Matching Items (20)
Description
The quality and quantity of talented members of the US STEM workforce has
been a subject of great interest to policy and decision makers for the past 40 years.
Recent research indicates that while there exist specific shortages in specific disciplines
and areas of expertise in the private sector and the federal government, there is no
noticeable shortage in any STEM academic discipline, but rather a surplus of PhDs
vying for increasingly scarce tenure track positions. Despite the seeming availability
of industry and private sector jobs, recent PhDs still struggle to find employment in
those areas. I argue that the decades old narrative suggesting a shortage of STEM
PhDs in the US poses a threat to the value of the natural science PhD, and that
this narrative contributes significantly to why so many PhDs struggle to find career
employment in their fields. This study aims to address the following question: what is
the value of a STEM PhD outside academia? I begin with a critical review of existing
literature, and then analyze programmatic documents for STEM PhD programs at
ASU, interviews with industry employers, and an examination the public face of value
for these degrees. I then uncover the nature of the value alignment, value disconnect,
and value erosion in the ecosystem which produces and then employs STEM PhDs,
concluding with specific areas which merit special consideration in an effort to increase
the value of these degrees for all stakeholders involved.
been a subject of great interest to policy and decision makers for the past 40 years.
Recent research indicates that while there exist specific shortages in specific disciplines
and areas of expertise in the private sector and the federal government, there is no
noticeable shortage in any STEM academic discipline, but rather a surplus of PhDs
vying for increasingly scarce tenure track positions. Despite the seeming availability
of industry and private sector jobs, recent PhDs still struggle to find employment in
those areas. I argue that the decades old narrative suggesting a shortage of STEM
PhDs in the US poses a threat to the value of the natural science PhD, and that
this narrative contributes significantly to why so many PhDs struggle to find career
employment in their fields. This study aims to address the following question: what is
the value of a STEM PhD outside academia? I begin with a critical review of existing
literature, and then analyze programmatic documents for STEM PhD programs at
ASU, interviews with industry employers, and an examination the public face of value
for these degrees. I then uncover the nature of the value alignment, value disconnect,
and value erosion in the ecosystem which produces and then employs STEM PhDs,
concluding with specific areas which merit special consideration in an effort to increase
the value of these degrees for all stakeholders involved.
ContributorsGarbee, Elizabeth (Author) / Maynard, Andrew D. (Thesis advisor) / Wetmore, Jameson (Committee member) / Anderson, Derrick (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2018
Description
This mixed-methods study explored perceptions of new adjuncts on various trainings with regards to satisfying their professional and aspirational needs. Three trainings were offered in fall 2018 quarter as optional professional development: workshop, and two roundtable sessions. These trainings assisted adjuncts with their teaching skills, educational technology and pedagogy. Guidance was provided from experienced adjuncts and staff.
Surveys and interviews with adjuncts, along with a focus group with staff were the sources of data for this study. A repeated measures Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) model was utilized. Analysis of data showed that there was a positive and statistical significance of change in perceptions of adjuncts who participated in all trainings towards fulfilling their needs, as compared to those who did not participate in any trainings. Adjuncts perceived an improvement in their professional growth based on Herzberg’s motivation-hygiene theory and the trainings also fulfilled their higher-level growth needs based on Maslow’s hierarchical needs theory. A large practical significance was also found which measures the practical impact of such trainings at local communities of practice.
Surveys and interviews with adjuncts, along with a focus group with staff were the sources of data for this study. A repeated measures Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) model was utilized. Analysis of data showed that there was a positive and statistical significance of change in perceptions of adjuncts who participated in all trainings towards fulfilling their needs, as compared to those who did not participate in any trainings. Adjuncts perceived an improvement in their professional growth based on Herzberg’s motivation-hygiene theory and the trainings also fulfilled their higher-level growth needs based on Maslow’s hierarchical needs theory. A large practical significance was also found which measures the practical impact of such trainings at local communities of practice.
ContributorsSreekaram, Siddhartha (Author) / Marsh, Josephine (Thesis advisor) / Amrein-Beardsley, Audrey (Committee member) / Kim, Jeongeun (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019
Description
Visualizations are an integral component for communicating and evaluating modern networks. As data becomes more complex, info-graphics require a balance between visual noise and effective storytelling that is often restricted by layouts unsuitable for scalability. The challenge then rests upon researchers to effectively structure their information in a way that allows for flexible, transparent illustration. We propose network graphing as an operative alternative for demonstrating community behavior over traditional charts which are unable to look past numeric data. In this paper, we explore methods for manipulating, processing, cleaning, and aggregating data in Python; a programming language tailored for handling structured data, which can then be formatted for analysis and modeling of social network tendencies in Gephi. We implement this data by applying an algorithm known as the Fruchterman-Reingold force-directed layout to datasets of Arizona State University’s research and collaboration network. The result is a visualization that analyzes the university’s infrastructure by providing insight about community behaviors between colleges. Furthermore, we highlight how the flexibility of this visualization provides a foundation for specific use cases by demonstrating centrality measures to find important liaisons that connect distant communities.
ContributorsMcMichael, Jacob Andrew (Author) / LiKamWa, Robert (Thesis director) / Anderson, Derrick (Committee member) / Goshert, Maxwell (Committee member) / Arts, Media and Engineering Sch T (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
This paper introduces MisophoniAPP, a new website for managing misophonia. It will briefly discuss the nature of this chronic syndrome, which is the experience of reacting strongly to certain everyday sounds, or “triggers”. Various forms of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and the Neural Repatterning Technique are currently used to treat misophonia, but they are not guaranteed to work for every patient. Few apps exist to help patients with their therapy, so this paper describes the design and creation of a new website that combines exposure therapy,
relaxation, and gamification to help patients alleviate their misophonic reflexes.
relaxation, and gamification to help patients alleviate their misophonic reflexes.
ContributorsNoziglia, Rachel Elisabeth (Author) / McDaniel, Troy (Thesis director) / Anderson, Derrick (Committee member) / Computer Science and Engineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
The transition from high school to college can cause an undue amount of attrition for fully qualified, college-intending first-generation students. Although the students may have overcome multiple obstacles to be accepted to a college and arrive at the transition over summer, it can feel overwhelming to complete the flood of tasks without access to a supportive network to guide and interpret the intricate steps. Many programs focus on college preparation and access to college but do not devote attention to the delicate transition from access to enrollment during the summer months. The term opportunity melt for students who confirm their enrollment and do not enroll in any institution of higher education in the fall semester. This study identified the influence of strategic peer mentor support during the summer months for Chico State students who applied, were admitted, and accepted their college admission. This action research intervention applies key concepts of academic capital theory and follows up on previous cycles of action research in the California State University system to identify barriers for those who intended to enroll but decided not to attend any Cal State or other institution of higher education in the Fall semester after high school graduation.
ContributorsRyan, Shawn (Author) / Dorn, Sherman (Thesis advisor) / Kim, Jeongeun (Committee member) / Weston, Jeffrey (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
Description
The proliferation of fake news on social media has become a concern for manycountries due to its adverse effects on various areas, such as the economy, politics, health,
and society. In light of the growing use of social media in Saudi Arabia, numerous media
outlets actively utilize social media platforms to collect and disseminate news and
information. As a result, Saudi journalists have faced various challenges, including the
spread of fake news. Therefore, this study explores how Saudi journalists define and
verify fake news published on social media and the challenges they face. Furthermore,
this study explores journalists’ role perceptions in society concerning spreading fake
news and how they can promote media literacy to the audience.
This study employed in-depth qualitative interviews with 14 journalists from
various Saudi printing and online newspapers. The thematic analysis of the interviews
showed that Saudi journalists define fake news in several ways, encompassing three
essential elements: source, content, and timing. In addition, the study found that
journalists primarily use traditional verification practices to verify fake news published
on social media, followed by new verification practices. The findings showed that Saudi
journalists face challenges at all levels of the hierarchy of influence model. Moreover, the
findings identify three different roles journalists perceive in society regarding fake news
published on social media: disseminators, populist mobilizers, and interpreters. Lastly,
the study found that journalists lack media literacy knowledge but are willing to
cooperate with other government institutions to promote and distribute media literacy
among the public.
ContributorsBasfar, Majed (Author) / Thornton, Leslie-Jean (Thesis advisor) / Silcock, B. William (Committee member) / Roschke, Kristy (Committee member) / Kim, Jeongeun (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
Description
The purpose of this study is to explore how internationalization is formed and operationalized in the Intensive English Programs (IEPs) at three Michigan higher education institutions. Drawing from Latour’s (2005) actor-network theory, this study examined the human and non-human actors involved in constructions of internationalization, which was defined as relational processes (programs and policies) that define and deliver international, intercultural, or global elements into the purpose, function and delivery of postsecondary education (Altbach, 2007; Knight, 2003). As an entry point into the study, I focused on the director of the programs and their mission statements, a written articulation of beliefs, as suggested by Childress (2007; 2009).
To explore these potential networks, I utilized Comparative Case Study (Bartlett and Vavrus, 2016), which allowed for more unbounded cases; Actor-Network Theory (Latour, 1999; Latour, 2005) which allowed for agency among non-human actors that also coexist, transform, translate or modify meaning; and relational network analysis methods (Herz et al. 2014; Heath et al. 2009; Clarke 2005), which helped to explore and make sense of complex relational data. This was in the effort to construct an understanding of the “processual, built activities, performed by the actants out of which they are composed” (Crawford, 2004, p. 1). I mapped actors within each site who were performing their local and contingent processes of internationalization.
The results indicate the formation of complex and far reaching webs of actors and activities that accomplish a form of internationalization that is highly localized. While each program under investigation responded to similar pressures, such as funding shortfalls via student enrollment declines, the responses and networks that were created from these constraints were wildly different. Indeed, the study found these programs engaged in international activities that enrolled various external actors, from campus departments to local community groups. In engaging in relational connections that moved beyond their primary instructional purpose, English language instruction and cultural acclimatization, the IEPs in this study were able to 1) contribute to the internationalization of university departmental curricula, 2) serve their communities in dynamic and impactful ways and 3) develop their own sense of internationalization in a university setting.
To explore these potential networks, I utilized Comparative Case Study (Bartlett and Vavrus, 2016), which allowed for more unbounded cases; Actor-Network Theory (Latour, 1999; Latour, 2005) which allowed for agency among non-human actors that also coexist, transform, translate or modify meaning; and relational network analysis methods (Herz et al. 2014; Heath et al. 2009; Clarke 2005), which helped to explore and make sense of complex relational data. This was in the effort to construct an understanding of the “processual, built activities, performed by the actants out of which they are composed” (Crawford, 2004, p. 1). I mapped actors within each site who were performing their local and contingent processes of internationalization.
The results indicate the formation of complex and far reaching webs of actors and activities that accomplish a form of internationalization that is highly localized. While each program under investigation responded to similar pressures, such as funding shortfalls via student enrollment declines, the responses and networks that were created from these constraints were wildly different. Indeed, the study found these programs engaged in international activities that enrolled various external actors, from campus departments to local community groups. In engaging in relational connections that moved beyond their primary instructional purpose, English language instruction and cultural acclimatization, the IEPs in this study were able to 1) contribute to the internationalization of university departmental curricula, 2) serve their communities in dynamic and impactful ways and 3) develop their own sense of internationalization in a university setting.
ContributorsClark, Adam Thomas (Author) / Koro, Mirka (Thesis advisor) / Kim, Jeongeun (Committee member) / Carlson, David L. (Committee member) / Okhremtchouk, Irina S (Committee member) / Vellenga, Heidi (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2020
Description
This thesis first examines the history and contemporary landscape of school mental health, offering evidence for schools as an essential component of the child and adolescent system of care. It then provides contemporary discussion around the importance of design in public administration, as well as analyzes the current design model of school-based mental health services, including key actors, normative assumptions, and underlying conceptual models to demonstrate the outdated presumptions that have led to a model that is not designed to adapt to the unique needs of students, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. Building on contemporary theory of design in public administration, I argue that the largely fragmented, decentralized, bureaucratic, complex, and underdeveloped design of school-based mental health services mainly developed in the 1970s and 1980s has reached its limits and cannot adapt to new societal variables. Lastly, I discuss said limitations of this model to argue for a conceptual and practical re-design of the current system of school-based mental health systems in the United States.
ContributorsMontero, Armando (Author) / Strickland, James (Thesis director) / Anderson, Derrick (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor) / Economics Program in CLAS (Contributor)
Created2023-05
Description
This qualitative study explores the socialization processes of doctoral students in engineering and technology Ph.D. accredited programs at Chilean universities and how these experiences may impact their success outcomes, particularly advancement, time to degree, completion, and preparedness for postgraduation success. I employed semi-structured interviews to learn from 23 current doctoral students representing ten unique doctoral programs at eight higher education institutions (HEIs). Findings showed increasing student diversity among programs. In addition, students’ socialization showed to be affected by individual and institutional, and program-related factors, which resulted in distinctive student experiences. These processes were also shaped by the larger context of national policies related to programs such as funding, accreditation, and the job market. This study also identified trends in the relationships between students and program faculty, staff, and peers at different times of the doctoral training, which also created common and distinctive socialization dynamics. Findings illustrated how students' socialization experiences facilitated their advancement throughout the program toward completion, meeting expected degree completion times and enhancing their preparedness for postgraduation success. This dissertation includes implications for practice and future research opportunities.
ContributorsParra Gaete, Ivet (Author) / Fischman, Gustavo (Thesis advisor) / Kim, Jeongeun (Thesis advisor) / Celis, Sergio (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
Description
Methodological Reparations is a 2-study multi-methods inquiry aimed at illuminating important nuances for engaging counter hegemonic empirical inquiries for Black, gender expansive and Black LGBTQI+ communities. If Black gender expansive youth are studied, they are often studied within the larger LGBTQI+ umbrella. Unfortunately, this makes them vulnerable to compulsory heterogenderism which often obscures their unique experiences transgressing racialized gender norms and with racialized gender oppression. This study makes methodological considerations called methodological reparations that begin to address the ways empirical research often negates, misunderstands, and obscures students’ identities as singular, stable over time and aligned with their sex assignment. It is important for researchers, data scientists and educators to challenge these hegemonic assumptions to ensure that Black gender expansive communities are visible and to ensure that education policies are data-driven, inclusive and effective. The United States Transgender Survey and the Gay and Lesbian Students Education Network have begun to conduct surveys that begin to address the complexity of gender within LGBTQI+ populations. Their surveys reveal horrific school climates that LGBTQI+ youth of color experience especially Black LGBTQI+ youth. The first study in this dissertation is a mixed methods study that focuses on Black gender expansive students’ experiences. The second study responds to the first study by providing an example of inclusive Black LGBTQI+ curriculum taught through a Black queer pedagogical approach. Since the presence of LGBTQI+ inclusive curriculum in schools has been linked to increased feelings of safety in schools in Black LGBTQI+ student populations, this study showcases James Baldwin’s final novel Just Above My Head, as a piece of blues literature that discusses racialized homophobia in a culturally relevant way. Baldwin’s work can be an important tool for Black LGBTQI+ students who do not have access to Black queer curriculum taught through a Black queer pedagogical approach.
ContributorsClement, Valencia (Author) / McGuire, Keon (Thesis advisor) / Bertrand, Melanie (Committee member) / Bailey, Marlon M (Committee member) / Kim, Jeongeun (Committee member) / Durand, E. Sybil (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022