Digital Commons Network^™

Wetland To Wasteland, Plantation To Plant: The Visual Legacy Of Plantations In The South Louisiana Landscape Of Environmental Justice, Ella Mcintire

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The Southeast Louisiana landscape sits at the intersection of a number of environmental and humanitarian crises. Violence against man and land endemic to the Plantation Era development of the Lower Mississippi laid the foundation for modern issues of coastal land loss, habitat destruction, pollution, environmental racism, and displacement. Land-use patterns of the Plantation economy made the region optimal for petrochemical processing, turning wetland to wasteland, and plantation to plant. The exhibit Climates of Inequality: Standing Up On River Road uses photography, cinematography, 360-video, and soundscapes to explore the dialogic relationship between fragile natural spaces in southern Louisiana and the historically …

Corporate Sustainability, Rawan Barri

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation consists of two essays that examine the role of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in finance. In the first essay, we examine the bondholder wealth effects of socially responsible firms. Using an extensive U.S sample from 2006 to 2016 and two methodologies – corporate yield spreads and bond credit ratings – we provide evidence that proactive environmental and social practices are reflected in the price of corporate bonds. Furthermore, we examine the impact of managerial ownership on the relationship between CSR and bondholder wealth effects. We postulate that higher equity ownership induces managers to take on more firm risk …

Exploring Community- And Society-Level Interventions For Healing Historical Trauma: A Grounded Theory Study, Anabel Mifsud

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Addressing historical trauma in populations that have been exposed to long-term mass violence, persecution, and systematic oppression is a critical step in the healing process in affected communities and societies. Despite the growing consensus for adopting a multilevel approach to mitigate the present-day impacts of historical grievances, extant literature on collective mental health interventions that address historical trauma is limited, fragmented, and largely theoretical. The purpose of this constructivist grounded theory study was to examine how mental health practitioners respond to the challenges of historical trauma at the community and society levels, and to explore the functions that professional counselors …

Nanomaterial Composites Based On Potassium Hexaniobate, Perovskites, And Iron Triazole Spin Crossover Complexes, Alexis A. Blanco

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Development of novel materials with sought after properties has been the forefront in the field of nanomaterials. Hybrid nanomaterial architectures, or nanocomposites, is an important subgroup within the material chemistry umbrella. One such example of nanocomposite systems is peapod-like structures that are composed of 0D nanoparticles (“peas”) and 2D nanosheets (“pods”). Nanopeapods may display unique properties that were not attainable within individual components. BaTiO₃ nanoparticles can be produced using solvothermal methods (20 h) in the presence of Ba(NO₃)₂, titanium (IV) butoxide, and oleic acid as the surfactant. Synthesis parameters were modified to allow for both …

Becoming A Constellation, Meredith P. Contreras

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

In the following thesis, titled “Becoming a Constellation,” nine short stories navigate themes of womanhood and illustrate the ways in which life experiences shape a person. Each piece occurs in the fictional Louisiana town of St. Denis and explores setting as an integral piece of character development. The narratives offer a glimpse into the lives of several young women as they grapple with inevitable change and difficult relationships while becoming the women they choose to be.

A Numerical And Experimental Study Of Lid Driven Square Cavity Flow For Laminar And Turbulent Cases, Abdullah Bin Naeem

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Experimental and numerical studies are performed on steady and unsteady lid-driven cavity flow for laminar flow regime. In the experiments, a PIV and an LDA were employed to measure the global and local velocities, respectively inside a cavity of AR 1.0. The velocity vector plots and streamline plots which represent unsteady circulation patterns are obtained using the PIV. The steady local velocities measured with LDA are then used to calibrate the PIV measurements. The numerical study is performed using a commercial CFD solver. For turbulent flow simulation RANS equations with K-Epsilon closure model were used. From the PIV calibration study, …

Machine Learning Model Selection For Predicting Global Bathymetry, Nicholas P. Moran

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This work is concerned with the viability of Machine Learning (ML) in training models for predicting global bathymetry, and whether there is a best fit model for predicting that bathymetry. The desired result is an investigation of the ability for ML to be used in future prediction models and to experiment with multiple trained models to determine an optimum selection. Ocean features were aggregated from a set of external studies and placed into two minute spatial grids representing the earth's oceans. A set of regression models, classification models, and a novel classification model were then fit to this data and …

Theatre Arts Integration For Deeper Learning In The English-As-A-Foreign-Language Classroom, Andrew Zutell

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This quasi-experimental case study examines the impact of theatre arts integration in an English-as-a foreign language (EFL) course in a competency-based international high school. Aiming to engage students in a process of deeper learning through drama, this study focuses on the domain of speaking and oral communicative competence. Although widely recognized as one of the most important college-and-career-readiness skills, oral communication is often overshadowed by high-stakes testing priorities such as reading and writing. In particular, many Chinese students of English struggle to achieve confident oral fluency despite years of study. This research was designed to investigate whether theatre arts integration …

Taking Up Space: A Phenomenological Study Of The Shared Experiences Of Black Women In Stem Graduate Programs At Predominantly White Institutions, Ebony C. Blackwell

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

In the U.S., marginalized populations are underrepresented in STEM. Specifically, there is a disparity in the number of Black women attaining STEM graduate degrees and entering the STEM workforce. The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to examine the essence of the shared experiences of Black women currently enrolled in STEM graduate programs at predominantly White institutions (PWIs), in order to increase retention of Black women through STEM graduate programs and into careers; as well as to use participant’s experiences to expose any barriers they encountered related to their educational pursuits, and examine how they were able to navigate …

Thermo-Fluid Characterizations Of The Powder-Bed Fusion Additive Manufacturing Processes Using Laser And Electron Beam, M Shafiqur Rahman

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The powder-bed fusion (PBF) process is a subdivision of Additive Manufacturing (AM) technology where a heat source at a controlled speed selectively fuses regions of a powder-bed material to form three-dimensional (3-D) parts. Two of the most effective PBF processes are selective laser melting (SLM) and electron beam additive manufacturing (EBAM), which can fabricate full-density metallic parts in a layer-by-layer fashion. In this study, thermal behavior and melt-pool dynamics in the PBF process are investigated by developing 3-D multiphysics-based thermo-fluid models for both SLM and EBAM, containing Ti-6Al-4V alloy as a powder-bed material. The laser and electron beams are modeled …

Feasibility Of Geothermal Energy Piles In New Orleans Alluvial Soils, Patrick A. Thurmond

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Geothermal energy piles offer the benefits of modifying existing construction practices to reduce costs associated with heating and cooling. A major obstacle today in effective utilization of these systems is a general lack of site-specific data on the thermal properties of subsoils. To maximize the potential efficiency of these systems, engineers require an understanding of the potential impact of this technology on existing foundation design methodology as well as a means for quantifying potential heat transfer through soil by determination of the soil’s thermal conductivity. This study examines the feasibility of energy piles with a focus on alluvial soils found …

From May To Shall: The Status Of Financial Education With The Passing Of Louisiana House Bill No. 401 In 2016, Leigh Erin J. Lundy

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Louisiana has a financial literacy problem. In 2016, 2018, and 2019, the Louisiana legislature responded to the financial illiteracy plaguing Louisiana by mandating personal financial management education. Though now required, no studies to date have examined if or to what extent personal financial management is being implemented across Louisiana.

Using a quantitative, non-experimental survey approach, I gathered and analyzed baseline data about Louisiana’s statewide implementation of personal financial management mandates in K-12 classrooms. Areas examined included the extent and frequency of implementation as well as educators’ readiness and perceptions about personal financial management education. In order to address the research …

The Language Of Empire, Carmin Wong

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This manuscript focuses on Caribbean and American culture, in addition to, Guyanese Creolized English and American Standard English. The poems in this collection infuse oral and written poetic techniques to write back to the hierarchies of language and literature set by the British empire. Upon defense, this collection was distinguished as an affirming love letter to Black women.

Boys Will Be Boys, Kirsten Quarforth

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This is a work of fiction. The following five stories are all interconnected and of the young adult (YA) genre.

'Seeds Of Happiness': An Oral History Of Members Of Soka Gakkai International-New Orleans, Lorvelis Amelia Madueño

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Soka Gakkai International (SGI) is a Japanese new religious movement present in 192 countries. Despite the substantial amount of academic work that has been produced on SGI’s overseas expansion, many scholars continue to overlook the local context when analyzing the organization’s global presence. This paper is based on oral history interviews and examines the experiences of five members of the SGI-USA New Orleans Buddhist Center, located in the city of New Orleans, Louisiana. This thesis argues that many SGI practitioners choose to join and remain in the organization because it fills specific spiritual and emotional voids in their lives, creates …

The Career Advancement Narratives Of Black Women Presidents Of Historically Black Colleges And Universities (Hbcus), Tonia W. Horton

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this narrative study was to chronicle the career advancement journeys of the Black women who have been successful in ascending to the presidency in Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Currently, only a small percentage of Black women serve as presidents of HBCUs. More specifically, there is literature suggesting that race and gender discrimination towards Black women is not confined by institution type, and that some of the same issues plaguing Black women in Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs), exist within HBCUs as well (Bonner, 2001; Gasman, 2007; Kennedy, 2012). Although many studies exist relative to the career …

Assessing Differentiation Of Self In Multiple Cultural Contexts: Initial Validation Of The Multicultural Differentiation Of Self Inventory (Mdsi), Nasima Rahman Khan

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Researchers have shown that current instruments used to assess an individual’s level of differentiation of self or differentiation are biased towards an individualistic cultural context, therefore current instruments lack cultural validity (Alaedein, 2008; Chung & Gale, 2006, 2009; Kim et al., 2015; O’Hara & Meteyard, 2011). When counseling from Bowen’s family systems theoretical perspective, accurate assessment of an individual’s differentiation is integral for treatment planning and intervention (Bowen & Kerr, 1988). To address the existing gap in assessment of differentiation within multiple cultural contexts (i.e., individualistic, collectivistic, transcultural), the purpose of the present research was to develop the Multicultural Differentiation …

Phishprint: A Novel Framework For Scalable Evaluation Of Web Security Crawlers And Mining Of Unknown Cloaking Vectors, Bhupendra Acharya

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

We built a novel scalable, low-cost, and generic platform named PhishPrint to enable the evaluation of Web Security Crawlers (WSCs) against previously unknown cloaking weaknesses. PhishPrint completely avoids the use of any simulated phishing sites and blocklisting measurements. We used PhishPrint to evaluate an unprecedented number of WSCs (23) including highly ubiquitous services such as Google Safe Browsing and Microsoft Outlook e-mail scanners. Our 70-day study found several unknown cloaking weaknesses with which we constructed 5 effective cloaking attack vectors (including 4 novel ones). In particular, it was shown that the entire WSC ecosystem is extremely vulnerable to a novel …

Analysis Of Mothers’ Parenting Consistency: Associations With Children’S Adjustment, David R L Brabham

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

While robust literature exists on the association between positive and negative parenting with child outcomes, less is known about the nature of parenting’s consistency in this relationship. This study sought to examine the relationship between valence and consistency of parenting, and to determine whether consistency is associated with child adjustment independent of valence. Data were collected from 167 mothers and their toddler-aged child. Participation involved two time points, 1 year apart. At each time point, mothers’ observational data were obtained via videotape of designed interactions between mother and toddler, as well as survey data from mothers. Bivariate correlations and multiple …

Design And Synthesis Of Novel No-Drug Hybrid Compound And Green Catalytic Activity Evaluation Of Synthesized Silver Nanoparticles-Halloysite Nanocomposite, Majed Abdullah Bajaber

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Acetaminophen is a well-known analgesic that can manage pain and reduce fever. SCP-1 is a derivative of acetaminophen that showed significantly reduced hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity comparative to acetaminophen. Nitric oxides have been well known to play a key role in a wide variety of physiological and pathophysiological important processes. It was therefore of interest to synthesize a nitric oxide donor linked to SCP-1 that could have enhanced analgesic and antipyretic activity. A furoxan CAS 1609 as NO-donor was synthesized and linked to SCP-1 successfully. The furoxan CAS 1609 was initially synthesized from tetronic acid to give 1,2- dioxime in 86 …

Humanizing The Hero: Patrick Pearse’S Reimagination Of The Epic Hero For Modern Ireland, Chelsea Armstrong

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Purchased, Becky Retz

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

A play in two acts, Purchased tells the story of Francois DeLord and his journey from being a French Creole of New Orleans to becoming a Black man in America. In 1803, Napoleon sold France’s North American holdings to the United States in what became known as the Louisiana Purchase. Americans flooded into the city, bringing with them boatloads of money and a social philosophy that clashed with long-held local traditions. The sale doubled the size of the young nation, and ignited a culture war in New Orleans,

A Theory Of Preimage Complexity: Data-Structures, Complexity Measures And Applications To Endofunctions And Associated Digraphs, Bradford M. Fournier-Eaton

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation develops a new theory of finite function complexity. This novel approach is based on the structure of preimage sets generated under repeat application of the inverse. We encode this information in our primary data-structure, an square matrix called the sigma matrix. This matrix allows us to easily encode information about the functional digraph and cycle structure of the associated endofunction. Additionally, the sigma matrix is of interest in its own right. The columns of sigma matrices are integer partitions of the domain size n, the size of the domain is always an eigenvalue of the sigma matrix, and …

The Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence And Personality Type In Counselor Education Students, Melissa Fleming

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Although emotional intelligence and personality are extensively researched topics, the two concepts are rarely studied within the context of counselor education. Thus, the purpose of the present research was to explore the relationships between 134 counseling students’ demographics, academic experience, emotional intelligence, and personality types who were enrolled in Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) accredited programs in southern Louisiana and Texas. Students completed a Demographic Survey, the Mayer-Caruso-Salovey Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT), and Jung’s Typology Test (JTT™). The ability model of emotional intelligence that was developed by Salovey and Mayer (1990) was used as …

The Collaborators Draw The Circle, Gary K. Lengel

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The mystical appeal of a circle reverberates throughout the practice of theatre: from the story circles of our ancestors echoing through the caves and across the ancient savannahs to the modern-day arena palaces that allow playwrights, directors, actors, producers, designers, craftspeople, and, ultimately audiences, to engage and embrace our retold truths, we face each other in circles. This writing references academic instruction and professional experiences in live theatre, documenting various appearances of the circle metaphor as the rehearsal core drives through the production process. It is an endorsement of the circle’s power to the initial table read and beyond: this …

The Impact Of Covid-19 On Transgender Body Image And Mental Health: A Qualitative Perspective, Drue B. Sahuc Mr

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is an examination of the role that public spaces and social groups play in the strengthening of the body image and mental health of transgender individuals. Using Minority Stress Theory and the theories of West and Zimmerman concerning “doing” gender, along with Goffman’s theories of gender advertisement and interaction rituals, a discourse can be created on the impact on transgender individuals’ body image and mental health during public health issues that require stay-at-home mandates. When public health issues like COVID-19 occur, transgender people find themselves isolated, creating a potential for heightened issues with body dysphoria, depression, and other …

Social Power Of Jazz Festivals, Olga Bekenshtein

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Jazz festivals occur in all parts of the world, small cities and metropolises, urban and rural landscapes, stadiums, churches, streets, and abandoned factories. Being a part of the entertainment industry, they have the potential to impact social change. Jazz festivals help us reconsider notions of identity and community, and their communal experience has the potential to undermine dominant social norms. The industry of jazz festivals is based on Black music and has a history of positive and negative social outcomes. Evaluating festivals through the symbolic meaning of music provides an optic into how festivals marginalize and exploit African American cultural …

Flight Data Of Airplane For Wind Forecasting, Astha Sharma

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This research solely focuses on understanding and predicting weather behavior, which is one of the important factors that affect airplanes in flight. The future weather information is used for informing pilots about changing flight conditions. In this paper, we present a new approach towards forecasting one component of weather information, wind speed, from data captured by airplanes in flight. We compare NASA’s ACT-America project against NOAA’s Wind Aloft program for prediction suitability. A collinearity analysis between these datasets reveals better model performance and smaller test error with NASA’s dataset. We then apply machine learning and a genetic algorithm to process …

American Culture And Chinese Material, Ke Li

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Structure And Evolution Of Lizard Immunity Genes, Trent Santonastaso

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

One of the most important gene families to play a role in adaptive immunity is the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). MHC class II loci are considered to be the most variable loci in the vertebrate genome, and studies have shown that this variability can be maintained through complex co-evolutionary dynamics between host and parasite. Despite the rich body of research into the MHC, there is comparatively little understanding of its genomic architecture in reptiles. Similarly, loci associated with innate immunity have received little attention in reptiles compared to other vertebrates. In the first chapter, we investigated the structure and organization …