Digital Commons Network^™

I Am An Influencer And I Approve This Message! Examining How Political Social Media Influencers Affect Political Interest, Political Trust, Political Efficacy, And Political Participation, Ben Wasike

Communication Faculty Publications

This study surveyed a random sample of social media users (N = 813) to examine how following political social media influencers (PSMIs) affects political interest and political trust. The study also examined whether political interest and political trust affect internal and external online political efficacy (OPE) and political participation. Structural equation analysis indicated that following a PSMI increased political interest and political trust, with a pronounced effect on political interest. Additionally, political interest boosted both internal and external OPE, while political trust boosted external OPE only. Mediated effects analysis indicated that political interest improved the relationship between following a PSMI …

“A Change Of Name During Sickness”: Surveying The Widespread Practice Of Renaming In Response To Physical Illness, Russell Fielding

Honors College Faculty Publications

This paper synthesizes and summarizes a selection of literature—largely anthropological and ethnographic, published between the early 18^th and early21^st centuries—that describes the practice of renaming gapers onwho is physically ill in order to affect their recovery. In none of these publications is this particular practice central; rather, it is often mentioned alongside myriad other cultural and naming practices. While no claim is made as to the exhaustive nature of the literature review, this analysis reveals patterns and similarities related to the reasoning behind such a practice and the special relationship between personal names and physical health in a …

An Examination Of The Utilization Of Bloom's Taxonomy In School-Based Biology Assessment Tasks In Selected Secondary Schools Meru District, Tanzania, Agatha Wilson Yintore

Master of Education

The world’s current most significant demand is for training many scientists and different science professionals. As a result, the preparation has always started at deficient learning levels, such as primary and secondary schools. In Tanzania, other science subjects are taught in secondary schools; among them, biology is included, and it is the only mandatory science subject in secondary school. Different approaches to teaching have been employed to ensure that the learners grasp the knowledge and skills of the subject. However, the examination results over the years have not been of high and promising performance, and different reasons are suspected to …

Network Structure And Network Effectiveness In Thailand's Provincial Covid-19 Response Networks, Ruechagorn Trairatananusorn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Health and well-being are key focuses for international organizations and governments around the world as one of the United Nations' (UN) Sustainable Developmental Goals (SDGs). The emergence of COVID-19 pandemic since late 2019 has led to not only substantial life losses, but also negative social and economic impacts that are relatively comparable to the "Spanish Flu" pandemic. The insights from public administration literature suggested that emergency and crisis management require collaborative efforts from various stakeholders across sectors and levels. However, the existing literature that studied the COVID-19 pandemic response under network perspective is still scarce in developing countries, especially in …

Understanding And Application Of Systems Thinking To Diversity Challenges At Higher Education Institutions, Odell Jones

Full-Text Theses & Dissertations

This research argues that establishing and sustaining leadership diversity within Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) is a complex-systems challenge and that those responsible for leading efforts to establish and sustain diversity, referred to as DEI leaders, should adopt a mindset of systems thinking and apply problem-solving methods and tools informed by systems thinking. Semi-structured interviews with DEI Leaders at HEIs were conducted regarding background and perceptions of their work, and how they thought about and made choices concerning diversity challenges. Interview questions were designed to gain an understanding of the degree to which these leaders think about DEI and if they …

Catalog Revision Gen Ed, Academic Affairs

Executive Actions

No abstract provided.

History International Studies Ba, History

Program Revisions/Additions

No abstract provided.

General Education Catalogue Revisions, Academic Affairs

Program Revisions/Additions

No abstract provided.

Oh Men Of Justice! Petitioning In Protectorate Bahrain 1919-1939, Ashleen Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In 1934, Bahraini petitioners wrote to the Ruler of Bahrain to demand protection for the rights of individuals. The petition was not the first, nor was it the last, to demand rights in Bahrain during the interwar period. This study examines petitioning and claim-making in protectorate Bahrain. A close reading of petitions submitted by different Bahrain communities from 1919 to 1939 demonstrates Bahrain was shaped by multiple competing and cooperating priorities. This study identifies three stages of petitioning in the interwar period: petitioning for protection, petition for rights, and nationalist petitioning. Using a framework of jurisdictional ambiguity, the dissertation shows …

Property Value Impacts Of Onshore Wind Energy In New England: The Importance Of Spatial Heterogeneity And Temporal Dynamics, Luran Dong, Vasundhara Gaur, Corey Lang

Environmental and Natural Resource Economics Faculty Publications

The purpose of this paper is to update and extend prior studies that examine the impact of onshore wind turbines on property values. Our data come from Massachusetts and Rhode Island, two states that are population dense and rapidly transitioning to renewable energy. We use a difference-in-differences identification strategy with treatment defined by proximity. In contrast to prior research in these states, our results suggest that property values decline when wind turbines are built. These negative impacts are mostly confined to properties within 1 km of a turbine. However, we delve deeper into these aggregate results by examining how treatment …

Book Review: Settler Colonial City: Racism And Inequity In Postwar Minneapolis. David Hugill., Sarah E. Nelson

Geography and Geology Faculty Publications

Review of

Settler Colonial City: Racism and Inequity in Postwar Minneapolis. David Hugill. Minneapolis, University of Minnesota Press, 2021. Pp vii+212, black and white illustrations, endnotes. $25.00 paperback. ISBN 978-1-5179-0480-7.

Developing The Housing Attribute And Spatial Index (Hasi) Tool To Identify Characteristic Neighborhoods Using Variable Importance Factors Calculated Utilizing Random Forest Regression Modeling In Arcgis Pro, William A. Wallace

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

The purpose of this research is to examine the functionality in utilizing Random Forest Regression (RFR) Variable Importance (VI) values in characterizing neighborhoods based on the attributes of existing housing units by creating an automated GIS tool. An important concept that has been implemented in the past in real-estate valuation is the concept of Hedonic Price Modeling (HPM), which uses regression techniques to identify the impacts that individual attributes have on the cost of a good in a heterogenous market outside of mere utility. The benefit of this research is to produce a tool that automates the RFR process such …

Timing Of Diversification, Dispersal, And Biogeography Of Parrots In The Genus Amazona (Psittaciformes: Psittacidae) Throughout The Caribbean, Visualized In Gis, Christopher Kingwill

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Avian fossil records from across the Caribbean (Greater and Lesser Antilles) demonstrate higher avian diversity prior to extinction events due to climate change at the end of the Pleistocene and human impact across the Caribbean throughout the Holocene. Amazon parrots (Amazona) are a diverse genus of New World parrots found throughout Central and South America, as well as the Caribbean. Their phylogeny and evolutionary history, specifically for Caribbean species, has been debated in terms of source areas in Central and South America and the timing of and number of colonization events to different islands that preceded diversification into …

The Relationship Between Climate Social Vulnerability And Asthma, Diane Nunez

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease that affects millions of people worldwide, the incidence and severity of asthma is influenced influenced by various factors, including air masses, and weather conditions. Asthma can also disproportionately affect different sociodemographics groups, leading to inequalities and injustices. This study used statistical analysis and GIS to analyze the spatial distribution of asthma calls and their relationship to sociodemographic traits in Wichita, KS, Tulsa, OK, and Oklahoma City, OK, and the seasonal distribution of asthma calls and their relationship to air masses. Results show that the relationship between asthma prevalence is higher among certain sociodemographic groups, …

Food Retailing In Mississippi, 1895-2000, James R. Gulley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is a history of the evolution of the grocery industry in Mississippi in the twentieth century. I used primary source interviews, analysis of newspaper articles and advertisements, U.S. Census data, archival materials, and secondary sources to inform the thesis. The research focuses on an urban market in Jackson, Mississippi, and a rural market in Philadelphia, Mississippi. This history also concentrates on two Mississippi-based supermarket chains, Jitney-Jungle and Sunflower, and the families that founded them. The thesis argued that the innovations in grocery retailing during this era improved the lives of all Mississippians by lowering the cost of food, …

Reimagining The Radical: Gender, Genre, And Anti-Fascism In Women's Writing At Mid-Century, Allison Nick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation looks at the work of four women writers—Martha Gellhorn, Elizabeth Bowen, Pearl S. Buck, and Rebecca West—who are united in their transnational commitment to critiquing the global rise of fascism and the fraught democratic imperatives of their own countries. “Reimagining the Radical” focuses on the temporal gap between modernism and postmodernism and is inspired by work from scholars like Marina MacKay, Lyndsey Stonebridge, and Beryl Pong to claim and define mid-century literature. By rethinking the bounds of modernism, “Reimagining the Radical” also seeks to fill the gaps in feminist history—between the suffragism of the early 20th century and …

Houses That Try To Be Haunted: A Look At Ursuline Convent And The Lalaurie Mansion, Kallye Virginia Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

New Orleans, Louisiana, has a reputation for being one of the most haunted cities in America. Two of the most supposedly “haunted” buildings in the city are the Ursuline Convent, said to be home to vampires, and the Lalaurie mansion, said to be home to ghosts. Whether or not these spaces qualify as “haunted” is irrelevant; what this thesis concerns itself with is why these spaces are still being discussed today. Both contain a long and storied past that date back to the early days of New Orleans, with the convent being around as early as the 1730s and the …

The Presence And Prevalence Of Underqualified High School Science Teachers In Mississippi, Shelby Ann Watson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With growth in STEM postsecondary programs and careers positioned as a national priority, ensuring that K-12 science classrooms are staffed with highly qualified teachers is an important step towards building student interest in STEM and preparing students for STEM careers. However, previous studies of out-of-field teaching have indicated that schools and districts across the country are hiring large numbers of underqualified teachers to fill high-needs positions, such as secondary science and mathematics. Complicating the issue is the fact that data regarding teacher shortages, vacancies, and underqualified teaching are often incomplete or inaccessible. Prior studies have found that underqualified teaching is …

Sos 3400 : Middle Level And Secondary Social Studies Teaching Methods, Teaching, Learning, & Foundations

Approved Course Proposals

No abstract provided.

Changes In Severity Of Diabetes At Diagnosis Following The Onset Of The Sars-Cov-2 Pandemic, Annelise King

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic it was seen that diabetes was a risk factor for severe COVID-19. The objective of this study is to assess the severity of diabetes at diagnosis during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to pre-pandemic to see how the pandemic and SARS-CoV-2 infection impacted the severity of diabetes. This study used University of Kentucky electronic health records of 13,794 patients who developed diabetes. The majority of patients were female, white non-Hispanic, 65+, and living in an urban area. There were differences seen between the COVID-19 positive and negative cohorts in the DKA and HbA₁c variables, with …

Mental Health Professionals’ Perception Of Medications For Opioid Use Disorder, Patrick M. Mullen

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Despite the widespread attention and resources allocated to the current opioid crisis, the public health problem persists. A major target in the efforts to combat the opioid crisis is increased accessibility and utilization of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD). A robust body of evidence supports the effectiveness of medications to treat opioid use disorder (OUD) in reducing overdose deaths and improving overall outcomes. Yet, MOUD continues to be underutilized at alarming rates. Studies have discovered that only one-third of substance use disorder (SUD) treatment sites offer any form of MOUD and approximately 30% of individuals with OUD receive any …

Role-Reversibility, Ai, And Equitable Justice — Or: Why Mercy Cannot Be Automated, Kiel Brennan-Marquez

Faculty Articles and Papers

A few years ago, we developed the concept of "role-reversibility" in Al governance: the idea that it matters whether a party exercising judgment is reciprocally vulnerable to the effects of judgment. This idea, we argued, supplies a deontic reason to maintain certain spheres of human judgment even if (or when) truly intelligent machines become demonstrably superior in every utilitarian sense. While computer science remains far from that holy grail, generative AI is raging through systems as diverse as healthcare, finance, advertising, law, and academe, making it imperative to further shore up our claim. We do so by situating role-reversibility within …

An Econometric Analysis Of The Effect Of Wildfire-Produced Particulate Matter On Solar Energy Production In California, Abby Buttikofer

Pepperdine Policy Review

California’s goal to be one hundred percent reliant on clean energy resources by 2045 will in part be determined by California’s reliance on solar energy. As of 2020, 34.5% of the state’s energy came from solar and wind energy.[1] While California is striving to rely more and more on renewable energies, simultaneously the state is experiencing increasingly devastating wildfire seasons. This study analyzes the effect of wildfire-produced particulate matter on solar energy production considering these issues. Results from fixed effects regression analysis show that increasing size and intensity of wildfires increase particulate matter in the air, which in turn decrease …

How Nurturing America’S Agricultural Landscape Can Alleviate Its Health Crisis, Jennifer Galardi

Pepperdine Policy Review

This paper will review current nutritional narratives that promote the extinction of animal sourced foods (ASF’s) and why they are incorrect and possibly damaging. It will also briefly address agricultural history in the United States to trace how the country arrived at current agricultural policy, how it has damaged the independence of the country’s food supply, and why it is no longer useful. In addition, it will breakdown the contemporary issues and debates within agriculture and review current policy and why it’s insufficient. Finally, it proposes policy solutions that can help return the U.S. agriculture system to a more viable …

Advancing Internet Viewpoint Diversity: A Novel Algorithm And A Corpus Creation Tool, Jeffrey Harwell

CGU Theses & Dissertations

A fundamental requirement for Western democracy is an informed and engaged electorate with access to a wide range of viewpoints. However, concerns have arisen regarding how information technology affects the diversity of viewpoints available. In response to an increasingly polarized society and worries surrounding filter bubbles and algorithmic bias, this research presents a novel tool for constructing internet-based topical corpora and an algorithm tailored for viewpoint detection and the curation of diverse search results.Following a comprehensive exploration of viewpoint diversity through the lenses of mass media, social psychology, and information retrieval, this dissertation presents an approach to operationalize viewpoint diversity …

Interfaith Communities: Relationships In Thirdspace, Jessica Spence Moss

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Contending with, and expanding the understanding of, diverse interfaith relationships, this project presents a nuanced awareness of interfaith action and the dialectic of lived religion with interfaith engagement. Arguing that interfaith is a type of thirdspace in which engagements have affective impacts on individuals within interfaith communities, as well as orientation towards religious communities. While there are common struggles, interpretations, and socializations that hinder the participation of women and non-binary individuals in institutional interfaith spaces, observing organic interfaith relationships as occurring in thirdspace allows for the recognition of radical inclusion and dedication to diversity.

As Below So Above: Reconstructing The Neo-Babylonian Worldview, Heather Marie Burrow

CGU Theses & Dissertations

To add to our knowledge about a Near Eastern culture, this project examines through textual evidence how the early first millennium BCE Neo-Babylonians thought, reasoned, and wrote in order to partially reconstruct the shared, generally held worldview of the Neo-Babylonian people using the transdisciplinary approach of worldview analysis. Worldviews are what we use to think with, not what we think about. Underlying surficial cultural behaviors are deeper levels of cognition regarding how to reason, perceive the world, prioritize values, prescribe behavior, and explain all of life. Specifically, this work examines the language and logic reflected in the textual archive, believing …

Impossible Thoughts, Alternative Spaces, Julien Luebbers

Pomona Senior Theses

In this thesis I explore meaning and possibility in the works of Samuel Beckett and Italo Calvino, with emphasis on how the texts refute coherent meaning and use that refutation to re-inscribe the boundaries of the possible.

Weaving Testimonio And Territory In La Comuna Ancestral Las Tunas, María J Durán González

Pomona Senior Theses

“Nosotras las mujeres ibamos al río a lavar la ropa pero sin con tanto químico y nada de esas cosas. Ahora, pues, cómo ve…” (Tomala, 2023).

The woman’s vignette of La Comuna Ancestral Las Tunas, or the Ancestral Commune of Las Tunas is a testimonio of the territory, yet women’s testimonios are registered separately from the dominant tales of territorial resistance of la Comuna. The analysis of testimonios arises from Chicanx/Latinx feminist studies that center the voices of Chicana/Latina women to form a collective narrative emerging from silences. I aim to interlace Latinx and Latin American geography principles with …

“Should Wellbeing Be The Same As Perfection?” A Case Study On Student Wellbeing In Higher Mathematics Education, Marcelo Alonso Almora Rios

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Previous research has given the impression that reticent is our hunt for optimal teaching practices, educational goals, and nature of mathematical workings. In this regard, we have (seemingly) ended up with the following inquiries:

• What could the math classroom be for? and
• What has the math classroom been for?

These two questions touch on the scary horns of two other charged philosophical dandruffs. Namely:“What are the aims of teaching mathematics?” and “What should be our objectives in learning it?”

The term ‘positive education’ refers to an educational system engendering both the skills of positive wellbeing and traditional, academic achievement (Seligman …