Digital Commons Network^™

Global Climate Change And Higher Education, Max Hadley

Research Papers

No abstract provided.

Social Media And Professional Sports: An Analysis Of The National Basketball Association And National Football League Teams’ Strategies, Anthony D. Zinn Jr.

Research Papers

No abstract provided.

Retirement Values: What Explains Career Transition And Well-Being, Gregg Lunceford

Student Scholarship

In 2011, individuals in America's baby boomer cohort began reaching their full retirement age of 65. It is estimated that approximately 10,000 baby boomers will turn age 65 each day until 2031. Retirement is being discussed more frequently as a greater number of people try to figure out if and how they would like to transition from their primary careers. Our research focused on successful professionals between the ages of 50 and 75 to understand what factors contribute to the decision to make a transition toward retirement. From the study, we learned that retirement is a difficult decision and may …

Bridging Executive Succession Gaps: Organizational Factors That Most Accelerate Executive Readiness, Carolynn Cameron

Student Scholarship

Much has been written on the topic of leadership development however little on the development of top executives, and virtually nothing on the most efficient ways of developing executives. With succession pipelines to executive jobs weak across S&P 500 firms, executive succession weakness poses a real financial, continuity and governance risk to systems globally. To address this phenomenological gap, the authors conducted a qualitative inquiry involving semi-structured interviews with managers in a single S&P 50 global firm that operates across three industries. By probing into the "lived worlds" of these executive successors and high performing non-successors, new insight has been …

Bridging Executive Succession Gaps: Organizational Factors That Most Accelerate Executive Readiness, Carolynn Cameron

Student Scholarship

Much has been written on the topic of leadership development however little on the development of top executives, and virtually nothing on the most efficient ways of developing executives. With succession pipelines to executive jobs weak across S&P 500 firms, executive succession weakness poses a real financial, continuity and governance risk to systems globally. To address this phenomenological gap, the authors conducted a qualitative inquiry involving semi-structured interviews with managers in a single S&P 50 global firm that operates across three industries. By probing into the "lived worlds" of these executive successors and high performing non-successors, new insight has been …

Exploring How The Risk Of Sudden Cardiac Death Is Discussed In Families With A Diagnosis Of A Sads Condition, Kristin Anne Wiley

Theses and Dissertations

Sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS), where death is secondary to cardiac arrhythmia, is associated with several cardiac ion channelopathies, including long QT syndrome and Brugada syndrome, as well as cardiomyopathies such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and dilated cardiomyopathy. Many of these conditions often present in childhood or adolescence. This study investigates how diagnoses of cardiac diseases associated with SADS are communicated within families. A questionnaire was distributed through cardiac disease-focused support groups and organizations. Data from 114 parents who have a child with a SADS condition were used for analysis. Based on the responses, parents explained the risk of SADS in …

Biodiversity And Ecosystem Function And The Design Of Tallgrass Restorations For Biomass Production, Dustin Robert Jon Graham

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Biodiversity and ecosystem function research (BEF) suggests species richness may provide high levels of ecosystem functions. However, few studies have applied a BEF perspective of restoration, which utilizes biodiversity to achieve increases in ecosystem functions. In this study, we test the application of the BEF perspective of restoration in the design of tallgrass prairie plantings as a biomass crops. Specifically, we examine the effects of planted species richness on biomass production, resistance to disturbance, and resistance to invasion by weeds.

Four seed mixes which range in species richness (1, 5, 16 and 32 species) were established in four, field-scale (0.33-0.55 …

Rethinking The Conquest : An Exploration Of The Similarities Between Pre-Contact Spanish And Mexica Society, Culture, And Royalty, Samantha Billing

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The Spanish Conquest has been historically marked by the year 1521 and is popularly thought of as an absolute and complete process of indigenous subjugation in the New World. Alongside this idea comes the widespread narrative that describes a barbaric, uncivilized group of indigenous people being conquered and subjugated by a more sophisticated and superior group of Europeans. There is also a common misconception that the Conquest resulted in a dominance of European culture and a loss of the indigenous heritage that had prevailed in the New World up until that point.

This manuscript explores the period known as the …

Perceived Relational Evaluation : Biological, Psychological, And Physical Health Correlates, Emily Christina Banitt

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Humans have a fundamental need to belong, and being rejected or devalued elicits strong emotional reactions such as stress and anxiety (Leary, 2001). Low perceived relational evaluation (PRE), as a type of rejection, occurs when one person in a relationship believes his or her significant other does not regard his or her bond with the other person as valuable, close, or important (Leary, 2001). The goal of the research was to examine the interrelations among PRE, cortisol (biological stress), relationship quality, and physical and psychological within dating couples. Undergraduate female students (N = 109) who were involved in dating relationships …

On Body Dumps : The Rhetorics Of Corporeal Narcoterrorism, Evan Mitchell Schares

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Though the exact number is unknown, estimates indicate the trade and movement of narcotics have resulted in over 60,000 murders of Mexican citizens. As a result of the rising narcoviolence, Felipe Calderón, early in his presidential administration, made the “War on Drugs” a top priority. Despite this effort to curb the violence, in 2010 alone, more than 15,200 lifeless bodies have been left across Mexico, most likely by drug cartels. A nascent phrase, body dumps, has risen in journalistic reports describing this conscious relocation of the ruined corpse to highly visible traffic areas. This thesis explores the rhetorical constructions of …

“Our Navy” : Women Accepted For Voluntary Emergency Service At Iowa State Teacher's College, 1942-1945, Marissa Krein

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

During World War II, Iowa State Teacher’s College (now known as University of Northern Iowa) was host to the first indoctrination school and later yeomen school (naval secretaries) of the United States Naval Women’s Reserve or the Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Service (WAVES). The first class of 1,500 WAVES arrived at Iowa State Teacher’s College (ISTC) in December 1942. The women endured five to six weeks of an intensive introductory training. In April 1943, the indoctrination school was replaced by a yeomen school. The yeomen school remained in operation until it was closed in April 1945. During its twenty-nine …

A Model For Measuring The Contribution Of Form To Perception Of Biological Sex In Point-Light Actors, Michael Mintz

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

People are able to judge the sex of actors represented in point-light displays. Much of the previous literature has focused on the contribution of motion information to this judgment, or has focused specifically on information gathered from the shoulders and hips. The purpose of the current study is to model how form information, based upon the distance between the dots representing a point-light actor’s key joints, the shoulder, hip, elbow, knee, wrist, and ankle points, contributes to the perception of biological sex. In a pilot study, 6 naïve observers responded to 63 computer generated stimuli that ranged from extremely female …

August Becker And Traditional Vs. Modern Culture In The First Decades Of The Twentieth Century, Michelle Lea Becker Smith

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

In the first few decades of the twentieth century, American culture changed drastically from the traditional agricultural culture that had sustained it for a century to one that was modern and revolved around the urban landscape, consumer culture, and manufacturing. In this thesis I explore this change in American culture through the life of August Becker, son of a rural German immigrant who chose a life of crime instead of staying in rural Iowa. His life choices are the lens used to explore the changes in American culture through the first decades of the twentieth century.

Injunctive And Descriptive Norms Effect On Physical Activity, Monica Lynn Ehn

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Nearly half of adults in the United States do not meet the recommended guidelines for both aerobic and strengthening activities despite the benefits of regular physical activity (National Center for Health Statistics, 2014; US Department of Health and Human Services, 2008). The purpose of the current study was to test whether normative feedback (i.e., descriptive and descriptive plus injunctive norms) affects levels of physical activity. Participants wore a Fitbit Zip pedometer to record exercise behavior and received normative feedback messages sent to their mobile phones. Participants were 52 undergraduate students with a mean age of 18.66 (SD = 0.83); 27 …

An American's Paris: Tourism And The American Consumer, 1947-1961, Margaret Nervig

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

In 1947, a group of twenty-two Iowa farmers traveled to Europe for a month-long trip around the continent’s top destinations. Their primary mission, as outlined in Life Magazine, was to investigate European farming practices, particularly agricultural methods and food needs in the postwar period. The article included photos of the Iowans visiting French farms and speaking with farmers, but it also included a full-page photo of the group at a Parisian nightclub, complete with scantily clad women. Despite their agriculturally-based intentions, these Midwestern farmers could not resist a taste of Parisian culture.

This type of imagery is only one example …

All Fortune Is Good Fortune: The Role Of Fortuna In A Monotheistic Literary World, Kimberly Bridgewater

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The goddess Fortuna, who ruled over chance and the giving of worldly gifts was a pagan deity who survived through the conversion of Christianity in Europe. Her survival and inclusion in Medieval literature caused conflicts with the Christian religion, especially in relation to beliefs in free will and God’s Providence. Now, twenty-first century scholars are still attempting to figure out how the role of free will can co-exist with Fortuna, especially in regard to the works of Geoffrey Chaucer, Guillaume de Lorris and Jean de Meun, who render Fortuna as a dominant entity in the lives of their Christian characters. …

The Variation Of Center Of Mass Excursion Within And Between Innings And Its Relationship To Pitched Ball Velocity In Collegiate Softball Players, Leah Renee Embrey

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to measure the changes to excursions of the COM with pitch count and innings pitched in a collegiate softball game. Additionally, the effect of excursion on pitched ball velocity was investigated.

Twenty-six collegiate pitchers were recorded using a high speed video camera. The first three fastballs and the last three fastballs in each inning were used to determine the COM position during the stride foot takeoff, the lead foot touchdown, and the release. Ball velocity was also calculated from the digitization of each video. MatLab and Excel were used to calculate the excursions between …

A Comparison Of Hip And Knee Torques Produced During A Maximal Effort Full And Partial Back Squat, Jordan Alexander Williams

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study examined the levels of hip and knee torques produced during a one repetition maximum (1RM partial) squat and full squat in order to determine if there would be a difference in the peak torque created at the two depths.

Eight male athletes (standing height = 1.84 ± 0.07 m; mass = 87 ± 14 kg; age 23 ± 2.1 years) volunteered for the study. Each subject performed a 1RM squat at full squat (as low as the participant could go, at least 0° or thigh parallel in relation to the ground) and partial squat (thigh at 45° in …

The Impact Of Student Organizations On The Development Of Core Competencies, Stanley Somtochukwu Ebede

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Higher education has a significant impact on the development of critical skills that improve students’ academic outcomes. However, academic institutions have not adequately focused more on the role of student organizations in supporting and improving student outcomes. The primary purpose of this study is to investigate students’ perception of the development of core competencies during their experiences at a comprehensive Midwestern university, specifically examining the differences of those involved in student organizations to those not involved.

The impact of student organizations on the development of core competencies was assessed using a survey that was designed around the core competencies outlined …

Gender Differences In Social Support During Injury Rehabilitation, Chelsey Ann Bruns

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Athletic injury can be a stress-inducing event that could have negative consequences on the psychological health of the athlete (Anderson & Williams, 1988; Gould, Udry, Bridges, & Beck, 1997). Injuries not only challenge the athlete physically, but also mentally challenge their ability to cope and overcome. A growing amount of research has indicated social support as a key factor in the rehabilitation process for an injured athlete (Yang, Peek, Lowe, Heiden, & Foster, 2010). Athletic injury causes an emotional disruption, and social support could influence the athlete’s reaction to the injury and his or her ability to cope with rehabilitation …

Pedagogical Reasoning Of Pre-Service Teachers: Juggling Priorities And Managing Resources, Jennifer Lynn Rasmussen

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to examine the cognitive and motivational factors related to the development of self-regulated teaching. These factors were defined by Shulman (1986; 2006) as theoretical, practical and moral knowledge for pedagogical reasoning. This study occurred in a clinical, instructional setting specifically designed to provide pre-service teachers with the environmental factors necessary to support the development of self-regulated instructional decision making. These factors included specific modeling of teacher thinking, regular formative feedback, instructional autonomy and strategic reflection. An instructional sequence based on Schunk and Zimmerman’s (1998; 2007) Model of the Development of Self-Regulatory Skill was applied …

Collegiate Athletes' Perceptions Of Social Support And Athletic Trainer-Coach Conflict, Nathan Newman

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Following an injury, athletes go through a cognitive evaluation to determine if resources are present to manage any potential stress attributed to being injured (e.g., Wiese-Bjornstal et al., 1995). This evaluation determines both behavioral and emotional responses to the injury and can be influenced by a number of factors, including social support (e.g., Wiese-Bjornstal et al., 1998). Social support serves as a resource that allows injured athletes to make a positive cognitive evaluation (e.g., Wiese-Bjornstal et al., 1998). Another factor that could influence the cognitive evaluation is interpersonal conflict. In athletics, interpersonal conflict is present in the form of athletic …

The Disintegration Of Yugoslavia And Football, Adnan Kajtezović

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was a multi-national state, consisting of six republics and two autonomous regions. However in 1991, the country descended into a tragic and bloody civil war, causing over two hundred thousand deaths and the migration of thousands. The disintegration of Yugoslavia produced seven independent countries: Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro and Kosovo.

The disintegration of Yugoslavia has been analyzed from different analytical perspectives. This project utilizes the analytical context of Yugoslavian popular culture, and focuses on the most popular sport in the country, football. Football is analyzed in two historical periods of …

The Influence Of The Single Stereotype On Moral Judgments, Peng Zhang

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Stereotypes can powerfully influence people’s moral judgments. For example, stereotypes of atheists lead people to report immoral behavior as more consistent for atheists than Christians (Wright & Nichols, 2014). When targets are labeled as “obese” or “hippie”, perceivers morally judge them more harshly than targets who are not assigned such labels (Masicampo, Barth, & Ambady, 2014). However, limited research has examined how stereotypes of single people can influence perceivers’ moral judgments. Because of various negative stereotypes people hold about single people (Conley & Collins, 2002; DePaulo & Morris, 2005), it was anticipated that people would morally judge a single target …

Resurrecting The Hip-Hop And Christian Cultures: Lecrae's Unashamed Use Of The Rap Narrative, Persona, And Language, Marci Swank

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Hip-hop and Christian cultures do not overlap too often, or do they? As a rapper, Lecrae is able to share his narrative through his lyrical content, which includes his Christian faith. This thesis examines the history of hip-hop, Lecrae’s personal influences, and the overarching movement within the two cultures. Lecrae’s persona, use of the hiphop and Christian platforms, and rhetorical decisions reveal him as an example of how the American culture both resists and embraces the less-likely artist. Some view Lecrae as the one bringing hip-hop back to its original origins, but others believe that he is tainting both cultures …

Educación Legal En Los Estados Unidos I: Facultades De Derecho Y El Juris Doctor, Maria Elena Cobas Cobiella, M C. Mirow

Faculty Publications

This series of two articles describes the most important features of legal education in the United States. Part I, found here, discusses law schools and the juris doctor. Part II, published later in the same journal, discusses graduate legal education, continuing legal education, and some comparative aspects of U.S. legal education in light of the Bologna Plan.

The Political Economy And Legal Regulation Of Transnational Commercial Surrogate, Cyra Akila Choudhury

Faculty Publications

This Article breaks new ground by closely reading the emerging ethnographic accounts of surrogacy to establish that current feminist frames are incomplete. It incorporates the political economy of surrogacy, the economic relationship of surrogacy to the Indian state, and the political economy of surrogates’ families, which have all been missing from the current dialogue. The Article concludes that the benefits of surrogate labor outweigh its disadvantages and develops a new framework — of surrogacy as labor — that will, for the first time, protect the surrogate as worker.Surrogacy, as a fairly open regulatory field, provides feminists with a unique opportunity …

Droughts, Floods, And Wildfires: Paleo Perspectives On Disaster Law In The Anthropocene, Ryan Stoa

Faculty Publications

Humanity’s impact on the earth has become so pronounced that momentum is building toward adopting a new term for the modern geological age — the “Anthropocene.” The term signifies that human activity has reached a scale that it is now a planetary force capable of shaping ecosystems and natural processes. And yet, anthropocentric natural resources management and environmental lawmaking in the United States reveals a lack of control in managing natural systems and fostering resilience to extreme events. These systems do not easily conform to the whims of reactionary environmental policies. Droughts, floods, and wildfires, in particular, are often conceptualized …

The Process Of Marriage Equality, Josh Blackman, Howard M. Wasserman

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Bankruptcy And Higher Education Institutions, St. John’S University School Of Law Symposium, Scott F. Norberg

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.