Master of Arts, Miami University, 2010, Speech Communication

There has not been a single study on the practice of public relations in Kenya despite the country attracting multinational corporations that are increasingly using public relations to build relationships with key publics. This pioneer quantitative study explores the public relations models that inform the practice of public relations in Kenya, the cultural values that influence such practice and the correlation between the public relations models and cultural values. Results show that two international models of public relations – personal influence and cultural interpreter – are the most used by practitioners in Kenya, while individualism and femininity are the most experienced cultural values in that order. Results of the correlation between the public relations models and cultural values show a strong positive relationship between the personal influence model and the femininity cultural value. This correlation points to the practitioners' strong desire for good interpersonal relationships with colleagues, supervisors, clients and key publics.

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2018, Leadership and Change

Multiple voices from educational and professional arenas have called for change in the way in which public relations undergraduates are prepared to navigate complex communication challenges in the 21st century. Some scholars have advanced leadership as a way to address this change, identifying the undergraduate public relations curriculum as the ideal place to introduce future practitioners to leadership as a way to better prepare them to initiate and participate in positive social change in complex contexts. However, scholars have neither made in-depth connections with leadership theory and practice, nor provided a framework for designing a curriculum for incorporating leadership into public relations undergraduate programs. The purpose of this research was to examine the practice of inclusive leadership and communication in an exemplary organization in order to answer the question: What would an undergraduate public relations leadership (PRL) curriculum look like? Portraiture was used to uncover and illustrate the key ways in which inclusive leadership and communication manifest at a successful Chicago-based interactive technology firm. Findings support the idea that an inclusive leadership and communication culture is created through direction, alignment, and commitment (DAC). Furthermore, the research provides evidence that inclusive leadership and communication skills can be developed through practice and support. An analysis of sample public relations undergraduate programs was used in conjunction with research findings to bridge the gap between inclusive leadership development and public relations undergraduate education. A public relations leadership (PRL) curriculum was created to help public relations undergraduate students better develop leadership, communication, and relational skills. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA: Antioch University Repository and Archive, http://aura.antioch.edu/ and Ohiolink ETD Center, https://etd.ohiolink.ed (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, 2017, English

This project examines how writers compose research texts, such as reports, infographics, digital content—so that they might circulate. Specifically, I study a group of writers at The Women's Fund of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation (TWF) and their writing processes for their research texts, texts they write both to inform audiences and to motivate those same audiences to share and discuss the texts with others. TWF researches and distributes information on the unique socio-economic challenges women in Cincinnati face. They strive to change the local conversation about socio-economic issues so that everyone from citizens to businesses leaders to local politicians understand the distinct challenges that women face. They want to inform Cincinnatians about these issues and equip them to engage in discussions with others about these issues. Studying TWF's efforts to get their research texts discussed so as to change local conversations affords the opportunity to study how professional writers compose texts both to inform and to circulate. More specifically, it enables an examination of the ways writers compose amidst circulation, both its possibilities to expand conversations and its limitations. Additionally, it enables me to articulate specific strategies that other professional writers can draw upon in their efforts to compose texts for similar public engagements and circulation. To study TWF, I use a Circulation Studies methodology and corresponding methods to perform a multi-part case study of their strategies for a few representative research texts. I first outline the local conversation that TWF works to change, establishing the narrow constraints that influence what texts and information circulate. From there, I study TWF's understanding of that local conversation, particularly its narrow perspective on local social and economic issues. I next present how TWF incorporate that understanding into their research texts—infographics, reports, presentations, digi (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Public Administration (MPA), Wright State University, 2020, Public Administration

As the dominant public management paradigm today, performance measurement and management systems are fundamental to increasing efficiency, accountability, and service quality in the public sector. Research into the practice at all levels of government has been expanding for decades in developed countries. However, the small local governments that comprise most U.S. municipalities are frequently overlooked as a topic of academic inquiry in public administration. This study aims to shed light on the extent to which the performance measurement methods prevalent at the state and federal levels have spread to small municipalities. Using elite interviewing methods and the four-point approach to sampling for interview-based research, 15 public officials were randomly recruited from Ohio communities with populations of 5,000 and less to participate in semi-structured interviews focused around performance measurement use in their municipalities. Key findings reveal low levels of familiarity with the concept, minimal use of performance measures in service areas, no use of measures in partnerships and service agreements, and low levels of familiarity with formal strategic planning methods. Participant perceptions of citizen engagement and participation in the governing process were mixed. The study concludes with a discussion of results, limitations of the study design, and implications for future research.

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Akron, 2015, Public Administration

Public relations is a critical function of a democracy as government must create policies and programs, generate awareness, inform, encourage input and engagement, solicit support, and measure results. Furthermore, government has a responsibility to protect and promote public interest. Thus, public administrators must practice public relations. However, existing models developed in the corporate context make practicing public relations in government challenging. This study examines the differences between the public and private sectors and advocates a new public relations framework, allowing government to practice public relations more effectively. Although research has discovered differences between the two sectors, there has been little attempt to create an alternative model of public relations for government use. This is important research since new models of governance and administration have engaged citizenship at the root of their practice and public administrators are tasked with increasing public participation in environments characterized by cynicism and distrust. Today, public relations must be able to assist administrators with the task of establishing and maintaining relationships with citizens. Based on the review of literature in both the communication and public administration disciplines and findings from this study, which utilized interviews with practicing public communicators in city and county government in the state of Ohio, the author proposes an alternative framework of public relations for the public sector. This new model, entitled the Government-Citizen Relationship Framework, recognizes the differences between the public and private sectors, assimilates the study findings, and incorporates an endogenic tradition by utilizing both the relationship dimensions in the relational theory of public relations and public participation decision making to help establish relationships with citizens and build community. This study atte (open full item for complete abstract)

MCP, University of Cincinnati, 2003, Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning : Community Planning

A growing body of literature has emerged in recent years examining the feasibility and desirability of economic mixing on a residential basis (Brophy and Smith 1997, Rosenbaum et al. 1998) but little attention has been to the feasibility of this mixing when it involves middle-class families with children. This paper examines school-housing linkages as part of HOPE VI public housing revitalization at City West (Cincinnati, Ohio) and Park DuValle (Louisville, Kentucky). Overall, the study highlights the difficulty of achieving mixing of children from lower- and middle-income homes in schools serving public housing revitalization sites. HOPE VI planners in both cities placed little or no emphasis on attracting of middle-income families with children. Instead, officials emphasized income mixing and improved homeownership opportunities for low and moderate income families. Overall there has been closer housing-schooling cooperation in Louisville than in Cincinnati. Jefferson County Public Schools was highly involved from the start of the HOPE VI application process because the school system had been involved in an earlier Empowerment Zone application. While Cincinnati Public Schools was not involved at all in the early plans for City West, it became involved during the implementation phase because CPS was conducting its own facilities master planning process. While Park DuValle has attracted many middle-income families with children, all of the middle-income families moving into City West have been childless. Park DuValle's success is largely due to the fact that Louisville's schools are part of a county-wide school system based on busing. Unlike other cities, families considering moving to Park DuValle are not influenced by perceptions of neighborhood school quality; they know that their children will be bused to a school outside the neighborhood. Because Louisville's countywide school system is so unique among American cities, it may be difficult to replicate Louisvill (open full item for complete abstract)

MA, Kent State University, 2024, College of the Arts / School of Art

Judith Baca's The Great Wall of Los Angeles is a mural decorating a drainage canal in the San Fernando Valley of California. Baca's previous work had directly involved non-artists and members of the community that were not creators in the traditional sense, and this is no different. Telling the story of a group of people still marginalized in the twenty-first century, this mural, created from 1976 to 1983, details the distinctly Californian history of people of color. In this thesis I explore the ways in which Baca navigates the complicated waters of creating art for a public that is not often represented and uses her capabilities as an artist and educator to break down barriers and establish a community. Utilizing public art to access an understanding of the public and the larger role it plays, I determine who Baca inherently creates for.

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toledo, 2022, Higher Education

Higher education in the United States is threatened by the continued decrease in state and federal funding, increasing competition for the ever-decreasing funds. The need to understand and articulate institutional value is critical so institutions can communicate their worth as a means of ensuring viability. There currently exists an unclear understanding of how the public value of four-year colleges and universities is identified and communicated; this study provides some understanding. Using the Delphi method, this research examined how presidents, or their proxies, of four-year colleges and universities in Ohio identify and communicate institutional public value. Presidents are selected as participants because for centuries, college presidents have been tasked with conveying their institution's mission and value to the public. This study defines public value as “creating a pluralistic democracy through education, research, and community engagement for the betterment of society, which helps all people to flourish,” provides characteristics of this definition, and includes implications for current practice.

Master of Public Health, The Ohio State University, 2021, Public Health

Violence against humans is a public health issue, as is violence against animals, because these two forms of violence have been scientifically linked together. Violence against animals, known as animal cruelty, has been shown to be an important predictor and correlate of aggressive, violent behavior toward people and additional animal victims. Characteristics of individuals who are violent toward animals and people are similar and important to identify to help prevent further suffering and pain to victims. As such, understanding animal cruelty may assist in the prevention and alleviation of violent acts toward people. Animal cruelty laws with high offense degrees and penalties have been recently accepted into Ohio law, most notably Goddard's Law in 2016. To the knowledge of the authors, this is the first study to examine animal cruelty and violent crime public court records in Ohio to investigate the association between these two crimes. A random sample of individuals found guilty of animal cruelty in Ohio was examined for violent crimes in their criminal history. A mixed-effects logistic regression model was created to model violent crime severity based on the predictors: age, race, jail time from animal cruelty offense, and timing of the animal cruelty charge in relation to Goddard's Law. Two logistic regression models were created to model being charged with a violent crime and being found guilty of a violent crime with the predictors: age, race, animal cruelty sentencing severity, and timing of the animal cruelty charge in relation to Goddard's Law. There was a high prevalence of violent offenders within the population that has been convicted of animal cruelty in Ohio. Additionally, there was a high rate at which these individuals were convicted of domestic violence, assault, endangering children, and aggravated menacing, all crimes that are related to interpersonal violence. By targeting interventions towards offenders of these crimes, the health and safe (open full item for complete abstract)

MARCH, University of Cincinnati, 2005, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning : Architecture (Master of)

Public architecture that frames civic space, enlivens political debate, and embodies democratic ideals is the focus of this thesis. In the United States, civic architecture historically sought to express the purposes and ideals of the new institutions of a representative democracy. Civic architecture further shaped and bounded the civic sphere of public discourse. The decline of the public realm in the nineteenth century has, by extension, resulted in a decline of the civic realm. This thesis investigates how civic architecture can best reflect and embody, represent and nurture, a civil society appropriate to a twenty-first century representative democracy, while seeking to frame a contemporary civic realm. The analysis continues to the symbolic and spatial evocations of civil society ideals within American architecture, and an investigation into the changing concepts of civic architecture. Finally, the design project seeks to express and realize such civil society ideals through an urban design project for the public square of Mansfield, Ohio, and the design of a new county courthouse.

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2008, Arts Policy and Administration

For centuries, public art has been a popular tool used to celebrate heroes, commemorate historical events, decorate public spaces, and attract tourists. Public art has been created by the most renowned artists and commissioned by powerful political leaders. But, where is the public in public art? What is the role of that group believed to be the primary client of such public endeavors? How much power does the public have? Should they have? Do they want? In this thesis, I address these and other related questions through a case study of Millennium Park in Chicago. In contrast to other studies on this topic, this thesis focuses on the perspectives and opinions of the public; a group which I have found to be scarcely represented in the literature about public participation in public art.

Master of Arts (MA), Ohio University, 2007, Telecommunications (Communication)

New technologies present both opportunities and challenges to public broadcasters. This thesis examines how one such technology, podcasting, is being broached by public radio broadcasters in the United States. An overview of public broadcasting and podcasting is provided. A survey was conducted to measure the perception of podcasting among public radio broadcasters, in keeping with diffusion of innovations theory. Three factors from diffusion theory, complexity, compatibility, and relative advantage were found to shape broadcasters' perceptions of podcasting. Two other attributes, social approval/communicability and cost are proposed for future research. A positive relationship between membership in the National Public Radio network and adoption of podcasting is found. Recommendations for implementing a pilot system of paid podcasting are shared.

PHD, Kent State University, 2007, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Political Science

Since its independence from the former Soviet Union in 1991, Kazakhstan has undergone a slow political and psychosocial change, which is reflected in the coexistence of the former authoritarian and emerging liberal-democratic perspectives and public discourses. Currently, there are mounting pressures for democratization of the political system, which would furnish a more diversified structure of political opportunity for all aspiring political leaders. The important issue, however, is how both old and new leaders are perceived by citizens in terms of their leadership style, and to what extent their leadership style meets expectations of the Kazakh citizenry? This study sought to answer the question, What are the characteristics of perceived typical and ideal public leadership styles in Kazakhstan? Q methodology was utilized to measure perceptions of both the general citizenry and political experts concerning the characteristics of typical and desirable leadership styles. The theoretical framework and research design were based on Little's (1985) psychosocial leader model in conjunction with best-practices leadership theory by Kouzes and Posner (2002). The resultant factorial design enabled examination of leadership styles based on three leader types (Strong, Group, and Inspiring) and five leadership practices (leader's image, communication style, ways of getting work done, leader-follower relations, and ways of motivating subordinates/followers). Through the prism of public perceptions and preferences, the study sought to discern characteristics of typical and ideal leadership styles as reflective of actual and desirable leader-follower relationship patterns. Analysis included correlation, factor analysis, and interpretation of the emergent factors. Three distinct perceptions of typical leaders (Power-Wielder, Elite Leader, and Old Communist Guard) and one ideal leader (Inspiring Statesman) were identified, and each typical leader perception was compared to the idea (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Studies and Public Affairs, Cleveland State University, 2008, Levin College of Urban Affairs

Women in Kuwait were traditionally excluded from the formulation of public policy because they lacked political rights. In mid 2005, women received the right to vote and to run for office. There is little known today about the influence of these political rights on women who work with the implementation of public policies in the higher administrative levels of government. Little is known specifically about the influence of the franchise on promotion of women to high administrative posts. The purpose of this study is to lay a foundation for research on the factors that encourage women's access to high positions in government by exploring the experience of high-level women both before and after enfranchisement. The experiences of leading women who work for the public sector are critical to understanding any relationship between women's political rights and their access to high positions. The interpretation of female work experiences provides suggestions to help expand and enhance women's access to high positions in public administration. This study employs the phenomenological method for data collection and interpretation. The findings of this study support the argument that political participation exerts a positive influence on high-level women in government. This study shows that Kuwaiti high-level women agree that they have started to experience a positive influence in their work since the franchise due to the new political power that they have gained. I argue that whether or not high-level women have personally experienced any positive change in their work due to gaining their political rights, they still affirm the occurrence of this positive change. This study finds that this positive influence is reflected in better representation in official meetings, more interactions with state leaders, an increasing ability to express concerns to top levels, and enhancing their self-confidence to lead. This study notes other significant factors that should be considered by (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy in Health Sciences, Youngstown State University, 2024, Department of Graduate Studies in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences

During times of pandemic, it is imperative that public health agencies be prepared to launch an immediate and effective response to lessen the morbidity and mortality that usually accompanies these events. Historically, the doctrine of federalism has cleared the way to allow each state to respond independent of a unified national response. It suggests that in modern times a more unified public health approach might provide more successful outcomes. Historically, federalism has shown to be an effective form of government in most instances and to abandon it based solely on observed weaknesses associated with public health emergency response would be short-sighted. Using qualitative research methods, this dissertation examined the effectiveness of this federalist approach on past public health emergencies and most recently its success when applied to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, this study investigated the concept of mandatory national accreditation of local public health jurisdictions (LPHJs) as a substitute for federalism. Could national accreditation provide the means of assuring that all health authorities across the nation, but especially at the local health jurisdiction level, be unified in their overall response efforts? Allowing an accrediting body, such as the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) to set standards that must be achieved and protocols that must be followed by all health districts nationwide in all aspects of public health delivery, including public health emergency response could provide the needed continuity between states that federalism disrupts. A quantitative study using a Likert survey was also a part of this dissertation. This survey, distributed to 113 Ohio health commissioners (response rate 40.70%), solicited opinions related to federalism, COVID-19, and national accreditation. It used the data to offer conclusions on the possible unification of public health response to pandemics and other public health emergencies. Moreover (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Business Administration, The Ohio State University, 1960, Graduate School

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Organizational Leadership , Franklin University, 0, International Institute for Innovative Instruction

The Black-White achievement gap has been an acknowledged problem in American public education since the 1960s with the release of the Coleman Report (1966). Academic optimism has been linked to student achievement since its development in 2006. This study seeks to confirm the link between academic optimism and student achievement, and to see if there is a connection between academic optimism and the Black-White achievement gap in an urban public-school setting.164 high school teachers from an urban school district in Ohio were surveyed to assess the level of academic optimism in their schools. This variable was then compared to the difference in math and ELA test scores between Black and White students at each school. The results of this study confirmed a significant positive correlation between academic optimism and student achievement, as well as between each of the three components of academic optimism (academic emphasis, collective efficacy, and faculty trust) and student achievement. However, there was no significant correlation found between academic optimism and the Black-White achievement gap, nor between the factors of academic optimism and the Black-White achievement gap.

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toledo, 2023, Spatially Integrated Social Science

The increase in rate of international migration to the United States since the late 1960s, coupled with a generally high rate among minority populations, altered the racial and ethnic composition of America's urban neighborhoods. The changing demography and increase in shares of minority subpopulations underscore the salience of conducting multigroup studies of residential and socioeconomic segregation beyond the traditional white versus black dichotomy. Segregation based on subgroup characteristics (de facto or de jure) is problematic, particularly for racial minorities and low-income residents who are limited in moving to areas they can afford. These minority neighborhoods are associated with physical and socioeconomic disadvantage due to public and private de-investment. The undercurrents of segregation were explored in the racial tipping point and white flight literature where non-Hispanic white majority residents exit old inner and central city neighborhoods when the share of minority populations increase beyond a critical threshold. Due to strong correlations between race and income, white flight also tends to concentrate poverty in the abandoned neighborhoods. Beyond this relationship between personal choice and segregation however, local and federal public policies have also been historically linked with segregating urban America. Federal highway programs, mortgage loan underwriting processes, suburban housing developments, and restrictive local zoning laws have created race and income-based segregated spaces. Also, reinvestment programs aimed revitalizing physical and socially distressed neighborhoods tend to yield minimal outcomes. This is often due to either limited funding compared to the magnitude of the problem or lack of sustained political commitment, overemphasis on market-based ideas which alienate minorities and low-income residents, and emphasis on new urbanism housing designs associated net losses in the public housing stock. In this dissertatio (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2023, City and Regional Planning

The development of planning strategies and application of theory to meet the needs of neurodiverse population, such as autistic adults, is limited and emergent. My dissertation assesses the process of public participation in planning and its inclusion of neurodiverse population in it. First, I will review the limitations of existing planning theory and discuss how planning theory should evolve to adequately reflect and address the needs of those with disabilities. Then, I examine what aspects of existing theory are beneficial in furthering our understanding and planning with acceptance of autistic and other neurodiverse communities. This study, using mixed methods, including a survey of autistic adults and semi-structured interviews of practicing planners, will explore the premise that special accommodation during planning public participation engagements would develop more active participation and involvement of autistic adults. These accommodations could also serve and increase the engagement of other neurodiverse populations, compared to traditional public engagement practices. The goal of this work is the exploration of possible procedural tools that can accommodate public participation of people with different cognitive abilities during public meetings and engagement in the planning and design process. I conclude discussing the policy implications of this research. The findings indicate that engagement of autistic adults into decision-making process is possible when planners provide accommodations tailored to neurodivergent participants. I suggest that changes in how planners conduct community participation meetings can start from the evaluation of participation process through Six Feelings Framework which focuses on inclusion of feelings and emotions into decision-making process. Results of survey suggest that feelings of “clear” and “free” are the most important for autistic adults' engagement, meaning that when materials and rules of participation are c (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2023, History

Education remains one of the most polarized areas in American society. However, this is not a new phenomenon. From the 1950s to 1980, Congress, the executive branch, and judicial branch significantly increased their funding and oversight in public education. 1965 marked the year Congress passed legislation with the hopes of creating a more equitable system for all socioeconomic classes. However, conservatives also began to coalesce in the 1970s over segregation, helping spur the 1980 Reagan Revolution. 1981 marked the first year in over two decades where Congress cut the education budget for integrative services and changed how the federal government funded programs for low-income students. These changes were integral to the Reagan administration and conservative Congress's goals to reduce social services in an effort to reduce the budget and expand the economy while simultaneously preserving tax loopholes and cuts for the wealthy. Federal funding for social services like education saw cuts that hurt many of the gains that low-income school districts had seen over the previous two decades. One often overlooked piece of legislation–the 1981 Education Consolidation and Improvement Act (ECIA)–caused many of these changes. This act removed the protective language and funding that had helped lower income, bilingual, and segregated communities receive federal aid for the previous fifteen years. While creator John Ashbrook's initial intent for the ECIA was to give more power to local and state governments over education– something that conservatives thought was an important goal–the ECIA also ended integration programs and removed barriers to ensure funding went to high needs schools. These changes have affected education to this day.