Matching Items (23)
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This project examines the secretive world of the Venture Capital Industry specifically focusing on the ideology of gender inequality. Through research it has been found that females within the industry at the partnership level have actually decreased. By completing a literature review, we found that there were several biases and

This project examines the secretive world of the Venture Capital Industry specifically focusing on the ideology of gender inequality. Through research it has been found that females within the industry at the partnership level have actually decreased. By completing a literature review, we found that there were several biases and stereotypes that are prevalent within the industry and could be contributing factors for the decreasing participation. Following our literature review, we focused on a sample of 100 from the LPJ Index, and gathered data on all individuals listed, those at the partnership level and all other individuals within the industry. Through analyzing our data we found that female participation at the partner level is low and more importantly that 68% of firms do not even have a female partner in their ranks. We found that male and female partners have relatively the same education and the same areas of interest, which should suggest that they are on the same playing field, which is clearly not represented in the partnership composition, where males are dominating the industry. These findings lend credence to some of the deep rooted stereotypes that are facing females in the Venture Capital Industry and could explain why there are not many opportunities for them. Through future research and participation from firms to actively help increase the opportunities for women, the gender inequality that is facing the Venture Capital Industry can begin to narrow.
ContributorsBaker, Audree (Co-author) / McCormick, Bobby (Co-author) / Lee, Peggy (Thesis director) / Peterson, Suzanne (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / College of Letters and Sciences (Contributor) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Department of Management (Contributor) / School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (Contributor)
Created2015-05
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Is it possible to treat the mouth as a natural environment, and determine new methods to keep the microbiome in check? The need for biodiversity in health may suggest that every species carries out a specific function that is required to maintain equilibrium and homeostasis within the oral cavity. Furthermore,

Is it possible to treat the mouth as a natural environment, and determine new methods to keep the microbiome in check? The need for biodiversity in health may suggest that every species carries out a specific function that is required to maintain equilibrium and homeostasis within the oral cavity. Furthermore, the relationship between the microbiome and its host is mutually beneficial because the host is providing microbes with an environment in which they can flourish and, in turn, keep their host healthy. Reviewing examples of larger scale environmental shifts could provide a window by which scientists can make hypotheses. Certain medications and healthcare treatments have been proven to cause xerostomia. This disorder is characterized by a dry mouth, and known to be associated with a change in the composition, and reduction, of saliva. Two case studies performed by Bardow et al, and Leal et al, tested and studied the relationships of certain medications and confirmed their side effects on the salivary glands [2,3]. Their results confirmed a relationship between specific medicines, and the correlating complaints of xerostomia. In addition, Vissink et al conducted case studies that helped to further identify how radiotherapy causes hyposalivation of the salivary glands [4]. Specifically patients that have been diagnosed with oral cancer, and are treated by radiotherapy, have been diagnosed with xerostomia. As stated prior, studies have shown that patients having an ecologically balanced and diverse microbiome tend to have healthier mouths. The oral cavity is like any biome, consisting of commensalism within itself and mutualism with its host. Due to the decreased salivary output, caused by xerostomia, increased parasitic bacteria build up within the oral cavity thus causing dental disease. Every human body contains a personalized microbiome that is essential to maintaining health but capable of eliciting disease. The Human Oral Microbiomics Database (HOMD) is a set of reference 16S rRNA gene sequences. These are then used to define individual human oral taxa. By conducting metagenomic experiments at the molecular and cellular level, scientists can identify and label micro species that inhabit the mouth during parasitic outbreaks or a shifting of the microbiome. Because the HOMD is incomplete, so is our ability to cure, or prevent, oral disease. The purpose of the thesis is to research what is known about xerostomia and its effects on the complex microbiome of the oral cavity. It is important that researchers determine whether this particular perspective is worth considering. In addition, the goal is to create novel experiments for treatment and prevention of dental diseases.
ContributorsHalcomb, Michael Jordan (Author) / Chen, Qiang (Thesis director) / Steele, Kelly (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / College of Letters and Sciences (Contributor)
Created2015-05
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This study addresses the question: is it possible for consumers to make informed decisions regarding their privacy, while using smartphones, in the face of the complex web of actors, incentives, and conveniences afforded by the technology? To address this question, the Social Construction of Technology (SCOT) model is used to

This study addresses the question: is it possible for consumers to make informed decisions regarding their privacy, while using smartphones, in the face of the complex web of actors, incentives, and conveniences afforded by the technology? To address this question, the Social Construction of Technology (SCOT) model is used to analyze common situations consumers find themselves engaged in. Using the SCOT model, relevant actors are identified; their interpretations of various technologies are expressed; relative power is discussed; and possible directions for closure are examined. This analysis takes place by looking at three specific themes within privacy disputes in general: anonymity, confidentiality, and surveillance. These themes are compared and contrasted in regards to their impact on perception of privacy and implications for closure. Arguments are supported through evidence drawn from scholarship on the topic as well as industry and news media. Conclusions are supported through the framework of anticipatory governance.
ContributorsKula, Shane (Author) / Hackett, Ed (Thesis director) / Sarewitz, Daniel (Committee member) / Wetmore, Jamey (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / College of Letters and Sciences (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor)
Created2015-05
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Looking into the school community cohesion and how refugee youth integrate into schools is important when addressing refugee resettlement issues at large. It is important that school community identity (SCI) formation for refugee high school youth is understood in order to develop school programs that can better assist integration process

Looking into the school community cohesion and how refugee youth integrate into schools is important when addressing refugee resettlement issues at large. It is important that school community identity (SCI) formation for refugee high school youth is understood in order to develop school programs that can better assist integration process of refugee families. Looking at high school refugee youth from Arizona a model was created that better displays the specifics this study found when dealing with this population. Unlike non-refugee high school youth, refugee youth do not develop school community cohesion through voice, resonance, or empowerment like other studies have shown. This study shows that they must first develop a SCI before they can have a strong school community presence. School community identity is an important first step that facilitates sense of school community. Two focus groups were down at the Somali American United Council, and from these two groups four common themes surfaced: faculty support, emotional security, cultural understanding, and partnership/collaboration. Using these themes a refugee school identity model was created to represent the data collected. The participants in the focus group often told stories and used phrases that indicated a lack of identity in their school, and no claims to a need of a voice within their school community was mentioned. This indicates that refugee students need an identity within their school community before they will express a need for voice or influence.
ContributorsReiswig, Clinton Gene (Author) / Klimek, Barbara (Thesis director) / Zayas, Luis (Committee member) / Sambe, Pape (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / College of Letters and Sciences (Contributor) / School of Public Affairs (Contributor) / School of Social Work (Contributor)
Created2015-05
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My thesis project, "Reforming the NCAA: How the governing body of intercollegiate athletics should handle student-athletes into the future," sets out to create a working blueprint for how the NCAA should handle the relationship between student-athletes, universities, and the NCAA from this point forward. The NCAA has come under fire

My thesis project, "Reforming the NCAA: How the governing body of intercollegiate athletics should handle student-athletes into the future," sets out to create a working blueprint for how the NCAA should handle the relationship between student-athletes, universities, and the NCAA from this point forward. The NCAA has come under fire in the past 10 years for its failure to meet modern social constructs and provide student-athletes with the resources necessary to achieving a successful educational and athletic experience, and through my thesis, I formulated reforms the NCAA can adopt and enact to respond to the growing issues within intercollegiate athletics. I began the process last spring with my thesis director as we selected a topic together, and I researched a variety of topics relating to current NCAA issues throughout the summer and fall. In the fall, I outlined sources I hoped to interview, and I conducted interviews over winter break. I spent the first two months of 2015 writing and refining my thesis, and through March, I created a PowerPoint presentation I used to defend my thesis project. During the process, I met with my thesis director at critical junctures to discuss the direction of the project and to determine how to find a delicate balance between creating attainable goals for reform and overstepping my boundaries. After a successful thesis defense, I made small revisions to the thesis and had my project re-approved by my director and second reader. In the coming weeks after submitting my thesis, I plan on exploring the possibility of having my thesis published and received critiques from those in the industry who follow collegiate athletics closely.
ContributorsCrowley, Kerry O Shea (Author) / McGuire, Tim (Thesis director) / Kurland, Brett (Committee member) / College of Letters and Sciences (Contributor) / Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2015-05
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With divorce rates rising (Kennedy & Ruggles, 2014), it is important to consider the impact of parental marital status on children and adolescents. In this study, we looked at whether children's relationships with their parents differ based on their parents being married or divorced/separated. We hypothesized that a child's perceived

With divorce rates rising (Kennedy & Ruggles, 2014), it is important to consider the impact of parental marital status on children and adolescents. In this study, we looked at whether children's relationships with their parents differ based on their parents being married or divorced/separated. We hypothesized that a child's perceived relationship with their parents would be significantly influenced by parental marital status, such that those whose parents are divorced will demonstrate a negative relationship with the perception of their parents. Using data collected from the longitudinal New England Study of Suburban Youth (NESSY), we ran correlational analyses as well as an analysis of variance (ANOVA) to determine whether different aspects of attachment (Alienation, Communication, and Trust), measured with the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment \u2014 Revised for Children (IPPA-R) were significantly linked to parental marital status (Luthar & Barkin, 2012). Using our sample size of 489 students in the twelfth grade, we divided the groups into children with married parents (414) and children with divorced or separated parents (75). An ANOVA produced a significant difference between children's perceived relationship with their father and parental marital status; the adolescents' perception of the father's Alienation, Communication, and Trust were negatively associated with divorce. However, the child's perceived relationship with their mother was similar across both groups. These results suggest further research is needed to determine the effects of a child's perception of their relationship with their father during development, in particular in situations when parents have divorced before high school graduation.
ContributorsSmith, Paulina A. (Co-author) / Smith, Travis W. (Co-author) / Luthar, Suniya S. (Thesis director) / Ciciolla, Lucia (Committee member) / Curlee, Alexandria (Committee member) / School of Social Transformation (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / College of Letters and Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
Description
This study identifies the factors impacting the growing HIV/AIDS epidemic among men who have sex with men (MSM) in the Philippines. Ten studies and three external reviews concerning HIV, MSM, and the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the Philippines and Southeast Asia from 2009 to 2015 were analyzed to find common patterns

This study identifies the factors impacting the growing HIV/AIDS epidemic among men who have sex with men (MSM) in the Philippines. Ten studies and three external reviews concerning HIV, MSM, and the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the Philippines and Southeast Asia from 2009 to 2015 were analyzed to find common patterns in the literature and identify the factors that impact the HIV prevalence among MSM in the Philippines. Secondary analysis of the literature identified the following as influencing factors: HIV prevalence patterns, the accessibility of HIV-related health education, the engagement of MSM in health-seeking behaviors related to HIV, perceptions of HIV risk among MSM, and the influence of culture and religion in the Philippines. These factors lead to an increase in the overall HIV prevalence among MSM in the Philippines by increasing the potential of HIV transmission among the community as a whole and increasing the vulnerability of individual MSM to HIV infection. These factors were also found to be interconnected, each having an impact on the other. The lack of sexual health education coupled with the barriers to HIV-related health care are especially prominent interconnected issues concerning the prevention of HIV transmission. There needs to be further research in investigating which specific barriers that prevent the engagement and retention of HIV positive men in the Philippines in HIV care and related services after diagnosis in order to reduce the overall population viral load of HIV-positive MSM. Examining the issues concerning engagement in health care among HIV positive MSM could aid in overcoming the barriers to health care faced by MSM as well as addressing the increasing HIV prevalence among MSM in the Philippines.
ContributorsSydiongco, Sarah Manuela (Author) / Bates, Denise (Thesis director) / Salamone, Damien (Committee member) / College of Letters and Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
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In a cross memoir and essay format, I examine what connection barriers veterans face when communicating with civilians. I interviewed veterans after adapting an interview schedule and model release form. Additionally, I researched creative nonfiction, guided autobiography, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. I chose to focus mainly on soldiers returning from

In a cross memoir and essay format, I examine what connection barriers veterans face when communicating with civilians. I interviewed veterans after adapting an interview schedule and model release form. Additionally, I researched creative nonfiction, guided autobiography, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. I chose to focus mainly on soldiers returning from recent conflicts. Once I collected my interviews, I synthesized the stories I heard with personal memoir. The thesis focuses on three parts: coming home, communication barriers, and connection. Weaving in both my personal reflection and the voices of the soldiers I interviewed, I evaluate possible ways veterans and civilians fail to connect. I address the discrepancy between the apparent warm reception of soldiers and the feelings of disconnection soldiers express by noting the ways in which both the solider and the civilian struggle to communicate. Looking at reintegration struggles, I briefly note the transition difficulty post deployment soldiers face. From the responses I received, I reflect on how empty gestures, perceived ignorance, and an outsider effect contribute to communication barriers between soldiers and veterans. While I address how ignorance can be broken down into misunderstanding military jargon, detaching from war, hearing euphemisms, and having expectations, I also consider the ways in which situation and vagueness surrounding the war contribute to communication barriers surrounding perceived ignorance. From my reflection of communication barriers, I offer tools for soldiers and veterans making connections. I recommend that both soldiers and civilians stay informed about the military engagements as best they can, deconstruct expectations and generalizations, use empathy and active listening, and start being direct. Knowing the nuanced complexity of war and communication, I weave in my own reflections in contribution to the larger conversation.
ContributorsFletcher, Jessica Marie (Author) / Wells, Cornelia (Thesis director) / deLusé, Stephanie (Committee member) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / Department of English (Contributor) / College of Letters and Sciences (Contributor) / Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
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Iron City Magazine is an online and print journal devoted entirely to writing and art from the prison world. It is our hope that through this creative platform, incarcerated artists and writers find value in their stories, fuel for personal growth, and pride in their accomplishments. Inmates are, first and

Iron City Magazine is an online and print journal devoted entirely to writing and art from the prison world. It is our hope that through this creative platform, incarcerated artists and writers find value in their stories, fuel for personal growth, and pride in their accomplishments. Inmates are, first and foremost, people. They own stories worthy of telling and sharing. Iron City Magazine aims to highlight these stories in a way more permanent than a private journal. In addition, we serve to remind the general public that inmates can make meaningful contributions to their communities. So often, this potential is forgotten or overshadowed by their crimes. By validating inmates' humanity through writing and art, we encourage a culture of understanding and transformation.
ContributorsVolin, Natalie Esther (Author) / Wells, Cornelia (Thesis director) / Berry, Shavawn (Committee member) / College of Letters and Sciences (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
Description
Attending college brings on new experiences and challenges. In order to survive college, a student must figure out what resources are available to them and what will help them succeed. The purpose of this study is to learn about what students struggle with the most. Students were also asked about

Attending college brings on new experiences and challenges. In order to survive college, a student must figure out what resources are available to them and what will help them succeed. The purpose of this study is to learn about what students struggle with the most. Students were also asked about what advice they have for future students and what they would change about their own experience. Participants of the study consisted of ASU students 18 or older. Information was collected through interviews, an online survey, and a paper survey. Many students feel that high school has not prepared them for college. Some students continue to struggle with time management. With students coming from many different backgrounds, it is up to the college to provide resources to help students to succeed. However, it is up to the student to make the effort to find, ask, and use these resources. The student ultimately decides to use the resources and tools provided to them in order to survive college.
ContributorsMartinez, Precious (Co-author) / Serrano, Hazel (Co-author) / Van Fleet, David (Thesis director) / Hutt, Roger (Committee member) / School of Art (Contributor) / Morrison School of Agribusiness (Contributor) / College of Letters and Sciences (Contributor) / Human Systems Engineering (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05