Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2016, Civil Engineering (Engineering and Technology)

Over the past 20 years, there has been increased funding for bicycle facilities which has led to more miles of bicycle facilities. Consequently, there are more needs for understanding the people who use these facilities. Counts can be used to know how many people are using these facilities, but surveys are one of the better methods for a more in- depth understanding. Intercept surveys have been typically used in the past but there are limitations with this method. In order to improve upon this method, an initial interview was used in conjunction with the foot-in-the-door method and an online survey. The online survey included bicycle surveys along with a stated preference survey that analyzed the switching point time from one bicycle facility to another. The survey was conducted at Eastwood MetroPark in Dayton, Ohio and at Xenia Station in Xenia, Ohio in August of 2015. There were 780 initial interviews conducted. The bicyclists' purposes were mostly for recreation or exercising with some work commuters. There were 750 postcards distributed to participants for the online survey with a total response rate was 36.4% and 273 participants for the online survey. There was no significant difference found in the switching point time analysis. Overall the methods used were useful for recruiting participants for the online survey.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2006, Instructional Technology (Education)

The use of Web-based surveys is a new research methodology in higher education and as a surveying method it is still in the early stage of development. Compared to traditional methods, Web-based surveys have lower participation rates. Very few studies have examined effects of survey web page design on survey participation. The purpose of this study was to investigate how two types of survey Web page design (single-page and multiple-page design) and three reward methods (no-incentive, incentive, and lottery) effect college students' participation in terms of response rate, time duration to complete a survey, and the number of answered items. A survey instrument was designed in single-page and multiple-page format and delivered on the Web. Participants were undergraduate students in a Midwestern university. A sample frame of 6,000 undergraduates was randomly selected and randomly split into two groups based upon the single-page and multiple-page design. Participants in each design were then randomly assigned into three groups based on the reward method, no-incentive, online incentive, and lottery. All the perspective participants were send email invitations with a hotlink to the survey Websites. The study received 745 submitted surveys. The research design utilized the Chi-Square test and two by three analysis of variance (ANOVA). In terms of submitted response rate, data analysis revealed no statistically significant difference between single-page and multiple-page design, butfound significant difference among the reward methods. Additionally, there was no significant relationship between survey design and reward method on response rate. The ANOVA analysis revealed that it took a significantly longer time to complete a multiple-page survey than a single-page survey. There was no interaction effect between survey page design and reward method on time duration to complete a survey. The study failed to identify any significant difference of number of answered items in t (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Gerontological Studies, Miami University, 2019, Gerontology

Studies have compared the equivalence of socio-demographic and key findings between mailed paper and online surveys. However, there are only a few that have surveyed adults 50 years and above. This study aimed to assess the comparability of respondents between mailed paper and online survey, and identify the effects of survey mode on responses to a survey on community livability. Data for this study was extracted from Age Friendly Oxford Project conducted in Oxford, OH, which surveyed older adults aged 50 years and above via mailed paper and online modes. Mailed survey recipients were randomly selected from the county voter registration list while convenience sampling was used for online survey. There were 295 mailed and 150 online survey respondents. Various descriptive, bivariate and multiple regression analyses were performed in SAS v9.4. Findings revealed overrepresentation of whites, females and younger older adults among online participants; survey mode was significantly related to few domains of livability before and after controlling for certain socio-demographic variables. Adding a second mode of data collection did not improve the representativeness of the sample and there were few significant differences in key study findings between two modes. Future studies should use random sampling for both modes to study sample representativeness, equivalence of key findings and mode effects.

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2005, Arts and Sciences : Political Science

In the past decade, access to the Internet has substantially increased, and now various commercial software packages provide the means for researchers to readily design and create online surveys in a short period of time. The purpose of this dissertation is to demonstrate the utility and cost-effectiveness of conducting methodological experiments on survey question effects such as effects of not sure, don't know, and no opinion, tone of wording: forbid vs. allow, effects of middle response alternative, and response order effects. Since political scientists rarely collect their own data, due to related cost issues, investigators are unable to easily test hypotheses due to their dependency on secondary data or small voluntary student samples. In this research, several classic experiments on question form, wording, and context were replicated using the Internet as a public opinion laboratory. This study was conducted in two phases prior to 2000 presidential election using Internet technology at the University of Cincinnati. Respondents were randomly assigned to one of the two question forms, and the topics of survey questions in this study were focused on issues in the 2000 presidential election campaign adapted for self-administration on the Internet. Six experiments were conducted examining the effects of no opinion, don't know, and not sure response alternatives. Except in one case, in which a large number of respondents with a higher level of education expressed opinions about a fictitious issue, the results replicated earlier findings by Schuman and Presser (1981). Two experiments examined the selection of "forbid" vs. "not allow" showing the preference of respondents to choose "not allow" over "forbid." However, we found a lower margin of difference in our experiments in comparison with those of Schuman and Presser (1981). Three experiments examining the effects of a middle response alternative clearly suggested that offering a "middle alternative" results in a s (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Arts, Wittenberg University, 2023, Education

I explored the potential ways teaching during the COVID-19 Pandemic impacted teachers' outlook on their profession. Participants included 30 full-time teachers and two former teachers from Marazul High School (MHS), a suburban high school in Northern California. I utilized an explanatory sequential mixed methods design for the study combining the Maslach Burnout Inventory – Educators Survey (MBI – ES), focus groups, and interviews. The MHS teachers who experienced high levels of burnout left the profession, and the MHS teachers who did not experience burnout stayed in the profession. Student behavior was the most discussed topic when in the focus groups and interviews. Based on the data, it is also possible that teachers' relationships with administrators impacted their decision to remain in (or to leave) the profession.

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2022, Biological Sciences (Arts and Sciences)

The arrival of white-nose syndrome (WNS) in North America has exposed large gaps in our understanding of bat ecology, highlighting the importance of understanding species' natural history. As the need to locate and protect remnant bat populations has increased, it has become apparent that important winter habitats have been overlooked. To improve our understanding of overwintering bat communities and their habitats, I deployed acoustic bat detectors outside potential hibernacula during autumn and winter. I aimed to determine if visual surveys of traditional (caves, mines, and railroad tunnels) and non-traditional (cliffs and rock outcrops) hibernacula underrepresent bat species richness at the site and used model selection to determine what suite of variables best predicted winter activity (Chapter 1). I also used model selection to determine if external characteristics of abandoned underground mines predicted swarming activity during autumn (Chapter 2). I found that winter acoustic surveys detected greater bat species richness outside both traditional and non-traditional hibernacula than visual surveys. In addition, I found that daily temperature and precipitation influenced activity of all species, with the most activity occurring on relatively warmer nights with little precipitation. Temperature also positively influenced activity of big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus), tricolored bats (Perimyotis subflavus), and Myotis species outside of abandoned mines during autumn. Activity of Myotis species was positively influenced by shorter and wider mine entrance shape, tricolored bat activity was positively influenced by larger mine entrance areas and lower densities of potential hibernacula, and big brown bat activity was positively influenced by larger underground mine extents. These findings can provide insight to locate, better evaluate, and conserve vital overwintering bat habitat.

Doctor of Organization Development & Change (D.O.D.C.), Bowling Green State University, 2022, Organization Development

The purpose of this dissertation was twofold; first to advance the Use of Self (UoS) construct by examining the dimensions of UoS, then to develop an instrument for people to self-assess how they view and use themselves in the workplace. The validity and reliability of the Use of Self Survey Instrument (UoS-SI) were analyzed using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and reliability analysis. A preliminary EFA was conducted using principal component analysis with a Promax rotation method which supported the three factor-structure of the instrument. The three dimensions of Self-Awareness, Situational Awareness, and Intentional Action were comprised of 55 initial items that were reduced to 33 (eleven per factor) after the items that did not load, cross-loaded, or were substantially the same as another item that loaded higher were removed. The final three-factor structure was run using PCA as the extraction method with a Promax rotation method with the remaining 33 items. The resulting structure loaded cleanly with the three factors of Self-Awareness, Situational Awareness, and Intentional Action, explaining 53.09% of the variance in the relationship patterns of the items and the factors correlating at r > .51. This supports the assertion that the three factors are part of the larger UoS construct, while also being unique and highly reliable with Cronbach alphas a >.90. This also supports that the UoS-SI is a valid and reliable instrument. This research is important because it further extends the empirical evidence on UoS and contributes to the body of knowledge within organizational contexts. Much of the UoS literature focuses on helping-type professions and specifically in the therapy and Organization Development & Change (OD&C) fields. However, little empirical research has been conducted on UoS and there is no known research on how professionals outside of these helping disciplines in organizations use UoS in the workplace. Addressing this limitation is importa (open full item for complete abstract)

Bachelor of Arts, Walsh University, 2021, Honors

This study looks at Stark County, Ohio—a national political bellwether—through the conduction of a survey at all six of its institutions of higher education, enabling the study of the gender gap and women's generational gap in a college-educated atmosphere. A total of 864 respondents among students, staff, and faculty gave responses that were used to analyze political party affiliation, political ideology, and attitudes toward public policies. While women were far more likely to identify as Democrats, chi-square and independent samples t-tests indicate that women only support more liberal pro-women policies and government program expansion; men and women has similar attitudes toward both economic and social inclusion policies. Women over 25 held more liberal attitudes toward pro-women and social inclusive policies than college-age women, but the two groups answered similarly on government programs and economic inclusion.

Bachelor of Arts, Wittenberg University, 2020, Political Science

Despite the scientific consensus that climate change is occurring, denial of this reality has persisted in the United States. While there are many possible explanations for this skepticism, one potential cause that has yet to be explored in detail is fear and its destabilizing influence on individuals' decision making processes. Prompted by concerns that addressing climate change will harm the economy, question free market ideology, and threaten the American way of life, it is argued in this paper that the emotional experiences prompted by these sources of fear can lead individuals to deny climate change. To test this hypothesis, National Election Studies survey data was used to gauge the covariation between climate denial and a variety of potential measures of fear. The results of these analyses demonstrate that both free market ideology and a desire to protect one's sense of American identity are associated with climate change denial, suggesting that these sources of fear must first be addressed in order to effectively communicate the risks of climate change to the American public.

Bachelor of Science, Walsh University, 2020, Honors

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) patients often receive aminoglycosides to treat lung infections. These antibiotics have been found to be ototoxic, and thus can cause hearing loss. However, not all CF patients receive audiologic tests to monitor their hearing after receiving these antibiotics. Instead, many doctors and clinics rely on self-reports of concerns and symptoms to monitor their patients hearing. This study investigated hearing loss in children with CF and the validity of self-reports. The experimental group of CF participants were found to have significantly more hearing loss in the standard frequencies and extended high frequencies (p=0.0019, p=0.0020), and also determined to have more sensorineural and mixed hearing loss than the control group (p=0.0243). This study also found the self-reports of hearing concerns to be neither specific nor sensitive in terms of hearing loss or SIN loss (specificities of 26% and 29%, sensitivities of 78% and 76%). Correlation analyses were performed and showed an expected positive correlation (>99 % confidence) between participants having EHF hearing loss and SF hearing loss. There was also a significant positive correlation in the comparison of participant hearing concerns versus speech in noise loss (>98 % confidence), but no other statistically positive correlations amongst variables. Overall, the results indicated that hearing should ideally be monitored after each course of aminoglycosides.

Master of Science in Engineering, University of Akron, 2019, Mechanical Engineering

One of the major challenges in the survey data analysis is to determine which methodology or technique suits the best for the data. The constant rise in the data being obtained over the year's calls for the need for effective data analysis techniques, as an ineffective data analysis could lead to false recommendations and less customer satisfaction. Therefore, the main focus of this research is to test a variety of advanced data analysis methods and determine how to improve the insights obtained through survey data for sustainable continuous improvement. The data used in this research is obtained from the AJI-2 technical training department of the Federal Aviation Administration in the form of the end of the course and post-course evaluations. Contrary to the traditional survey analytical methods such as the summary statistics, we systematically tested and compared the utilization of advanced analytics on the survey data. Average Weighted Score which is widely used in survey data analysis is able to differentiate the degree of surveyees' satisfaction level on the survey questions and consequently is able to provide more insightful information on the course evaluations and customer satisfaction. Advanced analytics such as Correlation Analysis is used to understand the correlation in the data among the responses to the overall satisfaction question; Contingency Analysis is conducted to analyze the responses the surveyees chose when compared to their overall satisfaction; Logistic Regression is used on the survey data, to model the association of a categorical outcome of overall satisfaction with independent variables, and the Cluster Analysis is conducted to analyze the survey data to form clusters based on the responses that share common characteristics with which each cluster will have a unique continuous improvement strategy to improve customer satisfaction. These insightful findings obtained from this advanced analytics were helpful in understanding the data patte (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Arts, Wittenberg University, 2018, Education

The purpose of this study was to examine how a students' level of orthography, decoding ability, and reading accuracy change because of participating in developmentally appropriate spelling and phonics small group instruction. The intervention consisted of students being grouped based on the results of their Words Their Way Primary Spelling Inventory Feature Guide. Students would then work on specific phonics and spelling patterns during workshop time. The study was conducted in a first-grade classroom with 11 students. Data were collected from ten students and a quantitative method design was used. Measures included DRA2, Words Their Way Primary Spelling Inventory, and CORE Phonics Survey. Results indicated that there appears to be a relationship between small group instruction and the students' ability to score higher on skills measuring orthography and decoding that they were exposed to during the intervention period. However, there does not seem to be a relationship between small group instruction and growth in reading accuracy.

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toledo, 2014, Higher Education

Research into factors that contribute to student success have used undergraduate grade point average (GPA) as the dependent variable. However, undergraduate GPA is subject to grade inflation and to differences in institutional and program rigor. To provide a common benchmark across institutions and programs, this study used the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) composite score as the dependent variable. Astin's Input-Environment-Outcome (I-E-O) model was used as the conceptual framework. Correlation analysis and a blocked form of stepwise regression were used to partial out the impact of 107 variables arrived at from the national Higher Education Research Institute's Freshman and College Senior Surveys on the dependent variable—GMAT composite scores. In all, 10 variables were identified as having a significant influence on student performance on the GMAT, with Scholastic Assessment Test math and verbal scores and institutional Selectivity having the greatest influence. While prior studies have attempted to use a variety of standardized tests, previous research did not account for prior student academic abilities and other input characteristics to accurately assess the added value of other variables. This study offers new, useful information for educators and administrators in their goal of promoting academic excellence.

MA, University of Cincinnati, 2007, Arts and Sciences : Sociology

In the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the sentiment that “Nothing will ever be the same” was widely spread, as were displays of national pride. Using data from the 1996 and 2004 General Social Surveys and the 2001 and 2002 waves of the National Tragedy Study, I test whether 9/11 did indeed change Americans in regard to national pride. Drawing on a wide range of scholarly literature on the effects of 9/11, I compare the effects of party identification, race, gender, and religious orientation on national pride in these four years and argue that even in the initial, often characterized as “unified” reaction to 9/11, fissures along social-structural lines that preceded 9/11 were not overcome, but rather prepared the ground for an increasingly divergent structure and polarization of national pride in the so-called “New Normal” of post-9/11 America.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2007, Anthropology

In this dissertation I present newly acquired data concerning the prehistoric occupation of the O.C. Voss site in Franklin County, Ohio, and provide a contemporary analysis of the results of archaeological investigation conducted at the site more than forty years ago by the Ohio Historical Society. Results of the research suggest Fort Ancient occupation of the central Scioto River drainage and its tributaries was not confined to the early period ca. A.D. 1000-1200 nor is a depopulation of the sub-region ca. A.D. 1350 supported. After excavation of the Voss Mound in 1963, the original investigators placed the Voss site within the Late Woodland Cole Complex, a newly defined taxonomic unit. Within a few years of discovery of the village site associated with the mound, other archaeologists began to question the classification of the Voss site as Late Woodland and suggested attributes of the artifact assemblage indicated a Late Prehistoric Fort Ancient affiliation. The Voss site has retained an incipient Late Prehistoric status in the minds of many researchers in the forty-plus years since discovery of the site. Recent investigation of the site utilized geophysical survey in the form of magnetic survey as the paramount method of data recovery. Additional data recovery techniques included magnetic anomaly testing through removal of the plowzone, anomaly coring, limited feature excavation, and shovel testing to determine patterns of artifact density within the village site. An analysis of ceramic and lithic attributes on previously and recently excavated materials is presented and discussed in relation to established temporal indicators. A review and analysis of excavated and reasonably well-documented Fort Ancient mounds was undertaken to assess characteristics of the Voss Mound. It is argued the Voss site does not represent an incipient stage of the Fort Ancient Tradition of the Late Prehistoric period but rather a site utilized by Fort Ancient populations into the early (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2006, History

The Roman city of Corinth, founded at the crossroads of land and sea, on the narrow Isthmus connecting northern Greece with the Peloponnese and the Adriatic with the Aegean Sea, became one of the most famous commercial centers of the ancient Mediterranean. The prominent image and myth of Corinth centered around its place as a commercial and traveler's cosmopolis, and its unity with its connective eastern landscape, the Isthmus. The physical landscape communicated the central myth and identity of the city, while stories and ancient literature reinforced a particular vision of the landscape. The eastern territory of Roman Corinth reflected and structured the image of the city. This is a study of the transformation of that city in its landscape in the period of Late Antiquity (3rd-7th centuries AD). In the course of Late Antiquity, the image of Corinth on the Isthmus was fragmented and redefined concomitant with the broader transformation of the Mediterranean world. The study analyzes two bodies of evidence that speak to this phenomenon. It discusses (Ch. 2-3) the wide array of literary testimony for the city and countryside and argues that during Late Antiquity, a strong tradition of conceptualizing and talking about Corinth as the traveler's crossroad and commercial city on the Isthmus ceased to cohere in light of a general decline in classical literature and the developing narratives of a Christianized society—the myth of ancient Corinth died. On the other hand, the dissertation discusses (Ch. 4-6) the archaeological evidence for extra-urban structures of trade, settlement, and land use in the eastern territory during this period. The rural structures of the eastern Corinthia remained stable in Late Antiquity, contributing to the city's commercial resources as long as broader Mediterranean networks of trade and commerce to which the city connected remained vital and flourishing. Only in the later sixth century is there strong evidence for the localization of the cit (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2005, Teaching and Learning

There exists a school system that is closing the performance gap on standardized tests between Caucasian and minority students. This research studied 10 American schools serving Children of Military Parents (COMP) in North America, Asia and Europe which serve as a model for closing the minority performance gap. The environmental tone of schools is considered to have a profound effect on student learning. This research investigated the environmental tone that is contributing to success for all students. This study investigated organizational climate factors and multicultural perceptions that are contributing to the success of all students at COMP schools. The environment of schools closing the performance gap was studied by means of a climate analysis and multicultural perception survey. The research design is a web-based survey, composed of the Perceptions of Multicultural Education (PME) survey, an original survey, and the Organizational Health Inventory (OHI) survey previously established by Hoy et al. (1991). This study introduced an original survey for measuring perceptions of multicultural education, the PME survey. The PME survey was found both highly reliable and valid. The PME survey was used to measure attitudes towards multicultural education. PME results were then analyzed in relation to student performance on standardized tests. Findings from this study are based upon an overall response rate of 82%. A major finding of this research, revealed a unique relationship between environments highly valuing multicultural education and student performance. Specifically, biracial students were shown to excel in environments highly valuing multicultural education. Other significant findings confirm previous research, which found healthy school environments to be beneficial for all students. Additionally, healthy environments were found to be specifically beneficial for Black, Asian, American Indian, and White students. Previous climate research has shown “Academic (open full item for complete abstract)

Masters in Education, Marietta College, 2007, Education

The alcohol use and abuse of college athletes is a rapidly growing concern in colleges and universities across the country. The purpose of this study was to research and evaluate a group of college student athletes at a small liberal arts college in southeastern Ohio. The researcher obtained statistical information from the student athletes at Marietta College by giving them a fifteen question survey. The researcher conducted his research the 2nd semester of 2007. The student athletes were asked to participate by completing both a confidential and anonymous survey. The survey asked questions in direct relationship to alcohol consumption and patterns of use. The statistical information was obtained with permission from the Director of Athletics and the respected coaches from the varsity teams at Marietta College. This study was designed to investigate the drinking habits of student athletes at a division 3 liberal arts college. Statistical tests were run through the data analysis program SPSS. The frequency tests indicated that Marietta College student athletes do consume alcohol; however the statistics were not as alarmingly high as other studies that have been conducted at other colleges and universities.

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2010, Leadership Studies

“At this moment, America's highest economic need is higher ethical standards….” (Former U.S. President George W. Bush, 2002). That statement was made in the aftermath of the Enron and WorldCom fiascos in the early 2000s. Seven years later, newly elected U.S. President Obama (2009) said in his inauguration speech “Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age.” There is a repeated calling to increase the understanding of how to make “hard choices.” It is the leadership of an organization that is one of the most important components of an organization's ethical culture (Brown and Trevino, 2006; Trevino, 1990) and researchers have called for additional studies “to identify the factors that influence the levels of moral judgment used in the workplace” (Loviscky, Trevino, and Jacobs, 2007, p.276).The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between values, organization culture perceptions, and managerial moral reasoning. Data for this study were collected from 100 managers from a variety of industries and organizations through an online survey. Using a Likert-scale, the Schwartz Values Survey (SVS) (Schwartz, 1992) measured four meta-values and ten value types. A 12 item version of the Likert-scale Competing Values Framework (CVF) (Quinn and Rohrbaugh, 1983) was used to measure four different organization culture perceptions. Cognitive moral development was assessed by the Managerial Moral Judgment Test (MMJT) (Loviscky, Trevino, and Jacobs, 2007) which determined levels of moral reasoning using six workplace scenarios asking respondents to make a decision and then both rate and rank the decision criteria. Respondents also provided demographic data (industry, organization size, managerial level, gender, and year of birth). This study provides a contribution to the understanding of the variables that impact the level of (open full item for complete abstract)

Psy. D., Antioch University, 0, Antioch Santa Barbara: Clinical Psychology

In March 2020, virtually overnight, in-person interactions shifted to online or other remote realms due to the governor of California's lock-down orders in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, the need for mental health services including psychotherapy skyrocketed. Psychologists in California met this overwhelming demand by adapting to the challenges of the moment and embracing teletherapy, a relatively new mode of therapy for most practitioners at that time. Many studies were launched to capture real-time data about mental health workers' shift to providing remote and online services; however, most of these studies were focused on practitioners' experiences in June 2020 or later and did not look specifically at psychologists in the state of California and their experiences in March 2020. To address this gap in the literature, this research study looked into the effects on California psychologists of the rapid pivot from in-person to teletherapy in March 2020. Using an online survey, quantitative data and short answers were collected from 34 psychologists who practiced teletherapy in California at the start of the pandemic. Summary data showed that most psychologists were unprepared for the switch to teletherapy, practitioners faced unforeseen technological challenges (e.g., lack of training and technological support), and although most psychologists reported increased stress during this time, the majority reported satisfaction with their ability to help people reach their therapy goals via teletherapy, and the therapeutic alliance in their view was not affected by limitations in nonverbal communication. These findings supported those of previous studies in the literature; for example, Mittal et al.'s (2023) conclusion that many mental health providers demonstrated resilience and satisfaction with their work in the face of both negative and positive consequences of the rapid shift to teletherapy at the start of the pandemic. This dissertation is avai (open full item for complete abstract)