Digital Commons Network^™

Female Athletes And Their Journey, Emily Youngs

Sport Management Undergraduate

Female athletes have gained their role in sports, and now female athletes are expressing their journey as a female athlete. Looking at female athletes and their journey of becoming a college athlete, researchers can find motivation, self-efficacy, and early specialization. Past research on the 3 factors has been done prior to this research. The relationship between self-efficacy, motivation and early specialization was examined. The data was obtained through interviews from 5 college student athletes using qualitative research. The findings showed a significantly positive relationship between self-efficacy and these athletes, however there was a considerably negative finding in athletes and early …

New Journal Examines Culture Of American South, Rebecca Lauck Cleary

University of Mississippi News

Inaugural article explores post-civil rights foodways

Understanding The Writing Challenges Of College Students With Asperger's Syndrome, Sarah Dubin

Theses and Dissertations

This study involved research into the experience of college-level writing for students with Asperger's syndrome/ASD. Three research questions were addressed: what are the specific challenges students with Asperger's face with college-level writing, what has been done to help support and remediate these issues so far, and what could be done in the future to support students with Asperger's in their writing assignments? Surveys were administered to the students with Asperger's syndrome at Rowan University who have self-registered, and to the faculty who teach required college composition classes to undergraduates. Results indicate that the students find the aspects of writing related …

Putting It Into Practice: Service Learning And The Lis Curriculum, Sarah E. Crissinger

The Colloquium on Libraries & Service Learning

The American Library Association’s Standards for Accreditation of Master’s Programs in Library and Information Science emphasize exposing LIS students to both diversity and practice (2008). Incorporating service learning into the LIS curriculum offers a solution to tackling both of these issues while giving students real-world experience that they can use in today’s competitive job market. But how many ALA-accredited programs actually incorporate service learning in some way? Many studies in the library science literature discuss specific cases of service learning within LIS programs, but only address one or two programs. Other studies look more broadly at multiple LIS programs but …

Sea-Level Rise, Storm Surges,And Extreme Precipitation Incoastal New Hampshire: Analysis Of Past And Projected Trends, Frederick Chormann, Rob Flynn, Matt Huber, Paul Kirshen, Kevin Knuuti, Steve Miller, Ann Scholz, Mary Stampone, Cameron P. Wake, Thomas Wysmuller, Sherry Godlewski

The Sustainability Institute Publications

No abstract provided.

Two Poems: "Economy Class Particulate View" And "Daynotes On Fields & Forms (Flittings)", Linda Russo

The Goose

Poetry by Linda Russo.

Wildwood Illume, Purling Water, Cecily Nicholson

The Goose

Poetry by Cecily Nicholson.

Two Poems: "North" And "The Venus Flytrap", Souvankham Thammavongsa

The Goose

Poetry by Souvankham Thammavongsa.

Two Poems: "Wind Scene" And "Touch / The Radicle Thus Endowed", Julie Joosten

The Goose

Two poems by Julie Joosten.

Three Poems From "The Elder Project," Vernon School District 22, Brian Antoine, Yetko Brooke Bearshirt-Robins, John (Wilke) Louis, Lindsy Oppenheimer, Vicky Raphael, Lenaya Sampson

The Goose

Poetry by Vernon School District secondary students and their elders, in collaboration with The Elder Project organized by Wendy Morton and Sandra Lynxleg.

Consumer Behavior In The Online Context, Shannon Cummins, James W. Peltier, John A. Schibrowsky, Alexander Nill

Marketing & Entrepreneurship Faculty Publications

The purpose of this article is to review the consumer behavior and social network theory literature related to the online and e-commerce context.

Design/methodology/approach

To conduct the review, the authors draw on a sample of 942 articles published from 1993 to 2012 addressing consumer behavior or social network issues in the online or social media context. The sample is analyzed by both era (incubation, expansion and explosion) and primary topic.

Findings

Eight categories of online consumer behavior research are described. In the order from largest to smallest, these are: cognitive issues, user-generated content, Internet demographics and segmentation, online usage, cross …

Sonaranos Refractions, Kathleen Brown

The Goose

Poetry by Kathleen Brown.

Tap The Screen: Technology Integration In Our Students’ Lives, Matthew J. Fuller

Dissertations

The focus of this study is to document and describe the integration of technology in the everyday lives of students in Grades 3–8 attending a high-performing public school district in an affluent Chicago suburb. The following research questions guide this study:

• How do students in Grades 3–8 integrate technology into their lives?
• What are the implications of students’ technology integration for teaching and learning?
• How can teachers capitalize upon students’ technology integration in ways that inform instructional practice?

A review of the literature presents related information in areas that explore the increasingly digital world of our students; curriculum, instruction, and …

Summer Commencement Program, August 9, 2014, Coastal Carolina University

Commencement Programs

Program of Commencement Exercises at Coastal Carolina University.

Houser Article Describes New Rapid Scanning Doppler Radar System, Ohio University College Of Arts & Sciences

All Forum Articles

No abstract provided.

Commencement Convocation Program, Usf, August 9, 2014, University Of South Florida

USF Graduation and Convocation Programs

King O'Neal Scholars - Robert Ackerman, Sarah Bowermaster, Dariya Dolgolova, and Jennifer Le; President's Fellow Medallion - John Ramil; President's Global Leadership Award - Dr. Jorge Motta; Outstanding Graduate - Denis Marton Menendez; Thomas R. Pickering Graduate Fellow - Denise Marton; James Madison Fellowship - Elizabeth Rasmussen; Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship - Adely Castaneda and Najja Pemberton

Commencement Convocation Exercises - August 2014, Prairie View A&M University

Commencement and Convocation Exercises

No abstract provided.

Geographic Disparities In Cancer Mortality To Incidence Ratios, Kyle Buck

Theses and Dissertations

While cancer rates have shown promising trends over the last few decades, not all populations have experienced the same levels of decrease in cancer incidence in mortality rates. Identifying populations suffering from the impacts of the disparities has become a major goal in cancer research.

Most research has focused on the influence of single variables on cancer disparities or on small-scale case studies. Using the information from these analyses, the research conducted in this dissertation tests the relationship of selected variables to an outcome measure, the mortality to incidence ratio (MIR) in search of spatial relationships between the indicators and …

Revisiting Gender Constraints And Benefits In Leisure Tourism: Man-Up, It’S Time To Travel Like A Woman, Holly L. Rabin

Theses and Dissertations

Historically and culturally, women’s leisure has been constrained through time, activity, and experience, as it is intricately woven with elements of freedom and choice, and thus empowerment (Khan, 2011; Henderson, et al., 1989). Previous research of constraints in leisure tourism appears to follow a pattern of inequalities between men and women (Wearing & Wearing, 1988). Women are feeling more independent and selfconfident then ever before in their leisure time and travel (Wilson & Harris, 2006). The purpose of this study is to determine if previous research, statistics, and case studies are still relevant in Millennial females and their solo leisure …

A Multi-Sited Examination Of Pregnancy, Birth And Women’S Perceptions Of Care In Ghana, Jessica M. Posega

Theses and Dissertations

In Ghana, both governmental and non-governmental agencies have been working to reach the 2015 United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The fourth and fifth goals are related to reproductive health, reducing infant and maternal mortality respectively. Through a combination of increasing midwifery and nursing training programs, public awareness programs, and programs designed to retain skilled birth attendants. This paper explores how the policies and practices intended to create better birth outcomes in Ghana are perceived by those targeted for intervention, and by the reproductive health workers. Drawing from in-depth interviews with pregnant women, mothers with children under one year, and …

A Comprehensive Disaster Risk Index For The United States, Michael E. Senn

Theses and Dissertations

Risks to life, property, infrastructure and even environmental security emanate from a variety of hazard sources. Key to reducing this risk is the ability to measure it and present it decision-makers and stakeholders in a meaningful and understandable way. Currently, there exist no comprehensive hazard risk indices for the United States that have the ability to capture and convey a contemporary conceptualization of risk to hazards. Such an index, the World Risk Index, exists at the global level. The World Risk Index serves as an analog for further research on risk at various scales.

The purpose of this dissertation is …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of Esri Story Maps As Effective Teaching Tools, Caitlin Strachan

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore teachers’ perceptions of Esri Story Maps as effective teaching tools. Story Maps are a relatively new web application within Esri’s web-based GIS platform, ArcGIS Online. They combine digitized, dynamic maps with other story elements (i.e., title, text, legend, popups, and other visuals) to help the creator effectively convey a message. The relative ease associated with using and creating a Story Map as well as the simple, non-technical interface makes them ideal for use as an educational technology. Survey data were collected at several professional development events in the spring of 2014 in …

Virtual And Hybrid Meetings: A Three Generational Perspective, Carole B. Sox

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to provide a focused research stream with regard to virtual and hybrid meetings from a generational perspective. By utilizing a meta-analysis research methodology, an applied research approach, and a theoretical research approach, this three-article manuscript-style dissertation addresses numerous topics pertinent to both academics and industry professionals. The state of current literature pertaining to virtual and hybrid meetings is assessed and gaps are identified, including the need for further research from a generational perspective.

Current best practices, opportunities and barriers for planning and managing virtual and hybrid meetings for Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Generation …

Pioneering Women Of Southern Education: A Comparative Study Of Northern And Southern School Founders, Sharon Ferguson Beasley

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined school founding practices of Northern and Southern women educators who initiated primary schools for blacks during the Civil War, reconstruction, and progressive eras. Case study and historical methodologies contrasted two Northern white and two Southern black school founders in the areas of backgrounds, religious affiliations, educational philosophies, political astuteness, and resourcefulness. This study relied on in-depth reviews, content analyses, and cluster analyses of archives, biographies, personal diaries, newspapers, newsletters, and secondary literature to answer the research questions. Strikingly, Rachel Crane Mather and Mary McLeod Bethune’s missionary zeal emerged from their evangelical duty of converting lives to the …

Tradition Or Technology?: The Impact Of Paper Versus Digital Map Technology On Students’ Spatial Thinking Skill Acquisition, Larianne Collins

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates whether spatial learning outcomes differ with respect to different instructional media. Specifically, it examines traditional, paper aerial imagery as compared to digital imagery visualized with 3D globes. Two research questions provided the focus: 1) Does spatial thinking skill development differ between analog (paper) and digital map media; 2) Does spatial thinking skill development differ based on attitudes toward geography, past travel experience, or demographic variables such as gender, and are there interaction effects among them related to the different media?

Spatial thinking skill development was measured as students received instruction using either paper or digital maps. Spatial …

Investigating Differences In Risk Behaviors Among Rural, Suburban, And Urban Adolescents, Heather Dubendris

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: According to the World Health Organization, one-third of the disease morbidity and two-thirds of premature deaths among adults are associated with behaviors that can be traced back to adolescence. These include behaviors resulting in unintentional injury, violent behaviors, alcohol, drug, and tobacco use. The purpose of this research was to explore how differing levels of urbanicity affect youth’s engagement in risk behaviors.

Methods: Analysis was done using a nationally representative sample of 9th-12th graders in the 2003 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), the most recent year for which urbanicity is available. The main exposure was urbanicity (classified as urban, …

(Mascot) Nation: Examining University Engagement On College Football Teams’ Facebook Pages, Matthew J. Haught

Theses and Dissertations

In the sport of college football, engagement with fans drives revenue for the sports teams and the athletic department; the more fans buy, the more money the school gets. This study examines the ways college football teams use Facebook to engage their publics, and how that engagement builds a sense of community. Specifically, it explores six teams that represent new college football teams, midmajor teams, and state flagship institution teams. Ultimately, it seeks to explain how social media can be a force in establishing and maintaining an online community.

Transforming The Culture Of The Stem Disciplines: A Multiple Case Study Of Successful Strategies For Inclusive Excellence, Telesia Evon Davis

Theses and Dissertations

In spite of the myriad initiatives promoting diversity and inclusion in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines at colleges and universities across the country and the increased funding for these types of initiatives, colleges and universities have experienced modest gains and, in some cases, slight declines in the graduation rates of women and underrepresented minorities (URMs). In addressing this issue, some institutions rely on traditional or “deficit” approaches that place primary responsibility on students for their success in the STEM fields. A growing number of institutions, however, embrace the concept of inclusive excellence, which is an assumption that underrepresented …

Potential Stormwater Runoff Reductions By Incorporating Low Impact Development: Rocky Branch Watershed, Columbia, Sc, Brett Sexton

Theses and Dissertations

Urbanization and increasing population are primary sources of water degradation, increased flood risks, and channel morphological instability. Impervious surface areas increase with urbanization and result in decreased infiltration capactities, increased stormwater runoff, and more rapid stormwater delivery, which in turn increase flood magnitudes and frequencies. Low impact development (LID) can provide volumetric detention storage to reduce flooding. This thesis reviews types of LID, their attributes and limitations, and examines how effectively they can abstract storm runoff volumes, reduce peak discharge, and delay stormwater arrival times for relatively frequent storm events in the Rocky Branch Watershed (RBW).

The RBW is 50% …

Do Americans’ Perceptions Of The Prevalence Of Prejudice Impact Their Racial Policy Preferences? Investigating Meta-Stereotypes As A Potential Causal Mechanism, Alexandra Reckendorf

Theses and Dissertations

Racial discrimination, though more subtle than in the past, is still an enduring presence in 21st century America. Whether looking at education, health care, the workforce, housing/lending practices, or the criminal justice system, studies routinely confirm that racial prejudice and discrimination persist despite claims of a “post-racial” America. Yet, despite the perseverance of racial prejudice and discrimination, policies correcting racial injustice remain contentious, either failing to receive the requisite support to pass reforms or receiving backlash from the public. This project explores meta-stereotypes in the Black and white communities, and highlights meta-stereotypes’ potential impact when determining why some individuals support …