Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Health Misinformation During Epidemiological Crises, Bethany Stefan, Alexis L. Emich, Katrina R. Lamp

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Health misinformation is more prevalent than ever in the modern age and poses serious risks for those who believe it. Medical fallacies can become especially harmful during periods of widespread disease when the misinformed respond in ways that increase threats to public health. The purpose of this systematic review is to describe and critically appraise the evidence about how health misinformation during endemics and pandemics can influence behaviors and responses, as well as the implications of interventions affecting these behaviors. A systematic search of the literature with inclusion/exclusion criteria using CINAHL Plus with Full Text, MEDLINE, and PsychINFO resulted in …

The Higher Education Risk To National Security: A Case Study Of The University Of Akron, Anna Back

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

There are numerous threats to U.S. National Security within higher education. Through this paper, I will provide an analysis of current and future threats using a literature review and informational interviewing. The literature review revealed four major National Security threats facing higher education institutions due to Foreign Intelligence Entities (FIE): foreign recruitment of faculty and students, increase in foreign students and screening difficulties, campus openness/easy access to facilities and information, and foreign funding for research. A set of informational interviews were conducted with The University of Akron faculty, employees, and partners to evaluate whether these same threats were present. The …

Integrating Fema And Scouts For Local Community Hazard Preparedness, Megan Vocatura

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

My goal is to support the development of a comprehensive, evidence-based, plan to connect four counties in eastern Massachusetts with local Scouting resources to enhance preparedness efforts. The counties of Essex, Middlesex, Norfolk, and Suffolk comprise the geographic footprint of the Sprit of Adventure Scout Council (SoA). SoA’s newly established partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) needs recommendations on where to stage preparedness and response efforts. My role will be to build a repository of evidence of current and anticipated hazards, vulnerabilities, and risks for the region and specific communities. This part of the project will consist of …

Will Covid-19 Be Eradicated?, Matthew Kieke

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

In this paper I want to define the meaning of “eradication”, explain the history of various diseases that have been eradicated, and compare and contrast them to covid-19, to answer the question of “Will covid-19 be eradicated”?

Factors Influencing The Likelihood Of Women Winning Elections, Natalie Browning

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This study analyzes variables that increase the likelihood of women winning an election for the United States Congress spanning from 1970 to 2020. This study analyzes the relationship between how liberal the United States is and the likelihood of women winning elections. A dependent relationship was found between the level of liberalism rising in the US and women winning elections. Some of this study is also used to analyze a possible relationship between women being more likely to win open seats or those with incumbents seeking reelection. A possible relationship was found between those two variables, but it was decided …

Gun Control In The United States, Oliver Lake

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This paper focuses on a critical issue that has plagued our nation for many years. It has been one of the most divisive issues outside of abortion. The topic of gun control and how to approach it brings out two highly emotional and passionate sides. Despite the emotions that may flare up, it is important to remain objective on the facts. By taking into full consideration the arguments and research provided by gun control activists and gun rights activists, a silver lining is found that provides the answers the country has been looking for years. I do this by seeking …

Are Opinions On Abortion Based On Racial Attitudes?, Ashley Mueller

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

My specific research question that I will be addressing through my Honors Research Project is; Does one’s race influence their opinions and criminalization of abortion in the United States? In addition to this question I will be discussing if these views have changed over time depending on race, and how their backgrounds, due to their race, may differentiate these views.

Active Shooter In The Classroom: A Case Study Of Past Events And Future Mitigative Strategies, Joseph St. John

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project is an overview of the emergency management discipline in protecting American schools through describing classroom active shooters, determining shared characteristics and indicators, and previous suggestions to improve the safety of the learning environment. Several sources were used to determine the best methods to mitigate this threat, including official after-action reports from past occurrences, psychological examinations of perpetrating individuals, and numerous federal agencies, such as the Department of Justice and the U.S. Secret Service. The methodology to reach suggestions for mitigation entailed qualitative analysis of numerous after-action reports to highlight mitigative efforts of threat assessment before the event and …

Efforts To Improve Roadway Safety: A Collaborative Approach Between Amish Communities And A Professional Engineering Society, S. Dee Jepsen, Andrew "Dewey" Mann

Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies

Lighting and marking recommendations for animal-drawn buggies and wagons were first established in 2001 through an American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) Engineering Practice, EP576.1. Many Anabaptist communities who primarily rely on animal-drawn vehicles utilize this practice for marking their buggies and wagons; however they do not utilize the practice for their low-profile vehicles, such as pony carts. Visibility for pony carts on public roads is important to protect the operators, typically women and children. Following a series of tragic deaths in their community, the Holmes and Wayne Counties, Ohio, Amish safety committee raised the concern of having …

Horse And Buggy Crash Study Iii: Low Illumination And The Sun’S Glare In Crashes Between Motor Vehicles And Amish / Old Order Mennonite Horse And Buggies, Cory Anderson

Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies

The purpose of this study is to identify time periods of particular crash risk through the day for Amish and Old Order Mennonite horse & buggies. As suggested in prior studies, transitional illumination (dawn/dusk) may be a risk to travel because of a lighting situation that lowers visibility, and the sun’s glare at these same times may obstruct motorists’ vision. The speed differences between buggies and motor vehicles are already great; reduced vision compounds the problem of response time. To assess risk, I compare horse and buggy traffic counts to the times of horse & buggy crashes over a nine-year …

Horse And Buggy Crash Study Ii: Overstretching The Slow-Moving Vehicle Emblem's Abilities: Lessons From The Swartzentruber Amish, Cory Anderson

Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies

For decades, the Swartzentruber sect of Amish have, for religious reasons, rejected state-level mandates for horse-drawn buggies to display the S.M.V. (slow-moving vehicle) emblem. Court cases in several states have suggested (1) confusion over what the emblem is supposed to accomplish, and (2) questions about the emblem's superiority to alternatives. Synthesizing evidence presented in several court cases involving the S.M.V. emblem and the Swartzentruber Amish, this study clarifies what the S.M.V. emblem can be expected to accomplish and in which domains it reaches its limits. The evidence is organized categorically and presented as a series of cues presented to the …

Horse And Buggy Crash Study I: Common Crash Scenarios Between A Motor Vehicle And The Amish / Old Order Mennonite Horse And Buggy, Cory Anderson

Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies

Horse and buggy transportation is spreading as rapidly as its Amish and Old Order Mennonite users are, as are buggy crashes with motor vehicles. This study examines the primary causes of 76 reported horse and buggy crashes in Pennsylvania in 2006. The main crash types identified include a motorist rear-ending a forward-moving buggy, a motorist striking the buggy while attempting to pass, buggy struck while crossing an intersection, and buggy struck while making a left turn. While causative factors varied, major factors include the motorist or buggy driver incorrectly comprehending speed differentials, the motorist acting carelessly around the buggy, and …

Transport Practices In Amish Communities, James Warren, Marcus Enoch

Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies

Car ownership is growing in many countries. While beneficial to individuals in many cases, this trend has often resulted in significant economic, social, and environmental costs to society more generally. In researching possible solutions, one approach is to look at particular areas or communities that exhibit less reliance on the car or are even ‘car free’ to some extent, in order to see if lessons can be learned. Accordingly, this study seeks to define and characterize transport practices in Amish communities—in groups located across the United States and Canada—which for religious reasons have eschewed the car. Specifically, the paper draws …

Understanding Access To Menstrual Hygiene Products In The Akron Area, Corinne Plas

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Abstract

The purpose of this project is to contribute to the understanding of the nature of access to menstrual hygiene products in the Akron area. Questions being researched are “Do Akron area residents need better access to menstrual hygiene products?”, “What is the nature of current access to products in the Akron area?”, “What influences a lack of access to products, if anything?”, and “What kinds of products are preferred and actually used?” The project consists of a 30-question survey, which was taken online by 51 participants. Completed analyses were cross tabulation analyses using Qualtrics and IBM SPSS programs and …

Sustainable Akron: Akron's Zero Carbon, Zero Waste, 100% Renewable Energy Future, Nicholas Cacioppo

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This report attempts to show that it is not just possible for the City of Akron to transition to a more sustainable city, but that it may be socially and economically beneficial for the city to do so. This report builds on Greenprint for Akron, the City of Akron’s Climate Action Plan, and serves to complement city development plans as well as guide the adoption of future climate related policies. This report provides a limited but updated climate and sustainability assessment of the City of Akron and employs a framework of three fundamental aspects of a sustainable and resilient city: …

U.S. Census Explorer: A Gui And Visualization Tool For The U.S. Census Data Api, Timothy Snyder

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

U.S. Census Explorer is a software application that is designed to provide tools for intuitive exploration and analysis of United States census data for non-technical users. The application serves as an interface into the U.S. Census Bureau’s data API that enables a complete workflow from data acquisition to data visualization without the need for technical intervention from the user. The suite of tools provided include a graphical user interface for dynamically querying U.S. census data, geographic visualizations, and the ability to download your work to common spreadsheet and image formats for inclusion in external works.

Fracking And Induced Seismicity Mitigation In Ohio, Claudia Judele

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This research analyzes the extent to which the hydraulic fracturing process contributes to seismic activity in the State of Ohio and compares Ohio’s fracking induced seismicity with other case studies from the States of Texas, Pennsylvania, and Oklahoma. It distinguishes and addresses the differences in risks that fracking poses in conventional natural gas wells versus unconventional horizontal wells where natural gas is extracted from reservoirs with low permeability. Ohio’s earthquake history, fracking history, current fracking regulations, and restrictions on local regulations were thoroughly investigated to determine just how much fracking has affected the state’s seismicity rate. Since 2011, when unconventional …

The Purloined Letters: A Collection Of Mail Robbery Reports From Ohio Papers, 1841-1850, Marc Cibella

Nineteenth-Century Ohio Literature

Marc Cibella’s essay introduces and explains why nineteenth-century Americans got excited about newspaper reports of mail robbery.

“When One Shingle Sends Up Smoke”: The Summit Beacon Advises Akron About The Epidemic Cholera, 1849, Elizabeth Hall

Nineteenth-Century Ohio Literature

Elizabeth Hall explains the American cholera epidemic of 1849, with special attention to how cholera afflicted Akron, a booming canal town in Northeast Ohio. The article presents the full text of 1849 Akron newspaper articles on cholera and explains how their mix of good and bad information was published right before scientific breakthroughs in cholera research.

Tactical Medicine: An Examination Of Medical Training In Law Enforcement, Brian J. Woods Jr.

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

In recent years, there has been a trend towards making law enforcement officers more well-rounded first responders by increasing their required medical competencies. The required medical competencies of six law enforcement agencies of varying sizes in Northeast Ohio were examined by interviews conducted with a representative from each agency. Interview question topics included information on current training requirements and the types of medical equipment issued to officers. The study found that all six of the agencies surveyed offered medical training to officers as part of required continuing education, and all six agencies currently issued, or planned to issue in the …

Bush V. Boumediene: The Court Is Back, Jay Dratler

Akron Law Faculty Publications

This short article is a follow-up to a piece I wrote two years ago on Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, SSRN No. 913822. While applauding the result in Hamdan, I critiqued the Supreme Court for missing a “teachable moment” and obscuring the great issues at stake in prolixity and mind-numbing technical detail.

In this article, I applaud the Boumediene v. Bush Court not only for its result—that the Constitution’s Suspension Clause can require habeas corpus for aliens held abroad under certain circumstances—but for its reasoning and style as well. This time, the majority of five did not miss its “teachable …

Bush V. Boumediene: The Court Is Back, Jay Dratler

Jay Dratler

This short article is a follow-up to a piece I wrote two years ago on Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, SSRN No. 913822. While applauding the result in Hamdan, I critiqued the Supreme Court for missing a “teachable moment” and obscuring the great issues at stake in prolixity and mind-numbing technical detail.In this article, I applaud the Boumediene v. Bush Court not only for its result—that the Constitution’s Suspension Clause can require habeas corpus for aliens held abroad under certain circumstances—but for its reasoning and style as well. This time, the majority of five did not miss its “teachable moment,” but placed …