The Dutch Atlantic And American Life: Beginnings Of America In Colonial New Netherland, Roy J. Geraci

Theses and Dissertations

The Dutch colony of New Netherland was one of the earliest attempts at a non-indigenous life on the east coast of North America. That colony, along with the United Provinces of the Netherlands and Dutch Atlantic as a whole, played crucial roles in the development of what would become the United States. This thesis project examines the significance New Netherland held in American history as well as explores topics which allow for new and inclusive narratives of that history to reach further exploration. Similarly to how individuals from various cultures, ethnicities, and backgrounds all come to exist amongst one another …

An Application Of The Sleuth Model: Future Urbanization Of Davidson County, Tennessee, Caitlyn J. Linehan

Theses and Dissertations

As the urban population is expected to grow in the coming decades, there is pressure on urban areas to expand to accommodate this growth. Often times, these expansions are not sustainable, they consume valuable lands and cause significant environmental, social, and economic burdens, a theory which is known as urban sprawl. Therefore it is often imperative to model areas more likely to urbanize in order for cities to plan for their expansion in the most sustainable way possible. Nashville, Tennessee located within Davidson County is an area that has been experiencing a significant period of urban growth. The objective of …

Emergence Of The Connectivist Leadership Paradigm: A Grounded Theory Study In The Asia Region, Frederique Covington Corbett

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative, grounded theory study focused on the exploration of leadership arising within the Asia region. While enduring leadership qualities like strength, humility, resolve, and trust have been foundational in leadership practice globally, scholars have demonstrated that leadership does not exist in absolute terms; it is shaped by the values of local culture, which set expectations for leadership behaviors. This study explored the conceptualization of a more collective and connected form of leadership in the context of a region leading the world with highly networked digital social practices. The question the study explored was, if, and to what extent, leaders …

The Impact Of A Management Company’S Scale On Hotel Market Value, Gil Keinan

Theses and Dissertations

The choice of management structure is growing in importance for hotel owners. Most owners’ investment theses are based on an attractive acquisition basis, focusing on net cash flow and the sales exit. Depending on the market, transaction price may be influenced by asset level performance which is highly influenced by daily revenue and expense decisions. Hotel brands quantify their value via measures that include market share and loyalty of a customer base. While much research has been conducted on the impact of brands on market value, the influence of hotel management on resale value has not been well investigated. This …

Ties That Bind Us, Christine M. Orr, Christine M. Orr

Theses and Dissertations

when objects converge in a space

they start a dialogue of their lives

lives that become entangled with your life

your memory

objects are the narrators of memory

a stain, a chip, a tear

materials embed meaning and metaphor within the process of creating

woven cloth, throwing lines, squeezed and pressed coils

all become remnants of the hand

as I make, play, and collect materials and objects

questions are brought forward

How do these components talk to one other?

What are they saying?

How do I listen?

knowledge is generated in the transformation of material through the process of

making …

Salt At Dawn, Salt In My Veins, Cecilia Hankyeol Kim

Theses and Dissertations

A contemplation on expanded time, over generations along my maternal lineage;

on being on the borders, embodying homeland;

on inheritance and shared labor;

occupying a void that is dense;

looking towards dawn.

Development Of A Resource Manual For Working With Latino Parolees, Abner Flores

Theses and Dissertations

The standard psychological treatment available for Latino men who are newly released from prison has remained unchanged for over thirty years and focuses on decreasing recidivism through cognitive-behavioral interventions by managing and decreasing law-breaking behaviors. However, clinical experience with inmates suggests that personal experiences, cultural values, and intergenerational trauma along with the long-term impact of poverty, gang ties, and repeated incarceration will all influence post-release behavior. Understanding these areas could help draw out protective factors and innate resiliency, therefore informing treatment and helping newly released inmates from becoming repeat offenders. In this dissertation, I developed a resource manual for service …

An Exploration Of Teacher Residents’ Perception Of Culture And Their Use Of Culturally Responsive Pedagogy, Jodi Larson

Theses and Dissertations

Urban teacher residency (UTR) programs place residents in urban schools labeled “hard-to-staff” or “under-resourced.” Enrollment in residency schools tends to be majority Brown or Black students from various cultures. Teacher residents are from diverse backgrounds and races who have a commitment to teach in Title 1 schools with the support of a residency program that coaches them how to teach using culturally relevant pedagogy. Their journeys are unique from typical student teaching experiences because they co-teach with an experienced teacher for a full school year while attending university classes on pedagogy and theory. This qualitative case study followed seven elementary …

Plant Communities In Dynamic Systems: How Disturbance Influences Coastal Plant Community Structure And Function, Joseph K. Brown

Theses and Dissertations

As the climate continues to change it is difficult to predict how barrier island function will respond to global change drivers accompanying predicted climate change. Disturbance frequency and nutrient enrichment in coastal regions are drivers of plant community change that increase with climate change. Plant communities on barrier islands are not only tightly connected to barrier island function but are also some of the first communities affected by environmental change, making them a critical piece in understanding how current drivers of global change will impact the future of barrier islands. The objective of my dissertation was to observe and manipulate …

Beyond The Social: Artist Project Spaces, 2003 To 2016., Clare L. Van Loenen

Theses and Dissertations

This research examines storefront project spaces in the early 2000s that offered alternative approaches to the programming, organizing, and archiving found in conventional museums. I propose that such sites impacted participatory visual culture by offering a reformulatory role for arts’ practices, one that organized itself across disciplinary boundaries, chose a collaborative rather than competitive approach, and processed the ideological implications of their group work. Focused on three specific sites—Machine Project in Los Angeles, Elsewhere in Greensboro, and Mess Hall in Chicago—this study details the museological, pedagogical, and archival challenges of these artist-convened organizations. My interdisciplinary investigation offers a reference point …

Earth Tone Sigh Spell, Martha Glenn

Theses and Dissertations

A written accompaniment to the artist’s thesis exhibition titled Earth Tone Sigh Spell, conceived during the years 2020-21 and installed at The Anderson Gallery, Richmond from May 1–15, 2021.

The following thesis explores themes of personal memory, geo-theory, myth, symbol, and historical event. The artist uses research and stream of consciousness writing methods as a way to weave these concepts together and tie them back to her own practice with installation, sculpture, and new media.

Modeling Vegetation Effects On Barrier Island Evolution, Eric W. Schoen

Theses and Dissertations

Barrier islands play a significant role in protecting coastlines and harboring coastal habitats. In an effort to study and better understand the evolution of barrier island systems, a cellular model capturing various meteorological and environmental processes is proposed. Erosion due to wind, gravity, and marine processes are coupled with plant population effects. We demonstrate the inhibition of plant cover on sediment mobility, island migration, and erosion in the presence of sea level rise.

Associations Between Social Determinants Of Health And Chlamydia Infections Among Georgia Counties, Bre'auna K. Beasley

Theses and Dissertations

Chlamydia is a growing public health concern that disproportionately impacts southern states. While social determinants of health are not direct causes of chlamydia infections, studies have found that these determinants do influence infections by creating environments that promote or hinder health seeking behaviors, as well as exposure to risk factors. Guided by the Social Ecological Model of Public Health and the Healthy People 2030 Social Determinants of Health Conceptual Framework, this dissertation study aimed to examine the associations between social determinants of health and chlamydia infections among Georgia counties. This study employed a correlational research design. Aggregate-level secondary data for …

Black Feminist Thought, Interrupted: Dissecting The Voice Of Black Feminists In The Blogosphere And Their Engagement With Platform Affordances, Dawn G. Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

BLACK FEMINIST THOUGHT, INTERRUPTED

DISSECTING THE VOICE OF BLACK FEMINISTS IN THE BLOGOSPHERE AND THEIR ENGAGEMENT WITH PLATFORM AFFORDANCES

By Dawn G. Johnson, Ph.D

A dissertation submitted to the faculty at Virginia Commonwealth University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Media, Art, and Text Department in the College of Humanities and Sciences

Virginia Commonwealth University, 2021

Dissertation Chair: Dr. Archana Pathak, Associate Professor, Dept. of Gender, Sexuality & Women's Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University

Black women that have long searched for spaces to be creative and have voice due to their …

Literacy Development Practices For English Learners With Interrupted Formal Education, Javier Francisco Oaxaca

Theses and Dissertations

English language learners (ELLs) are a diverse student group that continues to grow within schools all throughout the United States and those students with limited or interrupted formal education (SLIFE) continue to lag behind their peers in academic achievement, particularly in literacy. Although there have been several studies to explore this complex phenomenon, a gap in the research continues to exist on specific conditions needed for academic success for SLIFE such as beginning/basic literacy instruction in secondary educational contexts. The purpose of this research study was to determine the extent to which teachers’ perception and knowledge of basic literacy skills …

Blended Learning Transitioning To Virtual Learning: Middle School Teacher Perspectives, Jennifer Louise Henry

Theses and Dissertations

This study addressed specific factors that influenced the success of blending learning as it transitioned to virtual learning from the perspectives of middle school teachers. The purpose of the qualitative case study was to determine the challenges of blended and virtual learning from a teacher’s perspective and the positive outcomes of the integration of blended and virtual learning.

The researcher focused on the transition to virtual teaching during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic of 2020 and how blended learning impacted this transition to virtual teaching. The study included middle school teachers from various disciplines who taught at the middle school level. …

Teaching On The Prairie: Narrative Lived Experiences Of Self, Belonging, And Place From Two Beginning Teachers In Rural North Dakota Schools, Mundi Schmidt

Theses and Dissertations

Retaining rural Midwestern teachers is problematic for many K-12 school districts. Through interviews with two first year teachers in rural North Dakota schools, this study considered what experiences contributed to a successful beginning teaching career in a rural school. It was thought that teacher education preparation pertaining to rural schools specifically would increase the likelihood of retention for these beginning teachers. Rural communities and schools in North Dakota are plentiful and provide the stepping-stone into the teaching profession for many beginning teachers. The choice to stay in the rural school or move into a larger school community has a significant …

Fulfilling The Purpose Of Education: Voices Of North Dakota Graduates Pertaining To Curriculum And Graduation Requirements, Sarah Jean Ricks

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was twofold: to determine how graduates of North Dakota high schools perceived their educational experiences in relation to preparing them for their adult lives, and to determine how curriculum and graduation requirements at the time of this study in North Dakota Century Code (NDCC) 15.1-21, titled “Curriculum and Testing,” fulfilled the purpose of education in North Dakota. This study used a mixed-methods research design and includes a literature review and an online survey of 81 North Dakota high school graduates in the Dickinson area regarding the readiness of students who have graduated from North Dakota …

North Dakota Elementary School Counseling Programs: Implications For Policy And Practice, Holly Larson

Theses and Dissertations

The study’s purpose was to explore social emotional supports in place at the time of this study through North Dakota public elementary school counseling programs, to give attention to the North Dakota Multi-Tiered System of Supports in Social Emotional Learning (NDMTSS-SEL) initiative’s implementation, and to understand perspectives on early social emotional learning needs and interventions. Education in North Dakota is guided by the North Dakota Century Code (NDCC) Title 15.1 statutes. In October of 2019, the North Dakota Legislative Interim Education Committee discussed a need to review and revise these statutes (North Dakota Legislative Branch, 2019). Within the North Dakota …

Riparian Vegetation Changes Along The Red River Of The North: 1997-2018, Laura Akindo

Theses and Dissertations

Riparian zones are areas along waterways that are typically covered by woody vegetation, herbaceous plants, and grasses. Flooding is an important process in riparian habitats as it continuously causes net gains and losses of substrates in riparian communities that determine the productivity of the riparian area. Most notably by providing new areas on the floodplain to be colonized by riparian plant species. Sometimes extreme flooding events can temporarily devastate riparian communities, as in most cases the area recovers quickly. This study evaluated the effects of the 1997 Red River flood on the woody cover in the riparian area cover along …

Understanding Decision-Making Styles Of Part 135 Pilots In Remote Settings And Their Impact On Aviation Safety: A Qualitative Enquiry Of Alaskan Operational Environments, Dana Atkins

Theses and Dissertations

Aviation is a vital component of the State of Alaska’s transportation system. Air transportation is frequently the only means to move goods, services, and people across the state. Historically, air taxi and non-scheduled/charter air operators (14 C.F.R. Part 135) form the bulk of service providers in Alaska and have poor operational safety records through high rates of accidents. The problem is still prevalent despite numerous initiatives by the Federal Aviation Administration to reduce adverse safety events. Accident investigation reports have nominally attributed causal factors of these accidents to pilot error and at-risk behaviors such as violations. Extant research in aviation …

Rural Mental Health Therapist’S Attitudes Toward Evidence Based Practice And Readiness For Change, Marc S. Dutch

Theses and Dissertations

Rural Mental Health Therapists (RHMTs) face unique obsticles such as having to cover vast distances and isolation. Additionally, RHMTs also struggle with access to continuing education, training, supervision and other resources. Consequently, long tenured RHMTs tend to be at a disadvantage to acquiring and maintaining their ability to practice from an Evidence- Based Practice (EBP) approach in their clinical treatment. This study aims to better understand what Behavior Change factors effect RHMTs attitudes toward practicing from an EBP approach, as well as individual characteristics. Participants were 81 RHMTs practicing in a mental health capacity in the USA. Results indicated that …

The Evolution Of An Institution And Student Misconduct Polices: A Study Of Minnesota State University Moorhead (Msum), 1887-2007, Ashley Jo Atteberry

Theses and Dissertations

An institution of higher education holds certain beliefs about the personal growth of students while they are enrolled. The behavior prohibited within the student misconduct policies reflect the norms within the larger society as well as the expectations specific to the learning environment within the institution. Students adhering to the expectations defined in these policies are perceived as embracing these beliefs, which enhances the character and resulting community member the student becomes upon graduation. In an opportunity to understand and resolve the concern of having an overly legalistic published policies for student misconduct, this qualitative study reviewed the content of …

"The Last Major Front": Special Education's Transition To Adulthood And North Dakota, Matthew David Mccleary

Theses and Dissertations

The thesis examines the development and implementation of special education’s transition policy in the United States and North Dakota from the 1980s to the 1990s. Researchers have primarily sought to further evidence-based practices in preparing adolescents with disabilities for adulthood, but the history of this effort has rarely been discussed. In the late 20th century, policymakers, researchers, and educators attempted to turn around negative socio-economic outcomes for people with disabilities by helping youth with disabilities and their families plan for the future and get connected to post-school services and employment. Assumptions about people with disabilities influenced transition programming and the …

Validity Of A Culturally Sensitive Depression Scale For Native American Youth, Todd Phelps

Theses and Dissertations

This research investigated the validity of a Culturally Sensitive Depression Scale (CSDS). Data were collected on 30 Native American youth living throughout South Dakota. Participants underwent a condensed semi-structured clinical interview for Major Depressive Disorder to confirm diagnosed (n=16) or undiagnosed (n=14). Participants completed two depression scales: the Columbia Depression Scale (CDS) and the CSDS. Both scales were tested for criterion-related validity via concurrent validity which analyzed each scale’s accuracy in categorizing diagnosed and undiagnosed individuals. Construct validity was tested via convergent validity through the Pearson product-moment correlation between the CDS and CSDS. Area Under Curve (AUC) analysis tested each …

North Dakota's New Frontier: Unmanned Aircraft, Matthew D. Dunlevy

Theses and Dissertations

Unmanned Aircraft, or drones, represent a modern-day frontier, one that is, as yet, neither fully explored nor fully developed. The state of North Dakota has moved into the frontier and is deeply involved in its exploration and development. The state has invested tens of millions of dollars in the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) industry, an investment that has helped to attract tens of millions of additional dollars from military sources and from private business firms. The University of North Dakota’s John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences, long-recognized as among the leading aviation schools in the nation, is at the …

An Examination Of The Sociocultural, Religious, And Racial Adjustment Experiences Of Jamaican Professionals In South Florida, Sharon R. Ritchie-Brown

Theses and Dissertations

An Examination of the Sociocultural, Religious, and Racial Adjustment Experiences of Jamaican Professionals in South Florida. Sharon Ritchie-Brown, 2020: Applied Dissertation, Nova Southeastern University, Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice. Keywords: immigrants, professional occupations, ethnic groups, culture, social adjustment

This transcendental phenomenological research was designed to advance an understanding of the adjustment experiences of Jamaican immigrant professionals in South Florida, United States. While the majority of present literature examines acculturation and adjustment experiences of other immigrant groups, there is not enough literature regarding the adjustment experiences of Jamaican immigrant professionals who have made significant contributions …

Instructional Case Studies In The Field Of Windfarm Optimization, N. Francesco Baker

Theses and Dissertations

Wind farm layout optimization is a multidisciplinary undertaking, requiring students and researchers to integrate many skillsets in order to optimize turbine placement. There is currently a lack of useful benchmarking exercises for participants in the field to compare the efficacy of their methods. This work details the construction and completion of a set of four case studies meant to satisfy this need, with the hope of providing some insight into useful layout optimization approaches. These case studies are intended to also serve as instructive introductory exercises with which newcomers researching wind energy may incrementally practice and increase their abilities.The first …

"Life Will Be A Brief, Hollow Walk": The Future Of Humanity Through Maternal Eyes In Tracy K. Smith's Life On Mars, Mallory Lynn Bingham

Theses and Dissertations

Tracy K. Smith's Pulitzer Prize winning collection of poetry, Life on Mars, has been celebrated and analyzed as an elegy to Smith's father by many reviewers and scholars. And while this reading is valid and has been openly endorsed by Smith herself, our understanding of this collection and Smith's father is incomplete without Smith's treatment of motherhood and religion, two previously unexplored fields in relation to Life on Mars that complete our picture of Smith's father. Smith uses her own new role as a mother and her religious questions about the afterlife and her father's fate to address her father's …

A Darker Shade Of Gray: An Empirical Examination Of Gray Swans In The Supply Chain, Tony N.K. Lynch

Theses and Dissertations

The complexity and interconnectedness of markets creates risks in the global supply chain and may lead to various types of disruptions. Prior research in the supply chain management literature has focused on some aspect of disruption and firm performance. However, the effect of Gray Swans on various aspects of firms’ operational or financial performance is an under-research area. Understanding why managers often underestimate and overlook Gray Swans contributes to ongoing conversation of risk in the global supply chain. Gray Swans are defined as low probability risk events that if/when they occur can have a severe or catastrophic impact on a …