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Sustainability-Oriented Strategies Canadian Higher Education Leaders Use To Improve Organizational Performance, Houman Sanandaji

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ineffective sustainability-oriented strategies can hinder organizational performance in higher education institutions (HEI). Canadian HEI leaders must address this challenge to strengthen institutional resilience, environmental accountability, student success, and stakeholder trust. Grounded in the triple bottom line framework, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore effective economic, social, and environmental strategies employed by leaders of Canadian HEIs to enhance organizational performance. The participants were nine Canadian HEI leaders in British Columbia. The data sources were semistructured interviews and publicly available institutional documents. Through thematic analysis, three themes were identified: (a) institutionalizing sustainability through governance, strategy, and accountability; (b) …

Outdoor Floral Hemp Research In Utah, Matt Yost, Tina Sullivan, Bruce Bugbee, Earl Creech

All Current Publications

Floral hemp producers in the Intermountain West face numerous management decisions: which cultivar to plant, which irrigation system to use, and how much water and fertilizer to apply. Utah State University field research near Logan, Utah, from 2020 to 2022 evaluated these questions in outdoor, irrigated conditions.

Understanding Students’ Perceptions Of Sustainability And Social Media Utility For Sustainability Communication: Evidence From Malaysia And Thailand, Mohamad Saifudin Mohamad Saleh, Miao Huang, Ali Mehellou, Teerada Chongkolrattanaporn

Higher Learning Research Communications

Social media has become an increasingly prominent platform for information dissemination among university students. This exploratory qualitative study explored Malaysian and Thai communication university students’ perspectives on the importance of social media and students’ role in learning about sustainability communication. A face-to-face focus group discussion (FGD) was conducted with 18 seniors who were majoring in communication at the School of Communication of Universiti Sains Malaysia and the faculty of Communication Arts of Chulalongkorn University, Thailand. The results showed that most respondents understood the concept of sustainability communication and its importance to the sustainable development goals (SDGs). Respondents also discussed the …

2026 Laii Field Research Grant (Frg) Colloquium, Crush Diaz, Alexandra Apgar, Bruna Rodolfo De Almeida, Angela Ronces-Cortes, Esteban Lopez Murillo, Anejelique Martinez, Austin Murrell

LAII Events

Join the LAII for a panel event where former field research grant recipients discuss their research projects.

Graduate students can benefit significantly from the opportunity to conduct field research in Latin America, where they combine practice with theory and connect their scholarship to lived experiences or archival data. To make field research more accessible to students, each spring the LAII offers field research grants (FRGs) to graduate students across campus.

All potential applicants are encouraged to attend.

Featured Speakers:

• Crush Diaz (MA student, Latin American Studies)
• Alexandra Apgar (PhD student, Earth & Planetary Sciences)
• Bruna Rodolfo de Almeida (MA student, …

Laii Greenleaf Scholar Presentation | Vegetal Bodies: Negotiating Plant And Human Relations In Late Postclassic And Early Colonial Central Mexico, Rong Lin

LAII Events

Focusing on maize, maguey, and trees, this project examines different kinds of “vegetal bodies”: representations that blur the boundaries between human and plant forms, appearing in pictorial, sculptural, and textual sources. In this project, Lin explores the visual, material, and performative practices through which vegetal bodies were imagined, made, and enacted. Drawing on sixteenth-century Nahuatl sources, codices, and plant-based objects, her project aims to highlight how plants were not passive resources but relational entities capable of action, communication, and transformation.

Rong Lin is a PhD candidate in Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican Art History at the University of Illinois Chicago. Her research centers …

A Hybrid Telehealth Model Offers Access To Specialty Diabetes Care In Pregnancy, Katherine M. Davis, Wendy Craig, Kelley Conroy

Journal of Maine Medical Center

Introduction: Diabetes in pregnancy is increasing in the United States and is associated with greater maternal and neonatal morbidity. Continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) improve glycemic control, but data on outcomes with telehealth-based diabetes management in pregnancy remain limited. This study compared glycemic control and perinatal outcomes among pregnant people with diabetes managed using CGMs through in-person care versus a hybrid-option model.
Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients with singleton pregnancies and diabetes managed with CGMs from January 2018 to June 2022. Participants receiving third-trimester care before the COVID-19 pandemic comprised the traditional group, whereas those …

Associations Of Subclinical Hypothyroidism And Thyroid Autoimmunity With Insulin Resistance Independent Of Adiposity: An Analysis Of Nhanes, Iman Taher Hussein

AUIQ Complementary Biological System

A thyroid–inflammation–insulin pathway has been proposed in which thyroid dysfunction promotes inflammation and thereby reduces insulin sensitivity, but adiposity-adjusted population evidence is limited. This cross-sectional analysis examined whether subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) and thyroid autoimmunity are associated with insulin resistance independently of body mass index (BMI), and whether C-reactive protein (CRP), the only inflammatory biomarker available, is associated with either, using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007–2012 data. Non-pregnant adults aged 18–60 years with fasting glucose < 126 mg/dL and normal free thyroxine were included; SCH was defined as thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) 4.5–10 mIU/L, and insulin resistance was quantified by the homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR). Linear regression of log HOMA-IR accounted for the complex survey design (strata, clusters, weights) and was adjusted for age, sex, BMI, and survey cycle, with sensitivity and interaction analyses. Among 2,434 adults (89 with SCH), no association with HOMA-IR was detected for TSH (β = 0.009 per mIU/L; 95% CI -0.014 to 0.032), SCH (β = -0.035; 95% CI -0.186 to 0.115), or thyroid peroxidase …

Cow And Calf Performance On Pasture-Forage Types During The Fall, Mid October To Mid November, Llewellyn L. Manske

Rangelands - Grazing Systems

Report on research to evaluate fall grazing effects on cow and calf weight gains separately from animal performance during the other portions of the grazing season.

Evaluating Beef Cow Performance: Comparing Crested Wheatgrass/Legume, Big Bluestem, And Foxtail Millet In Swath Grazing, B. W. Neville, G. P. Lardy, K. K. Sedivec

Rangelands - Grazing Systems

Comparison study of cool-season perennial, warm-season perennial, and warm-season on beef cow performance and economics.

Cow And Calf Performance As Affected By Grazing Management, Llewellyn L. Manske

Rangelands - Grazing Systems

Different grazing treatments cause changes in the quantity of plant growth and the quality of herbage; this study compares cow and calf accumulated weight gain, rate of weight gain per acre, and rate of weight gain per day on various pasture-forage types of grazing management systems.

Swath Grazing Vs Native Range Grazing For Wintering Beef Cows In South-Central North Dakota, B. W. Neville, G. P. Lardy, K. K. Sedivec

Rangelands - Grazing Systems

Comparison study of cow performance of swath grazing (using crested wheatgrass, big bluestem, and foxtail millet) and native range grazing.

Build It And They Will Come...To Admire Your Grazing System. From The Proceedings Of The First Interprovincial Range Conference In Western Canada., D. R. Kirby

Rangelands - Grazing Systems

Discusses North Dakota State University research comparing the effects of two grazing systems (short duration and repeated seasonlong) on herbage production and disappearance, long-term plant community changes and livestock performance and production. Presented as a keynote address at the First Interprovincial Range Conference in Western Canada.

Plant Responses To Different Grazing Intensities In The Missouri Coteau Of North Dakota, Danjun Wang, Shiping Wang, Xubin Pan

Rangelands - Grazing Systems

Report assessing the effect that grazing intensity has on Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) in the Coteau region of North Dakota; examins seed banks in areas of light grazing intensity and extreme grazing intensity.

Grazing Systems For The Mixed Grass Prairie Of North Dakota., Don Kirby, William T. Barker, Paul Nyren

Rangelands - Grazing Systems

Results of a comparison study of three different grazing systems: season long, rotational and short term grazing.

Effects Of Fall Grazing On Grass-Leaf Height, Llewellyn L. Manske

Rangelands - Grazing Systems

Summarizes the results of a study conducted from 1958 to 1962 at the Dickinson Research Extension Center by H. Goetz and previously published (1963) as his master's degree thesis. Indicated that fall grazing is detrimental to perennial grasses, greatly reducing the leaf height of the plants the following growing season.

A Five-Year Study Of Fertilization Of Extremely Grazed And Moderately Grazed Mixed-Grass Prairie With Slow-Release Phosphorus And Urea, J. M. Volk, William T. Barker, P. Nyren

Rangelands - Grazing Systems

Study showing the response of extremely and moderately grazed mixed-grass prairie vegetation to annual applications of slow release phosphorus and slow release urea.

Doing The Math: Calculating A Sustainable Stocking Rate, Amanda Hancock

Rangelands - Grazing Systems

Useful information defining commonly used rangeland terminology (AUM, stocking rate, and carrying capacity) and providing formulas for calculation and practice worksheets.

Increasing Rhizosphere Fungi And Improving Soil Quality With Biologically Effective Grazing Management, Llewellyn L. Manske, Thecan Caesar-Tonthat

Rangelands - Grazing Systems

This report compares the effects of traditional grazing management to twice-over rotation grazing management on livestock performance, herbage biomass, and rhizosphere fungal populations on Northern Plains native rangeland.

Effects Of Swathed Forage Type On Intake And Total Tract Digestion, B. W. Neville, G. P. Lardy, T. C. Gilbery

Rangelands - Grazing Systems

Research results assessing the effects of swathed forage and protein supplementation on dietary intake and digestibility of cows.

Suppression Of Grasshopper Population Numbers With Biologically Effective Grazing Management, Llewellyn L. Manske

Rangelands - Grazing Systems

Research comparing intensity of grasshopper infestations on grasslands with traditional grazing and twice over rotational grazing. Increased vegetation cover from rotational grazing reduces grasshopper numbers as improved grassland habitat is unfavorable for these pests.

Effects Of Dormant Season Grazing On Herbage Production And Plant Growth, Mitch Faulkner, Kevin Sedivec, Jackie Olson

Rangelands - Grazing Systems

A study to determine the impacts of winter grazing on herbage production, growth rate of dominant grass species, and changes in plant species composition using various levels and combinations of winter and summer use.

Determining An Optimum Stocking Rate For The Missouri Coteau Of North Dakota, Bob D. Patton

Rangelands - Grazing Systems

This study compares the effects of five different grazing intensities on the plant community, livestock performance and economic returns.

The Life Of A Showgirl As A Cultural Artifact: What's Hidden By The Lipstick And Lace?, Crystal F. Haryanto

Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy

This paper develops a collage-based framework to holistically assess Taylor Swift’s highly anticipated first release after the Eras Tour concluded. The Life of a Showgirl, with sparkling promotional materials leading up to its October 2025 drop and polarizing critical reception following it, represents an entertainer’s lifestyle while still concealing what was alluded to behind the Eras Tour curtain. Rather than engage in a direct response to Showgirl, I critically evaluate positive and negative commentary from listeners regarding the album, and I thematically analyze lyrical concepts throughout Swift’s discography to contextualize Showgirl within the arc of her work. I …

Recovering And Reclaiming Black Histories: Integrating Historical Perspectives In Teaching And Research

Occasional Paper Series

No abstract provided.

(Re)Writing The Narrative: Study Abroad In Ghana As A Catalyst To (Re)Frame Black Education, Amira Nash, Monique Cottman, Corey Breiten

Occasional Paper Series

Three Black educators including one instructor, one preservice teacher, and one inservice educator, highlight their experiences participating in a study abroad program in Ghana. Each author shares their personal narrative as a Black educator in a predominantly white educational context in the U.S. Midwest participating in the Ghana study abroad program. For Authors 2 and 3, their first visit to the continent of Africa, reflecting on these experiences through the lens of (re)membering in education. We conclude with a discussion highlighting how these experiences inform and strengthen our collective efforts towards reimagining educational equity in our local community.

Carrying Memory, Building Capital: Black Family Child Care Educators’ Community Mothering And Educational Equity, Ashley R. Watts, Crystasany R. Turner

Occasional Paper Series

This narrative unfolds not only as research but as living archives of Black family child care educators’ daily acts of care, resistance, and cultural preservation. Each image and story becomes a window into the layered identities of FCCEs—community mothers, pedagogues, and cultural stewards—whose homes and classrooms are sites of both survival and joy. The photographs capture the textures of their caregiving environments: the toys worn smooth by generations of children, the kitchen tables transformed into learning hubs, the walls adorned with cultural symbols and affirmations. These visual and narrative fragments remind us that FCCEs are not simply providers; they are …

(Re)Membering As Resistance: Learning From My Grandma’S Story In A Time Of Historical Erasure, Akilah K. Lyons-Moore

Occasional Paper Series

In the current moment of historical erasure—marked by book bans, curricular restrictions, and political efforts to sanitize discussions of race—(re)membering becomes a pedagogical imperative. Drawing on Morrison’s (1987) articulation of (re)membering and Black feminist theories of memory (Collins, 2000; Hartman, 2008; hooks, 1994), this paper uses narrative inquiry to trace the intergenerational educational journeys of a Black rural Southern woman born in 1914 and her granddaughter, a contemporary teacher educator. Through autobiography and lived experience, this paper examines how personal and communal histories counter disremembering (Trouillot, 1995) and the politics of being forgotten. By weaving together these two lives—rooted in …

Beyond The Chalkboard: Black Oral Traditions And The Kitchen Table As Pedagogy, Gerald D. Smith Jr

Occasional Paper Series

This article positions the kitchen table as a vital pedagogical archive within Black educational history. Drawing on the work of various Black scholars, it argues that domestic spaces—kitchen tables, living rooms, basements, and barbershops have long functioned as fugitive classrooms where Black communities cultivated knowledge, identity, and political consciousness beyond the constraints of formal schooling. Using Carrie Mae Weems’ Kitchen Table Series as a central metaphor, the article traces how oral traditions, storytelling, and community dialogue preserved Black intellectual traditions during eras of segregation, educator displacement, and systemic erasure throughout history. Highlighting Black feminist educators such as Anna Julia Cooper, …

Voices From The Atrato: Reclaiming Afrocolombian Education From The Riverbank, Siris Sulay Mena-Rivera, Karen Chaverra-Mosquera, Maure Aguirre Ortega

Occasional Paper Series

This article reconceptualizes the Atrato River as a living pedagogical archive that participates in the formation of Black education in Chocó, Colombia. Drawing on Black feminist oral methods, it centers a dialogue among Black educators to examine how educational knowledge emerges through relationships with the river, territory, memory, and community life. The analysis argues that river-based pedagogies distinct Afro-Colombian epistemologies that challenge White/Mestizo-centered and standardized models of schooling. Storytelling, river travel, intergenerational memory, and everyday territorial practices are examined as pedagogical processes through which Black communities sustain identity, historical consciousness, and collective sovereignty. The article further contends that the Atrato's …

Recovering A Gem: Melva L. Price, A New York City Teacher, Emmanuelle St. Jean

Occasional Paper Series

The paucity of research on the experiences of Black women teachers in integrated New York City schools underscores the need for further investigation. Studying Black women teachers in integrated school settings opens the door for reshaping the traditional framings of Black women teachers as revolutionary individuals who largely taught and transformed the learning experiences of Black children. This article focuses on Melva Price, a Latin language teacher at a New York City high school. Price became a teacher during a period of intense marginalization and oppression. Her journey to becoming a teacher, her pedagogical practices, and her experiences as a …