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Liberalis, Summer 2012, Utah State University

Liberalis

Freedom to Think, Discover, and Create. The alumni magazine for the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Utah State University.

Interdisciplinary Modeling: Water-Related Issues And Changing Climate - New Mexico State University, Laurel Saito, Alexander Fernald, Timothy Link

All ECSTATIC Materials

Graduate course in interdisciplinary modeling: water-related issues and climate change offered at University of Nevada, Reno in Summer 2012.

Review: Peter Mcdonald, "The Literature Police: Apartheid Censorship And Its Cultural Consequences", Shane Graham

English Faculty Publications

Censorship has, of course, been much discussed in South African literary studies. But Peter McDonald's The Literature Police is a groundbreaking book in two ways: first, it is to my knowledge the first book to attempt a comprehensive historical overview of censorship in apartheid South Africa and its effects, not just on writers, but on publishers, literary journals, writers' organizations, and other key institutions. Second, it is the first text to look closely and methodically at the paper trail left behind by the Board of Censors to analyze precisely which texts were banned and the reasons given. The Literature Police …

Educational Policies Committee Program Proposal, College Of Agriculture And Applied Sciences, May 18, 2012, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

The six departments in the College of Agriculture (COA) and the three departments in the College of Natural Resources (CNR) request the creation of a Sustainable Systems Minor.

Educational Policies Committee Program Proposal, College Of Natural Resources, May 18, 2012, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

The six departments in the College of Agriculture (COA) and the three departments in the College of Natural Resources (CNR) request the creation of a Sustainable Systems Minor. A committee of nine faculty members developed the concept and requirements of the minor outlined herein. These requirements were then reviewed and agreed to by the faculty of the nine departments. Students in any University major can declare the Sustainable Systems Minor at any point in their undergraduate program or when they submit their graduation paperwork. Diplomas of students meeting the requirements of the minor will include the title of their degree …

Tracing The Source Of Irrigation: An Examination Of Colorado Ditch Company Collections In Archival Repositories, Patricia J. Rettig

Journal of Western Archives

The history of irrigation is significant in the western United States, which has now experienced over 150 years of irrigation development. When considered fully, the history of Western irrigation goes beyond agriculture and extends to engineering, economics, business, sociology, law, politics, ecology, and more. The historical understanding to be gained from any of these viewpoints depends on the preservation and accessibility of original records created by irrigators. In the West, ditch company records are the earliest and best source of irrigation history. This article examines to what extent historical records of Colorado ditch companies have been preserved in and made …

Corporate Style Guides: Understanding And Construction, Riley Ann Ashcroft

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Style guides have existed for many years and yet there is almost no information concerning how to write one. Since corporations are so different from one another, each could have its very own style guide. Most, however, use an existing style guide and fill in any gaps with customer specific information. One such corporation is the Utah State University Research Foundation (USURF). To answer the question “how to write a style guide,” this paper compares five style guides with similar content to what would appear in a USURF guide. The paper then discusses interviews from USURF’s technical writers to determine …

Integrating Rural Livelihoods And Community Interaction Into Migration And Enviroment Research: A Conceptual Framework Of Rural Out-Migration And Environment In Developing Countries, Hua Qin, Courtney G. Flint

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

This article presents a conceptual framework linking perspectives from migration and environment with rural livelihoods and interactional community research in the context of rural out-migration and environmental changes in developing countries. Household livelihoods and community interaction comprise two core mediating factors between rural out-migration and rural environmental outcomes. Developing an interdisciplinary conceptual framework is an important way to advance migration and environment research that is built on knowledge from a variety of disciplines. By building linkages across different research fields, our conceptual framework provides an overall picture of the relevant mechanisms through which out-migration affects the rural environment. The framework …

Huntsman Alumni Magazine, Spring 2012, Usu Jon M. Huntsman School Of Business

Huntsman Business Magazine

Alumni magazine for the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University.

Undergraduate Information Systems (Is) Curriculum And Career Track Development In United States Colleges And Universities: Assessment Of Adherence To Is 2010 Curriculum Guidelines, Corbin Christopher Bell

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The objective of this study was to survey IS curriculum in AACSB-accredited Information Systems programs across the United States, to evaluate current adherence to the IS 2010 Curriculum Guidelines, and to assess the number and type of career track developments initiated as a result of less stringent requirements in the new curriculum guidelines. In addition, an analysis was conducted to see if curriculum in AACSB-accredited Information Systems programs across the United States changed significantly since other similar evaluations reported in 1996, and 2006, and whether it is closer in adherence to the IS 2010 curriculum guidelines.

The findings of this …

This Was The Place: Apostasy From The Lds Church, Traci K. Burnett

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

As with every religion, the LDS (Mormon) Church suffers from attrition of membership. This study looks at the experiences of 21 individuals who have left the LDS church, asking about the reasons for leaving the church and about the consequences of making such a decision.

Unlike many other studies concerning religious apostasy, this research takes a strictly qualitative approach to examining the causes and consequences for leaving the LDS Church. Instead of focusing on demographic characteristics such as race, class, or gender as indicators for apostasy, this research asks a small group of individuals in-depth questions to gain a deeper …

Do Attitudes About Spoiling Children Affect Attitudes Regarding What Infants Need For Early Social-Emotional Development, Kathleen Westover

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Infants that are raised in a warm loving environment have an increased probability of growing into responsible loving adults. Infants have the ability to make their needs known through different cues such as crying. Many parents do not understand how to respond appropriately to their infant’s cues. For instance many parents believe that if you pick up an infant every time they cry they will become spoiled. Researchers have studied the effects of responding appropriately to an infant. Infants who have their needs met when they demonstrate signs of distress learn that the world is a safe place for exploration. …

Exploring A Stable Aspen Niche Within Aspen-Conifer Forests Of Utah, Cody M. Mittanck

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study addresses a critical issue faced by resource managers confronting aspen restoration projects in the Intermountain West. Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) forests have received a large amount of popular and academic attention over the last decade due to concerns over decline. As a result, both private and public forest resource managers have focused attention on actively restoring aspen communities through treatments such as prescribed burning, logging, and grazing exclosures to name a few. There is increasing evidence suggesting the existence of "stable" aspen communities. This community type undergoes processes entirely different from successional aspen communities and …

“It’S Wraylynn – With A W”: Distinctive Mormon Naming Practices, Jennifer R. Mansfield

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The primary objective of this study was to investigate ways in which names among members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are distinctive and the reasons behind those distinctive names. While many before me have noted that Mormons often possess distinctive names, there are few studies that attempt to determine the reasons why. Existing research has neglected to include perspectives from members of the LDS Church who practice distinctive naming. Through interviews with LDS Church members, I analyzed what they hoped to accomplish through naming and the larger cultural themes visible in distinctive LDS names. I also …

A Coupled Human And Natural Systems Approach To Understanding An Invasive Frog, Eleutherodactylus Coqui, In Hawaii, Emily A. Kalnicky

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Human activities worldwide have altered nature in ways that create new combinations of species and environmental processes. To understand so-called "novel ecosystems" it is important to consider both the natural and the societal factors that shape them, and how those factors are interconnected or "coupled." We used such an approach to explore options for managing a non-native invasive frog, the coqui, which has become established on the island of Hawaii and threatens to spread to other parts of the state.

The nighttime calls of the coqui create a nuisance for property owners when populations become dense enough, as often occurs …

A Multicase Study Of The Impact Of Perceived Gender Roles On The Career Decisions Of Women In Science-Related Careers, Stephen Frank Hren

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was done to determine how the perception of gender roles developed throughout childhood and early adulthood affected the career decisions of women who showed early promise in science. In addition, this study was done to determine if my experiences as a researcher would have any impact on me personally. Four women were chosen as case study participants, providing for comparison within and across cases.

Gender roles were found to relate to the career decisions made by the four cases in three ways: (a) support from family members, teachers, mentors, and collaborators; (b) opportunities within the family, school and …

Influences Of Disclosure Among Child Sexual Abuse Victims, Michelle Jones

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Child forensic interviews are essential in eliciting disclosures in child abuse cases. Due to the nature of abuse and the child victims, barriers are inevitable to obtaining a full disclosure. This research describes the barriers as well as the factors that increase the likelihood of eliciting a disclosure during child forensic interviews. Previous research has found that factors more likely to induce a disclosure are having a supportive primary caregiver, an investigation which was instigated by the child victim, and if the victim is an older female. Barriers preventing disclosure include threats made by the perpetrator, fear, lack of opportunity …

Assessment Of Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition: Possible Effects On Alpine Ecosystems Above 9000 Feet In Grand Teton National Park, Jennifer Hansen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Certain forms of nitrogen (N) in the atmosphere are pollutants with effects that mimic fertilizer application. If there is too much N, it can become a stressor, and the ecosystem may undergo drastic changes (e.g. certain plant species may decline or disappear). The N load at which a system starts exhibiting negative effects is dependent on the type and location of the ecosystem. Alpine ecosystems (i.e. above 9000 feet in Wyoming) may be particularly sensitive to low levels of atmospheric N input because of short growing seasons, sparse plant cover, and shallow soils that limit their ability to absorb the …

The Satisfaction Of Participants In Utah's Mutual Self-Help Housing Program, Lucas D. Martin

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Many low-income households have difficulty finding affordable housing. Some may turn to government housing programs for assistance. This study looks at the Mutual Self-Help Housing Program, an affordable homeownership program offered by the USDA Rural Development and run by local nonprofit organizations. The program organizes groups of low-income families who help one another build their own homes. The loan payments are determined by the households’ income and the cost to build the home is usually less than if the family were to buy a comparable home new, helping them have some equity in the home. A survey was sent to …

On-Farm Water Management Game With Heuristic Capabilities, Mohammed Z. Shaban

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Improved on-farm irrigation practices can result in more economical farming, and better productivity. Very little has been done with regard to improved training tools that can be used to promote better and more effective on-farm irrigation practices. Games considered as an effective decision support tools in which players are able to test alternatives, and demonstrate the effects of their decisions, in a short time, and without being afraid of making mistakes. Training tools in the form of games promotes what is called “learning based on experience” through a schematic version of reality, and observing the effects.

The WaterMan game was …

Military As Welfare State: Conditions Leading To The Adoption Of The National Guard Youth Challenge Program, Madisen B. Drury

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Since its inception in 1993, nearly 90,000 high school dropouts have completed the National Guard Youth Challenge Program, a youth diversion program for unemployed high school dropouts. As of 2008, 27 states have partnered with the military to implement this residential program for at-risk youth. There is limited research on this new social welfare program despite its representing a dynamic military-state-welfare relationship. This study examines state-level conditions and looks to answer three research questions: 1) Under what conditions do states start a ChalleNGe program?; 2) What role do time-varying social and economic factors have in influencing states to initially adopt …

A Phenomenological Study Of Professional Identity Change In Released-Time Seminary Teachers, Mark Daniel Mason

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Many practitioners commonly deal with implementing a change that is imposed by an organization. Some imposed changes require practitioners to alter more than what they do in practice but also to change their identity. Many researchers have studied identity change through the lens of sociocultural theory, specifically utilizing communities of practice theory (CoP). However, the majority of these studies used CoP theory as a vehicle to implement the imposed change. Yet some studies have found that after the trial period ends many practitioners revert back to the way they performed in practice prior to the study. One reason for this …

A Demographic Evaluation Of Increasing Rates Of Suicide Mortality In Japan And South Korea, Sun Young Jeon

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

According to a World Health Organization report, about one million people die by suicide each year. Fortunately, rates of suicide mortality have been decreasing
among most of the OECD countries, but Japan and South Korea are the only two exceptions to this trend, which has shown increasing suicide rates over the last 25
years. A number of studies have focused on psychological motives and individual-level causes of suicide, such as depression, mental disorder, and disability. However,
as Durkheim pointed out, suicide in a society does not have any obvious relationship to the prevalence of mental disorder. With his theory indicating …

Water Infrastructure Challenges In Urbanizing Environments: A Case Study Of The 2009 Logan Canal Landslide, Kathryn Davis Henderson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In July, 2009 in Logan, Utah, a wet, steep hillside failed, leveling a home below and destroying an irrigation canal that ran along the hill. Three people were killed. The event and the resulting policy changes present an opportunity to uncover how frames, or social constructions, play into the policy development cycle. This case also uncovers the nuances involved when old infrastructure takes on new social meanings. Planners and policymakers that pay attention to frames and social dimensions may be able to minimize conflict.

The landslide received immediate media attention and spurred state legislation on canal safety. The event had …

Father-Child Interactions At 24 And 36 Months And Developmental Outcomes At Prekindergarten, Shareesa L. Mcmurdie

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study looked at father teaching interactions and singing in toddlerhood as predictors of child cognitive and language outcomes at prekindergarten in a low-income, ethnically diverse sample. Results found that, overall, father teaching interactions in toddlerhood predicted child cognitive and language outcomes at prekindergarten and father singing in toddlerhood predicted language outcomes. Fathers provided slightly more teaching interactions at child age 24 months than at 36 months, and sang more frequently at 36 months.

Within ethnic groups, father teaching interactions were statistically significant in predicting cognitive and language development outcomes for children of African American (approached significance for language outcomes) …

Effects Of Sustained Teacher Professional Development On The Classroom Science Instruction Of Elementary School Teachers, Nancy Hauck

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which sustained teacher professional development in science education affects the classroom instruction of
elementary school teachers in third through sixth grade over a 3-year period. The teachers in the study were all elementary endorsed and prepared to be generalists in the content areas.

Science reform has led to more content-specific science standards that are difficult for most elementary teachers to address without professional development. Recent studies on improving elementary science instruction suggest the need for professional development to be long term, embedded in teaching practice in the classroom, and …

Ethnic Disparities In Prenatal Care Utilization In Vietnam, Ha Ngoc Trinh

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Prenatal care is credited with reducing neonatal, perinatal, and maternal mortality and morbidity. The main purpose of the thesis is to examine the ethnic disparities between majority and ethnic minority women in prenatal care usage. The thesis also analyzes the effects of age, education attainment, female employment, and region on prenatal care utilization in Vietnam. I employ the Demographic and Health Survey 2002 in Vietnam. Descriptive statistic and logistic regression are the two statistical tests employed in this research. Results exhibit evidence of ethnic disparities in type of prenatal care utilization. Although ethnic minority women are likely to enter prenatal …

Where's The Justice? A Review Of The Local Food Movement Through A Reflexive Lens, Colyn Kilmer

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

As the local food movement has gained momentum over the past several years, so too has it garnered critiques from academic scholars. This literature review identified academic critiques of the local food movement. These critiques were organized into four general categories. A fifth category, reflexivity, was identified, which functioned as both a critique and a way to address the other four categories of critique. This review paired the four categories of academic critique with ways in which several academic scholars suggested reflexivity could be used to resolve these critiques. This review was designed to give scholars, practitioners, and consumers associated …

Civic Engagement And Internet Use In Cache Valley, Dave Wind

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Internet technology has provided tools for communication only dreamed of decades ago. This technology, coupled with civic engagement, has the power to influence local legislation in powerful ways. In this project, I conducted interviews and focus groups to find out how citizens of Cache County, Utah, are using the Internet to engage in civic affairs affecting local legislation. Interviewees were also asked what aspects of a community website would likely enhance their civic activity. It was found that people primarily use the Internet to access information and send email. Suggestions for enhancing engagement included more creative, and interactive ways of …

Faculty Senate Agenda, April 30, 2012, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• FDDE Annual Report
• EPC Items
• HR Code Changes: 307 Conflicts of Interest, 350 Educational Benefits, 369 Organ Donor Leave
• Update on Commencement
• Calendar Committee Report
• Continuing USU-Eastern Integration
• Committee on Committees Annual Report
• Post-Tenure Review Task Force Issues #2
• Open Access Policy
• PRPC Code Changes Section 405.7.2(1) and 405.8.3(1) (Second Reading)
• Nominations for Committee on Committees