Digital Commons Network^™

Discovery From Failure: Understanding Developing Countries' Battles With Poverty And Culturally Appropriate Answers To Them, Daniel Tennant

Honors Theses

This paper is an examination of a failed research attempt, followed by examination of successful research literature on the subject of the informal economy and poverty. The research is centered on peripheral regions of the world, namely in Sub-Saharan countries such as Senegal. The informal economy continues to grow without thorough understanding or measurement of it creating greater problems in the future. The examination highlights the need for culturally appropriate questions, methodologies, and answers to issues of poverty in developing countries. Western World bias needs to be considered when creating and executing research in developing countries if the results are …

Geological And Environmental Sciences - 2018

Geological and Environmental Sciences News

• Greetings from the Chair
• Faculty Updates
• Welcome to Dinosaur Park - New modules and upcoming additions to the park
• Hydrogeology Field Course
• CoreKids
• Field Course in Marquette
• Advisory Council
• Alumni Achievement Award
• MGRRE (Michigan Geological Repository for Research and Education)
• Michigan Geological Survey
• Student updates - SEG, AAPG, Geology club, Welcome new graduate students
• Department Achievements - Grants, Donors, Awards, and Publications

A Recipe For Success In The ‘English World’: An Investigation Of The Ex-Amish In Mainstream Society, Jessica R. Sullivan

Dissertations

As a largely understudied and misunderstood religious group, the Amish appear to be a relic of more traditional times. Because they are a secluded group with little influence from the outside world, they remain relatively untouched by technology and social media. This results in a strict, fundamentalist church community with extremely high rates of retention. Distancing themselves from outsiders and temptations in the English world aids in retaining strong church boundaries, and results in a population that doubles every 20 years (Kaufmann 2010). Acknowledging these aspects, this research delves into the lives of those who have defected from the church …

Limited By Design: Expanding The Boundaries Of Schooling Policies From Demanded Passivity To Transformative Practice, Natalia T. Carvalho-Pinto

Masters Theses

Schooling is often imagined as the great equalizer and the primary venue towards personal and collective liberation. However, hegemonic ideals and practices have limited the ability for educators to craft and utilize policy in a way that best benefits their students. In this thesis, I utilize the state of Michigan’s Common Core curriculum to examine the limits beyond policy and practice. Specifically, I argue that the demands for student passivity and institutional measurable as signs of success, prohibit student growth. Throughout the document, I describe hope in the ability to instill a variety of transformative educational theories and practices that …

25 Year Club: 37th Year Annual Gala, Western Michigan University

25 Year Club

25 Year Club: 37th Year Annual Gala

Tuesday, November 27, 2018

• Reception
• Welcome
• Dinner Buffet
• Recognition of Employee with 50 Years of WMU Service
• 1993 in Review
• Remarks
• Induction of New Club Members

Does Inclusive Growth Matter For Regional Integration In Africa? An Empirical Assessment, Mohammed Shuaibu, Mamello Nchake

International Journal of African Development

Inclusive growth is an important channel through which African countries can foster higher regional integration especially through trade. This is because many African countries are characterized by exclusive growth, small and fragmented domestic markets that are landlocked and often prone to external shocks. Using an augmented gravity specification, this paper conducts an empirical investigation of the relationship between regional integration and inclusive growth in Africa. The adapted model is estimated using ordinary least squares, Pseudo Poisson maximum likelihood estimator and the Blundell-Bond system generalized method of moment estimator. The empirical results reveal that inclusive growth plays a vital role towards …

Western News, October 25, 2018, Western Michigan University

Western News (1972-2018)

Story highlights: Governor makes 3 trustee appointments; University refocuses marketing efforts, updating on-campus communications; Preliminary results of staff engagement survey available online; On Campus with Scott Hennessy.

Medical Tourism And Its Effect On United State Healthcare Industry In A Highly Connected Global Landscape, Katarina Haist

The Hilltop Review

For centuries people have traveled to other countries to obtain the best healthcare. Traditionally these popular destinations were highly developed countries; the trend of people traveling to less developed areas for treatment is relatively new. The average person is more connected to the world around them than ever before through globalization. Information about the best practices are more widely available than ever before. The importance of physical barriers to business such as geography and time are being eliminated. Due to this “flattening” per Friedman, the competition and expertise for areas in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) can be shifted …

Arts & Sciences Enews: Fall 2018, College Of Arts And Sciences

College of Arts and Sciences news

• A deep dive into freshwater science and sustainability
• Testing the interdunal waters
• Battling toxic blooms
• Managing water wisely
• Michigan's salty lakes
• World-renowned economist to receive distinguished scholar award
• Three high-profile graduates to receive WMU's top alumni honor
• 2018 Alumni Achievement Awards
• A Physics approach to stroke rehabilitation
• Alumnus, storyteller brings American legend to the screen
• WMU Giving Day

Emeriti News, Fall 2018, Emeriti Council

Emeriti News

No abstract provided.

Influences Of Pre-Christian Mythology And Christianity On Old Norse Poetry: A Narrative Study Of Vafþrúðnismál, Andrew E. Mcgillivray

Northern Medieval World

In this study, McGillivray explores the cultural environment in which the Eddic poem Vafþrúðnismál was composed and re-examines the relationship between form and content in the poem and the respective influences of pre-Christian beliefs and Christian religion on the text. The poem has a dual aspect, acting as a poetic framework and functioning as a sacred story. It serves both as a representation of early pagan beliefs or myths and also as a myth itself, relating the journey of the Norse god Óðinn to the hall of the ancient and wise giant Vafþrúðnir, where Óðinn craftily engages his adversary in …

Shared Gold: Mapping Of Community Engagement, Brian Gogan, Jennifer Harrison

Academic Leadership Academy

Engaged universities and communities are a key focus for meaningful social transformation and addressing complex educational issues including access, research ethics, and business development (Cherrington et al., 2018).

Universities throughout the nation are called not only to serve their academic community, but also the communities in which they are situated. In fact, ongoing revisions to the Higher Learning Commission’s accreditation criteria suggest that community engagement will serve as a primary means by which institutions of higher education will demonstrate their publicly oriented missions and fulfill accreditation criterion number one (Higher Learning Commission, 2018).

Community engagement can be defined as “the …

Fall Convocation 2018 Program, Office Of Faculty Development

Fall Convocation

A program for the Fall 2018 convocation, giving information on programs to improve student learning, including Creating Effective Teaching Environments, Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Experiences, Assessment as Ally. It also includes the Convocation Ceremony with 2018 Faculty and Staff Award winners and the State of the University Address by President Edward Montgomery.

Globally Engaged September 4, 2018, Haenicke Institute

Global News

Global Engagement Opportunities for Tuesday, September 4th to Monday, September 10th, 2018.

September 2018, Global News, Haenicke Institute

Global News

• Sustainable agriculture practices, access to food and healthful eating focus of fall lecture series
• World-renowned economist to receive distinguished scholar award
• Humanities talks explore 'Truth'
• WMU offers new ways for students to get passports
• Learn to compost with worms, fix a bike at Sustainability Celebration
• 2018 Study Abroad Fair Open for Students, Public

Western News, August, 30, 2018, Western Michigan University

Western News (1972-2018)

Vol. 45 No. 1

WMU goes all in to promote student success

New administrators named, VP search launched

Around campus and beyond

Summer News

Fall News

On Campus

Emerging Issues On Research On Conflict, Terrorism And Development, Adesoji Adelaja

International Conference on African Development

No abstract provided.

An Investigation Of Sub-Meter Skill In Stem And Non-Stem Undergraduate Students, Laura A. Tingin

Masters Theses

This study designed a nationally-relevant, valid, and reliable survey that measures STEM and Non-STEM undergraduate student familiarity with sub-meter metric scale and common sub-meter sized science objects. The instrument assesses scalar relationship and scalar magnitude, as explained by Cheek, LaDue, and Shipley (2017). The instrument development was based on an existing Scale of Objects Questionnaire (SOQ) instrument created by Tretter, Jones, Andre, Negishi, & Minogue (2006a) which was modified to be nationally relevant and in an electronic format in two phases: online survey development and undergraduate pilot testing. Online survey development was framed in the tailored design method described by …

They Said: A Global Perspective On Access To Assistive Technology, Angela K. Boisselle, Lenin C. Grajo

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

International experts in assistive technology from five global regions (South America, Asia Pacific, Europe, Africa, and Australia) and with affiliation to the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Cooperation on Assistive Technology (GATE) community were invited to share their perspectives on the delivery of assistive technology and provision of assistive products in their regions. Four common topics emerged from the experts: (a) user and environmental barriers; (b) policy, funding, and product access; (c) professional training, collaboration, and service delivery; and (d) occupational justice (i.e., empowerment, participation, and progress).

Special Elements Of Excellence: Summer 2018, Department Of Chemistry

Chemistry News

• From the Chair's Desk
• 1st Collaborative Research Gathering
• Emerging Scholar Award
• Associate Prof Andre Venter reports on his sabbatical at the University of Pierre and Marie Curie in Paris, France
• 2017 Spring Award Recipients
• James Kiddle, Recipient of the Local Section Outreach Volunteer of the Year Award

July 2018, Global News, Haenicke Institute

Global News

• WMU local history expert to appear on popular PBS series
• Women's aviation team places first among collegiate competitors
• Fulbright specialist envisions more conflict as Arctic ice melts
• WMU appoints new VP for diversity and inclusion
• Take advantage of global engagement opportunities in August
• Global and Languages Community provides new student housing option
• WMU to launch intercultural and anthropological studies institute
• University partners with city to promote 'shared prosperity' for residents

Women And Other Beasts: A Feminist Perspective On Medieval Bestiaries, Carolynn Van Dyke

Medieval Feminist Forum: A Journal of Gender and Sexuality

Gender and species intersect in the subject-matter, readership, and authorship of medieval beast-books. First, androcentric norms result in inconsistent gender references to species: the grammatically feminine eagle (Aquila) is represented as a stern father, the masculine turtledove (Turtura) as a clinging wife. More broadly, male exemplars represent nearly all species regardless of grammatical gender.

Second, both discursive norms and bibliographic practice presumed an exclusively male readership for the bestiary, but external and internal evidence suggest that bourgeois mothers used bestiaries in educating their children.

Third, a more radical intervention in androcentric bestiary norms is an instance …

Wmu Board Of Trustees Formal Session June 27, 2018, Wmu Board Of Trustees

WMU Board of Trustees Meetings

• Acceptance of the Agenda
• Approval of the Minutes (April 18, 2018 Meeting)
• Remarks by the Chair
• Remarks by the President
• Comments by the Faculty Senate President
• Comments by the Western Student Association President
• Comments by the Graduate Student Association President
• Showcasing New Student Orientation
• Public Comments Regarding Action Items
• Tuition and Fees for Main Campus
• Tuition and Fees for Extended University Programs
• University Budget for 2018-2019
• Creation of the Richmond Institute for Design and Innovation
• Academic Tenure and Promotion
• Redemption of Debt and Transfer of Building and Related Property to WMU Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine
• Action as Class …

Spatio-Temporal Variability Of Precipitation And Drought In The State Of Arizona, Usa, Samuel Nimako Nyarkoh

Masters Theses

As a result of climate change, several dry regions continue to get drier as precipitation amounts decline. This decline impact water resources and hinder economic development. Understanding the variability of precipitation and drought through climatic, agricultural and hydrological studies is therefore critical to decision makers and stakeholders in developing proactive measures that promotes economic development.

This study therefore uses dataset from 55 Meteorological stations containing 110-year (1900-2010) monthly precipitation data and a series of spatial and temporal tests to investigate the spatial and temporal patterns of precipitation and drought as well as the effects of local factors such as topography …

England In Europe: English Royal Women And Literary Patronage, C.1000–C.1150,, Mary Dockray-Miller

Medieval Feminist Forum: A Journal of Gender and Sexuality

No abstract provided.

The Changing Geopolitical Dynamics Of The Middle East And Their Impact On Israeli-Palestinian Peace Efforts, Daniel Bucksbaum

Honors Theses

In this thesis the status and feasibility of the two-state solution, the primary and most widely-accepted potential resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will be analyzed. It considers aspects such as physical challenges (geography and topography of the land), regressive and damaging actions to the peace process by Israelis and Palestinians, and the newly developing changes in regional alliances and interests in the Middle East. The status of the traditional two-state solution, due to its history, obstacles, and current regional developments, has implications for future negotiations and have changed the direction of peace talks. Dramatic shifts in regional interests and the …

Marketing Plan For West Hills Athletic Club, Loai Maddah

Honors Theses

In the recent past, the trading environment has increasingly become competitive. Businesses are adopting various strategies to survive in the dynamic business environment. One such business is West Hills Athletic Club, which is located along South 11^th Street, in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The fitness center was organized and incorporated in 1973. It was opened in 1974 and it has eight indoor courts for tennis. As of 1976, the enterprise expanded to twelve courts. In 1988, the firm converted 2 tennis courts to incorporate a track, basketball, and fitness equipment. In 1998, the facility was donated to the Western Michigan University. …

Do Students Feel Safe On Campus? A Policy Evaluation Of The Clery Act, Amanda Sidwell

Honors Theses

The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (the Clery Act) is federal policy aimed at creating safer college campuses. It attempts to provide students with statistics on crimes that occur on campus and inform them of the security policies and various resources available to them. The Clery Act also mandates that institutions of higher education (IHE) send out alerts of emergencies that occur on campus.

So how safe do Western Michigan University (WMU or “Western”) students feel on campus? This study attempted to answer this question by asking students through a survey. The students’ …

Saints And Sainthood Around The Baltic Sea: Identity, Literacy, And Communication In The Middle Ages, Carsten Selch Jensen

Studies in Medieval and Early Modern Culture

This volume addresses the history of saints and sainthood in the Middle Ages in the Baltic Region with a special focus on the cult of saints in Russia, Prussia, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Estonia, and Latvia (more commonly referred to in the Middle Ages as Livonia). The articles cover a wide range of topics, for example the introduction of foreign (and "old") saints into new regions, the creation of new local cults of saints in newly Christianized regions, the role of the cult of saints in the creation of political and lay identities, the adaption of the cult of saints in …

Assessing Land Deformation And Sea Encroachment In The Nile Delta, Egypt, Esayas Gebremichael

Research and Creative Activities Poster Day

Persistent scatterer interferometric analyses were conducted on a stack of 84 Envisat ASAR scenes spanning 7 years (2004 to 2010) over the entire Nile Delta of Egypt and surroundings to monitor the ongoing spatial and temporal land deformation, identify the factors controlling the deformation, and model the interplay between sea level rise and land subsidence to identify areas and populations threatened by sea encroachment by the end of the 21st century. Findings include: (1) general patterns of subsidence in the northern delta, near-steady (none) subsidence in the southern delta, separated by a previously mapped flexure zone undergoing uplift; (2) high …