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

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    Social-Emotional Learning Is Not One-Size-Fits-All: Reflections on Youth Voice in Out-of-School-Time Programs
    (2025-03-01) Andry, Hannah
    This qualitative portraiture study explored the role of youth voice in shaping social-emotional learning (SEL), culturally responsive practices (CRP), and youth agency within out-of-school time (OST) programs in Greater Boston. Former OST participants (ages 18-24) took part in interviews guided by an art activity called “Create Your Own SEL Model,” which encouraged reflection on cultural identities and SEL experiences. Themes of self-efficacy, family influence, self-expression, and boundaries emerged from the data. Participants shared how their sense of agency grew through active involvement in program development, reinforcing essential SEL skills like self-awareness, social awareness, and decision-making. The study underscores the importance of centering youth voices in OST program design to foster more culturally responsive and inclusive learning environments. It highlights the need to support educators in creating curricula that celebrate diverse cultural identities, promote transformational opportunities for historically marginalized students, and strengthen culturally sustaining SEL practices.
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    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) Murphy, Nathaniel
    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.
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    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) Veenstra, Caitlyn
    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.
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    Evaluation of the START Plan, a Mental Health Crisis Risk Rating Scale for People With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
    (2024-05) Caoili, Andrea
    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.
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    VERTICALLY INTEGRATED LIQUID AND THUNDERSTORM BEHAVIOR WITHIN THE PLYMOUTH, NH, REGION
    (2024-05) Morin, David
    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.

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