Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Improving Rural Health Through Nutrition Incentives: A Mixed Methods Evaluation Of The First Year Of The Appalachian Farmacy Program, Bethesda O'Connell, Harrison Ihrig, Andrea D Nutsugah, Ignacio Garcia, Michael Rice, Ashley Cavender

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Food insecurity remains a critical public health concern, particularly in rural, low-income communities. In 2023, 13.5% of United States households experienced food insecurity, with rates in Tennessee (15.6%) exceeding the national average. Produce prescription programs have emerged as a strategy to improve food access and promote healthier eating behaviors. This study presents an evaluation of Appalachian Farmacy, a produce prescription program in Northeast Tennessee designed to increase fruit and vegetable consumption among individuals receiving Medicaid, Medicare, or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Program evaluation methods included semi-structured interviews for process evaluation and pre- and post-surveys for outcome evaluation. Interviews …

Profile Of An Emerging Pastoral Wellness Leader, Nisaa Robinson

College of Arts and Cultural Studies

This essay presents a leadership profile of the author through the lens of leadership emergence and a reflective analysis process utilizing Robert Clinton’s leadership development model presented in The Making of A Leader (2012), a later consolidated four-phase timeline, and a Leadership Profile Worksheet (Appendix A). Nisaa Robinson's life, leadership, and ministry service are presented and analyzed in terms of phases, sub-phases, process items, and boundary events.

Engineers Week 2026, Raquel Estrada

Library Display Posters

Poster showing a curated selection of engineering‑focused resources that showcase student research, faculty scholarship, and U.S. government information. This poster features selected books, open‑access UTRGV theses and dissertations, peer‑reviewed articles, and educational resources that support engineering education, research, and innovation.

تأثير بودكاست "المناخ شو قصته؟" في وعي الجمهور الأردني بالتغيرات المناخية, Amnaa Abushammaleh

Middle East Journal of Communication Studies

The study aimed to identify the extent to which the Jordanian public follows climate change through the podcast "Climate, What's Its Story?" and the reasons for this follow-up, in addition to revealing the extent of their confidence in the information presented about climate change in the podcast "Climate, What's Its Story?" and the reasons for this confidence. It also aimed to identify the level of awareness of the Jordanian public about climate change after listening to the studied podcast, in addition to measuring the extent of the Jordanian public's interaction with the information presented in it, the forms of this …

البصمة الكربونية لصناعة السينما وممارسات صناعة الأفلام المستدامة رؤية في ضوء نظرية انتشار المبتكرات, Reham Refaat Mohammad Abdelaal Prof

Middle East Journal of Communication Studies

As the world becomes increasingly aware of the impacts of climate change, individuals and industries alike are seeking ways to reduce their carbon footprint.

The Film Industry has started to acknowledge its carbon footprint as well as has launched various green initiatives to make the industry environmentally sustainable, which will help to slow down global warming.

The study aimed to identify the relationship between the five qualities related to innovation and the practices of applying sustainable filmmaking, reducing the carbon footprint, and the extent of its adoption.

Rogers' (2003) diffusion of innovations theory was used to guide the investigation

the …

الخطاب الدعائي الإسرائيلي بالعربية عبر منصات التواصل الاجتماعي: صفحة أفيخاي أدرعي والمنسق عبر فيس بوك نموذجاً, Karmel Badawnh

Middle East Journal of Communication Studies

The image of Israel is created based on pre-determined agendas and meticulously crafted narratives caused by Hasbara and the Israeli Ministry of Propaganda. These organizations target Palestinian and Arab audiences to portray Israel as a ‘humanitarian’ and ‘peace-loving’ nation that is ‘pro-Arab’; while masking the truth that Israel is an occupying power. Moreover, these organizations focus on the so-called sacrifices and efforts of Israel in pursuit of peace.

The study highlights seven contents of Israeli propaganda. From this, Israeli spokespersons, Israeli media units, Al-Munaseq’s page, and Avichay Adraee underwent specialized training. These contents include: giving exaggerated attention to the operational …

دور الرسوم المتحركة في تعزيز فاعلية تصميم الإنفوجرافيك, Hussein Mohammad Al-Omari

Middle East Journal of Communication Studies

An infographic's primary objective is to satisfy the demands and expectations of its audience by presenting information in a logical and intelligible way. Recent developments in graphic design techniques have made several intricate techniques approachable by artists and designers, elevating the design process to a sophisticated profession that transcends media boundaries. Static infographics and animated infographics feature the same material; however, animated infographics have the benefit of displaying information via continuous motion and animated sequences rather than in static components or separate stages, and that’s because of the special features of animation, which attract a wider audience. They are also …

The Role Of Motion Graphics In Enhancing The Effectiveness Of Infographics Design, Hussein Mohammad Al-Omari

Middle East Journal of Communication Studies

An infographic's primary objective is to satisfy the demands and expectations of its audience by presenting information in a logical and intelligible way. Recent developments in graphic design techniques have made several intricate techniques approachable by artists and designers, elevating the design process to a sophisticated profession that transcends media boundaries. Static infographics and animated infographics feature the same material; however, animated infographics have the benefit of displaying information via continuous motion and animated sequences rather than in static components or separate stages, and that’s because of the special features of animation, which attract a wider audience. They are also …

Book Review: Communications Internships Handbook: What All Comms Students Need To Know, Karen Mccullough

Applied Business Faculty Publications

Review of: Daniel, R. R., & Haynes, K. A. (2025). Communications internships handbook: What all COMMS students need to know. Kendall Hunt Publishing Company, 120 pp.

College students who successfully complete internships and other forms of experiential learning while in college benefit from greater average starting salaries, receive a higher number of job offers, and express increased satisfaction with their careers than students who do not participate in internships or other experiential learning opportunities. Students also indicate that they feel their career has progressed faster than they expected, according to results from a 2025 study by the National Association of …

The Carbon Footprint Of Film Industry And Sustainable Filmmaking Practices A View Considering The Diffusion Of Innovation Theory, Reham Refaat Mohammad Abdelaal

Middle East Journal of Communication Studies

As the world becomes increasingly aware of the impacts of climate change, individuals and industries alike are seeking ways to reduce their carbon footprint.

The Film Industry has started to acknowledge its carbon footprint as well as has launched various green initiatives to make the industry environmentally sustainable, which will help to slow down global warming.

The study aimed to identify the relationship between the five qualities related to innovation and the practices of applying sustainable filmmaking, reducing the carbon footprint, and the extent of its adoption.

Rogers' (2003) diffusion of innovations theory was used to guide the investigation

the …

The Israeli Propaganda And Discourse In Arabic Language On Social Media Platforms: The Facebook Pages Of Avichay Adraee And The Coordinator As A Case Study, Karmel Badawnh

Middle East Journal of Communication Studies

The image of Israel is created based on pre-determined agendas and meticulously crafted narratives caused by Hasbara and the Israeli Ministry of Propaganda. These organizations target Palestinian and Arab audiences to portray Israel as a ‘humanitarian’ and ‘peace-loving’ nation that is ‘pro-Arab’; while masking the truth that Israel is an occupying power. Moreover, these organizations focus on the so-called sacrifices and efforts of Israel in pursuit of peace.

The study highlights seven contents of Israeli propaganda. From this, Israeli spokespersons, Israeli media units, Al-Munaseq’s page, and Avichay Adraee underwent specialized training. These contents include: giving exaggerated attention to the operational …

The Impact Of The Podcast "Climate, What's The Story?" On The Jordanian Public's Awareness Of Climate Change, Amnaa Abushammaleh

Middle East Journal of Communication Studies

The study aimed to identify the extent to which the Jordanian public follows climate change through the podcast "Climate, What's Its Story?" and the reasons for this follow-up, in addition to revealing the extent of their confidence in the information presented about climate change in the podcast "Climate, What's Its Story?" and the reasons for this confidence. It also aimed to identify the level of awareness of the Jordanian public about climate change after listening to the studied podcast, in addition to measuring the extent of the Jordanian public's interaction with the information presented in it, the forms of this …

“Sometimes You Need A Middleman”: Negotiating Family Engagement For Foster And Kinship Caregivers Involved With Child Welfare, Anna Wasim, Catherine A. Labrenz, Nelkasia Graves, Samantha Zuniga Thompson, Monica Faulkner

Graduate School of Social Work: Student Scholarship

Family engagement is increasingly prioritized in child welfare policy and practice, yet limited research has explored how foster and kinship caregivers perceive and navigate this process. Understanding caregivers’ experiences is critical to advancing relational permanency and improving outcomes for children in foster care. Using an adapted grounded theory design, this qualitative study examined the experiences of 24 foster and kinship caregivers from two agencies participating in a family engagement practice model in one state. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and focus groups, and were analyzed thematically. All participants provided informed consent, data were de-identified, and pseudonyms were assigned to …

Craft Meets Code: Digital Pathways For Fine Press Collections, Nicole Lewis, Brooke Farnsworth

Faculty Publications

Fine press books embody a unique blend of artistry and craftsmanship, yet their rich material and bibliographic details often remain locked in specialized catalogs or physical archives. This project explores how integrating fine press information into Wikidata—a global, linked open data platform—can preserve and amplify the cultural significance of these works in a digital context. Using the BYU Library’s fine press holdings, we’re modeling presses, printers, and editions within Wikidata’s semantic framework, creating opportunities for discovery, visualization, and computational analysis that respect the material heritage of the book arts.

The presentation will highlight:

•        Utilizing library holdings to compile a …

Promoting Water Security Of South-To-North Water Diversion Project For National Water Network, Quanfa Zhang, Guihua Liu, Chesheng Zhan, Xiaobo Ren

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The South-to-North Water Diversion Project is a crucial infrastructure initiative aiming at optimizing nation-wide distribution of water resources, meanwhile fostering sustainable economic and social development, and ensuring the well-being of the people. The project, with its extensive scope and high technical complexity, particularly in the middle and west routes located in biodiversity hotspots such as the Qinling Mountains and the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, may alter local microclimates, potentially triggering meteorological disasters such as droughts, thunderstorms, and hail, along with secondary hazards. The implementation of the project may also disrupt the local hydrological conditions, disturb the balance of the existing atmospheric-vegetation-soil system, …

The Counseling Experiences Of Gifted Adults, Kelli Busbee, Theodore Remley

Adultspan Journal

In this transcendental phenomenological study, we followed the traditions of Moustakas and explored the counseling experiences of adults who had been identified as gifted during their school years and had experienced counseling for issues related to anxiety, depression, perfectionism, or hypersensitivity. We identified the following themes after interviewing participants: (1) growing up gifted; (2) challenges for gifted individuals at the college level; (3) living with anxiety and depression as a gifted adult; (4) medication and tools used by gifted adults; (5) being a perfectionist and dealing with hypersensitivity as a gifted adult; (6) experiences in counseling as a gifted adult; …

From Waste To Sustainability: Exploring Consumer Purchase Intentions Of Milk Enriched With Upcycled Peanut Skins, Peng Lu, Fan Xu, Jennifer Waldeck, Keith Weber, Hualu Zhou

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Highlights

• National survey investigated consumer acceptance of milk enriched with upcycled peanut skins.
• Developed a conceptual model based on Technology Acceptance Model.
• Identified that consumer attitudes and emotions are essential in the purchase intentions of upcycled foods.
• Identified social influence as a determinator of consumers' attitudes and purchase intentions.
• Inform and advance research, practice, and policy that promotes upcycled food products.

Improving Stakeholder Communications Practices: A Quantitative Study On The Relational Communication Between Clinical Research Coordinators And Research, Oreofeoluwa F. Adeniji

Harrisburg University Dissertations and Theses

Communication plays an essential part in the responsibilities of the clinical research coordinator’s position. Challenges in communicating with stakeholders during clinical trials can disrupt the study timeline, its outcomes, and the success of the trial. Clinical research coordinators often experience these challenges when interacting with internal stakeholders, such as principal investigators, and external stakeholders, including sponsors. This quantitative correlational study will examine whether clinical research coordinators can utilize project management communication practices to improve their stakeholder interactions. Data from 32 clinical research coordinators will be collected using SurveyMonkey and analyzed. The study results will fill gaps in the literature on …

Why We Must Commune: Rethinking The Role Of Marketing Communications In Turbulent Times, Javier Garcia

Publications and Research

“Communications” is often thought of as a noun, representing the messages we receive on a daily basis from people, brands, and institutions alike. 

"Communications" is also often associated with an industry that exists to produce such messaging in service of capitalism, with a commercial or otherwise actionable outcome desired from its receiving audience. 

This presentation, hosted by two-time CCNY graduate and senior marketing communications professional and Assistant Professor Javier Garcia, will examine the urgency and opportunity in rethinking the value and study of marketing and communications. 

In his presentation, Professor Garcia will offer suggestions on how to guide students towards …

The Ballot Question: Citizen Initiatives, Institutions, And The Policy Process, Ty Rhoads

Dissertations

State-level policymaking remains undertheorized relative to its federal counterpart, particularly in states where institutionalized direct democracy creates a parallel channel for policy change outside the legislature. This dissertation develops a novel theoretical framework for the state policy process by adapting punctuated equilibrium theory to American state politics, integrating it with party cartel theory and the concept of legislative policy monopolies. The central argument is that citizen initiatives and legislative referrals are structurally distinct policy venues whose ideological profiles, policy magnitudes, and electoral dynamics are systematically shaped by the partisan context of the legislature. Using Missouri as a case study spanning …

Social Support And Mental Toughness As Predictors Of Perceived Stress Among College Kinesiology Students, Jianmin Guan, Wan Xiang Yao, Xiaofen D. Hamilton, Gaofeng Lu

International Journal of Physical Activity and Health

Drawing on Lazarus and Folkman’s transactional theory of stress and coping, this study examined the associations of age, gender, three types of social support (family, friends, and significant others), and mental toughness with two dimensions of perceived stress (helplessness and coping inefficacy) among 666 college students majoring in Kinesiology. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed that male college students, as well as those with higher levels of mental toughness and family support, reported significantly lower levels of helplessness and coping inefficacy in managing stress. Additionally, greater support from friends was significantly associated with lower levels of coping inefficacy, while younger students …

Monetary System Upgrade Driven By Financial Technology: Path Exploration And Practical Insights Based On E-Cny, Chen Chen, Hong Chi, Ping Zhang, Yilei Liang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Financial technology (fintech) is a key variable reshaping national financial competitiveness, and promoting the digital upgrade of the monetary system is a core task in building a financially strong nation. As a pivotal component of the monetary system, the electronic Chinese yuan (e-CNY), based on its inherent fintech attributes, serves as a critical practice for driving the monetary system towards a more advanced stage of evolution. Currently, the traditional monetary system faces three major challenges: low efficiency and high risks in cross-border payments, structural attenuation in monetary policy transmission, and a lack of digital safe-haven assets. Starting from the pilot …

Strategic Research On Rebco High-Temperature Superconducting Tapes, Tianping Ying, Dongliang Wang, Pengtao Yang, Lin Zhao, Zhongtang Xu, Ziyi Liu, Chao Yao, Yanwei Ma, Xingjiang Zhou, Jinguang Cheng, Zhong Fang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

High-temperature superconducting materials, represented by REBCO (REBa2Cu3O7-δ, where RE denotes rare-earth elements), are of significant strategic importance in fields such as energy, healthcare, and large-scale scientific facilities due to their excellent performance in the liquid nitrogen temperature range. However, they still face severe challenges in long-tape uniformity, production cost, and engineering reliability. Future development must shift toward a “material-processing-application” collaborative innovation model, aiming at enhancing flux pinning, optimizing the interfaces and mechanical properties of the multilayer structure, and integrating scalable and intelligent fabrication technologies to promote the low-cost and stable production of high-performance tapes. This study analyzes the core application …

Underground Space Economy: Industrial Foundation And Strategic Path Under Connotative Development Background, Rong Yi, Lina Zhang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

In the new stage of China’s urban development from large-scale incremental expansion to stock improvement and efficiency improvement, underground space, as an important land space resource, has become increasingly prominent because of its strategic value and potential. Promoting the transformation of underground space development and utilization from engineering construction orientation to system governance and comprehensive utilization is an important apprach to implement the requirements of urban connotative development and improve the efficiency of resource and space utilization. The large-scale development of underground space development and utilization drives the agglomeration and systematic development of underground space related industries, which lays a …

Opportunities And Development Path Of Underground Space Industry For Urban Renewal And Energy Transition, Bo Zhang, Hongzhi Yao

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Driven by the two strategic opportunities of urban renewal and energy transition, the underground space industry is set to experience a new round of development boom. This study focuses on the improvement and efficiency enhancement of underground space during the urban renewal process and the utilization of underground space resource for the new energy system construction, and sorts out the key development directions of the industry. Based on the layout principle of “tailoring measures to local conditions and cities”, and in combination with the social and economic conditions and resource endowment of each region across the country, differentiated regional industrial …

Integrating Zotero With Your Writing: From Research To Publication For Urology Residency Program, Evelyn Wang

HSLIC Faculty and Staff Instructional Resources

This Urology Residency workshop introduces practical skills for integrating Zotero into research and writing workflows, from managing references to generating citations and bibliographies. Topics include installing and configuring Zotero and the Zotero Connector, collecting and organizing references with collections, tags, and PDFs, inserting citations and bibliographies in Microsoft Word and Google Docs, managing PDFs and annotations, and using advanced features such as sync, collaboration, custom citation styles, and ZoteroBib.

Gender Differences In College Students’ Physical Activity Self-Efficacy, Social Comparison Beliefs, And External Frames Of Reference, Ken Murfay, Sarah Pyszczynski, Sarah Collins

International Journal of Physical Activity and Health

This study examined whom college-aged individuals believe observing would more likely increase their physical activity self-efficacy (PASE) for a physical skill, whom they are more likely to compare their abilities to within a physical education (PE) class, how often they compare themselves to others in PE, and what students’ PASE scores were. Based on the mean scores for each question, students were more likely to compare themselves to a student than a teacher, friend than a non-friend, and similar or higher skilled peer than a lower skilled peer. To increase students’ confidence for a physical skill, students had higher levels …

Analytical Review Of Current Educational Public Policy For California Department Of Education Common Core Curriculum Guidelines Pertaining To Law-Related Education For Grades K–12, Aubray Mcpherson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed in this study was the lack of a mandated statewide law-related education (LRE) requirement within the California K–12 curriculum. Existing research linked structured LRE exposure to greater civic knowledge, stronger legal understanding, increased social responsibility, and reduced delinquency risk among disadvantaged youth. However, a gap exists due to the absence of integrated qualitative analyses combining prior LRE research with stakeholder perceptions. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the potential social, emotional, and economic implications associated with implementing a statewide LRE public policy. Guided by the conceptual framework consisting of new public administration and the …

Psychological Safety And Prosocial Rule Breaking Within Leader–Member Exchanges In A State Government Agency, Larry Standfield

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Psychological safety is often insufficiently supported in organizations, leading to strained leader-member exchanges (LMXs), reduced employee well-being, and diminished overall organizational performance. Government agency leaders need to understand this concern as a primary indicator of job satisfaction and organizational effectiveness. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how employees of a state government agency described leader support of psychological safety and prosocial rule breaking in their LMXs and how these LMX exchanges influenced their psychological safety and organizational performance. Psychosocial safety climate theory and LMX theory provided the grounding for this study. The participants consisted of 10 …

Book Review: Betting Against America: The Axis Powers’ Views Of The United States, Thomas Bruscino

Parameters Bookshelf – Online Book Reviews

Author: Harry Yeide

Reviewed by: Thomas Bruscino, professor, operational art and theater planning, Department of Military Strategy, Planning, and Operations, US Army War College

What if the Axis powers had seen America clearly before launching into war? Betting Against America dives into the flawed intelligence, cultural biases, and strategic miscalculations that led Germany, Japan, and Italy to underestimate the United States. Through intercepted communications and insider reports, Harry Yeide reveals how these fatal errors shaped the course of World War II.