<p>  </p> <p>Food safety researchers and extension workers are focused on educating the different actors of the supply chain, from farm to fork. To accomplish this, researchers identify areas of improvement and investigate the factors that cause or explain food safety behaviors. This thesis is divided into a systematic literature review with a meta-analysis and qualitative synthesis (Ch. 2), then two case studies that use predictive models to find top predictors of food safety behaviors (Ch.3 and 4). The systematic review (Ch.2) investigates online food safety educational programs and their effectiveness, barriers, and recommendations on different subpopulations of students, consumers, and food workers. The findings showed a limited effect on attitudes in the different subpopulations. Several areas for future research and recommendations for educators were identified. The first case study (Ch.3) developed predictive models of different food safety behaviors at ten time points throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings suggest an effect between changes in COVID-19 case numbers and how well attitudes related to COVID-19 can make predictions. Additionally, findings suggest the importance of attitudes when predicting food safety behaviors. Lastly, results identified that the belief that handwashing protects against foodborne illness was more important than the belief that handwashing protects against COVID-19 when predicting handwashing at most time points. These findings can identify insights into consumer behaviors during the pandemic and several possible areas for future research. The second case study (Ch. 4) developed predictive models of consumer flour handling practices and consumer awareness of flour-related recalls and how they are affected by the total number of flour-related recalls for a state where the consumer lives. Findings identified the importance of risk perceptions in predicting consumer flour handling practices. Results also showed that younger consumers were predicted to be more likely to be aware of flour recalls than consumers of older ages. Lastly, results show that the total number of flour-related recalls for a state where the consumer lives do not affect predictions. Findings identify potential challenges to recall communication and areas for future studies.</p>

<p>  </p> <p>The rise of technology as a data source for ecological research and biodiversity conservation has led to a host of new opportunities, and new challenges, for researchers, conservationists, policymakers, and land managers. As these technologies have become more common and more capable, researchers need improved methods and improved theoretical frameworks to integrate these technologies with each other; with social science and policy; and with land-use planning. This thesis proposes several of these conceptual and theoretical frameworks—one for integration of heterogeneous data and another for the integration of ecological data with economic decision-making and policy analysis. It then suggests new methodologies for data quality assurance. Lastly, it demonstrates the applicability of acoustic monitoring in a key land-use context: agriculture in a premium crop that is grown in global biodiversity hotspots. </p>

<p dir="ltr">ABSTRACT</p><p dir="ltr">Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) poses a significant challenge in the dairy and beef industry, contributing to high mortality, morbidity, and economic costs. Extensive research has aimed to enhance BRD diagnosis, focusing on various factors such as predisposition, environment, and epidemiology. While diverse methods have been developed for BRD detection, including clinical signs, behavioral changes, lung consolidation assessment via ultrasonography, and molecular techniques for microbiome analysis, accurate diagnosis remain inconsistent. Notably, many studies lack exploration of microbial interactions (fungi, viruses, and bacteria) within BRD-affected animals compared to healthy ones. Moreover, the impact of age, disease, and antibiotic treatment on the microbiome community remains understudied. Thus, additional analysis is crucial to understand the relationships between these factors and BRD development. This dissertation is divided into two parts, each addressing specific conditions. The first part focuses on characterizing the nasopharyngeal (NP) microbiome of dairy calves, pre-weaned and post-transported, and those diagnosed with BRD within the first two weeks of life. The objective is to identify NP microbiome changes as indicators of disease development, considering antibiotic treatment effects on NP alpha and beta diversity. The second part delves into characterizing the fungal and bacterial nasal cavity among BRD-affected and healthy cattle within the same pen. This section, presented in three chapters, explores the bovine nasal mycobiome in beef cattle, as well as the nasal microbiome in both dairy and beef cattle. The overarching goals of these studies are to evaluate differences in the nasal mycobiome or microbiome community between BRD-affected and healthy cattle, focusing on alpha, beta, and community compositions as potential disease indicators. Additionally, the aim is to determine if BRD-affected cattle exhibit higher abundance of BRD-pathobionts (fungi and bacteria) in the nasal cavity compared to healthy pen-mates. In conclusion, findings from this research emphasize the importance of incorporating both mycobiome and microbiome analyses in understanding BRD development. Future studies should consider geographical influences on nasal microbiome structure, highlighting the need for separate investigations in dairy and beef calves due to breed variations. Ultimately, studying mycobiome and microbiome ecology offers insights into microbial transitions from commensal to pathogenic farms in the bovine upper respiratory tract, supporting advancements in BRD prevention or mitigation strategies.</p>

<p dir="ltr">The striped cucumber beetle (<i>Acalymma vittatum</i>) is a leading pest across a variety of cucurbit crops in eastern North America. These beetles can rapidly infest and damage a field, leading to frequent insecticide applications to manage them. Chemical control is effective at reducing beetle populations, but it also causes detrimental non-target effects on pollinators, which are essential for cucurbit yield. Developing a holistic IPM (integrated pest management) approach is necessary to manage pests while avoiding non-target effects in cucurbit production systems. </p><p dir="ltr">A unique and well-characterized behavior of striped cucumber beetles is their olfactory attraction to both plant volatiles and their species-specific aggregation pheromone, vittatalactone. The interacting effects of combining these olfactory stimuli for cucumber beetle attraction have not previously been tested. I expected when presented with plant volatiles and pheromone together, the striped cucumber beetles will show synergistic attraction, resulting in enhanced attraction stronger than the sums of the separate effects. Along with targeting striped cucumber beetles, I expected to elicit cross-attraction of related cucurbit pests (e.g., spotted cucumber beetle) to these same signals based on previous findings indicating cross-attraction. The expected cross attraction may be due to the reliance on olfactory cues to inform the related insects on preferrable host plants and nutrition. </p><p dir="ltr">Cucurbit systems are also highly reliant on pollination services for high-quality fruit; thus, the feasibility of these semiochemical tools depends on their influence on pollinator behavior. I expect pollinators to be attracted to floral volatiles but not vittatalactone or individual plant volatiles without the full complement of floral scent (e.g., indole, leaf volatiles). Altogether, this research aims to develop a targeted management tool for striped cucumber beetles and other cucurbit pests, while avoiding pollinator distraction or other detrimental effects.</p><p dir="ltr">To measure the efficacy of using olfactory signals as attractants, clear sticky cards were deployed in the field with combinations of pheromone paired with volatiles (floral and/or leaf), as well as the individual components, to quantify pest responses. Simultaneously, a pan trap sampling method was implemented to measure pollinator responses to the same semiochemical combinations. The results of the study demonstrate that striped cucumber beetles are strongly attracted to volatile lures containing pheromones, floral volatiles, and combinations of the two, although the combined pheromone and floral volatile treatments did not synergize beetle attraction. </p><p dir="ltr">Though combined lures did not synergize attraction, this data demonstrates additive effects on beetle behavior. The findings also highlight the importance of understanding seasonal disparities between the behavior of early and late generations of striped cucumber beetles. Temporal variation in attraction demonstrated by the pests is crucial to understand when to implement lure-based management strategies. Two years of testing floral volatile and herbivory-induced plant volatile (HIPV) lure treatments on key cucurbit pollinators showed varying levels of attraction. There was no attraction of focal cucurbit bees to the striped cucumber beetle pheromone, but there were differences in the response of pollinators to plant volatile components. </p><p dir="ltr">Cucurbits require high pollination activity for successful fruit, though the most important bees in pollinating this system are bees belonging to the genera, <i>Apis</i> and <i>Eucera</i>. Along with these bee groups, other bees such as those belonging to <i>Melissodes</i>, <i>Lasioglossum</i>, and <i>Bombus</i> are also known important pollinators. <i>Lasioglossum</i> bees showed a strong attraction to the full-floral blend, TIC (1,2,4-trimethoxybenzene, indole, (E)-cinnamaldehyde), but no preference for indole or HIPVs. <i>Melissodes</i> bees were most attracted to methyl salicylate and TIC, whereas <i>Eucera</i> bees exhibited strong attraction to ocimene and TIC. These findings suggest that different pollinator taxa have unique preferences for plant volatiles, highlighting the importance of optimizing lure combinations to avoid disrupting pollination activities in cucurbit production.</p><p dir="ltr">Additionally, this study revealed that other key cucurbit pests, such as spotted cucumber beetles and western corn rootworms, also showed strong attraction to the tested volatile components. These findings suggest that the selected volatiles may have broader implications for pest management beyond striped cucumber beetles. Further research is needed to fully understand the efficacy and refine formulations of these volatile lures to implement in IPM.</p>

<p dir="ltr">Higher education is vital for fostering new knowledge and applying existing knowledge for societal and economic advancement. Despite the private and public benefits, college enrollment rates are declining in the United States. Colleges and universities also face a significant demographic cliff in the next decade. Identifying new students for higher education in the United States will be essential for the vitality of higher education institutions and for meeting societal educational needs. Youth-serving organizations often introduce youths to pre-collegiate experiences to advance interest in higher education through a positive youth development framework. Youth-serving organizations must demonstrate impact during a tumultuous time for adolescents. They may rely on short-term impacts to justify resource investment, but youth-serving organizations struggle to capture long-term outcomes due to methodological challenges. Secondary data sources like the National Student Clearinghouse can provide youth-serving organizations an opportunity to examine long-term programmatic outcomes such as college readiness. This study provides the most comprehensive examination of Indiana 4-H and its contribution to college readiness to date. Major findings include that Indiana 4-H high school graduates enroll in postsecondary institutions at a higher rate than the state population across all observed demographics. Recommendations highlight future research and practice needs at national, organizational, and individual levels.</p>

<p> Chapter 1 is the first revision of the New World species of the genus <em>Rhipidandrus</em> LeConte, 1862 (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae). All previously described species except <em>R. fungicola</em> Friedenreich, 1883 are redescribed, including a diagnosis and distribution information. <em>Rhipidandrus punctatus</em> <strong>n. sp.</strong> is described from Peru, Panama, and Chiapas, Mexico. New synonymies (junior synonyms first) include: <em>R. mexicanus</em> Sharp, 1905 = <em>R. paradoxus</em> (Palisot de Beauvois, 1818); <em>R. cornutus</em> (Arrow, 1904) = <em>R. panamaensis </em>(Barber, 1914) = <em>R. peruvianus</em> (Laporte, 1840); <em>R. peninsularis</em> Horn, 1894 = <em>R. micrographus</em> (Lacordiare, 1865). <em>Eledona peruviana </em>Laporte, 1840 is recognized as <em>nomen nudum</em> according to ICZN 1999: Article 12. A revised species checklist, a dichotomous key, an interactive key, and distribution maps are also presented.  </p> <p>Chapter 2 represents the first phylogenetic insight into the relationships within Bolitophagini in relation to Toxicini with more than three taxa sampled. For analyses, 34 taxa were sampled, with representatives from nine bolitophagine genera and seven toxicine genera with 3 outgroup taxa. Six gene regions from nuclear, ribosomal, and mitochondrial DNA were amplified using polymerase chain reactions and sequenced. Bayesian and maximum likelihood analyses were run on the 4049 bp concatenated dataset via the CIPRES Science Gateway. In both resulting trees, the monophyly of Bolitophagini is recovered with high support (BS = 100, PP = 100). The monophyly of Toxicini was recovered, but with poor support (BS = 60, PP = 70). The monophyletic clade containing both Bolitophagini and Toxicini was also recovered with high support (BS = 100, PP = 100).  </p> <p><br></p>

<p dir="ltr">In recent years, the agricultural industry has been working to improve the retention of their newly hired Black employees. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, millennial employees across the United States have been voluntarily leaving their jobs in favor of hybrid or remote work, better benefits, or an improved work environment. Today, the median tenure of millennials is only 2.8 years on the job, and research has shown that Black employees are 30% more likely to leave their positions. The agriculture, food, and natural resources (AFNR) sector is more heavily represented in rural America, where the Black population makes up just 7.8% and the White population comprises 78.2%. Therefore, the purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the workplace and community embeddedness experiences of young Black professionals early in their AFNR careers. Specifically, the lived experiences of young Black professionals in their positions for five years or less were investigated through interviews with participants to examine the contributors of their embeddedness. Job Embeddedness Theory informed the study and seven young Black AFNR professionals participated in virtual Zoom interviews lasting an average of 75 minutes. Initial, structural, and pattern coding techniques were used to analyze the data, and three major conclusions emerged. First, many young Black professionals have chosen a career in the AFNR sector because they desire to engage with meaningful work related to the agricultural industry. Second, my participants had to overcome many obstacles related to their age or race that impacted their abilities to become more embedded in their workplaces or communities. Finally, an extensive network of linkages to other Black professionals at work or in the community provides young Black professionals with more substantial support and visibility. Implications for theory and practice were provided, along with recommendations for future research.</p>

<p dir="ltr">At present, formal and non-formal agricultural spaces, including agricultural education, do not provide opportunities for individuals from historically and contemporarily marginalized communities to develop a strong sense of belonging. An increase in sense of belonging may increase retention for all individuals interacting with agricultural programs and more effectively disseminate tools and resources to a wider audience, which can help solve agricultural issues such as the hunger crisis. The Garden Sun Institute (GSI) is a non-formal agricultural education program that is changing this narrative, with many staff and students of marginalized populations expressing a deep sense of belonging not only with others at GSI but also feeling a sense of belonging in the field of agriculture. The purpose of this case study was to explore whether there is a sense of belonging at this location and to determine what factors may contribute to it. The questions guiding this study are: 1) How do youth describe a sense of belonging at GSI? 2) How does GSI engage with youth, family, and staff? and 3) How do those engaging with GSI describe a sense of belonging within agriculture broadly? Results from this study showed that utilizing elements of the Critical Pedagogy of Agriculture along with practices such as trauma-informed pedagogy, student-led and student-centered learning, and gentle parenting have led to this program developing a culture of belonging. Future research recommendations include determining accountability strategies and investigating the impacts of the incorporation of strategies into formal education programs.</p>

<p dir="ltr">Accurately assessing outcomes of students’ motivation when solving complex food system problems through integrating STEM learning can describe their learning experiences and help teachers make relevant connections. This study shows high school students self-reported that they were motivated by solving food system STEM projects.</p><p dir="ltr">The purpose of the study was to predict high school students’ self-efficacy (confirmed by Exploratory Factor Analysis, EFA) based on Situated Expectancy-Value Theory (SEVT) variables (confirmed by EFA). The convenience sample for this study was students from four high schools in Indiana (<i>N</i> = 160) who had participated in food system STEM projects at their schools. Quantitative data was collected using the Food System Motivation Questionnaire containing 41 items related to two self-efficacy variables and five SEVT variables. Quantitative data were analyzed using Principal Components Analysis, descriptive statistics, simple linear correlations, and multiple regression. Qualitative data were collected using a focus group interview protocol (Appendix D) and analyzed using thematic coding (deductive) followed by pattern coding. Quantitative and qualitative findings were analyzed using triangulation.</p><p dir="ltr">There were four conclusions to this study. First, the Food System Motivation Questionnaire accurately and reliably measured five variables aligned with SEVT motivation. Second, students were motivated regarding the project’s usefulness in their local contexts and reported higher cultural project self-efficacy after completing the project.<b> </b>Third, over 70% of high school students’ cultural project self-efficacy to complete a food system STEM project can be predicted based on their local context utility value, personal importance and usefulness, intrinsic value, and cost value. Local context utility value was the highest contributor of unique variance. Last, <a href="" target="_blank">after completing the food system STEM projects, urban high school students shared they made connections to their families, local and global community contexts, and future careers and applications. </a>Implications regarding how teachers can motivate high school students to solve food system STEM projects were discussed.</p>