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In The Performance Of A Lifetime: Pepper Plinkett, Lily Camille Hollinden May 2024

In The Performance Of A Lifetime: Pepper Plinkett, Lily Camille Hollinden

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This narrative depicts a caricature of the human experience through the eyes of my alter- ego character, Pepper Plinkett. Pepper is a symbol of my personal philosophies of what it means to be human, and serves as a protagonist and guide through an infinite, ambiguous natural world. This exhibition is a celebration of the vibrancy, curiosity, and ridiculousness of a lifetime. The uniqueness of humor as a specifically human trait and its use as a tool of communication, particularly in expressing authenticity, is the driving force behind my use of clowns in my work. I take an absurdist approach to …


Fostering Community Among Women Mountain Bikers, Samantha Wischmeyer May 2024

Fostering Community Among Women Mountain Bikers, Samantha Wischmeyer

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Although women have shown growing interest in mountain biking in recent years, a disproportionate number of men and women participate, with women representing only one-third of overall riders (The National Sporting Goods Association, 2023). Many women describe feeling insecure and intimidated by what they perceive to be the traditional mountain biking culture (Bordelon & Ferreira, 2019; Carpiet, 2014; Huybers-Withers, 2015; McCormack, 2020; Nash & Moore, 2021). This research is concerned with fostering a sense of belonging and opportunities for community-building to reduce barriers of entry in mountain biking for self-identified women in Northwest Arkansas. Northwest Arkansas has a highly active …


Imagining Tomorrow Is What Creative Minds Do: Storytelling, Collaboration And Design Futuring, Jessica Miles May 2024

Imagining Tomorrow Is What Creative Minds Do: Storytelling, Collaboration And Design Futuring, Jessica Miles

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

According to the 2020 Cigna US Loneliness Index Survey, 73% of Gen Z (born between 1997 and 2012) report feeling alone sometimes or always. Consequently, People who experience social isolation risk early death. Gen Z as a cohort is hyperconnected in the virtual world but socially disconnected, often relying on social apps and the internet as a creative outlet (Bakhtiari). Research shows that young adults frequently utilize these apps as a site for inspiration and brainstorming rather than searching for creative motivation in the outside world. Speculative design helps explore new perspectives and gives designers tools to support imagination and …


Passages, Arden Carlson May 2024

Passages, Arden Carlson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Passages is a collection of wood sculptures and drawings by Arden Carlson, exploring a mesh of southern intimacies and queer musings; underpinned by the logics of belief, grief, and love. The result is a tender field of angelic birds fixed in flight over gnawed surfaces of grain and graphite. The following dissertation details the artist’s logic during the construction of the visual art thesis exhibition, Passages. The writing is composed in an autoethnographic format, backed by supporting anecdotes and creative methodologies that help to route the operational modes used. Near the end of this writing, you’ll find an additional addendum …


The Frimpong Case, Vincent Frimpong May 2024

The Frimpong Case, Vincent Frimpong

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Frimpong Case is the gathering of skills and voices of Africans and African artists. My collaborators from my Ghanaian family and neighbors to my colleagues in the United States have influenced my practice, allowing me to expand the history I have learned from the African musicians who have deeply influenced me to my heritage and the research I am able to expand upon to promote my vision of my culture and legacy. This paper describes the body of work and speaks to the themes of collaboration, migration, assemblage, and installation. The Frimpong Case is the root of my visions …


The Ai Effect: Rethinking Design Workflows For Enhanced Productivity And Creativity, Israel Adeleye May 2024

The Ai Effect: Rethinking Design Workflows For Enhanced Productivity And Creativity, Israel Adeleye

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Advancements in artificial intelligence and machine learning are transforming how designers work with computers. This thesis explores the developing relationship between artificial intelligence (AI) and design processes, focusing on how it impacts the creation of digital experiences. This study examines the impact of AI on design, highlighting how AI can improve efficiency and creativity alongside ethical challenges and the need to preserve human uniqueness in digital creations. It investigates AI's effects on design workflows, creativity, and the designer's evolving role through interviews, content analysis, case studies, and surveys. The aim is to understand AI's influence on designer productivity, innovation, and …


Linguistic Heritage In Digital Landscape: A Collective Memory Of Indigenous Script, Sumi Limbu May 2024

Linguistic Heritage In Digital Landscape: A Collective Memory Of Indigenous Script, Sumi Limbu

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The present-day digital world reflects the historical structures of power, as evidenced by the dominant presence of specific languages in online spaces. Globalization, post-colonization, and language preferences on digital platforms also present significant dangers to indigenous languages, resulting in their gradual disappearance in both online and offline settings. The insufficient provision of typographical support and acknowledgment worsens the marginalization of indigenous languages by hindering their inclusion in digital spaces. The script plays a vital role in visual design by effectively delivering information. Language serves as the primary means of communication, which enables knowledge production. This study aims to look into …


Empower Voices, Enhance Dignity A Study On Menstrual Hygiene Management Among Internally Displaced Menstruators In Wassa Idp Camp, Abuja, Fct., Shalom Joro Yabilsu May 2024

Empower Voices, Enhance Dignity A Study On Menstrual Hygiene Management Among Internally Displaced Menstruators In Wassa Idp Camp, Abuja, Fct., Shalom Joro Yabilsu

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nigeria’s humanitarian crisis has led to prolonged internal displacement, with many people forced to flee their homes due to armed conflict and communal violence. Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) number in the millions and face numerous challenges that leave them vulnerable. Among those affected are menstruators, who face unique challenges related to managing menstruation in these dire circumstances. Despite significant research on various aspects of life within Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps, there remains a notable gap in addressing menstrual hygiene management (MHM) in this space. This study focuses on understanding and enhancing health literacy of MHM through a life-centered embodied …


Food Insecurity Among Women: The Data Gap And The Path Forward, Beth Dedman May 2024

Food Insecurity Among Women: The Data Gap And The Path Forward, Beth Dedman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Quantification frames the world in terms of hierarchies, reputation, and status, thereby making important indicators comparable, and subsequently stripping them of their context, history, and meaning. Numerical knowledge is essential, yet if it is not closely connected to more qualitative forms of knowledge, it leads to oversimplification, homogenization, and the neglect of the surrounding social structure. Feminist-based research is completely antithetical to this form of research, focusing on qualitative experiences, the effects of relationships of power, and adding the necessary context to the quantifiable information. As of yet, most research in the Northwest Arkansas region as it pertains to the …


Overpowered, Benjamin Pearey May 2024

Overpowered, Benjamin Pearey

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Overpowered is a temporary installation of a tiled living room, modeled after my own living room in a rental apartment in Fayetteville, Arkansas. It takes its name from a kind of sci-fi electro-disco love song released in 2007 by Roísín Murphy, who breaks down romantic attraction into preprogrammed meanings, chemical needs and matching data - and her sense of losing control, succumbing to the overwhelming forces at play. My installation is borne from a similar feeling. It is a continuation of a navigation of daily life under the pressures of external forces exerted by the various systems that underpin society …


Gender Bias And The Long Shot Launch Advertisement, Breck Gillespie May 2024

Gender Bias And The Long Shot Launch Advertisement, Breck Gillespie

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigated the role of traditional gender stereotypes as utilized in political advertising, specifically by women in the regional South. This study utilized two exemplars of candidates leaning into opposite gender stereotypes, MJ Hegar and Jaime Harrison, to determine how focus group participants reacted to each candidate’s use of stereotypes and their experimental advertisements as a whole. Additionally, the effectiveness of this new and innovative genre of long shot launch advertisements was analyzed to see if these advertisements are a potential tool for change, specifically for women running for office. These focus group sessions produced 161 pages of double-spaced …


Decolonizing Neo-Liberalism, Empowering The Local: A Global South Reading Of Noir In The 2000s., Jean-Hugues Bita’A Menye May 2024

Decolonizing Neo-Liberalism, Empowering The Local: A Global South Reading Of Noir In The 2000s., Jean-Hugues Bita’A Menye

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research aims at providing a Global South reading of noir in the late 1990s and early 2000s. It relies on the premise that noir, a sub-genre of crime fiction born in France during World War II, offered new avenues of literary creation and political criticism. Based on a selection of authors from the U.S., Mexico, Algeria, and Cameroon, the dissertation explores how authors from underrepresented or formerly-colonized communities discuss the impact of neoliberal thinking in their communities. With an emphasis on race and gender dynamics, nation building and terrorism, police corruption and brutality, or the growth of organized, each …


Gym Sexual Harassment And Bystander Intervention: An Application Of The Reasoned Action Approach, Eric Schisler May 2024

Gym Sexual Harassment And Bystander Intervention: An Application Of The Reasoned Action Approach, Eric Schisler

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Objective. The purpose of this study was to modify and validate an instrument to examine factors associated with being an active bystander when witnessing sexual harassment at a gym or fitness center. Using Fishbein and Ajzen’s Reasoned Action Approach (RAA), this study aimed to better understand the influence of a person’s attitude, social norms, and perceived behavioral control (PBC) on their intention to be an active bystander when witness to someone being sexually harassed at the gym in the next 30 days. Methodology. This study utilized an exploratory sequential mixed methods design, with phase one taking place between June and …


A Mixed Methods Exploration Of Interoceptive Awareness In Adults Who Stutter, Hazel Malcolm May 2024

A Mixed Methods Exploration Of Interoceptive Awareness In Adults Who Stutter, Hazel Malcolm

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Stuttering is commonly described as a disorder of speech fluency characterized by primary speech behaviors that are judged by external observers to be typical of stuttering, including part-word repetitions, prolongations, and blocks (i.e., silent prolongations or postural fixations). Despite wide use in the field of speech-pathology, definitions focusing on these ‘primary’ behaviors have also been criticized as ‘surface’ or ‘perceptual’ definitions that favor the experience of a listener over that of the speaker. Recent qualitative evidence suggests that, when asked, adults who stutter (AWS) instead define stuttering as an internal feeling or awareness of being ‘stuck’ that is surrounded by …


Using Aac To Build Young Beginning Communicators’ Inclusion In Song Routines, Sydney Miller May 2024

Using Aac To Build Young Beginning Communicators’ Inclusion In Song Routines, Sydney Miller

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined the effectiveness of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) on preschool-aged beginning communicators’ ability to participate linguistically during song social routines. The AAC used during the intervention phase were visual scene displays (VSDs). VSDs are color-realistic photos, often depicting real people, that are context-rich for the user. VSDs are less demanding and offer the user a way to communicate their thoughts, feelings, or emotions in a more contextualized way. The present study used a multiple-baseline across participants approach. The primary dependent measure was the linguistic participation of each participant using the VSD. The results indicated that each …


Fire Potential In Arkansas Through The Lens Of The Keetch-Byram Drought Index, Charles Steward May 2024

Fire Potential In Arkansas Through The Lens Of The Keetch-Byram Drought Index, Charles Steward

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Vegetation fires are a complicated phenomenon to predict both the occurrence and intensity. In the United States, fire behavior has been widely studied in high-risk regions such as in the American West, but fires also occur regularly in states that receive greater levels of precipitation, such as Arkansas. Fires are an expensive and dangerous environmental problem. As climate trends caused by global warming continue to progress, quantifying the extent to which climate factors influence their occurrence in Arkansas would be useful for land management, public safety, public health, agriculture, urban development, and to advance the science of fire-climate dynamics in …


Organization Of Change: The Journey From Probation To A Successful Accreditation Review, Erin Dail May 2024

Organization Of Change: The Journey From Probation To A Successful Accreditation Review, Erin Dail

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Regional accreditation, seen as a necessary hurdle by many in higher education, is required to participate in Title IV funding. However, several studies indicate that the current accreditation process is broken. Institutions with more resources, both in staffing and funding, and more academically ready students are at an advantage for favorable accreditation outcomes. Those institutions serving the most at-risk students rely on Title IV funding the most and may be participating in a process in which they are less likely to succeed. This study seeks to explore the experiences of Accreditation Liaison Officers (ALOs) at Higher Learning Commission (HLC)-accredited community …


Mental Health In College Journalists: Recognizing Causes Of Trauma And Recommendations For Training In College Programs, Sydney R. Mulvenon May 2024

Mental Health In College Journalists: Recognizing Causes Of Trauma And Recommendations For Training In College Programs, Sydney R. Mulvenon

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

News reporting serves as an important vehicle for sharing breaking news across diverse communities, yet it often entails significant stressors. Some news reporters may experience trauma while covering challenging stories or navigating negative experiences within the newsroom. Many professionals in journalism have expressed concerns about the lack of awareness of mental health in the field. Addressing this need, this research using a documentary format, explores the need for integrating trauma training and awareness initiative into college-level journalism programs. Drawing on stories from former journalists and other professionals connected to journalism, this documentary highlights the pressing need for trauma-focused coursework to …


Characterizing The Role Of Chemo-Mechanical Couplings In The Activation Process Of Proteins That Undergo Conformational Changes, Ugochi Isu May 2024

Characterizing The Role Of Chemo-Mechanical Couplings In The Activation Process Of Proteins That Undergo Conformational Changes, Ugochi Isu

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Proteins are not static entities; rather, they are dynamic macromolecules that undergo conformational changes to perform their biological functions. These structural transitions are often coupled to chemical events such as lipid interactions, or changes in the cellular environment. Understanding the intricate interplay between chemical perturbations and the resulting mechanical response is crucial for elucidating the activation mechanisms of proteins. This dissertation aims to characterize the role of chemo-mechanical couplings in the activation process of two G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs): Cannabinoid Receptor 1 (CB1) and Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor 1 (mGluR1). We employ molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the conformational landscapes of …


A Mobile Application Intervention For Insomnia Among College Students, Veronica Floyd May 2024

A Mobile Application Intervention For Insomnia Among College Students, Veronica Floyd

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Previous studies have found that the prevalence of insomnia among college students is high. This has implications for students mental and physical well-being, academic performance, and the onset of more chronic insomnia symptomology. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) is the front-line treatment for insomnia, but cost and time are often barriers to treatment access. The goal of this study was to test the feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of a more cost-effective self-guided version of CBT-I (via mobile application). Fifty-five college students, who were mostly women (82%) and mean age 19.3 (SD = 2.3) years with moderate insomnia symptoms were …


The Constant String Of Crises: A Critical Discourse Analysis Of Twitter Responses To Celebrity Crisis Communications, Megan Willman May 2024

The Constant String Of Crises: A Critical Discourse Analysis Of Twitter Responses To Celebrity Crisis Communications, Megan Willman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Celebrity crises are more prominent in today’s social-media-fueled world than ever before. Public relations teams are hired to handle these instances on behalf of the celebrity, but no one can control the discourse that ensues on social media. The end goal of these teams is to restore trust and reputation with stakeholders and fans. Although there have been many studies on crisis communications, there are few studies thus far that have examined the strategy as well as the discourse of such timely crises. The public figures included in this paper are Ashton Kutcher, Lizzo, Luke Combs, Mila Kunis, and Taylor …


Working Alongside People With Disabilities: Their Impact And Value, Alice A. Jensen May 2024

Working Alongside People With Disabilities: Their Impact And Value, Alice A. Jensen

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

U.S. policies such as the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 and the Americans with Disabilities Act support the inclusion of adults with disabilities in all areas of employment. Through WIOA, the federal government required public entities to provide training and help job seekers with disabilities access high-quality, competitive, integrated employment in the labor market. Nevertheless, two-thirds of unemployed PWDs report wanting employment but cannot find a job. Negative perceptions held by employers and hiring managers and their views that PWDs lack abilities create barriers to employment. In contrast, research has also shown that coworkers can greatly influence successful …


Towards Side-Channel Infrastructure For Software Implementations Of Pqc Algorithms, Tristen Teague May 2024

Towards Side-Channel Infrastructure For Software Implementations Of Pqc Algorithms, Tristen Teague

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) is a new class of asymmetric cryptography algorithms that are supposed to be secure against both classical computers and quantum computers through Shor’s algorithm. Since PQC algorithms are currently being standardized, they will replace older standardized asymmetric algorithms (such as RSA) and will be deployed within the digital infrastructure. Before implementations of the PQC algorithms are placed into the infrastructure, they must undergo evaluation of both performance and security. One such security issue that needs large investigation before deployment are side-channels. Side-channel attacks (SCA) are a method of gathering information from the implementation, such as power-consumption and …


Competition And Criticality In Cortical Neural Circuits Underlie Behavior And Optimize Working Memory, Jacob Harrison Barfield May 2024

Competition And Criticality In Cortical Neural Circuits Underlie Behavior And Optimize Working Memory, Jacob Harrison Barfield

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

One of the primary goals of neuroscience is to explain how brain function emerges from dynamic interactions among large populations of neurons. A long-standing hypothesis at the interface of physics and neuroscience posits that neural circuits may operate close to the critical point of a phase transition. In this dissertation, we will investigate a new form of criticality and the implications that it has in working memory and the generation of voluntary body movements. We will utilize this new form of criticality to investigate the functional benefits that can be harnessed by operating near the critical point when performing working …


The Water That Will Be: A Qualitative Look Into The Effects Of Visual Imagery On Participation In Water Conservation Initiatives, Shane Martin White May 2024

The Water That Will Be: A Qualitative Look Into The Effects Of Visual Imagery On Participation In Water Conservation Initiatives, Shane Martin White

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explored the role of visual imagery in water conservation initiatives, focusing on its impact on public understanding, emotional connection, and willingness to participate. Drawing from the Theory of Planned Behavior and Affective Disposition Theory, the study investigated how art interventions can enhance comprehension and engagement with water conservation easements. Utilizing qualitative methods, including interviews, focus groups and PhotoVoice, data was collected from stakeholders in the Illinois River Watershed region. The research examined current levels of understanding regarding conservation easements, evaluated the effectiveness of visual imagery interventions in enhancing public awareness, and identified the potential for collaborative approaches between …


A Comparative Examination Of Background Attributes, Criminogenic Factors, Status Changes, And Preparatory Activities Across Ideological And Non-Ideological Mass Shootings, Brynn Schuetter May 2024

A Comparative Examination Of Background Attributes, Criminogenic Factors, Status Changes, And Preparatory Activities Across Ideological And Non-Ideological Mass Shootings, Brynn Schuetter

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The overall focus of this study is the relevance of extreme ideology as a distinguishing factor underlying the motivational circumstances of mass shootings in the United States over the last few decades. Along with comparatively examining the lethality of mass shootings, background attributes, criminogenic factors, status changes, and preparatory activities are compared across ideological and non-ideological mass shooters. Data are extracted from the Extremist Crime Database (ECDB), the Bias Homicide Database (BHDB), and Schildkraut’s Database on Mass Shootings. Results highlight key differences in offenders’ experiences of personal status changes and engagement in preparatory activities prior to committing mass shootings. These …


Exploring Diversity, Discrimination, And Performance Dynamics, George Agyeah May 2024

Exploring Diversity, Discrimination, And Performance Dynamics, George Agyeah

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation utilizes empirical and experimental approaches to investigate the multifaceted factors that affect decision-making in economic contexts. The three chapters place a particular focus on group affiliation, perceived discrimination, and the gender gap in entrepreneurship. The first chapter explores the impact of team diversity on economic decision-making within a dynamic context. Through a series of laboratory experiments involving participants randomly assigned to teams, the study examines how team diversity influences individual behavior and performance. Results indicate that team diversity significantly affects individual behavior, with newcomers being particularly influenced by the diversity of the team they join. The findings underscore …


The International Experience: Foreigners In Fayetteville, Khadn Blaine Adderley May 2024

The International Experience: Foreigners In Fayetteville, Khadn Blaine Adderley

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This project is aimed toward showcasing the stories of some international students who currently attend or recently attended the University of Arkansas and have lived in Fayetteville, Arkansas. With the University of Arkansas being home to a range of international students from all over the world, it’s important to get an understanding from some of those students who leave their home country to spend the next four years as a member of the Fayetteville community. This project is a podcast that is split up into four episodes, highlighting the experiences of international students, University of Arkansas employees who assist with …


Evaluating The Effects Of A Noninvasive, Commercial-Grade Neurofeedback Technology And Mindfulness On Sleep Quality In Elite Athletes, Sydney Anne Hammit May 2024

Evaluating The Effects Of A Noninvasive, Commercial-Grade Neurofeedback Technology And Mindfulness On Sleep Quality In Elite Athletes, Sydney Anne Hammit

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract Proper sleep is a vital element in the lives of elite athletes due to its effects on recovery, performance, and mental and emotional health. However, despite the importance of sleep quality, elite athletes are experiencing notable difficulties with both sleep quantity and quality. While sleep is necessary for all individuals, it is specifically essential for elite athletes. Sleep quality issues can be accompanied by both physical and psychological struggles, which is concerning for the population of elite athletes who are struggling with sleep quality at higher rates than the general population. Despite the increasing awareness of sleep quality struggles …


Systemic Effect Of Organizational Capitals On Parent Commitment In Youth Soccer, Paul Kimbrough May 2024

Systemic Effect Of Organizational Capitals On Parent Commitment In Youth Soccer, Paul Kimbrough

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study evaluates how soccer parents perceive the offerings of the soccer team on which their child plays. The study uses the systems perspective of Flora & Flora’s Community Capitals Framework to analyze family commitment to the team. The study subjects were parents of soccer players ages 12 and older who play for teams and participate in competitive travel soccer teams. Parents are classified based on their geographic location and team level. Questionnaires were administered at a series of travel soccer tournaments in March 2024. Data were analyzed using binary logistic regression analysis. Parents were found to value the total …