Digital Commons Network^™

Engagement Between African American Male Students And The Community College, Parrish Geary

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Using data from the Community College Survey of Men designed by the Community College Equity Assessment Lab—Minority Male Community College Collaborative at San Diego State University, this study examined factors influencing in- and out-of-classroom engagement of African American male students at community colleges in California. The results suggested positive relationships between multiple predictors and independent variables on ethos factors for African American men. Additionally, the outcomes showed that 4 of the 5 independent variables were significant for African American men (i.e., personal relationships, faculty acknowledgment, belonging, and feeling welcomed). A review of the standardized beta coefficients revealed that the strongest …

Role Play Or Real Play: A Quasi-Experiment In The Counseling Classroom, Elke Schmeling

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The relationship between pedagogy and self-efficacy beliefs is at the core of this dissertation. A continued demand for mental health service providers who can handle challenging caseloads requires novice professionals who are both well prepared and confident in their own skills and abilities, as self-efficacy is a positive predictor of performance. Since experiential learning opportunities are considered particularly beneficial to fostering self-efficacy beliefs, two cohorts of graduate students in a beginning psychotherapy course who engaged in different experiential learning activities were compared in terms of their counseling self-efficacy growth over the course of one semester. One cohort of students engaged …

Choral Students’ Perception Of Kinesthetic Pedagogy In The High School Choral Classroom, Molly Bolewski

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the incorporation of kinesthetic pedagogy in secondary choral rehearsals and its impact on student engagement and learning. Three experienced high school choral teachers and their students from Northern California participated in the study. Each teacher conducted four consecutive rehearsal sessions, recording themselves instructing on two pieces of music using teacher-modeled and student-imitated kinesthetic gestures. Students completed daily surveys assessing their enjoyment and engagement levels, and teachers provided a final reflection on their usual kinesthetic practices. Video footage of twelve rehearsals and teachers’ final reflections were analyzed to identify patterns in kinesthetic usage, revealing that these teachers’ kinesthetic …

Structural And Functional Studies Of The Human Members Of The Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor Family, Andrew Parkins

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) and D-dopachrome tautomerase (D-DT) are the two human members of the MIF superfamily, which are implicated in an array of autoimmune disorders, inflammatory diseases, and cancer via their pleiotropic functionality. Despite only sharing 34% sequence identity, MIF and D-DT have high structural homology and overlapping functional traits, including activation of the type II cell surface receptor CD74 and keto-enol tautomerase activity. The MIF and/or D-DT-induced activation of CD74 leads to signaling cascades pivotal for cell growth, proliferation, and inhibition of apoptosis. Such characteristics make MIF and D-DT attractive molecular targets for drug discovery.

Currently, all …

Swipe Up And Break Up: A Grounded Theory Study Exploring The Impact Of Tiktok On Adolescents’ Perceptions Of Love And Romantic Relationships, Amitoj Sandhu Kaur

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Adolescence is a time period when major developments occur with respect to adolescents’ physical, emotional and cognitive capabilities, and such developments ultimately make it a pivotal time for a person’s identity formation and understanding of interpersonal relationships. In today’s world, social media is extremely popular, especially among adolescents, and it has influenced their behaviors, perceptions and interactions with others. With TikTok, a social media platform, gaining popularity in recent years and overwhelmingly so among adolescents, researchers began researching the general impact of TikTok on adolescents’ mental health. Some researchers have begun exploring niche research topics related to the impact of …

On The Influence Of Private Stimulus Magnitude When Reporting Private Events, Christian T. Hickman

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The nature of private events provides challenges to developing a scientific understanding of the conditions under which humans learn to describe private events. Replicating and extending procedures from Stocco et al. (2014), we further evaluated the conditions under which verbal responses come under the control of private stimuli. Given that some participants vocal responses came under the control of public stimuli in Stocco et al. (2014), we implemented more subtle public accompaniments with all participants to reduce the likelihood of public stimuli acquiring control of participant’s verbal responses. Further, we systematically manipulated the visual clarity of the presented stimuli using …

Exploring Culture, Support, And Success Among Mexican American Female Students At A Hispanic Serving Institution, Joanna Saldana

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Educational attainment among Hispanic populations in the United States remains a challenge, particularly among Mexican Americans who exhibit lower rates of degree completion. This dissertation examined the influence of cultural factors, specifically familism and collectivism, on the educational experiences of Mexican American undergraduate women at San Joaquin Delta College (SJDC) in California's San Joaquin Valley. The study aimed to elucidate how levels of familism and collectivism predict social, academic, and psychological support needs, as well as success strategies among this demographic.

Literature highlights the significance of familism, emphasizing familial obligations, and collectivism, prioritizing group harmony, within Mexican American communities. Mexican …

Filipina American Mothers’ Experiences Obtaining Services For Their Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Nina Chelle Boling

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a multifaceted developmental condition that manifests in early childhood, affecting various aspects of neurologic, biological, adaptive, social, linguistic, and cognitive functions. A timely and accurate diagnosis of ASD is crucial for effective intervention, promoting personal and social growth, and fostering independent adulthood. However, obtaining this diagnosis can pose challenges, particularly for people of color, who often encounter disparities in healthcare access compared to their White counterparts. This study aims to investigate the experiences of Filipina mothers raising children with ASD, specifically focusing on their journey to access appropriate autism services.

As of 2019, there were …

Exploring Latinx Students’ Perceptions And Experiences Of Servingness Through Platica At A Hispanic-Serving Community College, Pedro Reynoso Valdez

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The main focus of this study centers on the overarching question, What does it mean to serve Latinx students at a Hispanic serving community college (HSCC)? This recurring question, both in research and in practice, has brought critical attention and dialog regarding the concept and practice of servingness; specifically, it has shed light on how Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs), including HSCCs, conceptualize and enact their respective HSI identity. However, oftentimes, missing from this conversation are the perceptions and experiences of Latinx students themselves enrolled at HSCCs. As a result, there has been a call for more research that incorporates Latinx students’ …

On The Social Validity Of Teaching Children To Give A Polite Response, Nancy V. Ramirez

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Some children, including individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), may respond rudely when expressing their opinions about nonpreferred gifts or aspects of someone else’s appearance (Bergstrom et al., 2016; Saarni, 1984; Talwar et al., 2007; Xu et al., 2010). One proposed solution discussed in the literature to decrease rude responses in children involves teaching children to tell a socially appropriate lie, often referred to as prosocial lies, as an alternative response. These types of lies are defined as “lies that have some benefit for the lie recipient and are not intended to cause harm to another individual” (Popliger et …

Plasticity In Response To Temperature Magnitude And Variation---From Life History To Thermal Tolerance And Coloration, Austin Rex Hoffman

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Warming associated with climate change has many direct and downstream effects on animals. For example, warmer developmental temperatures can improve heat tolerance and reduce insect melanization, which is related to coloration, thermoregulation, immunity, desiccation resistance, and potentially life-history traits, such as investment into reproduction and dispersal. Increased temperature variation is also a feature of climate change, and it may have a larger impact on animals than warming. However, I lack insight into the combined effects of temperature magnitude and variability on important traits of life history, thermal tolerance, and coloration. Thus, I integrated temperature variation into thermal performance using a …

Transgenerational Effects Of Stress On The Plasma Proteome Of A Marine Mammal, Emily Voelkner

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The physiological stress response enables animals to respond to changes in their environment, and is mediated by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in mammals. Increased activation of the HPA axis by repeated stress during critical life stages like reproduction could affect fitness. Information about a stressor can be communicated to offspring via hormone signals prenatally, or postnatally via milk, and affect offspring development and stress reactivity. Experimentally activating the HPA axis by adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) administration results in the synthesis of the major glucocorticoid hormone cortisol, which has well-studied far-reaching effects on growth, metabolism, and immunity. Beyond cortisol levels alone, biomarkers …

Autonomous Strike Uavs For Counterterrorism Missions: Challenges And Preliminary Solutions, Meshari Aljohani, Ravi Mukkamala, Stephan Olariu

Computer Science Faculty Publications

UAVs are becoming a crucial tool in modern warfare, primarily due to their cost-effectiveness, risk reduction, and ability to perform a wider range of activities. The use of autonomous UAVs to conduct strike missions against highly valuable targets is the focus of this research. Due to developments in ledger technology, smart contracts, and machine learning, such activities formerly carried out by professionals or remotely flown UAVs are now feasible. Our study provides the first in-depth analysis of challenges and potential solutions for successful implementation of an autonomous UAV mission.

Autonomous Strike Uavs In Support Of Homeland Security Missions: Challenges And Preliminary Solutions, Meshari Aljohani, Ravi Mukkamala, Stephan Olariu

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are becoming crucial tools in modern homeland security applications, primarily because of their cost-effectiveness, risk reduction, and ability to perform a wider range of activities. This study focuses on the use of autonomous UAVs to conduct, as part of homeland security applications, strike missions against high-value terrorist targets. Owing to developments in ledger technology, smart contracts, and machine learning, activities formerly carried out by professionals or remotely flown UAVs are now feasible. Our study provides the first in-depth analysis of the challenges and preliminary solutions for the successful implementation of an autonomous UAV mission. Specifically, we …

Psu Esi Review (Doe-Psu-0000922-6), Tylor Slay, Jaime Kolln, Robert B. Bass

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

A guide to developing an Energy Service Interface (ESI) was created as part of the Grid Modernization Laboratory Consortium 2.5.2 ESI project. The approach applies device-agnostic and service-oriented ESI principles and leverages documents such as the Interoperability Maturity Model and Common Grid Service Definitions to provide a methodology to review, develop, and update standards and profiles to engage distributed energy resources to provide grid services. This document evaluates the ESI developed by Portland State University’s Power Engineering Group under the Electric Grid of Things project funded by the U.S. Department of Energy. The evaluation explores the compliance of this specific …

Field Demonstration Of Residential Der Service-Oriented Load Participation, Zhongkai Zeng, Dana Paresa, Midrar Adham, Robert B. Bass

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Amidst a concerning surge in power consumption during peak hours, coupled with heightened power grid instability, and driven by a growing demand for electricity, aggregations of Distributed Energy Resource are becoming a viable means for providing essential reliability services. Electric utility companies have proactively implemented Demand Response programs for decades. These programs employ Direct Load Control methods to enhance power grid stability, achieved by controlling customers’ Distributed Energy Resource during peak hours to reduce power consumption. However, a notable drawback of Direct Load Control has been high unenrollment rates of DR program participants due to customer discomfort. Therefore, the underlying …

Trust Model Utilization For Energy Grid Communication, N. Sonali Fernando, John M. Acken, Robert B. Bass

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The internet information that is used by the Energy Grid of Things requires both preventative security measures as well as surveillance measures. The preventative security measures include certificates, encryption, and all of the basic security protocols as defined by published standards. The surveillance measures include monitoring information flow activities and evaluating these messages for indications of potential security attacks. We describe in this paper the utilization of a Distributed Trust Model that was developed specifically for monitoring communication within an Energy Grid of Things. The goal for the Distributed Trust Models is to provide a level of aggregate trust that …

Putting Lipstick On A Pig: Biogas, Methane Digesters, And The Greenwashing Playbook, Randall S. Abate

GW Law Faculty Publications & Other Works

Industrial animal agriculture pitches biogas and methane digesters as solutions to the outsized methane footprint of concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), yet these efforts merely seek to convey to the public that CAFOs’ operations are environmentally responsible. In reality, quite the opposite is true because biogas and methane digesters more deeply entrench these facilities into the status quo of unsustainable production and disposal methods at CAFOs. This article first describes industrial animal agriculture’s impacts on climate change, with a focus on methane emissions. It then addresses biogas and methane digesters as ineffective solutions to the methane emissions from CAFOs. Next, …

“I Was But The Learner, Now I Am The Master”: Using The Protégé Effect To Accelerate Learning Outcomes, Anita M. Singh

GW Law Faculty Publications & Other Works

Like most legal writing professors, I frequently use peer editing, collaborative editing, and rewriting in my classes and have done so since I began teaching in 2009. Last year, looking to increase student self-direction, promote ownership and accountability, and drive students to engage more meaningfully with my feedback, I added something slightly different to the mix. By combining “learning by teaching” and self-reflection, I stumbled upon an exercise that students across-the-board called “[t]he most important thing [we did] for my writing” and “the best reviewing exercise we [did] all year.” It had the added bonus of supporting students’ professional identity …

Coastal Migration With Dignity: Safeguards For Vulnerable Communities, Randall S. Abate, Aashini Choksi

GW Law Faculty Publications & Other Works

This Comment proposes to apply social justice-oriented safeguards to vulnerable communities in the climate migration context, focusing on recommendations to diminish the vulnerability of communities in two climate migration case studies in the United States. Part I describes the troubling realities of climate gentrification in Florida as well as forced displacement from coastal areas for native communities in Alaska. Part II addresses the existing federal and state legal frameworks in these contexts, and how gaps in each framework exacerbate the vulnerability of these overburdened communities. Part III proposes law reforms to address these concerns. It first recommends adjustments to the …

Brand Trust Equation: The Role Of Brand Trust And Its Impact On Pro-Social Behavior In Peer-To-Peer Accommodation, Md Zaker Hossin, Yeasun K. Chung

ICHRIE Research Reports

Peer-to-peer (P2P) accommodations, like Airbnb, often don’t have the same rules and oversight as traditional hotels. This can make it riskier and less predictable to stay in P2P accommodations, and the quality of the stays varies more. Thus, this study aimed to examine the following objectives: examine how different trust dimensions influence brand trust in P2P accommodations, evaluate how brand trust influences guests’ prosocial patronage behaviors, and assess how brand trust influences guests’ prosocial stewardship behaviors. The study used a scenario-based survey of U.S. travelers. Key variables included ability, benevolence, integrity, predictability, brand trust, prosocial patronage behavior, and prosocial stewardship …

Dine Green, Be Kind: Local Vs. Chain Restaurants In Sustainability, Brand Attachment, And Pro-Social Behaviors, Md Zaker Hossin, Yeasun K. Chung

ICHRIE Research Reports

The restaurant industry is characterized by excessive waste and resource consumption, and it faces a pressing need to adopt environmental sustainability practices (ESPs). This research aims to explore the sequential relationship from ESPs to brand attachment (BA) to pro-environmental behaviors while examining the enhancing role of locally-owned restaurants in strengthening these relationships. The survey used a scenario-based survey of U.S. diners and collected data about waste reduction, recycling, minimum water usage, energy conservation, brand attachment, restaurant ownership (local/chain), pro-environmental patronage behavior, and pro-environmental stewardship behavior, using a seven-point Likert Scale. This study aims to advance our understanding of the potential …

The Impact Of Linguistic Styles On Message Delivery In Encouraging The Use Of Leftover Bags For Food Waste Reduction, Jae Eun Park, Chang Ma, Alei (Aileen) Fan

ICHRIE Research Reports

Plate leftovers are a major cause of food waste in restaurants. To reduce food waste, many restaurants encourage customers to use “doggy bags” to take away their plate leftovers. However, the efficiency of adopting such leftover bags is still questionable as some customers may feel embarrassed to use leftover bags. Hence, the current research aims to explore how to leverage different linguistic styles (figurative vs. literal language) to encourage the usage of leftover bags for food waste reduction purposes. Furthermore, this research will investigate the linguistic style efficiency in various restaurant dining contexts across two empirical studies. Study 1 will …

Addressing Labor Challenges In The Hospitality Industry: Insights From College Students, W. Clarke Griffin

ICHRIE Research Reports

The hospitality industry is facing a growing labor crisis. College students were surveyed on their perceptions of the hospitality industry and a roundtable discussion of industry experts occurred to explore the results. College students described that the starting hourly wage and a flexible work schedule were the most important factors influencing their employment decisions. The study's findings suggest that the hospitality industry can attract and retain more college students by prioritizing employee welfare and effectively communicating the benefits of a career in hospitality. This could involve offering higher wages, more flexible work schedules, and better benefits. Creating a positive work …

Telework In A Digitalizing Hotel Landscape, Reed Davisson, Susan E. Gordon

ICHRIE Research Reports

As many work processes grow more digitalized, jobs traditionally thought only to be executed on-site can be done remotely, even in hospitality industry operations. Using a full-service hotel as a case study, this research sought to understand the structure and benefits of telework roles in the front office and hybrid roles in the housekeeping department. Findings show that employee perceptions of telework and hybrid work were generally viewed as positive with no negative guest impact, challenges were solely focused on communication and mitigating those, and human resource considerations revolve around telework as a retention tool and ensuring employees feel deserving …

In Their Words: Voices Of High School Graduates Who Were Labeled English Learners, Yolanda K. Jimenez

Dissertations

This research captures the experiences of high school graduates who were labeled English Learners while they were enrolled in a public high school in the greater Sacramento area of California. The study examined what these bilingual high school graduates report as beneficial and detrimental experiences faced while completing the course requirements for high school graduation. This study builds on research that includes secondary classroom teachers and their perceptions of English Learners, classroom teaching and learning, and experiences of emergent bilingual students. The study expands the body of research and informs praxis pertaining to supporting emergent bilingual students as they attempt …

Addressing Equity Gaps In Stem: A Self-Study, Prabhjeet Kaur Brar

Dissertations

The Hispanic/Latinx population is increasing nationwide and in the state of California; however, the Hispanic/Latinx population remains underrepresented in STEM professions contributing to a lack of diversity in STEM. To increase the academic success of the Hispanic/Latinx student population in STEM majors, high leverage research-based teaching strategies through the lens of historically responsive literacy were applied and examined throughout this research. The purpose of this mixed-methods self-study was to examine the impact of research-based effective strategies/high leverage practices on Latinx students’ success rates in my introductory biology classrooms. The study focused on two biology course sections with a laboratory. Each …

How Can We Do Better? Understanding Student Experiences And Support Needs During And After The Covid-19 Pandemic, Kevina M. Brown

Dissertations

This dissertation study aimed to provide opportunities for students at San José State University (SJSU), to share about their experiences during the Covid-19 pandemic and to provide feedback and recommendations regarding resources and culturally engaging supports on campus. The research inquiry involved survey and interview methodology to gain insights into student experiences pertaining to financial and mental health challenges and academic disruption and social isolation during the beginning, middle and end of the pandemic, as well as their engagement with resources and supports provided on campus. Recruitment was done by flyer distribution throughout campus and via email distribution to students …

A Transatlantic Analysis Of Eu And U.S. Strategies In “Green Procurement", Marta Andhov, Christopher R. Yukins

GW Law Faculty Publications & Other Works

As governments the world over move to reduce global warming, public procurement has become an increasingly important means of leveraging governments’ vast purchasing power to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through “green” or environmentally sustainable procurement. This article reviews emerging strategies in green procurement in the European Union and the United States. The article notes that those green procurement strategies are remarkably consistent on both sides of the Atlantic, from sector-specific preferences for low-carbon products to eco-labels to life-cycle cost analyses which take into account broader environmental impacts. On both sides of the Atlantic, however, parallel problems have emerged as …

Extraterritoriality, Francesca Bignami, Giorgio Resta

GW Law Faculty Publications & Other Works

This chapter argues that the competing American ballot-box and European fundamental rights paradigms of regulatory law have marked the specific domain of digital regulation. These regulatory paradigms and their associated state interests are projected extraterritorially through the market power of Silicon Valley, on the one hand, and the privacy rights of European Union (EU) regulators, on the other hand. This chapter also analyzes recent developments in the EU, where there is now a state effort to make digital markets and, relatedly, an emerging preference for some data localization to promote both fundamental rights and economic and security interests. In China, …