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Research And Relationship-Based Curriculum – Exploration Of How Research And Relationship Experiences In Undergraduate Education Impact Students’ Employability, Graduate Education Intention, And Entrepreneurial Acumen, Michelle Pipes

Dissertations

After decades of shrinking financial research support (Smith, 2004), continuously rising tuition and student debt (Beal et al., 2019), and the induction of numerous alternatives (Garrett, 2021), traditional higher education is struggling to provide the value that students are demanding (Woodall et al., 2014). Student engagement has been positively linked to increased retention (staying in school until completion of a degree) and reduced dropout (leaving school and not returning) rates (Finn & Rock, 1997; Reschly & Christenson, 2012), both of which contribute to how students perceive the value of higher education (Alves, 2011). The purpose of this study was to …

Characterization Of Disorder And Its Effects On Two-Dimensional Transition Metal Dichalcogenides, Krystal Rose York

Dissertations

Since the discovery of the unique electrical properties of graphene in 2004, there has been an increased interest in two-dimensional (2D) materials. However, graphene is known as a zero-gap semi-metal, thus spurring further research in order to find suitable 2D semiconductor materials. Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are a class of layered materials that have recently attracted attention. In particular, MoS2, MoSe2, WS2, and WSe2 have direct band gaps in their monolayer form and favorable electrical properties, making them promising materials for both electronic and optoelectronic applications. Like many 2D materials, studies in semiconductor TMD materials began with mechanically exfoliated sheets …

A Remote Sensing And Machine Learning-Based Approach To Forecast The Onset Of Harmful Algal Bloom (Red Tides), Moein Izadi

Dissertations

In the last few decades, harmful algal blooms (HABs, also known as “red tides”) have become one of the most detrimental natural phenomena all around the world especially in Florida’s coastal areas due to local environmental factors and global warming in a larger scale. Karenia brevis produces toxins that have harmful effects on humans, fisheries, and ecosystems. In this study, I developed and compared the efficiency of state-of-the-art machine learning models (e.g., XGBoost, Random Forest, and Support Vector Machine) in predicting the occurrence of HABs. In the proposed models, the K. brevis abundance is used as the target, and 10 …

Experimental Insights Into The Origin Of Microcrystalline Calcites, Mohammed Hashim

Dissertations

A significant proportion of modern marine calcium carbonate sediments is dominated by metastable aragonite and high Mg calcite that either dissolves or stabilizes to low-Mg-calcite (calcite) or dolomite during diagenesis. Sediment dissolution and stabilization have implications for the CaCO3 budget in the ocean and carbon burial rates. Yet, the diagenetic conditions that promote each process and their relative importance are poorly understood. Further, stabilization most commonly produces calcite microcrystals that exhibit various textures and host micropores. Despite their ubiquity in the rock record, the controls on microcrystal textures remain unclear. Here, laboratory experiments were used to investigate aragonite-to-calcite stabilization as …

Frequency Domain Modeling And Optimal Parameter Tuning Of Power Converters For Dynamic Analysis Of The Grid Integration Of Photovoltaic Systems, Hussein Abdulrazzaq Lafta Alameri

Dissertations

Power electronic converters are essential devices for the effective interconnection of renewable energy sources to the power grid, such as DC-DC, DC-AC, and AC-DC converters. Therefore, power converter models that provide an accurate mathematical representation of their interconnection with other grid components are crucial for reliable transient and steady state analyses during normal or abnormal grid operating conditions.

This dissertation introduces a Laplace domain-based modeling approach for the study of transient converter-grid interactions. The proposed approach is based on the development of two-port admittance models of converters and other components, combined with the use of numerical Laplace transforms (NLT). The …

Predictors Of First-Time National Board Passage For Respiratory Therapists, Jennifer Kay Riggs

Dissertations

Respiratory therapists fulfill a vital role that saves and improves lives. To achieve recognition for their knowledge, unique skills, and dedication to clinical excellence, they must pass a series of national board exams. Achieving credentials from the National Board of Respiratory Care (NBRC) is a challenge, a true testament to the skills and strengths required for excellence in the profession. The problem prompting this study is the number of respiratory graduates who are not passing the Therapist Multiple Choice (TMC) exam on their first attempt. The goal of respiratory programs is to prepare graduates for success on the TMC exam …

What Are The Factors Affecting African American High School Students' Decision For Applying To The University Of Central Florida?, Janet Martin

Dissertations

The number of African Americans enrolling in higher education has seen a steady decrease in recent years due to factors that act as barriers. This study examined these factors and their influence based on the students’ perspectives. The study design was based on the post-positivist paradigm and the quantitative methodology was used. Urban high school students were surveyed to determine their thoughts on the barriers they experienced as they applied to college. The Google survey included sixteen questions that required yes/no responses, Likert-scale responses, and short responses. The data were analyzed using logistic regression and Chi-square analysis. The results showed …

Understanding The Relationship Between Black Chicago Youth And Chicago Drill Music Culture, Dan'iel Tamirra Kendricks

Dissertations

Chicago is most noted as a beautiful, Midwestern city, set to the backdrop of Lake Michigan, with skyscrapers and the bustling energy of the downtown Magnificent Mile. The “Tale of Two Cities,” Chicago is a city full of hope, opportunity, and potential for some, but a city plagued with poverty, violence, disinvestment, and hopelessness for others. There has been a significant increase in the awareness of the violence happening across Chicago. The emergence of social media has provided a direct and unfiltered view of the reality of violence the city has faced on an ongoing basis. Crimes such as shootings, …

Unsupervised Learning With Word Embeddings Captures Quiescent Knowledge From Covid-19 And Materials Science Literature, Tasnim H. Gharaibeh

Dissertations

Millions of scientific papers are produced each year and the scientific literature is continuing to grow at a head-spinning speed. Thus, massive scientific knowledge exists in solid text, but all these publications make it difficult, if not impossible, for researchers to keep in up to date with discoveries, even within a narrow scientific area. This massive amount of information also makes it difficult to find implicit and hidden connections, relationships, and dependencies within the information that may guide the direction of future research or lead to valuable new insights. So, there is a need for algorithms or models that can …

Cost-Effective Enablement Of Automated Driving Systems On Snow-Covered Roads, Nicholas Alan Goberville

Dissertations

The top reason for implementing automated driving features is to increase safety. Current deployed features like lane-keeping assist and adaptive cruise control have the ability to reduce collisions by up to 50%. However, due to perception limitations, these systems are only capable of operating in strict operational design domains. For example, the occlusion of lane lines introduced during winter weather conditions causes these safety systems to disengage. Companies targeting higher automated systems often use more expensive, high-fidelity sensors that may solve problems like this, but because of the high cost and minimal business model, deployments of such scope are unsustainable. …

Examining Academic Self-Efficacy, Race-Related Stress, Psychological Well-Being, And Racial Centrality On Black Former Undergraduate Historically Black College Students Currently Enrolled In Graduate Predominantly White Institutions, Maime Butler

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among racial centrality, racerelated stress, and psychological well-being on academic self-efficacy for Black former undergraduate HBCU and PWI students currently attending PWI graduate institutions. The following measures were used to test the research questions (a) a demographic questionnaire, (b) Mental Health Inventory (MHI; Viet & Ware, 1983), (c) Multidimensional Inventory of Black Identity – Racial Centrality Scale (MIBI; Sellers, 1998), (d) Inventory of Race-Related Stress- Brief Version (IRRS-B Utsey, 1999), (e) Graduate Education Self-Efficacy Scale (GESES; Williams, 2005). There were 200 participants, 74 former HBCU graduates and 126 former PWI …

Developing A Model To Measure Public Sector Knowledge Management Performance Using The Analytic Network Process, Hussein N. Chalabi

Dissertations

Knowledge Management (KM) is a relatively a nascent field under the discipline of public administration. Specifically, KM performance measurement in the public sector is one of the areas that, to some extent, received less attention from scholars. This study aims to develop a model to measure KM performance in the public sector. The model of this dissertation is derived from system theories, where KM is depicted as a system consisting of intertwined and interacting elements. The proposed model is hypothesized to measure KM through evaluating knowledge resources, knowledge processes, and environmental factors identified as a prerequisite to the success of …

Delegitimizing Animal Rights And Environmental Activism: A Critical Discourse Analysis Of “Eco-Terrorism” In Congress And The Federal Courts, Joshua Varnell

Dissertations

Research on eco-terrorism has focused attention on many areas, from the analysis of the language used in specific pieces of legislation targeting animal rights and environmental activists, like the Animal Enterprise Protection Act, and the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act, to the appropriateness of labeling individuals and groups eco-terrorist and/or terrorist given their non-violent stance and direct action campaigns which target property not people, and to law enforcement responses to those labeled eco-terrorist (Del Gandio and Nocella II 2014; Lovitz 2007; Carson, LaFree, and Dugan 2012; Loadenthal 2013b, 2014). The eco-terrorist discourse produces images of animal rights and environmental activists as …

The Role Of Motivation In Employee Disposition And Choosing To Act Among Manufacturing Employees: A Grounded Theory Of Discretionary Effort, Shawn Michael Andrews

Dissertations

Managers are often tasked to accomplish more with the resources at their disposal. Doing more with less is especially associated with the manufacturing industry providing a rich and relevant backdrop for study. Understanding discretionary effort as a resource, how it manifests, and when and how manufacturing employees choose to do more than is required is key to achieving results in an increasingly competitive and evolving industry. This constructive grounded research study investigated how 25 non-salaried manufacturing employees conceptualized how and why they chose to engage in activities that were considered above and beyond job role expectations. Extant literature was considered …

The Manufacturing And Engineering Partnership Program: An Examination Of A Partnership Between Manufacturing And Cte, Laura Schoenborn-Preuss

Dissertations

Manufacturing is struggling to find people to fill open positions in the various career opportunities they represent. The skills gap or skills needed by manufacturers has caused challenges in filling those open positions. Adding to this dilemma is that student interest in these careers has reduced, with the focus being on obtaining college degrees right out of high school. Due to these changes, manufacturing and education are partnering in ways to increase student interest and fill open positions.

This study is looking to better understand one such partnership and how the activities students’ experience influence their career decision making. The …

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Acculturation, Islamic Religious Practice, And Academic Performance Among Saudi Arabian Students In The United States, Marzook A. Aldhafeeri

Dissertations

Recent data have indicated that universities in the United States (U.S.) host as many as 21,933 students from Saudi Arabia, making Saudi Arabia one of the top four countries for international students attending U.S. universities. Several research studies have indicated that religiosity and acculturation influence student’s performance. However, there is a scarcity of studies that assessed the relationships among acculturation, religious practices, and the academic performances among Saudi Arabian students in the U.S. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship among acculturation, religiosity, and academic performance among Saudi Arabian students in the United States. This study was …

Stem Education:An Examination Of School Leaders’ And Teachers’ Perceptions On Stem Implementation In Uae Schools, Sara Elkeir Hamad

Dissertations

STEM education in the UAE is currently receiving growing attention due to the massive economic growth, which created a need for STEM-qualified graduates. Accordingly, UAE educational policymakers and curriculum developers advocate developing and implementing STEM education at all educational levels. The research emphasized that STEM education positively affects students’ ability to solve problems, be innovative, think critically, and be technology literate. This study aims to examine school leaders’ and STEM teachers’ perceptions of STEM implementation practices in the UAE context. A sequential explanatory, mixed-method design was employed to collect the data from the school’s leaders and teachers, quantitively using a …

Efficient Routing Protocols For Cognitive Radio Networks Of Energy-Constrained Devices And Dissimilar Delay-Sensitive Levels, Rita Ahmad Abu Diab

Dissertations

As the Cognitive Radio (CR) overwhelms spectrum deficiency, it offers a substantial communication environment to accommodate IoT devices demanding connectivity and prompt arrival of their sensed data. The perceived shortage in CR routing protocols concerning delay and energy consumption promotes the novel proposal of two multi-hop routing protocols; Efficient Routing protocol for Cognitive Radio (ERCR) networks and Efficient Hybrid Routing protocol for Cognitive Radio (EHRCR) networks. A proposal for a D/M/1/K queuing model adapted to be applied in a CR network (CRN) is investigated with a retrial service system over a single licensed channel. …

Factors Affecting Eighth Grade Students’ Mathematics Achievements In Timss 2015 In Abu Dhabi Emirate, Yousef Ahmed Wardat

Dissertations

This study aimed to identify the factors affecting mathematics achievement of eighth grade students in Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS, 2015) and to determine mathematics teachers' perceptions of TIMSS in Abu Dhabi Emirate schools. The first part of the study sample consisted of 4,838 students of grade eight (2,172 girls, 2,666 boys) and 156 respective school principals, and 220 mathematics teachers from Abu Dhabi, who attended TIMSS 2015. Study data was obtained from TIMSS 2015 student, teacher, school questionnaires, as well as cognitive test scores for mathematics. The second part of the study included data from 522 …

Behavior Of Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete Made With Recycled Concrete Aggregates: Material Characterization And Deep Beam Shear Response, Nancy Kachouh

Dissertations

This research aims to examine the performance of concrete made with recycled concrete aggregates (RCAs) and steel fibers. It comprises material characterization tests, large-scale reinforced concrete (RC) deep beam tests, and numerical modeling. Material characterization test parameters included the RCA replacement percentage (30, 70, and 100%) and the steel fiber volume fraction (vf = 1, 2, and 3%). Fourteen large-scale deep beam numerical models with and without web openings made with 100% RCAs and steel fibers were developed and validated through a comparative analysis with test results. A numerical parametric study was conducted to investigate the effect of varying …

Research Nurses' Attitudes And Practices Regarding Communication Of Risks And Benefits During The Research Informed Consent Process, Lidia Lika Nusbaum

Dissertations

Many studies show that research participants frequently do not fully comprehend information regarding risks and benefits (R&B) associated with clinical trials even though this is a fundamental component of the research informed consent (IC) process, required by ethical and regulatory guidelines. Research nurses often take an active role in obtaining IC while explaining study details and verifying potential participants' understanding. Although there are published recommended strategies to enhance the IC communication process, particularly for R&B communication, there is a paucity of research focused on research nurses' perspectives about the process. This study addresses this gap in the literature and provides …

Ocean Quahog (Arctica Islandica) Population Dynamics: Sex-Based Demographics And Regional Comparisons In The Northwest Atlantic, Kathleen M. Hemeon

Dissertations

Arctica islandica (ocean quahog) is the longest-lived bivalve on Earth. Individuals on the deep continental shelf of the Mid-Atlantic (US) can survive for centuries, and when found in the colder, boreal waters of Iceland, ages over 500 years can be reached. The ocean quahog is important in the US, yet very little is known about the resiliency of the ocean quahog stock to fishing activity, and ocean quahog recruitment patterns over time. To quantify and constrain age-reader error prior to age analysis, a triple-method error protocol was developed for A. islandica that included age-reader bias, precision, and error frequency. The …

The Effects Of Career Commitment, Distress, And Persistence On Academic Success Among Undergraduate Baccalaureate Nursing Students, Kimberly D. Kennel

Dissertations

The ability of students, specifically in higher education environments, to persist is a critical determinant of academic success. Student success is especially precarious within programs of nursing, where curricula include clinical, laboratory, and didactic content. Identifying and describing the barriers and facilitators to nursing student persistence provides a blueprint to appropriately use financial and human resources as well as determine the effect student demographic variables has on desiring, attending, or benefiting from persistence interventions. The outcome of this study can guide the deployment of institutional resources to provide persistence-based interventions that are evidence-based. Framed by Tinto's Theory of Student Departure, …

The Global Rise Of Online Devices, Cyber Crime And Cyber Defense: Enhancing Ethical Actions, Counter Measures, Cyber Strategy, And Approaches, Naresh Kshetri

Dissertations

The rise of online devices, online users, online shopping, online gaming, and online teaching has ultimately given rise to online attacks and online crimes. As cases of COVID-19 seem to increase day by day, so do online crimes and attacks (as many sectors and organizations went 100% online). Technological advancements and cyber warfare already generated many ethical issues, as internet users increasingly need ethical cyber defense strategies.

Individual internet users have challenges on their end; and on the other end, nation states (some secretly, some openly), are investing in robot weapons and autonomous weapons systems (AWS). New technologies have combined …

Heart-Led Behaviors Of Exemplary Unified School District Superintendents, Sepideh Yeoh

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe how exemplary K-12 school district superintendents lead from the heart using Mark Crowley’s four principles (building a highly engaged team, connecting on a personal level, maximizing employee potential, and valuing and honoring achievements) to accomplish extraordinary results in their organizations.

Methodology: This study utilized a qualitative phenomenological inquiry methodology to study the behaviors of eight exemplary K-12 school district superintendents in Southern California. Open-ended semistructured interviews were conducted utilizing a virtual platform. Responses from interviews in conjunction with observations and appropriate artifacts including, meeting agendas, memos, and newsletters provided …

Examination Of The Informed Consent Process As Experienced By Patients Who Underwent De Novo Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt, Chemoembolization Or Radioembolization Procedure, Marsha A. Hughes-Gay

Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the informed consent (IC) procedure as it was experienced by patients who had undergone a de novo transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS), chemoembolization (TACE), or radioembolization (TARE) procedure in an Interventional Radiology (IR) Department. The three main study aims and a fourth exploratory aim are as follows: (1) Describe how patients who underwent a de novo TIPS, TACE, or TARE procedure in an IR Department described the IC procedure; (2) Describe what information patients who underwent a de novo TIPS, TACE, or TARE procedure in an IR Department recalled being told during …

Health Information Security And Privacy: A Social Science Exploration Of Nurses' Knowledge And Risk Behaviors With Security And Privacy Issues Focusing On Mobile Device Usage, Keith Richard Weiner

Dissertations

This dissertation examines characteristics related to cybersecurity practices of new nurses a year following graduation from nursing school where they may have been prepared to work in environments with EHRs. The study will explore their understanding of cybersecurity as it relates to use and protection of the sources of information in the EHRs, and their own personal risk behaviors with mobile technologies that may put them at risk to outside hacking or misuse of information. The questions that drive the study are the associations with nurses' knowledge of information system security, risk behaviors specifically with mobile device use, and their …

Thermomechanics Of Semiconducting Polymers And Their Morphological Phenomena, Luke Galuska

Dissertations

In contrast to conventional silicon-based electronics, semiconducting polymers show great promise for emerging applications in soft, flexible, and ductile electronic technologies. This is due to their polymeric nature, tailorable structure, and sub-100 nm device thickness. Despite this mechanical novelty, there remains a poor understanding of their structure-property-processing relationships, which has hindered growth within the field. This dissertation elucidates these relationships through investigation of their thermomechanics, and morphological phenomena. This was accomplished through the following projects:

1) To demonstrate the impact of backbone rigidity on semiconducting polymer thermomechanics, we varied the backbone rigidity of an NDI-based polymer by inserting flexible methylene …

Comparing Top Industry Demands For Talent To General Studies Curriculum For Competitive Job Acquisition, Gregory Sansone

Dissertations

University General Studies degrees are rapidly increasing in enrollment, driven by an increased focus on college completion. Yet, non-traditional, non-science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) degrees are perceived as less competitive in the job market upon graduation. This study finds that students predominantly acquire skills in three areas, analysis, critical thinking, and communication, regardless of courses taken. Variability in salary suggests that the degree was not a factor in the graduates’ ability for wage earning. Through a combination of skills outcomes for external job postings, natural language processing on course syllabi outcomes, General Studies graduates’ course records, and a survey …

The Color Of Conduct: A S.I.S.T.A.'S Tale Of Race, Housing, And Higher Education, Natasha Gibson-Winston

Dissertations

S.I.S.T.A., suffering in silence to be acknowledged, is an acronym that symbolizes the hidden voices of Black women in higher education and abroad. This study examined the experiences of a graduate student woman of color impacted by university housing policies and practices as a judicial student conduct officer at a historically white institution. Using autoethnography as a methodology, grounded in critical race theory (CRT) as a theoretical framework, this qualitative study aims to highlight the ways Black women can and have been harmed in predominantly white spaces and processes within higher education. The application of the aforementioned frameworks found the …