Digital Commons Network^™

“Engines Of The Ruling Party”: The Establishment Clause And The Power Politics Of “Managing Diversity”, Robert A. Destro

UC Law Journal

No abstract provided.

A Nomination For The Oliver La Farge House To The Historic Santa Fe Foundation’S Register Of Properties Worthy Of Preservation, Hayden D-L Mcafee

Architecture and Planning ETDs

647 Old Santa Fe Trail is a traditional one-story adobe house in the territorial style. Constructed in 1867, it has a long history and has played a significant role in the development of Santa Fe. Sitting on the original path of the Santa Fe Trail and later Route 66, it has witnessed over 150 years of history both outside and within its doors. It was occupied by the Pulitzer Prize winning author and respected anthropologist Oliver La Farge from 1947-1963. La Farge was an important figure in the Santa Fe community, most recognized for his novels and activism, advocating for …

Disrupting Whiteness In Education Organizations: Community Testimonios Of Strategy, Resistance, And Perseverance In Educational Justice Organizing, Florence E. Castillo

Sociology ETDs

Through this project, I utilize multiple approaches to disrupt whiteness. I make a case for centering Indigenous and non-Western methods, such as testimonio in sociological studies, to disrupt the academic whiteness of knowledge creation and validation. Whiteness itself is amorphous and looks different depending on circumstances, location, who holds power, and context (Hughey 2016). Utilizing a theory of racialized organizations, I shed light on how whiteness is normalized in education institutions through race-neutral, everyday actions (Ray 2019). This further disrupts whiteness by rendering it visible. Finally, I highlight the different modes of resistance that educational activists use to disrupt whiteness. …

Greening The Desert: Emirati Youth’S Perceptions Of Green Branding, Gergana Alzeer, Tilde Rosmer

All Works

This chapter focuses on Emirati youth’s understanding of and practices related to a green shift in the UAE and how this correlates with the state’s efforts to brand the UAE as green and sustainable. This is part of a larger research project that investigates Emirati youth’s understanding of climate change. The UAE experience of environmental sustainability is unique as its green shift was initiated by the government in a top-down approach compared to the bottom-up green movements in most western states that has been the focus of most environmental studies so far. Environmental sustainability is part of UAE’s national Agenda …

Emergence, Evolution, And Outcomes Of Community-Based Conservation Behaviors In Coastal Systems, Matthew C. Clark

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This body of work leverages a variety of quantitative and theoretical approaches to advance our understanding of why individuals adopt community-based conservation behaviors, the impacts those decisions have on natural resources and human wellbeing, and how these insights can be used for practical conservation planning. The first chapter makes a theoretical contribution by fitting data produced from a stylized, agent-based simulation of conservation adoption over time with a set of probabilistic differential equations derived from the theory of diffusion of innovations and cultural evolutionary theory broadly. We use these methods to demonstrate that such a statistical approach can provide accurate …

Does Quality Meet You At The Door? Nursing Home Administrators Perspective Of Quality Of Life For Black Residents Of Nursing Homes In The Capital Region Of New York: A Descriptive Phenomenological Study, Carolyn Mclaughlin

Education Doctoral

The purpose of this study was to gain the perspectives of nursing home administrators on the quality of life experienced by Black nursing home residents in the Capital Region of New York. Semi-structured 1-hour interviews were the primary source for data collection capturing the perspectives of current nursing home administrators in the Capital Region of New York. Other instruments to collect data were: (a) a qualifying participant survey, (b) interview questions, (c) field notes, (d) journal, and (e) the researcher. From this process five categories emerged: (a) cultural competence, (b) well- being, (c) quality of life, (d) environment, and (e) …

Exploring Leadership Perceptions And Practices Supporting Urban Middle And High School Students Diagnosed With Adhd, Ekiyor Stanley

Education Doctoral

Although children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have been extensively studied in the educational setting in past decades, urban public school leaders’ (UPSLs) views have been overlooked. A transcendental phenomenological design was used in this study to capture the lived experience of UPSLs’ perceptions and practices in supporting urban middle and high school students diagnosed with ADHD. Eight retired UPSLs participated in open-ended, semi-structured interviews. As a result of the rich stories and open discussions, the researcher identified four themes: (a) behavioral and pharmacological interventions, (b) systemic challenges and obstacles, (c) school policies and mandates, and (d) ADHD training …

We Are Each Other’S Business: Black Entrepreneurship, Trust, And The Mobilization Of Social Capital, Lashawnna R. Harris

Education Doctoral

This interpretive phenomenological study aimed to investigate the interactions between race socialization, trust, and Black entrepreneurs’ social capital mobilization. The 12 study participants conducted business in New York City and the surrounding counties. The primary sources of data collected were semi-structured interviews and researcher journal entries for validity. Four themes emerged from the interpretive analysis conducted: (a) race socialization matters, (b) trust is relationship based, (c) networks are vast but often homogeneous, and (d) competence-based mobilization.

This study found that Black entrepreneurs are influenced by messages about direct and vicarious discriminatory racial encounters. Race socialization messages served as protective instructions …

The Concept And Implementation Of The Co-Teaching Model At The High School Level: A Phenomenological Analysis Of Perceptions And Practices, Jennifer Singer

Education Doctoral

This phenomenological research design examined the implementation of co-teaching in classrooms of diverse learners at the high school level in suburban settings in New York State. Three separate focus groups were attended by 11 high school general education teachers, special education teachers, and building administrators to gather data regarding the participants’ perceptions, practices, and implementation of co-teaching through their lived experiences.

Three findings emerged by analyzing the themes that surfaced from the three separate focus groups in the coding process. First, the importance of comprehending and applying the coteaching framework and the need to focus on the intricacies of co-teaching …

Integrating Human Psychology Into Car-Following Models For Accurate Response Prediction: A Realistic Approach, Faiza Khan

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Car-following models traditionally focus on vehicle kinematics or dynamics parameters without considering human psychology. However, recent research has attempted to incorporate psychology into car-following models. Despite these efforts, there are limitations in understanding the psychological triggers that influence individual drivers' responses. To address this gap, we propose a new car-following model based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), which incorporates a human element by utilizing concepts of psychology. To gather the data pertaining to human input a questionnaire was carefully developed utilizing the Theory of Planned Behavior. Data collection and analysis were done through a survey using google forms. …

Functional Morphology Of The Platyrrhine Humerus And Talus: Implications For Inferring Locomotor Behavior In Extinct Primates, Liam Michael Zachary

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Platyrrhines are a diverse radiation of primates that exhibit a range of locomotor adaptations. The relationships between extant primate locomotor behavior and variation in postcranial morphology are often used to make functional interpretations of skeletal anatomy in extinct primates. However, a comparative baseline of form-function relationships in the extant platyrrhine postcranium is lacking compared to other primates, which limits understanding of platyrrhine locomotor evolution. The humerus and talus are two of the best represented skeletal elements in the platyrrhine fossil record and are informative of locomotor behavior. Therefore, quantification of morphological variation in extant platyrrhine tali and humeri can provide …

Household Manifestations Of Coalescence At Carden Bottoms (3ye0025) And In The Arkansas River Valley, Gillian Marie Steeno

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Excavations at Carden Bottoms (3YE0025), an Early Contact period farmstead site in the Arkansas River Valley, yield important information about cultural mingling at a briefly occupied site affected by European contact. These broad cultural interactions have been explored; however, traditions and practices at the individual household level are largely unknown. In this thesis, I explore contexts including three house structures and associated pits at the Carden Bottoms site. This case study includes attribute analyses and chi-square tests performed on ceramic decoration and temper as well as lithic tool and source material. Additionally, ceramic form is investigated between and within households …

Sound And Music Opportunities In Toddler Learning Environments, Sonia Akiko Yoshizawa

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this qualitative research was to gain an in-depth understanding of how teachers of toddlers (aged 25-36 months) described sound and music learning opportunities and experiences provided to children in their learning environments. In this research, teachers were asked how their personal and professional experiences with sound and music influenced their planning of toddlers’ sound and music learning opportunities. The design of this study was in-depth interviews of six toddler lead teachers in three childcare sites. Data were gathered through photographs, planning documents, and in-depth interviews using a university IRB-approved video conferencing program. Findings showed that all participants …

Navigating Cultural Crossroads: Exploring Fictional And Interview Narratives Of Nigerian Immigrant Women Living In The Southern United States, Tolulope Adeusi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nigerian immigrant women undergo constant navigation of their personal identities when conflicting cultural dynamics sometimes engender a balancing act between their personal beliefs and the ongoing process of acculturation. Their new Southern environment offers its own traditional mores, as well as greater opportunities for economic advancement. This places Nigerian Immigrant Women in a position where they must reconcile their desires for personal independence and empowerment with societal expectations that emphasize more traditional gender roles. This study explores the interview narratives of Nigerian immigrant women, reinforced by fictional accounts from prolific African women writers, which provides a more nuanced discussion of …

Low Internal Air Space In Plants With Crassulacean Acid Metabolism May Be An Anatomical Spandrel, Alistair Leverett, Anne Borland, Emma Inge, Samantha Hartzell

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Crassulacean Acid Metabolism (CAM) is a photosynthetic adaptation found in at least 38 plant families. Typically, the anatomy of CAM plants is characterised by large photosynthetic cells and a low percentage of leaf volume comprised of internal air space (% IAS). It has been suggested that reduced mesophyll conductance (g_m) arising from low % IAS benefits CAM plants by preventing the movement of CO₂ out of cells and ultimately minimising leakage of CO₂ from leaves into the atmosphere during day-time decarboxylation. Here, we propose that low % IAS does not provide any adaptive benefit to …

Digital Hair Creation For Archaeological Facial Approximation: George Dixon, The Last Captain Of The Hl Hunley, Robert Emerson

All Theses

This study explores the application of digital hair creation techniques in archaeological facial approximation, focusing on the case of George Dixon, the last captain of the HL Hunley submarine. While digital hair creation techniques have been previously employed in facial approximation, this research seeks to investigate further their potential and advantages over traditional methods, particularly regarding flexibility and the ability to create multiple variations.

Facial approximation is a critical method for reconstructing the physical appearance of historical individuals. However, accurately recreating their hairstyle presents a significant challenge due to limited information and reliance on artistic interpretation. This research aims to …

Household Environments And Functional Decline Among Middle-Aged And Older Adults In China, Dandan Zhao

All Theses

This thesis investigates the associations between household social, economic, and physical environment conditions and the trajectory of self-reported functional limitations over time among middle-aged and older adults in China. Despite the increasing interest in the impact of household environments on functional decline, most existing studies are cross-sectional or concern changes in functioning observed in two waves of surveys, and they primarily focus on the influence of one condition. This thesis explores how the trajectory of functional decline is influenced jointly by multiple household factors, including living arrangement, annual living expenditure per capita, indoor air pollution resulting from solid fuels, and …

¿Dónde Vamos?: Exploring Neoliberal Gentrification Within An Oak Cliff Barrio, Luis E. Macias Barrientos

Theses and Dissertations

Barrio working-class Latinx populations have been historically ignored and prevented from creating sustainable roots within their own communities due to the confluence of settler colonialism, neoliberalism, and gentrification. I argue the neoliberal city creates an unsustainable predicament that seeks to marginalize working-class individuals from inner-city life, thus systematically precluding future generations of working-class Latinxs from upward mobility. Little attention has been paid to Texas cities resulting from neoliberal policies perpetuating settler colonialism and gentrification. This thesis draws from theories of neoliberalism and the neoliberal city to explore the effects of gentrification on barrio Latinx geographies. To explore the relationship between …

The Water Mills Of The Historic Río Arriba In Northcentral New Mexico, 1598-1975, José A. Rivera Ph.D, Thomas F. Glick Ph.D

Faculty Publications

The water mills of New Mexico played a major role in the agricultural economy of the Río Arriba for centuries following the introduction of wheat from the Old World to the Americas. Wheat, in its ground form as flour, was a staple during the Spanish colonial period. To process raw wheat, local grist mills (molinos) were essential infrastructure as were the aceq uias (ditches) that powered them. Situated near the banks of rivers, the internal components of each mill were driven by the gravity force of water from an acequia, itself diverted from the river. Researchers have documented …

Intercultural Competence For Educators: A Phenomenological Study, Kathryn Mcclintock

Dissertations

The present study examined the lived experiences of in-service kindergarten–12 (K–12) teachers participating in Intercultural Competence for Educators professional development. Intercultural Competence for Educators is a curriculum designed to foster intercultural friendship development and grow educators’ intercultural competence (IC). The study aimed to explore the stories of eight K–12 teacher participants’ experiences in IC activities and investigated four research questions: Q1 What generic skills do in-service K–12 teacher participants assert are needed to grow interculturally competent? Q2 What cultural knowledge do in-service K–12 teacher participants gain from experiencing intercultural competence professional development? Q3 What self-knowledge do in-service K–12 teacher participants …

Unruly Periods: Reproductive Futurities And The Rhetorics Of Menstruation, Hannah Taylor

All Dissertations

“Unruly Periods: Reproductive Temporalities and the Rhetorics of Menstruations” argues that dominant rhetorics of shame and regulation around menstruation work to maintain strict reproductive temporalities that uphold heteropatriarchal norms. Specifically, I draw upon scholarship in queer studies and disability rhetorics to assert that sexual health texts (such as puberty books), menstrual care products (pads and tampons), and technologies of menstruation (period-tracking apps) function as a form of chronobiolitics—a teleological force that seeks to reinforce bodily normalcy. In doing so, these rhetorics of menstruation deny or elide the embodied experiences of diverse, queer, and disabled menstruators, limiting reproductive possibilities. Reproductive justice …

Coming Home: Challenges Of Reintegration For Returned Migrant Women In Northern Albania, Marsida Tafilica

All Dissertations

Return migration is the movement of people from host countries to their country of origin after spending a period of time abroad. The aim of this doctoral research is two-folded: Firstly, it aims to explore migration and return migration experiences of Albanian women in order to understand the difficulties experienced during and after migration and how they handled obstacles. Secondly, it analyzes how women migrants perceive successful reintegration.

Drawing on qualitative in-depth interviews of 19 Albanian women who returned to the city of Shkodra, the research seeks to answer the following questions: (1) Upon return, what are the perceptions of …

Multispecies Genomic Sex Identification Using Ddx3 Gene Polymorphisms, Jessica Felts

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

PCR sex determination assays must be reliable and cost effective due to the frequent and integral use of these assays in biological research and the animal production industry. Thus, the design of proof of a primer pair with a built-in control is warranted to not only bypass the extra cost of a multiplex reaction, but also to prevent anomalous results that have been documented with other primer pairs.

The objective of this study was to design primer pairs with built in PCR amplification control to identify sex in Equus caballus (domestic horse), Homo sapiens (humans), Macaca mulatta (rhesus macaque), and …

Designing A Rubric For Evaluating Curricular Resources In Montana's Indian Education For All Repository: A Design-Based Research Approach, Megan M. Hamilton

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this research study was to create an initial rubric to evaluate social studies lesson plans prior to their addition to Montana Office of Public Instruction’s online repository for Indian Education for All (IEFA) curriculum. In the first phase of this study, I examined Montana’s IEFA curriculum thematically to gain a better understanding of how Indigenous histories and perspectives are being represented using combined theoretical lenses of Tribal Critical Race Theory and culturally sustaining/ revitalizing pedagogy. In the second phase of this study, I used my thematic findings to inform the design of a theory-informed evaluative rubric. The …

Fremont Legacy In Capitol Reef And The Waterpocket Fold: A Radiocarbon Analysis Of The Pectol Collection Coiled Basketry Using Bayesian Modeling, Chelsea Cheney

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Perishable artifacts provide ample opportunity to better understand past human lives. Artifacts constructed from shorter-lived plant materials can make a significant contribution to archaeological research through radiocarbon dating. Analyzing and radiocarbon dating the basketry construction types from the Pectol Collection aids in the development of a more precise prehistoric timeline for the Capitol Reef and Waterpocket Fold (CRWF) area of southeastern Utah. Basketry technology construction is treated as a signal for growing Fremont occupancy throughout the Colorado Plateau and eastern Great Basin, and can the provide prior information used to better organize Bayesianbased age models. From AD 750–1050, a narrow …

Decolonizing Memory: Erasure And Resurgence Of Indigenous History In The Intermountain West, Chase Wilson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Decolonizing language, memory, and history is an important step in confronting dominant historical narratives in higher education and the general public. This paper focuses on the settlement of the US Intermountain West – where the violent roots of white settlement have been downplayed in the public historical consciousness through the dominant narrative of "pioneer heritage." Beginning with a study of Ogden, Utah, early histories of the area are reexamined, analyzing the contexts in which Native peoples are mentioned (or not) in order to understand their presence by the turn of the twentieth century. Next, my focus moves on to analysis …

Black–White Disparities In Body Mass Index Trajectories From Adolescence To Adulthood: Assessing The Roles Of Adverse Childhood Experiences And Exposures To Short Sleep Durations, Olusola Akintoye Omisakin

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In comparison to Whites and other racial groups, the Black population in the U.S. has experienced one of the highest prevalences of obesity. Research into the role of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) has increased recently because the effects of ACEs often persist for a significant portion of a person’s lifetime. Furthermore, the reduction in sleep duration in recent decades has sparked worries about public health. This dissertation assesses Black-White disparities in the associations between (1) ACEs and BMI, and (2) short sleep durations and BMI from adolescence to adulthood. Public-use datasets from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult …

Centering Indigenous Knowledge: Reimagining Research Methods, Pedagogies, And Sustainability With Niitsitapi Awaaáhsskataiksi (Blackfoot Elders), Sandra Bartlett Atwood

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

My research sought to better engage with Indigenous ways of knowing and being (IWKB). Specifically, I collaborated with Blackfoot Elders (and Hawaiian Kupuna) to better understand 1) their perspectives towards land, 2) what factors instigate and perpetuate these perspectives, 3) how these perspectives play out in terms of identity; well being; daily life; education; environmental concern, behavior, and stewardship, and 4) ways that these perspectives towards land can inform and transform Western perspectives on land and perhaps lead to better and more equitable social-ecological outcomes. I approached this from three angles. First, I described a method for braiding Indigenous and …

Central American Saints: The Formation And Preservation Of Latter-Day Saint Community And Identity In El Salvador And Guatemala, 1960–1992, Hovan T. Lawton

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

After World War II, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints grew dramatically throughout Latin America, with much of this growth happening after 1960. My thesis studies how the growing numbers of Latter-day Saints in Guatemala and El Salvador (between 1960 and 1992) developed strong and meaningful religious community and became more and more committed to their new Latter-day Saint identity. Being a Latter-day Saint in these two countries was similar in many ways to the experience of being a Latter-day Saint in the U.S., but there were also some important differences. My thesis considers what made the Salvadoran …

Diversity In Tech: Analyzing The Mismatch Between Corporate Framing And Impact, Rana Abulbasal

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This doctoral dissertation investigates the discrepancy between tech companies' substantial investments in diversity programs and the persistently low representation of Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) employees. Despite extensive efforts, discrimination and harassment against women and people of color persist in the industry. The study employs a critical interdisciplinary approach, comprising sociological perspectives on diversity management and two empirical studies. The first scrutinizes tech companies' framing strategies of diversity initiatives on their websites, while the second explores the impact of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies on women of color in the industry. By identifying shortcomings and proposing recommendations, …