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Skilled Employment for a Sustainable Future
No full textIn partnership with The Anandilal Podar Trust and Podar College, our team participated in a two-week pilot program in Nawalgarh, Rajasthan, India, consisting of an academic course that focused on sustainability and social entrepreneurship, site visits to local, relevant social enterprises, and cultural immersion activities. The program aimed to introduce foreign students to the rich culture and heritage of the Shekhawati region.As part of the program, we completed a group project and presentation concerning gaps in the skilled workforce in India, with a specific focus on unemployment among youth and young adults, aged 18-26. Information for the presentation was gathered through our site visits in the community, interactions with students at Podar College, and conversations with the director of the Kantikumar R. Podar Skill Centre – a Podar initiative for training unemployed young adults in solar technologies and banking/finance.Our presentation included recommendations for the Skill Centre to expand their services to continue to fill identified needs in the workforce.; This community-engaged opportunity helped our group to better understand economic needs in India’s emerging economy and make connections between employment, sustainable development, and quality of life. Exploring existing programs at the Skill Centre and seeing examples of businesses in the community helped to shape our understanding of the classroom material with real-world applications
Community-Engaged Learning in Geosciences at Erwin Fish Hatchery
Get PDFSince 2017, ETSU Principles of Hydrology course has included a 5-6 week-long field research project that engages students in an authentic field research experience with community partners. Building on this tradition, in October 2024, geosciences students from ETSU partnered with the Erwin National Fish Hatchery to meet the hatchery’s need for a detailed water quality assessment. They focused on two natural springs—critical water sources for hatchery operations—examining their hydrologic behavior and water quality, specifically whether they share an origin and how rainfall influences turbidity. Using ISCO water samplers, YSI probes, water level loggers, and turbidity meters, students tracked water levels and chemistry daily and hourly at the main spring, and daily at a secondary spring for two weeks. Statistical analysis, including t-tests, suggested the springs have separate origins, informing the hatchery’s water management strategies. Correlation analysis revealed no significant rainfall-turbidity link at the main spring, pointing to natural filtration processes—an unexpected result given typical rainfall impact. Cross-correlation revealed a 4-5 day delayed water level response to rainfall, suggesting a recharge source outside the immediate watershed. This project enhanced students’ technical and analytical skills, immersing them in environmental monitoring challenges like managing missing data. The findings enhanced the hatchery’s ability to manage their water resources, crucial for local ecosystems and fish production. The collaboration supported sustainable water management and the hatchery’s community role by providing actionable insights. This student-led effort highlights the power of applied research, preparing participants for environmental consulting careers while strengthening community resilience through science
Adoption Communicative Openness
Get PDFAdoption communicative openness refers to dialogue about adoption related issues between adoptive parents and their adopted child. It is through this form of communication that adoptive parents provide adoptees with information about their birth family, answer the adoptee’s questions, and explore other adoption related issues, and as a result aids in the psychological well-being of adoptees as they age. While it is important and beneficial for adoptees’ development, existing research has demonstrated the importance of adoption communicative openness (ACO) from the perspective of the parent in the interest of the adopted child without inquiring from the perspective of the adoptive parents. Existing research has explored why adoptive communicative openness is beneficial for adoptees, but what is unknown is how adoptive parents can enact this openness, as well as the concerns they may have as they attempt to be open with their adoptive children. Thus, the goal of this thesis is to learn how adoptive parents talk about adoption communicative openness with other adoptive parents. Exploring adoptive parents’ comments on social media platforms will provide an understanding of the most frequently discussed concerns that adoptive parents may have about discussing adoption within their families. This thesis will be conducted using qualitative social media analysis. The results of this thesis will help researchers understand the most commonly discussed barriers and concerns to open discussion. Learning about these concerns may help practitioners make recommendations for how to engage in open communication, thus helping adoptive families achieve the positive outcomes associated with adoption communicative openness
The Importance of the Relationship Between General and Special Education Co-Teachers in Inclusive Preschool Programs
Get PDFA qualitative case study was designed to examine the importance of the relationship between general and special education co-teachers in inclusive preschool programs. The holistic strengths-based portraiture method will be used to study the positive aspects of the relationships of two co-teaching teams. In-depth interviews with individual teachers, co-teaching teams, and administrators combined with a questionnaire and classroom environmental rating scales were used to examine the culture and community that build positive relationships between general educators and special educators who co-teach in an inclusive preschool setting. The main goal of this research was to identify critical elements that contribute to successful co-teaching relationships.
The study revealed that a deep personal relationship supports a professional relationship. Four themes were revealed that support a positive co-teaching relationship: teacher’s responsibilities, teacher’s relationship, planning, and administrative support. Teacher’s responsibilities deal with the professional aspects of the relationship. The teacher’s relationship was primarily the relationship between the co-teaching partners but also deals with other colleagues. The planning theme is related to scheduling and setup of the classroom, and administrative support is related to both building level and school system-wide
Adapting to the Digital Age: Information Management Strategies for Improving Customer Perceptions of Digital Banking in Ghana
Get PDFMobile money services are crucial in the financial landscape of Ghana’s economy. Despite Ghana\u27s successful Mobile Money Interoperability (MMI) project, significant disparities exist in digital banking service utilization. Using Design Science Research, this study examines customer hesitancy in digital banking adoption. The TIDE framework was developed by analyzing the information management practices and artifacts of MTN Mobile Money, Banks and reviewing the literature. It comprises three key pillars: Security Management, Customer Education, and Experience Enhancement. This framework aims to instill digital trust, improve service adoption and utilization, and promote financial inclusion and digital literacy. Expert reviews acknowledged its potential to change customer perceptions to drive digital banking adoption while noting implementation challenges related to existing organizational practices and regulation requirements. This study contributes insights into strategic information management, aligning with Ghana\u27s digitization agenda and offering valuable perspectives for emerging economies\u27 digital financial transformation
Drinking Out of the Fire Hydrant: Educators’ Perceptions of Well-Being in a Teacher Preparation Program
Get PDFThe process of becoming a teacher is complex, multi-layered, and often high-stakes. Teacher preparation programs are designed to equip prospective teachers with the foundational skills and knowledge needed for a successful teaching career. In addition to pursuing the academic degree in education, future teachers must meet credentialing and licensure expectations. Because of these expectations, novice teachers are often met with profound feelings of stress and anxiety. The purpose of this research exploration was designed to investigate elementary educators’ perceptions of well-being during their senior year in a pre-service teacher preparation program. Using a qualitative research design, six educators were interviewed as to their perceptions of well-being. Four compelling themes emerged from the data and informed the research questions. Participants’ experiences and voice were captured and highlight the critical need for teacher preparation programs to consider the well-being of teacher candidates as they are transitioning to becoming new teachers
Utilizing the MDQ for Bipolar I Screening in the Primary Care Environment
No full textAbstract- Utilizing the MDQ for Bipolar I Screening in the Primary Care Environment
Bipolar disorder is a chronic mental health condition characterized by episodes of depression, mania, or mixed symptoms, affecting approximately 5.7 million adults in the U.S. and 40 million individuals worldwide. Despite its significant impact, bipolar disorder is frequently misdiagnosed as major depressive disorder (MDD) in primary care settings, leading to inappropriate treatment and worsening patient outcomes. Research indicates that 78% of bipolar patients are initially misdiagnosed, with only 32% of primary care providers (PCPs) screening for the disorder. This quality improvement project aims to enhance bipolar disorder screening in the primary care setting by implementing routine screening using the Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ) alongside the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9).
The project involves educating clinic staff on screening protocols and referral processes. Patients presenting with depressive symptoms will be screened using the PHQ-9, and those scoring 5 or greater will undergo additional screening with the MDQ. Positive MDQ results will prompt a mental health referral, if the patient is agreeable. Data will be collected over six weeks using a three-question screener. Expected outcomes include increased identification of undiagnosed bipolar disorder, improved referral rates, and better patient management. Potential barriers include time constraints and limited mental health resources, while key facilitators involve provider support and easy workflow integration with the current EMR system. This project highlights the importance of enhancing screening protocols in primary care to improve early detection and management of bipolar disorder, ultimately leading to better patient outcomes
Enhancing Support Systems: Bridging the Gap Between Sexual Assault Survivors and Advocates to Reduce the Burden of Trauma
No full textPurpose:/= / \u3eThe purpose of this project aims to improve provision of advocacy services to persons reporting sexual assault who access rural emergency departments (ED). Quality indicators showed low percentage of referral for advocacy services to victims of sexual assault due to geographic rurality, systems, and individual barriers present. Research demonstrates that advocacy services reduce trauma burden in those who have suffered sexual assault. Therefore, improving referral to advocacy services is the first step necessary for burden reduction./= / \u3eTarget Population and Setting:/= / \u3eThe target population consists of all adults over the age of 18 who present to the rural regional emergency departments requiring a sexual assault forensic exam. The participants in the project will be ED nurses who care for those in the target population./= / \u3eProcesses and Methods:/= / \u3eAn intervention is designed to evaluate the standard processes for offering and referring patients to advocacy personnel by development of an evidence-based electronic toolkit informed by the International Association of Forensic Nurses. The toolkit organizes available advocacy services per region and includes a check list of quality indicators for use by the ED nurses with victims of sexual assault. The process also includes staff education./= / \u3eOutcomes:/= / \u3eOutcome evaluation includes frequency of electronic toolkit use, use of quality indicators, and frequency of advocacy service referrals. Final outcome evaluation is due July 2025
Evaluating Quadrupedal Locomotion in Bats: A Geometric Morphometric Comparison of Vertebral Adaptations Across Mammals
No full textFlight is the primary locomotion of bats, while quadrupedal locomotion is not often observed and is widely variable among bats. Frugivorous bats in Pteropodidae are more efficient climbers than frugivorous bats in Phyllostomidae and insectivorous bats in Vespertilionidae, while phyllostomids and vespertilionids are better at walking on horizontal surfaces. The aim of this study is to investigate whether bats with differing modes of nonflight locomotion also exhibit disparity in thoracolumbar vertebral morphology. Using geometric morphometrics, we compared the thoracolumbar vertebral shapes of these bat families with other terrestrial and arboreal mammals. The results revealed distinct vertebral shapes among bat families due to phylogeny. Compared to other mammals, bats have unique vertebrae, including thoracic vertebrae without spinous processes, elongated anapophyses on their diaphragmatic vertebrae, and reduced spinous and transverse processes on their lumbar vertebrae. These adaptations lead to a more rigid vertebral column associated with their behavior of flight
