Digital Commons Network^™

Navigating The Future: The Material Effects Of Sea Level Rise On Lighthouses Along The East Coast Of The United States, Brianna Schmidt

All Theses

Multiple aspects of climate change will affect coastal structures. One type of structure in these coastal environments that will be affected is lighthouses. These structures are and important symbol for marine navigation. Without their presents, the coastline loses an important aspect to its significance. There have already been cases of climate change scenarios affecting these structures such as erosion and wave impacts. This thesis focuses on the material vulnerability of lighthouses when in contact with new sea water levels. How vulnerable are lighthouses in terms of their material property to submersion in salt water due to sea level rise along …

Personal Green Spaces During The Pandemic - Perceptions Towards Urban Home Gardens During The Covid-19 Pandemic In Bengaluru, India, Varsha Bhaskaran, Charles Nilon

Cities and the Environment (CATE)

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about unprecedented changes in a short span of time to people’s life and living. Being in a lockdown, especially in urban areas, has led to changes in the way people perceive nature around them and within their homes. Research on this topic in the cities of the global south has been limited with even fewer studies in Indian cities. To begin to address this gap, in this exploratory study we interviewed 30 residents of Bengaluru, India to understand how they perceived the changes they experienced in their home gardens and in the nature around their …

The Impact Of Land Use And Human Population Density On Benthic Macroinvertebrate Diversity In A Highly Urbanized River, Maleha Mahmud, David C. Lahti, Bobby Habig

Cities and the Environment (CATE)

Many studies have documented the detrimental effects of urbanization on aquatic ecosystems. What is less known is how “super urban” centers—areas with unusually high human population densities and immense infrastructures—impact biodiversity. Specifically, freshwater streams and rivers that are situated in highly urbanized metropolitan areas might be more susceptible to anthropogenic disturbance. Here, we evaluated the impacts of land use and human population density on benthic macroinvertebrate diversity along the Bronx River, a freshwater river situated in one of the largest urban centers in the world: the New York metropolitan area. We addressed the following research question: How does (1) high …

Assessing Undergraduate Nonprofit Management Education Programs: Combining Industry And Student Perspectives, Benjamin Walworth

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Given the role of the nonprofit sector in the U.S. economy, as well as the growth of nonprofit management education (NME) programs, there is a need to specifically assess undergraduate NME programs. This study addresses the current research gap by examining the undergraduate nonprofit studies minor at the University of Arkansas. An assessment of the minor was conducted by surveying three groups: nonprofit professionals, current students pursuing the nonprofit studies minor, and alumni of the minor. These groups were surveyed to understand why students pursue the minor, what students want or gain from the experience, as well as what skills …

Genocide Dressed In Jeans: Does Sharing A Narrative About The Uyghur Population Alter Opinions About Fast Fashion, Danya Radhi

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

One of the most cherished traditions on our University of Arkansas campus is the etching of names onto Senior Walk each year. On any given day, thousands of students stroll across these beautiful sidewalks as they venture to and from class. Dressed in the latest fashions from iconic brands such as Zara, H&M, and Nike, these students are far removed from the tragedy that has befallen the Uyghur population living in the Xinjiang province, 6,914 miles away. Evidence has been mounting that the Uyghur population has been suffering through massive displacement, forced labor camps, and atrocities that we cannot even …

Second Language Acquisition In The Era Of Technology And Artificial Intelligence: Exploring New Frontiers, Mimoun Akhiat

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

This portfolio is the capstone project of the Master of Second Language Teaching program. It offers perspectives and insights into major themes of importance to the writer. It begins with a general introduction pertaining to the writer’s education and teaching background, his goals for joining the program and an overall reflection of this experience. Following this is the writer’s teaching philosophy comprised of a description of professional environment and a teaching philosophy statement centered on the principles of multimodality, authenticity, and collaboration. The second section of this portfolio is entitled hands-on teaching experience where the writer presents and reflects on …

Rejection, Creation, And Abolitionist Futures: Sustaining Ecosystems Of Care Under Neoliberal Violence 1980-Present, Maya Phelps

Senior Honors Papers / Undergraduate Theses

The enforcement of the child welfare system through policies, funding practices, and ideologies is a national investment in the nuclear family as a critical social institution to the United States (US); this investment communicates to the broader population that conforming to this heteropatriarchal, white supremacist conception of family provides protection from state intervention to those who conform. My project interrogates child welfare’s enforcement of normative families, and the resistance from Black family formations and kinship based on their social position and its relation to power. Focusing on the period between 1980 and the present, I examine the ways Black family …

"Not That Type Of Asian": Deconstructing The Model Minority Myth From A South Asian Perspective., Shraddha Patel

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

The myth of the model minority is an essential aspect of the literature on Asian American racialization. However, dominant narratives of the concept largely focus on East Asians, with limited literature highlighting its unique impact on South Asians. In light of this, this qualitative study sought to illuminate where South Asian experiences align with, deviate from, or expand upon the themes observed in existing literature. Using interview data from 21 South Asian American participants from across the United States, we explored 1) identity and sense of belonging, 2) mental health as it pertains to expectations associated with the model minority …

Circular Economy In The Industrial Goods Sector: A Framework For Understanding Private Sector Progress And Innovation, Chris Albin-Lackey, Madeleine Songy

Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment

A “circular economy” is an economic system that creates a closed loop, allowing for the reuse of resources and minimization of waste. How are circularity principles implemented in the business practices of private companies? “Circular Economy in the Industrial Goods Sector: A Framework for Understanding Private Sector Progress And Innovation” analyzes a diverse cross-section of industrial goods companies and develops a five pillar framework to characterize what good circularity practices look like in practice.

This report was commissioned by Stewart Investors, a long-term investor that looks to drive sustainable development progress through its portfolio. Stewart Investors' approach to stewardship includes …

Decolonizing Neo-Liberalism, Empowering The Local: A Global South Reading Of Noir In The 2000s., Jean-Hugues Bita’A Menye

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research aims at providing a Global South reading of noir in the late 1990s and early 2000s. It relies on the premise that noir, a sub-genre of crime fiction born in France during World War II, offered new avenues of literary creation and political criticism. Based on a selection of authors from the U.S., Mexico, Algeria, and Cameroon, the dissertation explores how authors from underrepresented or formerly-colonized communities discuss the impact of neoliberal thinking in their communities. With an emphasis on race and gender dynamics, nation building and terrorism, police corruption and brutality, or the growth of organized, each …

The Remedial Rationale After Sffa, Olatunde C.A. Johnson

Faculty Scholarship

After the Supreme Court’s ruling in Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President & Fellows of Harvard College (SFFA) limiting the ability of higher education institutions to use race as a factor to advance diversity in the student body, at least one prominent commentator suggested that universities should now justify their affirmative action policies based not on diversity but on the need to remedy discrimination. Chief Justice John Roberts’s majority opinion deems diversity — the rationale established in Regents of the University of California v. Bakke and affirmed in Grutter v. Bollinger — a “commendable” goal. But the …

The Demotechnic Index Of Nations (1980 - 2018) And Its Correlation With The Human Development Index (1990 – 2021), Camden Rainwater

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Demotechnic Index (DI) and the Human Development Index (HDI) are both useful metrics for assessing the development of nations, with each providing unique insights about a country’s standard of living. The DI, which uses energy consumption as a gauge, excels in capturing the impact of conflicts and economic disruptions. Additionally, its ability to be calculated based on different energy sources allows for evaluation of a nation's progress towards sustainable consumption patterns. Conversely, the HDI combines healthcare, education, and income dimensions, and uses them as a proxy that highlights human health crises, educational improvements, and economic growth, albeit with less …

Fire Potential In Arkansas Through The Lens Of The Keetch-Byram Drought Index, Charles Steward

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Vegetation fires are a complicated phenomenon to predict both the occurrence and intensity. In the United States, fire behavior has been widely studied in high-risk regions such as in the American West, but fires also occur regularly in states that receive greater levels of precipitation, such as Arkansas. Fires are an expensive and dangerous environmental problem. As climate trends caused by global warming continue to progress, quantifying the extent to which climate factors influence their occurrence in Arkansas would be useful for land management, public safety, public health, agriculture, urban development, and to advance the science of fire-climate dynamics in …

Systemic Effect Of Organizational Capitals On Parent Commitment In Youth Soccer, Paul Kimbrough

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study evaluates how soccer parents perceive the offerings of the soccer team on which their child plays. The study uses the systems perspective of Flora & Flora’s Community Capitals Framework to analyze family commitment to the team. The study subjects were parents of soccer players ages 12 and older who play for teams and participate in competitive travel soccer teams. Parents are classified based on their geographic location and team level. Questionnaires were administered at a series of travel soccer tournaments in March 2024. Data were analyzed using binary logistic regression analysis. Parents were found to value the total …

The Azalea Trail Maids: White Women’S Contributions To The Lost Cause In Mobile, Alabama, Emma Rawls

Honors Theses

This paper analyzes the origins of the Azalea Trail in Mobile, Alabama, and the history of its corresponding Azalea Trail Maid program. The Trail is a walking and driving trail through the historic areas of Mobile, in which hundreds of azalea bushes have been planted along the roads. Beginning in 1929, the Azalea Trail takes tourists through the heart of downtown Mobile, the city’s antebellum homes, and other local attractions. In 1949, the program expanded to include a “Trail Court,” and in 1951, it created a festival to crown an Azalea Trail Queen and select the members of her court, …

Player Exposition: Education And Immersion In Jrpgs, Callan Danenhower

Honors Theses

This thesis examines how the opening segments of Japanese role-playing games use different techniques to educate and immerse the player. Informed by game studies scholarship, I consider how games create exposition differently from other narrative mediums, coining the term “player exposition” as a useful heuristic for game analysis. The thesis will be divided into two sections—education and immersion—to identify the two significant aspects of player exposition. I argue that exposition in Japanese role-playing games draws on concepts from other mediums, specifically film and literature, while using educational and immersive concepts to introduce the player to the game’s fictional world. In …

Reproductive (In)Justice In Contemporary Dystopian Fiction: A Critical White Feminist Analysis Of The Handmaid’S Tale (2017–) And Future Home Of The Living God (2017), Kaelyn Ireland

Master's Theses

This thesis employs a critical white feminist lens to analyze themes of human migration in two contemporary feminist dystopian texts: the TV adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel The Handmaid’s Tale and Louise Erdrich’s 2017 novel Future Home of the Living God. This work draws from fields and frameworks such as reproductive justice, migration studies, and Indigenous studies to create a nuanced critique of both texts and interrogate the ways whiteness impacts the feminist dystopian heroine’s story and, potentially, audience reception. I assert that HMT and FH can best be understood as a mirror for the current state of …

Teacher Support For Virtual Instruction In The Social Studies Classroom, Lindsay Weirich

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research study focuses on providing professional development for teachers using virtual reality in secondary social studies classrooms. Literature surrounding virtual reality for education focuses on the effects of virtual reality on student motivation and engagement. However, there are no current studies available to help instructional coaches or academic leaders provide adequate professional development for their staff on this topic. The purpose of this mixed-methods exploratory case study is to design a professional development founded on best practices in VR and instructional coaching to help support social studies teachers integrate VR in the classroom. Research questions include: 1) How do …

The Influence Of Researcher Disturbance On Raccoon Predation Of American Alligator Nests, Clarissa Tuten

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Raccoons (Procyon lotor) are a dominant predator of American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) nests in the southeastern United States, using a combination of olfactory, visual, and tactile cues to identify nest locations. Studies on alligator nesting ecology typically require researchers to create paths through marsh habitat, potentially introducing visual and olfactory cues raccoons may use to locate nests. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of human visitation to alligator nests on the frequency of raccoon nest predation at two sites in coastal South Carolina, Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center (TYWC) and Santee Coastal Reserve (SCR). We hypothesized that …

Savor The Tropical Andes: New Geopolitical Approach To Vicente Albán’S Quito Series (1783), Yunji Lee

Hemisphere: Visual Cultures of the Americas

No abstract provided.

Stories Of Motivation And Values Of Small-Scale Farmers In Jamaica And The United States, Raquel Taylor

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Small-scale farmers add to global and local food systems through various means such as connecting communities to local food and support economies. Small-scale farms can address issues related to food and nutritional security. However, farming can be a challenging career to engage in, especially for those who are small-scale farmers. Matters related to succession, higher paying off-farm employment, policies, and more can make it challenging to engage in farming. Leaving the question of what would motivate someone to engage in small-scale farming. Motivation can be viewed through multiple lenses; this study chose to use self-determination theory to understand the motivations …

The Role Of Family And Peer Social Support Against Bullying Involvement Among Sexual Minority Latine Young Adults, Guadalupe Gutierrez

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Bullying is a significant risk factor for healthy youth development and functioning. Research on bullying has provided evidence that bullying involvement is linked to negative mental health outcomes for young adults; however, researchers have yet to fully explore the relationship between the different bullying statuses (victims, perpetrators, bully-victims) and internalized problems (anxiety and depression), and whether peer/friend and family support serves as a protective factor. In addition, a significant amount of research on bullying has been conducted in Europe and the United States but it remains limited in Latin American countries. The current research demonstrates that bullying is a significant …

A Compilation, Analysis, And Categorization Of 403 Atmospheric And Climate Science Misconceptions, Haeli Leighty

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT) has listed the inaccessibility of research related to misconceptions in atmospheric and climate science as a Geoscience Education Research Grand Challenge (Cervato et al. 2018). This project was a direct response to this call for research and consisted of three distinct steps: 1) data gathering, which included reviewing the literature for relevant misconception data, 2) a qualitative analysis, which included compiling, organizing, and categorizing the data collected, and 3) a quantitative analysis, which included determining the prevalence of each misconception across topic categories, demographic categories, and over time. A total of 403 misconceptions …

Breathing Inequity: A Mixed Method Analysis Of Rubbertown's Air Quality Problem, Mikayla Pitmon

Undergraduate Theses

Louisville Metro Government has a multitude of quantitative data on demographics, health, and air quality in Rubbertown fenceline communities. This study explores how community-level research allows us to have a more robust understanding of the impact of environmental injustice. Spatial data was utilized to map various health variables, zoning, and community spaces relative to Rubbertown chemical facilities. A semi-structured interview was then conducted with a local environmental justice activist to gain a better understanding of their experience and the barriers to environmental justice for the residents of West Louisville. This study improves our understanding of community needs and adds a …

What's In A Name? Plant Naming As Cultural Artifact And Story In The Midwestern United States, Sophie Wesseler

Undergraduate Theses

This project sought to collect and contextualize the historical and contemporary names given to plants by inhabitants of the Midwestern United States, understanding plant names as cultural artifacts that can offer insight into the communities in which they were created and evolved. Formatted as a series of entries, this collection gathered these names and contextualized them within other artifacts of cultural significance, such as art or poetry, and alongside historical research on their origins and cultural environments. Examining plant names through the fields of linguistics, semiology, anthropology, cultural studies, taxonomy, and ethnobotany, this work traces the names of various plants …

Feminism In The Anti-Nuclear Movement: Three Women's Quest To Re-Make Society, Sarah Doenmez

Master's Theses and Capstones

In the 40 years between 1974 and 2014, the anti-nuclear movement arose in New England, shook the dominant political forces, changed the culture, and achieved significant victories. Although they are usually not recognized as the power behind anti-nuclear and environmental activism, in fact, I contend that a certain group of women motivated by a second wave ecofeminist vision of peace were and have remained the core of this work in New England. Their fight against patriarchal systems shaping their individual lives extended to a larger commitment to build communities and imbue institutions with a new value system that would nurture …

Reconstructing The Narrative Of Slavery In The United States: Acknowledging The Complex Exploitation Of Forced, Free, And Semi-Free Labor Beyond Race And Ethnicity And The Several Communities Who Endured Systemic Labor Exploitation And Injustice In The United States, Amma Terrece Sims

Theses (2016-Present)

This thesis explores the deconstruction and modernization of the narrative surrounding slavery in the United States by recognizing the multifaceted exploitation of labor beyond racial limitations. Through an assessment of representations and historical instances of forced, free, and semi-free labor in the United States, this study explores various forms of systemic subjugation and discrimination endured by diverse communities of immigrants. Specific consideration is given to examples such as indentured servitude of the colonial era and the experiences of “new immigrants” of the industrial period in challenging the established racial paradigm correlated with slavery. The experiences of specific European ethnic sub- …

Availability And Utilization Of Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography At Children's Hospitals., Sagar J. Pathak, Thomas M. Attard, Matthew Hall, Mustafa Arain, Melvin B. Heyman, Emily R. Perito

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

OBJECTIVES: No study has explored whether availability of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is adequate and equitable across US children's hospitals. We hypothesized that ERCP availability and utilization differs by geography and patient factors.

METHODS: Healthcare encounter data from 2009 to 2019 on children with pancreatic and biliary diseases from the Pediatric Health Information System were analyzed. ERCP availability was defined as treatment at a hospital that performed pediatric ERCP during the year of service.

RESULTS: From 2009 to 2019, 37,946 children (88,420 encounters) had a potential pancreatic or biliary indication for ERCP; 7066 ERCPs were performed. The commonest pancreatic diagnoses …

Identifying Grassland Cores In The Southeast: Relating Spatial Covariance To Avian Communities And Vegetation Structure, Lauren L. Berry

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Globally, grasslands are declining in range, which is leading to a decline in grassland-dependent taxa. These declines can be attributed to a variety of issues, a major one being the encroachment of woody species into historic grasslands. There is a new framework for strategizing grassland management, referred to as “Defend the Core,” which calls for proactive management of intact grasslands, meaning conserving remaining grasslands by preventing woody encroachment in the first place. To successfully defend the core, it is imperative that we develop rapid methods to identify intact grassland cores for management priority. One method that can be used for …

Microwave Emission Model Parameter Tuning For Surface Soil Moisture Retrieval Using Uav-Mounted Dual Polarization L-Band Radiometer, Santiago Hoyos Echeverri

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Surface soil moisture retrieval from L-band brightness temperature has been developed for the past decades due to multiple beneficial characteristics of 1-2 GHz frequency bands for remote sensing of the environment. Numerous microwave emission models have been proposed for tower and satellite-based operations with successful retrieval of surface soil moisture and vegetation water content. As a result of the development of cost-effective and low-mass microwave L-band radiometers such as the Portable L-band Radiometer (PoLRa), surface soil moisture surveying traditionally developed by satellite missions SMOS and SMAP can now be developed at local scales, bringing these operations to commercial small unmanned …