Digital Commons Network^™

Spatial Patterns Of Building Damages And Associated Socio-Economic Factors By Hurricane Ian, Md Zakaria Salim

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Literature shows that communities with different socio-economic conditions suffer from different levels of damage in disasters. In addition to the physical intensity of hazards, such disparities are also related to varying abilities to prepare for and respond to natural hazards. The study analyzes the spatial patterns of building damage in Hurricane Ian in 2022 and investigates the socio-economic disparities related to building damage. Specifically, this study employs NASA’s Damage Proxy Map (DPM2) to analyze Ian's spatial patterns of building damage. Then, it uses statistical analysis to assess the relationship between building damage and various physical and socio-economic variables at building …

Beliefs Of Male Elementary School Special Education And General Education Teachers Regarding Full Inclusion For Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder In Saudi Arabia, Sultan Alanazi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

AbstractThe current educational settings for students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in Saudi Arabia consist of special institutions for students with intellectual disabilities and special classrooms within public schools. The Ministry of Education in Saudi Arabia is interested in full inclusion for students with ASD because of the social, psychological, and educational benefits it can provide them. One crucial factor for achieving full inclusion is considering elementary teachers’ perceptions and beliefs toward full inclusion, as they are one of the primary stakeholders in this venture. Therefore, elementary general education and special education teachers’ beliefs regarding full inclusion for students with …

The Integration Of Assistive Technology By Female In-Service Teachers Of Students With Learning Disabilities In Saudi Arabia: A Qualitative Interview Study, Badriah Alotaiby

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this study is to explore the teachers’ perceptions of integrating assistivetechnology into the curriculum for students with learning disabilities in Saudi Arabia. It is known that teaching students with learning disabilities had been one of the significant difficulties in the past and nowadays. Therefore, integrating assistive technology into the educational process would make it easier for the teachers of students with learning disabilities to teach these students through the use of integrating assistive technology. The use of such assistive technologies will be beneficial for learning disabilities students as well. The main question guiding this research is: What …

An Ecofeminist Ontological Turn: Preparing The Field For A New Ecofeminist Project, M. Laurel-Leigh Meierdiercks

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Ecofeminists have predominantly refuted oppressive conceptual frameworks by rejecting dualistic logic and value hierarchies, despite the foundational view of ontology that underlies our logic and value systems. I argue that ecofeminists must engage in the creative process of articulating an ecofeminist ontology. I demonstrate that the omission of ontological discourse in ecofeminist scholarships is primarily due to the time period during which ecofeminism gained peak traction and their concerns with essentialism. I also show that feminists experienced an ontological turn in the 2000s that produced a new model for ontological theories that would be beneficial for ecofeminists to embrace. In …

Making The Invisible Visible: (Re)Envisioning The Black Body In Contemporary Adaptations Of Nineteenth-Century Fiction, Urshela Wiggins Mckinney

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A trend in neo-Victorian adaptations -- both novels and films-- that reimage, and at times reinterpret, canonical Victorian texts is the inclusion of nonwhite, mainly Black, perspectives, which has gained considerable traction in recent years. A vital aspect of this trend is the purposeful attempt to re-establish iconic Victorian characters through Black characterizations. In doing so, filmmakers and authors are reinvigorating familiar texts to provide an inclusionary space for the Black experience previously ignored in the original texts. These adaptations, which revisit and often reinterpret Victorian fiction, have undergone notable transformations by incorporating Black characters to fill voids in traditional …

Band Members’ Attitudes Toward The Queer Community And Perception Of Band As A Safe Space, Brian J. Panetta

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Using Bronfenbrenner’s ecological framework of human development and Yuval-Davis’ analytical framework of belonging as a lens to explain how the band environment might cultivate positive attitudes toward the queer community, this study investigated band members’ attitudes toward the queer community and their perception of the band as a safe space. Utilizing adapted inventories with established reliability and validity, the following research questions were addressed: 1) What are queer and non-queer band members’ attitudes toward the queer community? 2) What are queer and non-queer band members’ attitudes toward the band as a safe space? 3) What differences exist between the independent …

Electrospun Nanofiber Technology Based Energy Storage And Biosensor Devices For Wearable Electronics, Bianca Seufert

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As progress in the field of nanotechnology continues to evolve, it is becoming more and more prevalent to apply this small but powerful technology to portable wearable electronics. The unique scale of such a technology lends its expertise to the investigation of enzymes for biometric related diagnostics or in the development of light weight flexible energy storage devices. Furthermore, as the need for highly precise and durable wearable electronics grows, the next generation of electronics must keep pace with this development in terms of shape, flexibility, functionality, and performance.

The presented research reviews the current state of art of nanofiber …

Inquiry-Based Teaching Of Science In The Saudi Kindergarten Classroom: A Multi-Case Study Of Early Childhood Educators’ Attitudes And Practices, Intisar Alawthah

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this qualitative multiple case study was to understand three Saudi kindergarten teachers ’attitudes toward enacting inquiry to teach science in the kindergarten classroom. This study was guided by two research questions: 1) What attitudes do Saudi kindergarten teachers hold about using inquiry to teach science in their classrooms? 2) How do Saudi kindergarten teachers enact inquiry in their science teaching in the Saudi context? This case study helped to understand Saudi kindergarten teachers’ attitude toward using it in the kindergarten classroom and clarified how Saudi kindergarten teachers enact inquiry to teach young children science in their classroom. …

The Experiences Of A Black Teacher Educator Surrounded By Whiteness In Teacher Education: A Critical Autoethnography, Lamicah Lindsey

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The field of teacher education is dominated by whiteness, perpetuating the influence of white ideologies in designing and implementing teacher education at each phase of the continuum (pre-service teaching, in-service teaching, teacher educators). This study employs a critical autoethnographic approach to examine how my experiences as a Black educator have shaped my social justice pedagogy across the teacher education continuum. It also identifies the supports I received during my journey. The findings reveal persistent racial discrimination throughout all phases of teacher education, as well as struggles with imposter syndrome, self-doubt, racial identity, and fear of the unknown. These findings underscore …

Cross-System Strategic Planning: An Exploratory Analysis Of Sequential Intercept Mapping, Timothy Freeman Gerhardt Ii

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Adults with behavioral health issues (BHIs) are disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system (CJS). Local-level system fragmentation perpetuates this disparity. The following studies advance an understanding of the Sequential Intercept Mapping Workshop (SIM-W). The SIM-W is a local-level strategic planning workshop used to address gaps in services, improve local-level partnerships, and co-develop a strategic plan with marginalized groups, county leaders, and cross-system service providers to guide the implementation and delivery of evidence-based jail diversion strategies. Over 300 SIM-Ws have been conducted across the United States, incentivized through state/federal legislation. However, the SIM-W process components and outcomes remain under-explored. Specific …

Avoiding The Debt Sentence: A Narrative Inquiry On The Endarkened Financial Socialization Of Student Debt-Free, First-Generation Black College Women, Candace Marie Henry

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of first-generation Black women who completed at least a bachelor’s degree without student loans. While Black women are most burdened by student loan debt, little is known about the experiences of those who navigate college without accruing student loans. Combining endarkened feminist epistemology with the family financial socialization model, I developed the endarkened financial socialization model to guide this inquiry. Using endarkened narrative inquiry, I engaged eight first-generation Black women who completed college without student loan debt in semi-guided conversations about the financial messages they received growing up and …

Development Of Data-Driven Models To Predict Chemical Dosage And Energy Intensity For Different Supply Sources Of Drinking Water, Rehnuma Salsavil

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As part of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG6), access to clean water for the entire population and sustainable management of water resources have been stressed. Demand for water is increasing due to population growth, economic development, water quality degradation, and climate change. More water needs to be produced for the community at lower treatment costs. The chemical dosage and energy intensity are two important factors that influence water treatment costs and sustainable management of resources as well.

Previously, chemical dosage modeling to reduce treatment costs have been explored but there have been more focus in coagulant dosage modeling. Other …

The History And Explanation Of Stormwater Ponds In East Tampa, Natasha Sutton

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The overall goal of this research was to explore and understand the history of stormwater ponds in the East Tampa Community Redevelopment Area (CRA), a 4,800-acre urban community comprising many different historic African American neighborhoods in Florida's City of Tampa. Seen as one of the most affordable stormwater management solutions in southeastern parts of the United States, stormwater ponds dot the East Tampa landscape. As the manager of CRA funds, the City of Tampa stands out as a main decision maker around the stormwater ponds within the East Tampa CRA. Over the years the stormwater ponds have generated much interest …

The Rust Belt Gothic: Charting The Affective Politics Of Deindustrialization And The Emergence Of A Great Lakes Horror Genre In Film, Micheal B. Raines

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Within the past decade, a string of notable horror films set within the Steel Belt has emerged. These works collectively invoke the specter of the ‘Rust Belt’ in their narratives: the industrial Midwest’s derelict urban and suburban sprawls in the wake of the economic decline and white flight of the USA’s once-mighty manufacturing sector. Scholarship has commented upon the subtext of these works individually but fails to observe their collective nature as an emergent subgenre in horror fiction, centered upon directly confronting the Steel Belt’s twentieth-century history of stagnation. In this paper, I examine films which share clear aesthetic and …

Osteoarthritis, Social Role Participation, And Satisfaction With Life: A Quantitative Study Informed By The Social Identity Model Of Identity Change (Simic), Stephanie E. Rosado

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This cross-sectional survey study utilized an adapted version of the Social Identity Model of Identity Change (SIMIC) to investigate associations between post-diagnostic factors, role salience identity changes, and satisfaction with life for U.S. adults with osteoarthritis (OA). Data were collected from 193 adults with OA using ResearchMatch. Results suggest that role limitations significantly contributed to explaining variations in role salience identity. Furthermore, a positive relationship was observed between change in role salience identity and satisfaction with life. A moderated moderation analysis assessing the interaction effects of satisfaction with role performance and social support on the relationship between role salience identity …

Disability, Blackness, And Online Community: Black Twitter As Self-Narrative, Morgan S. Wilson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Black disabled people, especially those with invisible disabilities, are often not included or welcomed by all in the disabled community. In addition, Black disabled individuals also face discrimination and exclusion within the Black community due to ableism. This project will be an investigation of Black disabled community and health culture in online spaces, specifically using Twitter hashtags as a starting point. This research project is about helping to write the whole story, an opportunity that my Black ancestors did not have but still demand, for our generation and those who will come after us. For this project, I conducted an …

The Cooperation Of Russia And Iran-Led Shia Axis:Its Nature And Implications For The U.S. Strategy In The Middle East, Arman Mahmoudian

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the intricate dynamics of the partnership between Russia and the Iran-led Shia Axis formed during the Syrian civil war (2011-present), a coalition of Iran-supported state and non-state Shia entities in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon. This alliance is distinguished by its unprecedented nature: a secular, authoritarian Russia aligning with a network of Shia groups, a collaboration forged amidst shared concerns over Syrian rebels and Sunni extremists, particularly ISIS. Remarkably, this partnership has evolved beyond its initial focus on immediate threats, suggesting a deeper, strategic alignment aimed potentially against a more formidable adversary, the United States. This shift indicates …

Zeros And Ones: Digital Video Aesthetics And Geopolitical Economy In Blackhat, Everett Barnett

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Film and media theory has been fundamentally altered by the advent of digital technology, both in terms of film production and broader aesthetic overtures but also in terms of greater digital mediation. Blackhat (Michael Mann, 2015), although not a commercial or critical success, articulates many of the exact circumstances and broader consequences of digital technology in relation to its digital video aesthetics but also its narratives content involving global telecommunication and data systems. As a wholly digital film, Blackhat is uniquely situated to speak not only developments in digital filmmaking but also, by way of its plot line involving stateless …

Understanding Donor Preferences And Intentions: A Theory Of Planned Behavior Approach, Kimberly Cubre

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Advancement teams have a pivotal role in bridging the ever-widening gap in funding for higher education institutions. As this gap continues to expand, these teams have emerged as increasingly prominent players to raise philanthropic support. This research study is aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of their engagement strategies and gaining a deeper understanding of donor motivations and intentions. Employing the Theory of Planned Behavior in conjunction with a revised and tested survey instrument (as validated by Smith & McSweeney in 2007), this study sheds light on donor behavior. It probes into donors' sentiments regarding the philanthropic tactics and communications they …

Count Me In: A Study Of Social Validity, Positive Behavioral Interventions And Supports, And A High School, Amie Dia Davis

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The implementation of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) has been attributed to a decrease in office discipline referrals (ODRs) and suspensions and to increase academic performance, and engagement, as well as staff, family, and student perceptions of a safe and positive school climate. High schools have had more significant issues than elementary sites with implementing PBIS and garnering staff support due to larger faculty, staff, and student size, multi-faceted organizational culture, and the age of the students served. In addition, factors that have also been cited as inhibiting successful implementation at the high school level are lack of student …

Becoming Conscious: An Autoethnographic Study Analyzing The Relationship Between Identity And Leadership, Aaron Izzo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation aims to define the connection between one’s perceptions of self and how one conceptualizes leadership. This study first conceptualized my own identity, seeking to connect my past experiences and interactions with others utilizing a term borrowed from Eastern philosophy, samskara, to see how they impact my current practice within leadership. Within the current body of research, various forms of leadership approaches, such as relational, appreciative, feminist, queer, and conscious leadership, were described and explored. What was found to be missing from the current body of work was a connection between who a person is, how they identify, and …

Going Through To Get Through: Life Histories Of Black Women In Educational Leadership, Ann Marie M. Mobley

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Black women who become school-based administrators are severely understudied in scholarly research (Lomotey, 2019). Studies suggest that Black women in the United States, who ascend into educational leadership positions, rely on professional training(s) associated with their employment and understandings accrued from inter/personal background experiences (cultural, familial) to navigate discrimination while attempting to lead. The purpose of this study was to examine how Black women use personal and professional lessons to reconcile tensions and contradictions in their administrative roles in public schools. Using a life history approach, I gathered data by interviewing seven Black women administrators (all identified as African American), …

Human Motion-Inspired Inverse Kinematics Algorithm For A Robotics-Based Human Upper Body Model, Urvish Trivedi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this research is to develop a human motion-inspired inverse kinematics algorithm framework specifically designed for a Robotics-Based Human Upper Body Model (RHUBM). This framework offers solutions to challenges in various fields. In humanoid robotics, the framework addresses the problem of unnatural robot movement by enabling the development of motion planning algorithms that incorporate human-like movements. For prosthetics, the framework tackles the challenge of amputee difficulty in learning and controlling prosthetics by providing a user-friendly interface that predicts and visualizes upper limb movements, enabling learning and practice. In rehabilitation therapy, the framework tackles …

Through The Looking Glass: Overcoming Algorithm Aversion In Accounting, David E. Watson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Artificial intelligence (AI) is growing rapidly in the accounting field as audit firms invest heavily in technology to enhance audit efficiency and effectiveness. Existing research reveals two contrasting behaviors: algorithm aversion, where individuals are reluctant to rely on algorithms even if their recommendations are equivalent to humans, and algorithm appreciation, where individuals excessively rely on AI without exercising professional skepticism. This study investigates whether auditors’ algorithm aversion can be mitigated through interventions of providing reliability information and transparency information (explainability) about the AI’s processes in order to enhance auditor reliance on AI tools. The results indicate that the participants were …

Hurricane Impacts On Water Resources: A Look At Nature-Based Solutions To Improve Long-Term Resilience, Fautemeh Sajadi Bami

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Severe storms are a common occurrence in the state of Florida. Hurricane events may cause hazards such as flooding, property damage, death, and many others. Such far-reaching impacts may potentially result in dangerous consequences where they occur. Of interest to this study were the impacts on water resources and water quality caused by storms. Hurricanes can bring about a deluge. An apparent excess of water may cause the notion of water scarcity to seem less significant. However, problems with potable water can be quite frequent due to storms.

This research sought to address the impacts of severe storms on water …

Caring In Social Studies: An Examination Of Teacher Preparation Standards, Vanializ Agramonte

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Care is something we expect educators to demonstrate towards their students, but are theythemselves being taught the importance of care in education and prepared to enact it in their classrooms? The existing literature on care and care theory in education is limited, but shows a link between care and student success; many educators also point to anecdotal evidence of the importance of care. This study sought to examine themes of care in national standards for teacher preparation. Through the use of directed qualitative content analysis, three national teacher preparation standards (the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation, the Interstate …

Turkish Preschool Teachers’ Perspectives On The Education Of Advanced Young Learners, Gülçin Bilgener

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to shed light on preschool teachers’ perspectives on education of young advanced preschoolers. I conducted this study in a public preschool in the northwestern neighborhood of a city in the Black Sea Region of Türkiye. While choosing this research site I employed convenience sampling based on the accessibility of individuals and the site (Bloomberg & Volpe, 2012). This study designed as a qualitative study, three semi-structured interviews were used as main data collection methods. Two observation sessions took place during participants’ teaching and these observation notes were used as supporting data. I utilized grounded …

Unveiling Estrangement: The Ambivalence Of Iranian Cultural Identity In Documentary Films, Vahid Valikhani

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This paper examines estrangement within Iranian society as depicted in Iranian documentaries, which, I argue, regularly suppress the complexities of Iranian cultural identity. While Iranian narrative cinema has been studied in this context, documentaries have received less scholarly attention, despite their potential to illuminate the shortcomings of conceiving Iranian cultural identity. I examine three documentaries: Tehran Today (Ahmad Faroughi Ghajar, 1962), Newcomers (Kianoush Ayari, 1979) and Tehran Without Permission (Sepideh Farsi, 2009). Through this analysis, I uncover various forms of estrangement, including those induced by westernization, gender oppression, and the political control of what Hamid Naficy calls “mediawork.” Drawing on …

Mental Health-Seeking Behaviors For Hispanic Individuals In The United States, Ana Aluisy

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: This dissertation examines the complexities of mental health service (MHS) utilization among Hispanic individuals in the United States, elucidating myriad factors influencing help-seeking behaviors within this community.

Methods: This dissertation unpacks the barriers to and facilitators of MHS utilization through an integrative review and two cross-sectional studies among Hispanic college students and residents of El Paso. Additionally, the latter two studies assessed attitudes towards mental health services (ATMHS) within these subgroups.

Results: Barriers to MHS utilization included a preference for the Spanish language and the varied role of gender (male or female). The facilitators of MHS utilization included higher …

Examining Childhood Trauma And Substance Use Problems Among Justice-Involved Adolescents In Florida, Skye C. Bristol

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to assess the relationship between childhood trauma and substance use problems as latent constructs among justice-involved adolescents (JIA). Additionally, racial differences and spatial analyses were examined. Previous research underscores the limitations of conceptualizing childhood trauma solely through Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). This justified integrating child welfare involvement, or out-of-home placement, as an additional indicator to develop a comprehensive scope of childhood trauma among JIA. Furthermore, current literature established that childhood trauma is a key predictor of substance misuse among JIA. However, the lack of a standardized measure of substance misuse across juvenile justice systems …