Digital Commons Network^™

Regional Venture Deals, Paige L. Wilson

Publications

What might allow a region to suddenly excel at attracting venture capital funding, and what role do lawyers play in such a shift? The Midwest offers a useful case study because it has succeeded at increasing the size of its venture capital market by more than five hundred percent over the past decade. This Article is the first-ever empirical study to explore in depth the changing practices of the region. This Article begins by comparing startup lawyering practices in the Midwest to startup lawyering practices in the major innovation hubs on the coasts. Drawing upon lawyer interviews, industry reports, and …

A Glimmer Of Hope For Tomorrow: Conversations With The 2022 Social Justice Literature Award Winners, Judith M. Dunkerly, Char Moffit

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

Against a backdrop of legislation aimed at classroom book bannings and efforts to whitewash curriculum, this article draws from interviews with the winners of the 2022 International Literacy Association's Social Justice Literature Award winners to offer hope and inspiration for literacy teachers, researchers, and most importantly, young readers. Utilizing a World Cafe approach, the authors of this article talk with the award winners about their personal stories, the origins of these social justice books, and their message for students, teachers, and caregivers in these tumultuous times. It concludes with a discussion of the use of social justice texts in the …

"He Is God; And He Is With Them", Matthew L. Bowen

BYU Studies

The prophet Isaiah foretold to Ahaz and the house of David: “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isa. 7:14). Latter-day Saints often interpret and teach the “Immanuel” prophecy of Isaiah 7:14 as a simple, straightforward messianic prophecy with a single fulfillment in the birth of Jesus Christ. Most pay little attention to the historical circumstances in which Isaiah gave the prophecy—namely, the Syro-Ephraimite crisis prior to the Assyrian invasion in the eighth century BCE. The idea of a more immediate, contemporary fulfillment …

Being Latter-Day Saints (1841–1857): Four Matriarchs In The Centreville, Delaware, Branch, Marie Cornwall

BYU Studies

After Joseph Smith established The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he began sending missionaries to the eastern states. It did not take long before small branches began popping up in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Delaware. While many of the new converts joined with the main body of the Saints, first in Missouri and later in Nauvoo, others remained in their communities. With few exceptions, much of the history of the Latter-day Saints focuses on the migrations to Nauvoo and settlements in Utah. Available histories offer few details about community life among Latter-day Saints who remained where …

The Shared Ethical Framework To Allocate Scarce Medical Resources: A Lesson From Covid-19, Govind Persad, Govind C. Persad

Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic has helped to clarify the fair and equitable allocation of scarce medical resources, both within and among countries. The ethical allocation of such resources entails a three-step process: (1) elucidating the fundamental ethical values for allocation, (2) using these values to delineate priority tiers for scarce resources, and (3) implementing the prioritisation to faithfully realise the fundamental values. Myriad reports and assessments have elucidated five core substantive values for ethical allocation: maximising benefits and minimising harms, mitigating unfair disadvantage, equal moral concern, reciprocity, and instrumental value. These values are universal. None of the values are sufficient alone, …

Provider Racial Concordance And Medical Mistrust In Pediatric Dentistry, Chinelo Eke

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: Studies have drawn varying conclusions on the importance of a racially concordant patient provider relationship. Medical mistrust has continued to garner attention as healthcare enterprises thread equity, diversity and inclusion throughout their organizational policies, practices and systems.

Methods: Parents/caregivers of pediatric patients at VCU Pediatric Dentistry were invited to participate. Surveys included questions about demographics, racial concordance, language preference, and the validated Group-Based Medical Mistrust Scale.

Results: A total of 246 guardians completed the survey. For guardians, 40% reported Black or African American, 31% Hispanic, and 19% Caucasian. Seventy-one percent of guardians reported speaking English, 18% Spanish, and 11% …

Dune Building Dynamics Impact Cross-Island Connectivity And Barrier Island Characteristics, Alexander Sabo

Theses and Dissertations

Located at the land-sea interface, barrier islands are important protective features that reduce wave energy and erosion from mainland areas. Further, barrier islands provide habitat for many different organisms and serve as popular areas for recreation and tourism. As sandy landforms, barrier islands are easily disturbed, but often recover after disturbance as a result of island plant communities, specifically dune building grasses. Disturbance on barrier islands is driven by storms, tides, and overwash events. After disturbance has occurred, dune grasses colonize the dunes allowing for dune building and habitat restoration. On the Virginia barrier islands, there are three dominant dune …

Interiorization And Localization: An Analysis Of Immigration Enforcement In Local Contexts, Manuel N. Leiva

Theses and Dissertations

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is a federal agency that plays a large role in surveilling, apprehending, detaining, incarcerating, and deporting undocumented immigrants in the United States. Due to constraints on the number of ICE’s available personnel and resources, the agency relies on deputizing, or devolving to local law enforcement agencies the authority to enforce federal immigration policies. Prior to the 1990s, the enforcement of policies directed at controlling flows of undocumented immigrants was generally under the purview of federal law enforcement agencies and administrators, not state or local ones. The attacks on September, 11^th 2001 represented a flashpoint, …

Food Deserts And Pediatric Oral Health Status In An Under-Resourced Urban Community, Jessica T. Mcauliffe

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The aim of this analysis of survey data was to assess the influence of living within a food desert as a predictor of oral health problems among children of East Henrico County, Virginia.

Methods: Survey participants were recruited and questionnaires applied online. Residing in a food desert, using access to affordable produce as a proxy value, was the independent variable, while self- reported assessment of the child’s oral health status was the primary outcome variable. Analyses controlled for other indirect factors of pediatric oral health. Logistic regression was used to model the association between the self-reported access to healthy …

Rooted In Between, Manavi Singh

Theses and Dissertations

Rooted in Between is a personal project that explores the complexities of belonging and the emotions that come with navigating between spaces that we call home. This written thesis is in support of the carefully curated video based and photographic work presented at an exhibition of the same title. The project's primary objective is to delve into the physical and emotional baggage that we carry with us as we move from one place to another. The project highlights the coping mechanisms adopted by the different generations in my family while struggling to find a place where we truly belong.

Random Acts Of Stem: A Systematic Review Of Local K-12 School Division Stem Experiences In Virginia, Caro H. Medawar

Theses and Dissertations

The initial purpose of the study was to determine whether the school divisions in Virginia have definitions of STEM education. For the divisions that have described STEM education, the following valuation was based on the precise STEM education definition each has implemented. The population for the study included all 132 school divisions in This mixed-methods study investigated the implementation of STEM programs in Virginia K-12 schools. Data were collected through two avenues: publicly available online resources from school divisions and interviews with STEM leaders in the Virginia educational system. Data analysis on these two sources yielded five themes: (a) existence …

"Always A Rocky And Rippling Stream": The Penobscot River And War, 1604-1869, Mary Moody Mclean

Theses and Dissertations

This paper broadly examines how rivers can be used as a pawn in war and, more specifically, how the Penobscot River, located in Penobscot County, Maine, influenced significant battles in America and the fabric of the developing nation due to its geographical location and geological development. This analysis focuses on one critical aspect of the Penobscot River that motivated attacks: the fur, fish and lumber trades, all of which were established due to the proximity of the coast and how the land developed during the Holocene era.

My thesis illustrates how North Americans, British and French used the Penobscot River …

Comparing & Contrasting Economic And Natural Law Approaches To Policymaking, Eric Kades

Faculty Publications

Eric Claeys’s monograph, Natural Property Rights, offers a comprehensive and thoughtful articulation of a general theory of property rights rooted in the natural law tradition. This detailed review compares Claeys’s work with the consequentialist law and economics perspective on property. After contrasting their objectives, assumptions, and methodologies this article concludes that, unlike more absolutist approaches, Claeys’s flavor of natural property rights places a modicum of weight on the welfare effects central to economic analysis. This restrained nod in the direction of practicality, however, does not eliminate some of the long-known weaknesses of natural law. Perhaps the most glaring gap …

A Survey Research Study Of Conference Attendance And Change: What Do Educators Gain From Anti-Bias/Anti-Racist Professional Development?, Erin Rae

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Research studies suggest that professional development would betterprepare the 84% White teaching force to serve diverse classrooms. Schools have begun providing professional development with desired outcomes of better serving their diverse student body. This research study focused on educators who received summer camp-style immersive anti-bias/anti-racist professional development and examined the relationships between aspects of educator change as measured by a survey instrument (n=57). The research found that teachers were likely to make anti-bias/anti-racist classroom practice changes after attending the social justice summer camp. By better understanding educator change proceeding summer camp style conferences, this study offers implications for implementing anti-bias/anti-racist …

Exploring Beaver-Facilitated Restoration In Grassland Channelized Streams, Jessica L. Sikora

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Freshwater streams provide vital ecosystem services, but their ecological function is gravely impacted by agricultural practices especially in grassland ecosystems. Though there is evidence that the re-introduction of beavers can help restore the ecological function of streams, little is known about their restorative impacts in grasslands. At Nachusa Grasslands Preserve in Franklin Grove, IL, we investigated the presence and impact of beaver dams on their waterways. With increasing beaver dam volume, we found an increase in sediment retention and less sediment retention with increasing beaver dams upstream from a dam. Though we did not find evidence that beaver dam volume …

Chevrel Phase Materials For Electrocatalytic Chemical Conversion, Fan Xia

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Electrocatalysis has played significant roles in energy conversion and environmental applications. This dissertation focusses on electrocatalytic performance of Chevrel phase material and building up relationship between structure with durability and activity.The dissertation mainly contains four parts. In chapter 2, the Ni2Mo6S8 catalyst exhibited in producing hydrogen peroxide with an outstanding selectivity of nearly 98%, derived from the combined ligand and ensemble effects of Ni, coupled with the strategic placement of Ni, Mo, and S in the active structure of the catalyst. Those synergistic effect results in a remarkable turnover frequency (TOF) of 30 s-1, leading to a hydrogen peroxide synthesis …

Academic Faculty Perceptions Of Student-Athletes, Jacob M. Mueller

Masters Theses

The purpose of this qualitative study was to find what perceptions did academic faculty have of student-athletes, if any, at a midsized Midwestern Division-I institution. The study addressed a gap in literature that existed of researched perceptions academic faculty members had of the student-athlete population as there was a lack of literature related to student-athletes through that lens. Using the Theory of Planned Behavior and Social Identity Theory for theoretical conceptualization of the data, the study was able to find tangible evidence for the existence of perceptions of student-athletes from academic faculty and what behaviors, exposure, and experiences related to …

A Preliminary Investigation Of A Brief, Virtual, Behavioral Parent Training Program On Parents’ Self-Efficacy And Young Children’S Behavior, Taylor Daniels

Masters Theses

A single-case, multiple-baseline research design was used to evaluate the effects of a two-session, virtual behavioral parent training program on parents’ self-efficacy and their children’s compliance and appropriate behavior. Participants included five parent-child dyads recruited from a grant-funded preschool program in Northern Illinois. When the parent training program was implemented, parent self-efficacy increased across four of the five parent participants (using daily behavior ratings). Effect size comparisons for self-efficacy reflected large effects for three parents. Further, child compliance increased across four of the five child participants and child appropriate behavior increased across three of the five child participants (using daily …

Princes, Princesses, And Socialites: Feminism And Class Transgression In Hollywood Romantic Comedies, Justina Marie Clayburn

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation explored how characters in romantic comedies negotiate and transgress class boundaries as the films conform to and challenge genre and social expectations, focusing primarily through a feminist lens. Specifically, it addresses the different ways the films negotiate ideas about American identity and economic systems, simultaneously trying to acknowledge problematic elements while upholding social and nationalistic ideals. Feminism has a complicated relationship with Hollywood romantic comedies. While the genre often focuses on issues of interest to women and forefronts female characters and their professional and personal experiences, the denouement generally reinforces heteronormative monogamous relationships above others and the traditional …

Visualizing Dynamic Multivariate Networks, Bharat Kumar Kale

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Many real-world networks are multivariate in nature and also evolve over time. Such a network whose nodes and/or edges along with their associated attributes, evolve over time is called A dynamic multivariate network (DMVN). For instance, in the scholarly community, researchers often collaborate with others. These collaborations have various attributes, such as scientific domain and number of publications, as well as they change over time. At any given point in time, the collaborations among researchers can be modeled as a network resulting in a collaboration network. When the changes in collaborations and associated attributes are also included in the network, …

China’S "Greek Gift" To Africa: A Myth Or Reality, Chibuzo Uchechukwu Victor Obasi

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Two differing perceptions have dominated explanations of the relationship between China and Africa. The first is often held in the West and sees China as an exploitative force that has latched onto Africa's quest for development partnerships to exploit the continent economically. The second considers the China-Africa partnership more positively and views China as a trustworthy ally. Advocates argue that China has no history of colonial ambitions in Africa. Instead, China intervened in Africa to fill the financing gap and tackle the development challenges in Africa with no political strings attached. Perception of which view is mainly correct depends on …

People With Disabilities, Poverty And Social Cash Transfers: The Politics Of Financing Disability-Inclusive Social Protection Systems In Kenya, Tyson Odoo Juma

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

What explains why the Persons With Severe Disabilities Cash Transfer (PWSD-CT) program receives limited financial support for expansion relative to the Older Persons Cash Transfer (OPCT) and Cash Transfer for Orphans and Vulnerable Children (CT-OVC) programs? I interrogate this question by exploring three potential explanations: the political incentive to build a voter base, inadequacy in financial resources and weaker institutional advocacy. Using Kenya as a case study, I rely on key informant interviews, document analysis and a mini-survey to collect data. My theoretical and empirical strategy is two-fold. First, I analyze relevant program documents and interview transcripts to gain insight …

Reflections On A Career Unplanned, Robert A. Glazer

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Sometimes life takes unexpected turns. I never planned to be a marine biologist; yet, after a long and unpredictable journey, that’s exactly where I found myself. After obtaining my B.S. in Fishery Biology from Colorado State University, I found myself meandering from job to job like a golden retriever following some vague scent. At first, I was hired by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department to work seasonally in Grand Teton National Park on the freshwater trout fisheries. Soon thereafter, I found myself cultivating oysters, clams, and other shellfish in California. The skills I developed there as an algologist led …

Women Entrepreneurs' Work-Life Integration And Coping Strategies In China, Susan Pattis

Theses and Dissertations

This study applied a qualitative and phenomenological research methodology to interview 20 women entrepreneurs from Beijing, China. The study aims to understand how their past experiences, present expectations, and future hopes have impacted their work-life integration strategies. The 20 participants were randomly selected through an expert gatekeeper and a snowball-rolling technique. In this explorative study, the researcher used Giele's (2008) life course theoretical framework and Weber and Cissna-Heath’s (2015) coping strategy instruments by asking the twenty participants to share their sociodemographic backgrounds and answer 27 life course questions covering periods of early childhood, childhood and adolescence, current adulthood, and future …

Venetron, Angela Lorenz, Special Collections, Fleet Library

Artists' Books

1 volume (unpaged) : map. 1 plastic envelope with zip closure holding 2 sheets of paper and 7 plastic sheets (each 28 x 44 cm) that include a map of Venice and index to locations of works of art; plastic stencil sheets have names of artists and pricked points for overlaying on map to discern locations of works. "VeneTron is a low-tech art-finding device that reveals locations of work by seven important Venetian artists. It addresses the complicated and confusing geography and history of Venice, Italy and is named for the Tron family, which rose to power in the 15th …

The Potential Of Luxury Trains In The United States, James Mirvish

Honors Theses - Providence Campus

No abstract provided.

Wonderland, Mai Tran

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

“WONDERLAND” is a series of large-scale print and installation work created from 2021 to 2023. This body of work showcases dream-like landscapes, Vietnamese legends and customs blended with American culture to create unique visual narratives. Elements such as mythical animals, the Ly dynasty dragon and ceramics, and the Vietnamese Nom script speak to an almost forgotten culture. In contrast, the carno-lotus (cheeseburger) plant, Walleye, Bobcat, and winter scenery reference life in the Midwest. By combining elements from the two cultures, the artist builds parallel worlds where all living things can sustain and value each other’s differences — a place without …

The Philanthropic Process Of Private And Publicly Traded U.S. Companies, Carla Woodson

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The author looks at the essence of corporate philanthropy, analyzing the drivers of why corporations give and how these organizations assemble themselves within the face of crises. While there is significant research on the different types of corporate philanthropy and its drivers, there is very little known about the way decisions are reached by committee members and executives who oversee allocating these funds. Using a qualitative method approach with semi structured in-depth interviews of respondents who currently work in the field of corporate giving for a US based private or publicly based company. A case study of three companies reveals …

Bibliography, Leslie North

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

Bibliography of publications by Leslie North.

On The Phenomenon Of Populism And Extremism In The Balkans, Mustafa Cerić

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This paper is based on my personal experience of war and peace in Bosnia. The basic notion is that it is easier to start a war than to stop it. Thus, postwar recovery or peacebuilding is not easy. But thanks to open-minded people who have been all along against a mythical populism that caused the bloody war against Bosnia and its autochthon people, the peace, although unjust, was reached after all. The focus here is on the idea of pluralism in Bosnia as an opposite to "populism" and "extremism." For a positive narrative like pluralism is a good way to …