A Practical Pedagogical Approach to Electro-Acoustic Music for Violists

Electronic Thesis or DissertationThis manuscript centers around the gap of information found between composers of electronic music and classically trained performers, violists specifically. This project involved the commission and performance of three new works for solo viola, some of which incorporate live electronic music played interactively with a live performer. The three works are written by Dr. Kyle Grimm, Dr. Daniel Minogue, and Dr. Michael Stubblefield, who are all graduates of The Hartt School, and are either on faculty at The Hartt School currently or are on faculty at nearby colleges and universities. This project will use their compositions to illustrate the ubiquity with which most electronic music can now be performed by classically trained musicians. Electro-acoustic music is not performed as often as it should be because of the small barrier of entry it presents to performers who are unfamiliar with the equipment and terminology necessary to perform live electro-acoustic music. This manuscript aims to correct this by providing a small technical manual of relevant terminology and equipment, using the newly commissioned works as case studies through which to make use of this terminology and equipment

What is Social and Academic Support to Nontraditional Students?: a Modified Constructivist Grounded Theory Study

Electronic Thesis or DissertationThis dissertation explored nontraditional undergraduate students' academic and social experiences at Southeastern Conference University (SECU). Employing a modified constructivist grounded theory approach, the study aimed to understand the unique challenges and needs of nontraditional students, those aged 25 and older, enrolled in bachelor's degree programs. Through in-depth qualitative interviews and document analysis, the research identified key themes such as nontraditional student identity, disjointed integration, and juxtaposed resources and access as key components of the theory of belonging-oriented academic and social support. Nontraditional students often perceive themselves as more mature and experienced than their traditional counterparts, with a heightened sense of financial accountability and clear motivations for pursuing higher education. Despite these strengths, they frequently encounter feelings of nonbelonging and isolation, exacerbated by the campus environment tailored to younger students. Positive experiences are reported when engaging with academic supports such as professors, graduate teaching assistants, academic advisors, and peer tutoring facilities. Social supports, including cultural heritage groups, professional interest groups, and religious organizations, also contribute to a sense of community and belonging. The study highlights the importance of tailored academic and social support systems to enhance the success and well-being of nontraditional students. Recommendations include establishing nontraditional student meet-ups, family-welcome campus events, and career-focused social groups. By addressing the specific needs of nontraditional students, SECU can improve their integration and retention, ultimately fostering a more inclusive and supportive campus environment

Experimental Investigation on CO2 Capture Technologies Under Microwave-Based Regeneration Conditions

Electronic Thesis or DissertationIn the United States (US), most (around 74%) human-caused greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions come from burning fossil fuels – coal, natural gas, and petroleum – for energy use. Today, burning fossil fuels accounted for 93% of total anthropogenic CO2 emissions. CO2 sources from other anthropogenic sources and activities were about 6% of total GHG emissions and 7% of total CO2 emissions. Economic growth and weather patterns that affect heating and cooling needs are the main factors that drive the amount of energy consumed. CO2 capture and storage (CCS) is a way of mitigating the contribution of fossil fuel emissions by capturing and subsequently storing the CO2. In 2015, countries agreed to limit warming – caused by such emissions – to below 2 °C and aim for 1.5 °C. According to International Energy Agency, CCS should contribute around 15% of effort in the pursuit of net-zero emissions by 2070. Various methods, such as temperature swing adsorption and pressure swing adsorption, have been used for CO2 regeneration. However, these approaches often struggle with challenges related to energy consumption and capital costs. In contrast, microwave heating-based CO2 capture technology emerges as a potential alternative, offering lower energy consumption and reduced costs.This study explores the necessity of CO2 capture and direct air capture (DAC) technologies, emphasizing their energy demands and heat transfer limitations using zeolite 13X as sorbent. Given these challenges, microwave-based heating emerges as a promising alternative due to its inherent advantages such as rapid and volumetric heating ability, which contributes to achieving homogeneous heat distribution. Experimental investigations were conducted at the Decarbonization Lab at the University of Alabama to evaluate microwave-assisted post-combustion CO2 capture and DAC under either dry or humid conditions. This study presents how the negative impact of humidity on zeolite 13X adsorption performance can be mitigated, ultimately enhancing its effectiveness in humid conditions. Experimental strategies in a fluidized bed reactor demonstrate that humidity effects can be mitigated through microwave-assisted direct air capture. The findings indicate that microwave-based CO2 capture enables lower energy consumption while achieving complete CO2 regeneration, even at low temperatures, positioning it as a viable alternative for sustainable carbon capture

Immigrant Mobility and English Speaking Proficiency: Heterogeneous Effects of the China Trade Shock on the Low-Skilled Labor Market

Electronic Thesis or DissertationImmigrants play an essential role in adjusting to labor market shocks in the USA. However, one in four immigrants self-describe as speaking English "not well" or "not at all". In this thesis, I examine the heterogeneous effects of the China trade shock on the low-skilled labor market, finding that areas in which immigrants make up a small share of the population of interest (25th percentile) experienced increased unemployment, decreased labor force participation, and decreased income at almost twice the magnitude of areas in which immigrants make up a more significant share (75th percentile). Furthermore, the shock's consequences differ based on the immigrants' English proficiency. In a region where a significant proportion of low-skilled immigrants are limited English proficient (75th percentile), the shock had 36 to 64% greater labor market consequences than an otherwise similar region where limited English proficiency is less common (25th percentile). Immigrants' geographic mobility helped to lessen the impacts of the China shock, but limited English speaking proficiency restricted immigrants' capacity to react to the shock

Empowering Futures: Expanding Educational Opportunities in Alabama's Black Belt

Issue Brief No. 6

Learning from Market Identification of Japanese Fashion Designers: A Beacon of Hope for Sustained Traditional Textile Production

ITAA Annual Conference ProceedingsJapan's textile heritage, a vibrant testament to its rich material culture, is a fabric treasure trove and a crucial element in the fashion industry. These textiles, a product of generations of human wisdom and tradition, serve as a testament to the past and a gift for the future. Crafted by intricate networks of individuals, each contributing their unique skills in fiber, spinning, weaving, dyeing, and embroidery, these exquisite cloths embody Japan's cultural heritage. They also inspire and are championed by contemporary fashion designers, who are instrumental in preserving and promoting these traditional textiles in modern fashion. It was found that using traditional Japanese textiles presents opportunities and challenges to fashion designers in identifying their customers and their place in the market. While such textiles offer exclusivity, niche markets, and higher price points, they also limit the designer. There are similarities and differences among target customers, which designers must consider

Exploring the Relationship Between Perceived Chief Advancement Officer Leadership Style and Job Satisfaction of Higher Education Major Gift Officers

Electronic Thesis or DissertationHigher education advancement secures financial resources necessary for institutional mission fulfillment as state appropriations dwindle. Philanthropic support sustains growth of colleges and universities. Despite its importance, leadership of chief advancement officers (CAOs) and dynamics of advancement teams remain underexplored in the literature. High turnover rates among major gift officers (MGOs) disrupt donor relationships and decrease fundraising effectiveness, making job satisfaction and retention important to study. This study investigates the relationship between perceived leadership behaviors of CAOs and job satisfaction of MGOs at public, 4-year Carnegie R1 institutions in the southeast United States. Through a quantitative research design utilizing Avolio and Bass’s Full Range Leadership Theory and its accompanying Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) and Spector’s Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS), MGOs' perceptions of their CAO’s leadership behaviors and their own job satisfaction were assessed. The study provides insights to improve advancement leadership practices and retain MGOs pivotal to achieving institutional fundraising goals by exploring which specific transformational, transactional, and passive avoidant leadership behaviors impact job satisfaction.Transformational leadership behaviors, particularly Inspirational Motivation, were significant in enhancing MGO job satisfaction. Individualized consideration and intellectual stimulation are important for MGO job satisfaction. Conversely, passive avoidant leadership behaviors are associated with lower job satisfaction. Transactional leadership behaviors, visible in fundraising metrics, do not significantly predict job satisfaction.The study explored the impact of demographic factors such as gender, race, and years of service on job satisfaction. Male MGOs reported higher satisfaction levels compared to their female counterparts. Job satisfaction among MGOs decreased as years of service at the current institution increased, highlighting the need for targeted retention strategies for long-tenured employees.Transformational leadership is important in fostering a fulfilling and satisfying work environment for MGOs. CAOs who effectively communicate a compelling vision for the future and provide individualized support for development are more likely to retain satisfied and high-performing MGOs. Overall, this study provides valuable insights for CAOs and institutional leaders aiming to create a supportive and engaging work environment for MGOs in all career stages. The findings align with previous studies on transformational leadership and job satisfaction, reinforcing theoretical applicability in higher education advancement

Simulating the Circumgalactic Medium

Electronic Thesis or DissertationWe review the circumgalactic medium and assorted methods of exploring its properties, as well as the methodology of hydrodynamical simulations of galaxies. We evaluate the differences between two specific simulations, IllustrisTNG and FIRE-2. We review the processes involved in creating synthetic spectra from simulations. We compare galaxies from both simulations through the use of simulated spectra from their circumgalactic mediums. We find that the resolution of the simulations has very little effect on the circumgalactic medium, while differences in physical treatments result in disparities between the simulation

Development of a Nursing Psychological Safety Assessment Toolkit for Nurse Leaders

DNP ProjectIntroduction/Purpose: Assessing psychological safety within a nursing department is critical information for leaders that gives insight into the culture of teamwork and collaboration. Nursing leaders need the ability to assess their team's psychological safety quickly to help understand safety culture. The purpose of this project was to create a toolkit that nursing leaders can easily access to help assess and improve their team's psychological safety. Methods: Nursing leaders at a single community hospital were administered a pre-test regarding their comfort in assessing psychological safety. The nursing leaders then used the psychological safety toolkit to help assess their department and built an action plan to increase psychological safety. A post-test was performed after the toolkit implementation was complete. The data was analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics to determine if there was a statistically significant difference in scores from the pre-test and the post-test. Results: The results identified improvement in all mean scores of nurse leaders' comfort in understanding psychological safety, confidence in its importance, ability to assess their team, and ability to build an action plan. Inferential statistics showed a statistically significant improvement in scores for leaders' confidence in creating an action plan. Discussion: Building a toolkit for nursing leaders to administer when they assess for psychological safety will allow leaders to obtain real-time information about their team. By guiding them on how to develop action plans to increase psychological safety, they can create high-functioning teams that invest in a culture of safety