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SIFTing through Decisions: A Computational Model on Information Sharing
No full textThis thesis explores a novel theory of how individuals decide to share information with their team, based on the characteristics of information (certainty, relevance), the team environment (shared knowledge, voice) and individual attributes (competence and warmth). Drawing from hidden profile research, the present work advances our understanding of team dynamics through an agent-based computational model. The SIFT model explores the emergence of knowledge within teams over time, which observes how teams cultivate, grow, and share information necessary to make optimal team decisions toward a task. Findings revealed that information distribution was the strongest predictor of unique information sharing: teams with shared access communicated more fully, while asymmetrical structures limited what was surfaced. Voice dynamics also played a central role in participation. Agents who spoke early, especially in low-voice environments—experienced positive feedback that increased their voice and led to disproportionate speaking opportunities over time. Conversely, others received fewer chances to contribute. While both certainty and voice influenced deliberation time, each had a distinct and sustained effect: low-certainty and low-voice conditions imposed greater cognitive demand throughout. Together, these findings suggest that knowledge emergence is shaped less by individual dispositions than by structural and social feedback loops. The model offers both theoretical and practical insights into when and why team members share, highlighting the importance of early voice development and information symmetry in promoting effective team decisions
ESSAYS ON THE VALUE OF HEALTH RISKS
No full textMy dissertation focuses on the willingness to pay (WTP) for mortality risk reductions inChina and derives estimates of the value per statistical life (VSL) through the lens of labor
market participation, medical expenditure, and the choice of automobiles. My dissertation
utilizes a variety of data sources and leverages a wide range of identification strategies to
estimate the VSL, an important input for benefit-cost analyses of environmental, health,
and safety regulations and programs.
In my first chapter, I use the compensating wage differential method to estimate the
trade-offs between wage and fatality risks in China. Based on recent Chinese labor market
data, I find a positive and statistically significant wage premium for fatality risk for Chinese
workers who work in relatively dangerous sectors. I estimate the fatality risk elasticity of
wages to be about 0.07, and the implied Value of a Statistical life for the average worker
is approximately 100,000, and the mean VSL decreases
to 200 for
the inclusion of ABS in their vehicles. The implied value per statistical life (VSL) stands
at approximately 350. Sensitivity analyses
indicate that the VSL estimate ranges from 1.5 million
Monosexism and Relationship Satisfaction in Couples with a Bi+ Male Partner
No full textRomantic relationships have been associated with greater well-being for heterosexual and sexual minority people; however, emerging evidence suggests bisexual+ (bi+) people may experience romantic relationships as less supportive and more stressful than monosexual (i.e., attracted to one gender) people. Monosexism (i.e., a bias against sexual/romantic attraction to more than one gender) may partially explain this disparity. The current study aimed to expand understanding of monosexism’s impact on the relationship satisfaction of romantic/sexual relationships with at least one bi+ man. I hypothesized that monosexism (extra-dyadic, partner, and internalized) would inversely predict relationship satisfaction in both partners, and that dyadic stress and dyadic trust would mediate these relations. A total of 242 bi+ men (Partner A) and 95 romantic/sexual partners (Partner B) participated in the current study. Partner As were recruited via organization listservs and social media (e.g., Facebook and Instagram); they completed a survey measuring study variables and had the option to forward a link to partner B to complete a survey measuring all variables except extra-dyadic and internalized monosexism. I used path analysis to test hypothesized relations among variables. Several of my main hypotheses were supported. Multiple monosexism variables inversely predicted both Partner A and Partner B relationship satisfaction. Additionally, ratings of dyadic trust and dyadic stress from both partners mediated actor and partner effects. I also explored the associations between Partner B sexual orientation and gender and main study variables. Partner B sexual orientation and gender were linked to some monosexism variables as well as both partners’ relationship satisfaction. This study is likely the first study to examine multiple sources of monosexism in relation to the health of bi+ men’s romantic relationships using dyadic data.
ANALYTICAL METHODS AND COMPARISON OF PROJECTILE POINTS AND KNIVES FROM WOODLAND AND MISSISSIPPIAN PERIOD CONTEXTS AT THE STATE-LINE SITE (12D18 & 33HA58).
No full textThe transition between the Woodland Period and the later Mississippian Period was a time of momentous technological and societal change and development for native peoples of the Ohio River Valley. The periods are differentiated by the introduction of maize agriculture, the transition to larger, more sedentary population centers, the adoption of different pottery styles and techniques, and the use of unique lithic tools, among other changes. The State Line Site (12D18/33HA58), situated in the Ohio River Valley on the state boundary between Indiana and Ohio, is a multi-component Native American village site primarily occupied by the Fort Ancient Culture of the Mississippian Period, with evidence of lighter occupation during the Woodland period. The Fort Ancient component may have been vital to the local area and for inter-regional trade, due to its proximity to the Ohio River and a local salt lick. It is one of the densest and most significant prehistoric sites in either state, though previously relatively understudied. Projectile points and Knives (PPKs) are useful for study due to their relative ease of identification, the uniformity of their manufacture within a range of types, and the huge body of comparative data available. Variations in PPK material, design, and wear can be used to help explain site utilization, lithic material sourcing, and migratory patterns that changed during this transition from the Woodland Period into the Mississippian Period. This thesis employs a combination of macro- and microscopic analyses on PPKs recovered from the recent excavations at the State Line Site in order to understand what lithic projectile points and knives (PPKs) from the State Line Site tell us about changing activities across the transition from Woodland to the Mississippian Period. Use wear was identified under low-power microscopy, between 8x and 15x. Each PPK’s geometry was measured, including maximum length, thickness, width, basal width, basal thickness, neck length, neck width and thickness, notch height, notch depth, notch angle, blade angle, weight, and cortex percentage. With this data, this study aims to answer four Hypothesis statements:
H1: Supported
The typology, manufacture, and use of the State Line Site projectile points vary between Woodland and Mississippian Period contexts. In the Woodland context, PPKs will more frequently have evidence of being used as tools for hunting seasonal game and the butchering process of said game, compared to those projectile points from Mississippian Period contexts.
H2: Supported
The lithic material of projectile points from Woodland contexts found at the State Line Site varies from that of Mississippian Period context PPKs. Lithic material associated with the Woodland Period will have traveled a greater distance compared to that of the Mississippian Period contexts.
H3: Supported
Projectile points from Woodland contexts at the State Line Site are often more robust compared to those of projectile points from Mississippian contexts, and the Woodland assemblage has more signs of retouching compared to those of the Mississippian Period assemblage.
H4: Falsified
The lithic material most often identified in the Mississippian Period contexts at the State Line Site is that of local pebble cherts that are of lesser quality compared to sourced cherts seen with PPKs from Woodland contexts. In most cases, lesser quality cherts may be found to be heat-treated to assist with the manufacturing process of flintknapping to prevent unwanted breakage patterns. This leads to my hypothesis that the Mississippian Period PPK assemblage will contain a greater proportion of artifacts with evidence of heat treatment.
The Analysis has provided insight into aspects about not only the changes that took place at the State Line Site during the transition from the Woodland Period into the Mississippian Period, but also more data for a better understanding of how the Ohio River Valley/Midwest of America changed. Groups of the Ohio River Valley moved from using the area for hunting and butchering of game toward large sedentary villages focused on horticulture. Specifically at the State Line Site, the PPK analysis supports that during the Woodland Period, the site was used as a primarily hunting/butchering camp, and during the Mississippian Period was used as a large sedentary village site with hunting and butchering large game taking place elsewhere as hunting pressure of the local area would increase with larger populations
BUILDING A FIRM FOUNDATION: IDENTIFYING THE MOST EFFECTIVE KINDERGARTEN TO SECOND-GRADE LITERACY INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES THAT LEAD TO THIRD-GRADE READING SUCCESS
No full textRecent data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has revealed a concerning trend- a decline in elementary school students’ reading proficiency scores nationally. This suggests that these students are not making the expected progress in reading. The National average of fourth-grade public school students who performed at or above NAEP Proficient in reading in 2024 was 30 percent, a two-percentage-point drop from 2022 (NAEP Reading: National Average Scores, 2024.) This decline in reading proficiency has profound implications, as research indicates that students who are not proficient readers by the end of third grade face several negative societal impacts. In the report, Double Jeopardy: How Third-Grade Reading Skills and Poverty Influence High School Graduation, Donald J. Hernandez stated, “One in six children who are not reading proficiently in third grade fail to graduate from high school on time, four times the rate for children with proficient third-grade reading skills” (Hernandez, 2011, p. 6). This failure to read also disproportionately affects students in poverty, Black and Brown students, and English-language learners (ELLs; Hernandez, 2011). Therefore, there is a growing need for educators to take measures to promote reading proficiency, specifically for third graders, ensuring they can grow to be positive contributors to society and the global economy.
For this Doctoral Capstone in School System Leadership, the researcher generated a Problem of Practice (PoP) related to literacy in the compulsory elementary grades leading to third grade, particularly in the context of a post-COVID-19 educational landscape. The PoP statement, in alignment with the lack of reading proficiency in the Maryland district, states: “Over 65% of students in District A cannot read proficiently by the end of third grade.” The researcher sought to answer two research questions: 1) What do teachers of K−2 students in District A report as the most effective instructional strategies and reading approaches to promote reading achievement? 2) Do teachers in District A report that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic played a role in the selection of reading strategies to support student reading achievement? If so, what was the impact and the resulting instructional strategies they chose to implement?
The researcher proposed the implementation of focus groups to identify literacy strategies that kindergarten, first, and second-grade teachers, whose students had above-average assessment growth, reported as the most effective. The intention was to examine a particular theory of improvement: If stakeholders want to increase the percentage of third-grade students demonstrating proficiency on the English Language Arts MCAP in one academic year, they should focus on improving instructional strategies in K−2 through targeted professional development. The best way to do this is to provide practical, research-based pedagogical practices to teachers in K−2. This exploratory research study utilized a mixed methods approach, using quantitative data to identify teachers whose students demonstrated significant growth. A qualitative approach was then used to gather the data from the teachers in the form of three homogenous focus groups separated by grade level.
This study found that effective literacy strategies for K-2 students are both grounded in instructional content as well as teacher mindsets and approaches to teaching. Some of the content-based strategies teachers reported were prioritizing the instruction of foundational skills, using visual and concrete tools, and balancing electronic platforms and digital resources/technology with more traditional versions of instructional material. Teachers also reported the importance of being flexible, adaptable, and consistent, as well as the ability to differentiate instruction, assess students often, and establish home-school connections. Both the teachers and the researcher made recommendations based on these findings. The researcher will share these findings with districts to suggest that they examine their systems and structures, find ways to implement the strategies in teacher professional development, and provide an environment that will promote their successful implementation
Examining the Continuity of the Patient-Provider Relationship Among Maryland Medicaid Enrollees
No full textAdditional research on primary care can make an important contribution to inform efforts to shift away from fee-for-service care models and toward greater provider accountability of care. Initiatives such as Accountable Care Organizations or Patient-Centered Medical Homes aim to improve care through expanded services, such as case management, care coordination, and health promotion. These models are designed to reduce the need for acute care and promote more efficient use of the health care system. However, evaluations of these programs have shown mixed evidence of improved outcomes among participants. One potential explanation is a misalignment between the services as prescribed by these models and what patients perceive as high quality care. Many of these services overlap with those emphasized in pay-for-performance models. Yet the quality of care received can not be fully captured by clinical outcomes alone, because these outcomes are also influenced by patient-level factors. According to the Institute of Medicine, the continuity of the patient-provider relationship is one of the key aims of primary care. Continuity is also listed as a core attribute of high-quality primary care by the National Academy of Medicine. Continuity has been linked to improvements in health outcomes and can serve as an indicator of the quality of the care delivered from the patient’s point of view. Returning to the same provider reflects a patient's trust in the care received and a willingness to continue that relationship.
While most existing studies focus on continuity at the patient level, provider-level continuity can offer important insights into provider performance and care delivery patterns. Understanding continuity at the provider level can help identify systemic and organizational factors that support or hinder sustained relationships with patients. However, the majority of provider-level continuity studies have been conducted outside the United States or have focused on populations covered by Medicare or employer-sponsored insurance. To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine provider-level continuity of care among a low-income population in the United States. This dissertation uses data from a cohort of Maryland Medicaid enrollees from 2015-2019, focusing on individuals who sought care from a primary care provider during 2015 and who were enrolled for at least one month during each year. The first aim of this dissertation examines how variation in average continuity (measured using the continuity metric Usual Provider of Care [UPC]) at the provider-level is associated with provider characteristics. The second aim reviews the relationship between provider-level continuity of care and hospital utilization among a provider’s patients. The third aim examines the relationship between provider-level continuity of care and emergency department (ED) use within their patient panels.
The results of our study suggest that provider characteristics have a statistically significant relationship to the distribution of the UPC among their patient panel. Larger providers, female providers, more experienced providers, and providers outside of the Baltimore Metro region all have higher logUPC scores, holding all other variables constant. Furthermore, the results of Article 2 show that the regression estimates that a 1% decrease in the logUPC of a provider’s patient panel is associated with a .01% and .05% decrease in their panel’s average ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSCs) and inpatient stays, respectively. Providers who are female and/or serve fewer people with very-high comorbidities have patient panels with lower rates of ACSCs and inpatient stays. Article 3 demonstrates that continuity as measured by logUPC has less demonstrable impact on ED utilization rates. While the models show a statistically significant negative relationship between logUPC and rates of ED use, they also show a positive relationship with ED visits classified as non-emergent and/or preventable. Expanding our understanding of patient-provider continuity among Medicaid enrollees can help supplement the literature on continuity for a population with lower incomes, one that is more likely to be comprised of minorities and to have chronic conditions
GOVERNING A JUST TRANSITION: CLIMATE POLICIES FOR GLOBAL AND DOMESTIC EQUITY
No full textThis dissertation explores how climate policies can be designed and implemented to promote both environmental effectiveness and distributive justice at global and national levels. It comprises three interrelated essays that collectively offer a multi-scalar framework for understanding and advancing a just climate transition. The first essay introduces Human Appropriation of Net Primary Production (HANPP) as a novel metric for assessing global climate responsibility, highlighting how carbon sink appropriation and trade-embedded ecological pressures contribute to international inequality. The analysis reveals that high-income countries have exceeded their fair share of global HANPP, while a significant share of HANPP is embedded in international trade flows—underscoring the need for incorporating carbon sink equity into climate negotiations.The second essay examines the distributional effects of carbon taxation across 168 countries using a high-resolution Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) framework, capturing heterogeneity across 65 sectors and 201 income groups. The findings suggest that carbon taxes, while effective at reducing emissions, impose disproportionate burdens on low-income households unless revenues are recycled through targeted social assistance programs. Building on the modeling framework and databases developed in the second essay, the third essay focuses on fossil fuel subsidy reform, examining its distributional, poverty, and environmental implications, and assessing how social protection mechanisms can mitigate the adverse impacts of subsidy removal.
Together, these essays demonstrate that just transition policies must address both emission reduction goals and underlying social inequalities. The dissertation contributes methodologically by developing a SAM-based framework for evaluating the distributional impacts of climate policy (carbon taxes and removal of fossil fuel subsidies) and conceptually by introducing HANPP into climate justice discourse. Policy implications include the integration of climate instruments with social protection systems, the design of redistributive revenue recycling mechanisms, and the establishment of international carbon revenue funds to support low-income countries. These findings reinforce that fairness and effectiveness are mutually reinforcing in climate policy, and that durable climate action requires embedding equity considerations into both national welfare systems and global governance architectures
Insight Gained from Maryland’s WBL and Career Counseling Certificate Program
No full textThe Career Counseling Self-Efficacy Scale-Modified (CCSES-Modified; O’Brien et al., 1997) items, and the Career and Academic Development (CAD) subscale from the School Counselor Self-Efficacy Scale (SCSE; Bodenhorn & Skaggs, 2005) were used to collect data. These results were analyzed using Wilcoxon matched pairs tests, independent samples t-tests, and Welch's t-tests. Additionally, open ended qualitative responses from the survey were analyzed using an open-ended emergent coding process (Glaser & Strauss, 1967) which resulted in seven themes and 29 sub-themes.With legislation requiring individualized career counseling for every secondary student in Maryland, it was apparent there was a need for educating and upskilling professionals to meet the career coaching goals set forth in Maryland's Blueprint legislation. An amalgam of strategies for preparing career coaches in Maryland have been implemented since the release of the Blueprint. This presentation explores Maryland’s first higher education system-approved program focused on preparing career coaches in alignment with the Blueprint and the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR). This program, developed by the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES), has provided some valuable insight as a result of working with cohorts of career coaches from across the state. Faculty from this program with expertise in career coaching and work-based learning coordination in Maryland’s public schools shared their insights from working with the career coach cohorts. Attendees participated in the career counseling case conceptualization activity attached to at the end of the slides. Some helpful resources compiled during the first year of this program were also shared with participants in the Resources Handout included with the slides. Additionally, analyses of career coaches’ quantitative and qualitative survey feedback were presented, and participants learned how those findings were being used to continuously improve the career coaching preparation experience
HIP HOP ANANSI: A SCENIC DESIGN
No full textThe purpose of this thesis is to document the scenic design process for Hip Hop Anansi: A Short Comedy for Young Audiences by Eisa Davis, produced at the University of Maryland – College Park by the School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies. This work explores the process of designing a set for a movement-driven performance created for young audiences. An important aspect of this design is integrating scenically cohesive surfaces for captions, ensuring accessibility for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers. This thesis includes records of the design and production process, providing the foundation for understanding and executing the scenic design. Each document communicated design concepts and technical specifications to the director, designers, and craftspeople involved in the production. Included are research images, photographs of ¼” scale models, drafting plates, paint elevations, and a properties book detailing furniture and hand props, along with a final reflection on the scenic design and production process
UNTANGLING CORTICAL CIRCUITRY WITH HOLOGRAPHIC OPTOGENETICS: HOW THE CORTEX SHAPES INPUT AND HOW INPUT SHAPES THE CORTEX
No full textTo survey and navigate the world, animals must learn to efficiently transform and filter vast amounts of sensory information from their environment. How the brain coordinates across millions of neurons to process, or compute with, this sensory information is thus a central question in systems neuroscience. Over the past several decades, research has described how sensory stimuli might be processed across a hierarchy of brain regions, where simpler features of stimuli computed in lower order cortical areas combine to form more complex representations downstream. However, this view ignores a large piece of the puzzle: that cortical neurons receive a majority of their connections from their immediate neighbors, not from long-range projections. The role of this extensive recurrent connectivity within a given area remains unclear. This ongoing gap in our understanding is partly due to limitations in methodology that make challenging either investigations in vivo, where ongoing network activity critically influences network output, or perturbations on a biological scale. In the present thesis, we bridge this gap by developing and leveraging state-of-the-art optogenetic approaches, including two-photon imaging and holographic stimulation, to examine key building blocks of neural computation in the awake, intact cortex. We investigate how cortical neurons transform their aggregate inputs into spiking output in the awake brain, and how cortical networks change as a function of learning specific patterns of input. By employing holographic stimulation methods to deliver precise inputs to individual patterns of neurons, we begin to untangle how the cortex relies on its local recurrent connections to shape its output, and set a foundation for further studies to probe how the cortex and downstream regions interact and are reshaped to efficiently produce sensation to guide animals through the world