Digital Commons Network^™

Men, Women, And Italians: The Masquerade Of Narrative And Identity In Richardson's Sir Charles Grandison, Ruth A. Holmes

English Theses & Dissertations

The chaotic masquerades that proliferated during the British long eighteenth century punctuated the period’s preoccupation with order and categorization. The identity categories that the masquerade disrupted, the novel reinforced, or perhaps even created. It was in the middle of this period, in the political center of Britain, that Samuel Richardson published his third and final novel, The History of Sir Charles Grandison (1753), a novel which centers England and was also centered by England, a national treasure entangled in literary and cultural history. Tracing the nexus of gender and nationalism in Grandison then becomes important given the novel’s active entanglement …

Modeling The Impacts Of Sea Level Rise In Coastal Virginia At Multiple Scales, George Murray Mcleod Iv

OES Theses and Dissertations

Relative sea level is increasing along the Mid-Atlantic coast of the United States and the rate of relative sea level rise (ΔRSL) for Coastal Virginia is approximately double the rate of global sea level rise (ΔSLRG)(1). The potential impacts posed to communities by ΔRSL are best understood by examining the spatial relationship between the upper limits of ocean-connected waters and the geographic positioning of critical natural and societal assets. This research examines this problem at three spatial scales to quantify the impacts of ΔRSL and storm flooding events on (i) structural and transportation infrastructure for the tide-influenced coastal zone of …

Examining The Relationship Between Program Satisfaction, Credential Earnings, And Gender On Full-Time Employment Outcomes Of Career And Technical Program High School Graduates In Virginia, Margaret J. Turley

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

Career and technical education (CTE) incorporates occupational skills, workforce readiness skills, and credentials that make high school graduates better prepared for the workforce. Students who complete CTE programs of study have higher employment rates after high school graduation and often go on to postsecondary education. For those who do not go on to postsecondary education, CTE programs can provide opportunities for increased earnings and more access to the labor market.

This quantitative study used binary logistic regression, using data collected by the Center for Survey Research of the University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center to examine if satisfaction with CTE …

Climbers’ Risk Perceptions Of Erosion From Flooding At Carderock Recreation Area, Chandler J. Berry

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

Through increased temperature, precipitation, frequency of extreme weather, flooding, drought, and fire, climate change will alter where and how people can recreate. Extant research illustrates the effects of climate change on a variety of outdoor recreation activities; however, little research has been completed on the effects of climate change on rock climbing outside of the alpine environment. One such impact found at Carderock Recreation Area is riverine flooding and erosion. This study used a quantitative survey research design to understand how risk perceptions of erosion from flooding are affected by place attachment and the past use history of rock climbers …

Foundation Of Empire In The Tudor Era: Further Explorations Of The Northeast And Northwest Passages, Richard H. Lloyd Iii

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The British Empire is often traced back to the late sixteenth century and Sir Francis Drake's circumnavigation, but Tudor monarchs had been eyeing expansion beyond Britain long before Drake. John Cabot, commissioned by Henry VII in the late fifteenth century, became the first European to step foot in the Americas in five centuries. Half a century later, adventurers like Richard Chancellor and Sir Hugh Willoughby sought a possible Northeast Passage to Asia, interacting with the Sami and Russians along the way. These expeditions and others like them, funded by the English monarchy and merchants, aimed to expand the kingdom’s economic …

Bacterial Contamination Levels And Brand Perception Of Sachet Water: A Case Study In Some Nigerian Urban Neighborhoods, Imokhai T. Tenebe, Eunice O. Babatunde, Chinonso C. Eddy-Ugorji, Egbe Etu E. Etu, Nkpa M. Ogarekpe, Chikodinaka V. Ekeanyanwu, Oladapo A. Diekola, Oluwarotimi S. Oladele, Obiora B. Ezeudu

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Sachet water (SW) is a major source of drinking in most Nigerian homes, thus making it a possible conveyance medium for health risks due to contamination if persist rather than for replenishment of the body. This study collected SW from three busy neighborhoods in South-West Nigeria and investigated for the presence of indicator bacteria (Escherichia coli (E. coli), Total Coliform (TC), Total Heterophilic Bacteria (THB), Staphylococcus (Staph)) and some physio-chemical parameters (total dissolved solids (TDS), pH, electrical conductivity (EC), and salinity). Multi-variable and exploratory statistical methods were applied to the results to determine correlations between bacterial contamination levels and perceived …

Community Food Security Strategies In Montana: Exploring Practices And Policies, Andrew T. Besser

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Emerging To Elsewhere: The Giver And The Concept Of “Elsewhere” In Secondary Curricula, Kayleigh Capers

Honors Theses

The Giver has maintained its popularity through its timeless commentary on universal human experiences like identity, maturation, and mortality. In this thesis I have established its universality, especially in how the concept of Elsewhere expresses mortality, maturation, agency, and free will, along with discussing the importance of including the novel in secondary curricula. I have also limited the focus of popularity to its continued use in classrooms despite its controversial nature. I address common reasons for the banning and censorship of the novel and discuss how to include the controversial topics in the classrooms.

It Happened Here: The Civil Rights Movement In Utah, Jace Jones

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This plan B project is a series of lesson plans focusing on the Civil Rights Movement in Utah. These lessons are designed to give students a broad understanding of the Civil Rights Movement as well as the tools and knowledge to understand how the Civil Rights Movement manifested in Utah. To fulfill this goal these lesson plans focus on local and lesser-known history. This will allow students to gain an understanding of how the movement operated in Utah and how it relates to their own lives.

These lessons use the Stanford: Reading Like a Historian framework by the Stanford History …

The Intersection Of Gentrification, Race, And Historical Sociology: Utilizing The Construction Of A Racial Gentrification Index To Measure Racialized Versus Economic Changes Across Massachusetts From 2000 To 2020, Paige Elizabeth Depasquale

Master's Theses and Capstones

The phenomenon of gentrification occurs in cities and towns across the United States in a racialized way. Despite several gentrification indices existing, thus far none measure racial gentrification nor incorporate racialized practices associated with gentrification into their measures. This paper aims to create a novel index measuring racial gentrification across 73 cities and towns in Massachusetts from 2000 to 2020 using Census and Diversity and Disparities data. The racial gentrification index constructed comprises of 3 economic gentrification variables and 6 residential segregation variables. Through multiple linear regression analyses, racial gentrification is tested as a predictor of three structural outcomes that …

Shallow Geothermal Energy Systems In The Northeastern United States: System Distancing And Policy Considerations, Aeowyn Kendall

Master's Theses and Capstones

Climate change is an existential threat to human society, and mitigating some of the worst impacts will require electrifying the energy sector and reaching net zero emissions by mid-century (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2018). Geothermal energy, specifically ground-source heat pumps, can help to meet winter heating demand in the Northeastern United States. This technology, as well as the various mechanisms that would aid its expansion, are still underdeveloped but have vast potential. A central factor to consider in energy transition work is how energy decisions are made by people within the context of both social and physical system constraints …

Automatic Bankfull Width Extraction Of New Hampshire And Vermont Rivers, Desmond Kager

Master's Theses and Capstones

Understanding a river's morphology can help scientists measure erosion, improve understanding of flood hazards and better estimate riparian habitat. While there have been many developments in the field of fluvial geomorphology, there are still many challenges that exist in efficiently and accurately quantifying various important river metrics, such as the location of channel banks. Conducting field surveys of riverbanks is expensive and time consuming, leading many scientists to shift towards remote sensing techniques to measure river morphological features. This project aims to extract bankfull width measurements automatically from high-resolution Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) of rivers located in New Hampshire and …

Alexandrium Spp. And Pseudo-Nitzschia Spp. Cohabitation In The Gulf Of Maine, Tiffany Winter

Master's Theses and Capstones

Globally, harmful algal blooms are a severe issue for marine ecosystems, animals, and humans both ecologically and economically. The Gulf of Maine is no stranger to harmful algal blooms, specifically the dinoflagellate, Alexandrium catenella, that has routinely been forming toxic blooms since the early 1970s. In 2016, a new species, the diatom Pseudo-nitzschia spp. formed a massive bloom and has had annual blooms since. Anecdotally, these two species do not bloom concurrently, suggesting there may be specific environmental conditions that promote bloom formation for each species. The intent of this research is to uncover potential parameters that are affecting bloom …

Utilization Patterns Of Telehealth: New Realities In Post-Covid Children's Behavioral Health Care In Louisiana, Evidence To Practice, Cep Briefs, Sonita Singh, Brian Bumbarger, Willandra Whiting, Stephen Phillippi

Policy & Position Papers

No abstract provided.

Preclinical Evaluation Of Immunomodulatory Effects Of Aurora Kinase Inhibition In Human Papillomavirus Positive Cancers, Pragya Sinha

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the causative agent of cervical cancer and some cancers of the penis, vulva, vagina, anus, and oropharynx. Current therapies for these cancers include a combination of surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy that often results in permanent, life altering adverse effects. Immunotherapy is partially effective, but with significant recurrence and lower long-term survival. Importantly, there are no few biomarker-selective targeted therapies for these cancers. To address this unmet need, our collaborators conducted a large-scale drug screen and identified Aurora Kinase (AK) inhibitors as a unique class of reagents to induce selective apoptosis in HPV+, but not HPV- human …

No More Empty Stadiums: A Meta Analysis Of Mega Sporting Events And Their Economic Impact, Tayte O. Gleason

Honors Thesis

Mega sporting events have faced increased scrutiny in recent decades for their negative economic impacts, externalities, and environmental effects. As multimillion dollar stadiums lay abandoned and future host city bids are withdrawn as public opinion on mega sporting events worsens with time, economists, governing bodies, and sports fans worry about the future locations of these massive sports festivals. In my thesis, I will conduct a meta analysis of articles measuring the various impacts and effects of hosting a mega sporting event. I will begin by performing an extensive literature review of the various factors contributing to a mega sporting event’s …

Returning For A Better Life: The Habitus Of Temporary Senegalese Male Migrants, Sophia Margaret Patterson

Sociology and Anthropology Honors Theses

In this thesis, I study the narratives and practices which maintain Senegal’s temporary migration regime. This form of migration functions not as an individual endeavor, but rather as a family and community project which provides its participants—migrants and others—with cultural capital and prestige. I consider how the cultural imaginary of Senegalese male migration encourages young men to migrate in search of masculine social adulthood. I ultimately examine the habitus of temporary Senegalese male migrants in order to understand how their migration projects are oriented towards return to Senegal.

E-Quality: An Analysis Of Digital Equity Discourse And Co-Production In The Era Of Covid-19, Kelsey E. Edmond

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

The digital divide refers to the social stratification due to an unequal ability to access, adapt, and create knowledge via information and communication technologies (Andreasson, 2015). Digitally disadvantaged individuals have inadequate access to services and resources, exacerbating existing vulnerabilities. The COVID-19 pandemic instigated a new model of digital equity policymaking that leverages co-production between numerous actors. As citizens faced new financial and community constraints and governments reached administrative capacities, both the digital divide and the policymaking process evolved.

This inductive study explores how digital equity policymaking shifted to a co-production model (Ostrom, 1996) amid the pandemic. Using a sequential mixed-methods …

Complexity At The Science-Policy Interface In Ethiopia’S Policy Spaces, Wondemagegnehu W. Sintayehu

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

The mechanics of interaction between science and policy in the context of complex policy spaces has remained a subject of scholarly debate. Recent focus is shifting towards promoting science-policy interfaces as spaces for integration of science into decision making. However, the question of what these spaces are and how they function remains a puzzle. While existing literature agrees on the apparent disruption of communication between knowledge generation and policy; or offers suggestions on factors that facilitate or inhibit communication, it often fails to present a comprehensive understanding on the mechanisms of actual interchange. Besides, research tends to sideline considerations of …

La Acequia De La Cuchilla: The Ditch That Runs Uphill, José A. Rivera Ph.D, Thomas F. Glick Ph.D

Faculty Publications

The Río Hondo Valley in Taos County of New Mexico is known for its picturesque setting and the stunning valley floor stretching from Valdez on the eastern edge downstream to Arroyo Hondo just before the Río Grande gorge on its western boundary. Above the valley is a plain known as Des Montes. Each of these communities was settled in the nineteenth century coincident with the building of acequias to sustain village agriculture, the only economy of the time. One of the irrigation systems, La Acequia de la Cuchilla, often is said to be “the ditch that runs uphill.” From …

Unesco World Heritage: Striving For Utopia Through Universal Value, Caleb Phillips

Honors Theses

With this thesis, I take a critical look at the UNESCO World Heritage Convention and its mission to foster international unity through the creation of World Heritage Sites. The World Heritage Convention was created with good intentions, but in attempting to actualize its original objectives, the Convention has strayed from its goals. By looking at the events leading up to the creation of the World Heritage Convention, the Convention itself, and the various measures carried out by the Convention since its creation, it is clear that the UNESCO World Heritage Convention still has work to do to achieve its utopian …

Can Uruguay Have Its Steak And Eat It Too? "Greening" A Red Meat Economy, Michael Chepolis

Honors Theses

The methane emissions produced by Uruguay’s 12 million cattle drive the largest share of the country’s total greenhouse gas emissions. Livestock farming is a driver of Uruguay’s economy and an important part of their national identity and culture. Previous researchers have suggested that drastic changes to beef production and consumption habits are necessary to reduce the ecological impact of cattle ranching. This thesis investigates how Uruguay plans to deal with its reliance on beef production as it seeks to reduce its carbon emissions output. An analysis of Uruguay’s development strategy plans reveals that while the country aims to reduce the …

Mythos Series (Mythos: The Greek Myths Reimagined, Heroes: The Greek Myths Reimagined, And Troy: The Greek Myths Reimagined) By Stephen Fry, Phillip Fitzsimmons

Faculty Articles & Research

Book review of Stephen Fry's Mythos series, reviewed by Phillip Fitzsimmons.

Essays On Reit Founder Ceos, Michael Mcgonigle

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

I explore how founder CEOs influence the firm. In my first chapter I examine how founderCEO risk-aversion affects firm capital structure. Using book and market leverage ratios to proxy for risk aversion, I show that REITs with founder CEOs have less leverage than other REITs. This result holds when controlling for firm size, firm age, tangibility, profitability, growth potential, diversification strategy, property-type fixed effects and year fixed effects. I use a propensity score matching methodology to examine whether the reduced leverage is due to factors other than a CEO's founder status. The results do not support that notion. I use …

The Intersection Of Urban Heat Islands And The Cdc Social Vulnerability Index In Two Border Cities, Ileana Morales

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Rule Of Law And Property Rights On Development And Economic Growth: A Comparative Analysis Of Cameroon And Côte D'Ivoire, Raoul Tayou Tayou

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The issues of economic growth and development occupy a central place in the studies of underdeveloped or developing countries. Many solutions have been proposed, including foreign aid or institutional reforms. This last aspect is the subject of this research, particularly the rule of law and the property rights.Analyzing what is the impact of these two institutions on economic growth and development is at the center of my dynamic. Over a period from 1960 to 2022, I carry out a comparative study of the growth, and development trajectories of two countries in sub-Saharan Africa, which share the same demographics: Cameroon, and …

Identifying Predictors Of Eventual Rural Practice Among Female Osteopathic Medical Students, Dana Kahl

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The United States is facing a growing physician shortage that threatens the ability of our healthcare system to provide needed services. This shortage will be more acutely felt in rural and underserved areas. Osteopathic medical education, with its priority of primary care specialties, plays a significant role in meeting the healthcare needs of rural communities in America. The fastest-growing demographic of osteopathic physicians is women under the age of 45 (American Osteopathic Association, 2021). Additionally, for the first time in history, women outnumber men in medical schools, accounting for 51% of current medical students (Boyle, 2019). Who is admitted to …

Surviving The Stigma: Incorporating Mental Health Literacy To Increase Help-Seeking In California First Responders, Yvonne C. Newson

Master's Projects and Capstones

First responders are at risk of developing mental health problems due to repeated exposure to traumatic incidents, increasing their chance of developing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, substance abuse, suicidal ideation, and suicide. Unfortunately, first responders do not recognize that they may have a mental illness and are reluctant to seek help. This paper will discuss the prevalence of mental health problems among first responders and the barriers to their help-seeking. These barriers include the stigma around mental illness within the culture, the assessability of professional help, and the lack of mental health literacy regarding their well-being. Further discussion will focus …

Climate Change And Labor Reallocation: Evidence From Six Decades Of The Indian Census, Maggie Liu, Yogita Shamdasani, Vis Taraz

Environmental Science and Policy: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Optimization Of Microtransit In Houston Suburban Outer Ring Ii Transit Deserts., Jamaal Schoby

Dissertations (2016-Present)

During the past decade, urban cities have been inundated with a plethora of on-demand smartphone enabled transportation services including ridesoucring, ridesplitting, and most recently microtransit. At the same time, local governments are accentuating the gentrification of blighted central city neighborhoods. While the revitalization is causing an increase in the tax base and property values, the adverse impacts are resulting in rising housing cost and the displacement of socio-economic disadvantaged African Americans. A mounting body of research is finding this demographic group migrating outward to suburban low-density spatially fragmented areas for affordable housing. However, transit coverage and supply are minimal to …