Ambiguity is inherent to human language. In particular, word sense ambiguity is prevalent in all natural languages, with a large number of the words in any given language carrying more than one meaning. Word sense disambiguation is the task of automatically assigning the most appropriate meaning to a polysemous word within a given context. Generally the problem of resolving ambiguity in literature has revolved around the famous quote “you shall know the meaning of the word by the company it keeps.” In this thesis, we investigate the role of context for resolving ambiguity through three different approaches. Instead of using a predefined monolingual sense inventory such as WordNet, we use a language-independent framework where the word senses and sense-tagged data are derived automatically from Wikipedia. Using Wikipedia as a source of sense-annotations provides the much needed solution for knowledge acquisition bottleneck. In order to evaluate the viability of Wikipedia based sense-annotations, we cast the task of disambiguating polysemous nouns as a monolingual classification task and experimented on lexical samples from four different languages (viz. English, German, Italian and Spanish). The experiments confirm that the Wikipedia based sense annotations are reliable and can be used to construct accurate monolingual sense classifiers. It is a long belief that exploiting multiple languages helps in building accurate word sense disambiguation systems. Subsequently, we developed two approaches that recast the task of disambiguating polysemous nouns as a multilingual classification task. The first approach for multilingual word sense disambiguation attempts to effectively use a machine translation system to leverage two relevant multilingual aspects of the semantics of text. First, the various senses of a target word may be translated into different words, which constitute unique, yet highly salient signal that effectively expand the target word’s feature space. Second, the translated context words themselves embed co-occurrence information that a translation engine gathers from very large parallel corpora. The second approach for multlingual word sense disambiguation attempts to reduce the reliance on the machine translation system during training by using the multilingual knowledge available in Wikipedia through its interlingual links. Finally, the experiments on a lexical sample from four different languages confirm that the multilingual systems perform better than the monolingual system and significantly improve the disambiguation accuracy.

The purpose of this thesis is to add a sense of community to a primary level classroom and allow students an opportunity to share their progress with peers. Having a sense of community in the classroom will help the teacher and the students build relationships and reduce the amount of stress and anxiety that students feel, which could impact student learning. This thesis explores programs that have been created to help students build social and life skills that contribute in a community. This thesis also focuses on how the students can make thesis changes within themselves rather than as a community. [ST1] This thesis will teach students how to analyze themselves and then utilize that information to be a part of a community and build relationships with others. To complete this thesis, various programs and books have been reviewed and evaluated. Since there is a lack of focus on building a sense of community in the research, five sessions have been created to focus on building positive relationships and building a sense of community within a school setting. [ST1] Rephrase

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to help a second grade student, who struggled with mathematics but excelled in reading, to develop a conceptual understanding of number sense, using a teacher researcher-created intervention. The five-step, one-on-one intervention included the following: (1) use trade books to build mathematical knowledge and vocabulary (2) teacher modeling of concepts, (3) guided practice with manipulatives, (4) review using games and a ?Fact Pack?, and (5) journal writing to explain concepts. The Early Mathematics Assessment-3 (TEMA-3) was used as a pre- and post-test assessment the student?s mathematical knowledge. Other data included transcriptions of audio taped intervention sessions, notes from video-taped intervention sessions, fieldnotes, and artifacts from the classroom and intervention sessions. Data sources were triangulated. On the TEMA-3 Pretest, the student scored at the first grade, fourth month (1.4) level. After 13 Lessons covered in 22 sessions (approximately 11 hours of one-on-one instruction), the student scored at the second grade, second month (2.2) level. She also scored Proficient on the state curriculum test in mathematics. Four aspects of the intervention seem to help the student most in her development of number sense. They included the use of (1) a number line; (2) a number structure, which visually depicted the value of numbers; (3) trade books to provide an anchor for each skill and a memorable context; and (4) journaling. In addition, the data revealed that once the student understood the concept of ten?s and one?s, her ability to count and add extended to include numbers 1 to 100. Recommendations for students who excel in reading and writing, but struggle with mathematics, include the following: the use of trade books and writing may help them better understand mathematics concepts; review of mathematical concepts through enjoyable, meaningful games and the use of a Fact Pack are useful; the use a horizontal number line and number structure, which is consistent with left-to-right directionality of reading and writing, may help students better understand the concepts of more, less, before, and after; and consistent use of vocabulary during instruction may help students better understand number concepts.

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New Urbanism is an all-encompassing term that refers to an increasingly popular set of design tenets that draw upon traditional urban forms in the creation or redevelopment of residential communities. Although design professionals are increasingly adopting these design tenets in the creation of new communities, there is no research that either supports or rejects New Urbanism's underlying assumption that neotraditional design tenets are capable of fostering a “sense of place.” Therefore, this research explores how a ”sense of place” arises for residents of a neotraditional neighborhood located in Blacksburg, Virginia. This research then investigates the influence physical form has on the development of a sense of place for the individuals living within this community. In an attempt to answer these questions, this research project employs an existential-phenomenological approach to understand the specified people-place relationships. The transformation of space into place for the participants living within the study area was consistent with two distinct, existing theories regarding the development of a sense of place. Analysis indicates that social interaction in the form of un-structured chance encounters with neighbors heavily influences the transformation of mere space into place. Further analysis indicates that such encounters are not directly related to density. Rather, the proximity of the housing, the connection between the public and private realm, and the relationship of the housing to the un-built environment all emerge as key factors in encouraging such residential experiences. The results are discussed in the context of TND design tenets and a theory of neighborhood design is presented. / Ph. D.

Persistently high attrition rates from STEM majors present a stubborn challenge for researchers, administrators, and faculty alike. To approach this problem, my dissertation examined the socialization processes by which students develop a sense of belonging to both their institution and their discipline. Previously identified as an important factor in students' persistence and overall satisfaction with their undergraduate experience, belonging is a critical piece of the retention puzzle. However, not every student experiences or develops belonging in the same way. This dissertation applied the theoretical lens of socialization to deepen the understanding of how social interactions help or hinder students' belonging to their university and chosen major alike. My dissertation work was grounded in the synthesis of two theoretical frameworks: Conrad et al.'s (2006) model of socialization and Strayhorn's (2018e) conceptualization of sense of belonging. The study took the form of an embedded case study of two similar disciplinary contexts within a large public land-grant Research 1 institution, with four students from each context for a total of eight participants. By leveraging four years of interview data from each participant, supported by institutional documentation, I addressed the question: In what ways does a student's socialization experience influence, if at all, their sense of belonging to both their chosen discipline and their university? Data analysis included qualitative coding, trajectory mapping, and thematic analysis. Trajectories were produced for each participant before expanding the analysis to examine patterns across and between the contexts. My findings addressed the mechanisms of socialization at the undergraduate level and how they evolved over time. The primary outcome of my work was a set of three distinct socialization trajectories, named the Anchored, who built strong socializing relationships early and maintained them throughout their undergraduate years; Independents, who neither sought nor wanted such relationships; and Wanderers, whose socializing relationships tended to be short-lived and inconsistent, although desired. Fourteen unique groups of socializing agents were identified, along with five common drivers for intentionally engaging with specific agents: personal and academic support, research and industry aspirations, and finding a path. Pre-college socialization experiences were salient for developing anticipatory belonging, as students who were exposed to their discipline or institution prior to arriving as students had an easier time becoming integrated to their communities. Once students arrived, their socialization trajectories tended to shape their feelings of belonging to the institution, with close ties forming for the Anchored, appreciation for general support among the Independents, and a mix of happiness and frustration for the Wanderers. By contrast, disciplinary belonging was more reliant on the individual participant's goals and interests. Disciplinary differences between the two contexts were identified but were limited in scope and generally linked to the career outcomes students associated with their chosen major rather than their experiences in the major. Finally, my research revealed that a strong sense of belonging in one domain of undergraduate life could be sufficient for a student to persist to degree completion despite weak or absent feelings of belonging in other areas. / Doctor of Philosophy / For decades, students have been leaving STEM majors at alarmingly high rates despite the efforts of researchers, administrators, and faculty. To approach this problem, my dissertation examined how social interactions and relationships can help students feel like they belong in their chosen major and university. Previous research identified such feelings of belonging as an important factor in helping students persist to the completion of their degrees, and my work added onto this body of work by specifically examining the role of students' social connections. My dissertation utilized data from eight total students. Four of the students were chemical engineering students, with the remaining four from chemistry and biochemistry, together called the "chemical sciences." The data for this work included four years of interview data supported by institutional documents. Such documents provided information like curricular requirements, demographic and population information, and course information, which helped provide background for the students' interviews. Leveraging these data, I addressed the aforementioned interaction of students' social interactions and their feelings of belonging on campus and in their major. My data analysis was based around the creation of trajectories that would capture the evolution of a student's experiences over the course of their undergraduate career. Once trajectories were generated for each student, I was then able to look across the trajectories and identify patterns between and within them. The primary finding of my dissertation work was the emergence of three distinct patterns of how students' social interactions evolved over time, labeled the Anchored, who built strong and consistent networks that they maintained over two or more years; the Independents, who neither sought nor wanted such relationships; and the Wanderers, who had relationships and interactions that were often short-lived or inconsistent, but wanted more. Fourteen unique groups with whom students interacted were identified, along with the respective impacts said groups could have on students' feelings of belonging. Additionally, five drivers for seeking out interaction with these groups were identified: personal and academic support, research and industry aspirations, and finding a path. The experiences students had with their university or major prior to enrolling were found to be important for shaping the way students perceived their future, and those with greater exposure to their institution or discipline had an easier time seeing themselves fitting in and finding a place for themselves on campus once they enrolled. Once students arrived, their trajectory of interaction tended to shape how they felt about their institution, with close ties forming for the Anchored, appreciation for general support among the Independents, and a mix of satisfaction and frustration for the Wanderers. By contrast, belonging within the discipline was more reliant on the individual participant's goals and interests. Disciplinary differences between the two contexts were identified but were limited generally linked to the career outcomes students associated with their chosen major rather than their experiences in the major. Finally, my work revealed that when students felt like they belonged in one area of their undergraduate life, those feelings could support lacking feelings in other areas, helping them to persist to graduation.

Urban catalysts are new redevelopment strategies comprised of a series of projects that drive and guide urban development. Redevelopment efforts in the past, such as urban renewal and large-scale redevelopment projects, have often jeopardized the vitality of downtowns. The difference between the urban catalyst and these redevelopment strategies is that catalytic redevelopment is a holistic approach, not a clean-slate approach, to revitalizing the urban fabric. Many cities have considered urban catalysts as a means for revitalization. Among the most noted catalytic projects are sports stadiums and arenas: however not all catalytic projects have to be designed at such a grand scale, nor do all cities possess a threshold of support to successfully sustain such developments. This thesis design project examines the significance of the urban catalyst as a means of urban revitalization. The urban catalyst theory says design can be linked to place through the study of contextual factors in urban design. These factors include: morphological, social, functional, perceptual, visual, and temporal. For the urban catalyst to respond to its setting it also must possess a strong sense of place and authenticity. Each component of my research supports my position that each city has unique attributes that can serve as basic models or seeds for urban redevelopment. These components are used as a basis for developing a design framework that is applied to two sites in Memphis, Tennessee. This position is tested through the contextual analysis and design of two projects that are of major significance to Downtown Memphis, Tennessee. The first demonstrates the role that Court Square plays as a critical social and spatial element in the revitalization of the center city. The second is the revitalization of the South Side Neighborhood, an area full of history and character. / Master of Landscape Architecture

No / This paper investigates the subjective experiences of older women living alone with Alzheimer’s disease, vascular or mixed dementia. Eight women were interviewed to explore how they managed their identities and coped with day-to-day living, in the absence of a significant co-resident other who might reflect them back to themselves. Through interpretative phenomenological analysis themes emerged about loss, embodiment, adapting, awareness, safety, relationships, exclusion and loneliness. Memory loss had the most significant impact through loss of independence. However, the women were actively engaged in re-constructing their sense of self, using a variety of coping strategies. Relationships with friends, neighbours and attendance at memory clubs were important. A search for meaningful relationships was apparent, conflicting with feeling vulnerable and a consequent desire for self protection.