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

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

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

Leadership Experiences of K-12 Principals in Times of Crisis As Exemplified by the COVID-19 Pandemic

Electronic Thesis or DissertationThe purpose of this study was to understand the leadership experiences of K-12 principals in times of crisis as exemplified by the COVID-19 Pandemic. This phenomenological, qualitative study used semi-structured interviews to understand the crisis leadership experience of ten principals in public, K-12 schools in the state of Alabama. Through this study, macro themes related to the competencies and characteristics necessary for educational leaders to prepare for, navigate, and recover from crisis emerged. COVID-19 has provided the platform to study crisis leadership across all disciplines and especially education. This study hopes to add to the emerging body of research on crisis leadership in education and culminates with a leadership strategy Executive Summary addressing leading through crisis at the district level

It Takes Two: a Study of Meaning Negotiation and Multimodal Communication in Collaborative Gaming

Electronic Thesis or DissertationThis study examines how multimodal interaction resources such as speech, movement, and gesture mediate negotiation for meaning during collaborative gaming among second language learners. It also investigates the production of language-related episodes by second-language learners. This qualitative study examines participant interactions during collaborative gaming. It draws on applied linguistics (Smith, 2003; Varoni & Gass, 1985) and gesture studies (Norris, 2004). Data collection includes screen recordings, audio recordings, and video recordings of participants engaged in cooperative gameplay. The findings reveal that negotiation episodes occur spontaneously during collaborative gaming, and second-language learners employ interactional strategies like clarification requests, confirmation checks, elaboration, and comprehension checks to repair communication breakdown. The results also highlight the use of gestures during negotiation episodes and describe how second language learners dynamically co-construct meaning using multimodal resources like gestures, gaze, and head movement

Model-Based Knowledge-Driven Machine Learning for Automotive Radar Imaging and Perception

Electronic Thesis or DissertationThis thesis enhances automotive radar object detection by integrating deep learningnetworks with radar signal processing expertise. Automotive radar sensors are essential inadvanced driver assistance systems and autonomous vehicles due to their low cost,robustness, and effective operation in all weather conditions. Cameras and LiDAR systems,while offering advanced environmental perception, suffer performance degradation inadverse weather and poor visibility and often have higher costs. Millimeter-waveautomotive radars, operating between 76–81 GHz with bandwidths up to 4 GHz, providehigh range resolution and strong penetration capabilities through fog, rain, snow, smoke,and dust. Despite these advantages, radar’s potential for object detection and classificationremains underutilized due to limitations in angular resolution, reliance on sparse pointclouds in commercial systems, and the scarcity of publicly available high-resolutionautomotive radar datasets.To address these challenges, this thesis focuses on three key enhancements. First, wepropose novel deep learning frameworks for Direction of Arrival (DOA) estimation, aimedat improving angular resolution and object localization accuracy while simultaneouslyreducing system complexity. Second, by integrating deep learning into the radar signalprocessing pipeline, we enhance feature extraction from raw radar data. This integrationnot only improves radar image quality but also increases the reliability of subsequentobject detection and classification tasks. Third, we develop the BAMA Radar Dataset, acomprehensive collection of radar data with corresponding LiDAR and camera data,specifically tailored for autonomous driving scenarios and diverse environmental conditions.This dataset fills a critical gap, as existing autonomous vehicle perception datasets oftenprioritize camera and LiDAR recordings, with limited radar data. Using this dataset, wedesign and implement an object detection network optimized for high-resolution radarimagery, addressing the unique characteristics of radar data to enhance detectionperformance. The network is trained and evaluated on our dataset and other public radardatasets, ensuring robust validation of its capabilities.Through these advancements, this thesis enhances the capability of automotive radarsystems for object detection and classification in autonomous vehicles. Integrating deeplearning with radar signal processing boosts radar performance and complements existingperception systems, contributing to safer and more reliable autonomous drivingtechnologies

Hide and See: Exploring the Role of Protective Regions and Clear Sightlines in Shaping Customer Behaviors

Electronic Thesis or DissertationVarious attributes in the retail environment, such as clear sightlines and regions of shelter and protection, can make a consumer feel safe and ultimately impact consumer outcomes such as shopping intentions, satisfaction, and repatronage intentions. The hypotheses presented in this dissertation are rooted in Prospect and Refuge Theory, a subset of evolutionary psychology focused on the positive effect of the presence of clear sightlines and the protective regions on consumer behavior outcomes. Theorized to be driven by an evolutionary desire to inhabit regions that offer safety from possible threats while still permitting faculty of sight, Prospect and Refuge Theory theorizes humans possess a biological preference for environments with unobstructed views, such as transparent window or clear lines of sight to the door, and areas of protection such as alcoves, booths, covered areas, and perimeters. This research explores how environments that offer clear sightlines and regions of protection generate greater feelings of psychological safety which increase satisfaction and purchase intentions for consumers. We find that clear sightlines into a store and the presence of regions of protection increase sense of safety which drives higher shopping intentions and other key customer outcomes. In addition, we also explore potential boundary conditions for these effects such as store type and information about products and services. Findings from this research support the goal of retailers and service providers to enhance in-store experiences and are applicable in a vast array of contexts including restaurant, retail, hospitality, and entertainment settings