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Between Compliance and Commitment: Community College Administrators and the Politics of DEI Policy Implementation
No full textThis qualitative case study explores how community college administrators navigate the complex and politically charged landscape of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policy implementation in the face of evolving state legislation. Grounded in Michael Lipsky’s theory of Street-Level Bureaucracy, the research examines how mid- to senior-level administrators perceive their interpretations, mediations, and actions on DEI mandates in contexts where such policies are contested or pressured. Using semi-structured interviews with administrators across multiple community colleges, the study investigates the tension between institutional commitment to DEI values and the necessity to comply with external political and legal directives. The study contributes to the literature on higher education governance, state policymaking and administrative discretion, offering implications for how colleges can maintain inclusive practices under the strain of increasing political polarization and policy rollback
Cotton Yield and Tissue-Potassium Response to Potassium Fertilization
No full textPotassium (K) deficiency is a common yield-limiting factor in cotton (Gossypium hirsu tum L.) production across the U.S. Cotton Belt. Adequate fertilizer-K management is paramount to ensure optimum plant growth and development, minimizing yield losses. Currently, fertilizer K recommendations for cotton in Arkansas are derived from expected yield responses of other crops, with no calibrated fertilizer-K rates or critical tissue-K concentrations defined to maxim ize crop yield. Our research objectives were i) to investigate cotton yield response and fiber qual ity to K fertilization on soils with different K availability; ii) to correlate relative yield with tis sue-K concentrations at individual growth stages to establish critical tissue-K concentrations; iii) to define which tissue (leaf or petiole) is more sensitive to diagnose K nutritional status, and iv) to improve the cotton fertilizer-K correlation and calibration database. Ten fertilizer-K rate (0 to 187 kg K ha-1) trials were conducted on silt loam soils with soil-test K ranging from Very Low to Optimum during the 2023 and 2024 growing seasons. Cotton was planted on raised beds and fur row-irrigated. Leaf and petiole samples were collected at first square and at weekly intervals throughout reproductive growth to quantify the tissue-K concentration. At maturity, cotton was harvested to measure lint yield, and subsamples were collected to evaluate cotton lint turnout and fiber quality. Cotton lint yield was positively affected by K fertilization (P ≤ 0.10) on soils with soil-test K ≤ 90 mg K kg-1. At responsive sites, cotton yield was maximized with applications of 56 kg K ha-1 in long-term trials and 75 or 112 kg K ha-1 in single-site-year trials, with yield in creases of 53, 47, and 70%, compared to the no-K control, respectively. These results suggest that current fertilizer-K recommendations for cotton are adequate. Lint turnout and fiber quality were affected by K availability. Lint turnout was 2.4% greater across cultivars in relation to the control, and fiber elongation, uniformity, strength, and micronaire increased by 0.35%, 0.67%, 1.84 g tex-1, and 0.50 with K fertilization. Relative cotton yield was positively related to leaf- and petiole-K concentrations, with petioles showing greater R2 values (up to 0.65 during peak flow ering). The critical leaf- and petiole-K concentrations to maximize cotton yield were 10.3 and 47.3 g K kg-1 at the first flower growth stage, respectively, and decreased throughout the growing season, being 7.15 and 20.3 g K kg-1 during peak flowering and 5.14 and 7.5 g K kg-1 during boll fill, respectively. These findings emphasize the importance of adequate K management to max imize both cotton yield potential and fiber quality, as well as the need for growth-stage-specific tissue-K concentrations for optimal plant nutritional status diagnosis
Co-Creating Play:Utilizing Comics to Potentialize Participatory Self-Determination in Marginilized Young Adults
No full textStorytelling has long served as a vital mechanism for preserving cultural heritage, transmitting values, and fostering intergenerational connection (Moeshlin, 2024). Despite this significance, graphic narratives such as comics and graphic novels have been historically marginalized—dismissed as trivial “children’s media” or reduced to entertainment rather than recognized as culturally resonant tools (McCloud, 1993). This marginalization intensified as comics evolved to depict adult themes and, at times, harmful stereotypes, triggering social backlash that stigmatized their utility for younger audiences (Segran, 2020). Consequently, scholarly exploration of comics’ therapeutic potential has stagnated, hindered by the medium’s tumultuous history. This study bridges this gap by investigating how participatory-designed narrative tools can harness comics’ unique strengths to support mental health. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory (SDT; Ryan & Deci, 2000), which identifies autonomy, competence, and relatedness as pillars of psychological well-being, the research integrates principles of narrative therapy, play therapy, and participatory design (PD) into a novel framework termed comicboarding. By centering users as co-creators in the design process, this approach seeks to empower marginalized individuals—particularly young adults aged 16-20 in Black communities—to engage in self-expressive storytelling that addresses their psychological needs. The primary outcome is a prototype narrative comic toolbook designed to guide users in crafting visual narratives, fostering emotional well-being through creative agency and participatory engagement. This work advances comics’ recognition as legitimate therapeutic tools while offering practical, culturally responsive strategies for mental health intervention. Ultimately, it underscores the transformative potential of user-centered, visually driven storytelling to amplify marginalized voices and promote healing
A Pastoral River: Reimagining the Narrative of Buffalo National River
No full textThis thesis examines the creation of Buffalo National River (BNR) from the perspective of dispossessed landowners. A unit of the National Park Service in the Arkansas Ozarks, BNR has garnered little scholarly attention in this light, despite present-day resentment of the federal government by locals. The park was signed into law in 1972, capping a years-long debate about the fate of the river. Some had supported a tenacious U.S. Army Corps of Engineers effort to dam the river, others backed a well-organized, preservationist-led campaign to create a park, while on-the-river landowners typically preferred the status quo of private ownership. Many of these landowners – who often had ancestral ties to the area and an agricultural relationship with the land – were ultimately dispossessed of their property in a drawn-out phase of land acquisition. The present narrative reflects the dominance of preservationists, particularly via Neil Compton’s The Battle for the Buffalo River, published in 1992. Compton was the preservationist Ozark Society’s leading activist, and thus the book privileges their campaign for a park; landowner voices during the debate and their experiences negotiating with the federal government are largely ignored in Compton’s work and elsewhere. Drawing heavily from National Park Service documents, newly-conducted oral history interviews with landowners and park employees alike, newspapers, and correspondence, this thesis explains landowner grievances both in the debate years and in the land acquisition phase. Beyond providing an administrative history of BNR that privileges the landowner perspective, this thesis builds upon novel frameworks that emphasize the interrelated nature of agriculture, landscape, and identity, contextualizing many landowners’ desire to remain on their land. It also demonstrates that while the National Park Service has made strides in ameliorating relations with locals, particularly through a land-exchange program that returned land to private ownership in the park’s Private Use Zone, present-day economic interests perceived by locals as “outsiders” echo the dispossessing power that changed the lives of many on the Buffalo River not long ago
Isolated Multiphase Series Capacitor Converters
No full textA multiphase power converter for converting electrical energy. The multiphase power converter includes at least one transformer providing isolation in the multiphase power converter. The multiphase power converter further includes a series capacitor in a series capacitor configuration. The multiphase power converter additionally includes a plurality of switches connected within the series capacitor configuration. Furthermore, the multiphase power converter includes a controller in electrical communication with the series capacitor and the plurality of switches, where the controller is configured to control power output by causing the plurality of switches to be switched according to a plurality of switching intervals of a period
Examining Social Determinants of Perceived Discrimination Among Refugees in the United States
No full textRefugees face a range of challenges as they integrate into a new culture, which can significantly impact their individual lives. This paper examines the impact of discrimination on refugees and how these experiences shape their rights, opportunities, and overall integration. It explores how institutional practices and public attitudes contribute to unequal treatment in employment, housing, education, and overall health. Consistent with previous studies, the study highlights the connection between perceived discrimination and negative outcomes for refugees, including social exclusion, limited participation within their new society, and poorer mental health. Results reveal that discrimination acts as a barrier to successful assimilation and refugee rights. This research emphasizes the need for stronger policy implementation, community-based support, and practices to promote inclusion amongst these individuals
Growth and Characterization of Thin Film GaSe on Si(111) and SiO2/Si(001) Substrates by Molecular Beam Epitaxy
No full textGallium selenide (GaSe) is a thin-film semiconducting material with promising optoelectronic properties, including a tunable bandgap, high photosensitivity, and atomic-layer scalability. These characteristics make it suitable for devices such as photodiodes, FETs, MOSFETs, Hall effect sensors, and p–n diodes. In this study, GaSe thin films were grown on SiO2 and Si(111)-7×7 substrates using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) to compare growth behavior across different substrates. The films were characterized using Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, and reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED). RHEED confirmed the 7×7 reconstruction of the Si(111) surface and the amorphous nature of SiO2. Post-growth RHEED patterns, along with AFM analysis, revealed distinct surface morphologies. PL spectroscopy identified bandgap-related emission, while XRD and Raman spectroscopy confirmed the crystallinity and polytype structure of the films. The results demonstrate that the choice of substrate significantly influences the structural, electrical, and optical properties of GaSe thin films, with implications for integration into silicon-based optoelectronic devices
An Interview with Former United States Department of Agriculture General Counsel Janie Simms Hipp and Former Farm Credit Administration General Counsel David Grahn: Reflections on the Past & Future of the Field of Agricultural Law
No full textFormer United States (“U.S.”) Department of Agriculture (“USDA” or “Department”) General Counsel Janie Simms Hipp and Former Farm Credit Administration (“FCA”) General Counsel David Grahn have worked as public servants in the field of agricultural law for over forty years. They have led careers that are illustrative of the meaningful impact that a career in agriculture can have, the breadth and value of the Department of Agriculture, and the diversity of experiences and opportunities that a career in agricultural law can bring.
Janie and David graciously agreed to sit for the following interview in recognition of the 20th Anniversary Edition of the University of Arkansas’s School of Law Journal of Food Law & Policy. They both have longstanding relationships with the University’s Food & Agricultural Law Program and took this opportunity to reflect on the origins of their careers, the major lessons they have learned through their experiences working in federal service, and to discuss what they view as the future direction for the practice of agricultural law. The transcript of that interview follows
Decoding Oncology-Focused Biotechnology Firms: Lifecycle Analysis and Predictive Insights for Valuation from a Junior Associate\u27s Perspective
No full textOncology-focused biotechnology firms present unique valuation challenges due to high R&D costs, long development timelines, and uncertain clinical outcomes. This thesis addresses such challenges by integrating the clinical development lifecycle with financial valuation models to provide predictive insights into company value. A structured framework is developed that primarily focuses on stage-specific probabilities of success (PoS) for drug candidates and their impact on firm valuation, embedded in techniques such sum-of-the-parts (SOTP) analysis. By quantitatively linking clinical trial phases and likelihoods of approval to cash flow projections, the model enables a more realistic, risk-adjusted estimation of a biotech firm\u27s worth. Through lifecycle analysis of oncology drug pipelines, the research demonstrates how incorporating clinical milestones and attrition rates can refine valuation accuracy. The approach, viewed from a junior associate’s perspective, emphasizes practical application—bridging scientific progress and financial modeling. Ultimately, this integrated methodology yields more nuanced valuations and aids stakeholders in assessing investment attractiveness, aligning a firm’s developmental progress with its economic valuation
Respiratory Compensated Robot for Liver Cancer Treatment
No full textA robotic platform system having a lower stage with a motorized cartesian carriage, an upper stage, and a needle insertion module that connects both stages together