Digital Commons Network^™

Homemade Language, Conservative Fro-Yo, And Sci-Fi Sloths: How Speculative Migration Fiction Confronts The Ends Of Worlds By Challenging The Nation-State, Zoe R. Scheuerman

English Honors Projects

This English literature thesis project explores an emerging, genre-defying body of fiction which I call “speculative migration fiction.” Speculative migration fiction imagines how ongoing global developments like climate change, technological development, and war may shape future migrations. Drawing on Benedict Anderson’s conception of national culture, Wendy Brown’s theory of the border, and Caroline Levine’s understanding of literary form, as well as close readings from Scattered All Over the Earth by Yōko Tawada, Exit West by Mohsin Hamid, and 2 A.M. in Little America by Ken Kalfus, I argue that transnational migrations move toward becoming postnational migrations as migrants evade border …

Snow Avalanches Are A Primary Climate-Linked Driver Of Mountain Ungulate Populations, Kevin S. White, Eran Hood, Gabriel J. Wolken, Erich H. Peitzsch, Yves Bühler, Katreen Wikstrom Jones, Chris T. Darimont

Faculty, Staff, and Students

Snow is a major, climate-sensitive feature of the Earth’s surface and catalyst of fundamentally important ecosystem processes. Understanding how snow influences sentinel species in rapidly changing mountain ecosystems is particularly critical. Whereas effects of snow on food availability, energy expenditure, and predation are well documented, we report how avalanches exert major impacts on an ecologically significant mountain ungulate - the coastal Alaskan mountain goat (Oreamnos americanus). Using long-term GPS data and field observations across four populations (421 individuals over 17 years), we show that avalanches caused 23−65% of all mortality, depending on area. Deaths varied seasonally and were directly linked …

Voluntary Staff Turnover, Erica Stevia B. Inkale

Nonprofit and NGO Studies Student Projects

The growing increase in voluntary staff turnover has raised alarming concerns to executive directors of nonprofit organizations, and the community at large. This paper examines the factors that lead to such an increase in nonprofit organizations in the Rockford area, similar studies have been done, examining problems pertaining to the third sector in the United State, yet very few studies have been done examining the third sector in the Rockford Area. Competitive wages and growth opportunities are increasingly leading employees to move to private, public and government sectors. This paper discusses patterns of unresolved issues that need to be addressed …

Democracy And Organized Crime: The Case Of Brazil, Abigail Tank

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

Local-level democracy is crucial to the strength of a country’s democracy. In Brazil, informal housing settlements known as favelas have started to outpace the growth of the cities in which they exist, yet favelas often lack equal access to democratic institutions that ensure citizens’ rights. Organized crime groups have emerged in these settlements that threaten the strength and stability of local-level democracy. This yields the question, “How does organized crime impact democracy in Brazil?” Through case studies of Rio de Janeiro and Belo Horizonte, this thesis explores whether criminal organizations influence political participation in Brazilian favelas. The case studies are …

Systematic Reviews In The Engineering Literature: A Scoping Review, Margaret Phillips, Jason B. Reed, Dave Zwicky, Amy S. Van Epps, Amy G. Buhler, Erin M. Rowley, Qianjin Zhang, James M. Cox, Wei Zakharov

Purdue University Libraries Open Access Publishing Fund

A systematic review is a specialized type of literature review used to collect and synthesize all the available evidence related to a research question. The methods for systematic reviews should be transparent and reproducible so that other researchers can use, replicate, and build upon the findings. Systematic reviews have been published for decades in medical literature where it is necessary to bring together all the studies related to a particular disease or condition for healthcare professionals to make evidence-based recommendations. Conducting systematic reviews has expanded to other disciplines, including education, business, and engineering. The authors of this study conducted a …

Towards Accessible Futures: Re-Imagining Space And Inclusion In Higher Education, Cecelia Kaufmann

Geography Honors Projects

Since the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), an increased number of people with disabilities have participated in higher education, yet their experiences continue to differ from their able-bodied peers. This thesis considers these differences utilizing Dolmage’s academic ableism, Foucault’s theory of Biopower, and Lefebvre’s theory on the Production of Space. This research shows how physical infrastructure and levels of power reproduce instances of academic ableism. Utilizing a case study of a private college in Minnesota, this research draws on interviews with stakeholders, offering guidance to correct the broader social and physical exclusions created that people with disabilities encounter in higher …

Community Conservation In Madagascar: Aligning Local Livelihoods And Biodiversity Protection, Jane Slentz-Kesler

Geography Honors Projects

The management of natural resources in developing countries is of utmost importance as both high levels of biodiversity and local livelihoods often hang in the balance. The debate in conservation spheres often centers on 'fortress' versus 'community-based' conservation approaches, one emphasizing nature preservation and the other emphasizing the needs and empowerment of local communities in resource management. This study evaluates the management approach of a rainforest in northeast Madagascar, asking: how effectively does the COMATSA Sud protected area management system both preserve critical forest cover and provide for the local community? This research employs a mixed-methods approach, using interviews and …

Designed For Life: Unearthing Just And Sustainable Urban Design Through The Daylighting Of Phalen Creek, Corgan R. Archuleta

Geography Honors Projects

This thesis conceptualizes a relational approach to urban design. Often separated from justice, I argue urban design can shape spaces to enable respectful and reciprocal human and more-than- human relationships. Focusing on Phalen Creek in Saint Paul, Minnesota, I illuminate just and sustainable possibilities between ecologically sustainable and socially inclusive design. Phalen Creek was a natural waterway buried in a pipe during 20th century urbanization to be partially reconstructed through daylighting. The Indigenous and Immigrant stories driving restoration expand urban design’s liberatory potential. Combining just sustainabilities with infrastructure theory and Indigenous Knowledges, I contend urban design offers a relational approach …

Racing The Tides: Three Virginia Islands Threatened By Climate Change And The Challenge Of Preserving Their Stories, Sean M. Restivo

History Honors Projects

Among the tidal marshes of Virginia’s York River, there are three relatively obscure groups of uninhabited islands, all with fascinating stories, and all rapidly disappearing: the Goodwin Islands, the Catlett Islands, and Poropotank Island. These islands have been almost entirely overlooked by existing historical and archaeological research, and they are all imminently threatened by climate change-induced sea level rise and erosion. In the summer of 2023, I embarked on an interdisciplinary research project to study cultural heritage sites scattered across the islands. Drawing on my experience of studying these islands, as well as other related case studies, I demonstrate that …

Converged Learning: The Spectrum Of Technology-Mediated Learning, James Lipuma, Cristo Leon

STEM for Success Resources

New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), a four-year polytechnic research university in the United States, utilized a participatory strategic planning process to implement an innovative approach to the delivery modes between face-to-face and online instruction. NJIT defines the spectrum of online and on-ground instruction integration as Converged Education. This spectrum allows students to participate face-to-face, join remotely through real-time video conferencing technology (synchronously), or watch classroom instruction asynchronously. The article opens with a general background of NJIT's approach to the new idea of converged instructional delivery. Then, the process of defining and clarifying the terms and conceptions of the various …

Exploring The Psychological And Physiological Outcomes Of Recreational Pole Dancing: A Feasibility Study, Joanna Nicholas, James A. Dimmock, Jacqueline A. Alderson, Cyril J. Donnelly, Ben Jackson

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

In qualitative and cross-sectional studies, participation in recreational pole dancing classes has been shown to align with improvements in body image, physical fitness, satisfaction of basic psychological needs and group identity. The purpose of this feasibility study was to quantify retention and adherence rates, along with physiological and psychological changes, across eight weeks of pole dancing classes. Of the 76 participants recruited, 68 females (age range nineteen to 60 years) attended baseline testing, a typical term of pole dancing classes at eight local studios (i.e., two 60-minute classes a week for eight weeks) and a post-program testing session resulting in …

No. 18: Refugee Protection And Food Security In Kampala, Uganda, Andrea M. Brown

Migration and Food Security (MiFOOD) Network

This study proposes strategies to better recognize and protect the food security needs of Kampala’s refugee population. Uganda is Africa’s largest refugee host, with a policy approach that has been widely lauded for its flexible settlement provisions and commitment to durable solutions. However, growing refugee populations and underfunding have led to serious pressures, severely exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Food insecurity in designated refugee settlements is at critical levels: 75% of residents are food insecure. One unique aspect of Uganda’s refugee governance approach is the allowance of refugee populations to self-settle outside of designated camps, in the capital city, Kampala. …

Well-Being In The Context Of Indigenous Heritage Management: A Hach Winik Perspective From Metzabok, Chiapas, Mexico, Christopher Hernandez, Armando Valenzuela Gomez

Anthropology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

In this article, we examine what local well-being means in the contexts of collaborative heritage management and national development in Mexico. Driven by the request of Lacandon Mayas (including the second author) who live in Puerto Bello Metzabok, Chiapas, Mexico, in 2018, we engaged in archeological consolidation and heritage management to promote local tourism and sustainable economic development. This collaboration raised a series of ethical and practical questions of how to engage with the Eurocentric project of development. Addressing these issues has become critical, as the Mexican president's signature infrastructure project, Tren Maya (Maya Train), is designed to promote nationwide …

Adaptive Leadership: Nurse Executives Building Organizational Adaptive Capacity During Times Of Crisis, Challenge, And Change, Kristian Poitier

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this exploratory phenomenological study was to identify and describe the strategies used by nurse executives in acute care hospitals to build an adaptive capacity based on the five key characteristics of adaptive leadership identified by Heifetz et al. (2009).

Methodology: This qualitative phenomenological study identified and described the perceived impact of adaptive leadership on building an organization’s adaptive capacity as perceived by nurse executives in acute care hospitals, for-profit and not-for-profit, with the title of chief nursing officer (CNO) or chief nurse executive (CNE) in Southeast, West, and North Florida. The researcher was part of a …

Spring Commencement, 2024, Marshall University

Marshall University Commencement

Program for the One Hundred Eighty-Seventh Commencement of Marshall University, Saturday, April 27, 2024 held at the Mountain Health Arena in Huntington, West Virginia.

Disparities In Access To Autism Spectrum Disorder Services Across Communities, Mackenzie Bauman

Academic Festival

No abstract provided.

Exploring The Relationship Between Political Regime Type And Cancer Mortality, Jessica Estevez

Academic Festival

This paper aims to establish a relationship between political regime type and public health outcomes. Looking specifically at cancer mortality, I employed a mixed-methods research approach to examine a potential relationship. I hypothesized that there would be a strong relationship between cancer mortality rates and regime types showing that democratic regimes have better outcomes due to democratic countries prioritizing public health more than autocracies. Initially, the paper provides an overview of the global cancer burden and outlines the political regime types in Canada and Russia, juxtaposed with their respective freedom scores. I then conducted statistical analysis, including regression analysis, to …

Water Security And Justice: Community Pfas Exposure In Monongalia County, Selena A. Melendez, Ilan Rice, Grace Dever

Undergraduate Scholarship

Water security and justice is the right of all people to have reasonable access to clean and safe water. Pollution in the form of toxic discharge from various industries poses a significant risk to public and environmental health. Among these toxic pollutants are per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as "forever chemicals” that compromise water quality in our communities. Despite the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) in 1974 aimed at ensuring clean drinking water for WV, there is still an alarming pattern of neglect and injustice to communities related to race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, and language barriers . Non-compliance …

A Cold Laboratory Hyperspectral Imaging System To Map Grain Size And Ice Layer Distributions In Firn Cores, Ian E. Mcdowell, Kaitlin M. Keegan, S. Mckenzie Skiles, Christopher P. Donahue, Erich C. Osterberg, Robert L. Hawley, Hans-Peter Marshall

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets are covered in a layer of porous firn. Knowledge of firn structure improves our understanding of ice sheet mass balance, supra- and englacial hydrology, and ice core paleoclimate records. While macroscale firn properties, such as firn density, are relatively easy to measure in the field or lab, more intensive measurements of microstructural properties are necessary to reduce uncertainty in remote sensing observations of mass balance, model meltwater infiltration, and constrain ice age – gas age differences in ice cores. Additionally, as the duration and extent of surface melting increases, refreezing meltwater will greatly alter …

Spectral Properties Of Wetlands In Michigan Using Remote Sensing To Identify And Classify Wetlands In Roscommon County, Michigan, Kolin Williamson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Biological, geological, and physical. These are only a handful of the many environmental aspects that wetlands functions maintain and protect. Unfortunately, wetlands within the United States have been razed at an alarming rate. The State of Michigan has not gone through this unscathed either, loosing over 1000 acres of wetland a year. One of the most important tools to prevent this destruction are the maps and programs that show where these essential ecosystems are located. The current, federally-created maps and imaging software in use by environmental consultants and contractors may not be up to date which can pose challenges for …

Living A Better Story: The Lived Narrative Apologetic In The Book Of Acts, Cedric Lemar Thomas

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Is it possible to articulate an apologetic practice from the account of Luke-Acts, which is not among the current popular Christian apologetic practices within contemporary apologetic scholarship? Can one consider the narratives in this history of Acts as a description of apologetic methodology, a sort of a first Christian apologetic practice demonstrated by Jesus and then replicated by His disciples? The answer is yes. The historical work of Luke offers an early apologetic practice in which the story of Scripture, the narrative of God, witnessed incarnationally through the life of Jesus and continued by the early church. Like Scripture, the …

Early Forgiveness Intervention In Substance Abuse Recovery, Susan Janos

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Recent statistics have shown significant increases in substance abuse in the United Sates indicated by rising overdose deaths and hospital stays nationwide. This study was conducted to determine if early forgiveness intervention by chaplains and clergy affects the decisions of individuals struggling with substance abuse in considering forgiveness as a pathway to recovery. Based on the success of the Alcoholics Anonymous 12-step recovery program and recent studies, this research addressed forgiveness as a pathway to recovery for those struggling with substance abuse. Forgiveness was considered in one or more of five areas: forgiveness of self, forgiveness of others, forgiveness from …

Welfare-Based Human Rights Diffusion In Global Social Policy: Examining An Extended Spiral Model To Survey Welfare Norms, Kendra L. Duran

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study addresses a gap in research concerning welfare-based human rights diffusion, rights that are also referred to as Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ESCR). This project finds that when states ratify the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), global social policies are created, grow worldwide, and receive greater attention from advocacy organizations. Even so, it is not understood how global social policies affect a state’s compliance with its ICESCR commitment, nor how global social policies affect welfare-based human rights diffusion. Seeking to address this gap in theory and praxis, this research utilizes an extended case study …

Social Isolation In Older Adults: A Qualitative Study, Jacqueline M. Rich

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Population aging is a worldwide trend linked to scientific developments such as vaccinations and medical advancements, including improvements in cancer treatment and a lower fertility rate than experienced by previous generations. This phenomenon is poised to instigate one of the biggest social revolutions of the twenty-first century. The consequences of an aging population affect housing, transportation, labor markets, and the demand for goods and services. It also influences interpersonal relationships, including family structures and friendships. This upward drift of improved longevity increases the possibility of developing physical and psychological ailments that can contribute to lifestyle changes and subsequently increase the …

The Lived Experiences Of Immigrant Families Who Have A Child With A Disability: A Hermeneutic Phenomenology, Korin Lopez

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences for immigrant families in the United States who have a child with disabilities. The central question guiding this qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological study is: What is the lived experience of immigrant families who have a child with disabilities? The theory guiding this study is Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological theory as it provides a lens to examine the influence and impact the ecological systems have on immigrant families' perceptions of raising a child with disabilities. This study included ten participants who immigrated to the United States from around the world. Data was …

The Shaffer Thesis Arthur Harvey Shaffer: American Founding History And History Education, C. C. Mathis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Historian Arthur Harvey Shaffer (1936-2002) argued that the post-Revolution historians created a New England-centric nationalist history perspective of the American founding. He further argued they established a model of nationalist American history education to instill a virtuous national character and ensure the stability of the new republic. Though current trends show an increasing number of scholars reassessing New England primacy in American colonial and revolutionary era histories, Shaffer’s historical perspective and pedagogy appears overlooked. Shaffer’s historical perspective and pedagogy can be integrated into a unique historical lens for insight into the link between American history scholarship, history education, and national …

Net Fluxes Of Broadband Shortwave And Photosynthetically Active Radiation Complement Ndvi And Near Infrared Reflectance Of Vegetation To Explain Gross Photosynthesis Variability Across Ecosystems And Climate, Kanishka Mallick, Joseph Verfaillie, Tianxin Wang, Ariane Arias Ortiz, Daphne Szutu, Koong Yi, Yanghui Kang, Robert Shortt, Tian Hu, Mauro Sulis, Zoltan Szantoi, Gilles Boulet, Joshua B. Fisher, Dennis Baldocchi

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

A significant challenge in global change research is understanding how vegetation interacts with the environment to influence ecosystem gross primary productivity (GPP) through carbon assimilation. One emerging objective is to consistently predict GPP fluctuations worldwide by establishing a robust scaling relationship between GPP measured at flux towers and satellite spectral reflectance data. However, a major hurdle in achieving this goal is the discrepancy in spatial resolution between early satellite measurements and eddy flux measurements. By using a large set of growing season data covering 100 site-years in North and Central America, we explored the potential of transforming incident and reflected …

Reinventing Holistic Healthcare: Pastoral Perspectives Of Biblical Insights For The American Healthcare System, Leanne Michelle Bergey

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this case study was to examine pastoral perspectives of Biblical healthcare. These perspectives are essential to consider due to the long history of the connection between spirituality and healthcare and the church’s successful intervention worldwide for increasing healthcare outcomes. Since the church has been successful worldwide at creating faith-based organizations that meet community needs, it is vital that research focus on how churches might continue this success within the United States. This study used semi-structured interviews to examine the research questions of 1) What is the Biblical responsibility of healthcare? 2) How does culture influence the role …

Stem Smart Goal Planning For Elementary Educators In Rural North Texas: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Katherine Marie Mccandless

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of the transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experience of educators setting pre-STEMs SMART goals and implementation at the elementary classroom level in rural North Texas districts. The pre-STEM areas are important to develop and intervene early as they are foundational building blocks later to STEM education and professional opportunities for the rural population. The study's central research question was: What are the experiences of elementary educators in planning STEM SMART goals? The theory guiding the study is Locke's goal-setting theory (1968), based on his five tenets. The tenets of Locke's theory were used to guide …

A Mediation Analysis For Agency And Turnover Intentions: A Cross-Sectional Inquiry For Army Talent Management, Joshua P. Cowin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The study contributed to theoretical and practical implications for retention. Targeting a population of mid-career soldiers in the United States Army, the predictor variable of interest was agency and its relationship with turnover intentions. The Army was a good candidate organization for this study because contemporary recruitment pressures and higher-than-average attrition rates place increasing importance on the effectiveness of organizational retention efforts. Accordingly, this study aligned research questions with a mediation model wherein agency influenced the relationships affective commitment, needs-supply fit, and career satisfaction held with turnover intentions. The hypotheses for this study were: (a) that agency significantly influenced turnover …