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Classical Pragmatism: Connecting Practice and Theory in Public Administration
No full textThis presentation was prepared for the Pragmatism and Organization Studies informal group of academics who are interested in using the philosophy of pragmatism to address contemporary problems and theoretical questions in organization studies. This paper draws on Pat Shields 30 years as a Public Administration scholar who applies pragmatism to public administration and to peace and conflict theory. It focuses on practitioner experience and how concepts, stories, metaphors of pragmatism can be used by practitioners to do their job. She draws on the ideas of Charles Sanders Peirce, John Dewey, William James, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., and Jane Addams to do this.Political Scienc
Walking into Mindfulness: Using Communication Design to Connect Us to the Present
No full textNo abstract prepared.Art and Desig
The Impact of Advanced Placement on Academic Growth: High School Trajectories and the Role of Social and Cultural Capital in AP Human Geography
No full textThis dissertation explored the impact of Advanced Placement (AP) social studies courses, notably AP Human Geography (APHG) as an entry point into advanced coursework, focusing on its role in educational equity and access. Using students’ Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT) 8/9 to Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) exam score growth, this study analyzed the institutional academic progress of students taking AP, AP social studies, and APHG courses in the 9th- and 10th-grades. In addition, qualitative survey responses from APHG teachers shed light on the perceptions of the educational benefits of AP enrollment, expansion, and access for underrepresented AP students. The research is grounded in social capital and cultural capital theories and examined how early exposure to AP social studies courses may serve as a gateway to higher educational outcomes for a diverse student body. Given its unprecedented growth compared to other AP courses, APHG was isolated to explore the role of early AP exposure and its impact as an entry point into the AP social studies curriculum. This study challenged the conventional success metrics of AP courses, which include test outcomes and AP growth rates, by demonstrating how academic achievement in APHG and other AP courses extends beyond AP exam scores and contributes to other cumulative educational impacts. This research investigated the added values of taking AP coursework in the 9th- or 10th-grade, which also contribute to students’ PSAT 8/9 to SAT exam score improvements. Leveraging a mixed methods approach, this study quantitatively analyzed the growth of standardized test scores and teacher perception ratings of accessibility, while gaining qualitative educator insights into the access of cultural and social capital that is permitted through AP enrollment.
The study revealed that 9th- and 10th-grade students who enrolled in AP, AP social studies, and APHG demonstrated significant growth on their SAT than their non-AP peers. In addition, underrepresented AP students experienced greater score gains than their White and Asian peers, suggesting that early AP exposure contributes to a “catch-up” period and acts as an academic intervention for willing students. Teacher survey responses emphasized their support for open-enrollment policies, in addition to the accessibility of particular resources, opportunities, and skills within the APHG classroom that contribute to the long-term academic achievement for enrollees. By integrating the two sets of data, this study contributes to broader discussions in geography education, educational equity, and systemic barriers to advanced course entry, highlighting the transformative potential that early entry into advanced coursework has for underrepresented students.Geography and Environmental Studie
Knowledge to Teach: Assessment of the Impact of Learning Opportunities for Teachers of Geography in the State of Texas
No full textThis dissertation examines the impact of pre-service teacher education and in-service teacher training programs on Personal Geography Teacher Self-Efficacy (PGTSE) and the use of student-centered classroom practices (CP) in teaching geography in Texas public school geography, history, and social studies classrooms for grades 6-12. This study uses a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design that integrates quantitative and qualitative data from a survey of 235 students and semi-structured interviews.
Integrating quantitative data, qualitative open-ended question responses from experienced teachers, and semi-structured interviews with new teachers highlights the positive correlation between geography-specific pre-service teacher education and in-service teacher training, and PGTSE and CP scores. While this study finds that the most substantial gains in PGTSE are associated with taking the first geography course, additional coursework beyond that point did not show statistically significant increases in self-efficacy. However, more focused access to geography-specific pedagogical content (PCK) instruction in pre-service and in-service teacher training influences higher PGTSE and increased use of student-centered instructional strategies. These findings have implications for both pre-service and in-service teacher development programs, offering insights into the experiences that most effectively enhance geography teacher instructional self-efficacy and effectiveness.Geography and Environmental Studie
From prediction to action: A hybrid ML-RL model for smart grid stability control
No full textThe increasing complexity of modern electrical grids, driven by the integration of renewable energy sources and distributed generation, presents significant challenges in maintaining grid stability. Traditional methods for stability prediction often fall short due to high computational demands and limited scalability for realtime applications. This paper proposes a novel hybrid approach that combines Machine Learning (ML) and Reinforcement Learning (RL) to address these challenges. The ML component leverages stacking classifiers to predict grid stability, while RL algorithms, including Proximal Policy Optimization (PPO), Advantage Actor-Critic (A2C), and Deep Q-Networks (DQN), optimize power control actions to stabilize the grid. Experimental results demonstrate that the hybrid model achieves a 100% success rate in stabilizing the grid, converging 40% faster than standalone RL methods. The hybrid approach not only reduces computational overhead but also enhances real-time adaptability, making it a promising solution for the dynamic and complex nature of modern smart gridsEngineerin
Investigating Relationships: Law Enforcement Agencies’ Involvement in Armed School Personnel Training
No full textResearch Question:
How does the presence of different armed security influence LE involvement in guardian training?No abstract prepared.Texas School Safety Cente
Oral history interview: Keith Grace Jr.
No full textTranscript file (.pdf) and closed captioning available.Video interview with Alton Moore who shares and reflects on the life of Keith Grace Jr. and his time in the Army
A Narrative Inquiry Into Highly Educated Malawian Immigrants' Integration and Transition Experiences when Navigating Systems of Education and the Workforce in the United States
No full textThis qualitative study explored Malawian immigrants‘ integration into U.S. higher education and workplace settings as part of their pursuit of aspirational goals for better lives. Using interviews and Yosso‘s (2005) community cultural wealth (CCW) framework, it grouped CCW‘s six capitals into three pairs: community (familial and social), resilience (navigational and resistant), and faith (aspirational and linguistic), each supportive of participants‘ educational and career paths.
Guided by faith capital and a Malawian worldview emphasizing friendliness, perseverance through hardship, and proactive problem-solving, participants pursued their goals despite systemic barriers, credentialing issues, and discrimination. Community capital—family, churches, and social ties—offered material and emotional support; faith capital helped them interpret and adapt to unfamiliar U.S. norms; and resilience capital enabled them to navigate legal, cultural, and institutional challenges.
As the first known study to this author‘s knowledge focused specifically on Malawian immigrant integration in these contexts, it underscores the need for future work to disaggregate African immigrant data and tailor services by intersecting factors such as gender, religion, and sexuality. Policy implications include improving adult education and immigrant support systems to reflect the cultural contexts and high educational attainment of Malawian and other sub-Saharan African immigrants. Recommended measures include creating ambassador roles to connect institutions and communities, recognizing informal and vocational adult education pathways for immigrants, and addressing racial and cultural misalignments in service delivery. More broadly, the study echoes ongoing calls for culturally responsive and equitable integration policies.Counseling, Leadership, Adult Education, and School Psycholog
Memory Under Fire: The Role of the Self-Administered Interview (SAI) in Law Enforcement and Eyewitness Memory
No full textThe relationship between stress and memory remains complex and inconsistent across research domains. While basic memory research suggests that overall, stress enhances memory (Shields et al., 2017), eyewitness memory studies often report detrimental (Deffenbacher et al., 2004) or null effects (Krix et al., 2016). Memory accuracy may also be impacted by the type of interview protocol used. The Self-Administered Interview (SAI) elicits more details than free recall (Gabbert et al., 2009), making it a promising tool for investigative settings. In Study I, a conceptual replication of Krix et al. (2016), student participants completed a stress-inducing task, witnessed a mock crime, and were randomly assigned to either an SAI or free recall interview. A 2 (stress vs. control) × 2 (SAI vs. free recall) ANOVA revealed only that the SAI elicited more event details. Stress had no main or interactive effect with interview type on memory. Study II exposed a sample of law enforcement officers to a virtual reality active shooting scenario, where stress was measured afterward. Officers were randomly assigned to an immediate SAI or free recall interview, and subsequently, all were asked to complete a follow-up interview. Independent samples t-tests revealed that the SAI again elicited more correct event details in the initial interview, but no effects on other details. Correlational analyses revealed that stress initially increased the likelihood of incorrect details being reported and reduced accuracy, but did not interact with the type of interview. At follow-up, the SAI produced more incorrect perpetrator details, and stress reduced overall accuracy and the number of correct details. Notably, stress moderated the effectiveness of the SAI such that it was more effective under low stress but less so as stress increased. These findings suggest that while the SAI can enhance recall, its effectiveness may diminish under high-stress conditions, particularly after a delay.Criminal Justice and Criminolog
Legacy of the Windrush Generation: Identity Crisis from Home to Abroad
No full textNo abstract prepared.Histor