-
Prospective Students
-
Faculty and Staff
-
Current Students
-
Alumni and Friends
Literacy is a civil right that every child should have access to. Despite decades of research on how children best learn to read, literacy rates continue to be diminished in the United States, leading children to lives of poverty, unemployment and even crime. Via policy and research, the focus in literacy has shifted to teacher learning as a means to improve student achievement in reading. However, teachers’ voices are largely omitted from discussions regarding how this learning should take place and how they are empowered to apply new knowledge in their classrooms. Through an examination of teachers’ experiences with state mandated reading professional development, it is possible to glean understandings of what professional development practices are most helpful to teachers, particularly in rural areas. The proposed study seeks to answer two essential questions: 1) What factors contribute to rural elementary teachers’ experiences with LETRS professional development? and 2) In what ways do these factors act as facilitators and barriers to teachers' professional development? This study will follow a case study design, collecting data through focus groups. The findings of this study will highlight the experiences of teachers in rural areas, who are often omitted from educational research. More specifically, it will provide valuable guidance around the considerations of context when designing and delivering professional development.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) can lead to difficult airway management and perioperative complications. This necessitates individualized anesthetic planning including the reduction in doses of benzodiazepines and opioids. Risk identification is vital to improve perioperative care, as any patients with OSA are undiagnosed. This can be achieved with the STOP-Bang questionnaire. The purpose of this scholarly project was to evaluate current perioperative care practices for benzodiazepine and opioid administration to patients with a high risk of OSA to aid in formulating future recommendations for practice. The guiding PICOT question was: In adult patients ages 40 to 60, who underwent surgical procedures in a community hospital, did a STOP-Bang score ≥ 3, compared to a STOP-Bang score < 3, result in a reduced dose of benzodiazepines and opioids administered perioperatively during the time period of January 2023 to June 2024?
The project took place at a community hospital that is part of a major urban medical center. Data were collected via a retrospective chart review. The sample size was 100 charts. A descriptive analysis of the data was conducted, and significant differences were detected using t-tests and Pearsons r correlations. Although the data analyses revealed no statistically significant findings, clinically relevant findings were apparent because the STOP-Bang score ≥ 3 should have received significantly lower dosages of benzodiazepines and opioids. The results highlight the need for enhanced provider awareness to STOP-Bang scores. Practice recommendations include the use of the STOP-Bang questionnaire for preoperative screening of all patients and the development of a best practice advisory (BPA) to enhance provider awareness.
Obstructive sleep apnea, (OSA) in the perioperative setting can result in difficult airway management and postoperative complications. It is essential that anesthetic plans are individualized and incorporate a reduction in dosages of benzodiazepines and opioids being administered. Owing to the fact that many patients with OSA are not formally diagnosed, risk identification is crucial to improving perioperative care and can be accomplished with the STOP-BANG questionnaire. The purpose of this scholarly project was to examine current perioperative care practices for benzodiazepine and opioid administration to patients with a high-risk of OSA to aid in formulating future practice recommendations. The PICOT question was: In adult patients ages 40 to 60, who underwent surgical procedures in a level one trauma center, does a STOP-BANG score ≥ 3, compared to STOP-BANG score < 3, result in a reduced dose of benzodiazepines and opioids administered perioperatively during the time period of January 2023 to June 2024?
The project took place at a level one trauma center in a major urban medical center. Data were collected via retrospective chart review. Sample size was 100 patient charts, with 50 patients having a STOP-BANG score ≥ 3 and 50 patients having a STOP-BANG score < 3. Analysis of the data included t-tests, ANOVA, and Pearson r correlations. Results concluded that the STOP-BANG group ≥ 3 received higher doses of benzodiazepines (M=1.88mg) and opioids (M=1230.11mg) than those in STOP -BANG group <3 (M=1.68mg and 1065.09mg), although this difference was not statistically significant. Project recommendations are: a system wide protocol to guide administration of benzodiazepines and opioids in patients scoring ≥ 3 on the STOP-BANG questionnaire, reimplementation of the blue wrist bands from a prior QI project, and a QR code attached to patient charts to provide key facts and anesthetic recommendations in caring for the at-risk OSA patient.
Guided by provider judgment, the intraoperative use of specific pain medication combinations can affect patients’ self-reported pain scores in the postoperative recovery room (PACU). While many options are available, commonly used intraoperative analgesics include fentanyl, hydromorphone, methadone, ketamine, dexmedetomidine, lidocaine infusions, and magnesium infusions. As part of a larger quality improvement project analyzing cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spinal fusions, this project sought to identify current practices for multimodal analgesia and narcotic administration in lumbar spinal fusion procedures utilizing remifentanil infusions. The literature review supported the use of multimodal analgesia to combat opioid-induced hyperalgesia. Determining the most effective practice may guide provider practices to help decrease self-reported pain scores and postoperative pain medication usage in the PACU. A retrospective chart review was conducted on 50 patients who underwent lumbar spinal fusion surgeries at a level one academic medical center. Postoperative pain scores and pain medication administration were examined for patients who received intraoperative remifentanil infusion in combination with other pain medications. The findings revealed no statistically significant correlations between intraoperative multimodal analgesia combinations and pain medication administration or pain scores in the PACU. Clinically significant findings included an average pain score in the PACU of 5.14 out of 10, potentially indicating poor pain control. Recommendations include evaluating the postoperative pain control effects of a singular analgesic, such as ketamine, during surgeries utilizing remifentanil infusions, and exploring pain assessment tools that evaluate impact on functional status.
This quality improvement project sought to identify current usage of multimodal analgesics in cervical spinal fusion procedures utilizing remifentanil infusions. The choice of specific pain medication combinations can impact patients’ self-reported pain scores in the postoperative recovery room (PACU). The literature review supported the use of multimodal analgesia to combat opioid-induced hyperalgesia (OIH) associated with remifentanil. After conducting a retrospective chart review focused on cervical spinal fusion surgeries for 50 patients, postoperative pain scores and pain medication administration were examined for patients who received intraoperative remifentanil infusion in combination with other analgesics.
Linear regression identified no significant associations between the number of intraoperative multimodals and the number of doses of pain medications in PACU (b = 0.27, t = 1.00, p = 0.322) or the average pain scores in PACU (b = 0.31, t = 1.28, p = 0.207). Pearson’s r correlations found that none of the individual multimodals were associated with pain medication administration or pain scores in PACU. Although there was a lack of statistically significant findings, it was found that nurse anesthetists were employing a multimodal approach to analgesia. More projects need to be conducted to see if multimodal analgesia can combat OIH associated with remifentanil.
Overall, the United States’ population continues to substantially increase in cultural diversity (NCES, 2018; NCES, 2020a; NCES, 2020b), therefore increasing the overall diversity of students in school settings. Children from minoritized groups have a higher risk of experiencing poverty (US Census Bureau, 2017), problem behaviors (Post et al., 2019), adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), trauma (CYW, 2017), mental health concerns and inadequate mental health treatment or counseling (National Survey of Children’s Health, 2011-2012; National Survey of Children's Health, 2019-2020). Effective, culturally, and developmentally appropriate interventions are needed to address the mental health needs of racially/ethnically minoritized youth in elementary school settings. Professional School Counselors (PSCs) are charged with addressing the ongoing social/emotional, behavioral, academic, and mental well-being of all students, including those racially/ethnically minoritized. One way that PSCs can address these needs is through child-centered play therapy (CCPT). A logistic regression was utilized to explore how the amount and quality of play therapy training, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) of the PSCs, and attitudes toward cultural humility are related to the use of CCPT in addressing student’s mental health needs among elementary school counselors (N=256). Results indicated that there was a significant relationship between the amount and quality of play therapy training, attitudes toward cultural humility, and the use of play therapy, but not ACEs. The results also indicated that there was not a significant relationship between the amount and quality of play therapy training, ACEs, attitudes toward cultural humility, and the use of CCPT. Implications, limitations, and recommendations for future research are discussed.
Climate change presents a pressing challenge for natural disaster management, to quantify its effects and associated disasters is a persistent challenge for regional climate risk studies. As climate-induced hazards escalate in intensity and frequency, infrastructure in hazard-prone regions faces growing risks – A situation especially critical to transportation infrastructures. Recent events, such as Hurricane Helene in 2024, which caused widespread damage to life supporting infrastructures and roadways closures, underscore the urgency of addressing these combined hazards. This dissertation assesses multi-hazard risks to bridge infrastructure in North Carolina’s mountainous regions, focusing on the interplay between landslide, flooding, wildfire, and earthquake risks. We approach the multi-hazard issue using landslide as the basic quantifier and investigate the nesting effect of earthquake and rainfall triggered landslides.
Because forest fire has the potential of diminishing soil moisture and can encourage landslides, wildfire risk is also included as a predictor. Analysis identifies key wildfire-related variables, such as distance to roads, elevation, and proximity to populated areas, as significant predictors of landslide susceptibility, highlighting the role of remote sensing data in extreme weather event prediction. Soil type, included in the landslide model, had limited impact, suggesting the need for refined soil classification methods in future studies.
Utilizing logistic regression (LR) and random forest (RF) models, this study develops predictive maps for landslide and wildfire susceptibility, achieving accuracy rates of 75.7% and 83.9% for landslide prediction and 68.5% and 72.9% for wildfire prediction, respectively. The higher sensitivity of the RF model, as shown in ROC curve analysis, demonstrates its effectiveness for multi-hazard risk modeling.
The wildfire susceptibility map is then incorporated as an independent variable in predicting landslide occurrences, revealing critical interactions between wildfire and landslide risks. The result are two different landslide susceptibility maps. Finally, a novel index, the Assumed Flooding Potential (AFP), is introduced to quantify flood risk. Since it is hard to establish flooding scenarios for bridges in mountain regions. AFP is calculated as the mid-span clearance for bridges. Furthermore, bridges-in-valleys are identified for high flooding risk analysis.
The integration of multi-hazard data allows for a dynamic understanding of bridge vulnerability, resulting in a shift in risk probability for certain structures. Specifically, the number of bridges with over a 50% probability of multi-hazard risk exposure decreased from 47 to 26, while four new bridges emerged in high-risk zones due to the addition of wildfire susceptibility data. These findings provide actionable insights for decision-makers, enabling proactive mitigation strategies tailored to bridges that face increased vulnerability from wildfire-triggered landslides.
This research delivers a high-resolution multi-hazard risk map and model for infrastructure resilience planning, offering critical tools for bridge engineers and policymakers. The 2024 Hurricane Helene landslides and bridge damage data from the state have been used to validate the risk maps. The results indicated reasonable accurate predictions, thus, ascertaining the study contributed to the potential to anticipate future multi-hazard risks. However, it also highlighted the need to address the complex interactions between environmental and anthropogenic factors and the urgency for future studies to advance our understanding of climate effects and to enhance our ability to anticipate and mitigate multi-hazard impacts on critical infrastructure in the face of evolving climate challenges.
National efforts have been made to increase STEM participation among racially marginalized individuals (Ro & Loya, 2015). However, women, especially African American women, remain underrepresented in STEM fields, particularly in engineering and computer science disciplines. The purpose of this basic interpretive qualitative study was to understand the first-year experiences of African American women in engineering and computer science majors at a predominantly white institution (PWI). This study was guided by Strayhorn’s (2019) model of college students’ sense of belonging. Semi-structured interviews were used to gather in-depth insights into the participants’ experiences. The sample consisted of 8 African American women at a PWI in the Southeastern part of the United States. A thematic analysis approach was used for this study. Four major themes were identified: (1) intentionality in decision-making processes: identification of early experiences for STEM access, (2) messaging: parental “college-going expectations” vs. family “STEM major selection” influence, (3) psychosocial influencers of belonging in STEM, and (4) interpersonal agency toward socialization and engagement in STEM majors. The findings of this study provided insights into the unique challenges African American women face in their first year in engineering and computer science majors. The findings of this study suggest that institutions can significantly improve the experiences of African American women in STEM by implementing targeted strategies that address their unique challenges.
Photoconductive detectors are semiconductor optoelectronic devices that absorb optical energy and convert it to electrical signal. However, photoconductive gain or quantum efficiency (QE) theory of photodetector exhibits considerable controversy in optoelectronics literature. Gain is generally defined as the ratio of the number of photogenerated charge carriers collected by the electrodes and the number of photons absorbed in the semiconducting photoconductor. This gain is often expressed as the ratio of the carrier lifetime over the carrier transit time. The lifetime is the average time before an electron recombines with a hole, and the transit time is the time needed for photogenerated carriers to travel from one electrode to another under an applied voltage. This simple theory implies that it is possible to obtain high gain by reducing the transit time.
In this dissertation, the gain theory of photoconductive detector with an intrinsic (undoped) semiconductor is reexamined by assuming primary photoconductivity. In contrast to the widely adopted gain formula as a ratio of the carrier lifetime to transit time, allowing for a value much greater than unity, it is shown that this ratio can only be used as QE under the low-drift limit, but has been inappropriately generalized in the literature. The analytic results for photocarrier density, photocurrent, and QE in terms of normalized drift and diffusion lengths are obtained, which indicates that QE is limited to unity for arbitrary drift and diffusion parameters. A distinction between the two QE definitions used in the literature, but not explicitly distinguished, is discussed. The accumulative quantum efficiency (QEacc) includes the contributions of the flow of all photocarriers, regardless of whether they reach the electrodes, whilst the apparent quantum efficiency (QEapp) is based on the photocurrent at the electrodes. In general, QEacc > QEapp; however, they approach the same unity limit for the strong drift. Furthermore, it is shown that the photocurrent in the photoconductive channel is in general spatially nonuniform and that the presence of diffusion tends to reduce the photocurrent. As one form of secondary photoconductivity, it is confirmed that doping in a photoconductive device can yield a gain, limited by the ratio of the mobilities of majority and minority carriers. Based on the simulation results, new analytic results that show good agreement with simulated results are proposed.
This work lays the ground for understanding mechanisms of experimentally observed, above-unity photoconductivity gains. Moreover, these findings should offer new insights into photoconductivity and semiconductor device physics and may potentially lead to novel applications.
This three-article dissertation examined the impact of a Formative and Alternative Assessment Methodology (FAAM) implemented at a Colombian university during COVID-19. The first study explored, through in-depth interviews, participants' experiences with the FAAM. This study's findings indicated that the flexibility of instructional and assessment criteria, the use of digital technologies, formative assessment practices, and alternative forms of assessment rendered noteworthy benefits for the participants. The second study investigated through a survey the variables that influenced instructors' implementation and usefulness of the FAAM. The correlational and regression analyses revealed that instructors' assessment literacy (AL) was a significant positive predictor of both outcome variables. Likewise, instructors' use of assessment strategies during the FAAM was positively associated with their AL. The third study examined the variability in students' final grades before, during, and after implementing the FAAM through multilevel modeling. The results showed a significant increase in student grades during the FAAM semesters and variation among academic disciplines. Thus, this dissertation offers a holistic account of a university's unique pedagogical experience situated in the context of a global crisis. Grounded in both qualitative and quantitative evidence, this research testifies to the usefulness of formative and alternative assessment principles and practices in higher education.
