Digital Commons Network^™

Dystopian Identities: Exhuming The World Of Zombies Through The Camera's Eye: A Documentary, Julie Kimble

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This research seeks to understand how engagement in zombie media culture helps its participants to navigate their everyday fears, develop identity, and form meaningful communities through this interaction. Curriculum studies enables us to see that knowledge is fluid and we often learn more from our interaction with our world outside of the expected sites of education—like schools. Media and pop culture provide a place for this knowledge to begin. Participants in zombie culture invest themselves and connect in ways that transcend entertainment and seem to become sites of transformation. Standardization and testing have become the driving force in education, creating …

Flight Of The White Feather: The Expansion Of The White Feather Movement Throughout The World War One British Commonwealth, Kimberly Elisa Stevens

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The historiography of the First World War in Great Britain has focused mainly on military matters, leaving home front experiences temporarily unexplored. While the soldier’s experience remains invaluable to historians, studies of women and the home front are significant. The White Feather Campaign, which called for women to give white feathers denoting cowardice to men in civilian dress, who allegedly had not enlisted, remains vivid in British historical memory, but few scholarly works have examined it thoroughly. Historians such as Nicoletta F. Gullace and Susan R. Grayzel have shed light on British women in the war, but there remains further …

An Investigation On A Mobile Robot In A Ros Enabled Cloud Robotics Environment, Theodore C. Smith

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

In modern day robotic applications, the use of cloud computing is being considered as a viable option giving rise to development of cloud robotics environment. Robots are also being developed to operate under an organized framework of robot operating system (ROS) for flexibility and better integration with robots of different types. In this work, an investigation is presented on the development of a mobile robotic platform and its integration in a ROS enabled cloud robotics environment. A mobile robotic platform was built with different sensors including a depth camera, integrated with Arduino and raspberry pi for interfacing the sensors, the …

Deans Of Students’ Responsibilities In Campus Crisis Management, Patrice B. Jackson

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this descriptive quantitative study was to discover the responsibilities of the dean of students in managing campus crisis. The literature clearly identifies the dean of students as a member of the crisis management team (Benjamin, 2014; Zdziarski, 2001, 2006, 2016). However, a gap in the literature exists concerning the specific responsibilities of the dean of students in responding to campus crisis.

The five phases of crisis management as defined by PPD-8 are Prevention, Protection, Mitigation, Response, and Recovery (US Department of Homeland Security, 2011). In signing PPD-8, President Obama mandated all state and federal organizations develop comprehensive …

What Would The Babel Fish Say?, Monica Gagliano

Animal Sentience

Starting with its title, Key’s (2016) target article advocates the view that fish do not feel pain. The author describes the neuroanatomical, physiological and behavioural conditions involved in the experience of pain in humans and rodents and confidently applies analogical arguments as though they were established facts in support of the negative conclusion about the inability of fish to feel pain. The logical reasoning, unfortunately, becomes somewhat incoherent, with the arbitrary application of the designated human criteria for an analogical argument to one animal species (e.g., rodents) but not another (fish). Research findings are reported selectively, and questionable interpretations are …

The Effects Of Injunctive And Descriptive Normative Influence On Stigmatizing Attitudes Toward Individuals With Mental Illness, Erin E. Lawson

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

People often stigmatize individuals with mental illness (Corrigan, 2003; Weiss, 1994). The stigmatization of mental illness may be facilitated by socialization tools, such as the media, which send messages to the public that individuals with mental illness are fundamentally different and therefore should be excluded from the social majority (Klin & Lemish, 2008; Signorielli, 1989; Stout, Villegas, & Jennings, 2004). Understanding mental illness stigma as a social process may broaden theoretical understanding of how mental illness stigma develops and how it may be reduced. Theories regarding injunctive and descriptive norms may provide such insight. It is known that injunctive norms …

Exploring The Psychometric Properties Of The Acceptance Of Modern Myths About Sexual Aggression (Ammsa) Scale, Lisa C. Watson

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

College-aged women are within the highest risk group of women (18 to 25 years old) to experience sexual assault. Nineteen percent of college women report experiencing attempted or completed sexual assault during their four years of college (Krebs, Linquist, Warner, Fisher, & Martin, 2009). It is estimated that 20 to 25% of college women will experience an attempted or completed sexual assault during college (American College Health Association, 2008). The primary sexual assault prevention method on college campuses has been in the form of education (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2004) with an …

All The News That’S Fit To Sing: Phil Ochs, Vietnam, And The National Press, Thomas C. Waters

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Though a prolific topical musician and a prominent figure of the antiwar movement during the 1960s, Phil Ochs remains relatively understudied by scholars due to the lure of more commercially successful folk artists like Bob Dylan and Joan Baez. His music facilitated awareness of pressing, and sometimes controversial, issues that would otherwise have not been discussed. Focusing on Ochs’ most musically productive years from 1964 until 1968, which coincide with the years of increased American involvement in Southeast Asia, this thesis analyzes Ochs in a way that has not been attempted before. It places his anti-Vietnam War songs in …

Design, Analysis And Evaluation Of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Ad Hoc Network For Emergency Response Communications, Robin D. Grodi

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

In any emergency situation, it is paramount that communication be established between those affected by an emergency and the emergency responders. This communication is typically initiated by contacting an emergency service number such as 9-1-1 which will then notify the appropriate responders. The communication link relies heavily on the use of the public telephone network. If an emergency situation causes damage to, or otherwise interrupts, the public telephone network then those affected by the emergency are unable to call for help or warn others. A backup emergency response communication system is required to restore communication in areas where the public …

Colaboratory: Design Collaboration For The Greater Good, Lindsay B. Tyson

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Graphic design is a powerful tool, which has the power to shift perspective and create an impact. A recent shift in the design world has graphic designers using their skill sets to address complex social problems, to engage their audience in new ways that bring awareness to a social issue for the greater good of society. This thesis examines how graphic design collaboration ignites social change within a community and inspires transformation in human behavior. It explores how designing for the greater good impacts our society; and how these collaborative experiences improve the community and clients they serve. This thesis …

The Effects Of Construal Level On Stigmatizing Attitudes Toward An Individual With Mental Illness, Jeremy Glenn Gay

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

People with mental illness often face stigmatization by society. However, little research has examined cognitive factors that may activate or dissipate stigmatizing attitudes toward those with mental illness. Construal level, or the extent that people focus on abstract generalizations versus concrete details of events, may be one such cognitive factor. Two contradictory hypotheses emerged concerning how construal may affect stigmatizing attitudes. One hypothesis suggests that abstract construals will decrease stigmatization because abstract construals tend to increase the activation of similar goals, thus leading to a similarity focus. In contrast, another hypothesis suggests that abstract construals will increase stigmatization because abstract …

A Study Of Black Teachers’ Perceptions Of The Academic Achievement Of Black Male Students In Elementary Schools In Rural Georgia, Marshall F. Aker

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Presently, numerous research studies, articles and reports have shown troubling outcomes regarding the education of Black male students in the United States (Darensbourg, Perez, & Blake, 2010; Lewis, Simon, Uzzell, Horwitz, & Casserly, 2010; Prager, 2011). The performance of Black males on national achievement assessments is lower in comparison to the performance of most other subgroups. The high school graduation rate for Black males in the United States is below most other ethnic subgroups (Schotts Foundation, 2015). Although various strategies are often implemented at the national, state, and local level in attempts to address achievement disparities, these efforts have not …

Design, Analysis, Implementation And Evaluation Of Real-Time Opportunistic Spectrum Access In Cloud-Based Cognitive Radio Networks, Nimish Sharma

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Opportunistic spectrum access in cognitive radio network is proposed for remediation of spectrum under-utilization caused by exclusive licensing for service providers that are intermittently utilizing spectrum at any given geolocation and time. The unlicensed secondary users (SUs) rely on opportunistic spectrum access to maximize spectrum utilization by sensing/identifying the idle bands without causing harmful interference to licensed primary users (PUs). In this thesis, Real-time Opportunistic Spectrum Access in Cloud-based Cognitive Radio Networks (ROAR) architecture is presented where cloud computing is used for processing and storage of idle channels. Software-defined radios (SDRs) are used as SUs and PUs that identify, report, …

Assessment Of The Knowledge And Skills Of School Personnel To Respond To Diabetic Emergencies In Georgia Public Schools, Alesha Wright

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Diabetes is a common chronic disease that affects children in the United States. As children with diabetes attend school, the ability to appropriately manage their diabetes is essential to preventing life-threatening health complications. The purpose of the study was to assess school personnel’s knowledge of diabetes and perceived self-competence in performing diabetes management skills in response to a diabetic emergency. For the present study, a diabetic emergency was operationalized to include hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, or diabetic ketoacidosis. A cross-sectional survey design, utilizing a fifty-two item self-administered questionnaire that accentuated the causes and symptoms of diabetes, definition of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia, and …

Current Concussion Education Practices In Ncaa Member Institutions: A Descriptive Study, Samuel E. Johnson Ii

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Purpose: To investigate concussion education implementation methods in NCAA member institutions.

Methods: Of the 1,078 athletic trainers across all NCAA Divisions that were contacted, 355 were included in this study. Participants were asked to complete the Current Concussion Education Practices Questionnaire (CCEPQ). The CCEPQ consisted of four sections: demographics, concussion education questionnaire, perceived effectiveness of concussion education, and limitations/barrier to providing concussion education. Outcome frequencies were used to report survey results. Respondent division-level categorical differences across survey items were assessed with a 2X3 chi-square test of independence.

Results: Providing concussion education occurs in 98.9% of NCAA member institutions. Educating student …

A Mixed Methods Assessment Of The Implementation Of Electronic Health Records In Local Health Departments, Karmen S. Williams

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Background: Electronic Health Record (EHR) implementation has seen great advances in health care, but the movement is leaving public health agencies behind. EHRs have shown improvement in operational and societal outcomes when implemented. Scarce allocation of resources, lack of trained staff, and security are limiters to implementation, despite the varied benefits of EHRs. The objective of this research is to establish a comprehensive view of EHR implementation in local health departments (LHDs) through assessing the status of implementation, benefits, barriers, and strategies to overcome challenges. Methods: This research uses a mixed methods approach to assess 49 key-informant interviews and 324 …

Frames Of Military Veterans In Letters To The Editor In Us Newspapers, Matthew Kleinsorge

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This ethnographic content analysis of veterans in letters to the editor builds on the existing literature in two ways. First it examines the new time frame of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Second it deals with new data—letters to the Editor and Op-Eds. The new timeframe allows me to address the following questions. (1) What types of frames are currently associated with veterans after over eleven years of continuous combat? (2) Does the amount of sympathy in framings of veterans found by this research seem to differ from the amount of sympathy found in the framings of veterans in …

Guns, Gender, Geography: Exploring Reasons For Gun Ownership, Lauren N. Kadet

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This study was aimed to depict patterns of gun ownership in the United States and to outline the reasons for gun ownership and the influential variables associated with people’s reasons for owning handguns and long guns. This study used data derived from the 2004 National Firearm Survey to examine how respondents’ geographic region of residency, gender, race, age, rural location and education level influenced the likelihood of, and reasons for owning a firearm. The findings from this study suggest that being a male, living in the south and participants’ age was significant in determining the likelihood of participants owning a …

Zoetic Fitness, Brooke S. Fremeau

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Graphic design is a problem-solving field. A client or company tasks a designer with a problem, and to solve that problem the designer uses 2D fundamentals and technology. As a designer, one must carefully listen to the client to understand their needs before making design decisions. While graphic designers are responsible for creating stunning visuals for both print and digital media, one of the most important aspects of graphic design is branding. Broadly speaking, branding is the process involved in creating a unique name and image for a product or service in a consumers mind. Through branding, the designer aims …

The Effectiveness Of Teaching Life Skills Through Sport-Based Interventions For At-Risk Youth, Melinda Katheran Scott

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

At-risk youth are children and adolescents who live in a negative environment and/or do not possess the skills they need in becoming responsible members of society (Collingwood, 1997). Many of these youth experience adjustment difficulties, behavioral problems, academic failure and dropout, or mental health difficulties (Moreau et al., 2012). One of the current resources for these youth has been sport-based interventions or physical activity to measure the benefits of psychosocial wellbeing among the adolescents. However, these have typically been outreach projects rather than research based. The current study analyzed the effectiveness of a life skills program called SUPER that used …

Evaluation Of Tattoo Artists' Perceptions Of Tattoo Regulations In The United States, Jessica L.C. Sapp

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Background: With the increasing popularity in recent years, tattoos are no longer considered taboo but rather becoming a mainstream mode of self-expression so the inherent risks associated with tattooing could have a greater impact on the public’s health.

Objective: The study aims to gain an understanding and describe the perceptions and opinions of tattoo artists regarding tattoo regulations in the United States.

Methods: Data were collected through an online survey using a descriptive, survey research design. Survey responses were used from 1,315 study participants.

Results: There were 5 health policy related items evaluated: 1) tattoo artists should be licensed, 2) …

Modification Of The Fundamental Properties Of Light Through Interaction With Nanostructured Materials, David W. Keene Ii

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The field of photonics has been growing rapidly over the last few decades as it has endeavored to harness the potential of nanostructured materials to utilize the energy and momentum of electromagnetic radiation on the nanoscale. Using metal nanostructures provides the ability to take advantage of the sub-field of plasmonics which holds the promise of opening the world to vast increases in computational power by circumventing the limitations of conventional current that plague today’s processors. With a thorough understanding of this subject we also get one step closer to increasing the efficiency of solar technology, developing a finer scale of …

Law Enforcements’ Perceptions And Preparedness To Address Child Exploitation Via Hacking, Jack W. Lightfoot

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Throughout recorded history, children have been subjected to sexual exploitation. Child predators and pedophiles often take great risk and go to extreme lengths to sexually exploit a child. With technological advancements many individuals became globalized and connected with the invention of the computer, the internet and its attributes. However, child predators quickly took note of the vulnerability of children as they begin to groom them online. The problem quickly evolved as the Deep (Dark) Web and encryption were created. This put great stress upon law enforcement entities as locating and combating these predators became exhausting tasks. It’s most often that …

The Posthuman Curriculum And The Teacher, John P. Cook

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The intent of this document is to explore education through a posthumanist lens. More specifically, elements of posthumanism will be used to better understand today’s teachers, to provide several overarching educational goals and curricular imperatives, and to inform pedagogical practice. Several posthumanist themes in particular will serve to unify this rather broad consideration of education at varying levels. One such theme is that of blurring boundaries, calling into question distinctions that have been the source of declines in the health of our bodies, our species, and the life systems of which we are constitutive parts. Distinctions too often lead to …

Court-Appointed Special Advocates In The Rural South: A Fidelity Assessment, Shanna N. Felix

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Children in the court system who are abused or neglected are mandated by the federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) to have special legal representation in the form of a Guardian ad Litem (GAL). A GAL can be a staff attorney or he or she can be a volunteer layperson (known as a Court-Appointed Special Advocate, or CASA) who has undergone the GAL training. In some states, the CASA volunteer can be a substitute for the GAL, while in other states (like Georgia) the CASA is appointed by the judge as a complement to the staff attorney. To …

Black Lives Matter? Public Accounts Of Police Officers' Use Of Lethal Force, Akiv Dawson

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study is to examine the manner in which, police application of lethal force is accounted for in the public sphere. The study examines opinion editorials from the New York Times, Washington Post, Contra Costa Times, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and the Salt Lake Tribune. The study applies Altheide’s methodology of ethnographic content analysis to opinion editorials written between July 2014 and September 2015 about three specific cases involving the death of an African American male due to police use of lethal force. Each editorial was loaded into an NVIVO 10 project and coded line by line. This …

A Phenomenological Investigation Of Cheerleaders' Lived Experiences Of Mental Blocks, Erin M. Lawrence

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

A mental block is a phenomenon in which an athlete’s mind no longer allows them to perform a physical skill that was previously well-learned and automatic. This phenomenon has received attention in gymnastics and trampoline but the literature is lacking an investigation of this phenomenon in all-star cheerleading. The purpose of this study was to examine the phenomenon of mental blocks by obtaining it from the first-person perspective of cheerleaders themselves. A purposeful sample of 8 all-star cheerleader participants was interviewed and transcriptions were analyzed utilizing qualitative analysis. Four main themes were found: 1) specific to backwards moving skills, 2) …

Colaboratory: Design Collaboration For The Greater Good, Stephanie Arends Neal

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

A university campus is comprised of countless students enrolled in an array of degree programs that logistically creates a diverse population that can and should culminate into a dynamic professional network for graduates. How can higher education capitalize on this melting pot to provide experiences for students and fuse this network? A place, where students collectively solve problems by applying knowledge from their degree-specific areas, will foster interdisciplinary collaboration. By requiring working-relationships between students that benefit their community, a design center will provide students with experiences across disciplines that mirror a real-world, collaborative work environment while they identify opportunities and …

Tackling The Transition: A Life Skills Intervention To Improve College Adjustment, College Self-Efficacy, And Transference Of Life Skills Of Freshmen Student-Athletes, Kendra Grant

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The present study explored the effects of a life skills intervention on college freshmen student-athletes’ college adjustment, college self-efficacy, and the transference of life skills. The purpose of this study was to determine the importance of implementing life skills programming to student-athletes in order to smooth the transition period from high school to college. Hypotheses were that participants would improve in college adjustment, college self-efficacy, and transference of life skills from participation in the life skills intervention. Participants included three freshman student-athletes, who played various sports at a Division 1 University located in the southeast. The primary researcher conducted a …

Student Motivation And Intent To Take Online Courses, Ashley W. Cullum

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The Motivation Orientation Scale – Student Version (MO-SV) and Unified Theory of User Acceptance of Technology (UTAUT) were used to predict to what extent motivation orientation impacts student intent to take online courses, to examine the intrinsic and extrinsic motivators of students that drive them to take online courses, to examine the relationship between motivation to take online courses and motivation to take face-to-face courses, and to determine if demographic variables influence behavioral intent to take online courses. A sample of 394 full-time and part-time students at a large, public, research university with an integrated health center in the Southeast …