Digital Commons Network^™

Retrospective Recall Of Food Parenting Practices During Childhood, Current Adult Health Outcomes, And Intuitive Eating, Katelyn Bretzel

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Emerging adulthood is a time of exploration, change, and emerging independence, which can make individuals vulnerable to health changes. Previous research demonstrates that food parenting practices (coercive control, structure, and autonomy support) during childhood may relate to health outcomes into adulthood. In the current study, it was hypothesized that intuitive eating during emerging adulthood would be associated with food parenting practices; with coercive control and structure practices hindering intuitive eating, while autonomy support encourages it. The current study tested these relationships further, utilizing retrospective reports of food parenting practices during childhood and examining their relation to intuitive eating, dietary quality, …

Long-Term Assessment Of The Morphological Behavior Of The Beaches North Of Sebastian Inlet, Florida, Aidan O'Gorman

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The morphological behavior of the beaches north of Sebastian Inlet, Florida is investigated by applying Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analyses to a series of beach surveys conducted semi-annually (winter and summer) over a period of fifteen years (2005-2019), with the primary objectives being to 1) determine the extent to which the inlet’s influence to the north typically fluctuates on a short-term basis (e.g. annually), and 2) identify any long-term trends of accretion or erosion that might exist. Each survey is comprised of thirty-one cross-shore profiles that are referenced to permanently installed range monuments (“R-monuments”) that are spaced nominally 305 …

Analysis Of Bin Packing Variants, Kyle T. Ambrose

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Bin Packing problem is a classic and widely studied optimization problem that arises naturally in applications like manufacturing, logistics, and memory allocation, where space and resource constraints are critical. In this thesis, we first demonstrate the NP-completeness of Bin Packing via a reduction from Three-Dimensional Matching, establishing its foundational complexity. We then survey core heuristics for the one-dimensional case and extend our analysis to two and three-dimensional variants, including both offline and online strategies. Special attention is given to stochastic bin packing, where item sizes are modeled as random variables drawn from distributions such as uniform, truncated normal, and …

Volunteer Teachers’ Experience In Hospitality In Church-Based Esl Ministries, Susan M. Russo

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In adult ESL empirical studies addressing a variety of problems of practice, the concepts of welcome, hospitality, or inclusion are frequently mentioned as important by teachers and learners. An absence of empirical studies on the experience of hospitality has been noted by researchers, hence the need for exploratory studies. Additionally, this study served to contribute to the limited body of research on church-based ESL ministries, and more future studies are needed to provide a better research-driven picture of their challenges and impacts.

The purpose of this mixed methods, constructivist grounded theory study was to develop a grounded theory consistent …

Technology-Enhanced Professional Development For Early Literacy: A Comparative Study Of Online Teacher Learning Models In Kenya, Constanza Uribe-Banda

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Growing recognition of early literacy as essential for lifelong learning, along with evidence that teachers’ mastery of foundational literacy instruction influences student outcomes (Darling-Hammond et al., 2017; UNESCO, 2020), has led to increased investment in teacher professional development. Despite these efforts, many educators face significant challenges in accessing high-quality training, particularly in resource-constrained settings where geographical barriers and limited institutional support persist. This is especially true in rural Kenyan communities, where teachers often work in under-resourced schools with unreliable electricity and internet connectivity yet bear responsibility for laying critical literacy foundations. The present study examines the potential to deliver effective …

“When I Farm, I Am Free:” Navigating Hmong Identity And Citizenship Through Farming, Stephen Kwas , '25

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

No abstract provided.

Prevalence Of Emergency Management Across The Conservation Reserve Program And Effects Of Emergency Management On Field Vegetation, Gretchen Steffensmeier

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is an extensive government program established by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in 1985 where farmers across the country agree to take land out of agricultural production and plant species to improve environmental health and quality in exchange for yearly rental payments. The main goals of CRP include re-establishing valuable land cover to improve water quality, preventing soil erosion, and reducing the loss of wildlife habitat. Currently, there are approximately 22 million acres enrolled across the country. The CRP is portrayed as a powerful tool that can be used to mitigate the impacts …

Investigating Pronunciation Teaching Practices And Teachers’ Beliefs About Pronunciation Instruction In Efl/Esl Classrooms, Barry Moussa

Graduate Research Papers

This literature review aims to explore existing research on pronunciation teaching practices and teachers’ beliefs about pronunciation instruction in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) and English as a Second Language (ESL) classrooms. To achieve this, I will first delve into teacher cognition research, intending to find current reported and actual practices surrounding pronunciation teaching. The importance of pronunciation instruction has been widely discussed and acknowledged by scholars in applied linguistics and teacher education programs. Various studies have identified pronunciation instruction as a key component for fostering effective oral communication skills in second language acquisition, specifically enhancing intelligibility (i.e., accuracy …

The Effect Of The Number Of Xylophone Bars On Student Comfort Level With Improvisation, Beth Trulson

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of reducing the number of bars available on a xylophone on the comfort level and perception of improvisation quality in elementary-aged students. Subjects were third and fourth graders with no formal instruction in improvisation, but have experienced Orff-inspired instruction that included improvisation. Students were asked to improvise on an Orff xylophone in one of four ways: (1) only the pitches F, G, and A on the xylophone while playing for eight measures, (2) all bars on the xylophone while playing for eight measures, (3) only the pitches F, G, and …

Perspectives On Music Within The Deaf And Hard Of Hearing Community, Anna Hanbeck

Graduate Research Papers

This study investigates how Deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) individuals perceive and experience music. Through a survey with DHH participants, the research explores alternative modes of musical perception, including vibration, visual cues, and emotional response. Findings reveal that many DHH individuals actively engage with music through multisensory strategies, challenging the understanding of music as primarily a hearing-based experience. The results highlight the importance of inclusive musical practices and technologies that provide diverse sensory experiences. Music is an experience that can be sought through different means. This research contributes to a broader understanding of accessibility in the arts and underscores …

An Examination Of Teacher Perceptions Of Student Retention In Choir When Transitioning Between 8th And 9th Grade, Megan Mccrary

Graduate Research Papers

This study was conducted over the course of 10 weeks through an online survey sent to public high school and middle school choral educators across Iowa and gathered data about choir student transitions into 9th grade for the 2024-2025 school year. 38 choir teachers across the state of Iowa participated in this study. Eligibility for participation required that the teachers had taught either 8th or 9th grade choir during the Spring 2024 semester or the Fall 2024 semester. Simple main effects analysis showed that neither students changing buildings nor students changing instructors had a statistically significant effect on student enrollment. …

Welcome From The Editor, Joshua E. Young

Iowa Journal of Communication

No abstract provided.

Teasing In Romantic Relationships: The Roles Of Attachment Dimensions, Relational Uncertainty, And Interpersonal Attraction, Nathan Miczo

Iowa Journal of Communication

Drawing upon DiCioccio’s interactionist model of teasing, this study examined positive and negative teasing in romantic relationships, with relational uncertainty and interpersonal attraction as mediators. Participants completed measures of teasing, attachment, relational uncertainty, and interpersonal attraction. Affectionate teasing was positively predicted by anxious attachment, physical attraction, and social attraction, and negatively predicted by avoidant attachment. Social attraction mediated the relationship between anxiety and affectionate teasing, while physical attraction and social attraction were mediators between avoidance and affectionate teasing. There were no significant results for relational uncertainty as a predictor or for aggressive teasing as an outcome.

Authenticity At Issue: Legislative Resistance To Gen Ai In Constituent Communication, Amy Mccoy

Iowa Journal of Communication

As legislators manage a fast-paced environment including an increasing number of legislative proposals, this research examines their perceptions around and understanding of generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) and its potential applications related to constituent communications. This study explores how technological shifts in legislative communication, examined through New Media and Constructivist lenses, are interpreted and experienced by lawmakers. Through a mixed-methods approach using survey and interviews, this research provides insights on the contradiction of using Gen AI for legislative efficiency with concerns of how it may impact perceptions of authenticity and affect democratic engagement.

Student Affairs Professionals' Sensemaking Following Student Disclosures Of Mental Health Concerns, Andrea L. Meluch, Alison Doehring, Maria Hannah

Iowa Journal of Communication

Based on semi-structured interviews with 23 participants, this study explores how student affairs professionals in higher education make sense of the role-related and communication-related challenges that they face when students disclose mental health concerns. Study results indicated that participants construct their role as student affairs professionals as advocates and sources of support for students struggling with mental health. However, despite framing their role as “helpers” to students, participants noted that they must navigate mental health resources within and beyond their institution, manage constraints on their role, and grapple with external factors that inhibit students’ ability to receive mental health support. …

Assessing Residents' Water Knowledge, Communication Preferences, And Risk Perceptions: Insights For Practice And Future Communication, Ashleigh M. Day, Eric S. Cerino, Zoe Zidzik, Laura Umphrey

Iowa Journal of Communication

The purpose of this research was to better understand Flagstaff, Arizona (AZ) residents’ water knowledge, media uses, information sources, and water-related risk perceptions. After collecting survey responses from residents (n=476), results highlighted that most residents know their water supplier, but their risk perceptions varied as related to waterborne diseases and water scarcity. Particularly, participants felt more susceptible to water scarcity issues than waterborne diseases and felt that water scarcity was more severe than waterborne diseases. Further, when considering getting water-related information, many participants preferred receiving information via digital devices. Regarding social media use, participants held the strongest preference for receiving …

Toxic Sweetness And Abstinence: The Citationality Of Robert Lustig's Anti-Sugar Rhetoric, Tyler J. Snelling

Iowa Journal of Communication

Robert Lustig’s (2009) lecture on YouTube “Sugar: The Bitter Truth” animated a widespread conversation about whether sugar poisons bodies. Discourse following the lecture warrants analysis to gage how the meaning of the lecture transformed from a critique of food systems into individual actions. I argue that citationality of “Sugar: The Bitter Truth” fosters healthism by grounding sugar’s toxicity in scientific and affective reasoning that compels individual actions like abstinence from sugar. The pediatrician's lecture enabled the construction of a supposedly "moral eater" who removes sugar from consumption to avoid the poison's consequences. This paper offers tools for examining the spread …

Remembering July 36th: A Semiotic Analysis Of The Student-People's Revolutionary Graffiti, Jordan D. Smith

Iowa Journal of Communication

The use of graffiti as a tool for political solidarity has been universally documented in the academic lexicon. Using symbols of resilience, justice, disenfranchisement, and hope, graffiti is a unique phenomenon for visual rhetorical studies. The variety of artifacts spanning millennia document socio-political shifts, economic disparity, and messages of rebirth for systems in crisis. This study conducts a semiotic analysis of protest graffiti created during Bangladesh’s Student-People Uprising of July 2024 to explore how visual and linguistic signs construct messages of hope and solidarity. Using Ferdinand de Saussure’s (2021) semiotic framework, this research examines the symbolic and rhetorical elements present …

Moldy Whoppers And Vitamin Donuts: Health Halos In Food Advertisements, Debbie Danowski

Iowa Journal of Communication

Health Halos have been used in food advertisements since the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries when the advent of mass-produced consumer goods took hold and manufactures began advertising their products. It wasn’t until nearly eight decades later, however, that theoretical framework specifically involving health halos was recognized in advertising research. Though subsequent research suggests the effectiveness of health halos in making unhealthy food appear healthier, there has been little, if any, attention given to identification of the health halos used in food advertising. This study aims to fill the gap by identifying two of the health halo techniques used …

Consumer Preferences For Low-Methane Beef: The Impact Of Pre-Purchase Information, Point-Of-Purchase Labels, And Increasing Prices, Kelly A. Davidson, Brandon R. Mcfadden, Sarah Meyer, John C. Bernard

Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Faculty Publications and Presentations

Cattle production is estimated to be the largest methane (CH₄) emitter associated with consumer demand in the United States of America (U.S.). With a national commitment to reducing methane emissions by 30% before 2030, methane-reducing additives (MRAs) in livestock feed are being explored as a viable solution. This study investigated consumer preferences for low-methane ground beef produced using one of three MRAs with varying levels of methane mitigation: Aspagopsis taxiformis (seaweed), the organic compound 3-nitroxypropanol (3NOP), or a blend of essential oils (e.g. garlic extract and citrus). In a nationally representative survey, 3,009 respondents completed a labeled discrete …

Fault Box Modeling Of Dip Slip Faults: A Framework For Fault Box Design And Future Studies, Hailey Pressnell

Master's Theses

The behavior of soils during surface fault rupture is a serious concern in the planning and design of infrastructure that may be located within or near a fault zone. Challenges associated with developing mitigation measures for surface fault rupture include the uncertainty of fault rupture and the variability of fault behavior. Current analytical procedures define surface fault rupture according to the type of fault movement (strike slip, normal or reverse), the amount of displacement on the fault, and the mechanics of the material overlying the fault. The purpose of this thesis is to reconfirm analytical solutions and gain a better …

The Role Of Financial Literacy Education In Shaping Students’ Future Financial Decisions, Arianna Shornock

Honors Program Theses

This paper aims to explore the relationship between the effectiveness of financial literacy programs and their influence on students' future decision-making. In this study, survey data were collected from a random sample of young adults aged 18-25 years, primarily located in the Midwest region of the United States. This study suggests that students who took a financial literacy class are less likely to perform better on financial literacy topics and are less likely to have higher perceived confidence when making financial decisions, which contrasts with the existing evidence in the literature over financial literacy programs. Possible explanations for this deviation …

Culture, Labor Laws, And Foreign Investment: An Analysis On The Impact Of Uncertainty Avoidance, Annalee Benisek

Honors Program Theses

No abstract provided.

Analyzing The Safety Effects Of Edge Lane Roads For Motor Vehicle Users, John Yang

Master's Theses

This thesis builds upon a prior study that analyzed the safety effects of Edge Lane Roads (ELRs) within the U.S. context, addressing gaps related to collision, traffic volume, and speed data. An ELR is a roadway configuration that accommodates two-way automobile traffic within a single center lane while providing edge lanes for vulnerable road users (VRUs), i.e., bicyclists or pedestrians. Although the concept of a single shared lane for opposing traffic often raises safety concerns among the public, ELRs have demonstrated potential to control speeds, optimize roadway space, and improve traffic operations on low-volume roads.

To evaluate safety outcomes, this …

Designing An Affordable Motion Capture System For Multi-Robot Research And Education, Hojune Kim , '25

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

In this work, we propose a low-cost motion capture system for real-time tracking of multiple robots’ positions and orientations in indoor environments, specifically tailored for research and educational applications. Precise localization is essential for evaluating robotics algorithms such as decentralized multi-agent control, cooperative path planning, and collision avoidance. [1-3] However, commercial motion capture systems like Vicon and OptiTrack cost between $50,000 and $150,000, making them inaccessible for many smaller institutions, student clubs, and low-resource labs. To address this challenge, we developed an affordable alternative based on three ceiling-mounted 1080p USB cameras and AprilTags. Our system operates at 30 Hz and …

Progress Toward The Synthesis Of Pyridine-Containing Macrocycles Using Dynamic Alkyne And Olefin Metathesis, Stephen Kwas , '25

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

Tubular structures are ubiquitous in nature and possess functions ranging from the structural ones played by microtubules to transporting necessary ions across cell membranes by membrane proteins. In addition, the excellent electronic and structural properties of carbon nanotubes have made them of great interest to chemists. Yet, the functionalization of these nanotubes is hindered by unselective post-modification, often requiring harsh reaction conditions. As such, the assembly of macrocycles into nanotubular structures has been widely studied by chemists. One such way to make these materials is by using dynamic, reversible reactions to synthesize pyridine-containing macrocycles in high yields. Due to inherent …

Slaughter, Parsons, And The Original Meaning Of A Term Of Years, Jane Manners, Lev Menand

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Queer Coasts: Beach Space, Climate Change, And The American Queer Community, Erin Cardoza

Open Access Master's Theses

Queer coastal spaces and beaches have been culturally and historically significant to the LGBTQ+ community for decades. These sites provide visibility, acceptance, and community allowing for LGBTQ+ folks to connect, organize, and find refuge from societal stigma and discrimination. However, these spaces face increasing threats from climate change, gentrification and privatization, and shifting societal dynamics. This research was conducted at two historically queer beaches on the American East Coast, Herring Cove in Provincetown, Massachusetts, and Jacob Riis Park in Queens, New York. This study examined the similarities and differences between these sites regarding (1) the importance of beach spaces for …

Hutchison Family Papers - Accession 19, Hutchison Family

Manuscript Collection

This collection is a valuable source on colonial life in the Carolinas, the southern antebellum plantation system, early relations with the Catawba Indians, post Civil War cotton manufacturing, especially in relation to the Rock Hill Cotton Mill established by Captain A. E. Hutchison, and the World War I era in Rock Hill. While the papers range from 1785 to 1968, the greatest part of the collection extends from the late 1780s to the early twentieth century. In addition to genealogical information, diaries, speeches, financial records, etc., located in a separate series, there are also included in the “General Correspondence and …

An Analysis Of Commercial Real Estate, Amanda Christine Fowler

Honors Program Theses

Commercial real estate is typically described as comprising four sectors: office, retail, industrial, and multifamily. Each sector is affected by economic changes and consumer spending differently. This research shows the general overview of the sectors and trends affecting the market, a discussion of the factors driving commercial real estate prices such as inflation, interest rates, unemployment, and employee engagement. A review of the factors affecting regions in the United States is also included. A focus is set on office rental prices for the purpose of the analysis.