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In the everyday environment, we receive information from various sensory inputs, and yet, we perceive and integrate the incoming information in a way that is meaningful. Remarkably, infants and toddlers are capable of sensory integration early in life. By integrating information, particularly speech, infants ultimately learn to reproduce language by late toddlerhood. These language skills form a foundation for learning and achievement later in life, and there is documented evidence that language skills vary by experiences related to socioeconomic status (SES). Language disparities can be measured early in development, and continue to divide throughout childhood. Although there is clear evidence that language learning trajectories are influenced by SES, less is known about multisensory integration (MSI) as they are measured here and how these skills may differ as a function of SES. Here, MSI was investigated to gain insight into the potential changes that occur in MSI and expressive vocabulary for 68 toddlers between 18 months and 24-months. Finally, this relationship was investigated in the context of SES. At 18-months, toddlers demonstrated significant matching for nonsocial conditions, and at 24-months toddlers also matched for low competition social trials, thus demonstrating an improvement in matching from 18 to 24-months. There were no significant relationships between MSI and expressive vocabulary, and only one unexpected relationship between MSI and SES. These findings extend the research from Bahrick and colleagues (2018) by supplementing the previously studied 12-month-olds and 2-5-year-olds with an earlier age (e.g., 18-months), and open new doors for studying toddlers’ emerging social MSI. / M.S. / In the everyday environment, we experience various sights and sounds from multiple sources, and yet, we perceive the incoming information in a way that is meaningful. Infants and toddlers are also capable of combining multiple sources of information together in a way that is beneficial for language learning. Merging sensory information (e.g., correctly matching their mother’s voice to their mother) creates a foundation for language learning. There is evidence that suggests language abilities differ as a result of socioeconomic status (SES), and can be found early in development and continue to progress into childhood. Although research indicates differences in language arise as a result of SES, it is unclear whether the ability to merge multiple sources of information (also known as multisensory integration), particularly while experiencing competing information (e.g., noise, multiple speakers) also differs as a result of SES. Here, the ability to integrate multiple sources of information and vocabulary in young toddlers ages 18-months and 24-months was studied to understand whether these skills progress with age and also whether they differ as a result of SES. 18-month-olds demonstrated better integration of sensory information when blocks were falling (e.g., nonsocial event) than when women were shown on the screen speaking in child-directed speech (e.g., social event). At 24- months, toddlers also correctly matched the information of the social event when there was no competing information on the screen, thus improving social integration from 18-months. There were no significant relationships between MSI and vocabulary, and only one relationship between MSI and SES. More research will need to be conducted to understand the improvement of social integration from 18 to 24-months, and more questions will need to be addressed on how SES may play a role in integrating information.

This study examined whether measures of social capital were significant predictors of enrollment in postsecondary education for students from a low SES background. Results take the form of two articles. The first article addresses enrollment in four-year institutions of postsecondary education, and the second article addresses enrollment in two-year institutions of postsecondary education. The research questions for this study were: 1. Does probability of enrollment in a four-year postsecondary institution or a two-year postsecondary institution for low SES students differ by mean school SES? 2. Does probability of enrollment in a four-year postsecondary institution or a two-year postsecondary institution for low SES students differ by school locale? 3. When controlling for contextual or environmental variables and student background characteristics, are low SES students with higher levels of social capital more likely to enroll in a four-year postsecondary institution or a two-year postsecondary institution than low SES students with lower levels of social capital? 4. When controlling for contextual or environmental variables, background characteristics, and level of social capital does probability of enrollment in a four-year institution of postsecondary education or a two-year postsecondary institution vary by race for low SES students? When controlling for school level variables, academic achievement and preparation, and select background characteristics, low SES students with higher levels of social capital are more likely to enroll in a four-year college. Students whose parents expected them to obtain more education and those students who obtained more information about attending college were more likely to enroll in a four-year university. In the analysis of enrollment in four-year institutions of postsecondary education, African American low SES students were three times more likely to enroll in a four-year college or university than low SES Caucasian students. Only one measure of social capital, information acquisition, was significantly related to enrollment in a two-year institution of postsecondary education. No significant variability in probability of enrollment in a two-year institution of postsecondary education was observed by either of the school level variables used. Race was not a significant factor when controlling for background characteristics and the measures of social capital used in this study. / Ph. D.

Elderly Black and Hispanic adults have poorer overall health, higher disability rates, and lower life expectancies than elderly Whites and other racial and ethnic minority group members. There are also sex differences in health, with women more likely to suffer from non-life threatening chronic conditions and men more likely to suffer from acute conditions. Health pathways, or the processes to good or poor health, are shaped by race, SES, and sex. This study focuses on the race and SES literature, framing race and SES inequalities within a cumulative advantage lens. Using Hierarchical Linear Modeling techniques to examine data from the Health and Retirement Survey, this study finds that there are racial differences in health through health problems, health insurance, and health care treatment, and that Black, Hispanic, and other racial and ethnic minority group members have worse self-reported health than Whites in old age. This study also finds evidence of cumulative advantage through friends in the neighborhood, and finds evidence of cumulative disadvantage through health problems and hospital and nursing home treatment. There are also cumulative disadvantages for women, who have more functional limitations in old age than their male counterparts, and these disadvantages grow over time. This study adds support to the race literature, by furthering understandings of race and SES as interconnected but not interchangeable systems of inequality. In lieu of the findings, this study provides implications for future research and ways to reduce racial health disparities in old age. / Ph. D.

It is imperative to identify the structural characteristics that influence academic performance so that we are aware of the impact that policy change has on the educational outcomes of our youth. This study used district-level regression analysis to identify the influence of socioeconomic status, per-pupil funding, and student-to-teacher ratio on the academic performance of students in Virginia's public schools. The data set was created by linking data from the U.S. Census and the Virginia Superintendent's Report. Four assumptions were tested: as median income increases (socioeconomic status), academic performance improves; as per-pupil funding increases, academic performance improves; increases in student-to-teacher ratios lead to poorer academic performance; and when socioeconomic status is controlled, the influence of race upon academic performance is greatly diminished. Previous literature suggests: that a positive correlation exists between socioeconomic status and academic performance; that a negative correlation exists between student-to-teacher ratio and academic performance; that results are mixed regarding the correlation between per-pupil funding and academic performance; and that residual racial effects persist despite the control of socioeconomic status. The regression analysis yielded significant results concerning the socioeconomic status and race variables, results that are presented and discussed in this paper. / Master of Science

Overset, or Chimera, meshes are used to discretize the governing equations within a computational domain using multiple meshes that overlap in an arbitrary manner. The overset meshing technique is most applicable to problems dealing with multiple or moving bodies. Deep water simulations were carried out using both single and overset grid techniques for the evaluation of the overset grid application. These simulations were carried out using the commercial CFD code STAR-CCM+ by CD-adapco. The geometry simulated is that of a SES model (T-Craft) tested at the Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division. The craft is simulated with two degrees of freedom, allowing movement in heave and pitch in response to displacement of the free surface. Agreement between the single and overset grid techniques was deemed reasonable to extend to future shallow water cases. However, due to longer run times of the overset mesh, the traditional or single mesh technique should be employed whenever applicable. In order to extend existing full craft CFD simulations of a surface effect ship (SES) into shallow water and maneuvering cases, an overset mesh is needed. Simulations of the SES were performed and monitored at various depth Froude numbers resulting in subcritical, critical, and supercritical flow regimes. Resistance, pitch response, and free surface response of the SES were compared between the shallow water simulations. The SES produced wider wakes, perpendicular to the craft, at simulations closer to the critical flow regime. Critical flow occurs at a depth Froude number between 0.9 and 0.95. Progression of shallow water effects through the three flow regimes agrees well with shallow water theory. / Master of Science

Physical activity (PA) is beneficial to people of all ages and ethnicities. Regular physical activity can reduce the risk of multiple chronic diseases, improve mood and sleep and allows your body to function better overall (CDC, 2018). However, populations that are more vulnerable to adverse health risks may benefit more than others from regular physical activity. This study was designed to identify the motivating factors for physical activity in a sample of older, African-American women of lower socioeconomic status (SES). This particular subgroup was chosen because of their increased risk of obesity and cardiovascular disease due to unhealthy lifestyle factors, specifically low levels of PA. (CDC, 2017). A secondary aim of this study was to determine the essential components necessary to create a successful PA program within this population. By determining the feasibility and acceptability of a PA program to target this specific population, further PA programs can be designed to promote adoption and sustainability of PA in this high-risk population. This study consisted of 8 African-American women of lower SES at an average age of 65 and average BMI of 32 kg/m^2 . The participants volunteered to participate in an 8-week exercise program for this study. The exercise class lasted 45 minutes and consisted of light aerobics, weight training, and mobility/flexibility exercises. After the 8 weeks, the participants were given questionnaires, surveys and participated in a focus group to collect data about their experiences. The Hebni staff and exercise instructors observed that there was 100% attendance and compliance throughout the 8 weeks. They also noted that the participants had positive attitudes and stayed actively engaged throughout the classes. After reviewing the data, it was noted that the necessary components to a successful exercise program for this population was a sense of community, cultural considerations, a community and familiar setting, and a reliable and open-minded instructor. The data showed that 100% of the participants continued participating in PA outside of the program and felt less stressed after exercising. This study is unique and important in that it looks at physical activity and its motivating factors in this population versus the ample research that focuses on why this population is sedentary but offers no solution to the problem.