Digital Commons Network^™

Has Journalism Education Kept Up With Digital Transformation?, Md Sazzad Hossain

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the digital world, journalism is a highly technology-dependent profession (Goni & Tabassum 2020). But there are gaps between what journalism schools teach and what employers want (Wenger and Owens, 2013). As a result, students, educators, and professionals demand the development of specific digital skills (Lee 2022). This study examines how journalism educators adapt their programs to respond to changing media environments and to the demands of professional journalism in the digital age. The researcher used a quantitative survey method to target the 119 journalism and mass communication programs accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass …

Who, What, And How Much: Understanding The Profiles, Preferences, And Valuations Of Individuals Likely To Participate In Food As Medicine Programs, Austin Dean Arnold

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Initial research on food as medicine programs has shown encouraging evidence, but more evidence is needed to identify the most effective models, services, delivery methods, and funding mechanisms. Previously studied programs were designed by the researchers, providers, and public health advocates without input from patients on their preferences. Patient engagement is essential to develop successful programs.

Study Aims: 1) To explore the presence latent classes among individuals with diet-related chronic diseases likely to participate in food as medicine programs; 2) To explore preferences for attributes of food as medicine programs among individuals with diet-related chronic diseases likely to participate; …

The University Of Mississippi’S First-Year Experience Course: A Quantitative Analysis, Rachael Durham

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

First-year seminar courses have become increasingly popular for colleges and universities as they are expected to help aid in the transition to college and help students persist to graduation (Culver & Bowman, 2020).

Utilizing pre-existing data from the Office of Institutional Research Effectiveness and Planning (IREP), the scholar-practitioner evaluated EDHE 105, the freshman academic orientation course, at the University of Mississippi. The anonymized data file included demographic information of residency, gender, and ethnicity, high school grade point average, ACT composite scores, enrollment in EDHE 105, athlete and honors designations, first-semester grade point average, fourth-semester grade point average, fourth-semester hours attempted, …

Voices From Below: The Politics Of Leprosy Control In Southeastern Nigeria, 1926-1960, Odinakachukwu Kingsley Eze

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Leprosy was an endemic disease in colonial Southeastern Nigeria but became an epidemic between the 1920s and 1940s. Unlike malaria and sleeping sickness, its endemicity did not impede European penetration at the dawn of the twentieth century. However, its spread across Nigeria intensified during colonial rule, with acute prevalence in regions hitherto prone to the disease. Therefore, from the 1920s to 1960, Southeastern Nigeria became the epicenter of British policies tailored towards preventing, curing, and eradicating leprosy disease in Nigeria. Existing research has established the involvement of different actors in this course–including Christian missionaries, colonial officials, specialized agencies, and international …

Molecular Dynamics Simulations For The Mechanical Behavior Of Alpha Quartz With Void Defects Under Tension, Yu Jia

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The structural and mechanical properties of void-free and single-void α-quartz were investigated using MD simulations with three different interatomic potentials (BKS, Vashishta and Tersoff). Two distinct ensembles, NVT and NPT, were separately applied to investigate the tensile response of α-quartz under uniaxial strain and uniaxial stress states. A comprehensive comparison among different potentials, as well as comparison with currently available experiments, has been made. The BKS and Vashishta potentials accurately predicted the structural properties of void-free α-quartz, while the Tersoff potential was deviated significantly from the experimental data. Under tension, the BKS did a better description for the mechanical performance …

Gender Differences And Directionality Of Intimate Partner Violence, Nate Juda

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The academic discipline of intimate partner violence (IPV) is currently divided into two prevailing perspectives: the feminist perspective, which asserts IPV is a product of the long history of acceptance and encouragement of wife-beating, stemming from patriarchal values; and the gender-inclusive model, that finds IPV reflects multifunctional etiologies, across the types and severities of IPV, with both men and women as perpetrators and victims at similar rates. However, a review of the extant literature does not support either of these conclusions. There is a growing body of research evidence that suggest women are more likely than men to commit IPV. …

Using Diverse Children's Literature To Enhance Social Emotional Learning, Lashana T. Middleton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study focused on examining the use of diverse children's literature and social-emotional learning (SEL) curricula to enhance the social-emotional competence skills of Pre-K students in general education classrooms. Understanding and developing these skills during early childhood has been shown to be essential for healthy child development, and early education teachers play a critical role in this process. The findings from this study suggest that while teachers have a positive view and awareness of the theoretical foundations of SEL, they may need additional training and support to effectively implement and incorporate SEL strategies in their practices. Specifically, the study highlighted …

How Chief Marketing Officers Are Paid: Consequences Of Cmo Compensation, Jasmine Parajuli

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) expect Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) to “grow the business”. One of the ways CMOs can be motivated to do so is through an effective compensation package. This research synthesizes the current executive compensation literature to show how marketing leadership and top management team, firm, and industry level strategies interact with one another to influence firm performance. The first study develops a comprehensive strategic literature review based on highly rated journals from marketing and offers a major step forward in developing research questions and advancing the development of agency theory, upon which this dissertation is built on. …

Classic Maya Subadult Age Estimates From Ambergris Caye, Belize, Nikki Anne Wicox

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Maya of the Classic period (300-900 AD) were inhabitants of the coastal island of Ambergris Caye, Belize (Guderjan, 2007). The individuals of this island have been explored through other research, however, one sub-population on the island that has yet to be explored in depth is that of childhood. Children play an integral role in society but are often overlooked as active members based upon the modern cultural norms of childhood, as well as the perceived difficulty of identifying children´s activities in the archaeological record (Ardren, 2015; Ardren & Hutson, 2006; Danforth, 1989; Storey, 1992; Wright, 1997). My research aims to …

Assembled Authorship: American Women Writers And The Culture Of Commonplacing, Seth Spencer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

“Assembled Authorship: American Women Writers and the Culture of Commonplacing” interrogates monolithic conceptions of authorship in the nineteenth century by exploring the expressive capacity of commonplace bookmaking practices for authors marginalized by race and/or gender. “Assembled Authorship” examines the influence of commonplace book culture on the novels of Elizabeth Stuart Phelps, Hannah Crafts, and Fanny Fern—authors who intervene in debates on religious reform, abolition, and antebellum periodical culture. Utilizing research grants from Penn State University and the University of New England, “Assembled Authorship” places high-resolution scans of commonplace books recovered from archives in conversation with the intertextual works of Phelps, …

How Does The Creation Of Temporary Wetland Habitat On Agricultural Fields In The Mississippi Alluvial Valley Affect The Abundance Of Migratory Shorebirds?, Emma Mccarley Counce

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although the causes of broad population declines of migratory shorebirds are not well understood, it is likely that loss of migratory stopover habitat is a contributing factor. In the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley (LMAV), much of the historical stopover sites have been converted to agricultural land. To combat this dearth, we have incentivized farmers to create temporary wetland habitat on shallowly flooded corn and soybean cropland in the LMAV during the fall after harvest. In a two-year study, shorebird surveys were completed bi-weekly on employed farm sites to determine the abundances of shorebirds present on five different temporal flood treatments …

Attitudes Toward Arabic-English Code Switching In Saudi Society, Tareq Aldosari

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study is designed to explore the attitudes of Saudi students at Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University toward code switching between colloquial Arabic and English and toward borrowing from the English language in Saudi society, considering two significant variables: major studied and gender. The study utilized two tools: a) questionnaires that the participants fill out after listening to recordings demonstrating code switching, borrowing and Arabic-only and b) interviews that were conducted to explore further the participants’ attitudes and the reasons behind them. Both tools considered three dimensions: superiority, attractiveness, and dynamism of the speakers. One hundred twenty questionnaires were distributed …

“To Save My Own Life:” The Revisionary And Sustaining Practice Of Autotheory, Margaret Zee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Autotheory, a hybrid of autobiography and literary theory, is the term Paul B. Preciado used to describe his book Testo Junkie (2008), a term Maggie Nelson then borrowed as a label for her book The Argonauts (2015). Though the term autotheory is relatively new, such hybrid writing has a rich literary history which I trace to intersectional feminist writers like Audre Lorde, Gloria Anzaldúa, and bell hooks in chapter 1’s genealogy. I argue that autotheory participates in theory’s work even as it revises certain Theoretical assumptions that hold sway in the academy today. This dissertation names three contemporary American books …

A Demand-Side Theory Of Labor Informality: Workers' Trust And States' Credible Commitment, Julian Alfonso Acevedo Pardo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Labor informality is a vexing issue across Latin America, with negative implications for policy areas from economic growth to social safety nets. Despite decades of efforts by national governments and international organizations, informality levels remain stubbornly high across the region. Insights from the extant literature suggest informality arises because creating formal sector jobs is too costly or the costs of formality for workers are too high. In contrast to most previous works on informality, this project steps back from standard materialistic assumptions and aims to uncover how the overall relationship between states and citizens impacts workers' incentives to work formally. …

Successful Aging And Turnover Intention Among Older Hospitality Frontline Employees, Thamsanqa Jongile

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This two-part dissertation delves into the intertwined precursors of successful aging and turnover intent in the hospitality sector. The first part applies a structural equation model to examine the link between perceived narcissistic leadership, successful aging, and turnover intentions. The author posits that work engagement, employee cynicism, and emotional fatigue are the mechanisms through which perceived narcissistic leadership affects successful aging and turnover intent. The findings affirm these conjectures, revealing that narcissistic leadership serves as a predictor of successful aging and turnover intent.

The second manuscript probes further into the antecedents of successful aging, evaluating a theoretical model in which …

Psychometric Properties Of The Spanish Ucla Ptsd Reaction Index For Dsm-5€“Brief Form In Puerto Rico Following Hurricane Maria, Evan Edward Rooney

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Trauma exposure among youth is a significant public health issue and is associated with psychiatric symptoms and impaired functioning. Natural disasters, such as hurricanes, have become an increasingly salient source of traumatic exposures for youth. However, not all youth exposed to traumatic experiences go on to develop posttraumatic stress symptoms or other maladaptive reactions. Given the high need for psychological support and low resource context engendered by hurricanes, efficient and evidentiary tools for assessing risk are needed to effectively identify youth most in need of services. The present study will use a sample of 96,108 Puerto Rican youth (Grades: 3-12; …

Exploring Messages About College Attendance And Graduation, Erin Talley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Successful completion of a college degree is a growing necessity in the United States of America. Concerns about workforce readiness and the cost of postsecondary education make completion of a college degree a burdensome necessity for individuals and society. Important implications from higher education research have been integral in establishing support programs to enhance college and university admissions, persistence, and graduation. Exploration of students’ home environments (Belasco, 2013; Wladis, Hachey, & Conway, 2018), preparation for college endeavors (Banks, 2022; Gilroy, 2014), fit in college institutions (Grillo & Leist, 2014; Lutz, Bennett, & Wang, 2017), and determination, or GRIT (Duckworth & …

Alternative Southern Communities: Cultural Other "Asians" In Contemporary Fiction About The American South, Mariko Hiwatashi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project explores the representation of minority groups in contemporary U.S. Southern literature, with a particular focus on Asian communities. It not only challenges the conventional perception that Asians in America are primarily associated with the West Coast but also underscores how Asian representation in literature plays a crucial role in illuminating the complexities of regional identity and social structure in the American South.

Historically, Asian immigrants have been part of the Southern landscape since the eighteenth century when Filipino sailors settled in New Orleans. Chinese immigrants also played essential roles as laborers in the post-slavery South. However, their experiences …

A Storyteller's Remove: Place-Noticing In Welty's Disturbed Landscapes, Lucy Gaines

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mississippi author Eudora Welty’s particular attunement to her characters’ place and time earned her canonization among southern authors bound by a peculiar sense of place. Our understanding of place, though, is rapidly evolving, spreading theoretical roots across disciplines and striving to keep up with global environmental change. Adopting frameworks from ecology, sociology, and comparative literature, this work seeks out the common denominators between Welty’s sense of place and our present perspectives, training our eye to notice relationships previously unconsidered. Unmistakable throughlines in Welty’s writing and photography offer fertile grounds for tracing place theory through visual and critical analysis, and find …

Evaluation Of How Teacher Professional Development Training Influences Teacher Instructional Practice, Sherrita Yolanda Lacy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This applied research study aimed to improve teacher professional development to improve teacher’s instructional practice. The need to improve teacher professional development arose from ineffective instructional practices and low academic achievement ratings. This applied research study incorporated an action plan with three elements to improve teacher professional development training. The researcher used interviews, surveys, and students’ benchmark data to evaluate the program elements in the study. Using the abovementioned instruments and the school leadership team's collaborative involvement, findings support that improving teacher professional development can lead to improved instructional practices and build teacher capacity.

A Historical Study Of Cécile Chaminade: Pianist, Composer, And Music Educator, Rebekah Leigh Schultz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

French composer and pianist Cécile Chaminade was one of the first women to make a career of composing. She had many strong musical influences in her life including Georges Bizet, Mortiz Moszkowski, and her parents. Chaminade composed approximately 400 pieces of music, 200 of which are piano works. She preferred to compose in smaller forms and was the leading exponent of the salon music style. For many years, Chaminade was the only well-known female composer to the general public. She remains one of the most published composers of her generation. Her most successful piano piece, Scarf Dance Op. 37, sold …

How Prepared Are They? Mississippi Teachers’ Perceptions Of Preparedness For English Learners In Content Area Classrooms, Michelle Turonek

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine teachers’ perceptions of preparedness for English learners in Mississippi content area classrooms. Specifically, the study examined the feelings and experiences teachers had on their preparedness for English learners. While researching teacher perceptions, the study also attempted to discover the reasoning behind their preparedness through pre-service coursework, professional development, and strategies of second language acquisition. A qualitative approach was used through interviews and a survey to investigate how teachers perceived their preparedness and expressed their experiences. Data was collected from ten Mississippi teachers throughout the state and analyzed by the researcher to identify …

Outdoorsman Culture In The Deep South: Understanding Cultural Capital And Social Capital Formation, Kolbe Verdun

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis discusses the topic of harvesting wild game or “being a hunter” and the culture surrounding this practice and how it is personified. The terms “outdoorsman,” “game harvesting,” "hunter " and several others were used universally to describe those who take part in such practices being researched in this thesis despite the person's gender. The following research will include how culture surrounding the life of an outdoorsman plays an impactful role on the socio environmental, economic, cultural, historical, and even economic aspects of Mississippi and the surrounding Deep South. A close look will be taken on what it means …

The Mississippi School Funding Formula: A Study Of Adequacy, Marcus E. Cheeks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this was to examine the relationship between Mississippi public school district per pupil funding disaggregated by funding source (total, federal, state, and local) and student academic achievement gaps within districts based on poverty and race. Pearson's correlational coefficient was used to assess the relationship across 139 Mississippi school districts during fiscal year 2019. State Special Schools, Charter Schools, and Agriculture Schools were excluded from the analysis. School districts lacking a sufficient number of African American and Economically Disadvantaged children to calculate a school proficiency score in ELA and Math were also removed. Thus, the analysis consisted of …

Formulation And In-Vitro Evaluation Of Fenofibrate Capsules Using Hot Melt Extrusion Technology, Shrishti Dubey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of the present study was to prepare an improved solubility, and stability. Hot-melt extrusion technology was used to prepare the filaments of insoluble model drug Fenofibrate (FBR). Eudragit® E PO® was used as a immediate release, moisture content control polymer for the formulation. Soluplus was used as a solubility enhancement polymer. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed that the binary mixtures were miscible under the employed extrusion temperatures. The binary mixtures (10% FBR /Eudragit® E PO and Soluplus) were blended and extruded with a 6-mm mini extruder and were milled by using a mortar …

Effect Of Inclusion Complexes Of Ferrocene On Catalytic Activity Of Fenton’S Reaction, Lakshmi Priyanka Gudipati

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ferrocene is an orange solid with a camphor-like odor and is soluble in almost all organic solvents. It is known for its remarkable stability, as it is unaffected by air, water, and strong bases. Ferrocene derivatives also have great potential as anticancer and antimalarial agents, but their practical insolubility in water can limit their utility as a pharmaceutical active ingredient. In this study, the main aim is to form inclusion complexes between different ferrocene derivatives and hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) to enhance their water solubility and use the resulting complexes to test for cleavage of methylene blue ethanolamine (MB-EA) through Fenton's reaction …

Sociocultural Determinants Of Exclusive Breastfeeding And Infant Feeding Practices In Niger, Maimouna Issoufou Kapran

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Niger is one of the countries with the lowest exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) rates in the world. The purpose of this study was to determine the barriers to EBF in Niger and to determine the types of feedings that are most commonly practiced in Niger. Participants (n=31) were mothers with children aged 0 to 24 months, recruited on-site at a healthcare facility in Niamey, the capital of Niger. They completed a 20-item questionnaire on socio-demographics, breastfeeding support and knowledge, a short food security survey, and a 24-hour diet recall. All mothers interviewed breastfed at some point, and a majority of the …

"Sealed With A Kiss On Your Artery": An Archive Of Southern Lesbian Desire, Sarah Margaret Heying

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines southern lesbian feminist print culture of the 1970s-2000s, which produced some of the most intersectional work to come out of second-wave feminism— especially in terms of creative and critical challenges to anti-Blackness, classism, metrocentrism, and regional exceptionalism. A central contribution of “Sealed with a Kiss on Your Artery” is its reimagination of archival reading practices from a queer-feminist literary studies perspective. Each chapter examines the archive of a particular lesbian feminist figure and demonstrates a corresponding interpretive practice; I seek to encounter these historical figures in a manner befitting not only the facts of their contributions to …

Accepting New Clients And The Downstream Effects Of Auditor Due Diligence, Garrison Laduca

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The auditor-client relationship begins during the client acceptance process. Before formal audit procedures occur, audit firms perform due diligence adding clients to their portfolio. Prior literature defines this due diligence phase as the auditor search period. Auditors utilize this time to increase the likelihood of a successful audit and continued relationship. The literature finds longer search periods are associated with higher engagement risks, which may be a precursor for more tumultuous relationships. However, I posit that auditors who spend more time, and thus expend more effort, engaged in this due diligence period will be more likely to identify and subsequently …

Through The Media's Eyes: The Media Coverage Of The 1968 Memphis Sanitation Strike And The Assassination Of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Ashton Brooks Logan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this professional project, the researcher aims to uncover media bias presented in two publications, The New York Times and The Commercial Appeal in the coverage of the 1968 Memphis Sanitation Strike and the assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.. The researcher gathered fifteen articles spanning a date range from February 13, 1968 to June 9, 1968 in order to successfully gain perspective on the various events that took place. Five research questions were presented to investigate the diversity of direct quotes, writing style, story placement and length of stories. Three individuals assisted in interpreting the articles using …