Tenants of publicly subsidized housing (PSH) as well as the general population may choose from one of many existing diabetes education programs, such as the national Diabetes Prevention Program or choose from a smaller, more community-based program. The purpose of this study is to explore experiences of tenants of PSH who participated in a community-based Diabetes Empowerment Education Program (DEEP). This program aims to increase health literacy regarding public health concepts, such as the social determinants of health, gives participants the skills and resources for better diabetes management. From the literature review, a research gap was identified in two areas: studies evaluating participant’s experiences in diabetes education and studies using tenants of PSH for diabetes education. This study was designed using both qualitative and quantitative approaches to address the research gap. First, 5 participants were recruited and two surveys were conducted during the first and last sessions of the six-week DEEP class. The survey was created based upon the Diabetes Knowledge Questionnaire and the Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities Measure. From the surveys, a coding guide was created and data was coded according to the guide. In addition, the means and standard deviations of categories from within the survey were calculated. Second, to better understand lived experiences during the DEEP intervention, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 2 class participants and the class educator to gain a deeper understanding of their experiences in the class. Diabetes knowledge increased between the first and second surveys. The rate of correct replies to 26 questions on the Diabetes Knowledge Questionnaire increased from 52.8 % to 73.1% prior to and following the DEEP intervention. Overall, there was a 38.4% increase in diabetes knowledge before and after the DEEP classes. Regarding the findings from the individual interviews, social networks improved diabetics overall experience in the DEEP class and managing their diabetes. Additionally, barriers such as COVID-19, comorbidities, and cultural norms were discovered in participant’s experiences. Participants shared similar facilitators to diabetes management, such as time with diabetes increasing success at diabetes management. COVID-19 significantly limited enrollment in the DEEP classes, leading to a very small sample size which is a major limitation of this study. A critical implication of this study is highlighting the necessity of free community health education programs, such as this one, especially in publicly subsidized housing communities, to promote health equity for all.

As the future for our planet it is our job to understand what is happening in our world especially in an age of technology. We have the world at our fingertips yet many of us do not know what is happening around the world. Anthropogenic and natural threats are wreaking havoc on the sea turtle population from coral bleaching to bycatch(Shaver et al., 2020). We have come together as a population to reduce the amount of plastic straws in the oceans, but many have stopped there. Not realizing that sea turtles are keystone species that keep the oceans and the wildlife within it healthy (Why do sea turtles matter? 2020). All are listed under the Endangered Species Act but some of those most threatened species are the Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles, which are critically endangered and Leatherbacks which are endangered (Bandimere, 2020). Sea Life Survival is a board game that creates an interactive learning experience based on many different childhood favorite games. Learning takes on many forms and fun is definitely the best way to learn (de Freitas, 2018). This game provides a way to gain information while also experiencing an engaging and entertaining adventure. Understanding why people play games helped create a game that met the components of intention and enjoyment in order to produce a game that people would want to play (Hamari & Keronen, 2017). The purpose of the game is to spread information on sea turtles in a way that presents them in a light hearted way while still touching on the tragic life that some sea turtles succumb to. Future improvements to the game would include party packs which would showcase the new knowledge that has been discovered.

Recovery from exercise has become an evolving aspect of all sports performance. Increased research has led numerous individuals to understand and utilize the modalities that have become available. Methods such as Cold Water Immersion (CWI), Contrast Water Therapy (CWT), and Hot Water Immersion (HWI) are some of the modalities growing in popularity as well as utilization by athletes across all sports. This paper aims to examine and analyze evidence across several research journals that evaluate the effectiveness and also application of these recovery methods. Cold and heat exposures on the body can have a drastic positive impact on athletic performance. However, without the correct knowledge and guidance, these methods can augment, mitigate, and even diminish the effects of adaptation and exercise. This thesis aims to examine research journals and extract specific practices based on empirical evidence. This is to form proper deliverables and protocols for athletes to use for ideal adaptations and recovery for performance.

The current automotive industry is at a watershed moment: consumer preferences are shifting in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, innovative powertrain technologies have become increasingly viable in new vehicles, and increasingly strict government regulations are forcing many brands to reevaluate their current portfolio and shift their brands focus into this new market of electric vehicles. Within the last 10 years, new start-up brands have taken a strong stance in consumers minds as the go-to for a certain class of vehicle when shopping for an EV, as opposed to what they might similarly shop for in a traditional internal combustion engine (I.C.E). Amongst all of these changing factors, BMW has fallen quite short in updating its brand in preparation for the future. BMW has traditionally stood for executive, sporty, German sedans since the brand introduced the “BMW New Class” of automobiles in 1962. For the last 3 generations of cars, about 10 years, BMW has attempted to shift its brand to a techy, luxury, executive, sedan. Unfortunately, as they enter the electric space, Tesla has a stranglehold on this market segment- and frankly produces the better car for those consumers. While they were one of the first companies to identify the need for electric vehicles, in the i3, their implementation of these ideas was so far away from this core identity of BMW that it has actually hurt their branding moving into this electric future. The goal of this thesis is to investigate these factors, the shift towards electric vehicles, and how BMW fits into this new environment. With this information, a business plan will be created that should point BMW into a direction that continues its heritage as a brand, while appealing to modern consumers and lawmakers.