Digital Commons Network^™

Interview With Ken Buist, Utah State University Special Collections & Archives

Utah State University COVID-19 Oral History Collection

No abstract provided.

Interview With Jason Brown, Utah State University Special Collections & Archives

Utah State University COVID-19 Oral History Collection

No abstract provided.

Interview With Michelle Bogdan-Holt, Utah State University Special Collections & Archives

Utah State University COVID-19 Oral History Collection

No abstract provided.

Interview With Janis Boettinger, Utah State University Special Collections & Archives

Utah State University COVID-19 Oral History Collection

No abstract provided.

Interview With Paul Barr, Utah State University Special Collections & Archives

Utah State University COVID-19 Oral History Collection

No abstract provided.

Oral And Written Corrective Feedback In Dual Language Immersion Portuguese Classes, Janaina Quadros

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

This portfolio results from the classes, readings, writings, class observations, and reflections during my time in the MSLT program. It comprises three major components: teaching philosophy, reflections through class observations, and a reflection paper on corrective feedback. Besides that, the reader will find some background about the author’s educational and professional journey and intentions for the future.

The reflection paper focuses on oral and written corrective feedback in second language classes. It is the result of reviews of pertinent literature and the author’s experience as a Dual Language Immersion (DLI) Portuguese teacher. It gives an overview of the importance of …

Sport Management Study Abroad And International Exchange Program Innovation For A Post Covid-19 Era, James T. Morton, Chris Hanna, Jeffrey F. Levine

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

The globalization of the sport industry has required sport management programs to create strategies for internationalizing students. Study abroad programs are a prominent example of those strategies. The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on study abroad programs in Spring of 2020. Many students had their study abroad experiences either cut short or canceled all together. The purpose of this essay is to discuss how the student learning process can continue during an interruption or cancellation of study abroad and international exchange programs due to a pandemic or other global issues. Using an observational study, we asked the following research …

Misinformation, Fact Checking, And Immigration Voting Preferences, Katherine Van Shaar

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

Although misinformation is rampant in social media and society, there is not an extensive literature exploring the impact of misinformation and fact checks on people’s political preferences relating to immigration policies in the US. The purpose of this study is to examine the impacts of misinformation and fact-checking on people’s policy preferences about immigration. Using an experimental survey and a between-subject approach, we observe how anti-immigration politician’s statements (ranging from false to partially true) impact participants’ perceptions of hot-topic immigration issues with and without fact checks. We also study the correlation between people’s political affiliation and the impact of politicians’ …

A Welfare Comparison Of Historical Cost And Fair Value Accounting Regimes, Palmer Edholm

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

With ongoing controversy concerning fair value and historical cost accounting, existing accounting theory is focused on intra-firm decision making and is thus deficient in addressing the issue of maximizing social welfare. I propose models of historical cost and fair value accounting regimes which are embedded in models of monopoly and oligopoly. This allows for social welfare implications. I find that historical cost results in greater expected profits for both monopolists and oligopolists. However, if the market is elastic enough, a fair value regimes is welfare enhancing. Whereas, if the market is inelastic enough, historical cost is welfare enhancing.

Approaches To Supplementing Silicon In Soilless Media And The Value Of Silicon In The Mitigation Of Drought Stress, Mackenzie Grace Dey

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Silicon (Si) is not considered an essential element for plants to complete their lifecycle, but is known to be beneficial for plants under environmental stress such as drought. Unlike natural soils, Si is minimally bioavailable in soilless media. With indoor agriculture and greenhouse production increasing, the benefits of Si have been seen and Si should be supplemented. This work aimed to characterize and quantify the dissolution of Si from media substrates and additives to achieve a steady-state release of Si in soilless media. Typical media components such as coconut coir, peat moss, perlite, rock wool, sand, and vermiculite minimally released …

Carbon Sinks And Sources In Great Salt Lake: Consequences Of Declining Lake Levels, Melissa Cobo Arias

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Globally, saline lakes are experiencing declining water level as a consequence of climate change, water diversions for human consumption, and management strategies that do not account for changing climate and drought conditions. Great Salt Lake (GSL) is a large saline lake in Utah, USA, and is, as most saline lakes, experiencing decreasing lake levels which may impact local carbon cycling. It is unknown how lakebed drying affects processes that control carbon sequestration and carbon emissions to the atmosphere. The goal of this research was to measure various biological processes that use, create, and transform carbon in GSL to understand the …

Pronghorn Space-Use Ecology In Utah, Veronica A. Winter

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Pronghorn are viewed as a quintessential part of the landscape in the American West. Found only in western North America, pronghorn is a unique species, having historic ranges within prairie, shrubland-steppe, and desert habitat across the continental west. Even though they have been present on this landscape since the last ice age, little is known of pronghorn ecology. There has been growing concern over the impact anthropogenic features, such as development, agriculture, and roads are having on migration, seasonal range conditions, and overall population dynamics. The aim of this thesis is to investigate factors that may be important for pronghorn …

Modeling Polar Cap Airglow Patch Intensities Using Three-Dimensional Ionospheres Produced By Data Assimilations, Michael R. Negale, J. V. Eccles, J. M. Holmes, S. V. Fridman, L. J. Nickisch

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

Discrete high density plasma structures in the Earth’s ionosphere that convect across the polar cap from the dayside to nightside are known as polar cap patches. Patches can interfere and disrupt satellite and HF communications, and therefore, accurate forecasting and modeling of this phenomenon would be greatly beneficial. In this study we have utilized the Global Positioning System Ionospheric Inversion (GPSII) data assimilation model using electron density measurements from the northward looking Resolute Bay Incoherent Scatter Radar (RISR-N) and total electron content (TEC) from ground based Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers to reconstruct the high latitude ionosphere. From the …

“I Just Wanted Support”: Examining How Lds Clergy May Effectively Minister To Sexual And Gender Minority Congregants, Samuel J. Skidmore, G. Tyler Lefevor, Adlyn M. Perez-Figueroa, Kristen A. Gonzalez

Psychology Faculty Publications

This study explored why members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) who identify as sexual or gender minorities (SGM) speak with clergy regarding their SGM identities, as well as what LDS SGMs find helpful and unhelpful in these conversations. A sample of 25 current or former LDS SGMs participated in semi-structured interviews, which were analyzed using thematic analysis. Participants reported six overarching reasons for talking with clergy, including church procedures, seeking guidance, seeking emotional comfort, seeking repentance, seeking openness, and other people’s initiation. Participants reported several ways clergy were helpful, including empathic listening, openness, and affirmative …

Teaching Chinese As A Second Language: Exploring L2 Reading Via Dynamic Assessment, Siyu Ji

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

This portfolio includes a collection of essays reflecting the writer’s beliefs and exploration of teaching Chinese as a second language. The first part of the portfolio is the writer’s professional environment and teaching philosophy statement. The second part of the portfolio is the writer’s professional learning experience from a class observation. The third part of the portfolio is a reflection paper on the writer’s exploration of reading dynamic assessment.

Understanding The Barriers To Carbon Farming On Private Lands, Harrison Naftel

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

Climate change caused by manmade greenhouse gas emissions is one of the most important challenges facing society today. Through effective management for carbon sequestration private agricultural lands could become an important part of the solution to this problem. This paper explores the many different methods that farmers, ranchers, and landowners could use to implement sequestration on their land and examines the barriers to further participation in these projects by reviewing the challenges in the world’s current carbon offset markets and offering possible solutions.

Facilitating Second Language Development Via Interaction In An Online Classroom, Jen Cummings

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

This portfolio is a collection of essays tying together perspectives and major themes in second language teaching of importance to the writer. It begins with an introduction piece, followed by a description of professional environment and a teaching philosophy statement focused on teacher-student relationships, varied assessments, and culture-focused teaching. This section is followed by a classroom observation. The main section of the portfolio is a reflection paper presenting perspectives on the importance of providing interaction opportunities in asynchronous online language learning classrooms. The portfolio concludes with a statement of future goals.

The Monster Theory Of Relativity: Triggering Supernatural Monsters, Maggie Mercil

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

Current monster scholarship examines monstrous bodies, how they represent our cultural fears, anxieties, or forbidden desires, and how monsters can guard, break, or blur the boundaries between us and Other. While examining the monsters themselves can provide a better understanding of ourselves and our culture, it is just as important to consider the conditions in which these monsters were able to manifest in the first place. This paper argues that it is through our own actions, whether intentional or not, that we effectively “trigger” the monsters into our narratives. There are three categories of “triggers” that this paper will explore: …

Training Needs And Applications For Special Educators With Paraeducator Supervision Responsibilities, Joanna M. Cornejo

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

This project highlights the need for training for paraeducators working in Special Education settings. Duties performed by paraeducators often overlap with teacher duties and much of the direct instruction provided to students in self-contained classrooms is delivered by paraeducators. The tasks of training and supervising paraeducators often falls on the special education teacher, who may not have received training in supervision. The project includes a brief review of the literature on this topic and two project reports. I designed my project with the objective of improving the quality of instruction being delivered to students in my classroom through training of …

From Lesson Plan To Observation To Self-Assessment In A Chinese As A Second Language Class, Yu-Shan Lin

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

This portfolio is a compilation of what the author has learned in the field of Chinese as a second language in the Master of Second Language Teaching program at Utah State University. There are three main sections in the portfolio. The first section contains the author’s teaching philosophy statement, with a focus on the communicative approach, a game-based approach, and alternative assessment. The second section consists of a reflection on a classroom observation. The main paper presents how the author designed a lesson plan and implemented it, as well as her analysis and introspection on a video recording of the …

Diurnal Changes In Alfalfa Quality And The Effects On Revenue Maximization, Nelson Sip

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

Before alfalfa hay is sold to brokers or diaries, it is quality is evaluated to determine the price. These tests go into great detail about the micro and macro nutrients alfalfa contains or they could be a function of the fibers alfalfa contains to determine the digestibility. Studies show ways to increase alfalfa quality such as harvesting later in the day at peak photosynthesis. However, the financial benefits, or lack thereof, based on these changes to quality have no conclusion. Here we show that harvesting alfalfa later in the day increases the quality and has financial benefits. We found that …

Mountain States Oilseeds: Risk Management For Safflower Production In The Intermountain West, Jameson F. Packer

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

Safflower is an oilseed crop primarily produced in the western Great Plains because of its compatibility with cereal grain equipment. Varieties grown in that region are harvested predominantly for seeds high in safflower oil and oleic acid that are processed and used in cooking oil, human nutrition, and other health and beauty products. Safflower is also grown in Utah, Idaho, and California for birdseed mixes due to the region’s arid climate, which yields a crisp, white seed that is highly favorable in the birdseed market. Mountain States Oilseeds, headquartered in American Falls, Idaho, is one of the United States’ largest …

Development Of An Excel Model To Evaluate The Stability Of Slopes, Bradley Davis

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

This objective of this study is to determine a method or tool for taking given slope stability parameters and quickly and effectively determining the factor of safety against sliding of fully softened slopes. This study evaluates the effects of soil and geometric parameters of common slopes, and models these properties in a hypothetical model. The methodology is based on a parametric analysis using the Spencer’s Method of Slices limit equilibrium analysis used in the computer program Slide2. A parametric analysis is performed to determine which soil and/or geometric properties have a high influence on slope stability. The parametric analysis is …

The Impacts Of A Quagga And Zebra Mussel Infestation, Casey Silva

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

Invasive species issues have been on the rise in the United States for decades. These organisms can disrupt the natural flow of an ecosystem and overtake native species, altering an environment as a whole. The introduction of the zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) in 1988, followed by the quagga mussel (Dreissena rostriformis) in 1989 is arguably the most prolific aquatic infestation the nation is currently up against (Hoddle, 2022). Beginning in the Great Lakes, both quagga and zebra mussels quickly spread their infestations through the Midwest and the East coast. The potential invasion of these species across …

A Study Of Electron Plasma Oscillations Using The Nimrod Code, Mckay Murphy

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

A plasma, whether ”hot” or ”cold,” magnetized or unmagnetized, electrostatic or electromagnetic, exhibits normal modes of oscillation. Critical to understanding the stability of a plasma is the study of these normal modes. Waves originate from the long-range electric interactions between charged particles. This work will consider a class of waves known as Langmuir waves. These waves occur when a group of electrons are displaced with respect to the ions, with the electric Coulomb force playing the role of the restoring force of the oscillation [1]. Since the mass of ions is much greater than that of electrons, we can approximate …

Responsive Technical Education Curriculum: An Exploratory Case Study Approach Toward Understanding Human Skills Alignment, Kari Lamoreaux

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Globalization and rapid changes in technology have led to a shift in the skills employers need. These changes have resulted in a gap between the skills people have and those required by industry. This exploratory case study sought to better understand the uniquely human skills employers desire and technical educators should teach in order to address this gap in a local context. The study was conducted in four phases. 1) Current literature was analyzed to identify commonly recurring human skills discussed in studies and reports. 2) These skills were then used as search terms in an analysis of occupational advisory …

Population Ecology Of Spruce-Fir Forests Of The Interior West, Katheryn Little

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Spruce-fir forest type covers nearly 10 million acres of forested land in the interior west, but there is a lack of research defining how these forests grow for future planning. Stand density index (SDI) represents the average tree size and number of trees in a stand multiplied. Each species has specific maximum number the growing space can handle known as ‘fully stocked’. If the stand is fully stocked, it must wait until trees die for individuals to grow. Spruce and fir have similar maximum stocking values, and similar growth characteristics, allowing them to be plotted together. Using current forest data, …

Human Appropriation Of Net Primary Production Through Crops, Grazing, And Forestry In The U.S. From 1997 To 2012, Suman Paudel

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This dissertation conducts a county-level analysis of human appropriation of net primary production (HANPP) harvested from crops, timber and grazing in the conterminous United States in the years 1997, 2002, 2007 and 2012. This study consists of three manuscripts (Chapters 2, 3, and 4). The first study quantifies net primary production in US counties in 1997, 2002, 2007 and 2012. The detailed HANPP study conducted concludes that HANPP is a valuable footprint tool for analyzing land use intensity and agricultural ecosystems. The second manuscript shows how HANPP is an improved or modernized ecological footprint and is a sustainable indicator as …

Identifying Self-Regulation Strategies Students Use When Cognitive Load Occurs, Linyu Luo

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

When the amount of information to process exceeds students’ capacity to do so, that indicates a problem in the learning environment that will hinder students’ successful learning. This study found that students use a variety of strategies to help them manage their own learning when they felt overwhelmed by the amount of information they needed to process. Further, these strategies differed from those typically expected of students when they are not overwhelmed.

Graviweak Theory In Bicomformal Space, Mubarak Ukashat

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

There are four basic forces in nature: the electromagnetic force, which accounts for interactions of particles with charges; the weak force, which is responsible for radioactive decay; the strong force, which holds the particles inside a nucleus tightly bound together; and the gravitational force, which is responsible for keeping us on our beautiful planet, Earth and holding together our entire solar system. Physicists have been on the hunt for a theory that can single-handedly explain all these forces under the same underlying mathematical formulation. So far, physicists have suceeded in unifying the electromagnetic and weak forces in what is called …