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An investigation of behaviors associated with emotional intelligence skills: A cross-sectional survey of athletic training students using the Genos Emotional Intelligence Inventory
Get PDFThe purpose of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the frequency of which athletic training students demonstrate behaviors associated with emotional intelligence skills. This study also examined the EI skill demonstration compared to normative sample data, as well as the impact of age, gender, grade point average, and clinical experience hours have on emotional intelligence skills. Emotional intelligence skills were assessed using the Genos Emotional Intelligence Inventory. This study sampled 658 undergraduate and graduate athletic training students enrolled in an accredited professional athletic training program. There was no difference in EI skills between undergraduate and graduate athletic training students. Females demonstrate higher EI skills compared to their male peers. EI skills were inconsistent with normative data, with athletic training students frequently demonstrating lower EI skills compared to the normative data. Athletic training students with more than 500 clinical experience hours demonstrated significantly higher EI skills compared to peers with fewer than 500 hours. Athletic training students demonstrate less EI skills directly associated emotional self-awareness, emotional reasoning, emotional management of others, and interpersonal behaviors. This study was the first to measure how often athletic training students demonstrate behaviors associated with emotional intelligence. The results of this study provide important insight into the emotional and social development of undergraduate and graduate athletic training students. The results of this study also provide educators important data regarding the emotional and social development of their students. These finding indicate that educators and program administrators should consider strategic EI skill development early in the professional development of a student.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
Cultivating Resilience: Sense of Safety and Belonging in Higher Education
Get PDFTaking into consideration a decline in value of the higher education experience, this research was done in order to determine alternative ways to assess value of higher education. Use of Maslow's Theory of Human Motivation as the framework, as well as a thorough literature review, highlights the importance of sense of safety and belonging in higher education. The literature review revealed a lack of research on sense of safety and belonging through a shared experience.
The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not there was a relationship between participation in extra-curricular activities and sense of safety, and/or if there was a relationship between extra-curricular activities and depression/anxiety and/or substance abuse. Secondary data collected through the Vermont Department of Health's College Health Survey was analyzed using multivariate logistic regression. Sample data (n=2,174) was chosen based on the participants experience with a traumatic event within the last 12 months.
Data was analyzed for statistical significance (p=<.05), regression coefficient to show negative/positive correlation with standard error, odds ratio for magnitude, and a 95% confidence ratio. Data analysis did not result in statistical significance of the relationship between independent and dependent variables, however, controlling for the dependent variable highlighted the importance of a representative survey for generalizability, the importance of a reliable survey tool, proper survey creation, and distribution processes.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
Evaluating GFS and ECMWF Ensemble Forecasts of Integrated Water Vapor Transport Along the U.S. West Coast
Get PDFAtmospheric Rivers (ARs) are long and narrow regions in the atmosphere of enhanced integrated water vapor transport (IVT) and are typically associated with extreme precipitation and high societal impacts. Reliable and skillful forecasts of landfalling ARs in the Western US are critical to hazard preparation and aid in decision support services, such as forecast informed reservoir operations. The purpose of this study is to compare the cool-season water year skill of the NCEP GEFS and ECMWF ensemble forecasts of IVT along the U.S. West Coast for 2017--2020. The skill is analyzed using probability-over-threshold forecasts of IVT magnitudes ≥250 kg m⁻¹1 s⁻¹1 (P₂₅₀) using contingency table skill metrics at a point of interest (38ºN, 123ºW) and along the west coast of North America. Analysis of forecast probability changing with lead-time (dProg/dt) found the ECMWF provided ~1-day of additional lead-time for situational awareness over the GEFS at lead times of 6??10-days. Forecast-based skill showed the ECMWF to lead over the GEFS with success ratios 0.10 to 0.15 higher at lead times >6 days for P₂₅₀ thresholds of ≥25% and ≥50%, while event-based skill analysis using the probability of detection (POD) found that both models were largely similar with minor latitudinal variations favoring higher POD for each model in different locations along the coast. Investigation into whether different types of flow patterns and events result in higher or lower AR-related forecast skill could bring additional situational awareness and further the results of this study.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
Analysis of Extratropical Transition or Dissipation of TCS that made Landfall in the Contiguous United States from 2000-2019
Get PDFTCs that made landfall over the contiguous US for the past 20 years were studied to further examine the difference in synoptic patterns between land falling TCs that underwent extratropical transition (transitioning storms) and those that didn't (became subtropical or dissipate out as lows; dissipating storms). Using the HURDAT database, TCs with similar tracks and similar landfall areas in the US were selected, areas that experienced both land falling TCs that became extratropical and TCs that didn't were highlighted. Focus was brought to two main groups of land falling TCs, those that made landfall in the Gulf of Mexico Coast and those that made landfall on or near Florida. These two main groups were further divided into dissipating storms and transitioning storms. Upper and surface level maps, along with PV maps, phase space diagrams and satellite imagery were used to analyze these four groups of land falling TCs. Both composite analyses and individual case studies were done. Preliminary results indicate that most of the TCs that underwent ET interacted with a significant low level baroclinic boundary while inland but with some of them being officially classified as extratropical sometime later than when it had all of the characteristics of one. Most case studies only had slight differences with their respective composites with TC Ivan having the higher discrepancy when it made landfall in the west gulf area. Future work includes increasing the time frame of the analysis and coalescing the different synoptic conditions present for TCs that underwent ET to simulate upper and surface level synoptic environments that would be beneficial for this transition to take place and would help forecasters to better predict them.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
A Climatology of Ice Jams Over the Northeast U.S.
Get PDFIce jams are phenomena that obstruct the downstream flow of water in a river during the cold season which can lead to flooding. They occur in settings that facilitate the accumulation of ice floes (e.g., in areas of low streamflow, river bends, near bridges) and are responsible for approximately $300 million (USD) in damage each year in North America (French 2018). Past studies have characterized different types of ice jams as freeze-up, floating, grounded, and break-up (FEMA 2018). Break-up ice jams are often the primary cause of ice jam-related flooding and usually occur in late winter or early spring when warm temperatures and rain cause snowmelt and increased streamflow that breaks existing river ice apart. Warm temperatures and rain that trigger these ice jams typically occur in the warm sector of mid-latitude cyclones that pass over the Northeast U.S. and are often accompanied by an atmospheric river (AR; e.g., Sanders et al. 2020). Break-up ice jams occur with some regularity on the Pemigewasset River in Plymouth, New Hampshire, where they often cause flooding in low-lying areas of neighboring Holderness and are of concern to Plymouth State University, which operates several buildings in the floodplain. Several recent ice jams in this area have motivated ongoing research on ice jams at the university (Sanders et al. 2020). This complementary study provides a climatological analysis of ice jams in the Northeast U.S. and contains meteorological composite analyses that characterize the synoptic-scale environment prior to ice jam events in different states across the region in order to provide additional common-ingredient analyses and improve situational awareness in the ice jam formation process.
The annual distribution of ice jams is bimodal with maxima in late January associated with a mid-winter thaw and in mid-March associated with spring warming. Freeze-up ice jams were observed with maxima in mid-December and late-January and break-up ice jams were observed with maxima in late-January and mid-March, consistent with past research. Rivers in the study area frequently observed ice jams in the same general area (e.g., 41 out of 53 jams on the Pemigewasset River occurred at Plymouth). Antecedent conditions associated with ice jam events typically consist of concurrent maxima in average daily maximum temperature of ~5-10°C and average daily precipitation accumulation of 5-15 mm near the start date of the event, with daily high temperatures that rise above freezing >2-4 days prior to the event and persist for >3-7 days. During the event, temperatures stay above freezing for a total duration of ~24-36 h with average event precipitation totals of 15-25 mm. Ice jams frequently occurred in synoptic-scale environments featuring the characteristics described above that contained ARs with IVT magnitudes >500-600 kg m⁻¹ s⁻¹ in the pre-cold-frontal region of a midlatitude cyclone over New York. The majority of events in New York (88%), Vermont (88%), New Hampshire (97%), and Maine (78%) featured IVT magnitudes ?250 kg m⁻¹ s⁻¹, suggesting that they were associated with ARs.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
Snow Depth and Snow Water Equivalent: A 30-Year New Hampshire Climatology and Analysis of Spatial Variability Underneath the Canopy of the White Mountain National Forest
Get PDFSnow water equivalent (SWE) measurements are critical for creating flood and drought outlooks in the spring. These data are abundantly collected throughout the winter and spring months and reported to organizations like the National Weather Service to use in their products. Organizations such as the National Weather Service use snow data to look at how it has behaved in the past in order to predict how it might look in the future. Unfortunately, the current collection and archival of snow data by the National Weather Service from numerous organizations in New Hampshire is not streamlined. Various file formats and delivery methods are used, which is no conducive to archive and perform data analyses useful for operational flood-related products. Furthermore, metadata for snow sites is neither complete nor all in one file. This project took historical data from the New England division of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, and systematically organized, quality assured, and conglomerated them. Thirty-five high-fidelity snow sites were identified that can be used to create 30-year climatological products. A subset of products, such as yearly max SWE and snow depth within the climatological period were also created.
In a second snowpack research project, field operations were preformed to attempt to analyze the variability of SWE and snow depth underneath canopy covers of varying closure values during the 2019-2020 snow season. Six snowboards were placed in areas that were visually deemed to fall into three categories of overhead canopy cover: Full Cover, Partial Cover, and No Cover. The canopy closure values were quantified by using image analysis software on photographs of the overhead canopy. Initial analyses of the data showed that snow depth behaved inversely with canopy closure with the boards under full canopy receiving less snow depth on average than the other boards. The SWE, however, behaved close to a direct relationship with canopy closure. The boards in areas under full canopy recorded more SWE on average than the other boards. Snow depth behaved anomalously during periods of high wind suggesting wind drifting is a significant factor on snow depth. The SWE is most affected by wind in the early season and largely driven by temperature and/or increased solar radiation in the late season as meltwater from intercepted snow can easily drip down to the surface.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
The Relationship Between Integrated Water Vapor Transport and California Watershed Precipitation
Get PDFAtmospheric Rivers (ARs) are defined as corridors of enhanced integrated water vapor transport (IVT) and produce large fractions of annual precipitation in regions with complex terrain along the western coastlines of mid-latitude continents (e.g., 30-50% along the U.S. West Coast in California). This study investigates this relationship among landfalling ARs, IVT, and watershed mean areal precipitation (MAP) for a 38-year period over California. On average, the daily average IVT magnitude at different coastal locations explains ~34% of the variance in annual watershed MAP across all 140 watersheds with large spatial variability across California. Further investigation of the IVT magnitude and direction at coastal locations illustrated that adding water vapor transport direction increases the explained variance in annual MAP to an average of 45%, with highest values (~65%) occurring in watersheds over North-Coastal California. Similar investigation of the lowertropospheric water vapor flux vector at 850 hPa and 925 hPa revealed further increases in the explained variance in annual MAP to an average >50%. The results of this study (1) emphasize the importance of IVT direction and water vapor flux altitude to watershed MAP, (2) align well with previous studies for select locations that highlight the importance of upslope (i.e., lower tropospheric) water vapor flux during landfalling ARs and precipitation, and (3) motivate the development of AR-related and watershed-centric forecast tools that incorporate IVT direction and water vapor flux altitude parameters in addition to IVT magnitude.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
Relationship of Seasonal Cloud Albedo with Height and Ambient Aerosol Quantities
Get PDFCloud albedo is primarily a function of the cloud's microphysical composition. Clouds comprised of small liquid droplets are more efficient at reflecting solar radiation than ones made-up of larger droplets and/or ice crystals. The droplet composition is a function of its temperature, which corresponds to the altitude of the cloud. Ambient aerosols can have an indirect effect on the size and quantity of droplets present in a cloud. The purpose of this study was quantifying changes in cloud albedo with height, time of year, and ambient aerosol optical depth. Our study utilized upward facing pyranometers from the AERONET station at the Goddard Space Flight Center to calculate cloud albedo. We used cloud height observations from automated and manned stations to find the corresponding cloud heights. We found that on average, low clouds reflected 418 W/m2 and reduced solar flux by 55%, middle clouds reduced radiation by 332 W/m2 and reflected 46%, high clouds reduced solar flux by 125 W/m2 and reflected 20% of incoming radiation.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
Effects of Snow Water Equivalent Products on Streamflow Volume Forecasts and Climate in the Colorado River Basin
Get PDFThe Colorado River Basin (CRB) provides water resources to millions of people in the western United States and northern Mexico. Efficient and effective water management is needed to sustain the economy, human life, and the environment. The water cycle in the CRB is dominated by high elevation snowpack, seasonal (April through July) snowmelt-driven runoff, and is critical for hydrologic forecasters and water managers. Anthropogenic climate change combined with natural variability are warming and drying the CRB, which has put new stresses on the water cycle. The Colorado Basin River Forecast Center (CBRFC) forecasts streamflow within the CRB to provide actionable decision support tools and information to resource managers within the basin. To properly forecast and model the hydrology in the region, frequent spectral and temporal data is needed. The CBRFC currently uses the SNOW-17 accumulation and ablation model to develop and forecast mean areal snow water equivalent (SWE) values. A relatively new SWE dataset is available from the University of Arizona, the Snow Water Artificial Neural Network (SWANN). With help from the CBRFC, SWANN and SNOW-17 SWE datasets are run through the CBRFC's framework to model spring streamflow volumes in headwater basins throughout the CRB from 1982-2015. Observed streamflow volumes are compared with model results to determine that SNOW-17 proves to be more accurate, although the two SWE datasets are statistically similar. The two SWE datasets are used with observed streamflow volumes to show declines throughout the CRB. Additional in-situ datasets are used to confirm warming and drying through observed temperature, precipitation, and SWE through the year 2020. Model SWE and observed in-situ data show warming and drying are affected more at higher elevations and lower latitudes. Minimum temperatures are shown to be warming more than maximum temperatures. Finally, upper-level atmospheric reanalysis data of 500 hPa geopotential heights and 300 hPa scalar winds are analyzed to show and confirm the warming and drying trends observed in the CRB. This study illuminates the uses of SWE datasets combined with hydrologic and meteorologic data to relate climate changes impacts on the region, which the CBRFC can use to inform the public and stakeholders. Results from this study are supported by past documentation of climate trends in the CRB which are critical to properly manage and understand with a growing need and concern for water management.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
Retention Deficit Disorder: Exploring the Issue of Low Student Retention in an Online College
Get PDFThe purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between student characteristics and student retention in a predominantly online college using data from two cohorts of entering students in either 2017-2018 or 2018-2019. Due to the dichotomous nature of the dependent variable indicating retention, this study relied on the point biserial correlation coefficient to determine the strength of the relationship. This study found the demographic variables of gender (p=0.036, rpb = 0.083), prior college experience based on transfer credits (p=0.008, rpb = 0.115), and military affiliation (p=0.022, rpb = 0.091) had statistically significant correlations but low strengths of the relationship to the retained variable in the 2017-2018 cohort. This study also found the academic and financial variables of first term GPA (p=0.000, rpb = 0.432), first term administrative failure (p=0.000, rpb = -0.385), use of federal loans (p=0.000, rpb = 0.151), and use of federal grants (p=0.000, rpb = 0.0.158) demonstrated statistically significant correlations with low to moderate strengths of the relationship to the retained variable in the 2017-2018 cohort with similar results in the 2018-2019 cohort.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio