Summit Institutional Repository @ PSU
Summit Institutional Repository @ Plymouth State University is a digital repository for gathering, indexing, preserving, and making available a treasury of research and scholarly work generated by PSU faculty, students and staff. Based on the principle of Open Access, one of Summit's key missions is to ensure that these scholarly and creative endeavors are accessible to the widest possible audience.
These collections are freely available, organized, made accessible by PSU's Lamson Library. They demonstrate the summit of academic production at the University and its commitment to encourage transformational teaching and connected learning, to advance the Plymouth State University motto - Ut prosim (That I may serve). The content is available to be used responsibly under fair use US copyright law for personal and educational purposes or with the permission of the authors and/or copyright holders. For more information about submitting your work to Summit, please contact us at psu-lamson-repository@plymouth.edu.
Recent Submissions
Item MRMS Hourly Rainfall Estimates Compared to Dual Polarization Hourly Rainfall Estimates in the Year 2020 in the Greater Puget Sound Region of Washington State(2024-05)ABSTRACT MRMS HOURLY RAINFALL ESTIMATES COMPARED TO DUAL POLARIZATION HOURLY RAINFALL ESTIMATES IN THE YEAR 2020 IN THE GREATER PUGET SOUND REGION OF WASHINGTON STATE By Nate Murphy Plymouth State University, December, 2024 The purpose of this research is to compare precipitation estimates between radar-only MRMS and dual-polarization WSR-88D for moderate to heavy rainfall in the greater Puget Sound region of Washington State throughout the year of 2020. The dual polarization radar and MRMS radar-only estimates are compared to the rain gauge measurements to see if any product performed better than the other. Rainfall estimates from MRMS, Takoma Washington Doppler Radar (KATX), and Langley Hill Doppler Radar (KLGX) are compared to observations from seven rain gauge locations. Both the MRMS radar-only QPE and the dual polarization estimates underestimated rainfall rates. However the bias was slightly less for the MRMS radar-only QPE. There was no significant correlation between any set of data when not split up by rain gauge location. When split up by rain gauge location, different products performed better and had significantly higher correlations. Also it was found that the MRMS radar-only QPE estimate had a slightly lower RMSE when compared with the dual polarization estimates. Some possible explanations for the under estimating in the area could be potential beam blockage in the region due to the mountainous terrain in the area.Item Exploring the Impact of Identity-Based Student Organizations on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) Spectrum Minority Students’ Integration, Belonging, and Academic Persistence in Higher Education(2024-08-29)AN ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION OF Caitlyn R. Veenstra for the degree of Doctor of Education Presented on August 29, 2024 Title: Exploring the Impact of Identity-Based Student Organizations on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) Spectrum Minority Students’ Integration, Belonging, and Academic Persistence in Higher Education Abstract approved: ___________________________________________________ Scott Mantie, PhD, Dissertation Committee Chair This exploratory, mixed-method study examines the role of identity-based student organizations in supporting sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) spectrum minority students in higher education. Through convenience sampling, 44 participants were surveyed. Open coding revealed four key themes influencing student engagement: community building, advocacy and leadership, personal and professional growth, and inclusivity and resources. Descriptive analysis showed a significant 1.38-point increase in students’ sense of belonging after joining these organizations, suggesting a positive impact on respondents’ overall post-secondary experience. Notably, 76.9% of respondents intended to continue their involvement, with graduation being the primary reason for discontinuation. Identity-based student organizations were found to be vital pillars for fostering a sense of belonging, advocating for inclusivity, and promoting personal and professional growth for SOGI spectrum minority students.Item Evaluation of the START Plan, a Mental Health Crisis Risk Rating Scale for People With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities(2024-05)AN ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION OF Andrea Caoili for the degree of Doctor of Education, Learning, Leadership, and Community Presented on May 13, 2024 Title: Evaluation of the START Plan, a Mental Health Crisis Risk Rating Scale for People With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Abstract approved: ______________________________________________________________________________ Scott Mantie, PhD, Dissertation Committee Chair People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are at increased risk of having mental health conditions compared to the general population. This risk, coupled with disparities in access to community-based mental health services results in higher crisis service utilization. There are few assessment instruments that consider the ecological context of mental health crises experienced by people with IDD. This observational, cross-sectional study takes place within the START (Systemic, Therapeutic, Assessment, Resources, and Treatment) program, a crisis prevention and intervention service for people with IDD and mental health conditions (IDD-MH). The study investigates the application of the START Plan, one of the primary assessment instruments used by START programs nationwide. The START Plan fills a unique gap by incorporating ecological factors that may contribute to crisis service use among this population. An existing data set (N = 6,397) from the START Information Reporting System was used. Chi-squared and a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) statistical tests were utilized to evaluate the relationship between START Plan scores and (a) reported sociodemographic characteristics (race, ethnicity, age, gender, living situation, and mental health iii diagnosis), (b) START crisis contacts, and (c) scores on the Aberrant Behavior Checklist. Findings indicate a relationship between mental health instability and age, race, living situation, and number of psychiatric diagnoses. This study also found the START Plan to have strong predictive and construct validity, indicating the potential for application of the START Plan across mental health crisis services designed for people with IDD.Item VERTICALLY INTEGRATED LIQUID AND THUNDERSTORM BEHAVIOR WITHIN THE PLYMOUTH, NH, REGION(2024-05)ABSTRACT VERTICALLY INTEGRATED LIQUID AND THUNDERSTORM BEHAVIOR WITHIN THE PLYMOUTH, NH, REGION by David E. S. Morin Plymouth State University, May, 2024 This thesis aimed to answer the question, “Can a storm’s cell based vertically integrated liquid (VIL) value at a certain location in relation to Plymouth, NH, act as a predictor of its behavior as it approaches town?” Previous work tried to connect storm cell behavior in the Plymouth region to stability indices, the height of the lifted condensation level (LCL), and the synoptic setup. VIL was chosen as the stratification variable for this thesis because of its connection with storm intensity and precipitation, leading to increased downdraft strength, which has been connected to the storm-splitting process in some studies. The goal of this thesis was to determine if an approaching storm’s VIL value can predict 1) whether or not it will hit Plymouth, 2) its behavior before reaching Plymouth, and 3) if it does hit, its behavior after Plymouth. Cells moving towards Plymouth within the 48 km radius domain were tracked. Their cell based VILs were recorded at each range ring within the domain, and the values were separated and compared (bulk statistics and box plots) for each region around Plymouth based on their behaviors. Based on the results of the majority of regions, higher VIL cells were more likely to hit Plymouth, while lower VIL cells generally had opposite results. In terms of behavior, higher VIL cells were most likely to split. Lower VIL cells xvi were most likely to dissipate, and medium VIL cells were most likely not to change behavior. Two case studies were examined to show the inconsistencies between the Storm Structure Product (SSP) (used for identifying cells and obtaining VIL) and manual interpretation of reflectivity.Item The Impact of Mindfulness on Stress Levels of Teachers and Students(2023-12)AN ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION OF Peihan Zhu for the degree of Doctor of Education in Learning, Leadership, and Community Presented on July 26, 2023 Title: The Impact of Mindfulness on Stress Levels of Teachers and Students Abstract approved: ________________________________________________ Christie Sweeney, Ed.D. Dissertation Committee Chair The purpose of this study was to understand the impact of mindfulness practices on the stress levels of teachers and students when those practices are integrated into the classroom in a systematic and purposeful manner. This study utilized qualitative case study methodology to investigate a mindfulness program’s impact on teachers and students. Data were collected using surveys, interviews, and school resources about the mindfulness program. Direct participants in this study were teaching/academic staff, administrative staff, and school administrators. Students were indirectly involved in this study. In this study, surveys were attempted by 46 teaching/academic staff and administrative staff. A total of three school administrators completed the surveys. Interviews were completed with five teaching/academic staff, one administrative staff, and two school administrators. The researcher also reviewed 21 student surveys designed, conducted, and provided by a wellness and social science educator at the school. The findings from this study have indicated that when mindfulness practices are implemented in a systematic and purposeful manner, as exemplified at the research site, THE IMPACT OF MINDFULNESS ON TEACHERS AND STUDENTS iii the program and the corresponding implementation of mindfulness practices demonstrated positive impacts on the stress reduction of teachers and students, while extending these impacts to administrators and the broader school community. Some examples of these positive impacts: teachers stated that practicing mindfulness transformed their teaching experiences, they felt less stressed, became more caring, and experienced improved relations with students; students stated practicing mindfulness helped them be calm, recenter, manage stress, and allowed them to resort to love and confidence; participating faculty/staff observed school administrators used mindfulness skills to connect the community as a whole; many participants described the mindfulness program at the school, along with the variety of mindfulness practices, helped foster a community of mutual understanding and connection.
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