Digital Commons Network^™

The Role Of Candidate Gender And Political Support: An Experimental Approach To Understanding Voter Perceptions And Support For Female Presidential Candidates, Jenna Nichole Laurin

Theses and Dissertations

Female candidates are at a disadvantage in the political sphere, facing underrepresentation and stereotype hurdles at all levels of elected office. While female candidates have overcome some of these obstacles and won elections at the state and local levels, there has never been a female candidate elected President. The purpose of the current study was to determine whether female and male candidates are judged differently on measures of competence, warmth, traits, and willingness to vote. Employing a 2 (candidate gender) x 2 (participant gender) x 2 (candidate party) manipulation, 370 participants read a fictitious article about Presidential candidates and rated …

Detection And Characteristics Of Blowing Snow At Mcmurdo Station, Antarctica During The Aware Field Campaign, Nicole Loeb

Theses and Dissertations

Blowing snow is an impactful process in cold climates that affects regional thermodynamics, radiation properties, and the surface mass balance of snow. Though it has significant climatic impacts, the process is still poorly understood and not widely included in weather and climate models. In 2016, the AWARE Field Campaign saw the deployment of a large suite of in situ and remote sensing instruments to McMurdo Station, Antarctica allowing for investigation of blowing snow. A ceilometer-based blowing snow detection algorithm used elsewhere in Antarctica is applied to data from AWARE, yielding a blowing snow frequency of 14.1% compared to 8.2% as …

Influences On The Development Of Ethical Decision-Making In Speech-Language Pathology Students: A Phenomenological Study Of Graduate Students And Clinical Supervisors, Joni K. Mehrhoff

Theses and Dissertations

Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) serve as members of the interprofessional team for complex patients. As such, SLPs are required to uphold ethical practices and respond to the needs of patients, their families, healthcare organizations, and the interprofessional team. Speech-language pathology graduates are part of the ethical healthcare team during clinical experiences. Yet, limited research is available to define the development of student ethical decision-making. The purpose of this study was to explore what influences SLP graduate students and clinical supervisors ascribe to in the development of ethical decision-making. Participants included five SLP graduate students and six SLP clinical supervisors from accredited …

Student Athlete Perceptions On Coaches' Relationships Impacting Continued Participation In High School Athletics, Mark Allen Rerick

Theses and Dissertations

The researcher’s purpose for this study was to review and analyze student-athlete perceptions of their high school athletic experience based on one school district’s collected data. This research provides athletic directors knowledge and direction to better define the philosophy, goals, and organizational structure of their athletic departments. Using quantitative and qualitative data, the researcher examined secondary data collected to identify reasons student-athletes participate in athletics as well as understand why some student-athletes may not continue their participation in high school athletics. The researcher also explored the contrasting goals of privately run sports clubs and high school sponsored athletic programs and …

How Affect Rhetoric And A Changing Digital Landscape Shape Youth Digital Social Movements Of The Twenty-First Century, Amanda Frances Pasierb

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores three youth digital social movements, which have taken place throughout the twenty-first century: the Invisible Children movement of Uganda, the Bring Back Our Girls movement of Nigeria, and the Never Again movement of the United States. Using rhetorical analysis of each movement, I explore the relationship each has with youth, digital, social movement, and activism. Specifically, I seek to answer the following research questions: (1) with youth in the forefront of each movement, how have the movements utilized affective rhetoric to promote and gain support, and (2) how have youth digital social movements evolved throughout the twenty-first …

Transitions In Tumultuous Times: Teachers’ Experiences With Distance Learning Amidst The Covid-19 Pandemic, Lisa Ross-Hain

Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic in the spring of 2020 prompted the first nationwide extended educational disruption, resulting in many challenges for teachers as they were forced to a distance teaching and learning model. Educators modified curricular content, delivery, and assessment methods to accommodate and engage learners and maintain academic expectations while at the same time attempting to mitigate undue stress for their students. Teachers met this task with little to no adaptive expertise to draw from, as few had previous experience with distance teaching. Constructivist theory guided this qualitative study exploring teachers’ experiences in distance learning through a lens of adaptive …

Modelling Of A Microgrid Using Z Notation, Binisha Shrestha

Theses and Dissertations

A Microgrid is a group of electrical sources and connected loads that operate energy grids in grid-connected or islanded mode. Microgrid usage has increased recently due to improved technology andthe effectiveness of renewable energy sources. To produce a balanced and stable power supply frommicrogrids and meet the load demand is a challenging research area in both the electrical engineering and software engineering fields. This work presents a formal model for representing the microgrid system to prevent failure or inconsistencies in the power generation and usage. A methodology for creating a formal model for a microgrid is a critical approach to …

Dr. Andrew Foster's Contributions To Deaf Education In Africa, The Ghana Years (1957-1965), Joel Benjamin Runnels

Theses and Dissertations

Dr. Andrew Foster (1925-1987) was a Deaf African American missionary educator known to have established among the first 32 schools for the d/Deaf across 13 African nations. Foster tragically died in the 1987 Rwanda airplane accident. Deaf communities in Africa and the United States, soon after, lionized him as the “father of d/Deaf education in Africa”. Chroniclers of history largely ignored Foster and treated as invisible his contributions to d/Deaf education.

I had been waiting, like many, for researchers to give an in depth, historical treatment to Foster’s work. I felt knowledge from such a study would support me to …

Application Of Formal Specification Technique To Microgrid Representation, Maksym Tkach

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis uses formal specification techniques to analyze and model a microgrid. A microgrid is a small, local electrical grid, often supplied by a single generator, that can connect to the larger electrical grid, but can also disconnect from it, going into “island mode.” Thanks to the growth in renewable energy, microgrids represent a growing segment of the electrical power generation domain. And like any member of the domain they are safety-critical systems, meaning that even a small mistake in their implementation risks damage to life and property.Formal specification is a way to abrogate the risks of safety critical systems …

Uncertainty Quantification And Economic Dispatch Models For The Power Grid, Arun Sukumaran Nair

Theses and Dissertations

The modern power grid is constrained by several challenges, such as increased penetration of Distributed Energy Resources (DER), rising demand for Electric Vehicle (EV) integration, and the need to schedule resources in real-time accurately. To address the above challenges, this dissertation offers solutions through data-driven forecasting models, topology-aware economic dispatch models, and efficient optional power flow calculations for large scale grids. Particularly, in chapter 2, a novel microgrid decomposition scheme is proposed to divide the large scale power grids into smaller microgrids. Here, a two-stage Nearest-Generator Girvan-Newman (NGGN) algorithm, a graphicalclustering-based approach, followed by a distributed economic dispatch model, is …

The Effects Of Modulating Accommodative-Vergence Stress Within The Context Of Operator Performance On Automated System Tasks, Kyle Anthony Bernhardt

Theses and Dissertations

Automated systems (e.g., self-driving cars, autopilot) can reduce an operator’s (i.e., driver, pilot, baggage screener) task engagement, which can result in mind wandering, distraction, and loss of concentration. Consequently, unfavorable performance outcomes, such as missed critical signals and slow responses to emergency events, can occur. Because automation reverts the operator to a “visual monitoring” role, the oculomotor accommodative-vergence responses (the oculomotor responses that maintain a single focused image on the retina) may play a vital role in human-automation interactions. Prior research has shown that individuals with deficits in the accommodative-vergence responses can exhibit inattentive symptoms (e.g., poor concentration) characteristic of …

Asexual Experiences Of Microaggressions Scale: Instrument Development And Evaluation, Evelyn Estela Ayala

Theses and Dissertations

The present paper explores the experience of microaggressions among asexuals and relevant literature. There is a dearth of research on asexuality, particularly as it relates to the experience of microaggressions. However, research suggests that microaggressions have a cumulative impact on both physical and emotional well-being as reported by all minority groups that face microaggressions (Lewis, 2009, Mayer, 2010). The development of a scale that measures the experience of microaggressions would allow for this area of research to be further studied. The paper utilized DeVellis’s (2017) method for scale development to develop a psychometrically sound scale assessing the experience of microaggressions …

Predictors Of Professional Quality Of Life In Rural Nurses, Stephanie Deese

Theses and Dissertations

Worldwide nursing shortages have led to an increased burden on healthcare systems, and this is especially true in already underserved, remote, and rural areas, where access to healthcare is limited and the loss of highly-skilled nursing professionals is deeply-felt. Professional quality of life (ProQOL) has been studied as a major influence on nurses’ wellbeing, job satisfaction, burnout rates, turnover rates, and quality of care. While certain job-related factors that impact nurses’ ProQOL outcomes have been identified – excessive workload, exposure to trauma, financial strain due to low wages, lack of or over-emotional engagement in the workplace, individual disposition – certain …

An Exploration Of Indigenous Spiritual Microaggressions, Cerynn Dawn Desjarlais

Theses and Dissertations

This descriptive exploratory research is amongst the first to investigate Spiritual Microaggressions experienced by Indigenous Peoples across North America. Microaggressions can further be conceptualized and categorized as microassaults, microinsults, and microinvalidations. Participants who self-identify as Indigenous individuals ages 18 and over, from North America, who work in or are educated in the mental health field engaged in 60-90-minute interviews to explore the spiritual microaggressions incurred upon them. A total of 8 participants who identify as mental health professionals and graduate students in the mental health field were interviewed as an intensity sample. Participants discussed the implications of Indigenous Spiritual Microaggressions …

Understanding Well-Being Among Black Female Student Activists Attending Predominantly White Institutions: A Narrative Inquiry Approach, Stephen Grey

Theses and Dissertations

As engagement in activism continues to increase on campus and nationally, a paucity of research exists on the experiences of Black student activists attending PWI and their well-being. Narrative inquiry was utilized in this study to better understand the lived experiences of two Black student activists. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with both participants to gain in-depth narratives of their experiences engaging in activism on PWIs. A narrative thematic approach was used to analyze the results. The findings suggested that the Black student participants experienced benefits (increased sense of belonging and racial cohesion) and consequences (activist burnout and decreased academic performance) …

Evaluating Mixed-Mode Survey Designs For Collecting Deer And Fall Turkey Hunter Harvest Data In North Dakota, Ethan James Kalinowski

Theses and Dissertations

Achieving state wildlife agency biological goals for deer (Odocoileus spp.) and turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) rely on high quality data collection via hunter harvest surveys. Concomitantly, better information is needed to optimize best survey methods. From 2017 to 2019, we surveyed North Dakota, USA, deer and fall turkey hunters using a self-administered mail control survey and 3 mixed-mode internet/mail surveys to gain a better understanding of alternative survey designs that may be used to estimate harvest of game populations and inform future management efforts. Our first objective was to measure response rates across various segments of deer and fall turkey hunters …

At-Home Childcare Providers’ Perceptions Of Gardening With Children, Erin Lauckner

Theses and Dissertations

Children do not consume recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables, which has been correlated with negative health consequences. Gardening with children has been shown to positively impact children’s consumption of these foods. While research investigating gardening with children exists, much of this has been conducted with teachers and children in schools, and limited research has been conducted with childcare providers and preschool-aged children. Little research has been conducted about this topic with in-home childcare providers and the children under their care. This pilot study utilized a cross-sectional mixed methods research design through an online survey instrument. A convenience sample of …

Self Me: An Examination Of Social Media Usage On The Self-Authorship Of College Students, Sherry Lawdermilt

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effects of social media usage on the self-authorship of college students. Social media as a means for social interaction has become a constant in the life of young adults. At a time when students have traditionally established their own beliefs and identity and begin to move towards self-authorship, these social mediums have become a venue for students to look to others for a definition of who they are or who they want to be. Current literature on college students’ use of social media has focused on the relationship between social media usage and online social behavior, …

Maladjustment Correlates Associated With Sexual Perpetration Tactics, Katya Maureen Mickelson

Theses and Dissertations

This project completed a partial replication and extension of a prior study (Norton-Baker, Russell, & King, 2018) regarding tactical differences in sexual perpetration victimization strategies. Respondents (n = 559) completed the Revised Sexual Experiences Survey-Long Form Perpetrator (SES-LFP) before being assigned to different macro-tactical groups (i.e. Non-Violent, Coercive, Aggressive, Polytactic). Membership to groups of micro-tactics of sexual perpetration was then assigned (sexual harassment, non-consensual distribution of sexual content, voyeurism, exhibitionism, sexual coercion, sexual coercion facilitated by substances, sexual perpetration, sexual perpetration facilitated by substances, and multiparticipant offenders). Participants completed the PID-5 as well as other measures of maladjustment. Polytactic perpetrators …

Exploration Of Model-Resolution Dependence Of Forecasted Wind Hazards For Small Unmanned Aircraft System Operations, Lucas Andrew Reilly

Theses and Dissertations

Use of the small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) for commercial applications is growing. Once approval is granted to conduct flights Beyond Visual Line Of Sight (BVLOS), utilization of the sUAS will accelerate. Hazards associated with sUAS flight, including weather hazards, must be understood when flying BVLOS. One of the leading weather hazards is wind. In this study, nested Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model simulations with horizontal grid spacings of 12 km, 4 km, 1.33 km, and 0.444 km were conducted to evaluate the impact changing resolution has on wind fields and, thus, on the forecasting of sUAS wind hazards. …

The Value Of Existential Worlds: Creation And Validation Of A Measure To Explore The Four Existential Worlds, Matthew Robert Rozzi

Theses and Dissertations

The field of counseling psychology is increasingly focused on understanding clients in holistic and non-pathologizing ways. Existential theory provides the four-worlds model for exploring human existence in line with this modern psychological zeitgeist. In this model, humans are understood to exist simultaneously in four “worlds” or “dimensions”: physical (umwelt), social (mitwelt), psychological (eigenwelt), and spiritual/philosophical (uberwelt). This measure construction project is the first known study to examine the personal importance (value) of existing in each world. The Value of Existential Worlds (VEW) was created and psychometrically examined. From the initial 63-items, a shorter (20-item) version was created which demonstrated a …

Examining College Students’ Emotions And Alcohol Usage On A College Campus: Student Chemical Assessment And Review Program (Scarp), Thomas William Solem

Theses and Dissertations

Alcohol use and abuse is an important issue amongst college students, and the totality of impacts are still misunderstood. Identification of high-risk alcohol abuse problems leads universities to intervene; however, the emotional, personal, and academic impacts of such mandated intervention programs is unclear. Helping universities understand students’ alcohol abuse challenges can aid appropriate interventions, as well as improve student well-being and academic success.

The purpose of this study is to examine the Student Chemical Assessment Review Program (SCARP), specifically to explore its impacts on student variables (university motivation, readiness/importance of confidence to change, self-esteem, guilt, shame, depression, anxiety, and resiliency) …

Faculty Perspectives: Understanding And Responding To Stress Management Needs In The Occupational Therapy Doctorate, Alyson Rae Wilhelmi Downs

Theses and Dissertations

Occupational therapy programs are currently pursuing the transition to an entry-level occupational therapy doctorate (OTD). Due to the novel change with this population, minimal research exists on how faculty are understanding and constructing a process to manage stress, promote wellbeing, and foster self-efficacy for themselves and the benefit of students during this time of transition. The concepts of habituation and social cognitive theory frame inquiry and understanding of the research problem for the development of a constructivist grounded theory study. A total of nine faculty and staff members at a Midwest OT program in the midst of programmatic change to …

Instructional Coaching: Self-Efficacy, Resilience, And Joy, Aimee Marie Volk

Theses and Dissertations

At the time of this study, research on instructional coaching suggests positive outcomes for teacher retention and student achievement. However, merely providing an instructional coach to support a teacher is not sufficient. Effective coaching programs are built around foundational, structural, and instructional coaching program standards as well as employ coaches who are capable and effective in a multitude of content, instructional, and behavioral situations. Research illustrates that coaches vary significantly in effectiveness. Therefore, coaching outcomes may produce inconsistent results among various coaching programs and even between individual schools within the same school district. In other words, not all coaches or …

Preparing Commercial Space For Safety Management System Implementation, Brian Eugene Teske

Theses and Dissertations

In 2014 The commercial space company, Scaled Composites, suffered a catastrophic event during a test flight, killing one astronaut. Several recommendations for the Federal Aviation Administration, Office of Commercial Space Transportation emerged from the National Transportation Safety Board. One recommendation was the introduction of a safety management system (SMS) as a safety protocol and became the genesis of this research project. This study has two purposes. The first purpose is to investigate whether the attributes of safety management system theory (SMST) exist in commercial space organizations. The second purpose is to explore the characteristics of high reliability theory (HRT) to …

Investigation Of The Neurological Manifestations Of Lyme Disease And The Impact Of Borrelia Burgdorferi On The Epigenetic Landscape Of Astrocytes, Derick Thompson

Theses and Dissertations

Lyme disease, caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb), is the most commonly reported vector-borne disease in the United States – with 30,000 cases being reported to the CDC annually, though it is estimated that 300,000 individuals are infected each year in the U.S [1–4]. Due to the medical treatment of the disease, this equates to an estimated $712 million - $1.3 billion in medical costs each year [5]. Conclusively, due to the continued geographical spread and increasing incidence rate, Lyme disease is becoming a greater public health threat throughout the world.

The symptoms of Lyme disease can range from …

Effects Of Choice Orientation And Consensual Non-Monogamy On Relationship Quality, Meara Thombre

Theses and Dissertations

Consensual non-monogamy (CNM) is a style of sexual or romantic relationship that consensually includes more than two people. Despite a notable prevalence of CNM relationships in the United States, there is relatively little research on this population. While previous research generally finds similar levels of relationship quality to that of monogamist relationships, those in CNM relationships experience notable stigma and are an understudied population. The current study used the Maximization Paradox (Dar-Nimrod, Rawn, Lehman, & Schwartz, 2009) to investigate whether individual differences in choice orientation might impact relationship quality differently in CNM and monogamist relationships. Specifically, it investigated whether maximizers, …

A New Frontier Facing Attorneys And Paralegals: The Promise & Challenges Of Artificial Intelligence As Applied To Law & Legal Decision-Making, Marissa Moran

Publications and Research

Artificial Intelligence/AI invisibly navigates and informs our lives today and may also be used to determine a client’s legal fate. Through executive order, statements by a U.S. Supreme Court justice and a Congressional Commission on AI, all three branches of the United States government have addressed the use of AI to resolve societal and legal matters. Pursuant to the American Bar Association Model Rules of Professional Conduct[i] and New York Rules of Professional Conduct (NYRPC), [ii] the legal profession recognizes the need for competency in technology which requires both substantive knowledge of law and competent use of technology for …

2020 Viewbook, Office Of Admissions

Viewbook

IMSA fosters the discoverers. The thinkers. The problem-solvers of the future who can change the world. Our mission is to ignite and nurture creative, ethical, scientific minds that advance the human condition. We are a diverse community that promotes curiosity and exploration. We’re about more than great college prospects and great jobs, we’re about making our families proud. We’re about a better world for everyone through immersive learning experiences.

In 2017, we adopted the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a call to action that commissions us all to make the right choices now to improve life for …

The Rollamo 2020, Missouri University Of Science And Technology

Yearbooks

No abstract provided.