Digital Commons Network^™

Modern Fair-Weather And Storm Sediment Transport Around Ship Island, Mississippi: Implications For Coastal Habitats And Restoration Efforts, Eve Rettew Eisemann

Master's Theses

The Mississippi – Alabama barrier island chain is experiencing accelerated sea level rise, decreased sediment supply, and frequent hurricane impacts. These three factors drive unprecedented rates of morphology change and ecosystem reduction. All islands in the chain have experienced land loss on the order of hectares per year since records began in the 1840s. In 1969, Hurricane Camille impacted as a Category 5, breaching Ship Island, and significantly reduced viable seagrass habitat. Hurricane Katrina impacted as a Category 3 in 2005, further widening Camille Cut. To better understand the sustainability of these important islands and the ecosystems they support, sediment …

Bloom Or Bust: Retrospective Analysis Of The Giant Jellyfish, Nemopilema Nomurai (Scyphozoa: Rhizostomeae), Ecology In The East Asian Marginal Seas, Naomi Yoder

Master's Theses

The Giant Jellyfish, Nemopilema nomurai, is a large-bodied bloom-forming jellyfish that occurs in the semi-enclosed basins of the East Asian Marginal Seas. N. nomurai has bloomed more frequently in the past 20 years than in any period previously recorded. In Japan, recent N. nomurai blooms were responsible for millions of dollars in lost revenue and equipment damage to commercial fisheries alone. This study statistically analyzed 21 environmental factors in connection with N. nomurai occurrence (using occurrence as a proxy for blooms). Eight factors resulted in a statistically significant or marginally significant (p ≤ 0.10), linear or non-linear relationship with …

"I Can Haz Applicants": An Analysis Of Police Recruitment And Marketing Through Social Media, Kelly Lee Helldorfer

Master's Theses

In recent decades, the Internet has flourished with the advancement of social media: apps, blogs, social networking, multimedia sources, podcasts, and more. Consequently, the Millennial Generation has grown up immersed in both the Internet and social media networks differently than previous generations. Due to the rapid expansion of social media outlets and their effects on future employees, police departments must consider their agency “brand” and how effectively they market their departments to this generation for the purpose of recruitment both on the Internet and with social media platforms.

This research analysis employed a netnography to examine 500 police websites and …

Police Education And Training: A Comparative Analysis Of Law Enforcement Preparation In The United States And Canada, Citlali Alexandra Déverge

Master's Theses

Police academy training for newly hired officers varies across locations and regions in regard to both training process and training content. The needs and demands of modern-day societies have evolved, and it is very important for police training academies to keep up with the practice of the police profession. Higher education adds value to police training as it reinforces the development of critical thinking skills and the necessary values needed to face the needs and demands of society, particularly in terms of accountability, professionalism, and legitimacy. This research presents a case study of two police training academies located in a …

Evaluating The Independent Group Contingency: “Mystery Student” On Improving Behaviors In Head Start Classrooms, Jamie Pasqua

Master's Theses

An increasing number of preschool children exhibit challenging behavior in the classroom. Head Start children are particularly at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders due to numerous risk factors. Unfortunately, some preschool teachers are ill equipped to manage the challenging behaviors that preschool children exhibit. The current study investigated the effects of the group contingency, “Mystery Student,” on improving preschool classroom behaviors. The Mystery Student intervention is a novel, independent group contingency, with an added randomized component. An ABAB reversal design was employed to determine how effective the Mystery Student intervention was at decreasing the disruptive behaviors and increasing the …

The Captivity Of Opportunity: The Conversation Surrounding Church-Going Hispanic Immigrants, Nicolet Hopper Bell

Master's Theses

Immigration is a long-standing topic of discussion in the United States. Hispanic immigrants, or families of Hispanic immigrants, living in America face unique challenges. Through focus group interviews, participants from a predominantly Hispanic Protestant church narrated their experience of living in the United States. Guided grounded theory data analysis revealed three categories and 14 subcategories, or themes of conversation, surrounding this hot topic. Participants shed light on the distinctive challenges they faced, how these challenges affected them, and how they attempted to overcome these difficulties. By exploring these results through the lens of social stigma theory (Goffman, 2009) and intergroup …

Gulf Sturgeon (Acipenser Oxyrinchus Desotoi) Pre-Restoration Occupancy Patterns On Ship Island, Mississippi Sound With An Evaluation Of Designated Critical Habitat Use By Eastern And Western Population Segments, Page Elizabeth Vick

Master's Theses

Critical spawning and feeding habitat was designated for federally threatened, anadromous Gulf Sturgeon (GS) to aid in population recovery. This study examined GS occupancy, habitat use, and movement through critical habitat monitored by the Ship Island (SI) acoustic array during overwintering periods from 2011 to 2015 prior to MsCIP SI restoration. An occupancy index analyzed patterns of spatial and temporal habitat use of both western and eastern population segments (WPS and EPS, respectively) of GS on the SI array. The ends of SI along with the passes and cuts of the island, especially Dog Keys Pass (DKP), were occupied by …

Crafting Iron And Other Stories, Bryana Michelle Fern

Master's Theses

The stories that follow in this collection attempt to reveal studies in characters facing loneliness, and to do so by following Alice Munro’s conception of plot—the notion that characters shape the plot according to their position in the various “rooms” of the story. Feelings of loneliness look different for everyone, and necessitate many different methods of filling that hole. In these stories, many variations of loneliness are explored. A Vietnam veteran struggles to find healing through the adoption of his young godson, whose father was his best friend in the war; a lady in Surrey, England, takes a trip in …

University Fundraising Through Special Events: An Application Of The Theory Of Planned Behavior, Megan Elizabeth Hobbs

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to apply the Revised Theory of Planned Behavior and EVENTQUAL models to explore (1) event qualities that significantly impact guests’ satisfaction with a university event that they attend, (2) significant factors influencing university loyalty as a result of an event, and (3) willingness to make a charitable donation to a university as a result of attending an event. An online survey was sent to attendees of an annual Cal Poly auction event between 2002 and 2016 that directly benefits Cal Poly students. The data were used to test a series of hypotheses to determine …

Quantifying Parkinson's Disease Symptoms Using Mobile Devices, Charles R. Aylward

Master's Theses

Current assessments for evaluating the progression of Parkinson’s Disease are largely qualitative and based on small sets of data obtained from occasional doctor-patient interactions. There is a clinical need to improve the techniques used for mitigating common Parkinson’s Disease symptoms. Available data sets for researching the disease are minimal, hindering advancement toward understanding the underlying causes and effectiveness of treatment and therapies. Mobile devices present an opportunity to continuously monitor Parkinson’s Disease patients and collect important information regarding the severity of symptoms. The evolution of digital technology has opened doors for clinical research to extend beyond the clinic by incorporating …

Native Cryptography In The Browser, An Exploratory Approach, Joseph A. Wilson

Master's Theses

As applications move from the desktop to the web browser, security needs to be taken into consideration. The new Web Crypto API provides native support for web applications to perform cryptographic operations and key management functions. Client side cryptographic support is a critical component in the future development of secure web based applications. This thesis presents an exploration of the Web Crypto API. The aim of this research was to determine the feasibility of developing complex cryptographic applications in the browser. This evaluation was performed by building an end to end encrypted messaging system that implements the off the record …

Finding Our Way: Female Students At Oakland International High School, Nicole M. Germanov

Master's Theses

This thesis seeks to understand the experiences of the female students at Oakland International High School (OIHS). OIHS is a unique public school within the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) that serves entirely low-income, English Language Learner (ELL) populations. A quarter of the school’s 376 students are refugees or asylees who have fled their country due to persecution based on their race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group; additionally, 30% are undocumented, 24% are unaccompanied minors, and 47% are considered SIFE (students with interrupted formal education). However, one of the most outwardly noticeable things on …

Hiv Testing Avoidance: A Comparison Of Psychosocial Factors Affecting Hiv Testing In Gay And Bisexual Men, Devon Michelle Price

Master's Theses

This paper explores the role three psychosocial factors influence an at-risk individual’s decision to get tested for HIV. Two of the psychosocial factors, HIV stigma and fatalistic beliefs regarding an HIV positive diagnosis, have been well documented in the literature on HIV testing and psychosocial barriers. However, the third psychosocial factor, the tendency to avoid threatening information, has not been studied in relation to HIV testing. The present paper seeks to explore how each of these factors impact both past and present HIV testing behaviors in gay and bisexual identified men. HIV stigma and fatalistic beliefs related to an …

The Perceived Validity Of Stereotype Threat As An Explanation For Underperformance, Gabriel Camacho

Master's Theses

Research demonstrates that members of stigmatized groups may underperform when stereotype threat is induced. No research, however, has examined whether attributing underperformance to stereotype threat is perceived as a likely or valid explanation. In two experiments White students were randomly assigned to review the test performance of a fellow student described as a racial/ethnic minority (stigmatized group) or White (non-stigmatized group). Experiment 1 revealed that Hispanic and Black students were significantly more likely to have their underperformance attributed to dispositional and stereotypic causes than a White student. Experiment 2 revealed that White students perceived attributing underperformance to stereotype threat as …

The Role Of Diversity Of Academic Major In Influencing Group And Individual Creativity, Xiaochen Liu

Master's Theses

This study examined, on a preliminary basis, the role of diversity of academic major in influencing individual and group divergent thinking. Prior studies on diversity provide evidence that working with diverse individuals can make groups more productive in generating creative ideas. Diversity of academic major is an important element of group diversity that has not been sufficiently studied. This study provided direction for future research to help us understand the ways that diversity may influence creative thinking as well as enrich the school curriculum. A total of 56 graduate students from University of Connecticut were recruited to study this issue. …

Beyond Economics: The Effects Of Religion, Migration, And Women’S Education On Nonmarital Fertility In Poor Counties, Jessica E. Yorks

Master's Theses

Existing research shows that poor economic conditions such as job loss, low wages, and financial insecurity increase nonmarital fertility. However, there are economically-depressed areas of the United States that have low levels of nonmarital fertility. Why are these areas unique, and what can they tell us about the significance of place in shaping fertility outcomes? Although much of the current research focuses on economic explanations, some attention has been given to other factors that play a role in influencing nonmarital fertility rates. These studies show that religion, migration, and education are also significant predictors of nonmartial fertility. This study builds …

Creating A Comparative Map Of Relative Power For Dc Arc Flash Methodologies, Andre Azares

Master's Theses

Although arc flash has been a concern amongst the electrical industry for many years, it is only relatively recently that standards by the IEEE have been established on calculating the amount of energy behind an arc flash event. However, these standards only apply to AC systems, where extensive testing and research have been performed. Although the NFPA has provided recommendations on how to calculate the incident energy for DC arc flash events, these have not become the defining standard like those seen for AC. One equation outlined in the NFPA70E, the Maximum Power Method, does provide engineers with a formula …

Encouraging Development Of Mobile Applications As A Service To The Community, Vanessa Marie Forney

Master's Theses

The convenience of mobile applications combined with the efficiency and effectiveness provided by technology has contributed to an increased interest in mobile applications. Local groups and non-profit organizations often utilize outdated, manual processes and don’t have the resources or time to look into improving these systems. For Cal Poly students and other members of the community, this means there is an opportunity to apply technical skills and school projects to address these inefficiencies. This work explores whether a better system can be developed to provide the functionality of the existing system and enhance the experience of users through technology, data …

Black Queer Feminist Thought: Theory And Praxis In A Community-Based Movement Organization, Christina Victoria Sneed

Master's Theses

After news of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, and Eric Garner – along with other incidents of racial injustice resulting in murder – peaked the media’s attention, a wave of organizing erupted across the United States. An up-and-coming activist organization, herein named BLACOUT, was one of many youth-centered organizations to hold vigils and programs to highlight racial disparities, especially those connected to policing and race-related profiling. As cisgender Black men continue to dominate the discourse on racism and systemic inequality, BLACOUT members are also some of the increasing number of Black activists who argue that the Movement for Black Lives should …

"Vidya Games Are For Nerds Like Us": Identity Deployment In The Gamergate Controversy, Matthew J. Rogers

Master's Theses

In February, 2014, video game developer Zoe Quinn released Depression Quest, a browser game centered on the subjective experience of depression, which met with critical success. In August of the same year, an ex-boyfriend published a vitriolic blog post accusing Quinn of having sex with a reviewer from the gaming website Kotaku in exchange for a favorable review. Users of the site 4chan seized on these accusations and subsequently subjected her to intense harassment, including death and rape threats.

These attacks, later labeled “GamerGate,” are only the latest in a series of attacks on women in the video game …

Trail Vision: Utilizing Leopold As Environmental Equipment For Living, Kendall Elizabeth Barrett

Master's Theses

Hiking trails are one of the major ways citizens make observations about the natural world. An analysis of trail maintenance texts demonstrates a focus on concealment and camouflage of human construction and upkeep in National Scenic Trails. These practices are detrimental to environmentalism, since the resulting ideology frames nature as overly self-sufficient and not in need of human stewardship. Trail maintenance practices are analyzed in reference to the nature/culture dichotomy. Perceptions of nature’s self-healing ability are analyzed through a comparison of the oil spills in Santa Barbara during 1969 and 2015. An alternative approach is found through Aldo Leopold. Leopold …

Silicon Revolution: Sustainability Disclosures And Performance In The Semiconductor Manufacturing Industry (2010-2014), Swarali Bhat

Master's Theses

This exploratory work investigates the sustainability performance and reporting practices in 20 semiconductor companies from 2010-2014 using content analysis, survey, and interview methods. The sample consists of companies that are either integrated chip manufacturers (ICMs) or semiconductor foundries with annual net revenue of $0.2 billion to $55.9 billion. A sustainability matrix based on the Global Reporting Initiative guidelines assesses the reporting completeness. Sustainability performance is measured based on two factors, identification of trends in social and environmental data and adoption of 28 sustainability best practices specific to this manufacturing sector. The majority of the resource use and emissions data followed …

Psychopathology And Creativity Among Creative And Non-Creative Professions, Victor Kwan

Master's Theses

The mad genius debate has been a topic that has been discussed in both popular culture and academic discourse. The current study sought to replicate previous findings that linked psychopathology to creativity. A total of 165 biographies of eminent professionals (artists, scientists, athletes) were rated on 19 mental disorders using a three point scale of not present (0), probable (1), and present (2) for potential symptoms. Athletes served as an eminent but not creative comparison group in order to discern whether fame, independent of creativity, was associated with psychopathology. Comparison of proportion analyses were conducted to identify differences of proportion …

What's Happened To France? Sundays, Socialism, And Neoliberal Modernity, Michael Vincent Metz

Master's Theses

The "Macron Law," liberalizing French Sunday shopping hours, created great controversy in the French media in the winter of 2014-15, with particular opposition coming from the political left and the religious right. The controversy seemed to symbolize deeper issues for French society, appearing to some as a watershed, to others a threat. Some citizens expressed concern that the “European way of life" was disappearing, being replaced by a more materialist, consumerist, extreme capitalist economic model that posed an overt threat to the traditional social protection system. Were these fears real or only imagined? To an observer, shops open on Sundays …

Living Between Borders: Transnational Marriage And Us Resettlement Patterns In Sudanese Refugee Populations, Deirdre Patterson

Master's Theses

Many South Sudanese refugees who have resettled in the USA have actively sought to maintain their unique cultural identity while simultaneously working to integrate into American society through the pursuit of formal higher education and successful careers. One of the most interesting developments within this population is the establishment and maintenance of transna- tional families. The process for marriage is economically tiresome and, due to strict immigration policies, often compels family members to live transnational lives. Systems of transnational mar- riage—often arranged by families—and married life allow Sudanese refugees living in the USA to continue important cultural practices, speak their …

Laff-O-Tron: Laugh Prediction In Ted Talks, Andrew D. Acosta

Master's Theses

Did you hear where the thesis found its ancestors? They were in the "parent-thesis"! This joke, whether you laughed at it or not, contains a fascinating and mysterious quality: humor. Humor is something so incredibly human that if you squint, the two words can even look the same. As such, humor is not often considered something that computers can understand. But, that doesn't mean we won't try to teach it to them.

In this thesis, we propose the system Laff-O-Tron to attempt to predict when the audience of a public speech would laugh by looking only at the text of …

The Shojo Within The Work Of Aida Makoto: Japanese Identity Since The 1980s, Laurel Rose Hartman

Master's Theses

The work of Japanese contemporary artist Aida Makoto (1965-) has been shown internationally in major art institutions, yet there is little English-language art historical scholarship on him. While a contemporary of internationally-acclaimed Japanese artists Murakami Takashi and Nara Yoshitomo, Aida has neither gained their level of international recognition or respect. To date, Aida’s work has been consistently labeled as otaku or subcultural art, and this label fosters exotic and juvenile notions about the artist’s heavy engagement with Japanese animation, film and manga (Japanese comic book) culture. In addition to this critical devaluation, Aida’s explicit and deliberately shocking compositions seemingly serve …

Uncovering “New Man” Feminism: Arthur F. Mathews At The San Francisco School Of Design, 1890-1896, Mary Okin

Master's Theses

This thesis presents the first feminist reading of Arthur F. Mathews (1860-1945), a once celebrated academic painter, life-drawing instructor, and arts administrator in San Francisco. Using a case study approach, it contributes original research to existing scholarship on Mathews, as well as the history of art education, the rise of women artists, and male feminism in the United States. By synthesizing primary sources from the 1890s related to Arthur and Lucia Mathews, the Académie Julian, the San Francisco School of Design, the San Francisco Sketch Club, and the San Francisco Commission for the Suppression of Vice, it presents new insights …

Stakeholder Engagement In Marine Protected Area Network Planning In Southern California: Understanding Fishing, Government, And Environmental Perspectives, Nicole Catalano

Master's Theses

This study focuses on the MPA network planning process associated with California’s Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) in southern California, occurring between 2008-2009. This case study demonstrates the ongoing complexity of MPA planning efforts in balancing social and science goals and reinforces the view that public participation alone may not be sufficient in achieving the type of stakeholder support needed for successful MPA implementation. Using a qualitative approach, this research draws upon the field of public participation to examine the efficacy of the planning process from the perspectives of fishing, government, and environmental stakeholders. Findings reveal significant differences in perceptions …

The Mediating Role Of Psychological Empowerment On The Relationship Between Job And Personal Resources And Employee Engagement, Ian Mcallister

Master's Theses

Employee engagement is one of the most researched topics in the field of industrial and organizational psychology, mainly because it has been shown to be linked to many positive individual and organizational outcomes. Although past research has consistently shown that job and personal resources are related to employee engagement, little attention has been paid to understand the underlying mechanisms of such relationships. The present study hypothesized that psychological empowerment would be a mediator between job and personal resources (i.e. supervisor support, opportunities for growth, and core self-evaluations) and employee engagement. Using survey response data from 165 employees throughout several industries, …