Digital Commons Network^™

Scrutinizing Succession, Carrie Stanton

Scholarly Articles

Businesses are at their most vulnerable during leadership transitions. Lack of succession planning has been recognized as a key risk factor, especially for closely held, family-owned businesses, but the problem is more extensive. Even public corporations with supposedly independent boards of directors too often fail to separate the corporation’s interests from those of charismatic leaders who enjoy the perquisites of control and may be loath to surrender it. Shareholders trust directors to manage business affairs, and ensuring leadership continuity is critical to this charge. Yet succession often remains overlooked in practice. It also remains understudied in the literature, and state …

Burnout In The Emergency Room: Corrective Measures Vs. The Absence Of Solutions, Zane Walters, Zachary Woodall

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Introduction: Physician burnout has become an increasingly prevalent and critical issue in healthcare systems worldwide, particularly among emergency room physicians who face high-stress, high-demand working conditions. Burnout manifests as emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a diminished sense of personal accomplishment, leading to negative outcomes for physicians’ mental health, job satisfaction, and overall career longevity. This phenomenon not only threatens the well-being of physicians but also compromises patient care quality and contributes to costly turnover within healthcare organizations.

Purpose of the Study: The aim of this study was to systematically investigate the impact of burnout interventions on emergency room physicians. …

Online Dating Experiences And Body Dissatisfaction Among Transgender And Gender Nonconforming Individuals: A Qualitative Study, Luciano Caprio M.S.

Selected Full Text Dissertations, 2011-

Through the evolution of online dating applications, individuals are able to form interpersonal connections with one another at a rapid pace. The effects of such communications can hold both protective and risk factors within the LGBTQ+ community. Previous research suggests that lesbians, gay, and bisexuals who have experienced weight discrimination, particularly fatphobic and anti-fat attitudes, while utilizing these online dating platforms, have increased body dissatisfaction. However, there is minimal research focusing on the implications of discrimination, body dissatisfaction, and the usage of online dating platforms in the transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) community. This qualitative study explored the experiences of …

Discovering Stories That Matter: Exploring Appreciative Inquiry’S Strengths-Based Storytelling Technique To Complement Program Monitoring In Ngos, Khanyisa Manzini

Community Engagement Student Work

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are essential entities in responding to complex global challenges, including social, economic, political, environmental, and health-related issues. While significant research has focused on evaluating the performance of NGO programs, comparatively little attention has been paid to the lived experiences of NGO staff—particularly how they navigate and find meaning in their work, especially during times of uncertainty and change. This capstone addresses this gap by designing a strengths-based storytelling workshop aimed at developing NGO staff’s narrative capacity. Grounded in the framework of Appreciative Inquiry (AI) and narrative theory, the workshop explores how storytelling can serve as a human-centered …

2024 Celebration Of Faculty Scholars Condensed Program, University Of Northern Colorado Libraries

Celebration of Faculty Scholars

The Office of the Provost, the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, and University Libraries are proud to host the fourth annual Celebration of Faculty Scholars. This year, we recognize the achievements of 272 faculty, who have contributed over 1,000 publications, presentations, and creative works, and secured more than $6,000,000 in grant funding in 2024.

Devising Optimized Maize Nitrogen Stress Indices In Complex Field Conditions From Uav Hyperspectral Imagery, Jiating Li, Yufeng Ge, Laila A. Puntel, Derek M. Heeren, Geng Bai, Guillermo R. Balboa, John A. Gamon, Timothy J. Arkebauer, Yeyin Shi

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Nitrogen Sufficiency Index (NSI) is an important nitrogen (N) stress indicator for precision N management. It is usually calculated using variables such as leaf chlorophyll meter readings (SPAD) and vegetation indices (VIs). However, no consensus has been reached on the most preferred variable. Additionally, conventional NSI (NSI_uni) calculation assumes N being the sole yield-limiting factor, neglecting other factors such as soil water variability. To tackle these issues, this study compared various variables for NSI calculation and evaluated two new N stress indicators in minimizing the impact of confounding water treatment. The following ground- and aerial-derived variables were compared …

Assessing The Impact Of Financial, Educational, And Managerial Resources On The Success Of Minority-Owned Businesses: An Analysis Of Resources From The Perspective Of The Minority Business Owner, Clinton B. Arnold

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Minority-owned businesses (MOBs) in the United States have a failure rate that is 50% higher than that of their non-minority counterparts. Rectifying this imbalance and achieving parity could yield significant economic benefits, potentially adding $1.5 trillion to the nation's economy if resources—financial, educational, and managerial—are equitably distributed and effectively made available to support the goals of minority businesses. However, historical injustices, from Jim Crow laws to systemic discrimination, have granted certain groups multi-generational advantages, exacerbating the divide. Addressing these disparities is both an economic imperative and a moral obligation to ensure equal opportunity. Lending Tree (2023)

With 1.2 million MOBs …

Beyond The Screen: Assessing The Impact Of Hospitalist Reliance On Electronic Medical Records In Patient-Centered Care, Brian H. Cox

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The integration of Electronic Medical Record (EMR) systems has transformed healthcare delivery, offering enhanced data accessibility, improved communication, and operational efficiency. However, concerns persist regarding the potential erosion of patient-centered care due to EMR overutilization. This study investigated how hospitalists’ use of EMR systems correlates with patient satisfaction, focusing on the dynamics of physician communication, hospital length of stay, and regional characteristics. Using a comprehensive framework combining Resource Dependency Theory and Donabedian’s Structure-Process-Outcome model, the research examines the influence of demographic, technological, and structural factors on healthcare outcomes.

The analysis, based on patient survey data from a large integrated delivery …

Undergraduate Catalog Of Studies, University Of Arkansas, Fayetteville

Undergraduate Catalog of Studies

No abstract provided.

Seventh Us Cavalry Base Ball In Kansas, 1868–1870, Revised, Mark E. Eberle

Monographs

From 1868 through 1870, the Seventh US Cavalry and other military units played baseball in Kansas at their various posts and in the field. Details of several games were reported in local newspapers, as well as the New York Clipper. The Seventh Cavalry clubs, most notably Captain Frederick Benteen’s Company H, continued to play through 1875 while stationed in the South and the Dakota Territory, before the regiment was decimated at the Battle of Little Bighorn (Greasy Grass) in 1876. This essay focuses on the Seventh Cavalry’s baseball experiences in Kansas. A list of known games played by the regiment …

Coffee Farmgate Price And Post-Harvest Processing In Honduras., Isaac Desouza

Theses and Dissertations--Agricultural Economics

Volatile commodity markets and changing climate expose coffee farmers to price and production risk. Proponents recommend specialty coffee as a strategy to combat price risk, because its unique attributes differentiate it from commodity coffee. Extrinsic and intrinsic attributes define specialty coffee and affect prices at many levels of the supply chain. Despite much work on extrinsic attributes, little is known about how intrinsic attributes relate to farmgate price. Post-harvest processing is itself an intrinsic trait and driver of coffee quality. In 2024 we surveyed 261 coffee farmers from La Paz, Honduras, to uncover relationships between capital, post-harvest processing, and farmgate …

Delineating Ecologically Distinct Groups For Annual Cycle Management Of A Declining Shorebird, E. C. Knight, J. Carlisle, A. J. Boyce, D. Bradley, P. Cimprich, S. Coates, L. A. Powell Et Al.

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

"You Write What You Want And What You Need": Incorporating Reflective Practice In The Ela Classroom Through Caring Pedagogy, Melanie Shoffner, Helen Bentley

Department of Middle, Secondary and Mathematics Education - Faculty Scholarship

Caring pedagogy is critical in today’s classrooms, and supporting students’ emotional needs as well as educational needs is an integral part of the teaching profession. This qualitative case study examines how one 9th grade ELA teacher uses reflective practices to enact care for her students. Creating a specially designed 50- minute freewrite class, the participant centers students by welcoming their voices into the classroom. Notes from observations and semi-structured interviews are used to show how the participant’s reflections about her students’ journals and discussions drive instruction. Findings show that care-based instruction-giving students space to write about any topic, removing the …

Does Land Conservation Financially Harm Renters?, Corey Lang, Jarron Vanceylon

Environmental and Natural Resource Economics Working Papers

Environmental public goods and hazards are unequally distributed, with minority and low-income communities faring far worse. While environmental improvements are likely to benefit disadvantaged groups, these improvements can increase the desirability of neighborhoods and increase housing prices. For homeowners, this yields a gain in equity but can negatively impact renters through increased housing costs. This paper seeks to evaluate how rental prices respond to gains in land conservation relative to owner-occupied home values using a panel of census and conservation data from the United States. We employ a first-difference regression model and use propensity score matching as a pre-processing method …

“Science Belongs Everywhere”: Outlooks On Post-Secondary Stem Education For Correctional Centers In Virginia, Shelita R. Augustus

Division of Strategic Enrollment Management and Student Success Publications

Virginia has an incarceration rate of 679 per 100,000 residents, the highest among independent democratic nations. This scoping review examines perspectives on post-secondary STEM education to promote STEM education within Virginia's correctional facilities, assesses programs to improve rehabilitation, reduce recidivism, and address systemic inequalities by developing the scientific potential of incarcerated individuals. The review finds that while STEM education in correctional facilities faces limitations, its potential benefits are being realized nationwide. Virginia has made strides through initiatives like House Bill 2158, which aims to expand higher education access for incarcerated individuals. Examples such as the programs at J. Sargeant Reynolds …

Risk, Routes, And Media Reports: The Impacts Of Perceptions Of Crime On Bus Ridership In Minneapolis And Saint Paul, Christina Spicher

Economics Honors Projects

By collecting data on media reports about crimes on or near public transit, I study how changes in perceptions of crime affect bus ridership at the route level in Minneapolis and Saint Paul between 2015-2019. Treating the publication dates of these media reports as events, I perform panel event studies. Based on these models, I find no statistically significant evidence that media reporting about crimes on or near bus routes impacts ridership. With that said, my work points out important gaps in the literature where researchers and policymakers still have the opportunity to more deeply understand a key determinant of …

Caves, Calculus, And Climate Change: Measuring And Modeling The Discharge Of Biz Falls In Mammoth Cave National Park, Ava Lich

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Climate change poses a significant global challenge, with increasing levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide as a primary driver of rising temperatures and environmental disruptions. Karst systems, such as those in South-Central Kentucky, play a role in sequestering atmospheric CO₂ through the dissolution of limestone, a process that forms unique landscapes while mitigating climate impacts. This study investigates the discharge dynamics of Cascade River in Great Onyx Cave to enhance understanding of the relationship between hydrology and carbon sequestration in karst environments. A barrel weir equipped with pressure transducers was employed to collect and measure water flow, and Torricelli’s law was …

The Role Of Environmental & Climate Issues In Utahns' Migration Decisions Along The Rural-Urban Continuum, Mufti Nadimul Quamar Ahmed, Jessica Ulrich-Schad, Jennifer E. Givens, Kirsten Vinyeta, Stacia Ryder

Utah People and Environment Poll (UPEP)

Human relocation from one place to another is not new.¹ People move within or beyond borders for short or long periods, either temporarily or permanently, and they factor multiple internal and external issues into their migration decisions. Along with economic, political, social, and demographic drivers, ^2,3 people may choose to migrate because of deterioration in their living and working environments.

Southern Adventist University Undergraduate Catalog 2024-2025, Southern Adventist University

Catalog, Undergraduate

Southern Adventist University's undergraduate catalog for the academic year 2024-2025.

Integrated Baseball In Kansas During The Sport's Era Of Segregation, 1865-1945, Second Edition, Mark E. Eberle

Monographs

Black athletes were barred from playing baseball in the major and minor leagues prior to 1946 with few exceptions. Less studied is integrated baseball among independent town teams, and this research has focused on particular players or circumstances rather than an entire state or region across a long span of baseball history. Most newspapers published in Kansas prior to 1923 and several published after that year have been digitized, providing a substantial amount of information that makes the state well suited to serve as a case study of the broader history of integrated baseball from 1865 to 1945. This book …

Reference Interview Recommendations For Text And Data Mining, Laura Egan

Librarian Publications

Text and data mining (TDM) has become increasingly important in research and teaching in higher education. Researchers at all levels are engaging with larger quantities of data than previously feasible. The exponential increase in the availability of text data has resulted in a proliferation of the number of tools that facilitate text data processing and analysis. While TDM skills may have been optional or a disciplinary focus in the past, they are increasingly employed in a broader range of fields. Students and researchers may also be inspired to use TDM tools as they come across examples while looking for new …

Developing A Guideline And Feasibility Tool For Highway Infrastructure Readiness For Autonomous Vehicles, Soujanya Pillala

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) are one of the advanced technologies that is being developed, and infrastructure modifications supporting AVs will be the next major research that is needed. A systematic literature review methodology is used to explore key parameters needed for implementation of AVs. The key parameters are analyzed against economic implications, costs and projected benefits of the integration of Level 4 and Level 5 AVs into the highway system, offering a nuanced understanding of deployment of AV technologies. The research aims at developing a guideline and framework for highway infrastructure readiness for AVs, a toolbox for policy makers and government …

Middle Eastern Studies Program Newsletter - V15, Middle Eastern Studies Program

Middle Eastern Studies Program - Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Florida’S Shadow Of Shame: The Rosewood Massacre And State Identity, 1923-2024, Beaux Delaune

Theses & ETDs

Located in Levy County, Florida, the town of Rosewood was destroyed in 1923 after an accusation of rape against an African American man by a white woman. After a brief window of reporting, all but Rosewood’s diaspora, principally African-American, and rural communities in Levy County forgot the story. In the 1980s a St. Petersburg Times story broke this “silence,” culminating in 1994 with a compensation bill for Rosewood’s survivors and descendants. The bill, House Bill 591, was the first act of reparations for an African-American community in the United States. This thesis is an analysis of the memory of the …

Can Dance Be Used As An Organic Tool Of National Reproduction In The Basque Homeland And Across The Diasporas?, Irmak Demiroz

Theses & ETDs

No abstract provided.

I Live Where You Vacation: My Life Working, Living, And Analyzing Orlando, Florida, Molly Erickson

Theses & ETDs

This essay is derived from my interest in the Central Florida community and Disney’s eff ect on their lifestyle. The main interest was tourism's eff ect on Orlando. I used one small sociological practice, my experiences, media, and research papers, to discover more about what tourism hides in Orlando. I started by outlining my own experiences and addressing the privilege I had within the situation, then I analyzed the movie The Florida Project, which works as a good comparison to the true Florida experience for a lot of Floridians. I compared this all to the research I had done. The …

Microplastic Ingestion In Pipefish In The Sarasota Bay, Gray Henry

Theses & ETDs

Microplastics are ubiquitous in the environment today. Their spread has been an uncontrollable side effect of the vast amounts of plastic waste leaked into the environment annually. Microplastics can have devastating impacts on ecosystems and the organisms that inhabit them. Marine life can ingest these microplastics either intentionally through the accidental misidentification of a prey item or passively through their presence in or around prey items. However, there have been no studies on microplastics in syngnathids, a focal species, within Florida waters. In this thesis I investigate the passive ingestion of microplastics in Syngnathus scovelli from the Sarasota Bay and …

Deep-Sea Biology: Bringing The Deep Darkness To The Light, Andrew Koenig

Theses & ETDs

The deep sea is the largest ecosystem on Earth. The deep-seafloor covers about 60% of the Earth’s solid surface. The size alone is enough to emphasize its importance to the ocean and the entire Earth. This thesis aims to explore and showcase the deep sea and all it has to offer from the physical environment, the animals that survive there, and the processes in which they thrive. Though this is covering many topics related to deep-sea biology, it is not entirely comprehensive, as that is out of the realistic scope of this thesis. The reader is encouraged to use this …

Review: Balthazar: A Black African King In Medieval And Renaissance Art, Karli R. Snyder

Quidditas

Western European medieval and Early Modem art history is full of representations of ethnically diverse peoples. However, there are relatively few examples of scholarly publications that coherently organize these visual representations into a complete analysis of the topic. One recent publication that aims to do just that is Balthazar: A Black African King in Medieval and Renaissance Art. The slim paperback boasts 121 full-color illustrations and features a collection of essays and narratives edited by museum curator Kristen Collins and art historian Bryan C. Keene. The book was published as a companion to the 2019 exhibition of the same …

The Impact Of Gender On Literacy Engagement, Perception, And Academic Practice In Grades 3–12, Dennis John Wickes Jr.

Selected Full Text Dissertations, 2011-

Gender disparities in literacy persist across the globe, shaping academic and career opportunities in profound ways. Despite advances in educational research and interventions, boys continue to trail their female counterparts in literacy from an early age, and this gap persists. The purpose of this study was to examine gender differences in students’ self-perception, academic practice in literacy-based tasks, and enjoyment of these activities. A quantitative, cross-sectional design was employed. Participants included students in Grades 3–12 from international sites in the United States, the Philippines, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone, recruited through convenience and purposive sampling based on site access and …