmental, social, and governmental aspects of their business. The term/concept was not new, per se, as it was referred to in other ways, such as “Triple Bottom Line,” PPP (People, Planet, Profit, SRI (Socially Responsible Investing (SRI), etc. With the recent traction, consumers as well as stakeholders, have become more concerned with how their business is being managed, especially in terms of environmental, social, and governance issues. While companies utilize many practices to promote the framework and subsequently add value to …

Reexamination Of College Students’ Behaviors And Knowledge Of Recycling, Ella Hilbrant

Honors Program Theses

The motivation for and consistency of recycling behavior varies widely from person to person. For some, motivation stems from concern for the environment, while others lack motivation to recycle at all or will only recycle if convenient. Within college students, differences in motivation and recycling habits may depend on factors such as personal demographics, involvement in specific classes or student groups, recycling habits before college, etc. Recycling behaviors can also stem from environmental literacy, which is how individuals understand, process, and use environmental information needed to make informed, sustainable, and environmentally friendly decisions (Null et al. 2021). Furthermore, on-campus recycling …

Iowa Journal Of Communication, Volume 56, Number 1, Fall 2024 [Download Entire Issue]

Iowa Journal of Communication

No abstract provided.

Visual Documentary Of Intimacy: Obama Presidency Through Pete Souza's Images, Yung Soo Kim

Iowa Journal of Communication

This study aims to provide a more in-depth analysis by exploring how images of President Obama successfully led the public to perceive him favorably. This qualitative visual analysis shows that the success of Mr. Souza’s coverage of President Obama stems from his documentary images of intimate moments of the president. Those intimate documentations might help some viewers embrace President Obama as trustworthy, at least for those who came to know him more via these images.

Teachers Do It All: A Cluster-Based Analysis Of Abbott Elementary, Peter Heryla

Iowa Journal of Communication

This study employs rhetorical criticism to analyze the television sitcom Abbott Elementary (2021). Through close examination of the episodes “Pilot,” “Development Day,” and “Egg Drop,” this analysis aims to uncover key ideas about the multifaceted roles and responsibilities educators are required to assume outside of their main job as “teacher.” Utilizing cluster criticism, the study shows that being a teacher is about more than educating, and that teachers are motivated by common themes when they act outside of their role. The study also focuses on the mediated representation of teachers and the harmful demographic tropes that have historically characterized them, …