Power Shift: Germany's Energy Transition, Gabrielle Lichtenstein

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

This project is an analysis of the German energy transition, called the Energiewende, and the dual power shift that is underway in the country’s electric sector. It is both a physical shift from conventional fossil fuels to renewable energy, as well as a socio-political shift in power from centralized utilities to community ownership of energy. The project examines three policy mechanisms — the feed-in tariff, emissions trading, and auctions — through the lens of ordoliberalism, a German variant of economic liberalism that believes in state intervention to maximize fair market competition. Using qualitative research of Anglophone sources, this project draws …

Qualitative Methods For Law Review Writing, Katerina Linos, Melissa Carlson

University of Chicago Law Review

Typical law review articles not only clarify what the law is, but also examine the history of the current rules, assess the status quo, and present reform proposals. To make theoretical arguments more plausible, legal scholars frequently use examples: they draw on cases, statutes, political debates, and other sources. But legal scholars often pick their examples unsystematically and explore them armed with only the tools for doctrinal analysis. Unsystematically chosen examples can help develop plausible theories, but they rarely suffice to convince readers that these theories are true, especially when plausible alternative explanations exist. This project presents methodological insights from …

Perceptions Of The Effects Of Vocal Fry On Aspirational Careers In Prospective Job Markets, Darby B. Kunnemann

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

With the job market becoming increasingly difficult to enter, coupled by a growing public distaste for vocal fry, the question of the study is to determine if participants of the study in the general public can detect vocal fry, and if so, if it has an effect on which voice a participant would choose to hire for a position. The participants included 64 people residing in the United States, ranging from the ages 20-70 with varying backgrounds. Data was collected using an online questionnaire that included recorded voice samples. The study found that male students more accurately identifying vocal fry …

Intergroup Contact Through Study Abroad: An Investigation Of Effects Of Study Abroad On Student Engagement With Racial And Religious Diversity, Rachel Anne Hanson

All Theses

This study examines the effects of participation in study abroad on undergraduate students' engagement with racial and religious diversity to identify outcomes and patterns that support the prominent goals in higher education of promoting global learning and enhancing inclusion and diversity on university campuses. Based on the framework of intergroup contact theory, I use hierarchical regression models to analyze data from the National Survey of Student Engagement collected at Clemson University in 2013 and 2015. Among undergraduate seniors, participation in study abroad is significantly associated with greater engagement with topics related to racial and religious diversity, and engagement with diverse …

Annual Average Daily Traffic (Aadt) Estimation With Regression Using Centrality And Roadway Characteristic Variables, Mckenzie Keehan

All Theses

Accurate estimation of annual average daily traffic (AADT) is critical in nearly every roadway decision, such as allocations of funding for roadway improvements and maintenance. While some roadway locations have permanent count stations capable of counting vehicles 24-hours a day throughout the entire year, they are typically only installed at selected locations on major roadways (i.e., freeways and major arterials) with high traffic volumes. On lower functional class roads and roadway segments on higher functional class roads without permanent count stations, short-term coverage counts are collected and adjusted with data from permanent count stations to estimate AADT. Short-term coverage counts …

The Impact Of Money Supply And Electronic Money: Empirical Evidence From Central Bank In China, Rui Qin

Applied Economics Theses

The purpose of this paper is to study the electronic money's influence on the money supply as well as the power of the central bank. We show in an illustrative theoretical model that electronic money will impact on money supply, especially affect M0 and M1. Using data of central bank in China during 1990 to 2010 and applying ordinary least squares (OLS) regression models, we find robust evidence that electronic money has a negative impact on M0, but a positive impact on M1. In addition, the central bank's abilities to control money supply can be affected by the wide application …

Scottish Emigration To British North America 1770-1783: The First Phase Of Scottish Highland Diaspora, Beth Pryor

History Theses

As a result of the Hanoverian victory at the Battle of Culloden, the Scottish Highlands changed forever. Parliament passed new legislation outlawing key elements of traditional Highland culture. Highland landlords would implement new economic schemes to convert subsistence farming into commercial agriculture. With the economic changes in leases, land management and rent, the Highland social structure would be reorganized. One particular strata of the class structure, the tacksmen, would find their traditional cultural role as a military leader and economic role as an estate manager stripped from them, resulting in a reduced role in Highland society. This thesis will explain …

Role Model Stories That Unite Children Of Oaxacan Immigrants, Erica Juarez Lopez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Through my internship at Castroville Library Homework Center I endure power by telling stories to unite with children of Oaxacan immigrants while helping them with homework. Dacher Keltner power principles helped me have a trusting communication to learn the success and struggles in the children of Oaxacan immigrant’s education.

Lithospheric Evaluation Of The Mid-Continental Rift System In Iowa From A Gravity And Magnetic Analysis, Moamen Mohamed Almaz

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The Proterozoic Midcontinent Rift System (MCRS) is considered one of the most important tectonic features in North America and was formed during a continental breakup event at 1.1 Ga (billion years). The MCRS is totally covered by Phanerozoic sedimentary rocks except in the Lake Superior region. Consequently, the geological characteristics of the MCRS are primarily inferred from extrapolations from the outcrop areas, drill holes, and from a variety of geophysical investigations. Iowa has a large segment of the MCRS which to date has only been partially investigated geophysically with little information regarding the lower crustal and upper mantle structure under …

Influence Of Prescribed Burning On Upland Soil Properties In Mark Twain National Forest, Southeast Missouri Ozarks, Megan Lynn Hente

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

In the Mark Twain National forest there is a collaborative effort to restore parts of the forest to its original shortleaf pine-oak woodland areas by using a combination of silviculture and prescribed fire. The purpose of this project is to assess the effects of prescribed burning on upland forest and soil physical properties that influence erosion processes across a gradient of burned sites of different ages and unburned sites. A combination of geospatial, field, laboratory, statistical (one-way ANOVA) and modeling (USLE) methods were used to assess the effects of prescribed burns on forest and soil characteristics in Big Barren Creek …

Geomorphic Effects Of Logging Railbeds On An Ozarks Headwater Stream, Mark Twain National Forest, Missouri, Nickolas S. Bradley

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Geomorphic characteristics of headwater streams draining the Missouri Ozarks have not been studied as much as larger rivers in the region. Further, while the effects of historical logging on channel form and sediment supply have been identified, no studies have investigated the effects of logging tramways constructed along Ozark headwater rivers. This study examines the geomorphic characteristics and channel disturbances of Tram Hollow (1.67 km²) within the Mark Twain National Forest in the Ozark Highlands. The purpose of this study is to classify and quantify natural and disturbed channel morphology in Tram Hollow which has been affected by …

Deposition Patterns And Rates Of Mining-Contaminated Sediment Within A Sedimentation Basin System, S.E. Missouri, Joshua Carl Voss

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Flooding events exert a dominant control over the deposition and formation of floodplains. The rate at which floodplains form depends on flood magnitude, frequency, and duration, and associated sediment transport capacity and supply. While it is known that sediment in the Big River is contaminated from historical mining, little is known about the patterns and rates of deposition on floodplains, especially those that have been modified for remediation purposes. The goal of this study was to evaluate the influence of flood characteristics and topography on contemporary deposition patterns and rates in a sedimentation basin system located within a floodplain along …

Using Survey Data And Hec-Ras Modeling To Assess A Riffle-Remediation Structure On The Big River, Bonne Terre, Missouri, Nichole Renee Weedman

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Sediment transport and deposition in river channels can vary for many reasons including flooding, dredging, channel velocity, and grain size. On the Big River, the Army Corps of Engineers constructed a riffle ramp structure to trap and remediate lead-contaminated sediments. The performance of the structure is unknown. The goal of this study is to evaluate the storage capabilities of the riffle structure. To do this, survey data was collected to analyze sediment storage and entered into the HEC-RAS 5.0 to model the hydraulics of the channel before and after the riffle installation. Samples were collected to assess the level of …

Cyclostratigraphic Trends Of Δ13c In Upper Cambrian Strata, Great Basin, Usa: Implications For Astronomical Forcing, Wesley Donald Weichert

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Composite geochemical studies of carbonate isotope values (δ13C) by other investigators have established that the Cambrian period is punctuated by a series of significant, globally correlated, positive and negative δ13C excursions. However, it remains unclear if low-amplitude secular variations in δ13C values exist superimposed on, or between large-scale perturbations in the Cambrian carbon cycle, especially in cyclic successions. Rocks of Steptoean-Sunwaptan (Paibian-Jiangshanian) stage, exposed in the Great Basin of Utah and Nevada, are excellent candidates for testing the hypothesis that sedimentary cycles record minor variations in Earth's orbit (Milankovitch cycles) through application of high-resolution chemostratigraphic analysis. High-resolution δ13C data was …

Channel Bar Morphology, Distribution, And Mining-Related Geochemistry In The Big River, St. Francois County, Missouri: Implications For Geomorphic Recovery, Lindsay Marie Olson

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Tailings releases associated with large-scale historical Pb mining in St. Francois County, Missouri resulted in system-wide contamination of Pb and excess sediment in the Big River. Previous studies have addressed basin and segment scale variability of the contaminants; however, little is known about reach and bar scale variability. This study addresses how mining sediment inputs influence bar form and geochemistry across a range of scales. Bar sediment samples were collected at 21 reaches and analyzed for particle size and geochemistry, while air photo analysis was used to evaluate channel morphology, bar type, and area. Bar area is initially low in …

Environmental And Climatic Constraints On Large-Scale Camelina Production In Eastern Arkansas, Benjamin Robert Tracy

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Camelina sativa is a cold weather crop that is typically grown in semi-arid environments in the Western United States, usually as a spring crop, but sometimes during the winter. Research analyzing climate data and soil hydrology is important to better understand the environmental and terrain conditions necessary for Camelina farming wherever it is proposed for large-scale production. This study focused on various conditions and constraints pertaining to the potential for Camelina as a crop biofuel in Eastern Arkansas. Due to interest in the economic potential of crop biofuels in this area, and in particular the low input costs for Camelina, …

Comparison Of Flow Dynamics And Bifurcation Angles In Tributary And Distributary Channel Networks, Thomas Coffey

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The dynamics of channel mouth bifurcations on river deltas can be understood using theory developed in tributary channel networks. Bifurcations in groundwater-fed tributary networks have been shown to evolve dependent on diffusive ground water flow patterns

directly adjacent to the channel network, producing a critical angle of 72°. We test the hypothesis that bifurcation angles in distributary channel networks are likewise dictated by a diffusive external flow field, in this case the shallow surface water surrounding the subaqueous portion of distributary channels in a deltaic setting. We measured 25 unique distributary bifurcations in an experimental delta and 197 bifurcations in …

The Net Of Nostalgia: Class, Culture, And Political Alienation And Nostalgia In Contemporary Latino And South Asian American Literature, Farzana Akhter

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Generally thought of as a yearning for recent past, or homesickness, nostalgia is seen as a sentiment that impairs living in the present. And in case of immigrants, nostalgia is thought of as a debilitating form of escapism and an inability to adapt to change and mobility. In this dissertation, contesting against the prevalent concept, I argue that immigrant nostalgia is neither a colored memory (Dyson 117) nor a romance with one’s own fantasy (Boym xiii); rather, immigrant nostalgia has a socio-economic and political underpinning. By exploring the various nuances of immigrant experience delineated in the literary works of South …

A Bayesian Variable Selection Method With Applications To Spatial Data, Xiahan Tang

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis first describes the general idea behind Bayes Inference, various sampling methods based on Bayes theorem and many examples. Then a Bayes approach to model selection, called Stochastic Search Variable Selection (SSVS) is discussed. It was originally proposed by George and McCulloch (1993). In a normal regression model where the number of covariates is large, only a small subset tend to be significant most of the times. This Bayes procedure specifies a mixture prior for each of the unknown regression coefficient, the mixture prior was originally proposed by Geweke (1996). This mixture prior will be updated as data becomes …

Indigenous Resistance: Settler-Colonialism, Nation Building, And Colonial Patriarchy, Megan E. Vallowe

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

“Indigenous Resistance: Settler-Colonialism, Nation Building, and Colonial Patriarchy,” interrogates the Western Hemisphere’s spatial construction by settler-states, Indigenous nations, and activists groups. In this project, I assert that Indigenous/Settler contact zones are significantly more convoluted than current scholarship’s use of contact zones in that the distinctions between Indigenous actors and settler-colonial ones are often blurred. These hybrid contact zones sometimes contain negative outcomes for all participants and often include undercurrents of insidious power dynamics within and across settler-states and Indigenous peoples alike. Using critical cartographic theory and deconstruction methods, this project first illustrates how empires ascribed a racialized patriarchy onto the …

Use Of The Silver-Level Arkansas Career Readiness Certificate As A Pre-Hire Screening Tool, Bentley E. Wallace

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

At a statewide level in Arkansas, the Arkansas Career Readiness Certificate (ACRC) is marketed as a means for assessing and exhibiting individual worker skill levels and as an additional aggregate credential to be presented alongside high school and college degree attainment levels. Employers from multiple sectors use the ACRC as a pre-hire screening tool and to determine incumbent worker eligibility for advancement.

Despite having been in place in the state for nearly a decade with over 65,000 Arkansans earning an ACRC, prior to this study no research had been conducted to determine the effectiveness of the ACRC as a pre-hire …

Academic Achievement Of 6th Grade Students In A Social Studies Classroom Implementing Traditional Vs Project-Based Learning, Keith Bryan Overholt

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

This study compared students taught with traditional teaching methods and those with project-based learning methods in a sixth-grade social studies classroom. Student assessments were examined to determine how students scored on lower-level thinking questions and higher-level thinking questions as defined by Bloom’s taxonomy of learning. Results indicated that students who were taught through traditional methods scored significantly higher on lower-level thinking questions than those taught through project-based learning. Conversely, students taught through project-based learning scored significantly higher on higher-level thinking questions than those taught through traditional methods.

Experiences Among U.S. Students Of Color, Travel Background, And Cultural Attunement To Intersectionalities In Study Abroad Programs., Jessica Norman

Dissertations

This cohort and event-based case study sought to evaluate the cultural experiences and development of cross cultural intersectionalities in U.S. students of culture participating in a study abroad program to Argentina. Current study abroad outcomes consistently show travel abroad experiences lead to improved cultural awareness, knowledge, understanding and competency. Study abroad programming appears to be an overlooked opportunity for creating positive, long-lasting, transformative change, particularly for under-represented students (Milsen, 2005; Mondard-Weissman, 2003; Hadis, 2005; Van Hoff & Verbee, 2005). Over the last 30 years, international educators have reported positive changes in students after learning abroad; improved in self-awareness, respect for …

Using Maximum Entropy Species Distribution Modeling For Long-Term Conservation Planning Of Three Federally Listed Bats In North America, Mitchell L. Meyer

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

We are currently in a sixth mass extinction event in which the extinction rate is higher than it has ever been. This mass extinction event is caused by human influence on the environment. Biodiversity is worth conserving because of its many uses to humans. Bats are a diverse group of mammals that humans rely on for pest control services. The gray bat, northern long-eared bat, and Indiana bat are on the Threatened and Endangered Species List and are in need of conservation. I built species distribution models using occurrence records, climate data, and Maximum entropy (MaxEnt) modeling technique. I predicted …

The Effects Of Environmental Variability And Latitude On Breeding Behaviors And Life History Traits Of Aves In North America, Elizabeth E. Tharman

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Breeding systems among Aves have garnered attention in the last several decades as many species considered monogamous have been found to exhibit an alternative breeding system such as polygyny, polyandry, cooperative breeding, or colonial nesting. My thesis focuses on assessing the correlations between type of breeding system and resource availability by using environmental variables as proxy variables. It also assess the correlations between life history trait variables and environmental variables. Both breeding system and life history traits are analyzed at the species and population levels while controlling for phylogenetic relationships and geographic location when appropriate. Breeding system among species was …

Climate Change And Conflict: The Relationship Between Government Response To Climate Change And Civil Unrest In The Middle East And North Africa, Lydia Grossman

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

In the past few decades, the Middle East and North Africa has experienced two seemingly disparate phenomena: the effects of anthropogenic climate change and a high degree of civil unrest. Though on the surface these two phenomena may seem completely separate, there is evidence that government response to climate change affects the level of civil unrest among populations in this region. This paper hypothesizes that there is a relationship between these two phenomena. The hypothesis is tested using the case studies of Syria, Jordan, Tunisia, and Sudan in a controlled comparison. This paper finds that effective government response to climate …

New Genres And New Challenges : Five Interdisciplinary Case Studies Of Master's Student Writers., Meghan Lynne Hancock

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the area of graduate writing research, Rhetoric and Composition scholarship has focused mainly on students of English and their experiences as novice writing teachers, or on students who are nearing the end of their graduate experience and are in the writing stage of their culminating projects, like dissertations. Few case studies in Rhetoric and Composition have been conducted on graduate student writers, particularly graduate students from multiple disciplines. This dissertation sets out to address this gap in conducting five interdisciplinary case studies of new master’s student writers as they navigate their first semester of graduate school and learn how …

Response Of Problematic Weed Populations In Nebraska To Glyphosate, Spencer L. Samuelson

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

There are currently nine reported herbicide-resistant weed species in Nebraska, six of which are resistant to glyphosate. Overall distribution and frequency of these resistant species is unknown.

The objectives of this research were to understand the frequency and distribution of glyphosate-resistant weeds in Nebraska. Common and problematic weeds of Nebraska were arbitrarily collected from fields in 77 counties during the fall of 2013-2015. From our statewide collection, five species including: horseweed (Conyza canadensis (L.) Cronq.), kochia (Kochia scoparia (L.) Schrad.), Russian-thistle (Salsola tragus L.), giant ragweed (Ambrosia trifida L.), and common lambsquarters (Chenopodium album L.) …

Protests In The Post-Cold War Era: World Systems Dynamics And Hardship Effects In Post-Colonial Countries, Shawn M. Ratcliff

Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In this thesis, I explore the determinants of protests across 15 post-colonial countries from 1990 to 2010. Specifically, I investigate the direct and mediating impact of global economic dynamics and hardships experienced by populations in these countries. To that end, I employ world systems theory as well as relative deprivation and political opportunity theories. Analyses employ pooled-time series analysis based on national-level data from the Global Database of Events, Language, and Tone (GDELT), as well as data from the World Bank and the Polity IV project, which provide insight into the role of world systems dynamics on social unrest. Analyses …

The Principles Of Universal Design For Learning Implemented In A Non-Profit Organization: The Discovery Center., Rose Albert

Capstone Collection

This capstone focuses on the implementation of Universal Design for Learning within The Discovery Center—a non-profit organization that provides educational programs for children in Connecticut. The intention of this capstone project is to raise awareness and share introductory knowledge around Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Universal Design for Learning is a framework that relays clear information for educators and people, in general, to mirror into their curricula to increase learning for multiple individuals (Rose, 2009). This paper proposes the adaptation of UDL into The Discovery Center (TDC) curriculum to increase access to students with different learning styles and abilities. TDC …