Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Northern Illinois University Foundation And Alumni Engagement: Who Is “Golden,” And What Leads Alumni To Give To Niu After Graduation, Emma R. Mcmahon

Honors Capstones

Alumni gifts are becoming an important aspect of higher education funding due to decreasing state support. These gifts accommodate about 28 percent, or about $6.8 billion, of support to institutions of higher education (Marr et. al., 2005; Stephenson and Bell, 2014; Sung and Yang, 2009; Weerts et. al. 2010; Drezner and Pizmony-Levy, 2021; and McNamee III, 2021). There are many different aspects of the alumni and student experience that shapes the likelihood of giving behaviors and other forms of engagement including financial capacity, satisfying student experience, age, gender, race, participation in student organizations and Greek life, affirming campus climate, involvement …

Availability Of Ict Facilities And Utilization For Research Output In Ghanaian Academic Libraries: The Case Of University For Development Studies Library Systems, Banleman Banleman Konlan Mr

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The dynamic nature of information use has called for Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in entirely every field of the human venture, and information services and academic libraries are not an exception. The adoption of ICT based services has provided the platform where universities can source and access information easily. Though some studies on ICT availability and utilization have been conducted in the developed world, few studies on ICT services availability and utilization exist in Ghana, especially in the University for Development Studies (UDS). Underpinned by the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the study employed mixed research design to gather data …

Active Collections, Passive Collecting: Revitalizing Library Displays To Diversify Collections & Increase Student Engagement, Erin A. Sulla, Wendy Lee Spaček, Bridgette Flamenco, Elizabeth Kuykendall

Library Scholarship

After a year of limited outreach and collection development activities due to COVID, staff and librarians at one university revitalized their library displays to both address gaps in the collection and increase student engagement with monographs. By activating the collection through monthly themed displays, librarians have increased holdings related to diversity, equity, and inclusion, thus improving representation on the shelves. Participants will discover how active displays that incorporate both academic and recreational holdings can serve a dual purpose as collection development and outreach activities, making the most of limited funds for monograph acquisitions. Attendees from academic and public libraries should …

Exogenous Supply Chain Shocks And Onshoring: An Analysis Of Thetrump Trade War And The U.S.-China Bilateral Trade Relationship, Benjamin Sullivan

Honors Theses

This paper examines the effects of the supply chain crisis on the U.S.-China bilateral trade relationship and on the health of the U.S. manufacturing sector. The policy goals and decision making of both the Trump administration and the Chinese Communist Party are examined, it is determined, within the context of the U.S.-China Trade War, that the Chinese Communist Party made more effective long-term policy decisions than the Trump Administration. However, despite the U.S’s policy failures, this paper finds that U.S. manufacturing competitiveness, relative to China, has actually increased in recent years. This relative increase in manufacturing competitiveness is driving the …

Grit And Food Security Among Female Caregivers In A Rural, Appalachian Mississippi County, Mary Frances Buzhardt

Honors Theses

Background: Grit is the determination and resolve required for accomplishing long term goals.

Research Outcome: This study examined: 1) differences in grit by household food security status; and 2) relationship between grit and household food security status among female caregivers of elementary school children in a rural, Appalachian Mississippi county after participation in a produce voucher intervention.

Methods: Female caregivers (n=1,144) were recruited at three elementary schools in MS in November 2017 and enrolled into a produce voucher intervention ($11/week over 10 weeks). Validated measures of household food security status (10-item USDA survey) and grit score (8-item Duckworth survey) were …

A Social-Ecological-Technological Systems Framework For Urban Ecosystem Services, Timon Mcphearson, Elizabeth M. Cook, Marta Berbés-Blázquez, Chingwen Cheng, Nancy B. Grimm, Erik Andersson, Olga Barbosa, David G. Chandler, Heejun Chang, Mikhail V. Chester, Daniel L. Childers, Stephen R. Elser, Niki Frantzeskaki, Zbigniew Grabowski, Peter M. Groffman, Rebecca L. Hale, David M. Iwaniec, Nadja Kabisch, Christopher Kennedy, Samuel A. Markolf, A. Marissa Matsler, Lauren E. Mcphillips, Thaddeus R. Miller, Tischa A. Muñoz-Erickson, Emma Rosi, Tiffany G. Troxler

Advanced Science Research Center

As rates of urbanization and climatic change soar, decision-makers are increasingly challenged to provide innovative solutions that simultaneously address climate change impacts and risks and inclusively ensure quality of life for urban residents. Cities have turned to nature-based solutions to help address these challenges. Nature-based solutions, through the provision of ecosystem services, can yield numerous benefits for people and address multiple challenges simultaneously. Yet, efforts to mainstream nature-based solutions are impaired by the complexity of the interacting social, ecological, and technological dimensions of urban systems. This complexity must be understood and managed to ensure ecosystem-service provisioning is effective, equitable, and …

Redevelopment's Effect On Property Values, Riley Mateychuk, Nolan Larson, Kaitlin Johnson

Arts & Sciences Undergraduate Showcase

Changes in property values in relation to new or redevelopment and how they shape the property values are necessary to investigate for a city that is economically on the rise. Infill vs greenfield development are key processes to understand in this study. For years the city of Grand Forks, ND has been trying to find a way to tackle the cost effectiveness of property value on infill vs. greenfield development. We set out to help inform them in their decision making process by creating a model looking at the property values over a span of 26 years. We want to …

Virtual Book Club: Impactful Library Programming At A Distance Through Co-Curricular Collaboration, Jessica Szempruch, Katrina I. Hinds

USF Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

This article presents the University of South Florida’s Virtual Book Club, created and continually improved during a time of social isolation (COVID-19 pandemic). Implementation steps taken are discussed, presenting practical considerations to others who may wish to replicate this program. Additionally, this article explores findings from a program evaluation survey. Through engagement with the club, students reported enhanced feelings of connection, as well as improved learning outcomes. Authors posit that meaningful cross-campus collaboration can lead to positive community outreach, facilitate deep engagement, and build community regardless of distance.

Exploring Challenges And Triumphs Within The Transgender Community Through Comics-Based Research, Carly Caldwell

Art Therapy Counseling Final Research Projects

Transgender people are marginalized and pathologized within our society, which leaves transgender individuals vulnerable to numerous negative outcomes. The minority stress model describes the factors experienced by marginalized communities contribute to adverse outcomes (Meyer, 2015). Health care professionals are often not properly equipped to serve the needs of transgender individuals due to marginalization and pathologization. Used to challenge harmful stereotypes, as a form of cultural resistance, and to incite social change comic books and zines have been used as forms of expression for individuals with marginalized identities. Through the creation of a comic book, I aimed to educate others, encourage …

The Cowl - V. 86 N. 19 - May 5, 2022

The Cowl

The Cowl - student newspaper of Providence College. Vol. 86 No. 19 - May 5, 2022. 32 pages.

Making The Old New: The Recontextualization And Traditionalization Of Tree Spirits In Video Games, Alexandria Ziegler

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Folklorists study the active rituals between humans and deities, as well as the inactive participation between them in narrative. However, they do not study the active participation that comes in the form of video games between them, though with shifts in society, this new way of engaging through digital forms is widespread and accessible. In my research, I studied Russian and Japanese tree spirits in a variety of video games to understand this new form of engagement with ancient deities. These video games are Okami, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Black Book, and The Witcher 3: The …

Reflective Journaling Intervention To Impact Self-Awareness, Professional Health, And Overall Well-Being In Nurses, Brittany M. Langan, Katherine Keppen

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects: College of Nursing

Background. Burnout among nurses has been on the rise and was exacerbated with the pandemic. Reflective journaling after work may be a strategy to decrease feelings of burnout. Reflective journaling, as an intervention, has been shown to improve self-awareness, compassion fatigue, and burnout among nurses. The purpose of this study was to pilot a 4-week reflective journaling intervention in hospital-based nurses and describe participant professional quality of life, self-awareness, and overall well-being.

Theoretical Framework. The Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) was chosen as the theoretical framework because it identifies the belief that performing a particular behavior will lead to a …

Remote Sensing & Land Surface Temperature From Satellite Observations, Isatu Jollah

Publications and Research

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument is designed and developed in 1995. • It is a critical instrument aboard Terra and Aqua satellites. Terra's orbit around the Earth is timed so that it crosses the equator from north to south in the morning, while Aqua crosses the equator from south to north in the afternoon. • Every 1 to 2 days, Terra MODIS and Aqua MODIS scan the entire Earth's surface, collecting data in groups of wavelengths. • In this research, a whole month of MODIS Land Surface Temperature data from both Aqua and Terra were explored and investigated.

Sources Of Patient Information For Type 2 Diabetes Self-Care In Northern Mississippi, Minh-Sang La

Honors Theses

Given the prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in the United States and the continuous rise of cases, especially within Mississippi, there is an increasing need to identify if, and how, patients with Type 2 Diabetes receive information about self-care. While there is data available on the topic of where patients receive their information and the influence it has on their health in other countries of the world, the research on the source of Type 2 Diabetes education in the United States is scarce. Therefore, this study aims to bridge the gap of understanding where patients with Type 2 Diabetes …

How Immigration Policy Affects Migratory Flows And Immigrant Experiences: A Comparative Analysis Of Policy Impacts On Northern Triangle And Venezuelan Immigrants In The United States, Audrey Lynn Mcdonough

Honors Theses

In the past two decades, the US has experienced a large influx of immigrants from Venezuela and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. Due to these unprecedented increases, there has been numerous notable shifts in Immigration control policy between the presidencies of Barack Obama and Donald Trump. Generally, policies under Obama were favorable and reflected pro-immigrant rhetoric. Meanwhile, Trump took a drastic turn toward restrictionist, unfavorable policies. This study aims to examine the impact of immigration policy on migratory flows and the immigrant experience in the US. Using both quantitative and qualitative methods, I examine data …

Stirring Up The Soil: Best Practices To Mitigate Lead Exposure In Contaminated Soils Within Omaha, Nebraska, Mckenzie Blaine

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

Cities across the nation in the United States experience problems associated with lead contamination in their urban soils due to industrial pollution. In many instances, the emission of lead particles occurred – unregulated – for several decades. Though there are federal cleanup efforts to help minimize the negative impacts of lead contamination for the public in the United States, the efforts are designated for specified criteria and thus do not reach all areas which need to be remediated. In order to perform proper lead abatement practices, local organizations must take initiative on projects which meet the needs and demands of …

Effects Of Victimization And Community Characteristics On Health Outcomes, Katie Meyer

Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Drawing on the neighborhood disorder model, the environmental stress model, and general strain theory, this study examined the effects of victimization experiences, anticipated victimization, and perceived community characteristics on overall physical health and mental health outcomes. This study used cross-sectional survey data from the 2014-2015 Nebraska Annual Social Indicator Survey (NASIS). Linear regression was used to examine how victimization experiences, worry about victimization, community context, and perceptions of crime and policing were associated with the health outcomes, controlling for demographic characteristics. The findings show that more worry about crime, less positive community perceptions, and less perceived police protection were associated …

Defensive Industrial Policy: Cybersecurity Interventions To Reduce Intellectual Property Theft, Dr. Chad Dacus, Dr. Carl (Cj) Horn

Military Cyber Affairs

Through cyber-enabled industrial espionage, China has appropriated what Keith Alexander, the former Director of the National Security Agency, dubbed “the largest transfer of wealth in history.” Although China disavows intellectual property (IP) theft by its citizens and has set self-sustained research and development as an important goal, it is unrealistic to believe IP theft will slow down meaningfully without changing China’s decision calculus. China and the United States have twice agreed, in principle, to respect one another’s IP rights. However, these agreements have lacked any real enforcement mechanism, so the United States must do more to ensure its IP is …

The Role Of University Libraries In Accreditation Of Academic Programmes: Challenges And Prospects, Flora Ifeoma Okogwu, Juliana Obiageri Akidi

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The National Universities Commission, the supervisory body of all Universities in Nigeria assesses the universities for standards and quality assurance of programmes on regular basis. The paper examined how accreditations are carried out by the National Universities Commission and the accreditation roles of the university libraries were examined. The study also unveiled the challenges of accreditation in University Libraries which include late notification of forthcoming accreditation, financial constraint, out datedness of information resources, and understaff. The study suggested possible ways out of these challenges which include timely notification of date of accreditation, provision of finance to enable the library acquire …

Our Stories, Katelyn S. Lopez

Publications and Research

This semester, we participated in the “Our Stories” qualitative research project that involves learning more about students' first year, and first-semester experiences at City Tech during pandemic times. As we organized and read students’ posts, we journaled and practiced reflexivity, a qualitative research process that helps us examine how we are interpreting the data that we are engaging with. T Reflexivity is a process in qualitative research involving frequent examination of one’s position in the project. These positions include one’s assumptions, feelings, and so forth. An essential question for qualitative researchers, according to Leavy (2011), is “Has the researcher engaged …

Puff Pastry Through Time: Its Evolution & Applications, Thomas Ham

Publications and Research

Puff pastry is a plain laminated dough that is revered to be a versatile ingredient that can easily elevate any dish. At first, this flaky pastry was baked as only cake. Puff pastry has evolved greatly since its creation in 1645. From sweet desserts to savory entrees, puff pastry is ever-present in the industry. Puff pastry is served on its own with minimal flavorings (palmiers), a component of dessert items (napoleons / mille-feuille) or main entrees (beef wellington) enhancing the flavor and texture of the finished dish. The way we eat has drastically changed in recent years, and thus recipes …

Sociopolitical Determinants Of Health In The Proposed Rezoning Of Richmond Hill/Ozone Park, Ny, Khemraj J. Persaud

Publications and Research

The community of Richmond Hill/Ozone Park, Queens, NY has been split into multiple zones and has needed rezoning for decades. The area consists of a range of people from different ethnic backgrounds, including Indo-Caribbean, South Asian, and Afro-Caribbean. Racial health disparities persist in this district, such as obesity, diabetes, and hypertension. I conducted research about how ongoing political issues in this community has been affecting the overall health of its residents and what is being done about it.

Lake Satellite Temperature Data Validation, Mamadou Balde, Pascal Kouogang

Publications and Research

In environmental remote sensing, satellite data isn't absolutely conclusive, for that reason, there is a natural need to verify the data acquired from the satellite. The most suitable tool to achieve such verification is on ground sensors that have the advantage of proximity. Addressing any possible discrepancies between the satellite data and the ground sensor data is sure to yield ways to come up with improvements of satellite band calibration and sensing capabilities. This research focused on correlating temperature data from the MODIS satellite with the data obtained from the In Situ sensor located in Lake Sunapee. Doing the latter …

An Empirical Exploration Of Southeast Asian American Residential Patterns In The San Francisco Bay Area (2000–2019), Minh Q. Nguyen

Journal of Southeast Asian American Education and Advancement

This paper explores three methods of reporting residential patterns: (1) concentration profiles, (2) density maps, and (3) proximity profiles. I analyze U.S. Census data to map and evaluate the residential patterns for Southeast Asian Americans in the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area. Drawing from the field of urban planning, I report two measures of segregation and concentration (a) dissimilarity indices and (b) spatial proximity indices, and I discuss their limitations. Since mapping and spatial statistics are essential to understanding the histories, development, and advancement of Southeast Asian American communities, it is important to promote their broad usage. …

Support New Business To Solve Old Problems With Kentucky’S Keystone Waste From Bourbon & Brewing, Samuel C. Kessler

Commonwealth Policy Papers

Provided here is a policy solution from the backside of Kentucky bourbon and brewing to upcycle Kentucky’s “keystone” wastes and grow businesses in the process. Potential effects range from removing the bottleneck on bourbon production and producing GHG-friendly biogas to lowering the price of milk.This full whitepaper brief provides an incentive model for keystone wastes which have a provider and a use. It is equally applicable for policymakers or advocates wishing to place a policy incentive behind waste-to-product upcycling, businesses involved with methane sequestration & renewable biogas energy, and shifting regulatory and penalizing models of pollution into incentive model for …

A Geographically Targeted Approach For A Preceptor Tax Incentive Using Primary Care Health Professional Shortage Areas (Hpsas), Julia Mattingly, Sarah Belcher, Samuel C. Kessler

Commonwealth Policy Papers

Years before the COVID-19 pandemic brought on a health care shortage in Kentucky, its rural areas were already struggling to obtain and attract primary care medical practitioners. Even though the number of medical school graduates in the U.S. has steadily increased throughout the years, there is a general disinterest in rural or small-town practice, and legislators throughout the country have pondered ways to address this issue plaguing communities. Versions of Preceptor Tax Incentive legislation in Kentucky have been proposed in the General Assembly to address care shortages in the state, however, all have been unsuccessful at truly targeting rural areas …

Farmworker Voices: Contesting & Renegotiating Essential Status During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Jennifer Martinez

Student Research Symposium

This study draws on a subset of thirty individuals that took part in the community-driven Oregon COVID-19 Farmworker Study to analyze how farmworkers interpreted the contradictory label essential worker. Using discourse analysis, this article examines how these peasant workers drew on their embodied experiences working throughout the pandemic to give meaning to their essential designation. The data suggest that farmworkers were tacitly aware of the contradictions between their labeling as indispensable and their disposable treatment on the ground. Farmworkers generally felt unrecognized, underpaid, and felt exposed to COVID-19 infection in addition to everyday workplace hazards. While the essential title was …

Automating A Well Child Visit, Daniel Merrill

Research Days

No abstract provided.

Third-Wave, Mindfulness-Based Therapies As Treatments For Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Xander Kahle, Avery Waklatsi, Amy Pytlovany

Student Research Symposium

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a severe, difficult-to-treat neuropsychiatric condition that affects millions of people throughout the world. The current first-line psychotherapy for OCD is exposure and response prevention (ERP). ERP is effective but flawed, and researchers seek alternative OCD treatments. We examined two third-wave, mindfulness-based therapies (1) acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and (2) mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) as treatments for OCD. We expected ACT/MBCT to have (1a) significantly higher OCD symptom reduction rates, (1b) higher treatment response rates, and (1c) lower dropout rates than a control (progressive relaxation training/PRT), as well as (2a) equal/higher OCD symptom reduction rates, (2b) …

Understanding Work And Sleep Through A Machine Learning Approach, Jennifer Saucedo, Josh J. Prasad, Tori L. Crain

Student Research Symposium

The present study will utilize machine learning methods to find the individual factors (e.g, demographic, lifestyle, contextual, work-related) best predict sleep. I will examine (1) whether machine learning techniques better predict sleep over linear prediction methods and (2) what factors are most important when predicting sleep. Using government-funded data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), a variety of prediction methods will be utilized to evaluate and compare predictive performance across 2018, 2019, and 2020. Results found will have a variety of theoretical and practical implications for scientists and practitioners.