Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Blind Fighter – A Video Game For The Visually Impaired, Avery Wayne Harrah

ATU Research Symposium

Blind Fighter is a video game made to be playable by anyone, regardless of any visual impairments the player may have. The game relies on auditory queues to allow players to understand what is happening in the game without ever having to see the screen. The project’s goal is to serve as a proof of concept that video games can be made inclusive with a few additions during development, without sacrificing overall quality. To do this, the game features full graphics in addition to testing many strategies for visually impaired players, including direction-based audio, unique sound effects for each game …

China's Public Diplomacy Philosophy, Logan Webb

ATU Research Symposium

China has become a giant in the globalized world in such a short period of time. This led me to the research question, “What is China’s public diplomacy philosophy?” Using a textual analysis of major geopolitical events that China is involved in (The Belt and Road Initiative, the South China Sea dispute, Uyghur imprisonment, and the Hong Kong government takeover) and the history of China since the Chinese Civil War, it becomes apparent that the country uses the concept of hard and soft power for its public diplomacy. If a country is not receptive to China or its intended actions, …

The Importance Of Public/Private Partnerships For Supply Chain Success In Emergency Management, Rick W. Neudorff

ATU Research Symposium

During the global COVID-19 pandemic response health care related supply chain issues pulled the curtains back to expose a disjointed, mis-managed and fragile supply chain (Goldschmidt & Stasko, 2022). This disfunction eventually impacted billions of people globally and significantly extend the supply chain recovery from COVID-19. The perceived strength of our domestic supply chain was weakened by minimal collaboration between the federal government and the private sector, which manages the majority of supply chains, during the early days of the pandemic (Aday & Aday, 2020). Additionally, the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) was depleted due to many years of under-budgeting for …

A Feasibility Study To Determine The Most Optimal Location For A Ski/Mountain Bike Resort In Greater Northwest Arkansas, Timothy Constantino

ATU Research Symposium

This project was completed by the author with some assistance and consulting from his faculty mentor, Dr. Patrick Hagge. In order to answer the fundamental study questions concerning the feasibility of a mountain bike and ski resort being established in Arkansas, ArcGIS Pro mapping software was utilized. Some data was collected from outside sources, including NOAA and the Arkansas GIS Office. Other data was either interpolated from the aforementioned sources or created by the author. For regionwide suitability, four broad factors were considered. Those included aspect, slope, temperature, and snowfall. Ten specific resort sites were chosen and then ranked considering …

Residence Camps For Youth With Physical Disabilities, Amberlin Piles

ATU Research Symposium

A residence camp consists of a facility or campsite that is utilized for the purpose of camping, requires an overnight stay, and is a popular summertime commodity. Youth with disabilities can benefit from residence camps because it allows them to have a sense of belonging while being surrounded by nature and varying aspects of inclusion. The programming at residence camps for youth with disabilities can consist of indoor or outdoor activities, designed and modified to accommodate the needs of individuals to enjoy and feel included.

The purpose of this study is to examine the perceptions of youth with disabilities at …

Supporting Responder Resiliency: The Effects Of Stress And Mental Health On Retention And Burnout In The Humanitarian Disaster Workforce, Misty C. Sutton

ATU Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

Importance Of Preparedness For The City Of Guangzhou To Enhance Response Capabilities Related To Disease Outbreaks, Shimin Su

ATU Research Symposium

This research study underscores the importance of preparedness for the City of Guangzhou to enhance response capabilities related to disease outbreaks. By reviewing existing literature, this study examines preparedness and response activities adopted by various countries during the COVID-19 Pandemic and further provides strategies to reduce impacts and facilitate effective response and recovery for future public health emergencies.

Perceptions Of Varying Types Of Health Conditions Among Arkansas Tech University Students, Leala A. Sorrell

ATU Research Symposium

Attitudes towards minor ailments, psychological conditions, chronic illnesses, and disabilities were measured among students of Arkansas Tech University through an online questionnaire. 10 questions were asked for each condition type for a total of 40 questions. Participants were asked to rate their level of agreeance from 1-5, 1 being “highly disagree” and 5 being “highly agree”. High scores (higher response rate of “strongly agree”) represented attitudes of Talcott Parsons’ sick role theory. Low scores (higher response rate of “strongly disagree”) represented attitudes of the ICF model and inclusiveness. The minor ailments/illnesses scale had the lowest mean score of 27.186. The …

Societal Structure And Stability In Low-Income Families In Arkansas, Kristen Brown, Vivian M. Young, Bryr Bruton

ATU Research Symposium

Societal structure is not built to support a single-parent household positively. This can be shown by research measuring children’s development in poverty, the median household income of single parents, and food insecurities and obesity of children in poverty. The first goal of this research is to investigate the patterns of struggle that single-parent families experience in low-income households. These patterns of struggle in low-income households will include poverty, race/ethnicity, and child development (e.g., education). The second goal is to investigate the policies in place to help single-parent families and why they are inefficient in assisting them. These goals helped narrow …

Growing Up And The Emotions That Come With It, Mckenzie J. Blanchard

ATU Research Symposium

Many people roll their eyes when asked to read a twenty-plus page article and pull out key facts. They also usually do not pull out relatable emotions, but only information. When reading, though, whether poems or short stories, people do not mind the task because they get much more out of it. They walk away with feelings – ones they know from previous, personal experience, and also new ones which relate to the writer’s own story.

My work is an examination of stories of my past that have shaped me into who I am today. The stories are told from …

Occupational Therapy Interventions On A Patient With Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Brianna Sparks

ATU Research Symposium

In this research project, I examined the symptoms of a patient that developed Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and researched a proper plan for treatment from an occupational therapist’s point of view. Because I am going to occupational therapy school in the fall, I wanted my project to reflect the importance of my future career. Being a Rehabilitation Science major with a minor in Disability Studies, I used my knowledge gained from three years of classes onto the project’s content regarding acquired disabilities and the interventions needed. This topic is meaningful because it not only shows a plan for treatment for one …