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Women in Law Enforcement Conference 2025
https://digitalcommons.memphis.edu/govpubs-tn-safety-homeland-security-miscellaneous-reports/1015/thumbnail.jp
Uses for the Handkerchief
Uses for the Handkerchief examines the myriad ways grief after a profound loss can be embodied. Focusing primarily on the relationship between grandmother and granddaughter, the manuscript explores the love and devotion indicative of that connection, especially within the Black community, emphasizing the personal’s place in the political. Using the experience of Black Southern womanhood, the poems in this collection work with the language and practices of bereavement, providing space for the inspection of loss not only within the landscape of family and matrilineal relationships but also a more racialized context that illuminates the plight of the Black woman as a vessel for grief and mourning in America. Using various poetic forms, this project both eulogizes those whose presence in our lives has left an indelible mark and venerates the principles of sisterhood, the sacred relationship between mothers and daughters, and honors the traditions of the Black Church while also posing questions that speak to the cosmic uncertainty that colors discussions surrounding death and mortality
Sons of Macho and Other Messes
Sons of Macho and Other Messes is an invitation to explore masculinity and its role in society today through a voice of imagination, vulnerability, and hope. Every story here, in its own working, reckons with the way that our society passes down the systems of patriarchy through domestic relationships, especially between parents and children. The characters in these stories are pushed to explore the role of these relationships in how they have developed as human beings and how they perceive the world around them. All of these dynamics are traumatic, but they are all hopeful as well. Through the use of heavily metaphorical imagery and oftentimes, surrealist plot mechanics, the emotional truths and conflicts of these characters are experienced outside of themselves to discuss the importance of emotional vulnerability in this reckoning. This collection acknowledges that we are currently living inside of a crumbling house and the longer we wait to dismantle the broken systems keeping a roof over our heads, the more we will lose when everything finally falls
The Effects of a Calorie-Restricted High-Fat Diet Protocol on Glucose Metabolism, Immune Cell Composition, and Akkermansia muciniphila Levels
Calorie restriction (CR) has been widely studied for its health benefits, including metabolic improvement and lifespan extension. However, the implications of a calorie-restricted high-fat diet (CR-HFD) on immune cell composition and gut microbiota remain poorly understood. This study investigated if a CR-HFD would improve glucose homeostasis, alter immune cell composition, and alter the levels of Akkermansia muciniphila, a gut commensal bacterium known for its association with metabolic health. Fifteen male C57BL/6 mice were assigned to either a standard Chow diet ad libitum, a 45% fat diet ad libitum (HF), or a calorie-restricted high-fat (CR) diet. CR exhibited improved glucose clearance compared to HF. Gut permeability was also reduced for CR compared to HF, but not significantly. CR had fewer colonic CD4+ cells but no other immune alterations. A. muciniphila levels were preserved in CR but depleted in HF. These findings suggest CR provides limited protection against high-fat diet-induced metabolic impairments
How Trauma, Recalled Emotion Socialization, and Current Emotion Regulation Collide: Implications for Emerging Adult Psychopathology
Most adults have experienced at least one traumatic event, which can impact emotion competencies. Limited research exists examining how childhood emotion socialization, which forms regulatory skills, and current emotion regulation function together after trauma exposure. This study used latent profile analysis to identify subgroups of emerging adult college students based on their lifetime trauma exposure, recalled emotion socialization towards anger and sadness, and current use of cognitive reappraisal and experiential avoidance. Two latent profiles emerged: (1) the Lower Trauma, Supported group whose parents engaged in more modeling and coaching of negative emotions, and (2) the Higher Trauma, Mixed Socialization Behaviors group whose parents used similar levels of modeling, coaching, and inhibition. Emotion regulation skills did not help in differentiating profiles. Profiles did differ significantly in reports of PTSS and depressive symptoms, suggesting individuals with greater trauma exposure and less support developing emotional competencies may be a greater risk for psychopathology
School Vouchers in the Volunteer State: A Study of Perceptions of Education Savings Accounts using Chi-Square Tests of Independence and Multinomial Logistic Regression
In an effort to improve education, the Tennessee state legislature in early 2025 passed a bill to expand the state’s current targeted program to a universal Education Savings Account program in which state funding is set to be reallocated to private institutions for any Tennessee student who applies and is accepted. A list of the participating private institutions can be found on the state’s Department of Education website. While on first glance, the program is beneficial to Tennessee students, with a deeper investigation – the program is contentious for many citizens within the state. The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore the public’s perception of the existing targeted program in order to distinguish what aspects of an individual’s demographic makeup make them more or less likely to support the program. Variables considered over the course of this study include race/ethnicity, urbanicity, socioeconomic status, and religious and political viewpoints. Participants of the study are parents of K-12 students and residents of one of the four school districts in which the program is currently in its third pilot year. These counties include the following: The Memphis-Shelby County School District, The Hamilton County School District, The Metro Nashville School District, and The Achievement School District. Participant responses were voluntary and recorded using the Qualtrics database. Data were collected through the use of a Likert survey and analyzed using two types of statistical tests – Chi-Square Tests of Independence and Multinomial Logistic Regression Analysis. The data indicates that an individual’s demographic composition is, in fact, indicative of the degree of voucher support. The most significant demographic variables include the following: race and ethnicity, degree of educational attainment, and political viewpoint. Individuals who were classified as white, had previously attained a four-year college degree, or were moderate in their political views were much more likely to respond negatively to perception variables in comparison with their peers. As there is a current lack of research available to understand the factors that influence voucher support, the findings of this study will contribute to the contentious policy landscape as well as to understanding to influence future policy initiatives
Exploring the Lived Experiences of African American Students Enrolled in Developmental Education Programs at Community Colleges
There has been an overrepresentation of African American students enrolled in developmental education programs at community colleges for many years. As a result, African American students often drop these courses, leave college, and do not persist to degree attainment. There is limited research on African American students’ voices in developmental education, and no attention to the overrepresentation of Black students in the program, which reveals a gap in the current literature. Drawing on Critical Race Theory in Education (Ladson-Billings & Tate, 1998), the purpose of this qualitative study is to describe the lived experiences of African American adult students enrolled in a developmental education program at a community college. This study was conducted at a higher education institution in the Mid-South region of the United States. There are two primary research questions guiding this inquiry: 1. What are the lived experiences of African American adult students while enrolled in the developmental education program at a community college? a. What successes and obstacles do African American adult students in community college face while in developmental education programs? 2. How has participation in the developmental education program impacted their self-efficacy in terms of program completion? To understand their rich counterstories, I conducted semi-structured interviews with ten African American adult students. Using thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006), the findings identified four themes: participants’ lack of college preparation; factors that contributed to the completion of the developmental education program; challenges and obstacles experienced by participants; and factors that influenced their self-efficacy and motivation while in the developmental education program. The findings from the research participants\u27 narratives shed light on the following: • Findings revealed that the makeup of the developmental education classes was majority African American, with more women than men. • Most participants felt that high school did not prepare them for college • Some participants felt they could have succeeded in college-level courses without taking these noncredit courses. • These research participants had high self-efficacy and were motivated to complete their developmental education courses and did not drop out of college despite challenges and obstacles. It is recommended that institutions explore alternative assessment methods that go beyond standardized tests and focus on Black students’ strengths and skills, using the multiple measure process. Other recommendations include that policymakers create competitive school funding initiatives to transform high schools into middle colleges or give this project to a non-profit organization. This investment enhances the quality of education and ensures that Black adult students and parents have access to a more tailored and relevant educational path, ultimately promoting better academic and career outcomes
Can Professional Judgment be Taught to Auditors? An Experimental Investigation of Abilities and Implicit Beliefs
Abstract In this study, I investigate the impact of training interventions on professional judgment in auditors, while considering the moderating effects of ability and implicit beliefs about skill malleability. Prior research highlights the potential of metacognitive training to enhance analytical procedures in lower-level auditors (Plumlee, Rixom, & Rosman, 2015) and the role of experiential learning methods in fostering professional development (Powell et al., 2020). The effectiveness of such training interventions in improving professional judgment, particularly when accounting for individual differences in ability and mindset, remains an open question. Using a one-factor design with nesting, this study explores whether training in analytical thinking, professional skepticism, and professional integrity influences auditors’ professional judgment. Descriptive statistics suggest that participants who receive training tend to have higher post-intervention scores, but ANCOVA results indicate that training volume alone does not significantly impact post-intervention scores considering baseline performance (pre_test). Similarly, while mindset shows a significant main effect, ability does not demonstrate a significant direct effect. A significant interaction is found between training volume and mindset, suggesting that the effectiveness of training may depend on an individual’s implicit beliefs about malleability of abilities. Additionally, a significant three-way interaction between training volume, mindset, and ability highlights the importance of considering these factors collectively when evaluating training outcomes. Hierarchical regression analysis confirms that baseline performance is a strong predictor of post -intervention outcomes, the addition of training volume and mindset improves the model, and the inclusion of ability further enhance the model’s explanatory power, suggesting that pre-existing competencies may influence training effectiveness. These findings underscore the complexity of professional judgment development and indicate that training interventions alone may not be sufficient to drive significant improvements. Instead, factors such as individual predispositions, cognitive abilities, and psychological traits may play a more substantial role. This study contributes to the auditing literature by emphasizing the need for tailored training approaches that account for individual differences. While training remains an important tool for professional development, its impact on auditors’ judgment may be maximized when integrated with a deeper understanding of how ability and mindset influence learning outcomes. Future research should explore more personalized training strategies and consider additional moderating factors to enhance training effectiveness in the auditing profession
Assessment of Wall Modeled Large-Eddy Simulation of Large Experimental Facilities
High-fidelity large-eddy simulations of high Reynolds number flows in large wind and water tunnels become infeasible without wall modeling. In these facilities, turbulent boundary layers grow and may be subject to wall curvature. In this study, we consider two well-documented test cases of large facilities. First, is the empty test section of the William B. Morgan Large Cavitation Channel. The 72 m long facility includes a unique, high-curvature inlet nozzle after the first turn and a long outlet diffuser separated by a 100 ft long test section with a cross-sectional area of approximately 100 sq ft. The BeVERLI Hill case features a wall-mounted hill configuration in the center of a 12 m long wind tunnel. We employ the curvilinear immersed boundary method with large-eddy simulation to model the turbulence. Due to the high curvature in the boundary conditions, the assumption of a simplified turbulent equilibrium boundary layer is invalid. Several wall models are assessed, including an equilibrium wall model and a power-law wall model. The errors in the wall models are quantified, which shows the need for a more accurate wall model to handle adverse pressure gradients and curvature. Thus, the integral wall model is refined and implemented in large-eddy simulations. A fully developed turbulent boundary layer is used to validate the wall model, and the integral wall model is further applied to a curved wall case and a full-scale simulation of the Large Cavitation Channel
Document, Identification Cards, Family Service of Memphis, undated
Document with blank identification cards for the Family Service of Memphis, Memphis, TN, undated.https://digitalcommons.memphis.edu/speccoll-mss-famservicememphis1/1030/thumbnail.jp