Digital Commons Network^™

Commencement Convocation Program, St. Petersburg Campus, May 1, 2012, University Of South Florida St. Petersburg

USF St. Petersburg Graduations and Commencements

King O'Neal Award: John Boda, Andrew Thurston, Emily Young; Outstanding Graduate: Britanny Lyp

Intake Tests For A Short Interpreter-Training Course: Design, Implementation, Feedback, Jim Hlavac, Marc Orlando, Shani Tobias

International Journal of Interpreter Education

This article discusses features of an intake test for potential trainees for short, locally focused training in rural areas of Victoria, Australia. First, the design and choice of test components are discussed, with reference to the testing tools commonly employed in community interpreting training and in light of the fact that testers could not directly test proficiency skills in the language/s other than English (LOTE). The intake test itself elicited information such as level of motivation, knowledge of skills required of interpreters, and educational and occupational experience. Information elicited through the test provided a basis for diagnosis of testees’ linguistic …

The Effects Of An Educational Intervention On The Aging Knowlege Of Graduate Counseling Students, Damien Gent Dotson

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to test the effects of an educational intervention on the aging knowledge of graduate counseling students. Overcoming misconceptions, such as positive and negative stereotypes about older adults, is essential for graduate counseling students to be effectively trained to work with the aging population. Educational interventions have been found to be the most consistently effective way of increasing aging knowledge and helping individuals overcome ageist beliefs rooted in faulty aging knowledge. For this study, it was hypothesized that a comprehensive educational intervention (approximately 2 hours in duration) would increase overall aging knowledge, increase aging and …

The Evolution Of Rural Farming In The Scottish Highlands And The Arkansas Delta: Investments And Inequalities, Madalyn Watkins

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

The development and evolution of an agricultural system is influenced by many factors including binding constraints (limiting factors), choice of investments, and historic presence of land and income inequality. This study analyzed the development of two farming systems: mechanized, “economies of scale” farming in the Arkansas Delta and crofting in the Scottish Highlands. The study hypothesized that the current farm size in each region can be partially attributed to the binding constraints of either land or labor. In Scotland, it was found that the continuous binding constraint was the availability of arable land. In Arkansas, the binding constraint began as …

2012 Faculty/Staff Awards Presented At Andrews, Keri Suarez

Lake Union Herald

No abstract provided.

Sociopolitical Control In Urban Kenya: The Sociopolitical Control Scale In Nairobi, Mombasa, And Kisumu, Tasha A. Russman

Scripps Senior Theses

There is popular belief among Kenyans that their government inappropriately distributes resources unequally between different regions in Kenya. A modified version of Zimmerman and Zahniser's (1991) Sociopolitical Control Scale (SPCS) tested for differences in perceived sociopolitical control (SPC) between residents of Kenya's three biggest cities, Nairobi (n = 49), Mombasa (n = 50), and Kisumu (n = 51). Hypotheses were based on expected levels of leadership competence (LC) and policy control (PC), two sub-scales that combine to create SPC. Contrary to the hypothesis, results indicated no significant differences in levels of SPC among the cities. Results could …

Transitional Justice And The Truth Commission In Nepal, Andrea Russell

Senior Honors Projects

The purpose of this project is to explore the role of transitional justice mechanisms in directing the peace process, constitution making, and power sharing in Nepal. For more than ten years Nepal experienced violent conflict between the national army and an insurgent political movement led by the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist. The conflict claimed more than 13,000 lives and was characterized by widespread cases of disappearance. The families of those who were abducted or killed without a trace remain without answers, and the call for a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to document past injustices is strong.

In March 2012, I …

The Lawyer Meets The Therapist, The Minister, And The Psychiatrist: Law School Cross-Professional Collaborations, Timothy W. Floyd

Mercer Law Review

Lawyers in practice rarely encounter purely legal problems. Understanding the social, economic, political, and historical context is often crucial to resolving legal issues, and legal decisions are often dependent upon business, scientific, medical, psychological, and technological information. Most legal representation occurs within some field of enterprise or industry, and nearly all representation of clients involves complex emotional and interpersonal dynamics.

Early in my legal career, I realized the importance of knowing other fields and specialties in order to be an effective lawyer. My first practice experience was in commercial litigation, and our firm represented clients from a wide range of …

Faculty Senate Monthly Packet May 2012, Portland State University Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Monthly Packets

The May 2012 Monthly packet includes the May agenda and appendices and the Faculty Senate minutes and attachments from the meeting held April 2012.

Birth Order And The Academic And Social Success Of College Students, Jessica Nissenbaum

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

The purpose of the study of Birth Order and the Academic and Social Success of College Students was to examine the relationship between birth order and the academic and social experiences that students have during their college years. An ideal college experience involves students being actively engaged in what they are learning and having positive social interactions and support networks. Unfortunately, the college experiences of many students fall short of these expectations and they struggle to continue their pursuit of higher education. Depression has become a serious concern on college campuses. Understanding the birth orders that may create challenges in …

Perceptions Of Factors Related To Therapeutic Change In Face-To-Face And Distance Counseling Environments, Stephen Harding Wright

Counseling and Human Services - Dissertations

Videoconferencing is quickly becoming a part of daily life as technologies using the Internet and computer advances are now being employed to deliver synchronous, highly discernible video and audio content on devices used for daily communication. Videoconferencing is also being increasingly used by counseling professionals to provide counseling sessions and other services, and counseling accrediting and licensing bodies have recognized its use in some professional practice situations.

This experimental study used a regional sample of counselors, other mental health professionals, and counselors-in-training (N = 126), to examine whether participants, randomly assigned, rated three different measures of counseling process-working alliance, session …

Foster Parents' Perceptions Of Their Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities In Relation To The Behavioral Challenges Of Foster Youth, Melissa Hall

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The complex, long-term, and prevalent behavioral problems and needs of foster children and youth continue to be documented (Farmer et al., 2010; United States Department of Health and Human Services [USDHHS], 2005). However, research indicates that foster parents are not adequately prepared or trained to address these challenging behaviors (e.g. Dorsey et al., 2008; Lee & Holland, 1991; Puddy & Jackson, 2003). Foster parent perspectives and the inclusion of their input concerning foster parenting and the behavioral problems of foster youth are needed to examine this crucial problem area (Park & Helton, 2010). The intent of this multi-case study was …

Recognition For Positive Behavior As A Critical Youth Development Construct: Conceptual Bases And Implications On Youth Service Development, Ben M. F. Law, Andrew M. H. Siu, Daniel T. L. Shek

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Recognition for positive behavior is an appropriate response of the social environment to elicit desirable external behavior among the youth. Such positive responses, rendered from various social systems, include tangible and intangible reinforcements. The following theories are used to explain the importance of recognizing positive behavior: operational conditioning, observational learning, self-determination, and humanistic perspective. In the current work, culturally and socially desirable behaviors are discussed in detail with reference to Chinese adolescents. Positive behavior recognition is especially important to adolescent development because it promotes identity formation as well as cultivates moral reasoning and social perspective thinking from various social systems. …

Emotional Distress In Older Adults With Cancer : A Multilevel Longitudinal Study., Tara J. Schapmire

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) were used to examine factors that influence emotional distress in older adults with cancer, arid to learn whether these distress trajectories are different from older adults without cancer. The model investigated the influence of life course factors, internal, external and health-related resources on distress over eight years among a nationally representative sample of older adults ages 50-91. Methods: This longitudinal panel study tested a multilevel random intercept multinomial ordered categorical model with a two-nested-Ievel structure using empirical Bayes Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) estimation. The model examined individual differences in distress over …

The Relationship Between Student Engagement And The Development Of Character In Mission Driven Faith-Based Colleges And Universities As Measured By The National Survey Of Student Engagement, David M. Turi

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

For many institutions devoted to their mission, especially those that state as their I goal the promotion of character development, the need for measurement tools becomes a priority. These tools can by used not only to assess the stated outcomes, but also to guide I institutional policies, practices, and improvements. The purpose of this study is to determine whether educationally purposeful activities and institutional type are related to the student development of character and how these relationships differ across institutional type. The data from senior students at four-year institutions who completed the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) were used. …

2012 Baccalaureate & Graduate Commencement, Lindenwood University

Commencement Programs

Lindenwood University Commencement program.

Cultural Diversity And The Experiences Of Alaska Native Nursing Students, Margaret Gilmon

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Sexing Harris: The Law And Politics Of The Movement To Defund Planned Parenthood, Mary Ziegler

Buffalo Law Review

No abstract provided.

May 2012 Commencement Program, Bowling Green State University

Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Nuestras Experiencias: A Phenomenological Study Of Latina First Generation Higher Education Graduates, Diana Elizabeth Cruz

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

A review of the literature indicates that Latinos lag behind White and

African American students in higher education degree attainment. This educational gap is of concern because Latinos are the largest minority group in the United States, and the Latino population is expected to increase in the future. Higher education degree attainment for Latinos is vital because statistics show an undeniable relationship between degree attainment and income level. In order to ensure the economic well being of Latinos, it is important that Latinos persist through university degree programs. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of …

Concordance Of Vocational Interest And Efficacy Of Female College Students Pursuing A Traditional Career Path, Priscilla A. Walton

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Women make up a considerable portion of the 21st century workforce. Despite the increase in the labor force, the Census Bureau continues to reflect that the majority of women are employed in what are defined as traditionally female occupations (Watson, Quatman & Edler, 2002). Even though the proportion of women in the work force has increased, women continue to be underrepresented in high-paying, high status professions that have been traditionally male dominated (Betz, 1994). Significant research has been devoted to understanding the unique variables which affect women's career choices and behaviors. According to Fitzgerald, Fassinger, and Betz (1995), women's vocational …

Efficiency Of Fiscal Expenditures In Nevada Elementary Schools Using Data Envelopment Analysis, Todd Patrick Yocum

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

For decades educational researchers have attempted to find links between school funding and student achievement. These attempts have generated many contradictory viewpoints and have produced many unanswered questions. Ever increasing accountability on states, districts and schools combined with severe financial strain has made measuring school fiscal efficiency a valuable tool for school leaders looking to get more student achievement with fewer resources.

The methodology for this study was comprised of two phases. Phase I analyzed the per pupil expenditures of Nevada elementary schools over a three-year period and developed descriptive statistics that revealed the expenditure patterns by category. Phase II …

Motivating Men Who Have Sex With Men To Get Tested For Hiv, Magaly M. Blas, Luis A. Menacho, Isaac E. Alva, E. Roberto Orellana

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Although men who have sex with men (MSM) have the highest HIV prevalence in Peru, they are underserved by traditional preventive programs. Interestingly, in Peru the Internet and cell-phones have emerged as a convenient tool to reach this population.

Toward Lawyering As Peacemaking: A Seminar On Mindfulness, Morality, And Professional Identity, Angela P. Harris

Journal of Legal Education

No abstract provided.

A Lagrange Multiplier Test For Cross-Sectional Dependence In A Fixed Effects Panel Data Model, Badi Baltagi, Qu Feng, Chihwa Kao

Center for Policy Research

It is well known that the standard Breusch and Pagan (1980) LM test for cross-equation correlation in a SUR model is not appropriate for testing cross-sectional dependence in panel data models when the number of cross-sectional units (n) is large and the number of time periods (T) is small. In fact, a scaled version of this LM test was proposed by Pesaran (2004) and its finite sample bias was corrected by Pesaran, Ullah and Yamagata (2008). This was done in the context of a heterogeneous panel data model. This paper derives the asymptotic bias of this scaled version of the …

Complexities Of Culture : Understanding The Identity Of Female Veterans Transitioning From Military To College., Natesha L. Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Through an exploration of identity and enculturation experiences, this narrative inquiry dissertation investigated how female veteran students make meaning of their experiences and renegotiate their understandings of identity after transitioning from the military into the higher education environment. Eighteen female veteran students participated in data collection efforts, which included two interviews, discussion of military artifacts, and journaling. Five of the eighteen individual narratives are presented at length in the study to illustrate the diversity found amongst the study population. Findings for the five were synthesized into individual narratives and poetic representations of identity. Emerging across the stories of the eighteen …

'Rainbow Nation' Or 'Rambo Nation'? : A Comparative Literary Analysis Of Thematic Changes In Pre- And Post- 1994 Black Township Novels., D. A. Gantt 1986-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Through content analysis of Ezekiel Mphahlele's Down Second Avenue, Modikwe Dikobe's The Marabi Dance, Zakes Mda's The Madonna of Excelsior, and Niq Mhlongo's After Tears, this study compares the themes of pre- and post- 1994 South African township novels using a post-colonial theoretical framework to determine how the tradition of Black protest literature has changed since the formal ending of Apartheid in 1994. The study finds that the pre-1994 Black writing tradition of critiquing poverty, corruption, and sexism is continued by Black writers in the post-1994 era. Thus, the findings in this study reveal that South Africa's title of "Rainbow …

Perceived Competence, Autonomy, And Relatedness As Predictors Of Academic Burnout In Undergraduate Students, Ben Maxwell

Undergraduate Psychology Research Methods Journal

Burnout is one of the most pervasive threats to students’ psychological and physical well-being. The present study was conducted to examine the relationships among academic burnout in college students and self-perceived levels of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. The researcher postulated that scores of perceived competence, autonomy, and relatedness would be negatively correlated with levels of academic burnout. One hundred thirty participants—57 men and 73 women—were recruited from the Lindenwood Participant Pool. In order to collect data, participants were given a packet of surveys. The three surveys were a demographic questionnaire, the Basic Psychological Needs Survey (accessed from www.selfdeterminationtheory.org), and the …

Economic Aid And Conflict Transformation In Northern Ireland And The Border Area: Respondents’ Perceptions Of Awareness, Fairness, Trust Building, And Sustainability, Peter Karari, Sean Byrne, Olga Skarlato, Kawser Ahmed

Peace and Conflict Studies

Intractable ethnopolitical conflicts emanate from the social, political, cultural, and economic marginalization of some community groups. To address these conflicts, the affected groups are often provided with life changing opportunities to enhance justice, equality, dignity and freedom. In the past, Northern Ireland has been a turbulent sea of violent conflict between Unionists and Nationalists. To address the underlying root causes of the conflict, economic aid through the International Fund for Ireland (IFI) and the European Union (EU) Peace II Fund is aimed at facilitating sustainable peacebuilding, reconciliation and community development. In this study, 95 community group leaders, civil servants, and …

Front Matter, Peace And Conflict Studies

Peace and Conflict Studies

No abstract provided.