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The Dynamics Of Power Transfer In Organizations: Examining Downward Deference And Its Workplace Consequences, Hoang Bao My Nguyen

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

This dissertation examines managerial power transfer as a core mechanism through which less-hierarchical management unfolds in organizations. While traditional management research has emphasized formal authority and top-down control, emerging organizational forms increasingly call on managers to share power with subordinates. Despite growing interest in constructs like empowerment, delegation, and participative leadership, the phenomenon of power transfer remains conceptually fragmented and undertheorized.

To address this, the dissertation defines power transfer as the intentional redistribution of authority, control, or resources by powerholders to lower-power individuals. Chapter 1 develops a typology of power transfer behaviors, organized along two key dimensions: extent of control …

The Sheriff's Constitution, Farhang Heydari

Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications

The county sheriff is unique among our nation's law enforcers, with an ancient pedigree, elected status, and special protections as a state constitu- tional officer. But these factors combine to cause a recurrent problem elected sheriffs often assert for themselves the power to refuse to enforce criminal laws of their choosing. Today's constitutional sheriffs-a group of sheriffs who view themselves as the highest authority in their county, answerable only to their electorate-are the latest manifestation of this ethos, declaring opposition to gun control measures, pandemic restric- tions, environmental protections, and more. Lest one think these nonen- forcement decisions are entirely …

Valuing Heat-Related Mortality Risks, W. Kip Viscusi, Clayton J. Masterman

Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications

Heat-related mortality risks are a substantial component of the looming costs of climate change in the United States and globally. This article presents the results from a risk-risk survey to test whether U.S. respondents place a valuation premium on mortality risks from heat relative to cancer and transportation risks. The questionnaire exploits exogenous shocks to temperatures during a heat wave and randomized elements to further test whether preferences vary with heat exposure or the age of individuals exposed to heat risks. The results provide strong evidence that there is no valuation premium in the U.S. for heat-related risks. Subjects valued …

Torts Mismatches, Edward K. Cheng

Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications

In torts, the damages required for full compensation of the victim and optimal deterrence of the injurer are normally the same. This correspondence is perfectly natural: If the injurer fully compensates the victim, then the injurer will completely internalize his externalities. Yet sometimes full compensation and optimal deterrence do not align. A well-known example is punitive damages, in which victims are purposely overcompensated to optimally deter injurers. What the literature has failed to acknowledge is that these torts mismatcheswhen full compensation of victims and optimal deterrence of injurers are incompatibleoccur elsewhere and explain controversial and unresolved doctrinal areas of torts. …

The State Of Latino-Serving Community-Based Organizations In Massachusetts, Fabián Torres-Ardila, Phillip Granberry, Rachel Paz, Luna Páez Abaunsa, Valentina Valderrama Pérez

Gastón Institute Publications

Massachusetts has a diverse Latino population with large numbers of Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Salvadorans, Guatemalans, and Mexicans. Nearly a third (32%) of the Latino population is foreign-born. Of this foreign-born population, 61% are not U.S. citizens. Nearly 210,000 Latino children are enrolled in K-12 schools. Of the Latino population over age five who speak Spanish in the home, 33% have limited English proficiency. Among the adult population, 28% have less than a high school education, and 60% are in the labor force.3 The varied needs of this population require a strong ecosystem of local organizations that provide services to support …

Beyond The Finish Line: How Mindset And Setbacks Shape Future Success Of High School Sprinters, Hannah L. Lybbert

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

How does mindset shape sports performance? Using data from high school track and field 100- meter sprint times, I examine how exogenous psychological shocks—caused by running faster or slower than expected due to tailwinds or headwinds—influence subsequent athletic performance. By leveraging instrumental variable analysis and random wind variation, I isolate the purely psychological effects (referred to throughout this paper as “mindset effects”) of performance confidence. I parse out the sustained mindset effects, taking into account athlete-specific fixed effects, and estimate mindset-driven performance effects. In the discussion, I will explore “perceived self-efficacy” (PSE) as a potential mechanism by which these mindset …

Retrofitting Farm Equipment With Airflow Sensors, Jacob Bybee

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

In the Fall of 2024, our farm in Idaho upgraded our equipment from conventional seeding drills to more modern and sophisticated air seeder drills, particularly the John Deere 1900 Commodity Air Cart and John Deere 730 Air Disk Drill. In our case, this equipment was purchased used at an auction and had been a little modified. One modern convenience that this certain 730 Drill did not come with was a blockage monitoring system to alert the operator that a seed distribution tube was no longer distributing seeds. My question the became: Can an affordable, reliable airflow sensor system be designed …

The Impact Of Lactoferrin And Iron-Enriched Whey On Iron Absorption, Gastrointestinal Symptoms, And Menstrual Health In Women, Mia Dustin

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Iron is an essential trace mineral involved in oxygen transport, energy metabolism, and cellular function, yet deficiency remains prevalent among women of reproductive age. In the U.S., approximately 20% of women aged 18-45 years fail to meet daily iron requirements due to lack of iron consumption in the diet, menstrual blood loss, or intense exercise, often leading to anemia, fatigue, and cognitive impairment. While ferrous sulfate is a common form of iron supplementation, it frequently causes gastrointestinal discomfort. Researchers have explored lactoferrin, a glycoprotein with immune and iron-binding properties, as an adjunct to traditional supplementation. This study examines the effects …

The Art Of The Duo And The Value Of Collaboration, Rebecca Farmer

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The Art of the Duo and the Value of Collaboration explores the duo as a laboratory for understanding the collaborative process between musicians and non musicians focusing on three central points. First, this project is a means to showcase and broaden my skills as a composer. Second, this project demonstrates my understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of common and uncommon instrumental pairings. Third, this project explores interdisciplinary collaboration. This project resulted in a public lecture recital featuring six duets I composed for various instruments: violin, bass, percussion, saxophone, voice, and piano.

I studied works by Debussy, Bartók, and Paganini, …

Weaving Freedom: A Sustainable And Autonomous Approach To Community Development In Rural Argentina, Caroline Johnson

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

This paper examines how culturally sensitive, inclusive, and climate-responsive design can empower weavers in Blanca Pozo, Argentina by addressing the unique social, economic, and environmental challenges of the region, fostering autonomy and community resilience through innovative housing and communal spaces. AWANAY is a boutique rug design studio that makes custom artisanal pieces in remote Northern Argentina. Home to AWANAY’s skilled artisans, Blanca Pozo faces environmental pressures, including extreme heat, flooding, and limited access to electricity and fresh water. Drawing on the history of Argentine architecture and global sustainable design principles, this project proposes solutions tailored to the local climate and …

Discovering The True Meaning Of Federalist No. 27, Mckenzie Pedersen-Campbell

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The Federalist Papers are widely known as they helped explain the Constitution and gather support for its ratification. However, what they mean is not always clear. This is problematic, especially when Supreme Court Justices look to the Federalist Papers to help them make decisions. A particularly fascinating example of this problem arose in the case Printz v. United States (1997). Both the majority and dissent argued that their interpretation was supported by Federalist No. 27. That leads to the question of what Federalist No. 27 actually means. By looking at the context surrounding Alexander Hamilton (the author) and previous Supreme …

Reimagining Utah’S Block: Walkability As A Housing Shortage Solution, Jordan Taft Sheppard

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Utah, like much of the United States, is experiencing a housing crisis driven primarily by a shortage of available housing. Rising home prices, increasing infrastructure costs, and restrictive zoning policies have limited the supply of varied housing options, forcing many families into unsustainable housing and transportation patterns. While conventional development patterns have focused on outward expansion, this approach requires costly infrastructure investments and perpetuates car-dependent communities. This study explores an alternative solution—leveraging existing walkable urban land to accommodate growth more efficiently and sustainably.

Using a 15-minute city framework, this research identifies 2,528 acres of highly walkable land in Cache County, …

The Stem Gender Gap: Can It Be Closed?, Makenna Roberts

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Despite increasing gender parity in many professional fields, women remain underrepresented in STEM industries, particularly in math-intensive areas such as engineering, computer science, and physics. This report explores the persistent gender gap in STEM through analysis of two data sources: gendered differences in the US national Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) performance and post-graduate employment patterns among scientists and engineers.

The first portion of the analysis examines SAT score data from 2018 to 2024, with a focus on high-performing test-takers. Using Python and R, data was extracted and visualized to compare male and female performance on the Math and Evidence-Based Reading …

The Power Of Storytelling In Communication, Marisa Laplante

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

Storytelling is a vital aspect of art and communication. It shapes identity, builds relationships, and conveys complex ideas, engaging audiences emotionally, intellectually, and socially. Scholars recognize the ability of storytelling to capture attention, evoke empathy, and share experiences. Through narratives, whether oral or digital, stories foster connections between storytellers and audiences. Interpersonally, storytelling aids in identity formation and relationship building. Sharing personal stories expresses identity and values while listening fosters empathy by engaging with different perspectives. In intercultural communication, storytelling preserves cultural heritage and promotes empathy. Sharing cultural narratives illuminates community experiences. Digital media revolutionizes storytelling with interactive and multimedia-driven …

Citizens United, Congress Divided: Examining The Connection Between Independent Expenditures And Polarization In The U.S. House, Daniel Melia

FCRH Honors Program Theses

The U.S. Supreme Court ruling Citizens United v. FEC, issued in January of 2010, allowed an unprecedented amount of money to enter federal elections by removing spending limits for corporations on independent expenditure (referred to as ‘IE’, and meaning money spent of the proprietor’s accord, rather than directly by or in coordination with a political party or candidate). This paper addresses the lack of research on the outcomes of this ruling; there are few studies on the impacts of Citizens United on the ideological composition of Congress. To test the theory that this ruling led to significant polarization in Congress, …

Racial Bias In Ai: The Impact Of Discriminative Algorithms On Minority Communities, Morgan A. Jones

FCRH Honors Program Theses

With the rise of generative AI infiltrating many areas of our everyday lives, it's essential to acknowledge how AI can be trained on discriminatory data. When these AI systems are trained with information that is racist, they produce answers that possess a racial bias, which further perpetuates and enforces the systemic inequalities that minorities experience. Prior research discusses that racial bias is a problem in the use of AI and provides case studies on how racial bias has been enacted in large-scale projects. However, this research does not explain or acknowledge the long-term effects of racial bias on minorities. This …

Dumy And The Nation: How Folklore And Folk Songs Help Compose A Distinct Ukrainian Narrative, Amy Herd

FCRH Honors Program Theses

Historiography and ethnography have played a critical role in the development of modern Slavic nationalisms, particularly in Ukraine. As these studies became increasingly popular in the nineteenth century, scholars and members of the bourgeoisie identified folk culture as the key component for the making of the modern nation. Viewed as an authentic window into national history and tradition due to their limited interaction with the modernizing world, rural folk offered the perfect opportunity to illustrate how Ukraine had always been distinct from Russia and its other historical oppressors. As folk culture fervor gripped the intellectual elite of Eastern Europe, however, …

Blackness Under The Big Top: Racism And The Circus Of The Late Nineteenth And Early Twentieth Centuries, Christian Joseph

FCRH Honors Program Theses

Rattling through American towns large and small during its heyday, the archetypal, three-ring railroad circus was a novel attraction of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. During Reconstruction, the Gilded Age, and the Progressive Era, the circus was the dominant entertainment industry in the United States. Using both archival and historical research methods, my project offers an anatomy of the circus industry in America, both tracing its development and exploring its centrality to American culture and iconography. As a distinctly American institution, the growth of the industry was expressly linked to the physical expansion of the nation, which was …

Unh Extension Nutrition Connections Fy24 Snap-Ed, Amy Hollar

UNH Cooperative Extension

No abstract provided.

2026 Nh 4-H Horse State Show Packet, Hannah Majewski

UNH Cooperative Extension

No abstract provided.

Understanding And Modeling Pooled Rideshare Acceptance: Influential Factors, Preferred User Experiences, And Implications, Rakesh Gangadharaiah

All Dissertations

Ridesharing allows people to share a vehicle with others traveling in the same direction, which can reduce costs and traffic congestion. Pooled rideshare (PR) services, such as UberX Share and Lyft Shared, offer an economical and environmentally friendly alternative by matching passengers traveling similar routes. However, despite these benefits, PR adoption remains low due to concerns about safety, privacy, and convenience. This research explores the factors influencing PR adoption and provides recommendations to improve user acceptance. A nationwide survey of 5,385 participants across the U.S. was conducted to understand why people choose or avoid PR. The study identified five key …

Towards Multimodal Scene Graph Generation Approaches To Video Understanding, Trong-Thuan Nguyen

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis advances video understanding by enhancing Video Scene Graph Generation (VidSGG) through improved temporal modeling, the integration of long-range temporal dependencies via continuous updates to interaction histories, and the utilization of Large Language Models (LLMs) for scene graph reasoning. To this end, three novel datasets and corresponding approaches are introduced. First, the ASPIRe dataset incorporates interactivity annotations and leverages the Hierarchical Interlacement Graph (HIG) for hierarchical temporal modeling, providing deep insights into scene changes and effectively capturing intricate interactions. Next, the AeroEye dataset, focusing on drone videos, is paired with the Cyclic Graph Transformer (CYCLO), which establishes circular connectivity …

Predicting Migrant Youth Integration In The United States, Scott Bayer Gove

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The relationship between participation in an identity development program for migrant youth and their subsequent integration into U.S. society is examined. The study focuses on the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants' (USCRI) READY4Life program, which aims to support migrant youth in their transition to life in the United States. This study will examine whether performance scores in the READY4Life program can predict scores on the Immigration Policy Lab's (IPL) Integration Index, a validated measure of integration. The study will employ a cross-sectional experimental research approach, using multiple linear regression analysis to examine the relationship between the READY4Life performance scores …

Exploring Full-Time Female Faculty Members’ Experiences With Institutional Climate In Rural Arkansas Community Colleges: A Preregistered Study, Gabrielle Patterson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The current literature implies that female faculty in community colleges often endure a chilly organizational climate of marginalization. This marginalization makes female faculty more likely to leave higher education than male colleagues because of a lack of appreciation and recognition. This qualitative exploratory multiple-case study (preregistered study) uses the Job Embeddedness Theory as its conceptual framework. It explores full-time female faculty members’ (F-TFFMs) experiences with institutional climate in rural Arkansas community colleges to understand their motivations to teach in the setting and the reasons they choose to stay in their position. Findings from this study will show F-TFFMs motivations to …

Maria Sabina And The Wise Ones, Robin Bruce

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Maria Sabina was born Maria Sabina Magdalena Garcia in 1894, in the principality of Huautla, located in Oaxaca, Mexico. She’s known as a healer and poet, though she would most likely refer to herself as a woman doctor, whose language becomes beautiful with the help of the psylocibin mushroom, which she affectionately refers to as little saints or holy children. In 1953, American banker, R. Gordon Wasson and his wife, pediatrician Valentina Pavlovna, were the first non-Indigenous people to witness one of Sabina’s ceremonies. Novice ethnomycologists and anthropologists, the couple traveled to Southern Mexico to witness a ceremony in which …

Creating A Sense Of Home: Hispanic Students At Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Eva Cordero

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) provide critical access to higher education for Hispanic students, yet their designation is based on enrollment rather than active support for student success. The purpose of the study was to describe and explore the sense of belonging for Hispanic students at a select Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) with a high percentage of Hispanic students. Using photo voice, document analysis, and semi-structured interviews, the study identifies five key themes: (1) agency in belonging, (2) club participation, (3) fostering a sense of value, (4) institution and institutional agents, and (5) scholarship and funding. Findings underscore the need for HSIs …

Comparison Of Airborne Lidar-Derived Elevation Data In Fayetteville, Arkansas, Usa, Angelica M. Otting

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Light detection and ranging (lidar) laser scanners are prominent remote sensing tools to produce high resolution three-dimensional (3D) imagery of the Earth’s surface. These laser scanners combined with global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) and real-time kinematic (RTK) reference stations can generate some of the most accurate ground surface imagery and elevation data for terrain mapping and related applications. Lidar aerial survey is an important tool in industries such as architecture, civil engineering, forestry, geology, geography, and agriculture where digital terrain models (DTMs) can be used to examine the geographical landscape and urban industry. Currently, there are three different common laser …

Achieving Flexible Fairness And Privacy In Federated Learning, Alycia N. Carey

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Having access to large, high-quality datasets is crucial for training machine learning models that achieve satisfactory performance. Unfortunately, it is common that a single entity (e.g., mobile device or organization) does not have access to such datasets due to monetary or resource constraints. Traditional machine learning requires that all training data reside in a centralized location during the entire duration of model training, however, in many circumstances it is difficult or even impossible (e.g., due to governmental regulations) for multiple parties to combine their data to meet this constraint. Federated learning is a machine learning paradigm that facilitates the joint …

Geospatial Modeling Of Winter-Related Property Damage In Arkansas, Braedyn Mcbroom

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Storm Data, a monthly publication by the National Weather Service with records of weather events, reports on property damage caused by natural hazards. Since 1996, the database has included winter-related events. While the property damage data is considered incomplete, no other unique, public datasets report winter-related property damage at the county level. From 1996 to 2024, Arkansas ranked #1 in winter-related property damage. To understand the factors that are driving property damage and potentially reduce Arkansas’ vulnerability to it, three groups separated by temporal periods, i.e., “2000” (01/1996 - 06/2005), “2010” (07/2005 - 06/2015), and “2020” (07/2015 - 06/2024) …

The Reality Of Reputation: Exploring Proxy Measures And Predictive Modeling In U.S. News & World Report College Rankings, Aubree Diane Hughart-Thomas

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Since 1983, U.S. News & World Report (USNWR) has published annual college rankings that shape institutional decision-making, student choices, and public perceptions of higher education. While widely utilized, these rankings have been criticized for their reliance on subjective reputation metrics, methodological opacity, and emphasis on factors correlated with institutional wealth rather than student outcomes. This study examines whether publicly available data from sources such as the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) and the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard can serve as proxies for the factors used in the USNWR National Universities 2025 Best Colleges rankings. Using …