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Cultivating Coastal Communities: An Exploration Of Synergies And Tradeoffs To The Colocation Of Stormwater Ponds And Urban Agriculture In Tampa Bay, Estenia Ortiz

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cultivating resilience in coastal communities such as Tampa Bay is becoming increasingly important as urbanization continues to fuel complex environmental and social challenges further exacerbated by sea level rise, habitat degradation, and more intense storm events. Food and water systems are particularly vulnerable under these circumstances, jeopardizing residents’ quality of life. This research explored the nexus of stormwater detention ponds and urban agriculture, namely community and residential gardens, this research reveals factors to consider in the colocation of these systems to build local community resilience and protect waterways.

Focusing on East Tampa, a historic Black community in Florida, and the …

“It’S Essential We Learn How To Grow For Ourselves”: The Legacies Of Black Gardening In Racialized Food Systems., Funmi Odumosu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, I aim to investigate the impact of food racism on Black communities, with a specific focus on the importance of gardening in combatting food apartheid and fostering holistic connections to nature and community in school-aged children. Inequitable access to major retail supermarkets and unequal distribution of healthy food options are intentionally occurring patterns in the food spaces of predominately Black communities. These food system inequities exacerbate a lack of consumption and potential consequences on the health and well-being of children of color particularly during critical physical and cognitive developmental periods.

Many solutions to these inequities entail implementing …

Additive Value Of A Reinforcer Preference Assessment In Elementary Classroom Group Contingencies, De'vohn J. Roman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Disruptive behavior in elementary classrooms can hinder students' academic engagement and overall learning experience. This study examined the effectiveness of using a student-selected reinforcer preference assessment in a positive variation of the Good Behavior Game, a widely implemented classroom management strategy, in general education elementary classrooms. The study's purpose was to determine whether student-selected reinforcers led to better outcomes compared to teacher-selected reinforcers, by examining the intervention's effects on academic engagement and disruptive behavior. The methodology involved a single-case research design and an alternating treatment design, which were employed to answer the research questions. Findings revealed the benefits of integrating …

Assessing Fish Species Richness Using Edna And Seine Nets In A Restored Estuary In Tampa Bay, Florida, Us, Alex Seigel

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Coastal estuarine systems associated with the Tampa Bay region along the Gulf of Mexico, Florida, US, are critical to the region’s fishing industry, which contributes significantly to Florida’s economy. Restoring estuaries along the Gulf Coast of Florida is an investment in Florida’s environmental health and economic stability. Estuaries serve as nurseries for many marine species, including commercially important organisms like finfish. Restoring these areas can enhance fish stocks and, by extension, boost the economic returns from commercial and recreational fishing. In this study, differences in fish species richness were compared among a seven-month period in 2022, seine nets (once in …

Virtual Leadership Through The Use Of Commanders Intent, Lisa M. Hammond

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The shift to remote work triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic has transformed organizational dynamics, exposing the limitations of traditional leadership models and emphasizing the need for innovative approaches. This dissertation examines the application of the military concept of Commander’s Intent in remote work settings, focusing on its potential to enhance mission alignment, autonomy, and productivity. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the study integrates quantitative survey data and qualitative thematic analysis to explore how Commander’s Intent impacts mission clarity, person-job fit, and leadership effectiveness. Findings reveal that Commander’s Intent strengthens mission alignment and empowers teams to act autonomously while maintaining strategic coherence, …

Statistical Analysis And Modeling Of Colon Cancer, Nessrin Bukhshim

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cancer is considered a health issue in the world. Many cancer research studies focus on improving the survival time of patients diagnosed with cancer, and they make an effort to find the methods that help them detect cancer and find effective treatments to increase the patient's survival time. In this study, we aim to understand the behavior of malignant tumor size in four stages. Our investigation seeks to uncover whether any statistically significant difference exists between the malignant tumor sizes of male and female patients at different cancer stages. We also investigate whether any parametric probability distribution function best fits …

Γ -Aapeptides Targeting Amyloid-Β Pathway And Neural Repair For Alzheimer’S Disease Treatment, Ning Shen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the accumulation of amyloid-beta (Aβ) plaques and progressive neuronal degeneration. Despite extensive research, no treatments have been able to effectively halt or reverse the progression of the disease. This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic potential of two novel γ-AApeptides, HW-C9 and 125-6b, in AD treatment, assessing both their individual and combined effects. HW-C9 was designed to inhibit Aβ aggregation, while 125-6b was developed to promote neuronal growth and repair. Initially, the therapeutic effects of HW-C9 and 125-6b were assessed both in vitro and in vivo. The results showed that HW-C9 …

Acoustic Energy For Use In Mass Spectrometry, Ashton N. Taylor

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Analyzing lipid assemblies, including synthetically produced liposomes and naturally produced extracellular vesicles (EVs), is challenging due to their size, diverse composition, and tendency to aggregate. EVs contain a complex variety of lipids, proteins, and other metabolites. EVs composition can provide us insight into what is happening inside the body and a subcellular level and have potential for noninvasive biomarkers. Liposomes are vesicles that form with a simple phospholipid bilayer membrane and play important roles in drug delivery systems. The use of mass spectrometry (MS) allows for broad analysis of lipids from different classes but their release from the higher order …

Reflections On The Teacher Evaluation Process: Experiences Told By K-12 Teachers, Trinicia S. Murphy

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In education, it is essential for stakeholders like district leaders, teachers, and government officials to collaborate and create a plan of action that would support K-12 instruction. Collaborations as such have been used for decades by policymakers and researchers to express philosophies, values, and beliefs about education to make improvements and/or push for change. Therefore, the educational system will continue to evolve with current and upcoming research findings. For example, evaluating teachers effectively has been one of the most controversial topics in education. According to Boyd (1989), teacher evaluations were constructed to measure teachers’ competences and promote professional development. Today, …

Characterizing West Florida Shelf Reef Fish Communities Using A Scientific Echosounder, Edmund A. Hughes

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The advancement and application of non-invasive fisheries survey technologies, such as the scientific echosounder, have significantly enhanced our understanding of fish populations and their habitats, more recently in regions where traditional sampling methods are limited, such as complex reef habitats. This research, conducted as part of the Continental Shelf Characterization, Assessment, and Mapping Project (C-SCAMP) on the West Florida Shelf, leverages acoustic and visual technologies to investigate the distribution of fish densities, fish target strength and length relationships, and the relationship between seafloor topography and fish biomass distribution.

The first study compared reef fish densities estimated from near-concurrent acoustic (Simrad …

Relationship-Influenced Cyber Hygiene (Rich) In Community Banks, Monte L. Ward

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a research study that introduces the theoretical model of Relationship-Influenced Cyber Hygiene (RICH) through its investigation of the phenomenon the researcher experienced: how the interpersonal relationship between top management and cybersecurity personnel within smaller community banks influences the cyber hygiene of top management. Due to the value proposition of community banks to their clients and the limited budget of smaller institutions for investment in cybersecurity controls and initiates, community banks need additional strategies to achieve stronger cyber hygiene, especially as it relates the greatest weakness in most cybersecurity infrastructures—the human element. This study identifies and addresses a …

Compositional Characteristics And Relationships Between Oceanic Basement, Sediment, And Volcanic Arc Rocks: Geochemical Evolution Of The South China Sea And Luzon-Taiwan Arc, Antonio J. Luna

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, I have characterized the geochemical signatures of the South China Sea (SCS) igneous basement and marine sediments with the intent to examine the results in the context of the understanding the origin and evolution of the SCS oceanic mafic crust, the type of sediments found in the SCS, and finally their impact on the composition of the island arc lavas within the northern Luzon Arc. This dissertation research has three main objectives:

1. Examining the origin, composition, and evolution of the SCS mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB), as well as the preexisting crustal rocks recovered near the continent-ocean transition …

Artificial Reefs As Management Tools, Tiff Raetzel

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Artificial reefs are attractive tools for fisheries management and reef conservation, as they can host large fish biomasses, including fisheries-important species, and they may supplement natural recruitment. Prior studies have established that artificial and natural reefs differ in habitat complexity and host both taxonomically and functionally distinct assemblages. These differences may impact how the reef types respond to environmental disturbance because ecosystem stability is dependent upon habitat structure, species composition, and trophic interactions. A question of management importance is whether artificial reefs host a less- or more-sensitive suite of species than natural reefs, and whether the assemblage is conducive to …

Secondary Teacher Perceptions And Practices Of Intercultural Communicative Competence Development In Online Intercultural Exchanges, Paige L. Roland

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Secondary level world language programs in the United States lack efficient infusion and assessment of intercultural communicative competence in the curricula. When a learner acquires a new language, they also shape their personal identity and expand their ability to successfully interact cross-culturally, thus the need for culture and language to be understood as interdependent components of the bigger whole is evident (Liontas & Siegel, 2019). While there are extensive research theories and studies regarding models of assessment for various competences underlying intercultural communicative competence (e.g., communicative competence, idiomatic competence, sociolinguistic competence) throughout the decades, little research is available which utilizes …

Hurricane Evacuation: Navigating Uncertainty During Covid 19 And With Existing Communication Scales, And Considering Public And Expert Perception Of Alternative Scales, Leilani D. Paxton

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the effectiveness of current hurricane warning products and communication strategies, exploring factors influencing public perception of risk and decision-making during evacuations. The study employs a mixed-methods approach, combining survey data, focus group discussions, and interviews with meteorologists and emergency managers. The first paper examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on hurricane risk perception and evacuation decisions. Findings indicate that while COVID-19 concerns played a role in some individuals' decisions, particularly those with pets or concerns about shelter conditions, the majority of participants evacuated for Hurricane Ian. The study highlights the importance of providing clear, consistent, and …

An Ai-Driven Framework To Enhance The Quality And Sustainability Of Manufacturing Systems, Purvee Bhatia

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Sustainability in manufacturing is emerging to be a key factor to minimize waste and enhance resource efficiency while maintaining product quality. Sustainability and quality are intertwined and have an impact on each other wherein sustainable practices for surface quality assessment play a pivotal role in waste management and process optimization. Advanced technologies such as machine learning have gained prominence in manufacturing and the availability and ubiquity of diverse data streams allows for the enhancement of manufacturing systems across metrics critical to the sectors in which they are employed such as performance and quality. However, many challenges remain in the effective …

Towards An International, Generalizable Marketing Strategy Maturity Model, Juan Manuel Harraca

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In an increasingly dynamic business environment, organizations face relentless pressure to adapt their strategies and optimize value propositions to maintain competitiveness. The formulation of effective marketing strategies has emerged as a critical factor in achieving sustainable competitive advantage and ensuring long-term success. However, many firms struggle to refine their marketing capabilities in response to evolving market demands. Addressing this challenge, the Marketing Strategy Maturity Model (MSMM), introduced by Harraca in 2023, offers a structured framework to assess and improve a firm’s marketing strategy formulation processes.

The MSMM provides a dual approach, emphasizing the enhancement of both the processes and the …

Moral Of The Story: Secondary Language Arts Teachers’ Perceptions Of Students’ Moral Intelligence, Sadia Fauzia Zaman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The literature review reveals a gap in secondary English Language Arts (ELA) teachers’ perception of students’ moral intelligence (MI). While many character education studies examine the student perspective, this study contributes to the limited research on secondary ELA teachers’ perceptions of students’ moral intelligence and how it can be cultivated. This dissertation addresses that gap by collecting and analyzing ELA teachers’ lived experiences and perceptions of students’ MI, as well as exploring how ELA teachers and schools can support students’ moral development by integrating moral and ethical topics into instructional practices. This qualitative study used narrative inquiry to gather interview …

Preservice Elementary Teachers’ Perceptions Of The Incorporation Of An Ecojustice Framework In An Undergraduate Stem Integration Course, Rita G. Ortiz

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Environmental education across the K-12 science curriculum lacks critical examination of human and ecological relationships, particularly in relation to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. While the Next Generation Science Standards include environmental topics within their disciplinary core ideas and many schools offer environmental science courses, this gap can be addressed in teacher preparation programs, particularly for those teaching younger students. Ecojustice centers on socioecological topics by addressing cultural assumptions we, as humans, live by in relation to natural systems. Ecojustice education is a critical pedagogy that engages learners about social issues related to our current ecological crisis. This …

Development And Initial Validation Of The In-The-Moment Asynchronous Student Engagement Questionnaire (Itmaseq) In Higher Education, Elif Topsakal

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on the development and initial validation of the In-The-Moment Asynchronous Student Engagement Questionnaire (ITMASEQ), designed to measure undergraduate student engagement—emotional, cognitive, and behavioral—in asynchronous online learning environments. The study responds to the growing need for dynamic, in-the-moment assessments of student engagement, a construct critical to understanding academic success and retention, particularly in online education.

The ITMASEQ included a total of 25 questions: Five contextual questions (study day, study place, company during the study, primary online activity, type of primary online activity), eight emotional engagement questions (enjoyment, feeling calm, anxious, focused, distracted, etc.), seven cognitive engagement questions (interest, …

Flexible Docking Method Development For Computer-Aided Drug Design, Luke C. Warrensford

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Modern drug discovery, the process of identifying or developing novel therapeutic compounds to treat a disease, increasingly relies on computational methods to make the process faster and more efficient. One of the most useful tools in the computer-aided drug design toolbox is molecular docking, the simulation of a protein-ligand complex to determine ligand binding affinity. The results from molecular docking help inform the overall drug discovery process on which compounds have more potential to be potent inhibitors, thus saving time and resources during the later and more expensive stages of drug discovery. Two important considerations of modern docking methods are …

Monstrosity In The Early Modern Period: The Grotesque In John Dryden’S The Fable Of Acis, Polyphemus And Galatea., Kayla M. Stump

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In The Fable of Acis, Polyphemus and Galatea, John Dryden reinterprets the myth of Polyphemus to reflect early modern perspectives on monstrosity and the natural world. Situated within the context of European colonial expansion, Dryden’s translation and significant additions to Ovid’s narrative capture early modern society’s deepening engagement with the natural environment and shifting views on the “Other,” a figure often synonymous with monstrosity. While much has been written about monstrosity during this period, this study focuses on Dryden’s depiction of Polyphemus as a monster whose ambivalence—rather than distancing him from nature—anchors him within it. Using pastoral motifs and vivid …

Advanced Magnetic Sensing Technologies For Enhanced Biodetection And Healthcare Monitoring, Kee Young Hwang

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The development of biosensing systems that leverage the unique properties of magnetic nanoparticles and the high sensitivity of magnetic sensors for detecting biomolecules and cancer cells has been an active area of research. However, challenges remain in detecting and differentiating the magnetic signals of biomarkers made from nanoparticles that have similar sizes but distinct magnetic properties. Additionally, overcoming the reduction in detection sensitivity caused by non-magnetic coatings on magnetic nanoparticles remains a key hurdle. Concurrently, there is a pressing need to develop advanced magnetic sensor technologies that can enhance existing healthcare monitoring systems and enable more precise, real-time diagnostics.This dissertation …

Framing Barbie: A Thematic Analysis Of News Media, Mckenzie Muskett

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study qualitatively examined how newspapers and digital media sources frame the 2023 movie, Barbie, and how news media can either perpetuate stereotypes or uproot them. This was done by first facilitating a thematic analysis of newspaper articles from five major U.S news outlets, New York Times, Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, and Chicago Tribune, and then from four major digital news outlets, Newsweek, Reuters, BBC, and NewsNation. This study utilized framing theory to identify ten frames news outlets used to frame Barbie. Additionally, feminist theory was implemented to inform the findings and analyze the articles. …

Leveraging Feedback From Older Adults To Enhance Patient-Centered Engagement In Healthcare Services, Erica Susan Sappington

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is comprised of an introduction to the topic, three academic papers, and a final chapter discussing the implications of the findings. Its primary objective is to examine strategies to engage older adults in proactive health interventions, enhancing their participation and satisfaction within healthcare systems. Each academic paper utilized distinct data sources and research methods. Paper 1's survey data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and correlations to understand older adults' engagement with academic medical centers. Paper 2 used thematic analysis of focus group data to identify key themes in older adults' perspectives on novel health services. Paper 3 used …

The Ensemble Code As A Constructed Working Memory, Jacob Zepp

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation formalizes and refines a new theory of ensemble coding: the Non-Selective Transfer Model. Within this theory, ensemble codes and subsequent summary judgments are the result of representations constructed over a subset of information that is encoded into working memory. The work begins with a brief review of current ideas present within the ensemble coding literature, followed by a set of formalized descriptions of ensemble coding theories that have been proposed. A discussion of relevant theories present in the working memory literature is also provided to motivate the structure of the subsequent model. The Non-Selective Transfer Model 2 is …

Compositions And Methods Relating To Novel Sulfono-Gamma-Aa Peptides, Chuanhai Cao, Jianfeng Cai

USF Patents

Provided herein are compounds, compositions, pharmaceutical compositions, kits, and methods relating to novel sulfono-γ-AA peptides. Novel sulfono-γ-AA peptides as described herein can have the structure according to Formula 1: In embodiments according to the present disclosure, novel sulfono-γ-AA peptides as described herein have minimal toxicity, can repair neuronal damage, inhibit Amyloid beta aggregation, and promote cellular growth and viability.

Systems And Methods For Classifying Mosquitoes Based On Extracted Masks Of Anatomical Components From Images, Sriram Chellappan, Mona Minakshi, Pratool Bharti, Ryan M Carney

USF Patents

Images of an insect are subjected to at least a first convolutional neural network to develop feature maps based on anatomical pixels at corresponding image locations in the respective feature maps. The anatomical pixels correspond to a body part of the insect. A computer calculates an outer product of the first feature map and the second feature map to form an integrated feature map. Extracting fully connected layers from respective sets of integrated feature maps and applying the fully connected layers to a classification network for identifying the genus and the species of the insect.

“Who Am I?”: Novice Teachers Making Meaning Of Their Intersectional Teacher Identity, Kerrijo E. Ellis

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how marginalized and/or minoritized novice teachers make meaning of their teacher identity. An integrated theoretical framework informed this study using Hong et al.’s (2024) conceptualization of teacher identity, Crenshaw’s (1989) intersectionality, and Collins & Bilge’s (2020) definition of intersectionality. Utilizing the photovoice methodology, four focus groups were conducted with a purposeful sample of five novice teachers who identified as marginalized (i.e., gender, disability, LGBTQIA+) and/or minoritized (i.e., ethnic and/or racial minority). Using reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2023), I identified three themes: (1) Why I Became a Teacher, which included …

Feminist Narrative Inquiry: Stories Of Five Young Adults Who Aged Out Of Florida Foster Care, Amy E. Nourie

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There are approximately 400,000 children in foster care in the United States and, each year, more than 20,000 reach the age of majority without achieving permanency, also known as aging out (Annie E. Casey Foundation, 2022a). Research has consistently called attention to the negative effects of foster care on youth including issues relating to substance use, housing instability, educational obstacles, and mental health concerns (Forkey & Szilagyi, 2014; Sarri et al., 2016). These negative outcomes are often even more pronounced for young adults aging out of foster care and transitioning into adulthood (Haggman-Laitila et al., 2019). Despite the decades of …