Digital Commons Network^™

Revival, Anya Van Wagtendonk

Capstones

My hometown, Great Barrington, MA, has one famous former resident: NAACP co-founder W.E.B. Du Bois. For generations, his legacy in the predominantly white town was hardly acknowledged. People actively protested the landmarking of his birth site in the 1960s. When I was a kid, plans to name a new middle school after him were scrapped after the uproar grew too loud. Even in this supposedly liberal enclave in western Massachusetts, people continued to object to his membership in the Communist Party. As former NAACP president Cornell Brooks said recently, this would be like Princeton, N.J., ignoring that Einstein had ever …

Failing The Mothers Of New York City, Irene Spezzamonte, Vanessa Swales

Capstones

Between 2015 and 2011, about 4,000 women lost their lives while delivering a baby in the United States. That’s 1,000 lost lives every year.

The causes of these deaths are often preventable and are the mere result of racial discrimination. African-American mothers, for instance, have a three-time higher rate of dying than White mothers. Several investigative investigations have been conducted on the racial disparities and the lack of resources offered nationwide, but, so far, none has focused on the local level. This capstone focuses solely in New York City and the three populations that are being affected the most by …

The Art Of Fortune-Taking, Allison Weintraub

Capstones

People suffering grief or emotional distress turn to many places for comfort, which can make them a target of psychic scam artists. Stigma about falling for scams might prevent victims from seeking help. https://medium.com/@allison.weintraub/the-art-of-fortune-taking-5cdedb6718d0

Cannabis Caught Between Smoke And Mirrors, Laura M. Olivieri Robles

Capstones

Cannabis legalization advances across the country and social attitudes are changing. Public health experts see parallels with the tobacco industry-- and are concerned about kids exposed to cannabis advertisement.

Offset: How The Government Improperly Takes Money From The Disabled, Carmen Reinicke

Capstones

The US Department of Education is supposed to use its computers to match its borrowers who now suffer from total permanent disabilities based on Social Security or Veteran Administration rolls. If the borrower has been disabled for more than five consecutive years, then deductions for unpaid student loans are supposed to cease.

A report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office, a federal agency that reviews government work, shows that the program, now a computerized system that matches Social Security numbers, fails to identify thousands of individuals who deserve student debt relief.

Link: https://medium.com/@careinicke/offset-how-the-government-improperly-takes-money-from-the-disabled-8928cd556f93

The New World Of Pet Prosthetics, Anna Brooks

Capstones

When an abandoned dog was found in Brooklyn with his paw gnawed off, the animal shelter had two options: amputate the leg, or put the dog down. But neither seemed like a solution. So they decided to do something different, and fit the dog for a prosthetic leg. Prosthetics for people have been around for millennia, and now these devices are moving into the animal kingdom. This story explores the new world of animal prosthetics, and how these devices have changed the lives of animals like Mr. Stubbs — the first alligator with a prosthetic tail — and saved the …

Politically-Connected Nonprofit Makes Millions Putting Homeless Families In Unsafe Homes, Benjamin Foldy

Capstones

A document-driven investigation into the city’s largest recipient of homelessness funds uncovered the group’s dense political connections, questionable practices regarding subcontracting to for-profit affiliated entities and systematically subpar housing provided to homeless families. https://medium.com/@ben.foldy/politically-connected-nonprofit-makes-millions-putting-homeless-families-in-unsafe-homes-309314c2eed2

Combining Patient-Centered-Care And Technology To Reduce Falls In A Medical/Telemetry Unit, Megan Mira

Master's Projects and Capstones

Abstract

PROBLEM: From October 2017 through June 2018 there were 25 patient falls recorded on the 5^th floor medical surgical telemetry unit. Top factors contributing to this high fall rate include: poor patient-centered-care planning, and inadequate set-up for use of technology.

CONTEXT: According to the Joint Commission, 2015, each fall with injury costs $14,000. This estimate doesn’t include the potential indirect costs that account for the long-term effects of injuries such as disability, dependence on others, lost time from work, household duties, and reduced quality of life.

INTERVENTIONS: Staff education was introduced and focused on using a new mindfulness …

Renouncing The Universal Museum’S Imperial Past: A Call To Return The Rosetta Stone Through Collaborative Museology, Anna Volante

Master's Projects and Capstones

In colonial times, Western empires used orientalism to justify and perpetuate colonialism and imperialism over countries that they believed inferior to their own. These imperial powers plundered cultural heritage artifacts from the nations they oppressed and took these objects back to their national museums to be displayed as trophies of subjugation. The ownership of cultural heritage remains a point of contention throughout the field of museum studies. Despite cries for repatriation, these artifacts continue to be housed in universal museums today. One of the most well-known cases is that of the Rosetta Stone, stripped from the city of Rashid, Egypt …

An Innovative Discharge Intervention: A Quality Improvement Project, Yvonne Swain

Master's Projects and Capstones

Abstract

Problem: This project aims to decrease the discharge time of a patient from the hospital once the discharge order has been written. Current discharge times are averaging over 3 hours, leading to a breakdown in the patient throughput process. A patient survey was conducted to determine the reason for prolonged discharge times. The survey revealed that patients are not aware of their day of discharge, which may lead them to being discharged without transportation home. Many studies conclude that there are improvement opportunities around discharge planning and communication.

Context: This quality improvement initiative takes place in a 26-bed, medical-surgical/telemetry …

Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection Reduction: A Quality Improvement Project, Wallace Kramm

Master's Projects and Capstones

Abstract

Problem: Hospital-acquired infections are preventable harm that occurs to patients while in the hospital. Catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) is a preventable hospital-acquired infection that continues to plague hospitals nationwide. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that there are more than 13,000 CAUTI related deaths in the United States annually (Scanlon, 2017). In addition to the harm caused to patients by CAUTIs, the estimated $500 million yearly cost for CAUTI treatment has created a fiscal burden on healthcare systems (Scanlon, 2017). Decreasing the rate of CAUTI by decreasing overall number of catheters is the goal of this …

"Improving Nursing Communication Outcomes Through The Tell-Us Card", Jillian Cule, Jeffrey Salao, Nina Park, Laura Le, Brittney Pilker, Maricarmen Reyes

Master's Projects and Capstones

Nursing communication plays a pivotal role in patient-centered care. However, statistics have shown that failures in communication exist in more than 20% of all hospital settings (Sethi & Rani, 2017). Within the explored microsystem, a gap in patient communication was identified through the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) surveys. Reports revealed that the microsystem was performing at 69%, which is 11% below the national average for nursing communication (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services [CMS], 2018). After performing a microsystem assessment, there was a measurable communication opportunity between the patients and nurses. It was determined that …

Visiting The "Golden God": Roundtrip From Chinatown To The Blackjack Tables, Katherine Fung

Capstones

Thousands of Chinese immigrants travel by bus to casinos in the Northeast every day. The casinos court and cater to them because they are regulars if not high-rollers -- like Mr. Ng, a retiree, who has traveled six hours daily to and from the Mohegan Sun for the last 13 years.

What Can We Learn From Rapper And Provocateur, Azealia Banks?, Robert A.R. Dozier

Capstones

Rapper Azealia Banks' name is synonymous with controversy, known for her feuds with celebrities and internet personalities. And her reputation has certainly impacted her career. But the trajectory of Banks' life in the public eye speaks to a larger issue of the treatment of "difficult" women in the music industry. http://robardzr.net/capstone/

Canada’S Tariffs On American Consumer Goods Linger, Despite Appearance Of Trade Truce, Willa Rubin

Capstones

Months after a trade war erupted along the northern border, Canada’s efforts to counter Trump's efforts are in disarray. Despite the announcement of a new North-American trade agreement, tariffs on American and Canadian goods remain in effect, and Canada’s efforts to build political support for its position in the US have failed.

“Canada did the best they could on sensitive states to the companies that are dominating in those states,” said Gary Hufbauer, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute of International Economics. But “you’ve got an administration which is very nationalistic. There are a lot of firms they don’t pay …

An Autoethnography Of Culturally Relevant Leadership As Moral Practice: Lived Experiences Through A Scholar-Practitioner Lens, Charles L. Lowery

The Qualitative Report

In this autoethnography, I am concerned with cultural relevance as an experience of a scholar-practitioner educational leader. I question my own cultural competence as a teacher and school principal. Turning a reflective gaze on my lived experiences as an educator creates a space in which I attempt to make meaning of the phenomenon of culturally relevant practices in the field of education. As an act of pedagogical and personal meaning-making, this autoethnographic work centers on the value of cultural relevance as informed by scholarly practice.

Impacts Of Globalization: Educational Reforms Shifts The Public Into A Recurrent Devalued Socioeconomic Era For Minorities, Jacqulyn Washington

Master's Theses

This article delves into the breakdown of the impact globalization have on the success of minorities in urban centers. While expanding on the many factors that contribute to the success of minorities, it informs the reader how education, being a huge indicator of success, has been underserved to the poor and minorities. Lacking many resources, this blockage has been further strained through the local government, multinational corporations, educational reforms, and Translocal politics.

On Education And Family: Testimonios Of Latina Immigrant Daughters, Monica Chavez

Master's Theses

Latina college students must balance the needs of family while navigating pursuit of a college degree. Using testimonio, I explore how family and self-identity influenced the educational journeys of four Latinas who attended and graduated college in the 1990’s and early 2000’s. Utilizing the frameworks of mestiza consciousness and subject formation, I uncover the ways their status as first-generation college student, second-generation immigrant daughter, and Latina manifested expectations (from family and self) and feelings of apprehension and loneliness that came to define their college experience. Through the process of testimonio and critical selfreflection, solidarity can be established and the process …

A Discourse Analysis Of Diversity And Inclusion Terminology In The High-Tech Industry, Michelle Nader

Master's Theses

The field of Diversity and Inclusion is a growing interest within the High-Tech industry, particularly within the San Francisco Bay Area of California. To combat misconceptions of Diversity and Inclusion, this thesis aims to define and analyze the language used at 20 companies in the High-Tech sector. The trends, nuances, and practices of how companies use language in their programming and data dictates the direction of the company. This thesis investigates the underlying complexities of where Diversity and Inclusion is within the industry today and goals for the future. Findings from this research suggest that companies can strengthen their Diversity …

The Integration Of Syrian Refugees In Turkey Via Education, Aysenur Hacioglu

Master's Theses

The Syrian conflict, which was initiated as a pro-democratic movement against Bashar Assad’s government, has displaced millions of people both internally and externally. Since the beginning of the conflict, 6.6 million people are internally displaced, while 5.6 million people seek refuge in other countries. Many Syrians scattered to neighboring countries, principally Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt. Turkey, who shares the longest borderline with Syria, hosts 63 percent of the total number of Syrian refugees, currently at more than 3.5 million (UNHCR, 2018b). However, Turkey as the country with the highest number of refugees in the world does not legally …

Inside The Virtual Ambazonia: Separatism, Hate Speech , Disinformation And Diaspora In The Cameroonian Anglophone Crisis, Sombaye Eyango Jules Roger

Master's Theses

This study examines the dynamics of the anglophone separatist claims in Cameroon, the so-called “Anglophone Crisis”. I focus on explaining why the separatist claims reemerged in 2016 after being shut down for about 20 years. It explains how the Anglophone separatist revendications have sustained over time despite the extremely centralized power of the Paul Biya government.This paper first argues that the Anglophone Crisis is more than an identity struggle between Anglophone/Francophone Cameroonians, but rather a conflict about historical and institutional grievances, political competition, and regional politics involving the neighboring state of Nigeria.

Second, it verifies the hypothesis that the sustainability …

The Media Representation And Misrepresentation Of Refugees: A Comparison Between Us And French Media, Ali Al-Thani

Master's Theses

This project is the study of the differences and similarities between news reporting, using specific media frames, in the US and France in regard to the representation of refugees in newspapers. I gathered a total of 213 articles written during the period of January 1, 2017 until September 30, 2018. Those articles were taken from two major newspapers in the US, The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal and two major newspapers in France, Le Monde and Le Figaro. For this research, I used content analysis in order to analyze the news articles reporting on the subject of …

An Exploratory Study Of Acculturation Experiences Of Graduate Student Immigrants At The University Of San Francisco, Courtney Lamar

Master's Theses

This study explores the shared challenges during the acculturation process of graduate student immigrants pursuing higher education in the United States. 13 graduate student immigrants at the University of San Francisco discuss their experiences of cultural adjustment into U.S. culture. Through qualitative interviews and thematic analysis, this study seeks to understand the acculturation experiences of graduate student immigrants in the San Francisco Bay Area of the United States. This analysis is based on the individual-level experience examining attitudes and acculturation strategies in the dominant society. Analysis, possibly policy implication for institutions of higher education, and possible directions for future research …

Understanding Women´S Empowerment Through Indigenous Epistemologies: An Alternative Approach To Development?, Melissa Klara Vonimary Søvik

Master's Theses

Development projects that aim at empowering women have gained popularity among many actors and institutions in the field of development for their capacity to contribute in development and economic growth. Nevertheless, the concept of empowerment has also gained critics from various stands claiming it to be too technical, and not taking into account social relations in contexts where other epistemologies exist. It is necessary to adapt these kind of terms taking into account local world-views. This thesis explores the dynamics of women's empowerment in Tzeltal Mayan communities in Chiapas, Mexico. It aims at understanding the way empowerment is manifested in …

It Could Never Last: Why British Sovereignty And Its Influence Since 1945 Resulted In Brexit, Jeffrey Brandt

Master's Theses

The EU Referendum of June 2016 marked a watershed moment for the United Kingdom, as it sought to once again reassert its sovereignty and retake its place in the world as an independent state, free from European Union infringement. The British are usually seen as the cussid ones in Europe, stubbornly holding on to their principles and traditions of sovereignty. But why is that? Carefully tracing UK history, particularly from the end of the Second World War to the present day, it becomes understandable why the result of the 2016 referendum should not be quite a surprise. Studying events in …

Social Capital And Resilience In Times Of Disaster: A Case Of Leyte Province In The Philippines, Karmela Beatriz Galura

Master's Theses

Social capital and its elements such as trust, reciprocity, and collective action have always been linked to a community’s resilience during and after natural disasters. Using a qualitative approach, I explore the role social capital played in the recovery of communities in the province of Leyte in the Philippines after Typhoon Haiyan in 2013. I also examine whether trust was a key element in the role social capital played. Through surveys and interviews, I explore the ways in which trust and perceptions of it could be the materialization of certain values and practices in local Filipino culture which contributed to …

The Effects Of A Web-Based Instructional Program: Promoting Student Growth In Reading And Mathematics Achievement, Penelope Pritchett Hill

Theses and Dissertations

As advances in technology allowed national and state education assessments to be administered digitally, many school districts transitioned to computer-based instructional programs and assessments to improve student achievement and better prepare students for high-stakes computerized assessments. One such rural public school district in Mississippi implemented a supplemental web-based instructional program, i-Ready, for the first time in the 2017-2018 school year. The purpose of this study was (a) to investigate the effects of the i-Ready program on student achievement in Grades 4 – 5 reading/language arts and mathematics and (b) to determine if there were significant differences in growth (from pretest …

The Effects Of Dual Enrollment On An Institution: Student Persistence And Degree Attainment At The Community College, Stacey S. Irwin

Theses and Dissertations

The overall college enrollment rates for young adults have increased over the last several years. While this is promising, a notable amount of students do not attain a degree. This scenario can create major consequences for the United States as global competitiveness requires a workforce that possesses a postsecondary degree. Dual enrollment is a program that has been seen to answer the need for more postsecondary graduates. Despite the robust literature that suggests the positive effects for students who participate in dual enrollment, limited research exists on the effects of dual enrollment on the institution. Therefore, this study attempted to …

Refining Spawning Protocols For Crappie, Christian A. Shirley

Theses and Dissertations

White Crappie (Pomoxis annularis) and Black Crappie (P. nigromaculatus) are popular North American gamefish; however, frequent fluctuations in year class strength present a management challenge for recreational fisheries. Intensive aquaculture production has the potential to address this challenge through controlled hatchery reproduction for supplemental stocking, but further study is needed to refine and optimize techniques. Therefore, this study evaluated the effects of hormone injection timing on latency period and spawning success, examined effective cryopreservation techniques for black-stripe Black Crappie sperm (a preferred hatchery phenotype), and compared simulated spring duration on out-of-season spawning success. Latency period for White Crappie did not …

Social Inequality In The Early Bronze Age At Bab Edh-Dhra, Jordan, Natalie Patience

Theses and Dissertations

Bab edh-Dhra is the most extensively excavated cemetery from Early Bronze Age, Jordan. Despite thorough study, the social structure and existence of social inequality remain unclear. This was addressed using osteological evidence of physiological stress to compare between family tombs. In societies exhibiting social inequality, individuals of lower status experience higher levels of stress. Evidence of physiological stress (femoral length, LEH, metabolic disorders, periosteal reactions, cribra orbitalia, and porotic hyperostosis) was recorded using standard methods for 250 adults. The artifact counts in this study have been previously published. Differences in the frequency of stress indicators were compared using chi-square tests. …