Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Practitioner Perspectives On Barriers And Opportunities Shaping Contemporary Dei, Carlen Arima

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the lived experiences of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practitioners to understand the barriers and opportunities shaping their work in the current landscape. The study identified conditions for success, including two organizational conditions (authentic leadership commitment and strategic business alignment), three practitioner-driven strategies (human resource operations and systemic integration, use of data and metrics, and adaptive framing to increase adoption), and three persistent barriers (leadership support without operational follow-through, funding and time constraints, and structural marginalization of DEI). A central finding revealed that leadership commitment was both the most cited enabler of success and, when lacking operational …

Evaluating The Early Impact Of Ab 617: Air Pollution, Health Disparities, And Environmental Justice In California, Cherry Cheuk Lam Cheung, Adam Eckerd

School of Public Service Faculty Publications

This study evaluates the initial effectiveness of California’s Assembly Bill 617 (AB 617), enacted to address air pollution impacts in communities designated as environmental justice priorities, a policy approach that has recently been touted as a successful start. These claims of initial success stand in contrast to much of the research on remediation of environmental justice, particularly with respect to air pollution. Despite well-documented disparities in air pollution exposure and its health impacts among racial-ethnic minorities, previous policy efforts to mitigate these effects have had, at best, marginal effects. AB 617 mandates local air districts and the California Air Resources …

Caregiver Policies In The United States: A Systematic Review, Makenna R. Green, M. Courtney Hughes, Sadia Afrin, Erin Vernon

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

In the United States, there are nearly 53 million informal or unpaid caregivers, many of whom experience mental and physical stress related to their caregiving duties and increased financial responsibility. We identified federal and state informal caregiver support policies authorized by specific legislation along with their key provisions and conducted a systematic review of the academic literature related to quantitative evaluations of these policies. Twenty policies, eight academic studies, and four gray literature reports were included in the study, with half of the policies introduced since 2000. Our study criteria yielded few academic valuations tied to caregiver policies and few …

Mercury Concentrations, Health, And Marine Food Consumption Across Four Eastern Caribbean Populations: Insights From A Novel Community-Based Study, Russell Fielding, Catherine Brown, Jessica Dutton, Martin S. Forde, Heather Harewood, Lisa Hunt, Catherine Macdonald, Cameron Mewhirter, Vincent Reid, Madison Smith, Holly Taylor, Katelyn Zimmerman

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Mercury (Hg), as an environmental pollutant, can have harmful effects on human health. A common way that people are exposed to Hg is through seafood consumption. This project was designed to investigate Hg exposure through seafood consumption and its health effects among adults in 4 Caribbean countries: Barbados (n = 117), Grenada (n = 90), St. Lucia (n = 126), and St. Vincent & the Grenadines (n = 77). We applied a novel, community—based method, which involved recruiting and paying local barbers and hairstylists to collect hair samples from their clients who consented to join the project as participants. Participants …

On The Design Of An Optimal Immigration Policy, Armando R. Lopez-Velasco

Economics and Finance Faculty Publications

This paper constructs a model for the study of optimal immigration from the perspective of natives. They have preferences over redistributive transfers, a public good subject to congestion, and over the level of family-based migration. Border enforcement is costly. The model derives conditions for an optimal immigration policy, which balances skill-based against family-based migration, equalizes the fiscal opportunity cost of unauthorized immigration with the marginal cost of enforcement, and balances the effects on transfers against the implied congestion effects. A parameterized version of the model studies the 1994–2008 period and finds legislation projects on immigration consistent with the model's predictions.

Feminist Digital Center: Building An Online Hub For Undergraduate Feminist Scholarship, Julie Shayne, Tessa Denton, Denise Hattwig

Journal of Feminist Scholarship

This paper is about The Feminist Digital Center (FDC). We begin by briefly theoretically situating our project in discussions of feminist and open pedagogy, high impact practices, and digital scholarship. Next, we discuss how the FDC came to be, institutionally and digitally, with particular emphasis on the assignments students did to fill the site. We close with why the site matters. We hope readers will attempt some version of this project at your institutions and find value in the model we share.

Death And Inheritance: How Meanings Of Money Are Drawn From Everyday Life, Kendall Coney

Sociology Honors Projects

Probate is a legal process to distribute a deceased person’s assets involving a personal representative who administers the estate on behalf of the deceased. It is uniquely situated in the intersection of a procedurally exhaustive process and the deeply emotional experience of losing a loved one, where legal procedures are imposed on relational contexts. I draw on in-depth interviews with personal representatives from four counties in Minnesota to expose the dissimilar way personal representatives understand the meaning of inheritance money, which in turn influenced how they understood and navigated the probate process. The lack of a clear pattern found in …

Balance Assistance Without Mechanical Support Using A Virtual Cane With Haptic Feedback, Sindhu Reddy Alluri, Sambad Regmi, Fazlur Rashid, Devin Michael Burns, Yun Seong Song

Psychological Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

Light Touch (LT) has been known to improve standing balance without mechanical support by providing sensory information about the movement of the body. Inspired by this, this work developed a Virtual Cane (VC) which gives no physical support but provides other sensory information that a physical cane would. The VC is developed with a distance sensor and vibration actuators to provide cane tip-to-ground distance information to the user. The extent to which this haptic feedback improves standing balance was assessed in a human experiment. 10 healthy young participants underwent a standing balance experiment with tandem stance and eyes closed, using …

Multi-Model Estimate Of Antarctic Ice-Shelf Basal Mass Budget And Ocean Drivers, Benjamin K. Galton-Fenzi, Richard Porter-Smith, Sue Cook, Eva Cougnon, David E. Gwyther, Wilma G. C. Huneke, Madelaine G. Rosevear, Xylar Asay-Davis, Fabio Boeira Dias, Michael S. Dinniman, David Holland, Kazuya Kusahara, Kaitlin A. Naughten, Keith W. Nicholls, Charles Pelletier, Ole Richter, Hélène Seroussi, Ralph Timmerman

CCPO Publications

Societal adaptation to rising sea levels requires robust projections of the Antarctic Ice Sheet's retreat, particularly due to ocean-driven basal melting of its fringing ice shelves. Recent advances in ocean models that simulate ice-shelf melting offer an opportunity to reduce uncertainties in ice–ocean interactions. Here, we compare several community-contributed, circum-Antarctic ocean simulations to highlight inter-model differences, evaluate agreement with satellite-derived melt rates, and examine underlying physical processes. All but one simulation use a melting formulation depending on both thermal driving (T^⋆) and friction velocity (u^⋆), which together represent the thermal and ocean current forcings at the …

Records Of The American Society Of Missiology Arc2017-003 - Finding Aid, Ats Special Collections And Archives

Finding Aids

No abstract provided.

Seeing Women Who Fit: Girls’ Forecasted Fit In Stem Fosters Career Interest, Emily N. Cyr, Steven J. Spencer, Stephen C. Wright, Jennifer R. Steele, Kathryn M. Kroeper, Patricia Colaco, Tara C. Dennehy, Priscilla Lok-Chee Shum, Taylor Ballinger, Haemi Nam, Stephanie L. Reeves, Mary Wells, Toni Schmader, Hilary B. Bergsieker

Psychology Faculty Publications

Girls often express less interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) education and careers than boys, despite having comparable aptitude. We randomly assigned 242 girls (Mdnage = 12 years; 38% East Asian; 37% White) at Canadian STEM camps to control conversations about generic camp experiences, or intervention conversations where STEM role models discussed how STEM education and careers align with each girl’s most important value and emphasized the social community inside and outside of STEM. Key measures were collected at baseline, and several days after the intervention (or control). Girls’ current STEM fit did not differ by condition, …

Frontiers At 50 Oral Histories: Feminist Community, Activism, And Scholarship, Elise Homan, Silvia P. Solis

School of Interdisciplinary Programs & Community Engagement Faculty Publications

As part of the fiftieth anniversary of Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies, the editorial collective at the University of Utah produced an oral history project including interviews with fourteen previous editorial members of the journal. This essay explores the oral histories to highlight the journal's enduring contributions to feminist scholarship, community activism, and grassroots knowledge production. Since 1974, Frontiers has been dedicated to sustaining a collective editorial structure, bridging academic and community experiences, and supporting diversity within feminist publishing. Through tracing a narrative across the oral histories, this essay shares the evolving challenges and successes of sustaining these …

The Ill-Fated History Of Animal Protection Laws: Why Congress Must Create An Animal Protection Agency, Melissa Baines

Animal Law Review

Over the years, the United States Congress has passed several federal laws with the intention of protecting animals from being subjected to inhumane treatment by humans. Such laws have great potential to create positive change for animals, but all of these laws have been delegated to inappropriate government agencies for oversight and enforcement. It is time to finally remove the impossible task placed upon these federal agencies—who have been asked to carry out their own stated mandates while also promulgating rules that effectuate animal protection laws in conflict with those same mandates—by creating a federal Animal Protection Agency with the …

Leaving Pawprints On Our Hearts: Bystander Recovery For Witnessing The Negligent Killing Of A Companion Animal, John G. Browning

Animal Law Review

According to the Pew Research Center, nearly all (97%) Americans with companion animals consider their “furbabies” to be members of the family. This is reflected in a number of other areas, from state and federal laws re-garding emergency management that recognize four-legged members of the family unit to divorce and custody laws in multiple states that require courts to treat companion animals not as property, but as family members. Soci-ologists and psychologists have also documented the expanding recognition of the “multispecies family.” However, the majority of states’ laws still view companion animals as chattel property, even as more and more …

Causes Of Voter Wait Times During The 2022 U.S. Midterm Elections, Christopher Kiss

Politics Honors Papers

Voter wait times have been an enduring issue in American Elections, with significant variation across individuals, voting precincts, and states. Past research has found that waiting in lines at the polls negatively impacts future voter turnout and public confidence in voting institutions. Additionally, a racial gap in voter wait times and resource allocation has been found in numerous studies that implies serious issues with the equality of our elections. The exact causes of the racial gap and voter wait times in general are still somewhat unclear, but prior work has considered as causes the allocation of voting resources, the procedural …

Human Trafficking In Ohio: A Human Rights Violation, Sunny M. Lloyd

Honors Projects

Human trafficking is an overlooked and underestimated issue in the state of Ohio. The Ohio Attorney General’s Office estimates that over 1,000 children are sex trafficked in Ohio every year. Given the severity and prevalence of this issue, the following research project explores the issue of human trafficking in Ohio and discusses five major human rights violations resulting from human trafficking. This project includes details from an interview with a human trafficking survivor who was trafficked for labor and sex over the course of fifteen years in northeast Ohio. To conclude, the project suggests recommendations for the State of Ohio …

Comparative Analyses Of Psychological And Training Characteristics In Judo Competitors And Non-Competitors: Mental Strength, Self-Efficacy, Grit, Resilience, Self-Control, Aggression, Mental Health, And Life Satisfaction, Leandro De Lorenco-Lima, Daniery Rosario, Stacey Gaines

Applied Sport & Performance Psychology | Faculty Scholarship

Judokas competing at the national and Olympic levels rigorously engage in numerous daily and weekly training sessions, potentially influencing the athletes’ mental conditioning. Based on the nature of competition, peak physical and mental conditioning is a prerequisite to achieve the highest place on the podium. This study investigated the differences in training characteristics, mental strength, resilience, grit, self-efficacy, self-control, aggression, life satisfaction, and mental health disorders between judo competitors and non-competitors. A total of 146 judo athletes (77.4% male) from 18 to 45 years of age, representing 60 competitors (41.1%) 86 noncompetitors (58.9%) participated in this study. Judokas answered training-related …

Digital Platform Transitions In The Finance Industry: Three Essays, Cheryll-Ann Wilson

2025

This three-paper dissertation is motivated by an emerging dichotomy in the financial sector: an increasing use of an open-source digital platform—the Python platform—in an industry that historically has been wedded to proprietary systems.

Chapter 1 is a qualitative pilot study to ascertain which factors are likely to motivate investment professionals to select Python versus other tools and/or technologies. I find that efficiency and access to industry-specific libraries—notably Pandas and NumPy—are significant motivators in their selection of Python over Excel. Chapters 2 and 3 examine the issues through a sequential, exploratory mixed methods approach.

Chapter 2—the qualitative field study—investigates how and …

The Sociological Eye 2025, Loyola Marymount University, Sociology Department

The Sociological Eye Student Journal

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Stacy Burns

Editor: Aliza Davis

Exploring Undergraduate Understanding And Learning Of Catholic Social Teaching In Catholic Higher Education, Kenny Van Tilburg

Dissertations

Since the Second Vatican Council in the mid-1960s, Catholic higher education (CHE) has wrestled with its Catholic identity in a changing landscape and changing world (Gallin, 1996, 2000; Gleason, 1995; Morey & Piderit, 2006). A big component of this identity-recognition process is the continued evolution and inclusion of Catholic social teaching (CST) in the educational approach of CHE. Despite its importance, much evidence has suggested CST is underwhelmingly present in the education of contemporary CHE (Beyer, 2021; Galligan-Stierle, 2014; Hudson et al., 2018; Nickerson & Dammer, 2018; Reed-Bouley, 2016; Sullivan & Pagnucco, 2014; United States Conference of Catholic Bishops [USCCB], …

"The Perfect Storm": Weathering Black Racial Trauma Across The Lifespan And The Impact Of Covid-19, Taryne M. Mingo, Kiauhna Haynes

Adultspan Journal

Descendants of Africans Enslaved in the United States (DAEUS), who lived in the South prior to 1965 and experienced decades of legalized discrimination, were found to have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Arline Geronimus (1992) coined the term “weathering” to acknowledge the accumulation of racial trauma stored within the body over extended periods of time. The purpose of this interpretive phenomenological study, aligned by the tenets of Critical Race Theory, explores how continuous racial trauma impacted DAEUS citizens’ well-being and trust in the COVID-19 vaccine. Three Group Experiential Themes emerged during this study, all connected with the experiences …

Exploring Gratitude Journaling In 12-Step Recovery: Effects On Attitudes, Affect, And Cravings: A Pilot Study, Susan Elizabeth Hann Doyle

CGU Theses & Dissertations

This study explored the emotional and attitudinal effects of gratitude journaling exercises among 12-step program attendees for substance use disorders (SUDs) and behavioral addictions. A total of 152 participants were randomly assigned to either an experimental group, which completed Seligman’s “Three Good Things” exercise and a structured gratitude journal, or a control group, which engaged in a neutral journaling task. Emotional states were assessed using the positive and negative affect schedule-short form (PANAS-SF), while cravings were monitored with the Penn alcohol craving scale (PACS) to ensure the interventions did not exacerbate participants’ alcohol cravings. Repeated measures ANOVA revealed significant reductions …

Excellence And Performance Improvement: The Goals And Standards Guiding Skill Development In Usa Curling, Derrick C. Mclean

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Excellence can be found in every goal-directed pursuit aiming to improve abilities. The present dissertation integrates goal setting theory, achievement goal theory, and deliberate practice into a conceptual model describing how excellence is achieved. It is argued that future research using this model for excellence should operationalize excellence as "the process of surpassing a standard that had been previously inaccessible." These standards can refer to one’s previous performance, another’s performance, or performance against an objective standard of the task; the excellence for one may not be excellence for another. The stated definition is aspirational, goal-directed, process-oriented, and grounded in empirical …

World As Other, World As Self: Beyond Dualism In Environmental Narratives, Tamara Wallace Ramirez

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Stories of place matter to the way we live with the Earth. A dualistic perspective that pits "culture" against "nature" enables environmental degradation on small and large scales. Conversely, understanding humans and nonhumans as entwined allows us to think and act differently with our planetary community. This view entails integrating the "self" and the "other." Instead of being antithetical to the other, the self arises through engagement with others, human and nonhuman. Understanding our mutuality with others while respecting their alterity and agency fosters caring and dedication. Our sense of connection with the more-than-human world inspires our compassion. However, such …

An Examination Of Post-Pandemic Enrollment Declines In California’S Public Education System, Ryan J. Cummins

CGU Theses & Dissertations

The persistent decline in enrollment in California public schools presents complex and far-reaching challenges, impacting budgets, staffing, and student outcomes. These challenges have been further compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted K-12 education nationwide. As students were sent home and families navigated prolonged school closures, the federal government responded with unprecedented funding to public schools, aimed at reengaging students safely, addressing academic losses, and mitigating socio-emotional impacts. While this temporary relief funding provided much-needed resources, it also allowed states and school districts broad discretion in spending, with little consistency or oversight. Investments in infrastructure, staffing, and programs varied significantly …

Adhd As A Lived Experience Amongst Bipoc College Students, Nikash Kale

Honors Theses

This thesis focuses on the perspectives of Black Indigenous and Persons of Color (BIPOC) college students on Attention-deficit/hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The study analyzes scoping strategies, perceived symptomatological differences, and the effects of racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds among BIPOC college students. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 14 participants, I examine the full permeation of ADHD among BIPOC college students, its evolution from pre-diagnosis to the present, and how they navigate the disorder and its treatment. A qualitative analysis of ADHD among minorities in college will not only allow clinicians to understand the distinct struggles of BIPOC with ADHD, but it …

Resilience And Its Effects On Psychological Well Being During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Taylor Reinsel

Honors Theses

Stressors and trauma in life are unavoidable. However, the way we respond and adapt to them can be within our control. This response differs from person to person, but there are factors that can influence the likelihood of an individual rebounding from a crisis, as well as factors that can put them at a higher risk of developing mental illness. One of the main factors that influences Psychological Well Being is the presence of Resilience.

The main goal of this study was to examine how factors of Resilience relate to Psychological Well Being and COVID-19 Well Being during the COVID-19 …

Food Deserts: How To Make Them Green, Minoo Tehrani, Andreas Rathgeber, Lawrence Fulton, Bryan Schmutz

Business Faculty Publications

Despite tremendous progress in addressing food insecurity, hunger and malnutrition are still widespread across the globe. Different factors, such as low levels of income and education, lack of access to food markets and transportation, high unemployment and population rates, and abandoned homes in a neighborhood, are among the factors that have been attributed to the creation of food deserts in emerging and developed countries. Some of the leading causes of death in the U.S. are heart attack, obesity, and diabetes. These major causes of death have a higher rate among the Black, Latin, and Hispanic populations. Access to healthy and …

How To Remember Names Lesson Plan, Madison Paige Davis

ENGS 15.11: Design and Education

This is an introductory lesson intended for any high school- or college-aged student who wants to learn how to deepen connections with others, whether for personal or professional relationships. Through a combination of lecturettes, discussions, reflection time, and activities/ quizzes, students will learn and apply their knowledge about the benefits, science, history, and strategies of remembering people’s names so that they are able to use names in future conversations. The final activity will be a simulation of real life scenarios where students will have to either remember and use a stranger’s name or practice asking for their name, whether they …

Rewiring Reality: The Neuroscience Behind Manifestation, Ellison J. Huang

ENGS 15.11: Design and Education

This lesson introduces students to the scientific processes behind manifestation. Through interactive activities, students will learn to critically analyze claims in the media and create their own manifestation routines. They will leave this lesson with practical tools for well-being and transferable critical thinking skills.