Digital Commons Network^™

Navigating Diverse Identities: Building Coalitions Through Redistribution Of Academic Capital—An Exercise In Praxis, Aya Gruber

Seton Hall Law Review

No abstract provided.

Rehabilitating The Importance Of The Non-Cognitive: An Interview With MichèLe Lamont, Despina Lalaki

Publications and Research

In spring of 2006, Michèle Lamont, Professor of Sociology and African and African-American Studies at Harvard University, was invited to give a lecture for the New Sociological Imagination Lecture Series, organized by the New School for Social Research. This lecture concerned her book Cream Rising: How Peer Review Finds and Defines Excellence in the Social Sciences and the Humanities, which is to be published by Harvard University Press in 2008. Drawing on 81 interviews with panelists serving on five multidisciplinary fellowship competitions in the social sciences and the humanities, the book analyzes (1) the meaning panelists give to academic excellence—including …

Food And History, Volume 1, No. 1. . The European Institute Of Food History, Tours, France. :. Brepols. ,. 2003. . 274 Pp. € 50., Ken Albala

College of the Pacific Faculty Articles

No abstract provided.

Inside Unlv, Erin O'Donnell

Inside UNLV

No abstract provided.

An Examination Of Consumer E-Loyalty To Online Travel Intermediaries, Gregory E Dunn

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Online travel intermediaries such as Expedia, Travelocity and Orbitz have controlled the lion's share of the transactions over the Internet in terms of travel search and purchase by offering low prices, increased consumer choice, and enhanced shopping efficiency. Travel suppliers have been fighting harder than ever to keep up with the online travel intermediaries in terms of technology infrastructure and added-value content to re-capture the customers whose loyalty they spent so much time and money cultivating in the first place; The purpose of this research was to identify the antecedents of customer e-loyalty and examine the effects of these loyalty …

Psychological Well-Being And Relationship Changes In Women After Obesity Surgery, Lindsey Bocchieri Ricciardi

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The present study explored changes in patients' psychological well-being and relationship adjustment at three- and six-months after either Lap-Band or Gastric Bypass Surgery. Sixty-eight women completed the battery, which consisted of standardized questionnaires of self-esteem, body-image, psychological symptomatology, and assertiveness, as well as marital and sexual functioning, prior to surgery and then at the two follow-ups. Also included was the assessment of patient expectations of relationship change and the pilot Weight-Related Relationship Adjustment Questionnaires (WRRAQ's). Pilot WRRAQ's were designed for the purpose of the study, based on retrospective patient narratives, and assessed parenting, work, family, and friend relationship domains. Psychometric …

Responses To Transnational Non-Governmental Terrorism In Kenya And The United States: An Anthropological Analysis, Kennedy Geoffrey Ondieki

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Terrorism is an ancient human phenomenon. In contemporary societies, however, terrorist attacks affect every country in one form or another. Hardly can any continent, region, or community claim immunity from it. Its causes, characteristics, and controlling mechanisms are as diverse and complex as there are terrorist groups. The impacts of terrorism, on other hand, are lethal and far-reaching as are government responses against it. This study began as an attempt to examine governmental and survivor responses and reactions in regard to the attacks of the American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania on August 7, 1998. Then the horrific attacks against …

An Empirical Examination Of The Presence Of Minority Coaches In Minor League Baseball, Braden E Holcomb

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Three research questions concerning race and the coaching staff were addressed. The first question was to determine the ratio between the race of coaches (White, Black, or Latino) and the race of the players (White, Black, or Latino). The second question was to determine if a disproportionate amount of minorities would be found at any of the three coaching positions (Manager, Hitting Coach, and Pitching Coach). The final question was to determine the coaches defensive position during their playing career, whether it was a central or peripheral position, and their current coaching position (Manager or Hitting Coach) All pitching coaches …

Soul Shakedown: The Politics Of Soul Music, Melanie Catherine Young

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This thesis demonstrates the value of the 'hegemonic' theory of politics as a basis for the discussion of the importance of commercially popular music in the political socialization process. The theoretical foundations of popular music studies are considered, the existing literature on popular soul music is reviewed, and an analysis of the lyrics of primarily popular soul songs from 1965 to 1975 is presented. The content analysis suggests that the conception of the black man as described by the whites served a hegemonic function in the culture of African-Americans. However, popular soul music lyrics of the 1960s and 1970s vocalized …

Racial Disparities In The Federal Sentencing Of Drug Offenders, Jorge Adrian Castrejon

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Drawing upon a national sample of offenders from the U.S. Sentencing Commission through the ICPSR, the current study examines the extent of racial disparities in federal sentencing of drug offenders. After controlling for demographic characteristics of the defendants results from the analysis indicate that blacks and Hispanics convicted of drug offenses receive more prison sentences than white defendants. Black defendants receive longer prison sentences than whites and Hispanics for the same type of drug offenses. Although Hispanics receive more prison sentences than whites their prisons sentences are significantly shorter than prison sentences for black and white defendants. It is determined …

Policy Analysis: Evaluating Theories Of The Hermeneutic Critique, Cecilea Mun

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This thesis evaluates three theories representing the three perspectives identified by Goktug Morcol as perspectives of the hermeneutic critique in policy analysis, while explicating the revolutionary process that the science is currently undergoing. The evaluation is focused around the question as to whether the three theories are viable alternatives to positivist theories. First, a brief history of policy analysis is presented, highlighting the conditions that contributed to the rise of the general positivist paradigm as the ideal in policy analysis. This is followed by a summary and criticisms of the general positivist paradigm. Next, summaries of Dvora Yanow's interpretive theory, …

Hellfire And Damnation Through Crime Or Bliss Through Faith: A Look At Faith-Based Corrections, Gregory Paul Warren Wuthrich

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The latest movement in trying to combat the U.S. crime problem is through "faith-based" corrections. These programs are in the infancy stages and minimal data are present at this time to illustrate true effectiveness of such programs. This study is a theoretical evaluation of such programs and incorporates a framework from Gary LaFree (1988). Results indicate that "faith-based" programs tend to be one dimensional and in order for them to work properly they must be set up in conjunction with other institutional changes. Often other theories can incorporate the dimension of religion, yet religion alone, such as through "faith-based" programs, …

The Potential Impact Of The Medieval Climatic Anomaly On Human Populations In The Western Mojave Desert, Jill Kathleen Gardner

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

During the late 1980s and early 1990s, a model was proposed for changing settlement and subsistence patterns in the western Mojave Desert. The model posits that environmental fluctuations over the last 4,000 years were potential causal mechanisms for culture change in this region. One of these fluctuations was the environmental episode known as the Medieval Climatic Anomaly (MCA), a series of droughts that took place between about 1,200 and 650 B.P. The intent of this study was to determine whether apparent culture changes that began about 1,200 years ago in the western Mojave Desert are associated with the MCA. To …

Identifying The Characteristics Of And Quality Indicators For Associate Degree Culinary Arts Programs: A Survey Of Educators And Industry, Jean Louise Hertzman

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Since 1981, the number of associate degree culinary arts programs in the United States increased from four to 261. Little academic literature exists about these programs and their diversity makes clear comparisons of culinary programs difficult. This study addresses the research question: What are the common characteristics of associate degree culinary arts programs and to what extent can each of these characteristics be used as indicators for evaluating the quality of the programs?;The researcher performed content analysis of 232 associate degree culinary arts program requirements worksheets to determine the typical curriculum. She analyzed information from guidebooks and websites to develop …

Estimating The Effects Of September 11 On Las Vegas Strip Gaming Volume, David Eisendrath

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This paper examines the decrease in gross gaming volume, specifically slot machine coin-in, on the Las Vegas Strip resulting from the events of September 11, 2001. An intervention analysis based on a seasonal ARIMA model was developed from Nevada Gaming Control Board slot machine coin-in data analyzed from January 1990 to November 2004. The findings revealed that the Strip experienced an abrupt decline in gaming volume lasting five months. Although a quick recovery ensued, residual effects lasted approximately two years. In spite of the uniqueness of the events of September 11, this study should help managers in their response to …

Understanding The Role Of Predicted Outcome Value In The Negotiation Of Condom Use, Shawna Gwynne Harris

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This study is a quantitative analysis of influences on college students' willingness to persist with a request to use a condom. The participants consist of 129 undergraduate students enrolled in introductory and upper division courses at a large, southwestern university. The research design is a 2 x 2 x 2 factorial: prediction of cooperation (yes, no), prediction of future relationship (long-term, one-night stand), and gender (male, female). Four different instruments, each with a different hypothetical scenario manipulating the relationship status and cooperation independent variables, were randomly distributed to all participating students with request persistence and message directness as the dependent …

Residence Choices Of Hispanic Neighborhoods In Nevada, Qiong Li

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

A well-known characteristic of Hispanic in the U.S. is their tendency to concentrate their settlement area in distinct locations. This study merges aggregate data of localities with micro observations to estimate the joint decisions of residential location and homeownership choice for Hispanics. To address the possibility that the disturbances in the regression may be correlated within groups, we apply a bivarite probit framework clustered by localities (PUMAs), using the Public Use Micro Statistics of Census 2000 data for Nevada. The results suggests that Hispanics choose to live in Hispanic enclaves are characterized by lower income, less English fluency, lower educational …

The Buildings At The Center: Latter-Day Saint Tabernacles In The Mormon Culture Region, Aaron James Mcarthur

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Tabernacles are a largely overlooked feature of communities in the Mormon Culture Region. Though the tabernacle on Temple Square in Salt Lake City has world-wide recognition, very little has been written about the other 78 that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints built between 1847 and 1953. This thesis discusses the religious, cultural, and social motivations behind the planning and construction of tabernacles, as evidenced by developments such as the Plat of the City of Zion and the Priesthood Reorganization of 1877, as well as the numerous uses of these buildings. The significance of the buildings in the …

Attitudinal And Behavioral Assessments Of Generations X And Y At The Palms Casino Resort, Ch-A Mosley

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Las Vegas area casino hotels have recently begun to vie for the attention and business of Generations X and Y. This is evidenced by the influx of night clubs, lounges, and party-like pool scenes in Strip properties. The purpose of the study is to utilize the Palms Casino Resort's young adult clientele to determine what attributes they find appealing about it. The data garnered through primary empirical research revealed implications for potential marketing initiatives and future research. This project was both quantitative and qualitative in nature.

Sociability And "Survivor", Shelley Elizabeth Wilkerson

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Reality television, and the program Survivor in particular, have quickly become a powerful social force in Europe and America. The author explored the possibility that Survivor audience members use and obtain gratifications from the program that increases, or enhances, their sociability. Uses and Gratifications Media Theory was used to determine why reality programs in general are watched; Results indicated that some viewers may use the program Survivor as a social tool, but these viewers were not necessarily non-social to begin with. Results also indicated that the reasons why viewers choose to watch reality programming are surprisingly similar across the genre.

An Analysis Of Factors Affecting Net-Migration To Clark County, Scott Charles Mitchell

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Clark County has experienced rapid population growth during the 1990s. The reasons for this rapid growth are a combination of proximity to other population centers, economics, quality of life, and demographic factors. Using OLS and GLS regression methods on pooled time-series county-level data between the years 1990 and 1997, several factors proved to be significantly correlated with the net-migration to Clark County. The most important factors affecting net-migration to Clark County are climate and demographics.

Education About The Environment Discover Mojave Programs, Public Lands Institute

Presentations (PLI Education)

Increases people’s knowledge and awareness about the environment and associated challenges, develops the necessary skills and expertise to address the challenges, and fosters attitudes, motivations, and commitments to make informed decisions and take responsible action” (UNESCO, Tbilisi Declaration, 1978)

Science In The Community: A Look At Informal Science Organizations In Clark County, Public Lands Institute

Presentations (PLI Education)

UNLV’s Public Lands Institute is partnering with area-wide Informal Science Organizations to provide experiences that can have significant and lasting impacts on student learning.

Integration Of Service-Learning Into Civil And Environmental Engineering Curriculum, T. C. Piechota, Shashi S. Nambisan

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction Faculty Research

Service-learning is defined as integrating the community service experience of students with their academic study so that learning is enhanced. The level of student participation in community service is at an all time high as students feel the need to confront today's technical and societal problems. However, service-learning is more than community service or volunteerism. Service-learning as defined above, integrates the community service experience with the student’s academic study (note the hyphen in "service-learning" means that both are considered equal). This enhances learning which is a fundamental goal of colleges and universities. Boyer highlights the need for service-learning stating that …

2005- 2008 Unlv Mcnair Journal, Valerie Avery, Shana Bachus, Karmen K. Boehlke, Andrea Flores, Alden Kelly, Erick Lopez, Carol Preussler, Heather Shay, Ava Bookatz, Shaun Elsasser, Veronica Hicks, Shaida A. Jetha, Anthony Quinn, Thurithabhani Seneviratne, Teddy Boado Sim Jr., Liza Ward, Amris Henry-Rodgers, Jacquelynn Kaaa-Logan, Jason Orozco, Juan C. Plata, Bonnie Bartlett, Kathleen Bell, Vacheral M. Carter, Nydia Diaz, Kimberly Hackstock, Julio A. Luna, Charles Mao, Sandra Ramos, Precious Rideout, Benjamin Lee Watrous, Chet R. Whitley

McNair Journal

Journal articles based on research conducted by undergraduate students in the McNair Scholars Program

Table of Contents

Biography of Dr. Ronald E. McNair

Statements:

Dr. Neal J. Smatresk, UNLV President

Dr. Juanita P. Fain, Vice President of Student Affairs

Dr. William W. Sullivan, Associate Vice President for Retention and Outreach

Mr. Keith Rogers, Deputy Executive Director of the Center for Academic Enrichment and Outreach

McNair Scholars Institute Staff

A Participatory Methodology For Ethnographic Arts -Based Research: Collaborative Playwriting And Performance As Data Collection Analysis And Presentation, Jillian Dean Campana

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.

Simulation-Based Two-Step Estimation With Endogenous Regressors, Kamhon Kan, Chihwa Kao

Center for Policy Research

This paper considers models with latent/discrete endogenous regressors and presents a simulation-based two-step (STS) estimator. The endogeneity is corrected by adopting a simulation-based control function approach. The first step consists of simulating the residuals of the reduced-form equation for endogenous regressors. The second step is a regression model (linear, latent or discrete) with the simulated residual as an additional regressor. In this paper we develop the asymptotic theory for the STS estimator and its rate of convergence.

On The Estimation And Inference Of A Panel Cointegration Model With Cross-Sectional Dependence, Jushan Bai, Chihwa Kao

Center for Policy Research

Most of the existing literature on panel data cointegration assumes cross-sectional independence, an assumption that is difficult to satisfy. This paper studies panel cointegration under cross-sectional dependence, which is characterized by a factor structure. We derive the limiting distribution of a fully modified estimator for the panel cointegrating coefficients. We also propose a continuous-updated fully modified (CUP-FM) estimator). Monte Carlo results show that the CUP-FM estimator has better small sample properties than the two-step FM (2S-FM) and OLS estimators.

Do Credit Market Barriers Exist For Minority And Women Entrepreneurs?, Lloyd Blanchard, Bo Zhao, John Yinger

Center for Policy Research

This paper examines whether methodological deficiencies in the literature on discrimination in small business credit markets have a significant impact on the estimation of discrimination and provides a preliminary investigation into the causes of discrimination in these markets. We find substantial, statistically significant evidence of discrimination in loan approval against black-owned and Hispanic-owned businesses in 1998 with additional control variables, with a variety of different specifications, and with a simultaneous model of the application and loan-denial decisions. We also find that discrimination in small business lending may take the form of statistical discrimination, driven by lenders' stereotypes about the ability …

Joint Lm Test For Homoskedasticity In A One-Way Error Component Model, Badi H. Baltagi, Georges Bresson, Alain Pirotte

Center for Policy Research

This paper considers a general heteroskedastic error component model using panel data, and derives a joint LM test for homoskedasticity against the alternative of heteroskedasticity in both error components. It contrasts this joint LM test with marginal LM tests that ignore the heteroskedasticity in one of the error components. Monte Carlo results show that misleading inference can occur when using marginal rather than joint tests when heteroskedasticity is present in both components.