Digital Commons Network^™

Integrating Art Education And Literacy Education: A Curriculum For The Secondary Level, Erin Moody-Zoet

Masters Theses

The purpose of this paper is to examine, through the design of a new curriculum, how the integration of reading and writing literacy into a visual arts curriculum can strengthen literacy skills as well as foster creative thinking at the middle school level. There is a growing demand for the integration of literacy in all core, and non-core curricula. By developing a curriculum that integrates literacy strategies in a visual arts program, as well as touches on the disconnect that I see between individuals and their own creative outlets, a curriculum is established that fosters and engages students in creative …

Dispositional Optimism: Modeling Cardiovascular Disease Mortality With Traditional Risk Factors And A Psychosocial Personality Trait, Kiana Ramisi Luckett Robinson

Dissertations

Despite increased awareness of clinical risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD), heart disease remains a physical and economic burden to African Americans. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between dispositional optimism, a psychosocial personality trait, and CVD mortality, based on immediate cause of death. A cross-sectional design was used to examine the predictive value of dispositional optimism in CVD mortality concomitant with traditional CVD risk factors. The traditional CVD risk factors of interest consisted of body mass index, waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, total cholesterol, and C-reactive protein. Also, aggregated mortality data for optimists …

Private Acts, Public Problems: Domestic Violence As A Policy Case Study, Emily S. Carroll

Dissertations

This project discusses the relevant literature on decision-making, looks at the ways domestic violence is discussed and how the terminology has changed/progressed over time, and defines it for the purposes of this project. It then examines four states - an individualistic, resource-rich state; a moralistic, resource-average state; and two traditionalistic, resource-poor states. States were chosen based on their full compliance with the National Incident-Based Reporting System, their categorization as individualistic, moralistic, and traditionalistic as defined by Daniel J. Elazar (1972), and their categorization as resource-rich, resource-average, and resource-poor based on 2010 Census data. By using each state as a case …

Essays On The Political Geography Of The United States Of America, Wesley Harris

All Dissertations

The Correlation between income and voting is very different based on what part of the country a voter resides. In rural areas, there is a strong and negative correlation between income and probability of voting for a Democratic Presidential Candidate, while in urban areas, the correlation is much weaker. This paper shows that once you control for not only individual specific characteristics of voters but also geographic characteristics such as racial diversity, population density, and economic diversity, the regional differences between the effects of income on voting disappears. One potential explanation for this geographical significance is in urban areas the …

Transnational Historical Fiction In A Postsecular Age: A Study Of The Spiritual Theses In The Works Of Luis Alberto Urrea And Bahiyyih Nakhjavani, Mary Anna Sobhani

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study, employing a postsecular theoretical prism, analyzes the spiritual theses given expression through the historical fiction of Mexican-American, or Chicano, author Luis Alberto Urrea and exiled Persian Bahá'í author Bahiyyih Nakhjavani. This study examines three novels: Nakhjavani's The Woman Who Read Too Much, Urrea's The Hummingbird's Daughter, and its sequel Queen of America. These novels express world-views in which the spiritual has particular importance, not as a supersession of quotidian reality but in an integral partnership with it, the baseline upon which postsecular thought is built. This study concludes that such an expression of world-views signals towards …

The Social And Economic Impact Of Refractive Error In Mozambique, Stephen James Thompson

Doctoral

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate potential key determinants of the success, or otherwise, of endeavours to address avoidable Visual Impairment (VI) by addressing Uncorrected Refractive Error (URE) in Mozambique and the wider region of sub-Saharan Africa by providing optometric services. It includes a Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) of a higher education optometry training programme, barriers that might prevent the realisation of overarching goals despite a successful training programme, and a Willingness to Pay (WTP) analysis to inform the pricing structure and to determine the financial sustainability of the system. Methods A standard CBA methodology was applied to …

Building On The Past, Facing The Future: Renewing The Creative Economy Of New Mexico, Jeffrey Mitchell, Gillian Joyce

BBER Publications

The New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs commissioned UNMs Bureau of Business and Economic Research (BBER) to study the role of arts and cultural industries in the New Mexico (NM) economy. This study resulted in a report that reviews the economic impact of these 'creative' industries, discusses the challenges and opportunities they face, and concludes with policy recommendations. BBER researchers found that these industries employ over 43,000 persons in NM, pay $1.37 billion in wages and salaries, and generate $137.1 million in state and local government revenues. The study used a broad definition of 'arts and culture' to include persons …

Making Fenians: The Transnational Constitutive Rhetoric Of Revolutionary Irish Nationalism, 1858-1876, Timothy Richard Dougherty

Dissertations - ALL

This dissertation traces the constitutive rhetorical strategies of revolutionary Irish nationalists operating transnationally from 1858-1876. Collectively known as the Fenians, they consisted of the Irish Republican Brotherhood in the United Kingdom and the Fenian Brotherhood in North America. Conceptually grounded in the main schools of Burkean constitutive rhetoric, it examines public and private letters, speeches, Constitutions, Convention Proceedings, published propaganda, and newspaper arguments of the Fenian counterpublic. It argues two main points. First, the separate national constraints imposed by England and the United States necessitated discursive and non-discursive rhetorical responses in each locale that made it near impossible to sustain …

Unpacking Coalitions: Explaining International Commitment In European Governments, Sibel Oktay Karagul

Dissertations - ALL

A central debate in the Comparative Foreign Policy literature concerns the role of government composition on the international behavior of parliamentary democracies. For the past two decades, a multitude of studies have discussed whether single-party governments were more or less constrained than multiparty coalitions in their international behavior, yet they have failed to reach conclusive empirical findings. This dissertation responds to this puzzle by unpacking coalitions: as it captures the variation among coalition governments along mathematical and ideological dimensions, the dissertation introduces a nuanced 'government composition' approach to explain the international commitments of European parliamentary regimes during the post-Cold War …

Coming To America: The Business Of Trafficked Workers, Valerie Francisco, Robyn Rodriguez

Faculty Publications, Sociology

The expansion of the United States’ current guest worker program is one policy measure that both political parties have agreed on in the immigration debate yet there continues to be a paucity of research on the experiences of migrants, many of whom are Asian, who enter the U.S. through the existing program. This paper examines the experiences of Asian guest workers with a focus on guest workers from the Philippines. Filipino migrants are an especially good case study for examining the United States’ guest worker program because the Philippines was amongst the top 5 countries supplying workers to the U.S. …

Essays In International Economics, Eyup Dogan

All Dissertations

This Dissertation consists of three chapters. These chapters use the power of the gravity model widely employed in the international economics literature. The first chapter investigates how economic integration agreements impact countries' local technology, wages, prices and market access, and how to aggregate these effects to compute the changes in countries' welfare. By examining 16 countries that have harmonized with the European Union since 1980, we show that almost all of the participating countries experience welfare gains as a result of signing integration agreements with the European Union. The objective of the second chapter is to explain the determinants of …

Historic Preservation In Quito, Ecuador : Tangible And Intangible Heritage., Meredith Alison Maple

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Historic preservation efforts in the colonial centro histórico of Quito, Ecuador span the past century. A more recent development in the world of heritage preservation is concern with the safeguarding of intangible heritage. This thesis looks at case studies from the centro histórico of Quito and seeks to identify what should come next for Quito in terms of historic preservation, the safeguarding of intangible heritage, and the creation of a constructive and inclusive tourism industry in the centro histórico.

Overcoming Roadblocks In Introducing Virtual World Technology To High Schools, Casey Dylan Bailey

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The EAST (Environmental And Spatial Technology) Initiative is a non-profit educational organization that provides students in over two hundred schools in eight states with access to advanced computing technologies for the purpose of enabling students to develop technical skills early and to produce solutions to local community problems. Although many high-end technologies are available through EAST, they are desktop solutions that individual students use and there are none that enable students within a school or between schools to collaborate.

This thesis is a saga that documents the identification and removal of many roadblocks to introducing a 3D multi-user virtual simulation …

Tempo And Mode Of Domestication During The Neolithic Revolution: Evidence From Dental Mesowear And Microwear Of Sheep, Melissa Zolnierz

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Neolithic Revolution marked a dramatic change in human subsistence practices. In order to explain this change, we must understand the motive forces behind it. Researchers have proposed many different stimuli, with most theories invoking environmental dynamics, human population density increases beyond environmental carrying capacity, and the natural outgrowth of human and plant/animal interactions. However, unanswered questions remain concerning the mechanics of animal domestication. Traditional studies of changing faunal morphology and skeletal population profiles offer some clues, but such research has had limited success identifying stages intermediate between wild and domesticated forms, which makes it difficult to discern initial attempts …

The Archaeological Excavation Of An Antebellum Educational Boarding House In Cane Hill, Arkansas 3wa1233, Teka Rene Mcglothlin

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is an archaeological evaluation of the remains of a two related structures located in Cane Hill, Arkansas. In order to establish the function and/or affiliation of the structures, historical documentation was combined with the analysis of the artifact assemblage. Based on artifacts recovered and archival sources, these two structures appear to be associated with a former boarding house used for male students attending Cane Hill College. This research provides insight into educational boarding facilities as well as multiple cultures cohabitating in the 19th Century Ozarks.

Using The Spatial Variability Of Lead In Urban Soils And Demographic Variables To Predict Exposure Risks: An Environmental Justice Analysis In Terre Haute, Indiana, Heather A. Foxx

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Terre Haute, Indiana, is similar to many older cities throughout the United States with a history of manufacturing and industry that relied on extensive road and rail networks. This industrial history has resulted in the presence of over 20 brownfields and even a Superfund Site within the city today. Historic neighborhoods and abundance of pre-1950’s homes is another characteristic of the city. Unfortunately, improper removal and deterioration of lead (Pb) paints, as well as high Pb solder used in gutters, appear to be significant sources of soil Pb in Terre Haute. Despite the fact that most new environmental sources of …

Urban Flash Flood Risk Assessment And Inundation Model Utilizing Gis For Terre Haute, Indiana, Zachary Scott Ishman

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Use of ArcGIS to examine flash flooding variables and produce a flash flood risk assessment and inundation model for Terre Haute, Indiana. Risk assessment, produced within ArcGIS, indicates that an increase in developed area leads to an increase in very high flash flood risk area and majority of very high risk area resides in developed areas of Terre Haute. Inundation model, produced using ArcGIS and Python, indicates that the proposed model can determine locations of flash flooding, but spatial extent of model predicted flooding is not reliable based on field validation.

U.S. - Asean Organized Crime Cooperation As Part Of Washington's Rebalancing Policy Toward The Asia-Pacific, Tuan Anh Luc

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

This research addresses the reasons why the United States of America (U.S.) has been involving in the effort of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to combat transnational organized crime. The author argues that Washington has been doing so because: first, it wants to prevent and suppress negative influences of Southeast Asian organized crime and protect national interests; second, it wants to increase regional capabilities, sometimes at the Association's request, and narrow differences so as to effectively deal with transnational organized crime; and third, it wants to justify its presence in the region and pave the way …

Parental Perceptions Of Early Childhood Education Programming For Children With And Without Disabilities, Brittany Greer Herrington

Dissertations

This study examined the factors influencing parental selection of early childhood education programs for their children with and without disabilities. Factors explored were severity of disability, parental choice in programming, inclusion, parental satisfaction, type of disability, and availability of programs that take part in early childhood education. Parents with at least one child with a disability and one child without a disability age eight or younger participated in this study by responding to items from a researcher-adapted instrument. Though no findings were statistically significant, conclusions drawn both support the literature and suggest that parents want the same programming for their …

Illinois State, August 2014, Illinois State University, University Marketing And Communications

State: The Magazine of Illinois State University (1999-present)

Illinois State University alumni magazine

Influence Of Resources, Resource Loss, And Coping Response On Food Management Practices And Food Security, Simone Perette Camel

Dissertations

Food insecurity has been associated with compromised health and wellness. Current literature regarding coping strategies and practices employed by the food insecure often describes food management and acquisition practices, and/or the riskiness of these practices. Material and personal resources such as income, time, self-efficacy, and social support have been identified as predictors or influencers of food security status. In this study, the Conservation of Resources theory was used to conceptualize resources and resource loss as they relate to food practices and food security. It was hypothesized that the level of resources would influence food security status and the adaptive food …

Passports, Global Citizenship, And The Black Student: A Qualitative Study Uncovering The Dispositions Of Undergraduate African American Students Regarding Global Citizenship, Jenaya Lévon Perdue

Dissertations

Global citizenship is an elusive concept that spans a multitude of disciplines and is coming to the forefront of conversations at institutions of higher learning, as colleges and universities grapple with training and shaping their student body into scholars useful and sensitive to the needs of our society and world in the 21st century. Morais and Ogden (2011) captured the essence of global citizenship in three tenets, which are social responsibility, global competence, and global civic engagement. Using the three tenets of Morais and Ogden (2009), as well as a definition developed based on research, this researcher sought to discover …

The Threat Of Terrorism And The Changing Public Discourse On Immigration After September 11, Joshua Woods, C. Damien Arthur

Political Science Faculty Research

This article uses articles from the opinion-leading press to investigate how the news media's repertoire of negative portrayals changed after the September 11 terrorist attacks. It is based on a systematic random sample of 360 articles from two, opinion-leading newspapers---one known for its liberal slant (New York Times) and one known for its conservative slant (Wall Street Journal). The sample is drawn from a large population of articles published over a six-year period (1998-2004). The findings show that the percentage of negative frames involving not only terrorism but also other non-terrorist threats increased significantly after September 11. The elevated frequency …

Nato Military Interventions In Kosovo, Libya, Afghanistan And Their Impact On Relations With Russia After The Cold War, Dovydas Rogulis

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis seeks to find out how NATO military interventions in Kosovo, Libya and Afghanistan have negatively affected relations with Russia. In order to achieve the aim and hypothesis of the study, the critical geopolitical approach is chosen as a theoretical framework.;The schematic critical geopolitics conceptualization of Gearoid O. Tuathail is used as the method of research. This thesis mostly pays attention to three essential parts of the critical geopolitics: "formal geopolitics" (analyses of think tanks, specialists, etc.), "practical geopolitics" (the decisions of policy makers, official statements, documents, strategies and speeches) and "popular geopolitics" (media discourse and opinion surveys). The …

Regional Mapping And Reservoir Analysis Of The Middle Devonian Marcellus Shale In The Appalachian Basin, Jared Vanmeter

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The main purpose of this investigation is to define the distribution of organic-rich facies of the Middle Devonian Marcellus Shale in New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. The analysis is based on well-log data, primarily gamma-ray (the most common and best calibrated) and bulk-density logs (where available). Detailed log analysis has been performed to normalize the logs and define key indicators of reservoir quality. Stratigraphic correlations have been conducted to trace key formation across the study area.;The following maps were generated over the study area.;• Isopach maps of the Mahantango Shale, Marcellus Shale, Oatka Creek Member, Cherry Valley and …

Project Prairie And Tallgrass Education On The Rice Lake Plains: A Journey From 1870 To Today And Beyond, Todd Farrell, Mark Rupke, Mark Stabb

The Prairie Naturalist

Project Prairie began in 2011 as a curriculum-linked integrated environmental studies program to showcase the Rice Lake Plains (RLP), a tallgrass prairie landscape of sandy rolling hills located at the eastern extent of the Oak Ridges Moraine in southern Ontario. Project Prairie provides educators both indoor and outdoor activities that support their curriculum and share the story of the RLP. Project Prairie provides teacher and student resources that focus on the RLP from the mid-nineteenth century to present day. Learning objectives of Project Prairie are developed from the subjects of science, social science, language arts, geography, history, and Aboriginal culture. …

Genetic Variations In Two Seahorse Species (Hippocampus Mohnikei And Hippocampus Trimaculatus): Evidence For Middle Pleistocene Population Expansion, Yanhong Zhang, Nancy Kim Pham, Huixian Zhang, Junda Lin, Qiang Lin

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Population genetic of seahorses is confidently influenced by their species-specific ecological requirements and life-history traits. In the present study, partial sequences of mitochondrial cytochrome b (cytb) and control region (CR) were obtained from 50 Hippocampus mohnikei and 92 H. trimaculatus from four zoogeographical zones. A total of 780 base pairs of cytb gene were sequenced to characterize mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) diversity. The mtDNA marker revealed high haplotype diversity, low nucleotide diversity, and a lack of population structure across both populations of H. mohnikei and H. trimaculatus. A neighbour-joining (NJ) tree of cytb gene sequences showed that H. mohnikei haplotypes formed …

Writing Apprehension Of Black Students At A Private Historically Black Four Year Liberal Arts Institution, John Wesley Mcallister

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the level of writing apprehension among first generation students at a Private Historically Black Institution. Participants were 103 college students from the central region of Arkansas at a Private Historically Black Institution of which 103 students responded to the survey completely. All of the respondents were administered the survey in four different sections of the freshman seminar courses. The survey consisted of a demographic section and the Writing Apprehension Test. The writing apprehension test was created by Daly and Miller (1975) to determine an individual's level of writing apprehension. Student's views, opinions …

The Responses Of The Roman Imperial Government To Natural Disasters 29 Bce-180 Ce, Michael Timothy Mccoy

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the practice of imperial disaster relief between 29 BCE and 180 CE. It focuses upon both the process of disaster aid delineating how Roman emperors were petitioned for assistance, the forms disaster relief took, and the political motives individual emperors had for dispensing disaster aid. Chapter 1 provides a brief introduction to the topic. Chapter 2 outlines the scope of the study as well as the examples used to establish disaster relief in context. Chapter 3 gives an overview of euergetism and also discusses two cases of disaster assistance that pre-date the reign of Augustus. Chapter 4 …

Essays On Smallholder Farmers In Jamaica: Context-Specific Evidence For Food Security Policymaking, Deborah Evadne Brown

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is comprised of three essays that examined the experiences and welfare of traditional food crop farmers in Western Jamaica. It systematically analyses the interplay between smallholder farmers and often overlooked variables in society. The study used qualitative interviewing, field observations and discourse analysis techniques to generate context-specific evidence for food security policymaking.

The first essay examined smallholder farmers' motives for farming. This formed the basis for a farmer typology that provides a portrait of the participants, and was used to inform findings in subsequent essays in this dissertation. The theory of planned behavior provided the conceptual grounding and …