1941 research outputs found
Sort by
2014 Advertising Senior Capstone: Sidecar Creative
No full textProfessors, Dorothy Pisarski and Sandy Henry, advisors.This Journalism and Mass Communication's class prepared plans books and presentations for a segment of the ACH Foods business, specifically, Tone's Spices. Students were divided into four ad agencies to plan and execute an advertising and marketing campaign for the sponsor, Tone's. The students were challenged to create an integrated campaign including social media. The plans book for the student agency, Sidecar Creative, is presented here
Attributes And Characteristics That Contribute To Successful Female Leadership In Secondary Education
Full text link132 leavesThe current research indicates that gender underrepresentation in upper management is a broad,
global issue. According to data from the Iowa Department of Education (2010), most female
principals (50.4%) are at the elementary level while only 23.7% female principals are at the
secondary level and 76.3% males. The underrepresentation of females can be noted in business,
the armed forces, higher education, around the world, and in public education. Limited research
has been done on women in educational leadership, with even less in regard to women leadership
at the secondary level. Based on the large number of females represented in the teaching
occupation, it would seem logical that the proportion of female leaders in education would be
reflective of the profession as a whole, whether it is at the elementary, secondary level, or central
office. Through the lens of Critical Feminist Theory and multiple case qualitative design, this
researcher examined the lives and experiences of four women who have maintained successful
and effective careers in secondary education. By gathering in-depth information of actual
successful secondary female principals the researcher was able to add to the current literature and
accomplish four objectives: (a) Create an awareness of the skill set, style, and background
needed that allows a female educator to consider and pursue a secondary principalship, (b) Offer
necessary information for female educators who pursue a secondary principalship to be aware
and prepared for the obstacles and challenges they will encounter, (c) Encourage females who
fear advancement in secondary education due to stereotypes and/or leave the profession due to
negative experiences, and (d) Provide substantive information to administrator preparation
programs that will assist in designing instruction to support women interested in becoming
secondary principals
2014 Advertising Senior Capstone: WOW factor
No full textProfessors, Dorothy Pisarski and Sandy Henry, advisors.This Journalism and Mass Communication's class prepared plans books and presentations for a segment of the ACH Foods business, specifically, Tone's Spices. Students were divided into four ad agencies to plan and execute an advertising and marketing campaign for the sponsor, Tone's. The students were challenged to create an integrated campaign including social media. The plans book for the student agency, WOW factor, is presented here
Agent-Based Modeling Of The Role Of Selective Expert Opinion In The Dissemination Of Scientific Ideas Under Uncertainty
No full textDavid Courard-Hauri (Mentor)We live in a period where large amounts of data are too complex to be easily understood by many interested individuals, who therefore must rely on expert interpretation in order to expand their information about the world. However, in several fields where scientific results are seen to have political implications (for example, climate change, evolution, subjective well-being), oftentimes individuals either seek out or are presented with experts who are preselected for the type of data they are willing to provide. We have developed an agent-based model of interacting individuals seeking to understand a quantitative question in the face of “noisy” data. We use the simulation package NetLogo to study the communication of environmentally relevant scientific information in a heterogeneous society. We investigate the roles of uncertainty, expert interpretation, and intentional information selection in the maintenance of false beliefs even when the agent has a personal incentive to hold beliefs that correspond to exogenous reality The relative importance and power of these influences in the emergence of stable or complex dynamic networks of false belief systems were investigated.Drake University, College of Arts & Sciences, Environmental Science and Policy Progra
MPA 260, Capstone, Fall 2014
No full text33 pagesThe State of Iowa has made momentous changes to programing for individuals with mental health needs. Despite all of the changes to date, there is still significant room for improvement, especially in areas of funding and promoting psychiatrists to come to rural areas. Polk County has implemented jail diversion and crisis programing to reduce the recidivism rate of individuals with chronic mental health needs. A pilot mental health court has been established in Black Hawk County, but lacks support from crisis programing and jail diversion like that offered by Polk County. In order for a county to have successful mental health programing, a combination of crisis programing, jail diversion, mental health court and home based supports must work in tandem. Despite the efforts of State and Federal legislation, no programing can be successful if it is not properly funded through sustainable and expandable sources. Currently providers are not able to receive adequate reimbursement for the services they provide, creating a shortfall of available services. The true costs of the system are currently being shadowed by ineffective services, leading to incarceration and/or hospitalization of clients. Until a true holistic approach is adopted, marrying services and funding, individuals with mental health concerns will continue to be left behind.Professor Allen Zagoren DO, MP
Parallelizable Algorithms For Describing The Effects Of Strong Time-Dependent Electromagnetic Fields On The Hydrogen Atom
Full text linkKlaus Bartschat, Jason Grout, A.N. Grum-Grzhimailo, MentorsWe are testing a variety of methods to numerically treat the ionization of atomic hydrogen by a
strong lase r pulse. Besides providing high accuracy, the algorithms should be parallelizable in
order to handle the sometimes long propagation times needed to solve the time-dependent
Schrödinger equation for this fundamental strong-field problem. We report progress on
developing a computer code that will make such calculations possible on massively parallel
supercomputer platforms.Drake University, College of Arts & Sciences: Department of Physics and Astronomy, Department of Mathematics and Computer Science ; Institute of Nuclear Physics, Moscow State Universit
The Status of Iowa Sleep-Related Infant Mortality: An Evaluation of Safe Sleep Education Delivery, Policy, and Practice in Birthing Hospitals
Full text link142 pagesProblem: Sleep-related infant mortality, including sudden infant death syndrome, asphyxia, and
undetermined or unknown causes, is the third leading cause of death nationally and in Iowa
(Harris, 2014; Malloy & Ramirez, 2013). Evidence exists for increasing rates of bed sharing, a
major risk factor for sleep-related mortality (Kemp et al., 2000). Preventive messaging is most
widely and effectively delivered by health professionals at time of birth (Shaefer, Herman,
Frank, Adkins, & Tehaar, 2010). The intent of this study was to provide a characterization of
infant, maternal, and environmental factors contributing to sleep-related infant mortality and a
comprehensive review of safe sleep education policy and practices in Iowa birthing hospitals.
Procedures: An experimental, cross-sectional study design was used to analyze infant mortality
data reported by the Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner to the Child Death Reporting
system from 2004-2012. Analyses included mortality trends for sleep-related mortality parsed
by Sudden Infant Death (SIDS), asphyxia, and undetermined or unknown cause, descriptive
statistics for maternal and infant demographic factors, and correlations for environmental factors
potentially contributing to sleep-related death. An adjacent effort with Iowa birthing hospitals
involved use of a web-based survey to assess policies, parent education programs, clinical
practice, and training related to safe infant sleep or SIDS. The survey was directed toward
obstetric unit coordinators with content drawn from previous efforts to ascertain clinical practice.
Findings: Sleep-related mortality in Iowa has been steadily increasing since 2004. Subcategorical
examination of this trend revealed rises in SIDS and undetermined or unknown cases,
but a stable rate of deaths due to asphyxia. These infants (n=384) were more often males
(58.6%), lived an average age of 102 days, were living with multiple children at time of death,
and had a young mother. An alarming 42% of infants were bed sharing at time of death, with
only 43% placed on their back to sleep prior to the event. Significant racial disparities were
present. Non-white infants were more likely to have died while bed sharing compared to white
infants, Pearson χ2(1, n=151)=6.7, p=0.01, and non-white infants were also more likely to
usually sleep someplace other than a crib, Pearson χ2(2, n=151)=5.05, p=0.025.
The hospital survey (N=42) revealed that three-quarters have policies addressing SIDS or safe
sleep education. Of those with policies, topics covered included sleep positioning, surface, bed
sharing, and the infant’s sleep environment. Respondents indicated nearly uniform
demonstration of supine sleep, though some cited fear of aspiration, as a reason supine sleep
might not be used. Less than half of hospitals require clinical staff to complete safe sleep
education training. Unit coordinators rated their SIDS or safe infant sleep programs an average
strength of 7.66 out of 10.
Conclusions: Sleep-related mortality incidence in Iowa is increasing and state-specific risk
factors exist. Racial disparities in sleep environment practice are of particular concern. Hospital
policy addressing safe infant sleep is not universal. Consistent demonstration of supine sleep
may be inhibited by concerns over aspiration. Training opportunities could be improved as
access to programs external to the hospital setting and online are not fully utilized.
Recommendations: Greater awareness of the risk factors associated with sleep-related infant
mortality is needed among parents and caregivers of infants. Expansion or strengthening of
existing hospital-based education programs may improve protective parental actions. The Health
Belief Model may be an important tool in examining why parents are not be universally adhering
to guidance against bed sharing
Master of Public Administration (MPA) Program, Capstone
Full text link44 pagesThe sun is our most impressive source of energy. More than one million times the earth’s size, every year the sun provides ten times more energy than is stored in all the world’s reserves of coal and oil. The amount and intensity of sunlight varies by location, climate conditions, as well as daily and seasonal trends. Although southern states such as Arizona, California, and New Mexico receive the most sunlight during the year, Iowa ranks among the top third in the United States in the technical potential for solar energy production. Iowa’s 16th-place ranking puts it ahead of many states to the south including Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. Iowa’s rooftop solar energy potential alone could meet close to 20% of Iowa’s annual electric needs under optimal conditions. The decentralized approach to electricity generation through the creation of small-scale and distributed energy facilities has done wonders for solar proliferation in the state of Iowa as well as had a positive impact on the state’s economic development. Solar energy in Iowa now powers farms, businesses, universities, utilities, communities, and industries, as well as vehicles, and homes in the state. The purpose of this study is to analyze Iowa’s current solar energy blueprint by focusing on current practices, financial aspects, recent policy, and potential limitations. At the heart of this study is the examination of the northeast Iowa community of Decorah where renewable practices are epitomized with more than 50 solar projects found in a town of only 8,000 people. This study will correlate current policy and financial considerations to the case study of Decorah in order to help build a model for solar proliferation in the state of Iowa. It will show that although there may not be a perfect model for solar proliferation for each community in Iowa, there are many recommendations to help the process, including reauthorizing the state solar energy tax credit, cities creating community gardens, and electric utilities’ re-framing of the term “distributed generation” for becoming a comprehensible term which would boost understanding and awareness for potential ratepayers.Professor Allen Zagoren DO, MP
Time is of the Essence? Investigating How Culturally-Based Perceptions of Time Affect Hindsight Bias for Task Completion
Full text link16 pagesHindsight bias, known as the “Monday Morning Quarterback” syndrome, occurs when
individuals feel they would have been able to predict the outcome to past events. This research
examined if hindsight effects for personally-relevant task completion differs in monochronic
cultures, which have a one-at-a-time approach to deadlines, and polychronic cultures, which are
accustomed to working on many things at once. Based upon self-serving mechanisms, it was
predicted and found that the former group would be more likely to show hindsight distortion.
Participants made a list of tasks they planned to complete in a few weeks. After that time
period, half the participants were asked to recall their number of listed tasks, and half provided
recall estimates after noting how many tasks they had completed. As expected, relative to the
polychronic group, the monochronic group’s retrospective judgments were biased in the
direction of outcome information. Discussion focuses on applications and future research