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The Effect of Voir Dire Variations on Juror Disclosures
Get PDFVoir dire, sometimes referred to as jury selection, is the legal process the court uses to pursue an impartial jury. The presiding judge controls many aspects of how voir dire proceeds. In deciding voir dire variations, the judge presumably engages in a calculus weighing factors like the goal of voir dire, time, and specific trial needs to determine appropriate procedures. Certain procedures are considered expansive and others limited. Where expansive procedures provide more information from jurors, they may take longer; limited procedures may be more expeditious but limit access to information from jurors (Hans and Jehle, 2003; Mize, Hannaford-Agor, and Waters, 2007).To date, limited research has examined the effect of expansive or limited voir dire procedures on juror responses, with no known examinations of juror disclosures within actual voir dire. The lack of empirical data on voir dire variations and disclosure limits researchers and perhaps the presiding judge’s focus to known factors influenced by voir dire variations like time (Mize et al., 2007). My dissertation focuses on this gap in the literature, using novel procedures that examine the impact of voir dire variations on juror disclosure.Both studies serve as first steps to understanding the relationship between voir dire variations and juror disclosure. Study 1 focuses on the presence and potential effect of voir dire variations by examining prospective juror responses using transcripts from five trials. Study 2 employs an online voir dire paradigm to examine the effects of other jurors (voir dire method), juror questionnaire administration, and participants’ views of voir dire questions on participant disclosures.Findings across both studies provide some support for the theorized effects of expansive and limited voir dire techniques on juror disclosures and suggest jurors’ negative perceptions of questions may inhibit disclosures and positive perceptions may encourage disclosures. However, not all expansive and limited techniques aligned with the theorized effects and some did not replicate across studies, indicating a need for additional research to identify under what conditions certain techniques affect juror disclosure. Such information would aid judges determining when to implement certain voir dire techniques.Advisor: Eve M. Bran
The Origin of Community as Experienced by Intercollegiate Athletes at Benedictine Institutions of Higher Education: A Hermeneutical, Phenomenological Hybrid Study
Get PDFThis study focuses on the phenomenon of community experienced at Benedictine colleges and universities and its impact on the faith, character, and human development of recent alumni who participated in intercollegiate athletics on campus. Benedictine education, based on the 1,500-year-old Rule of Saint Benedict, is guided by ten hallmarks which seek to build wisdom cultivated in community. This study specifically examines the extent of the lived experience of community through the lens of former intercollegiate athletes (alumni from the past ten years) and the perceived influence of the hallmarks on their post-graduate lives. I contacted mission leaders, athletic directors, and alumni directors at the twelve Benedictine colleges and universities to help identify a target group of six young alumni who fit the criteria of former intercollegiate athletes on campuses within the last ten years. I strove to find a balance of males and females. The six young alumni nominated described their lived experience of community at their college or university and the perceived influence of the hallmarks on their post-graduate lives. Using a hermeneutical, phenomenological analysis, the community they described was interpreted to observe common themes.Advisor: Marilyn Grady and Nicholas J. Pac
A Study of Rachel Galinne’s \u3cem\u3eDybbuk\u3c/em\u3e for Solo Clarinet: A Classical Work with Klezmer Influences
Get PDFComposer Rachel Galinne self-identifies first and foremost as an Israeli with Swedish roots. She was born and raised in Sweden to Holocaust survivors and always felt a deep connection to Jewish traditions and culture, leading her to immigrate to Israel. Her compositions are derived from her formal education in musicology and composition in contemporary music, as well as from her Jewish community. Her Jewish heritage is represented in her compositions through text, motivic ideas, and specific topics. Dybbuk for solo clarinet is an excellent example.This solo follows the perspective of Leah, one of the main characters in Solomon Ansky’s play The Dybbuk, set in an Ashkenazi Jewish community. Both tonal and atonal compositional techniques create this piece, along with seven identifiable motifs. The atonal sections represent the emotional turmoil of Leah, and the tonal sections represent the storyline, the latter of which are embodied by klezmer characteristics such as modes, harmonies, melodic qualities, and ornamentation. Dybbuk is Galinne’s only specifically uses klezmer characteristics, a necessity due to the setting of the story.Several academic projects have referenced Rachel Galinne, but there has not been a distinct academic study of Galinne and her work Dybbuk for solo clarinet. The document provides an overview of the professional life of Rachel Galinne and her compositional periods and style, followed by a brief history and explanation of klezmer characteristics as it pertains to Dybbuk, and an analysis of Galinne’s work. The appendices include a glossary of terms, an analyzed score of Dybbuk, a table of the klezmer characteristics identified in the piece, an interview with the composer, a list of Galinne’s solo and chamber works for clarinet, and a summary of her honors and awards.The goal of this document is to demonstrate how Galinne composed Dybbuk by integrating her unique compositional style with her Jewish heritage.Advisor: Diane Barge
Impact of Pre- and Post-breeding Supplementation on Performance of May-born Heifers
Get PDFSummary with Implications This 3-year study compared growth, reproductive performance, and economics of May-born yearling heifers that either received 2.00 lb/ heifer/ per d of a dried distillers grain supplement from pre-breeding (July) through breeding (August) or no supplement. Supplementation was offered approximately 24 days before breeding, averaging 55 days total. Heifer body weight was unaffected by supplementation. Supplementation increased average daily gain until pregnancy diagnosis, but no differences were noted after pregnancy diagnosis. Providing dried distillers grain increased the percentage of heifers that were cycling before breeding; however, no differences in pregnancy rates, percent that gave birth in the first 21 days, calving date, or calf body weight at birth were observed. Heifers without supplementation had a $17.38 greater net return than supplemented heifers. This study implies providing dried distillers grain during the pre-breeding and breeding period increases pre-breeding attainment of puberty and average daily gains with no impact to other reproductive measures or body weight gains
FIRST Portfolio - ALEC 207: Communicating Science with Public Audiences
Get PDFThis portfolio investigates how collaborative group projects and structured peer reviews enhance undergraduate students’ science communication skills in ALEC 207: Communicating Science with Public Audiences. Drawing on mid-semester evaluations, peer review reflections, and overall course outcomes, the analysis highlights how group-based activities and peer critiques help students develop clarity, relevance, and confidence in their communication. ALEC 207 introduces core principles of strategic communication in food, agriculture, and natural resources contexts, and gives students opportunities to refine their writing through press releases, feature articles, visual communications, and audience-tailored messages. While the course predominantly emphasizes writing, it also leverages ongoing revisions to incorporate emerging media formats and interactive learning experiences, such as infographics or short-form video. Students respond positively to collaborative exercises, citing benefits like exposure to multiple perspectives, improved organization, and confidence building through peer feedback. However, these group assignments must be carefully timed to preserve a balance between teamwork and individual skill development and learning. Plans for future revisions include scheduling group tasks at key intervals in the semester, creating themed assignments for students with shared disciplinary interests, and refining peer review processes. By examining these collaborative strategies, the portfolio served to support revisions to the course that utilize structured interaction to foster stronger science communication skills in among undergraduate learners
Agri-Technology Transforming Farms and Ranches across Nebraska
Get PDFIn summary, agri-tech is reducing the demand for traditional farm and ranch labor in Nebraska while creating new opportunities in technical, analytical, and management roles. As Nebraska maintains its leadership in agri-tech, there will be a growing need for a tech-savvy and versatile agricultural workforce
Gamma Sigma Delta, Nebraska Chapter Newsletter, Issue #67 April 2025
No full textPresident\u27s message, Deb VanOverbeke
Student awards: Outstanding Junior Lara Arnold, Outstanding Senior Emily Eilers, Graduate Award Caitlin Ross
Dues and membership information
Faculty awards: Research Award Samodha Fernando, Teaching Award Gary Sullivan, Extension Awards Jenny Nixon and Bijesh Maharjan, Award of Merit Mike Boehm
Gamma Sigma Delta committees 2025
Foundation fund information
New members inducted
In memoriam: Dorothy Dotti Mott Callahan (May 4, 1942-August 12, 2023); Frank Michael Zoz (November 5, 1936-December 9, 2023); Duane Calvin Acker (March 13, 1931-December 13, 2024); John C. Owens (1944-2024); Duane A. Olson (July 17, 1935-January 5, 2025); Roger W. Mandingo (April 21, 1939-January 24, 2025); Nancy Schemerdtmann (January 7, 1943-February 28, 2025); Robert Nicholas Klein (February 8, 1938-March 22, 2025); Bernard Keith Heuermann (April 19, 1925-March 29, 2025)
Elevator Speech Contest: 1st Libia Gomez-Trejo, 2nd Tiffany Hegdahl, 3rd Sanket Shinde, 4th Arju Aryal, 5th Molly Boyd
Pledge and honor cord
Foreign Aid
No full textAccording to a recent poll, United States adults think on average that about 26 percent of the federal government’s budget goes to foreign aid with some believing that more than half is put to that use. Public opinion surveys have returned similar results for many years with most respondents seeming to believe that this is far too generous often suggesting that something on the order of 5 percent of federal spending would be more appropriate. In fact, until recent efforts to eliminate foreign aid altogether, the actual amounts spent have represented one percent or less of the federal budget. The elimination of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and severe reductions in the spending of humanitarian and development funds appropriated by the U.S. Congress are of questionable legality and with unresolved legal challenges still in the works it is not clear precisely how the U.S. role in foreign assistance will evolve in the future. In that context, some factual information about foreign aid may be of use
Navigating Farm Succession Without a Family Heir: 7 Common Concerns
No full textIn my work with agricultural families, I’m seeing a growing and difficult reality: many farms and ranches today don’t have a successor within the family. While this absence can simplify parts of estate planning, it often creates deeper, more emotional challenges, especially when legacy and identity are tied to the land.
In an earlier article, I posed a tough but essential question: What do I want to happen to my farm or ranch when I die? The related, and often revealing, question is: What outcomes are unacceptable to you? The answers often revolve around seven common concerns that strongly influence your succession planning
Erratum to Golovatch et al. (2025): Contributions to the Taxonomy of the Neotropical Millipede Genus \u3cem\u3eIulidesmus\u3c/em\u3e Silvestri, 1895 (Diplopoda: Polydesmida: Paradoxosomatidae: Catharosomatini)
No full textAfter publication of Golovatch et al. (2025), it was noticed that Figure 3 was accidentally omitted. The authors and the Insecta Mundi editorial staff apologize for this error. Figure 3 is reproduced here. Insecta Mundi has also released a revised version of the Golovatch et al. (2025) manuscript, with this error corrected. However, the revised version is not an official version of record, and anyone wishing to reference the findings of Golovatch et al. (2025) should cite the original manuscript or this erratum