Digital Commons Network^™

Resilience Of Interdependent Transportation And Healthcare Systems: A Simulation-Driven Framework Incorporating Social Equity And Facility Optimization, S. Yasaman Ahmadi

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

The overarching goal of this dissertation is to develop an integrated, simulation-driven framework to assess and enhance the resilience of interdependent transportation and healthcare systems before, during, and after natural hazards. By examining how spatial disruptions, social vulnerability, operational constraints, and infrastructure interdependencies affect access to and functionality of hospitals, this research offers a multifaceted evaluation of system performance under stress. This dissertation examines the impact of natural hazards, particularly floods, on the interdependent transportation and healthcare systems. The proposed approach combines and advances GIS-based network analysis, graph-theoretical modeling, and discrete-event simulation to evaluate system performance under different scenarios. The …

“Self-Compassion Has To Be The Heartbeat Of How I Move Through Life”: A Mixed Methods Study Of Family Caregiver Emotional Well-Being, Sarah O. Rasby

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

Often referred to as “hidden patients,” family caregivers endure numerous physical, emotional, psychological, and social hardships due to the demands of caregiving, which often results in their own needs going unmet. With the projected 61.3 million of the baby boomer generation entering the long-term care phase by 2029 along with a mass shortage of professional caregivers post-pandemic, more and more family members are expected to fill in for the role of care without sufficient access to support services (Pollard & Scommegna, 2014; Smith & Chang, 2016). An exploratory, mixed-methods study using a three-group intervention design was utilized to investigate the …

Experiences Of Disclosure Among Transgender And Gender Diverse Sexual Assault Survivors, Merle E. Huff Ii

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

Around half of TGD people have experienced sexual assault victimization (Abern et al., 2023; Clements-Nolle et al., 2006; James et al., 2016; Martin et al., 2022; Risser et al., 2005; Stotzer, 2009), which leads to higher rates of depression and PTSD (Grant et al., 2011; Grocott et al., 2023; Fernández-Rouco et al., 2017; Hawkey et al., 2021; Matsuzaka & Koch, 2019; Parr, 2020; Ussher et al., 2020). Disclosure of victimization may be important among TGD survivors. The current study was guided by minority stress theory (Meyer, 2003) and the gender minority stress and resiliency model (Testa et al., 2015) to …

Characterization Of Undergraduate Biology Instructors’ Goals And Strategies For Implementing Quantitative Reasoning, Anum Khushal

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Quantitative reasoning (QR) is the application of mathematics and statistics to real-life and scientific contexts. It is essential for understanding complex biological phenomena and analyzing large datasets in both academic and professional settings. In response to the growing demand for QR skills, biology educators and researchers have engaged in curricular reforms and education research. This qualitative study explores how undergraduate biology instructors integrate QR into their teaching using a framework informed by pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and QR. The study involved 21 biology faculty from various U.S. institutions who intentionally incorporated QR in their instruction. Data was collected through semi-structured …

Surveys And Modeling: Using An Existing Survey To Describe And Compare Populations To Better Inform On Groundwater Model Inputs, M. Austin Wise

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

The Mississippi River Valley “Alluvial Aquifer” is among the most agriculturally significant aquifers in the United States. However, parts of the aquifer are exceeding sustainable yield as development of the water source continues. Survey research in other aquifers, such as the High Plains (Ogallala) Aquifer, has helped to understand the perceptions and attitudes of irrigators withdrawing from their aquifers. This led to numerous questions: What are the attitudes of irrigators in the Alluvial Aquifer region? How do they compare to irrigators in other regions of the country? Can their intentions be used to generate more accurate inputs when modeling adoption …

Exploring Racial Identity Among East And Southeast Asian Transracial Adoptees In The United States Through Communication Theory Of Identity, Brooke Marie Hoá Hornberger

Department of Communication Studies: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this study was to understand how East and Southeast Asian transracial adoptees (ESATA) in White adoptive families conceptualize and communicate their racial identity. ESATAs endure various challenges surrounding race that makes it important to understand how ESATAs understand their racial identity, the tensions they might experience, and how they management the tensions surrounding racial identity. Using the theoretical framework Communication Theory of Identity (Hecht, 1993), 25 ESATAs were interviewed about different frames of identity and potential identity gaps they experience surrounding racial identity. In addition, ESATAs were asked about how they communicatively manage identity gap tensions mapping …

Out-Of-Field Teaching In Junior Secondary Schools: Unveiling Challenges And Professional Development Needs In Kenya, Caleb Kaleli Kisangau, Tage Biswalo, George Nyaboga Nyarieko

Institute for Educational Development, East Africa

Background

Magnetron sputtering was employed to deposit thin niobium films onto biochar surfaces to increase selectivity for electrostatic interactions.

Methods

Biochar samples were coated with niobium under various power levels and deposition times by magnetron sputtering. Each material was then characterized and tested for adsorption performance with an anionic model molecule.

Significant findings

Niobium impregnation raised the point of zero charge of the biochar by 0.33 to 0.94 pH units, expanding the pH range in which the niobium-coated adsorbents maintain a positively charged surface. Optimal adsorption was observed at 298 K with an adsorbent dose of 1 g L⁻1 and …

Where Did All The Democrats Go?, Reese Adkins

Political Science Theses and Capstones

Following the reelection of President Obama in 2012, many political scientists such as Ruy Teixeira and John B. Judis, believed that this signaled the beginning of many Democratic electoral victories to come. They published their argument in their book, The Emerging Democratic Majority, in which they explained the Democratic Party’s plan to gain a systemic advantage in presidential elections. This was to be achieved by winning elections through winning the vote of minority groups, white women, and young college-educated people. This has been far from the case. Donald Trump, with political experience, shocked the world after winning the 2016 election …

Changing The Channel: How Queer Representation In Mainstream Media Influences Social Perceptions In Young Adult Viewers, Lillian Joy Myers

Master's Theses

This thesis investigates the impact of queer representation in mainstream film and television on young adult viewers, with particular attention to how these media portrayals influence social perceptions and cultural understandings of queerness and LGBTQ+ identities. While queer visibility in mainstream media has increased over the past two decades, the quality and complexity of that representation remain generally inconsistent and infrequent. Drawing on sociological theories of representation and cultivation, along with GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation)’s Vito Russo Test as a guiding framework, this study explores both the quality and impacts of LGBTQ+ media visibility. The purpose of …

Humboldt County, Dennis Robert Sanchez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Danny Marquez, a police sergeant for the Los Angeles Police Department, takes his family on a vacation to Seattle, Washington. On the way, they stop in Humboldt County, and Danny is captivated by the beauty and serenity of this county. He imagines moving his family to Humboldt County and leaving the troubles of big city life behind. He applied for the position of Chief Inspector for the Humboldt Police. By the time he is hired, he loses both his son to Fentanyl and his wife to suicide. He is hired for the position but finds himself alone. He considers suicide. …

Usm Student Guide To Ai And Learning, University Of Southern Maine's Ai Task Force

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Access to technologies that use artificial intelligence (AI) has expanded greatly. As with any technology, there are pros and cons for using AI in any aspect of our lives. This guide offers a set of considerations for if, how, and when to use AI as a USM student.

Risk Perceptions And Water Governance: Experiences Of Irrigation Companies In The Great Salt Lake Basin Of Northern Utah, United States, Bailey M. Holdaway

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Irrigation companies are important water management entities in the Western US. However, these companies often face barriers when managing water. Particularly as the state of Utah grows and water resources are drying, there is much finger pointing at those in irrigation and agriculture for better water management. However, pointing fingers without the participation of these companies often does not lead to effective water management outcomes. Therefore, it is important to understand the role of these irrigation companies, and particularly how they are approaching water management.

I set out to understand the role of these irrigation companies, specifically in the Great …

An Embodied Social Demography For Trans And Nonbinary Workers, Jesse Ezra Shircliff

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Recently, the separation of “sex” and “gender” has seen intense debate in public discourse, stemming from skepticism about the social sciences and the measurement and study of gender specifically. Meanwhile, the United States population is becoming more gender diverse, with roughly 1 in 200 people now identifying as trans gender or gender nonbinary (that is, as a gender that is different from that person’s sex assigned-at-birth or outside of the sex-gender binary). This growing population experiences numerous disadvantages across social life, including obstacles in one particularly important aspect of the American Dream: the right to have and hold a job. …

"Why Does Coach Do That?" Exploring Influences Of Coach Behavior In Non-Elite Women's Artistic Gymnastics, Katherine Vernay Adams

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This two study dissertation explores coaching in women's artistic gymnastics, as the sport has been criticized for harsh and controlling coaching methods. The first study investigated whether coaches who experienced mistreatment as young gymnasts were more likely to adopt controlling coaching practices. While there was no direct link, those with a history of mistreatment tended to struggle more with managing their emotions. The second study tested whether coaches view controlling coaching as more acceptable for younger or more advanced gymnasts. The results showed that neither age nor skill level made a difference—controlling coaching was generally viewed as unacceptable, while supportive …

Drawing On The Past: Understanding Japanese American Internment Through Camp Newspaper Comics, Rory Olsen

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

When studying the past, what artifacts are left behind for us to study? In understanding Japanese American internment in the United States during WWII, camp newspapers help give a look at the reality of camp life, which included the ongoing issues of a lack of supplies,, the generational divide between older and younger Japanese Americans, and even the racist leanings of some members of the camp. With a balance of humor and seriousness, as well as reality and the abstract, three artists - Roy Kawamoto, Harry Kuwada, and Michiko "Rosie" Arima - who were interred in Camp Jerome (located near …

Funded To Win? Super Pacs And Electoral Advantage In The Southeast, Kyle Winstead

Honors Theses

2010 saw the introduction of a new player on the field of electoral finance, the super PAC. This introduction came with much controversy due to the widespread fear that super PACs could undermine the election system by giving wealthy individuals or organizations an undue influence. The literature on super PACs influence on the electoral system is inconclusive, with different studies having mixed results, meaning more information needs to be gathered. In this paper, I attempt to learn more about super PACs influence, particularly on congressional elections, by examining the results of congressional elections across three states: Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. …

Understanding The Experiences Of White Female Elementary School Teachers Who Promote Racial Equity And Justice In White Schools, Meredith Valentine

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

In this qualitative study, I conducted semi-structured interviews of six white, female elementary school teachers to better understand how and why they enacted principles of racial equity to challenge the status quo of whiteness with their predominantly white middle-class students and school community. Teachers felt they lacked a formal, structured education to feel confident in their teaching of racial and social justice concepts. Teachers used other forms of social justice teaching that they were more experientially familiar with, such as gender equity, language diversity, and (dis)ability, as a catalyst to discuss topics of racial justice. Each educator navigated their classroom …

Caste Formalism: The Law And Politics Of Equality In India, Madhav Khosla, Pratap Bhanu Mehta

Faculty Scholarship

In modern constitutional democracies, achieving equality has long been a challenge. In recent years, theorists have focused on understanding the meaning of discrimination and determining when and how discrimination becomes problematic. One critical issue that has long animated discussions on both the general guarantee of equality and the specific goals of anti-discrimination law is the relationship between individuals and groups. If a constitutional order aims to take equality seriously, how should it address the experiences of specific groups historically subjected to discrimination? Indeed, questions of equality and discrimination often converge around the issue of affirmative action, sometimes at the expense …

Reclaiming Space: Unhoused Population And Their Use Of Public Libraries., Marcellos Desmond Jackson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explores how unhoused individuals navigate and utilize the spatial dynamics of public libraries, with a specific focus on how they assert agency into the public space. Public space is examined at the institutional level and through the influential roles of individual workers. Public libraries serve as both refuge and resources for unhoused individuals, and this study highlights the complex dynamics that arise within them. Drawing on observations and informational informal interviews, I examine how unhoused people utilize and navigate the physical space of a public library in a large metropolitan area. I find that unhoused people adapt to …

The Marginalization Of Black Students And The Burnout Of Black Teachers, Jasmine N. Wilson

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

Black students' language and culture should matter inside the classroom, but the K-12 education system perpetuates racist ideologies that otherwise stifle and shame Black students and their identities. There is a disproportion between the number of White teachers and Black students in minority-serving K-12 institutions, and this racial mismatch severely influences Black students’ academic success. In addition to the racial mismatch between White teachers and Black students, K-12 institutions foster a prejudiced learning environment that condemns African American English speakers. There is an abundance of research that suggests that Black teachers, Black culture, and Black English are of the utmost …

Academic Persistence And Rural Social Work Students: An Analysis Of Factors Impacting Decisions To Persist, Samantha Perales

Social Work Doctoral Dissertations

Academic persistence of rural students in higher education remains a growing concern as institutions across the United States seek to address changing patterns and trends in enrollment and graduation rates, particularly in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. National trends show a relatively small increase in rural student enrollment. However, significant disparities in persistence and degree completion continue to exist between rural student populations and their urban and suburban counterparts. This study examines the factors that influence persistence among undergraduate social work students, specifically focusing on students from public, mid-sized universities in West Texas. Using a quantitative approach, the study …

Fsu Vip List 2025- Faculty Emeritus, Laura Mehaffey

Fayetteville State University- Speakers, Honorees, & Faculty Emeritus

This list catalogues those faculty and administration members who were named as Faculty Emeritus for Fayetteville State University.

Educational Attainment Patterns Among Mena Adults: A Comparative Study Of Native- And Foreign-Born Groups In The Us, Michael Okyere

Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study examines educational attainment patterns among Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) adults in the United States, focusing on how nativity status, residential patterns, and gender shape these outcomes. Drawing on segmented assimilation and spatial assimilation theories, I analyze data from the 2018-2022 American Community Survey using ordered logistic regression models. Results indicate that educational attainment varies by gender, with MENA women consistently achieving higher education levels than men across all nativity groups, though this advantage varies considerably in magnitude between native-born and foreign-born subgroups. Residence in ethnic enclaves demonstrates a strong negative association with educational attainment among foreign-born …

Hope Against Hope: Problems, Possibilities, Agency, And Survival, Erin Kay Chambers

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In response to a critique of hope put forth by queer theorist Jack Halberstam, this thesis is a reassessment of what makes us capable of response—to “stay with the trouble,” in the words of Donna Haraway—in the face of overwhelming collapse. If not hope, then what? This thesis explores a number of questions about hope and its absence, opposites, and various deployments: is hope always an effective tool for survival? Does hopelessness always spell doom? Are hope and its apparent opposites necessarily incompatible? And if there is no hope, how do we keep going?—how do we survive? I explore these …

Thematic Analyses Of Session Data With Transgender And Gender Diverse Adults Obtained During A Clinical Trial, Brenna Rose Lash

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

Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) adults in the United States experience high rates of discrimination and marginalization, contributing to adverse mental health outcomes. While clinical guidelines for gender affirming care have been developed, these guidelines often lack empirical grounding or specific, actionable strategies for clinicians. Although theoretical models such as the marginalization stress model and the psychological mediation framework offer useful foundations for case conceptualization, they do not fully capture the lived experiences or the resilience mechanisms of TGD individuals in therapeutic contexts. This project aims to bridge the gap between research and clinical practice through thematic analysis of therapy …

Intergenerational Family Dynamics Among Caregivers And Children’S Social-Emotional Development In China, Weiman Xu

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

The early years of a child’s life are pivotal for social-emotional development. While extensive research has explored the role of family settings in fostering children's social-emotional development (Bornstein, 2005), the impact of grandparental involvement, particularly the caregiving dynamics between generations, remains less well understood. This study aims to fill this gap by examining two critical aspects of intergenerational dynamics among caregivers (i.e. parent-grandparent coparenting and parent-grandparent relationship quality) and their associations with children’s social-emotional development (i.e. social skills and problem behaviors). Two specific aims were delineated: 1) examine the unique contribution of parent-grandparent coparenting, especially the power and authority domain …

The Career Resilience Of Women Of Color Amidst Intersectional Racism-Sexism In The Us: A Consensual Qualitative Study, Hannah Ahmad Ridzuan

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

Women of color have historically and presently experienced both sexism and racism on interpersonal, institutional, and cultural levels (Sue et al., 2007). While discrimination based on racial-ethnic and gender identities has by far the most extensive literature base (Duffy et al., 2016), literature on the development of women of color career resilience is not as expansive. Informed by the Psychology of Working Theory (PWT) (Blustein, 2006; Duffy et al., 2016), the intersectionality framework (Crenshaw, 1989; Collins et al., 2021), and critical consciousness (Freire, 1971; Quiñones-Rosado, 2020), this consensual qualitative research (CQR; Hill, 2006) explored how women of color in the …

Between Two Worlds: A Case Study Of Third Culture Identity And Reentry For Unl International Students, John S. Tessalee

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Third Culture Kids (TCKs) and international students share many commonalities, such as their globalized nature, adaptability, and the adoption of cultural components from their host country versus their home country. However, they contain enough differences to be considered separate groups. Traditionally, people need to be immersed in a culture different from their parents’ culture between the ages of 0 and 18 to be considered a TCK, whereas international students are typically between 18 and 24 years old by the time they attend universities overseas. The cultural absorption of TCKs in their formative years is usually greater than that of international …

Exploring The Landscape Of Collective Leadership Practice In Rural Nebraska: A Qualitative Sequential Multimethod Study, Haden Myles Botkin

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Rural communities across Nebraska face a myriad of complex challenges that cannot be solved by individual, heroic leaders. As such, collective leadership has begun to emerge in these communities as actors coalesce around local issues. However, little is known about collective leadership practice and development in rural contexts, resulting in a theory-to-practice gap. To that end, this qualitative sequential multimethod study sought to explore how rural community leaders and community development educators perceive, describe, and make meaning of collective leadership practices in rural Nebraska. Three phases comprise this study.

Phase I, the QUAL phase, was guided by the question, How …

Bridging The Gap: Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Trio Student Support Services In Promoting Retention, Persistence, And Graduation At Boise State University, Ryan Brevik

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the effectiveness of TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) programs at Boise State University in promoting academic success of first-generation college students, students from financially limited backgrounds, and students with documented disabilities. Using a quantitative, quasi-experimental design, a secondary data analysis was completed to compare fall-to-fall retention rates, four-year graduation rates, and six-year graduation rates between TRIO SSS participants and a matched comparison group of non-participants with similar demographic and academic characteristics. Grounded in the theoretical frameworks of Appreciative Advising, self-efficacy theory, sense of belonging, student involvement theory, and student persistence models, this study adds to the existing …