Digital Commons Network^™

A Hard Row To Hoe: Suicide Among Kentucky Farmers, Olivia Eiler

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, male farmers die by suicide at nearly twice the rate of the general population. My research focuses on understanding the factors contributing to this trend and identifying potential solutions, with a specific focus on the Commonwealth of Kentucky. I have collected qualitative data through video interviews with political leaders, scholars, and youth who are active in the agriculture community. These individuals have identified several key stressors, including stigma, a lack of healthcare providers in rural areas, financial insecurity, a lack of appreciation from the public, and uncertainty due to decisions made …

Qualitative Case Review Of A Male With Down Syndrome, Mary Josephine Hoyer

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Down syndrome is the most common chromosomal condition in the United States. In the United States, about one of every 700 babies is diagnosed with Down syndrome. The purpose of this study was to assess pre-existing data on a 13-year-old male with a diagnosis of Down syndrome to contribute to research on this chromosomal abnormality. The individual received speech and language related services at Western Kentucky University beginning in 2007. Through analysis of previously collected data, the researcher created a qualitative case review that identified the progress of an individual with Down syndrome and emphasized what attributed to his progress. …

Zephyrus, Wku English Department

Zephyrus

No abstract provided.

The Oceans Above Us: An Augmented Reality Experience, Chris Nalani Dimeo

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Augmented reality holds the potential to be the new fabric of our everyday lives.

Also known as AR, augmented reality is any technology that superimposes graphical information over a real-world environment, whether it be through a smartphone screen or visually projected onto the environment. Though it has existed in various forms for decades, augmented reality development is still widely considered the work of experts in technology-related fields.

In November 2019, however, Adobe unveiled a new augmented reality development platform, Project Aero, along with boasts that the app’s intuitive design and integration with other Adobe programs would place AR creation into …

Novel Integrated Nano-Sensors For Analysis Of Chemical Compounds In Natural Gas Applications, Taylor Robinson

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Semiconductor sensors have been important environmental gas detectors since the 1990s, and are commonly used to detect hydrogen, oxygen, alcohol vapor, and even harmful gases such as carbon monoxide. A gas chromatography approach is a well-proven and compact separation technique to identify and quantify multiple compounds in a complex background such as a true natural gas environment. Real time field monitoring implementing classical GC and standard sensors (FID, PID, etc.) have a lot of limitations due to its bulky size, heavy weight, and high maintenance. In this study, we developed a portable instrument through the utilization of novel solid-state sensors …

Brexit And The Future Of Scotland, Brigid Stakelum

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Four years after the United Kingdom’s (UK) referendum to leave the European Union (EU), many questions remain, especially about the mechanics of the so-called “Brexit.” However, there is a general lack of media discussion about the effects of the Brexit on Scotland, who voted overwhelmingly to remain in the EU, and two years prior to the EU referendum, Scotland voted to remain in the United Kingdom by a small margin. One of the main arguments for remaining in the UK was that there was doubt that Scotland could join the EU after leaving the UK. The research question for this …

Ua64/2 The Challenge: Magazine For The Center For Gifted Studies (No. 48, Winter 2020), Center For Gifted Studies, Tracy Inman Editor

Gifted Studies Publications

No abstract provided.

Ua1c11/107 Roger Loewen Negative Collection, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Negatives and transparencies taken by Roger Loewen photojournalism professor and Talisman advisor from 1970-1977.

Ua94/6/1 Covid-19 Diary, Missy Thomas

Student/Alumni Personal Papers

COVID-19 diary submitted to WKU Archives by student Missy Thomas for fall 2020 semester.

Ua1b3 Confederates In Our Attic - Discussion Guide, Wku Naming & Symbols Task Force

WKU Administration Documents

Guidelines created by the WKU Naming & Symbols Task Force for conversations regarding naming of buildings for Confederate sympathizers.

Ua1b3 Confederates In Our Attic - Discussion Guide 2, Wku Naming & Symbols Task Force

WKU Administration Documents

Short discussion guide created by the WKU Naming & Symbols Task Force for use in consideration of renaming buildings honoring Confederate sympathizers.

Ua94/6/1 Covid-19 Diary, Anonymous

Student/Alumni Personal Papers

COVID-19 diary submitted to WKU Archives by student Isabelle Hobbs for fall semester 2020.

Ua19/16/1 Wku Hilltopper Basketball Media Guide, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

2020-21 men's basketball media guide produced by WKU Athletic Media Relations, includes athletic records and statistics, photographs, schedule and information regarding opponents.

Ua19/16/1 Hilltopper Volleyball Media Guide, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

Athletic media guide for volleyball team.

Ua35/3 Memoranda, Wku Provost

WKU Administration Documents

2020 memoranda issued by the WKU Provost to faculty & staff via email.

• Center for Innovative Teaching & Learning January Workshops
• Fall to Fall Retention of All FFY as of Census by Selected Categories
• Updates fromt the Provost
• COVID-19
• COVID-19 or Coronavirus Update
• COVID-19 Update from the Provost's Office
• Announcing the 2020 College Faculty Award Winners
• WKU Announces New Associate Provost for Research & Graduate Education
• Budget Communication
• Summer School Updates from the Provost
• Amendment to PDF Policy
• FY2020-21 Budget Executive Committee Recommendations
• Provost's Message

Ua1c11/108 Jonathan Jeffrey Negative Collection, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Negatives taken by Jonathan Jeffrey.

Ua19/16/1/5 Lady Topper Golf 2019-20 Season Statistics, Wku Athlteic Media Guide

WKU Administration Documents

Statistical analysis of the 2019-20 women's golf team season.

College Women's Knowledge And Understanding Of Women Health Issues: A Descriptive Study, Dana Brown

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Breast self-examinations, pap smears, Obstetrician and Gynecologist (OBGYN) visits, mammograms, and other preventative measures are all vital pieces of women’s health that can help determine a variety of issues and illnesses (U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2020). Women are presumed to have acquired information on these issues through certain sources to guide them through their adult lives. Not every woman is familiar with, or follows, the recommended guidelines for breast self-examination or gynecological visits. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 94,000 U.S. women are diagnosed each year with some form of gynecologic cancer, which disproportionately …

The Impact Of Exercise In Spaceflight And Microgravity Environments, William Bybee

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Since mankind’s first spaceflight, a significant barricade in reaching distant planets has been the damaging effects of microgravity upon the human body. Effects range from loss in bone mineral density and severe muscle atrophy to autoimmune disorders. The most effective countermeasure of these effects to date is exercise. Implementation of exercise in microgravity is not an easy task, so various specialized equipment must be utilized to effectively administer it. Even with this equipment, exercise as it is currently used does not entirely prevent body systems from undergoing detrimental changes. New modalities and implementations are currently being investigated that may significantly …

2020-2021 Graduate Catalog, Wku Graduate School

Graduate School

Graduate School catalog regarding admissions, curriculum and policies.

Ray Family Photo Album, Department Of Library Special Collections

Ray Family Papers

No abstract provided.

Center / Senter / Centers Family Bible And Family Research, Kentucky Library Research Collections

Genealogical Records

Digital image only of this Bible

Muhlenberg County, Kentucky: Obituaries, Q (Mss 701), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Genealogical Records

Obituaries for surnames starting with Q from Muhlenberg County, Kentucky.

Muhlenberg County, Kentucky: Obituaries, O (Mss 701), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Genealogical Records

Obituaries for surnames starting with O from Muhlenberg County, Kentucky

Muhlenberg County, Kentucky: Obituaries, N (Mss 701), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Genealogical Records

Obituaries for surnames starting with N from Muhlenberg County, Kentucky.

The Ray Family Backstory, Department Of Library Special Collections

Ray Family Papers

No abstract provided.

Learning To Jump Like Corbin Bleu: The Physics Behind Jump Rope, Caroline Camfield

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

This project seeks to determine how engineering can be applied to the sport of jump rope so that athletes may better understand the science behind the sport and apply it to improve their performance in “speed jumping.” This style of jump rope consists of a jumper alternating their feet, with the rope passing under them with each step. Several types of ropes, handles, rope lengths, and widths between a jumper’s handles were tested to determine correlations between each variable and different STEM concept. These findings were then transitioned into a lesson plan so that both the jumpers and coaches could …

The Effect Of Size Upon Haptic Shape Discrimination, Jessica Dukes

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Object shape perception is fundamentally important for daily life. It has been suggested (e.g., Gibson, 1962) that the visual and haptic modalities are equivalent with regards to the ability to perceive shape. Norman et al. (2012) showed that visual and haptic shape discrimination accuracies are indeed comparable. Craddock and Lawson (2009) found that haptic shape discrimination performance was adversely affected by a size change. However, this result was obtained for man-made objects (i.e., bathtubs and benches). The purpose of the current investigation was to determine whether size changes also reduce haptic shape discrimination accuracy for naturally-shaped objects. On any given …

Determining Atmospheric Boundary Layer Behavior Over Mountainous Terrain Using Aircraft Vertical Profiles From 2009-2018 Nasa Student Airborne Research Program Data, Dallas Mckinney

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) height separates turbulently mixed air and pollutants emitted at the ground from the free troposphere above and is an important parameter in numerical weather prediction and air pollution dispersion models. Discerning the ABL height over mountainous terrain has historically been difficult because of, for example, complex interactions with upper level winds, venting of humidity and aerosols into the free troposphere, and large spatiotemporal variability. ABL over mountainous terrain (MT) can closely follow the terrain, be flat, or be shallower than surrounding valleys depending on the time of day, synoptic conditions, and effects of the surrounding …

Assessing Biomass Fuel Consumption In Kasigau, Kenya As A Predictor Of Hypertension, Conner Hounshell

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death globally and disproportionately affects low- and middle-income countries, such as Kenya. Hypertension is the leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease and is influenced by a variety of factors such as diet, tobacco use, and genetics. One such factor linked to hypertension is exposure to air pollution, but minimal research exists on the effects of household air pollution. Hypertension that is not related to common Western risk indicators, such as waist-to-hip ratio, body mass indices, and hypercholestorlemia, is prevalent in the community of Kasigau, Kenya, along with the prevalence of risks for household …