Digital Commons Network^™

Mass Incarceration: Racial Disparities Within The U.S. Criminal Justice System, Crystal Nichole Pugh

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The United States incarceration rate has remained steady at over two million people incarcerated within their criminal justice facilities. Among the U.S. criminal justice system incarcerated populations, African Americans are disproportionately represented contributing to its overwhelming numbers and overcrowded facilities nationwide. Studies have shown racial disparities experienced within the correctional system have been credited as a direct result of decision-making at various points throughout the criminal justice process. Previous and even current research on racial disparities within the criminal justice system have attributed much of its data to disproportionate minority contacts in the juvenile population and a heavy police presence …

Promoting Organic Seed Systems: Directions For Extension Programming In Northeast Seed Systems, Megnot Mulugeta, Daniel Tobin, Carina V. Isbell

Journal of Extension

Despite the importance of seed availability to food and agriculture, seed systems have received scant attention within Extension research and practice. To address this gap, we designed a participatory needs assessment revolving around the 2021 Northeast Organic Seed Conference to assess individuals’ experiences within Northeastern organic seed systems and their opinions concerning their resource access, challenges, and sense of empowerment. Based on a post-conference survey, our findings suggest that Extension’s future efforts should focus on facilitating partnerships between and among community-based/non-profit seed groups, at-home gardeners, seed companies, university researchers, and legal scholars to promote equity and inclusion.

Pastoral Prose And Civic Engagement: Crafting The Call To The Public Square, Christopher Ian Thoma

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This thesis explores the relationship between creative writing techniques employed by pastors and congregational engagement in the public square. The central thesis posits that if pastors incorporate creative writing methods in extended weekly communications with congregants, then the necessary factors for engagement in the public square will be fostered, leading to attitudinal shifts demonstrated by increased congregational interest or participation in civil affairs. Through an extensive literature review, the thesis fairly examines historical and contemporary views of church and state, the Two Kingdoms doctrine, concepts relative to public square participation, Christianity’s waning cultural influence, communication science, developmental theory, literature familiarity, …

Perceived Influence Of Artificial Intelligence On Educational Leadership's Decision-Making, Teaching, And Learning Outcomes: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Mousa Fayiz Abduljaber

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand and describe the perceived influence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on educational leadership's decision-making, teaching, and learning outcomes as revealed by educational leaders at a group of secondary public schools in the Middle East. The theory guiding this study was the distributed cognition theory, as it shows the dynamics of human cognition and AI cognition, making it possible to understand the perceived influence of AI. As the study reflected on AI’s past, present and, future, the central question that focused on this study is: How do educational leaders perceive the influence …

Exploring Land-Grant Institution Partnerships To Better Serve Audiences, Carol A. Roberts, Kenya N. Washington, Alicia Betancourt, Holly Abeels, Dreamal Worthen, Martha Monroe

Journal of Extension

Programs within the Cooperative Extension Service often develop partnerships with other agencies and organizations to better meet their common goals. While there are many benefits of partnerships, they can be challenging when the partners are unequal or have dissimilar needs. Using a survey and interviews with faculty and administrators at two land-grant institutions we explore the similarities and differences that pull and push at their partnership. Recommendations to strengthen partnering opportunities at the institutional and program levels are provided.

South Carolina Master Naturalist Program Evaluation: A Mixed Methods Approach, Susan T. Guynn, James H. Blake, Nathan Nemire, Joe Bible

Journal of Extension

The South Carolina Master Naturalist Program provides nature-based education to citizen volunteers who will promote environmental stewardship and is offered at six host sites across the state. We conducted a mixed-methods evaluation (the integration of qualitative and quantitative data) of the South Carolina Master Naturalist Program. Overall, the South Carolina Master Naturalist Program is achieving its mission but there were some differences between host sites. We identified where there were differences and why those differences may exist. We make recommendations to help strengthen the program across all host sites in the areas of program fidelity, delivery, and administration.

Beefsd: An Integrated And Intensive Extension Curriculum For Beginning Beef Cattle Producers, Krista A. Ehlert, Amanda D. Blair, Stacy Hadrick, Ken Olson

Journal of Extension

There is a strong need to increase the opportunities for and success of the next generation of beef cattle producers. South Dakota State University Extension provides a 2-year educational program called “beefSD;” the purpose is to provide producers with a holistic view of the beef industry, an appreciation for utilizing adaptive management to respond to challenges and opportunities, and skills to assess and manage factors that influence overall operation sustainability. The curriculum has four major components: 1) in person workshops, case studies, interactive webinars, and homework 2) out-of-state learning experiences, 3) ranch to rail program, and 4) networking and mentoring.

Problems With Authority, Amy J. Griffin

St. John's Law Review

(Excerpt)

Judicial decision-making rests on a foundation of unwritten rules—those that govern the weight of authority. Such rules, including the cornerstone principle of stare decisis, are created informally through the internal social practices of the judiciary. Because weight-of-authority rules are largely informal and almost entirely unwritten, we lack a comprehensive account of their content. This raises serious questions—sounding in due process and access to justice—about whether judicial decision-making rests ultimately on judges’ arbitrary and unexamined preferences rather than transparent and deliberative processes. These norms of authority are largely invisible to many, including parties appearing before the courts. They govern the …

Ua-Rg14-02 Public Affairs Office / Media And Community Relations/Publications, Archives

Archives Registers

Course catalogs, directories, various publications/booklets by title, newsletters, community programs, slides of USM, and calendars of events, Currents volumes, 1913-1999

Ua-Rg13-04 Executive Director For Budget & Institutional Research / Department Of Facilities Management, Archives

Archives Registers

Blueprints and architectural plans, correspondence, flyers, notices, announcements, various policy statements, reports, budgets, "Wolfe's Neck Farm files", 1897-2009

Ua-Rg07-11 College Of Education / Graduate Studies, Archives

Archives Registers

correspondence, newsletters, flyers, announcements, symposium tapes, program offerings brochure, 1978-1991

Ua-Rg05-08 College Of Arts And Sciences / Sociology, Archives

Archives Registers

Faculty publications/research, accreditation reports, self-reviews 1973-1999

Ua-Rg05-08-01 College Of Arts And Sciences / Sociology / Programs, Archives

Archives Registers

Department program 1981-1981

Ua-Rg05-01 College Of Arts And Sciences / Office Of The Dean, Archives

Archives Registers

Faculty publications, various academic/personnel documents, departmental reviews, various staff correspondence/documents (1938-1992)

The Voice As Identity: How Opera Has Influenced Dubbing In Italy And The United States, Brynn Allison Staker

Theses and Dissertations

An enduring Italian tradition of celebrating the voice and the Italian language as seen by the Italian perception and interest in opera has created an environment of celebration for Italian dubbers. The long-established history of opera in Italy, as well as the modern reception of Italian opera, have effectively placed the voice at the forefront of the Italian entertainment industry. This can be seen through an examination of the careers of Italian dubbers and the success that they saw in their industry. The United States did not have a longstanding operatic tradition, and when opera was introduced it was under …

Cleaning The Dirty Pool: Testing Interaction Effects Using Different Panel Model Specifications, Rhiannon Berry

Dissertations and Theses

This exploratory study seeks to uncover the most effective approaches for constructing interaction terms within panel models. With no preconceived hypothesis in mind, the primary aim is to discern which modeling configuration yields the most robust results, laying the foundation for future research in statistical modeling. Using a large data set of sentencing reforms passed between the mid-1970s and mid-2000s, this study systematically assesses interaction terms and determines the most appropriate modeling. Different specifications of sentencing reforms at the state level within different modeling specifications will be explored to highlight which models are most appropriate in predicting imprisonment rates. By …

Three New Majors Among Program Updates For 2024-25, Julia Perez

News and Events (Discontinued Series)

No abstract provided.

Impacts Of Cil Youth Transition Services In Northern Florida: A Case Study Of Ability 1st, Lillie Greiman, Rayna Sage, Chris Carlberg

Independent Living and Community Participation

For young people with disabilities, the transition from secondary education into adulthood can be challenging to navigate. Key services and supports may be lost, daily life and routines may change, and new responsibilities and expectations emerge. These transitions can be particularly challenging for youth in rural areas who face additional transportation, education, and housing barriers.

Centers for Independent Living (CILs), like Ability 1^st in Northern Florida, provide valuable and impactful youth transition services to both the rural and urban communities they serve. This research report illustrates and evaluates this CIL's efforts to help transitioning youth with disabilities explore postsecondary …

The Mediating Role Of Ifrs Implementation On The Relationship Between Cultural Dimensions And Accounting Practices Of The Multinational Companies Operating In Tanzania, Chacha Ryoba, Henry Chalu

Business Management Review

This paper examines the mediation role of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) implementation at the firm level on the influence of cultural dimensions (power distance, individualism, uncertainty avoidance, masculinity, long-term orientation, and indulgence) on accounting practices of the multinational companies (MNCs) operating in Tanzania. Data was gathered from 209 accountants, auditors, finance managers, and directors of the MNCs. Hypotheses were tested using Ordinary Least Square (OLS) regression based on Hayes PROCESS macro tool. The study results reveal that the IFRS implementation negatively mediates the influence of power distance and masculinity on the accounting practices of the MNCs. Conversely, the results …

The Influence Of Information Technology System Quality On Business Value Creation In Commercial Banks In Tanzania: The Moderating Role Of Information Technology Knowledge Management, Najim Soud Ali, Juma James Masele, Severine S. Kessy

Business Management Review

This study examines the influence of IT system quality on business value creation in commercial banks in Tanzania. Moreover, the study tests the moderating role of IT knowledge management on the influence of IT system quality on business value creation. Data was collected using a questionnaire filled by heads of marketing and finance from all 35 commercial banks in Tanzania and analysed using Structural Equation Modelling through SmartPLS. The findings revealed that there is a positive and significant influence of IT systems quality on business value creation and IT knowledge management moderates the influence. The findings suggest that a bank …

Race And Police Violence: The Role Social Disorganization Plays In Police Use Of Force, Marcia J. Jackson

Student Theses

Abstract

The study aims to explore the relationship between neighborhood Social disorganization and police use of force, specifically focusing on the Precinct level as a potential factor influencing forceful actions. The data for this research was taken from the following secondary sources: NYC Open Data for NYPD use of force incidents (2018), NYPD Historical Arrest 2018, Info Share for NYPD complaints, and American Community Survey 2014-2018.

As noted by Stroshine & Brandi (2020), the issue of police use of force has been a longstanding controversy, but recent years have seen heightened scrutiny and turbulence surrounding policing practices in the United …

A Grounded Theory Analysis Of Honesty And Deception In Intimate Relationships, Lyndsey Kunzler Gerring

Theses and Dissertations

Although honesty is valued in intimate relationships, there has not been significant research on the range and different types of honesty and deception and their impacts on couples. The purpose of this study was to explore and define the role honesty plays in intimate relationships by examining the spectrum of honest and deceptive behaviors as described by participants. The study utilized qualitative methods to examine how romantic partners describe various types of honesty and deception in their relationships and the influence these have. The data was taken from part of a larger project on healthy and unhealthy relationships where semi-structured …

Global Implications Of Covid-19 On Education And Research In Healthcare And Stem: Analysis Of Case Studies, Yumna Indorewala, Santanu De

FDLA Journal

The zoonotic novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2 posed major threats to the world’s economy, social development, and public health. Education and research in STEM and healthcare were no exceptions to the global implications of the Coronavirus Infectious Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Social distancing guidelines were initially recommended to refrain from in-person operations for preventing the transmission of the virus. As academic organizations implemented multifarious methods to effectively transition to remote/online or hybrid educational formats, COVID-19 necessitated designing, adopting, as well as evaluating the efficacy of new instructional approaches, especially for disciplines that require active, experiential learning such as healthcare and STEM. These …

Stories Of Those Untold: Identifying Retention, And Graduation Obstacles And Solutions Of Black Women At Four-Year Predominately White Institutions, Courtney Alicia Griffin

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

Experiences of Black women in college are often lost in conversations about college students. Although underrepresented students are highly researched, the focus is usually on Black males and White females. This research identifies the obstacles encountered by Black women at predominately white institutions on their pursuit of a college degree, how they overcame those obstacles and how universities can assist future Black women in overcoming these obstacles. The researcher used counter-storytelling to “expose, analyze, and challenge the majoritarian stories of racial privilege, shatter complacency, challenge the dominant discourse on race, and further the struggle for racial reform”. This study concludes …

“Safer To Plant Corn And Beans”? Navigating The Challenges And Opportunities Of Agricultural Diversification In The U.S. Corn Belt, Rebecca Traldi, Lauren Asprooth, Emily M. Usher, Kristin Floress, J. Gordon Arbuckle, Megan Baskerville, Sarah P. Church, Ken Genskow, Seth Harden, Elizabeth Maynard, Aaron Thompson, Ariana P. Torres, Linda Stalker Prokopy

Department of Horticulture & Landscape Architecture Faculty Publications

Agricultural diversification in the Midwestern Corn Belt has the potential to improve socioeconomic and environmental outcomes by buffering farmers from environmental and economic shocks and improving soil, water, and air quality. However, complex barriers related to agricultural markets, individual behavior, social norms, and government policy constrain diversification in this region. This study examines farmer perspectives regarding the challenges and opportunities for both corn and soybean production and agricultural diversification strategies. We analyze data from 20 focus groups with 100 participants conducted in Indiana, Illinois, and Iowa through a combined inductive and deductive approach, drawing upon interpretive grounded theory. Our results …

Increasing Nurses’ Knowledge Of Cultural Preferences Influencing Diabetes Self-Management Among Sierra Leoneans, Winstina Aminata Taylor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The practice problem identified at the project site was the lack of nurses’ knowledge of how cultural preferences influence diabetes self-management practices among African Americans with diabetes mellitus. An educational program focused on the cultural preferences of Sierra Leoneans that influence diabetes self-management practices was provided for 48 nurses who worked in the agency. The doctoral project included concepts from nursing education and cultural competence theories to inform the approach. The project followed the ADDIE model process steps to develop and implement the educational program. The sources of evidence included pre- and posteducation surveys administered to participating nurses to assess …

Increasing Nurses’ Knowledge Of Cultural Preferences Influencing Diabetes Self-Management Among Sierra Leoneans, Winstina Aminata Taylor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The practice problem identified at the project site was the lack of nurses’ knowledge of how cultural preferences influence diabetes self-management practices among African Americans with diabetes mellitus. An educational program focused on the cultural preferences of Sierra Leoneans that influence diabetes self-management practices was provided for 48 nurses who worked in the agency. The doctoral project included concepts from nursing education and cultural competence theories to inform the approach. The project followed the ADDIE model process steps to develop and implement the educational program. The sources of evidence included pre- and posteducation surveys administered to participating nurses to assess …

Reynolds, E. Bruce, San Jose State University

Emeritus and Retired Faculty Biographies

University of Central Missouri (formerly Central Missouri State) , Mass Comm./History, B.S./M.A., 1969/1977

University of Hawaii at Manoa, History, Ph.D., 1988

Employing Multi-Agent Ai To Model Conflict And Cooperation In Northern Ireland, Katherine O'Lone, Michael Gantley, Justin E. Lane, F. Leron Shults

New England Journal of Public Policy

In this article, we outline the development of a multi-agent artificial intelligence (MAAI) model for post-conflict Northern Ireland. We discuss the insights it provides into the primary drivers of conflict and cooperation in the post-Agreement era. Analyses reveal that leading drivers of cooperation in the model are fairness and sadness, while the main drivers of conflict are related to anxiety and perceived moral authority. We examine these findings in the context of previous computational modeling efforts in Northern Ireland, the social psychological literature on intergroup conflict, and the current geopolitical landscape. We conclude by advocating for the application of this …

Scaling Expertise: A Note On Homophily In Online Discourse And Content Moderation, Dylan Weber

New England Journal of Public Policy

It is now empirically clear that the structure of online discourse tends toward homophily; users strongly prefer to interact with content and other users that are similar to them. I review the evidence for the ubiquity of homophily in discourse and highlight some of its worst effects including narrowed information landscape for users and increased spread of misinformation. I then discuss the current state of moderation frameworks at large social media platforms and how they are ill-equipped to deal with structural trends in discourse such as homophily. Finally, I sketch a moderation framework based on a principal of “scaling expertise” …