Digital Commons Network^™

The Accessibility And Sustainability Of Local Foods: A Snapshot From The Food Hubs Of Lincoln, Nebraska, Tess Foxall

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

The current state of agriculture in the United States utilizes industrial practices that pose a myriad of risks to both human and environmental health. By focusing on smaller farms and local food systems that utilize more sustainable agriculture practices, communities can benefit in terms of economic, environmental, and social health. Food hubs can play a key role in local food systems to connect local producers with consumers and increase access to local food. The goal of the research was to analyze the accessibility and sustainability of local food from food hubs in Lincoln, Nebraska to find the key barriers to …

E-Waste Impact On The Health Of Guiyu, China Citizens: A Comparison Pre And Post China’S Prohibition Of Foreign Garbage Imports, Oliva Hultman

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Electronic Waste (E-waste) is an inevitable product in our society. At the end of a technological products lifespan, this waste is commonly exported from the Western World to places like Guiyu, China. There the waste has been recycled by melting and dissection of devices. However, these devices contain harmful materials like Lead (Pb) and other heavy metals. These components of the technology process, when not properly dealt with, leach into the citizens’ lives. In 2017, China issued a Prohibition on Foreign Garbage Imports where, while focusing on plastics, limited the waste being brought into the country. This study will compare …

Apparent Temperature And Relative Humidity In Nebraska: A Comparative Analysis On Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (Wbgt) Tools, Rachel T. Hines

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Heat waves can lead to illness and death, particularly among older adults, the very young, and other vulnerable populations. More frequent severe heat waves are expected to impact Nebraska. Looking specifically into Lincoln, NE for future climate trends, over the next 100 years, “the number of hot days would increase by 13-22 days during a given summer (depending upon the scenario), and the number of warm nights would increase by 20-35 nights each summer” Bathke et al. (2014). These higher summer temperatures will “increase electricity use, causing higher summer peak loads” as well as “pose physical and mental health challenges…outdoor …

The Effects Of Human Activity On Reintroduced Bighorn Sheep (Ovis Canadensis) Populations, Justine Cherovsky

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Since the decimation of North America’s bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) populations due to human impacts, translocations have been the primary conservation strategy to repopulate the native habitat. Following the extirpation of the species in Nebraska, bighorns were reintroduced with the hope to establish a stable population, but nearly four decades of management has resulted in large-scale die-offs and unstable herds. Ongoing human impacts have created similar results across the country as reintroductions struggle to establish independent bighorn herds. A systematic literature review was conducted to analyze current human related effects, evaluate the effectiveness of management practices, and compare these findings …

University Of Nebraska Sustainability Recommendations, Kat Woerner

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

In August 2020, the University of Nebraska (NU) system published a 5-year strategic plan with a point to “set and achieve University-wide sustainability goals.” Sustainability efforts at the University of Nebraska are well established as each campus has developed a Sustainability Master Plan (SMP) over the course of the last six years. With limited resources, a system-wide, coordinated effort is critical and requires a hierarchy of actions that are based on: clear goals and metrics that support the university mission, effective tracking systems, policies, strategies, actions, practices that support the goals, and organizational structure to oversee and support implementation.

The …

How Can Stakeholders In Food Sovereignty Achieve More Political Power?, Micah Dierks

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Food sovereignty (FSv) is a peasant-driven, transnational movement that emerged in response to land-grabbing and the consolidation of power in food production. It advocates for the rights of people to define their own food practices and systems. To provide targeted feedback for movement reflexivity, 21 ecological conflicts referencing food sovereignty were sampled from the Global Atlas of Environmental Justice (the EJAtlas). Involved groups of actors and their forms of mobilization were correlated with interpretations of success from the EJAtlas. I recommend that stakeholders in food sovereignty pursue the acquisition of greater political power through improving messaging, leveraging or disrupting existing …

"Folk" Home-Lore: Storytelling And The Architecture Of The Home, Madeleine Pollara

Masters in Architecture Program: Theses

I have observed that architecture is not sufficiently understood. This problem is largely due to the fact that the language used to describe architecture is broad and convoluted. This language is also divided into two categories which describe the denotative and connotative nature of architecture. It is easier to understand the denotative nature of architecture than it is to understand the connotative nature. As a response to this issue, my project aims to explore the connotative nature of architecture through telling stories about the home from the architecture’s point of view. The purpose of my thesis is to explore the …

Risk Assessment Of Hazardous Material Transportation For Small And Tribal Communities, Harrison Redepenning

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

By and large transportation of hazardous materials (HazMat) across the US is increasing, with truck transportation as the most common method of transport. Smaller communities (population <5,000) and Native American communities often lack the economic and political influence to quantify the dangers that HazMat incidents present to the immediate and surrounding areas. Lack of such information is an impediment to adequate preparedness in cases of HazMat incidents. This research focuses on assessing the vulnerability of small and tribal communities in Nebraska to the impacts of highway HazMat incidents. This was done by estimating the expected number and type of HazMat incidents per population in each community. Additionally, statistical analysis was conducted on actual HazMat incidents to determine if small and Native American communities experience a higher rate of incidents per population and per HazMat VMT than large and other small communities respectively. For per population, it was found small versus large is statistically significant while Native American versus other small communities was not significant. For per HazMat VMT, neither comparison was found to be statistically significant. In estimated HazMat incidents, actual HazMat incidents per population, and actual HazMat incidents per HazMat VMT, small communities had higher mean values than their large counterparts. Communities on Native American reservation land experienced a higher estimated and lower actual HazMat incident rate per population than other small communities. For actual HazMat incidents per VMT, Native American communities had a higher rate than other small communities.

Advisor: Aemal Khattak

A Physical Model Of Deadmans Run, Quinn Brandt

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

A physical model of Deadmans Run and a pair of railroad bridges was constructed to assess the impacts of the bridges on flood flows. Lower Platte South Natural Resources District is planning a series of improvements to Deadmans Run to improve flood conveyance capacity and remove approximately 500 homes and businesses from the floodplain. The rail bridges are located less than a mile from the confluence of Deadmans Run and Salt Creek, meaning the bridges present a significant bottleneck to the planned improvements. The physical model was used to characterize the drag effects caused by the bridges, which was used …

Mmekg: Multi-Modal Event Knowledge Graph Towards Universal Representation Across Modalities, Yubo Ma, Zehao Wang, Mukai Li, Yixin Cao, Meiqi Chen, Xinze Li, Wenqi Sun, Kunquan Deng, Kun Wang, Aixin Sun, Jing Shao

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Events are fundamental building blocks of realworld happenings. In this paper, we present a large-scale, multi-modal event knowledge graph named MMEKG. MMEKG unifies different modalities of knowledge via events, which complement and disambiguate each other. Specifically, MMEKG incorporates (i) over 990 thousand concept events with 644 relation types to cover most types of happenings, and (ii) over 863 million instance events connected through 934 million relations, which provide rich contextual information in texts and/or images. To collect billion-scale instance events and relations among them, we additionally develop an efficient yet effective pipeline for textual/visual knowledge extraction system. We also develop …

Strategies To Encourage Continued Choral Participation Among Adolescent Male Students, Joseph Michael Lewis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This project overviewed a mixed methods research study, which examined the ways in which choral participation among adolescent male students could be encouraged by choral directors. The paper examined the history of male choral participation, common theories regarding male voice classification, as well as how choral participation among adolescent male students could be encouraged by the education of a voice change process. A vocal study of one hundred and seventeen biological male singers at Westside Middle School Academy in Danbury, Connecticut was used to study the validity of numerous male voice change theories. This study documented the transformation of the …

Fostering Forgiveness Through The Reach Forgiveness Model To Dispel The Angry Black Woman Trope, Demetrius Tamantha Golden

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

For generations, the African American community has felt lingering reminders of the oppression of their ancestors. Consequently, this oppression may have inhibited forgiveness or the ability to forgive. Unforgiveness can be expressed in many forms, but most commonly as anger, bitterness, and rage. The American culture depicts the African American woman in the media as an “Angry Black Woman,” neglecting her existence as a pillar to her family and community and the stressors that accompany this role. Research is lacking around forgiveness models using the population of African American women. The purpose of this dissertation is to contribute to the …

Addressing Mild To Moderate Memory Impairment Among Young Adults (18-44 Years Old) With Alcohol Use Disorder And Dependence Through Restorative Rehabilitation Combined With Comprehensive, Evidence-Based Medical Detoxification Treatment: Integrative Review, Motunrayo Atinuke Ayodeji

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Neurocognitive impairment especially mild to moderate stage of cognitive impairment (MCI) has been observed to be prevalent among young adults (18-44 years old) seeking treatment for alcohol use disorders (AUDs). Neurocognitive testing reveals memory impairment in key components of cognition such as attention, memory, language, reaction time and perception in varying degrees and severity among those with AUDs. Research has verified that alcohol can actually predispose individuals to what is known as alcohol related brain damage (ARBD) or alcohol related cognitive impairment (ARCI) as related to cognitive (memory) impairment. This state of brain damage often impedes treatment outcome due to …

Adapting A Suzuki And Bornoff Method Curriculum In A Beginning Public School Strings Class With A Class Of Mixed String Instruments, Monica Jane Holy

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Perspectives on the combination of the Suzuki Method and the Bornoff Method, and the struggles a string teacher has starting a beginning orchestra program, have emerged as themes through exploration of a small body of existing literature. This study aims to support struggling or first-year string teachers starting a beginning orchestra program in a public-school setting by combining the Suzuki and Bornoff method. Despite a plethora of research that has been written over the Suzuki method and the Bornoff method separately, there is a lack of research on combining the two approaches, particularly within a beginning string class setting. The …

An Analysis Of The Disenfranchised Grief Of Involuntary Childless Women, Neressa Darroux

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In society the grief associated with involuntary childlessness is often overlooked, minimized, and ignored. This qualitative phenomenological study explored the disenfranchised grief of involuntary childless women using the theoretical framework of ambiguous loss and disenfranchised grief to show how involuntary childlessness is an invisible loss that produces grief which is oftentimes invalidated. This study was guided by three research questions: (a) what is the lived experience of grief of involuntary childless women, (b) how can involuntary childless women grieve their losses in an environment where they experience disenfranchised grief, and (c) how do involuntary childless women make meaning of their …

Stigma As A Barrier To Military Mental Health Services, Alicea Gray

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A psychiatric disorder is perhaps an uncomfortable topic that isn’t discussed enough in the military. However, the nature of the profession (i.e., the possibility of combat exposure) increases the risk of mental health disorders in the military. Despite the increasing awareness of the effects of untreated mental health conditions, a treatment gap still exists within the military culture. The present study aims to describe the prevalence of stigma in the military, as well as examine related factors, such as leadership behaviors and the associations between endorsed and anticipated stigma and treatment seeking intentions. Utilizing a questionnaire, this study investigated the …

Positive Behavior Interventions And Supports Effectiveness In Southeastern Ohio, Kacey Ryan Cottrill

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine how leadership implemented the positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) framework and what conclusions could be ascertained from implementing it. Leadership in southeastern Ohio districts was examined to understand how they used PBIS and if PBIS made significant differences before and after implementation. The comparison included demographically diverse areas (urban, suburban, rural) in southeastern Ohio. PBIS implementation was measured with the School-wide Evaluation Tool (SET) administered to district administrators. The resulting data from the SET and Ohio assessment scores showed no significant difference in PBIS implementation and fourth-grade reading scores of …

A Single Woman’S Concerns And Struggles: Reversing The Perception Of Exclusion In The Church In The Twenty-First Century And Beyond, Bernadine C. Johnson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The thesis research project seeks to offer the readers of the project solutions to changing perceptions while improving single women's experiences as critical community members and the local church in the twenty-first century and beyond. This study will employ mixed methods analysis using both qualitative and quantitative data. The project includes a survey by single individuals between the ages of eighteen and sixty-five or older via email. Participants will complete a thirty-two-question survey characterizing exclusionary practices in the church processes, leading to the perception of exclusion revolving around family relationships. The results of this study may allow for the positive …

The Ems Deficit: A Study On The Excessive Staffing Shortages Of Paramedics And Its Impact On Ems Performance In The States Of South Carolina And North Carolina And Interventions For Organizational Improvements., James Boyd Eubanks

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This is a qualitative multi-case study on emergency medical services (EMS) paramedic shortages, their effects on ambulance responses, and the quality of patient care in the prehospital environment. A qualitative multi-case study was selected for this study because the nature of the methods’ design aligned with a systematic approach of life experiences (Creswell, 2015). Paramedics who participated in this study provided insight, from life experiences, as to why one prematurely leaves EMS; thus, creating a staffing shortage. The foundation of this study is the high staffing shortages of paramedics specifically in South Carolina (SC) and North Carolina (NC). Drastically reducing …

A Project On Why Many High School And College Students Fail To Attend Church Services, John Wachori Mburu

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this research project is to establish why many of the high school and college students within the Light of Life Restoration Church in Kenya choose not to attend church services. Even after childhood training and church attendance since they were young, many students drop out of church. They get themselves involved in other activities and friends who eventually derail them to other attractions. This alarming trend has brought about the derailment from the Christian moral principles and values which have been the guiding principle of the nation. The derailment has caused lawlessness, unruliness, and all kinds of …

Time For A Change? The Lived Experiences Of Abortion Workers Who Left The Industry, Susan Marie Cole

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to gain insight and understanding into the lived experiences of those who have worked in a medical facility or freestanding clinic providing abortion services and eventually chose to leave the industry due to moral distress. Two research questions are addressed in this study: What is the lived experience of former abortion workers who left the field due to moral distress both before and after their transition from the industry? And, What were (and are) the perceived bio-psycho-social-spiritual impacts of abortion work for those who ultimately left the field due to moral distress? A …

Servant Leadership Impact On Organizational Performance, John W. Wesevich

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Leadership matters because individuals desire to improve their personal, social, and professional lives; corporations seek individuals with specific leadership qualities to improve organizational and financial performance and gain a competitive advantage; and universities provide programs in leadership studies. Leadership encompasses influence over others to accomplish a specific or common goal (Northouse, 2019). This qualitative research study focused on a contemporary leadership approach, servant leadership, and its influence on organizational performance. Researchers have acknowledged a positive relationship between servant leadership and organizational performance (Chiniara & Bentein, 2016; Saleem et al., 2020; A. Wong et al., 2018). This qualitative case study corroborates …

Humanity's Desire For Perfection: A Defense For Christian Theism, Billy W. Camp

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Amid the milieu of ethical theories and presuppositions about morals, a significant disconnect exists at the confluence of moral theories and human behavior. One may parse the issue as follows: If objective morals exist, humans are to live by them; however, no one lives a perfectly moral life. According to the moral standards identified by different theistic ethical theories (i.e., divine command theory, natural law, and virtue ethics), one may surmise that objective morals exist and that humans imperfectly live a moral life according to these standards. If it is the case that both secularists and theists recognize this issue, …

A Phenomenological Study Of Multi-Ethnic Churches That Have Effectively Managed Ethnocentric Biases And Cultivated Imago Dei-Centered Relationships, Shirley Ann Vazquez

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Much research has been conducted in recent years concerning implicit bias. Banaji and Greenwald (2016) tell readers that even good people can have some form and level of implicit bias, including implicit ethnic bias (Banaji & Greenwald, 2016). While ethnically based implicit bias has been studied in education and business, the effects of ethnically based implicit bias in churches have only recently come to the forefront. Christian pastors need a good understanding of these implicit biases and how these phenomena may have been, and may still be, operating in their local multi-ethnic church body, preventing them from becoming a successful …

Using Bible Reading In Moral Injury Therapy: A Mixed-Method Approach, John Ikenna Onuoha

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The debilitating effect of moral injury on members of the Sergeant Major Association of California in the Bay Area/Central Valley/Los Angeles area has deprived member veterans of a good and meaningful quality of life. This study aims to recognize the challenging impact of moral injury on adult Bay Area/Central Valley/LA veterans, address its symptoms using Bible reading therapy, and reassess their progress for an effective and lasting solution to veterans who are battling with war’s unseen wounds. The study used mixed research methods that incorporate the technical and social features of the combination of qualitative and quantitative means to help …

Experiences Of Asian American Women In Distance Education Doctoral Programs: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Cathy Vu

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

It is well documented that doctoral attrition is a concern, and research into subgroups of doctoral student populations is needed. Researchers have begun to examine the experiences of women in distance education doctoral programs, but the experiences of women from Asian backgrounds have not been the direct focus on any research to date. This transcendental phenomenological study described the persistence experiences of Asian American women pursuing distance education doctoral studies. Tinto’s (1975) theory of student integration served as a foundation for understanding how an individual’s academic and social integration affects persistence. In addition to Tinto’s theory of student integration, Berry’s …

A Standardized Approach To Analyzing Multi-Cultural Presentations Of Christian Worship, Kevin Michael Segner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

With the growth of the internet, worship pastors can share fine art presentations of the gospel message from cultures worldwide. Since all cultures belong in the kingdom of God, pastors may struggle to validate fine arts performances according to scriptural standards. One of the concerns is the range of interpretations that come from a lack of formal analysis in the literature. Some critics write about fine arts performances based on their own experience and opinion. This may indicate a gap in literature where there is no uniform standard for evaluating those works. Rather than take time to research presentations, a …

Participation In Collision, Contact, And Noncontact Sports And Academic Outcomes At A United States Service Academy, Benjamin Thomas Showman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The present study seeks to determine whether significant differences exist in the academic outcomes, specifically grade point averages (GPA), between college students who participate in collision, contact, or noncontact sports. Additionally, this study seeks to understand whether sport contact levels are predictive of a student’s GPA when sport competition levels and demographic variables are also taken into account. Current research suggests links between sports participation, aggression, brain injuries, and academic outcomes. Along these lines, a significant amount of research has investigated relationships between student aggression and academic outcomes, between aggression and sport contact levels, and between sports participation and academic …

A Phenomenological Study Exploring The Lived Experience Of Students Who Have Failed A Nursing Course: Try Again Or Move On?, Deborah K. Tonelli

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to examine the lived experiences of students after failing a nursing course, resulting in the students either sitting out a semester prior to repeating the course or making the decision not to return to a program at all. The central research question for this study was “what are the lived experiences of students who fail a nursing course?” This study retrospectively examined the failure of nursing students to better understand how they processed the event, gained meaning from the experience, and found supportive measures that were useful in moving forward to the …

Building Healthy Families Through Intergenerational Worship Ministry, Frank Richard Gillespie

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Although literature exists concerning family ministry in the local church, there is little research that gives explicit insight into music and worship ministry’s role in helping to strengthen families. Since worship is one of the ultimate functions of both the church and the family, this study integrates family ministry methodology with worship ministry methodology to discover theological sound and practical ways to build up the family through corporate worship, structured music programs, and community involvement. Guided by biblical and historical foundational teachings on church and family, this qualitative research study identifies perspectives that have not yet been explored and documented …