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High Stakes: Analyzing The Legal And Law Enforcement Challenges Of Mississippi's Medical Marijuana Industry, Brighton Bensley

Honors Theses

Despite opposition from law enforcement and government officials, Mississippi citizens overwhelmingly voted in favor of establishing a medical marijuana program in 2020. The passing of Senate Bill 2095 (or the Mississippi Medical Cannabis Act) marks a significant shift in the state’s drug policy and is a rare example of my home state at the forefront of an emerging industry. My thesis examines the effects of the Mississippi Medical Cannabis Act by providing an overview of the challenges it creates for the state’s law enforcement agencies and legal community. By analyzing local news stories, public statements from officials, and studies from …

Beyond Bars And Bias: Unveiling Misogynoir And The Prison-Industrial Complex In Contemporary Black Women’S Literature, Abigail Myers, Abigail Myers

Honors Theses

This interdisciplinary thesis examines misogynoir through the lens of contemporary Black women’s literature and the prison-industrial complex, specifically centering on the literary work of Fannie Lou Hamer and Assata Shakur, both formerly incarcerated Black women. Misogynoir, a term coined by Black feminist scholar Moya Bailey, encapsulates the intersection of anti-Black racism and misogyny experienced by Black women, Black girls, and gender nonconforming people. This thesis unites the fields of literary studies, gender studies, critical prison studies, and African American studies to reveal Black women as affected by both misogyny and anti-Black racism in the contemporary prison-industrial complex and beyond. Drawing …

Trans-Disciplinary Communication For Policy Making: A Reflective Activity Study, Cristo Leon

STEM for Success Resources

This paper reports on a workshop conducted at the NSF's 2023 Eddie Bernice Johnson, INCLUDES National Network Convening: Sustaining Equity-Driven Systems Change, held in Washington, DC, from August 2-4, 2023. Titled "Enhancing Inclusivity through Expertise Sharing: A Reflective Group Activity on Effective Policy Development," the workshop employed Trans-Disciplinary Communication (TDC) as a methodological framework. Participants represented a cross-section of academia, nonprofits, federal agencies, and the general public, focusing on STEM Education, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and traditionally underrepresented groups (TUG). The paper delineates the protocol for eliciting robust participation and facilitating knowledge sharing. Subsequently, it scrutinizes the outcomes of …

Understanding State And Community Operated Juvenile Programs In Rural And Urban Communities Throughout Kentucky, Jacob Aaron Howe

Online Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the challenges faced by state and community-operated juvenile programs across urban and rural geographies in Kentucky. Through qualitative methods, including interviews and site visits, it uncovers the nuances of program implementation and staff perceptions of their impact on juvenile delinquency. Findings highlight significant differences in resource allocation, community engagement, and programmatic challenges between rural and urban settings, as well as between state and community (non-Department of Justice funded) initiatives. The study reveals that while geographical and operational disparities exist, the commitment to rehabilitation over punishment remains a common thread. Recommendations for policy enhancements and future research directions …

Why Not The School-To-Scholar Pipeline? Changing The Narrative Through School Leadership, Marne Renee Foster

Dissertations

The overrepresentation of Black students in exclusionary practices in public K–12 education, such as detention, suspension, expulsion, and misplacement into special education, contributes to the school-to-prison pipeline (STPP). This phenomenon leads to truancy, academic failure, and involvement in the juvenile justice system. In contrast, the school-to-scholar pipeline (STSP) has an inverse relationship with the STPP and views students as scholars in training, ultimately linking them to careers or college. Research has indicated that school administrators’ mindsets, along with teacher bias, play a significant role in perpetuating exclusionary practices and racial disparities (Gullo & Beechum, 2020; Skiba, Chung et al., 2014). …

Educator Sexual Misconduct: Prevalence And Characteristics In Disciplinary Actions, Yan Shan Yu

Student Theses

In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of reports of educator sexual misconduct (ESM), but the extent of the problem is relatively unknown. A lot of what is known is based on media reports and self-report surveys. There have been few empirical studies examining the scope of this problem based on official reports. Thus, this descriptive study aimed to examine ESM through official reports regarding educator disciplinary actions obtained from the Department of Education website of eight U.S. states. To identify the prevalence and characteristics of ESM across states, information was gathered and coded for a …

Al Cannibalism And The Law, Amy Cyphert, Sam Perl, S. Sean Tu J.D., Ph..

Colorado Technology Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Technology Leadership Influence On Intention To Use Ai-Based Early Alert Systems (Eas) At Higher Education Institutions (Heis), Tatjana Titareva

Dissertations, 2020-current

The purpose of this study was to test quantitatively the potential influence of Technology Leadership (TL) in Higher Education (HE) and Technophobia on Intention to Use AI-based Early Alert Systems (EAS) at higher education institutions (HEIs) by faculty and administrative staff. This research was conducted collecting and analyzing data from a mid-size higher education institution (HEI) in southeast of the Unites States. The measurement instrument used previously validated measures of Technophobia, TL in HE and Intention to Use Technology. From statistically significant findings, though of weak strength, the results showed that an individual's role in HEI (faculty vs. administrative staff), …

Using Recurrent Neural Networks To Predict Mastery Outcomes From Learning Journey Clickstream Data, Sean A. York

Dissertations, 2020-current

In this study, I use recurrent neural networks (RNN) and modern natural language processing techniques to analyze clickstream activity data from an automated, online, mastery learning platform called the Indiana University Plagiarism Tutorials and Tests (IPTAT). IPTAT offers learning materials and certification tests on recognizing and avoiding plagiarism, and has awarded over 1.17 million certificates since 2016. Learners may use or not use resources as they wish, but must pass a randomized test drawn from a large item pool to obtain a certificate. Most learners pass after one to seven test attempts, but some take as many as 50 randomized …

Recidivism In Mississippi: Causes, Impacts, And Solutions, Grace E. Brian

Honors Theses

Because the United States is home to the largest prison population in the world, finding solutions to reduce the rate at which prisoners return to prison is paramount to helping reduce crime. Assessments of how Mississippi, the state with the highest incarceration rate, engages with access to prison education, barriers to employment, and youth incarceration compared to the national, Southern, and non-southern averages will be explored to direct recidivism reduction solutions. Results showed that Mississippi had a slightly higher recidivism rate than the national average, had fewer barriers to employment, and a lower youth incarceration rate than the national average …

The Call Is Coming From Inside The House: Sexual Misconduct In U.S. Band Programs, Hannah Greer-Young

Masters Theses, 2020-current

The purpose of this study was to articulate the experiences of former band students related to sexual misconduct among students and between staff and students. Researchers and investigators have claimed that band professionals have prioritized performance level and musical accomplishment over the safety and well-being of students (Office of University Compliance and Integrity, 2014; Nadolny, 2018; Wells, 2022). Authors of studies related to sexual misconduct in U.S. Bands have also suggested that educators in the band profession prefer to handle sexual misconduct “in-house” (Wells, 2022) and that, in general, teachers may be the least likely group to report educator sexual …

Do Factors Contributing To Wrongful Conviction Differ By Crime Type?, Kaylee Baldwin

Honors College Theses

Wrongful convictions play a big role in the criminal justice system, resulting in individuals being punished for crimes they did not commit. This study investigates the factors contributing to wrongful convictions across different crime types, utilizing data from the National Registry of Exonerations. The research aims to identify common contributors to wrongful convictions and explores variations by crime type. Results highlight the challenges associated with specific offenses. Understanding how factors vary by crime type is essential for developing strategies to prevent and address wrongful convictions.

Assessing The Effectiveness Of Treatment Programs Among Veterans With Opioid Use Disorder In New York State, Olatoye Oluwaseyi Itaniyi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

New York State (NYS) is home to millions of veterans and has the fifth-largest veteran population in the country. Veterans represent a vulnerable population and are at higher risk for mental and physical health struggles. The focus of this quantitative study was to assess if there is any significant difference between pre- and post-OUD 24-hour detoxification treatment services, residential/rehabilitation treatment services, ambulatory outpatient treatment services, frequency of opioid use at discharge, and mental disorder among veterans with opioid use disorder in NYS when controlling for age, gender, race, and marital status. The study utilized the harm reduction framework and the …

Toast The Success Of Businesses Owned Or Managed By Uab Graduates On June 13, Shannon Thomason

Browse All News

No abstract provided.

The Legality Of Liberation: Exploring The Right To Organized Armed Resistance Against The U.S. State By Afro-Descendants Under International Human Rights Law, Laura Molik

Northwestern Law Journal des Refusés

No abstract provided.

Under The Influence Of Parents: A Longitudinal Study Of Children’S Walking, Kyu Ri Kim, Jennifer Dill

Student Research Symposium

Researchers have studied children's active travel; however, they have mostly been cross-sectional studies dealing with commuting to school and parental attitudes. To find ways to promote children's active travel, this longitudinal study uses panel data (two time periods) to examine how parents' actual walking and safety perception correlated with children’s walking. Using data from 240 children aged 4-16 and their parents in Portland, Oregon, we estimated a cross-lagged panel model (CLPM) to analyze the continuous relationships. We found that parents with more positive attitudes toward their walking walked more, and their children also walked more in both periods. In addition, …

Why People Pee In Public: Is A Lack Of Public Restrooms Keeping Portland Too Weird?, Cece Austin

Student Research Symposium

Various factors, including gender, housing status, socioeconomic status, and disability, impact access to public restrooms in Portland, Oregon. A pilot program involving the implementation of public restrooms has caused a significant reduction in public defecation in San Francisco. This research demonstrates the efficacy of this existing working model, which could be similarly implemented in Portland with some adjustments. Portland has the Portland Loos, which are single-stall, outdoor public restrooms. Still, many are not open 24 hours. An analysis of publicly available Google reviews indicates consistent poor cleanliness and Portland Loos being locked at times when they are advertised to be …

Community Resilience In Portland Parkland Soils, Jason W. Triefenbach

Student Research Symposium

Proposing soil nutrient testing as a model for community research and ecology education, this presentation considers pathways to raising public engagement with sustainability issues while enhancing community resilience and social capital. "Community Resilience in Portland Parkland Soils" represents my research thus far on the conjoined topics of urban soils and community efficacy, in which I have attempted to synthesize biogeophysical processes in city parklands with strategies for raising public awareness about urban ecosystems.

I measured and compared soil nitrogen levels at 8 iconic Portland area parks using commercially- available garden test kits, while concurrently researching the historical and contemporary land …

Considering The Historical And Systemic Context, To What Extent Are Cuban Women’S Healthcare And Reproductive Rights Affected By The Privacy And Social Influence Of Cuba Today?, Autumn Cowell

Student Research Symposium

This paper will examine how historical and systemic values continue to frame social influences thus impacting Cuban women’s healthcare and reproductive rights. If the impact of history and systems still affects social influences then Women’s Healthcare and Reproductive Rights may be compromised. This investigation will highlight the potential benefits and risks of historical and systemic values that have affected challenges or changes within Cuban culture. And how these social influences are found within the areas of prevention, intervention, and treatment. This paper hopes to outline how the Cuban government and society are sustaining the protection of Cuban women’s access to …

2024 May 8 - Undergraduate Curriculum Council Minutes, Undergraduate Curriculum Council, East Tennessee State University

Undergraduate Curriculum Council Minutes

No abstract provided.

The Claude Neal Lynching: Race, Memory, And A Southern County's Violent History, Travis Patterson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the historical memory of the Claude Neal lynching, which occurred in Jackson County, Florida in October of 1934. The Neal lynching was a particularly gruesome public spectacle. After executing Neal at a local farm, vigilantes transported his body to the county courthouse and displayed it for hundreds of white onlookers. After 1934, civil rights activists, journalists, government officials, community leaders, and ordinary residents kept the memory of Claude Neal alive in public discourse. Throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, individuals invoked the Claude Neal lynching to draw attention to contemporary manifestations of racial violence and inequities in …

Trust Judgements Of Facial Stimuli, Linsey Culkins

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Professional counselors and clients who meet in healthcare facilities may be required to wear masks if COVID community transmission levels are high ([CDC], 2022). The current 4-part study examines how masking may affect therapeutic alliances via judgements of trust formed during first impressions. A 2(trustworthiness) x 5(facial feature visibility) within-subjects factorial design was used to assess one implicit measure of pleasantness using an Affect Misattribution Procedure as well as explicit facial judgements of valence, dominance, and trustworthiness (Payne & Lundberg, 2014). Using E-prime, undergraduate psychology students responded to faces previously rated as high or low in trustworthiness in all parts …

Beyond The Iudex Threshold: Human Oversight As The Conscience Of Machine Learning, E. Jason Albert, Jessica E. Brown

Colorado Technology Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Sentencing Outcomes In Educator Sexual Misconduct Cases: Factors And Implications, Halima El Fituri

Student Theses

In recent years, there has been increased media coverage involving cases of educator sexual misconduct. There has been criticism that the gender of the educator impacts the way that crime has been portrayed in the media, with cases of female-perpetrated educator sexual abuse being sensationalized and minimizing the harm done to victims. This study seeks to explore how and if these gender biases shape the sentencing outcomes in prosecuted cases of educator sexual abuse. Additionally, the study will examine if and how various factors, such as the gender of the perpetrator and the gender of the victim, affect sentencing length. …

Dual-System Youth And Emancipating From Foster Care: Examining The Relations Between Delinquency, Independent Living Services, And Criminal Justice Involvement, Dylan Monahan Jones

Brown School Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Youth who touch both the child welfare system (CWS) and juvenile justice system (JJS), termed dual-system youth, represent a particularly high needs population at risk of poor outcomes into adulthood. Among CWS involved children, youth aging out of foster care are particularly high risk of dual-system status. To help these teenagers in foster care prepare for adulthood, states offer independent living services (ILS). Despite the high risk of JJS involvement of these youth, we know very little of the association between ILS receipt and dual-system involvement. This dissertation has two aims, the first focusing on ILS and delinquency onset during …

2024-05-08 Sgsu’S Newly Elected Positions, Abdullah El-Sherbeeny

The Spectator Online

No abstract provided.

“Evidence Synthesis” Reviews And Library Support Models: Lessons Learned And Next Steps, Corinne Bishop, Jason D. Phillips, Andrew Todd

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Outcomes: Participants will learn about academic library models used to support systematic reviews for course assignments or potential scholarly publications. Timelines and resources about planning reviews will also be shared.

Proposal: Join us in a discussion of the “what, when, and why” of planning various types of evidence synthesis reviews (scoping, systematic, umbrella, etc.). We will share what we have learned during the past year as we have received training, assisted faculty and students with reviews, and next steps toward establishing a formal Evidence Synthesis Reviews service from UCF Libraries.

Faculty Senate Minutes 2024-05-07 - B, The University Of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Faculty Senate.

Faculty Senate Minutes

No abstract provided.

Faculty Senate Minutes 2024-05-07 - A, The University Of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Faculty Senate.

Faculty Senate Minutes

No abstract provided.

Back To Black: Analyzing The Presence Of White Control Over Black Representations In Media And The Responses Of Black Creators, Serena Smith

Master's Theses

The focus of this thesis largely discusses the perceptions held by White people of Black people and the Black community, and how these discriminatory perceptions have been presented in various forms of consumable media and other societal aspects throughout American history. These racially biased misrepresentations have also negatively affected the progression and internalization of the concept of Black cultural identities for Black people throughout history and how they are able to relate to the rest of American society. I am arguing that contemporary media and films produced by Black creators, such as Cord Jefferson’s 2023 film American Fiction, tend …