Digital Commons Network^™

Contextualizing Approaches To Indigenous Peoples’ Experiences Of Intractable Conflict, Michele A. Sam

New England Journal of Public Policy

This article contextualizes intractable conflict within the lived experiences and worldviews of an Indigenous person, imbued with academic and scholarly research. The text illustrates how intractable conflict is experienced within the “developed world,” resulting in both freedom and fragmentation. Whether intractable conflict stems from colonial and postcolonial development and influences current Indigenous Peoples’ self-development efforts in Canada, specifically, and possibly across British colonies in general seems to be a new inquiry. The author relates her intergenerational experiences of contact, unpacking research and development in its many forms alongside the characteristics of intractable conflict and related federal Indian and social policy. …

Underdevelopment And Philanthrocapitalism: A Nepalese Context, Audrina Rucker

Emerging Writers

Third-place winner in the Academic Category for the 2019 Emerging Writers Contest. The essay examines the problems of Corporate Social Responsibility as philanthrocapitalism and how it effects Nepal.

Do Indirect Predator Cues Affect Behavior Of The Freshwater Clam Sphaerium Simile?, Jesse Bruce Eichler

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Freshwater bivalves provide important ecosystem services, like filtering water and cycling nutrients. Predators affecting the behavior of bivalve prey, therefore, could potentially impact the structure and function of ecological communities. Because little is known about the antipredator responses of sphaeriid clams, I examined the behavior of juvenile and adult freshwater clams, Sphaerium simile, when exposed to two types of indirect predator cues: effluent of a crayfish (Orconectes rusticus) and damaged conspecific clams. Adult clams responded to crayfish effluent by significantly reducing burrowing behavior. Juvenile clams, however, buried indiscriminately regardless of experimental treatment and significantly more often/more quickly than adults. These …

Local Evidence In Constitutional Interpretation, Brandon L. Garrett

Cornell Law Review

The Supreme Court frequently relies on state law when interpreting the U.S. Constitution. What is less understood is the degree and manner in which the Supreme Court and other federal courts look to local law. Although it has gone largely unnoticed, there is a robust practice of acknowledging and accounting for local law in the course of constitutional interpretation. Local evidence may inform the decision whether to recognize a constitutional right, it may inform the interpretation of the right, and it may inform the remedies for a constitutional violation. For example, the Supreme Court has examined local enforcement patterns to …

Rethinking "Just" Compensation: Dignity Restoration As A Basis For Supplementing Existing Takings Remedies With Government-Supported Community Building Initiatives, Alyssa M. Hasbrouck

Cornell Law Review

Longstanding calls for the Supreme Court to revisit the Takings Clause's just compensation requirement are especially relevant in light of urban renewal's destructive history. However, the just compensation requirement should be viewed as a floor, not as a ceiling. Even in the absence of formal action by courts, legislatures and local governments can act to fulfill the government's constitutional obligation of "full and perfect" compensation. By taking preemptive action to support community-based initiatives, financially as well as politically, the same legislatures that seized and destroyed urban neighborhoods can begin to set things right. Court-ordered investments in the longterm well-being of …

Factors Affecting Willingness To Cultivate Switchgrass: Evidence From A Farmer Survey In Missouri, Pralhad Burli, Pankaj Lal, Bernabas Wolde, Shibu Jose, Sougata Bardhan

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Switchgrass is considered as one of the important feedstocks that can contribute towards the attainment of bioenergy goals set under the Renewable Fuels Standard. Yet, the commercial viability of switchgrass based bioenergy is a much debated topic owing to supply side challenges emanating from limited raw materials. It is therefore critical to understand the crucial role of the farmer by studying the willingness to cultivate switchgrass dedicated for bioenergy. To our knowledge, this is the first survey undertaken to assess the farmer preferences and participation in bioenergy markets after the new administration has assumed office, and provides some important insights. …

Holocene Landscape Dynamics And Long-Term Population Trends In The Levant, Alessio Palmisano, J Woodbridge, C. Neil Roberts, Andrew Bevan, Ralph Fyfe, Stephen Shennan, Rachid Cheddadi, Raphael Greenberg, David Kaniewski, Dafna Langgut, Suzanne A.G. Leroy, Thomas Litt, Andrea Miebach

More Faculty of Science and Engineering Research

No abstract provided.

Mediterranean Landscape Change During The Holocene: Synthesis, Comparison And Regional Trends In Population, Land Cover And Climate, C. Neil Roberts, J Woodbridge, Alessio Palmisano, Andrew Bevan, Ralph Fyfe, Stephen Shennan

More Faculty of Science and Engineering Research

No abstract provided.

Holocene Demographic Fluctuations, Climate And Erosion In The Mediterranean: A Meta Data-Analysis, Kevin Walsh, Jean François Berger, C. Neil Roberts, Boris Vanniere, Matthieu Ghilardi, Antony G. Brown, Jessie Woodbridge, Laurent Lespez, Joan Estrany, Arthur Glais, Alessio Palmisano, Martin Finné, Gert Verstraeten

More Faculty of Science and Engineering Research

No abstract provided.

For Natural Philosophy And Empire: Banks, Cook, And The Construction Of Science And Empire In The Late Eighteenth Century, Ryan Barker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Using part of James Cook’s first voyage of discovery in which he explored the Australian coast, and Joseph Banks’s 1772 voyage to Iceland as case studies, this thesis argues that late eighteenth-century travelers used scientific voyages to present audiences at home with a new understanding and scientific language in which to interpret foreign places and peoples. As a result, scientific travelers were directly influential not only in the creation of new forms of knowledge and intellectual frameworks, but they helped direct the shape and formation of the Empire. The thesis explores the interplay between institutional influence and individual agency in …

Introspections Into Rational Fanatics And Thoughtful Deceivers: Examining The Use Of Memoirs In The Works Of James Hogg And Charles Brockden Brown, Tucker Foster

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The memoir as a specific and unique literary genre has only recently been broached for in-depth critical study, with two major, book-length examinations of the genre appearing in the past decade. While the genre has been around in various formats with various conventions for as long as humans have written, only the memoir boom of the late twentieth and early twenty-first-century called for a more sophisticated look at the genre. This thesis will use these recent observations on the memoir as a genre to shed new light on two classics of gothic literature: Charles Brockden Brown’s 1798 novel Wieland and …

A Comparison Of Hominin Teeth From Lincoln Cave, Sterkfontein L/63, And The Dinaledi Chamber, South Africa, Juliet K. Brophy, Joel Irish, Steve E. Churchill, Darryl J. De Ruiter, John Hawks, Lee R. Berger

Faculty Publications

Prior to the recovery of Homo naledi from the Dinaledi Chamber of the Rising Star Cave system, the Middle Pleistocene fossil record in Africa was particularly sparse. With the large sample size now available from Dinaledi, the opportunity exists to reassess taxonomically ambiguous teeth unearthed at the nearby site of Sterkfontein. Teeth recovered from Lincoln Cave South and area L/63 at Sterkfontein have been considered ‘most probably Homo ergaster’ and ‘perhaps Archaic Homo sapiens’, respectively. Given the similarities shared between Lincoln Cave, area L/63, and the Dinaledi Chamber with regard to climatic/geologic depositional context and age, two teeth from the …

Religion, Institutionalism, Legalism, And Same-Sex Marriage: Comparative Experiences Of Non-Heterosexual Males In Northern Ireland And Tennessee, Reaghan Gough

Honors Theses

The intersection of religion, legalism, institutionalism, and sexuality is historically one of controversy. Consequential discord often leads to the marginalization of certain members of a community, which creates lasting psychological and social effects that shape how these individuals define themselves within their culture. This study identifies shared experiences between two groups of non-heterosexual adult males near Coleraine, Northern Ireland, where same-sex marriage is illegal, and Chattanooga, Tennessee, where the practice is federally accepted. The samples provide a look into the effects of religiously-motivated, discriminatory legislation on the personal lives of the subsequent population. Specifically, participants are asked to reflect on …

Seventh Grade Students' Understanding Of A Groundwater Modeling Tool, Holly White

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Water is a core topic in standards for science teaching and learning across the K-12 continuum (NGSS Lead States, 2013; National Research Council [NRC], 1966), though research has shown that the American public may possess relatively underdeveloped ideas about water systems (AMNH, 2005). Those who have a better understanding of groundwater systems tend to recognize the impacts that overuse has and express greater concern about conservation of the resource (Pan and Liu 2018). One way to support students’ learning about groundwater is through the use of groundwater modeling tools. Computer-based models have been shown to be effective in supporting K-12 …

The Effect Of Land Development In Small Communities On A People's Sense Of Place, Alivia Michalski

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Sense of place is an extensively researched concept that refers to the relationship (cultural, economic, societal, spiritual, and physical) between a person and their surroundings. Often a person’s sense of place, or connection to the land, can lead them to develop strong place attachment, or a human-place bond, with certain physical locations. Studies done on place attachment show that people with strong connections to natural areas where they live are more willing to demonstrate environmentally responsible behavior. This kind of behavior is important in the upcoming years, as communities begin to expand, develop more land, and use more resources. In …

Sustainable Dietary Solutions To A Multi-Dimensional Epidemic: A Practical Application Of The Mediterranean Diet To Nebraska, Samuel A. Virgillito

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

There is substantial evidence to suggest the major health and environmental benefits of the Mediterranean diet. When compared to the Western Pattern diet, the Mediterranean diet consistently ranks higher by both of these measures. Considering a looming environmental crisis and an already present health epidemic, a major dietary shift and overhaul of the current food system in America is necessary. Yet few studies aim to suggest the transferability of the Mediterranean diet to regions outside of the Mediterranean basin. Nebraska offers a unique case study as it reflects the contextually poor health of Americans and boasts a massive agriculture industry …

A Comparison Of Modern Power: Environmental Impacts, Seth Adams

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

There are many aspects of environmental influences that must be considered when evaluating power production methods. Over the course of a six-month literature review this study covered the environmental impact and sustainability of four different power production methods: coal, solar, wind, and nuclear. This study then used the information gathered to create a set of criteria by which each would be evaluated. The goal of this study was to determine the power production method that would deliver the most energy with the least amount of environmental impact. Further, the scope of this study is limited to the midwestern states of …

Nitrate Contamination And Nitrogen Isotope Compositions In The Bazile Groundwater Management Area: A Water Quality Study. Creighton, Ne, Sydney Corcoran

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Surface water nitrogen contamination is a pervasive issue in Nebraska, and agricultural practices are the main source of nitrogen input to streams (Spalding and Exner, 1993). Nitrate can come from inorganic fertilizers such as anhydrous ammonia, or animal waste. Studies have been conducted on nitrates dating back to 1947 (Addleman, 1985). The Bazile Groundwater Management Area (BGMA) located in northeast Nebraska has historically had high nitrate contamination. This qualitative study assesses the seasonal sources of nitrogen to stream water. It is predicted that the source of input is from commercial synthetic fertilizers. By using nitrogen- oxygen isotope methods, the source …

A Phenomenological Study Of Advanced Age Individuals Pursuing A Doctoral Degree, Elaine G. Phillips

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to describe the lived experiences of advanced age individuals 62 years and older who chose to return to academia and pursue doctoral studies in accredited doctoral programs in the United States. The theories that guided this study are the self-determination theory by Deci and Ryan and Erikson’s psychosocial development theory, specifically stage eight, Integrity versus Despair. These two theories framed this study investigating the central research question: What are the experiences of advanced age individuals pursuing a doctoral degree? These advanced age individuals pursued, experienced, and completed doctoral degrees or are in the …

Long-Term Patterns In Remotely-Sensed Vegetation Productivity For A Transboundary Conservation Area In Southern Africa., Liam Resener

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

In the past century, researchers have observed changes in vegetation productivity and structure in savannas across the world. These changes, caused by shifts in precipitation patterns, fire patterns, soil nutrients, herbivory, and land management decisions, are important to understand because they affect availability of natural resources, which in turn affects the livelihoods of local populations. This study centers on the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA), a transboundary conservation area that spans five countries in Southern Africa comprised of large areas of protected land. Using the Normalized-Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), I tested a 35-year remotely-sensed time series for intra- and inter-annual …

Towards User-Centric Evaluation Of Uk Non-Print Legal Deposit: A Digital Library Futures White Paper, Paul Gooding, Melissa Terras, Linda Berube

Copyright, Fair Use, Scholarly Communication, etc.

This white paper reports on the findings of the Digital Library Futures project (2017-2019), which investigates the impact of Non-Print Legal Deposit (NPLD) on academic legal deposit libraries and their users in the United Kingdom. It argues that discussions of NPLD have paid too little attention to user behaviour and requirements, and that it is necessary to adopt an ongoing user-focused evaluation framework to inform NPLD planning and implementation.

Core research was carried out at the University of Glasgow, the University of Edinburgh, the University of East Anglia, and University College London. We are grateful to our project partners, Cambridge …

Discourses Of The Rural Rust Belt: Schooling, Poverty, And Rurality, Alexandra Panos, Jennifer Seelig

Teaching and Learning Faculty Publications

This article addresses the ways in which elementary teachers in the rural rust belt both reproduce and contest dominant discourses of schooling, rurality, and poverty in their particular local context. Situated within a 4-year postcritical ethnographic study, this analysis of teacher discourse took part during an embedded, 4-month-long teacher study group. Within this context, the authors examine how the group’s discourse on poverty claimed that inequity was the fault of those experiencing it, as well as that a neoliberal discourse of education emphasized a flattened accountability and growth-only perspective within teacher’s professional interactions. However, through the addition of a spatial …

Quieter Hour – A Friendlier Shopping Experience For People With Autism, Rachel Brachman

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

This thesis centers on autism and the exclusionary effects of it. While there is a wealth of new research on this diagnosis indicating that while there is an entire spectrum of autism, many people are fully functional in society. Many of these people simply have limitations. If these limitations were attended to by society, there would be no need for exclusion of people with these types disabilities. Many of the changes needed to promote an environment of inclusion instead of exclusion are not incredibly difficult to make, yet they have not been made.

While people on the spectrum are excluded …

Roads To Resettlement: A Global Analysis Of Refugee And Migrant Integration Policies Through Education-Based Non-Profits, Dina Eldawy

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

This project is an international comparative study of migration patterns and integration models, spanning global case studies of refugee and migrant communities in Latin America, the United States, and the Middle East through personal research and experience. Using participant observation and interviews, I observed and worked with three different nonprofit ecosystems in Syracuse, NY; Santiago, Chile; and Tyre, Lebanon. This paper situates all three cities in the context of our globalizing world, where global conflicts or economic conditions that affect one country have an extremely crucial impact on other countries surrounding it and beyond. I observed three host countries that, …

Sun, Sea, And Sand: U.S. Militarism And Tourism In The Philippines, Anna Strait

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

This study explores the complex relationship between U.S. militarism and tourism in the Philippines. The tourism perspective that is prominent throughout challenges the equality of the military partnership between the U.S. and the Philippines. This study analyses the history of the U.S. military presence in the Philippines, starting with the colonial era at the turn of the twentieth century. Assessing infrastructure—its past and ongoing development—reveals itself as a significant connection between militarism and tourism—mobility. Ultimately, this study of the relationship between U.S. militarism and tourism provides a better understanding of the future impacts of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement—a 2016 …

Understanding Maternal Mortality In The United States, Alexis Whellan

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Background and Purpose: The maternal mortality rate in the United States is uncharacteristically high for a developed nation. Despite a concerted effort to participate in decreasing maternal mortality rates internationally as part of the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals, the United States has failed many of its mothers when it comes to positive maternal health outcomes. The quality of health care in the United States is comparable to other developed nations, suggesting that the unusually high maternal mortality rate is not due to physician error and lack of proper physician techniques and rather due to social variables. There are many …

The Failure Of Mixed-Motives Jurisprudence, Andrew Verstein

University of Chicago Law Review

Because legal determinations often turn on motive, and motives are often complex, courts must decide what to do about mixed motives. For example, a boss might fire someone both for lawful reasons relating to job performance and also because of illegal prejudice. Increasingly, courts evaluate such cases under a “ButFor standard,” which finds for the plaintiff only if the defendant would have acted differently but for the bad motive. Put another way, the defendant loses unless the bad motive made some kind of causal difference in outcomes. While this approach is intuitive, I argue that the But-For standard is problematic. …

Perceptions Of The North American Free Trade Agreement And Mexican Migration: “What Is The Relationship Between Trade Liberalization And Labor Mobility?”, Colin Gonzalez

Political Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

In an effort to understand the effectiveness of the North American Free Trade Agreement, the author uses previous academic literature to assesses the success of the North American Free Trade Agreement’s primary and peripheral goals. To understand how North American citizens, perceive NAFTA and their future relationship with one another, the author uses survey data to analyze attitudes of American and Mexican citizens towards trade liberalization (NAFTA) and labor mobility. Regression analysis reveals that there is a positive relationship between labor mobility and trade liberalization for Mexican citizens but not for American citizens. This is a significant finding that contributes …

Crafting The Carolopolis Award: Expansion Of The Physical Characteristics Of Award Winners And The Preservation Society Of Charleston's Published Announcements Of The Award Since 1953, Christopher Gene Tenny

All Theses

In Charleston, the preservation movement has broadened its scope, including a varied and wider range of construction periods, architectural categories, and geographic locations. This study shows that the local preservation movement, as witnessed through the lens of the Carolopolis Award Program, has re-focused its preservation ethic to be more inclusive of a more diverse array of properties. The nation’s oldest municipal preservation organization was founded in Charleston in 1920 as the Society for the Preservation of Old Dwellings. After three decades, the society changed its name to fit a more generalized view of preservation: the Preservation Society of Charleston.

In …

Planning For Cougars In An Urban Environment, Edward Drew Brittain

All Theses

No abstract provided.