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Despite much attention given to effective teams in the workplace, school counseling teams have been neglected in the research. The primary purpose of this mixed methods study was to learn what characteristics secondary counselors perceive contribute to an effective school counseling team. The first research phase conducted six team interviews; themes emerging from the interviews yielded the development of the Effective School Counseling Team Questionnaire (ESCTQ). The following research questions were investigated: What factors do counselors perceive contribute to their team's effectiveness?, Are the scores on the Effective School Counseling Team Questionnaire related to team effectiveness as described by school counselors? Is there a relationship between team characteristics (amount of time together, individual counseling experience, gender, age) and team effectiveness? Is there a relationship between the perceptions of members of effective and ineffective teams? The literature on effective team factors was reviewed and analyzed in three categories: internal, interpersonal, and external. Qualitative results indicated that the majority of participants viewed internal traits as the number one factor contributing to their team's success. Most frequent were competencies, respect, sharing duties, caring for each other and serving students. The second area participants listed as most important was interpersonal factors, such as communication, interactions, and planning. Overall, communication was cited as the number one factor needed for an effective team. Conclusions drawn suggested that teams need altruistic, personal qualities to feel most effective. These were summarized by participants as a team member who is caring, giving, and putting the needs of students first. The second key area for school counseling teams was support from external sources, primarily school administration and central office. In phase two, the questionnaire was developed and used to confirm the interview findings. During the second phase, the ESCTQ was administered to 199 secondary school counselors, yielding an 82.4% (n = 164) return rate. The survey when analyzed by teams did not show major significant differences between the teams; it did, however, confirm the qualitative findings of the internal and personal characteristics counselors of effective school teams posses. The survey also allowed team members to rate their current team and their ideal team. The difference between the two ratings (ie. gap score) showed there was a significant mean difference (20.50) between the means of those who perceived their team as highly effective (26.55) and those who perceived their team as least effective (6.05). When looking at the questionnaire this could be interpreted to mean that the team members who felt most effective had the smallest gap score between their current team and their ideal team. When teams' gap scores were compared to their overall team rating "global" scores, as the global score increased for a team their gap score decreased. Meaning an effective team had fewer discrepancies (smaller gap) between their current and ideal team. Clearly, teams that perceive their team as "relatively effective" are rating the team closer to their ideal team than those that see their team as "relatively ineffective". In order to enhance performance of a counseling team, this study was important to assess school counseling team's effectiveness. Two research methods were used to analyze effective teams; this research provides valuable information relating to school counselors and effective teams. / Ph. D.

Microarray experiments are used to perform gene expression profiling on a large scale. E- and A-optimality of mixed designs was established for experiments with up to 26 different varieties and with the restriction that the number of arrays available is equal to the number of varieties. Because the IBD setting only allows for a single blocking factor (arrays), the search for optimal designs was extended to the Row-Column Design (RCD) setting with blocking factors dye (row) and array (column). Relative efficiencies of these designs were further compared under analysis of variance (ANOVA) models. We also compared the performance of classification analysis for the interwoven loop and the replicated reference designs under four scenarios. The replicated reference design was favored when gene-specific sample variation was large, but the interwoven loop design was preferred for large variation among biological replicates. We applied mixed model methodology to detection and estimation of gene differential expression. For identification of differential gene expression, we favor contrasts which include both variety main effects and variety by gene interactions. In terms of t-statistics for these contrasts, we examined the equivalence between the one- and two-step analyses under both fixed and mixed effects models. We analytically established conditions for equivalence under fixed and mixed models. We investigated the difference of approximation with the two-step analysis in situations where equivalence does not hold. The significant difference between the one- and two-step mixed effects model was further illustrated through Monte Carlo simulation and three case studies. We implemented the one-step analysis for mixed models with the ASREML software. / Ph. D.

It is well known that clays dispersed in a polymer matrix decrease the permeability of all gases through that membrane. Our objective was to explore the effects on transport when a microporous layered aluminophosphate was added to a polymer matrix. The clay like layered aluminophosphate used contains sheets with 8MR ring openings in the size range of 3-4 Ã . The molecular level dispersion of this material into a polymer matrix is theorized to increase selectivity by molecular sieving. A previous study performed in our laboratory showed an increase in He/CH4 selectivity when this aluminophosphate (8MR-AlPO) was dispersed in a fluorinated polyimide. The increase in selectivity was explained as size sieving by the aluminophosphate sheets where small gas species can pass through the microstructure and large gas species have to take a tortuous path around the sheets. We performed several studies with different polymer materials in the attempt to make composite membranes that corroborated the previously seen increases in gas selectivity. In some cases different surfactants were used to swell 8MR-AlPO. In the first set of studies the methods used to produce the fluorinated polyimide composites were repeated using polydimethyl siloxane (PDMS), a copolymer of a fluorinated polyimide and PDMS, polysulfone, Matrimid, and cellulose acetate as the matrix materials. In general gas permeation studies of these materials showed an overall decrease in permeability with increasing addition of 8MR-AlPO but no substantial increase in selectivity. In an attempt to increase the chances of exfoliating and dispersing the layered aluminophosphate, an in-situ method using poly(etherimide) (PEI) was polymerized in the presence of 8MR-AlPO was employed. Mixed matrix membranes of PEI with 5wt% 8MR-AlPO were successfully fabricated and the transport properties measured. Microscopy revealed that the composites made with the 8MR-AlPO treated with a reactive surfactant showed better dispersion than those treated with the nonreactive surfactants. The permeability of gases changed very little as the result of adding 8MR-AlPO to PEI and no substantial increase in selectivity was observed. Finally, we incorporated a similar layered aluminophosphate with larger 12MR (6-7Ã ) openings into polysulfone. These composites showed barrier behavior but no increases in selectivity. / Ph. D.

Married bisexuals who come out to their heterosexual partners do not invariably divorce. This qualitative study included 14 intact, mixed orientation married couples. The mean marriage duration was 14.5 years, and the mean time since the bisexual spouse had come out was 7.9 years. The research focused the negotiation processes around three constructs: (a) sexual identity; (b) gender identity; and (c) marital commitment. Dyadic interviews were used to generate a grounded theory of the identity and commitment negotiation processes occurring among intact mixed orientation married couples. The findings revealed two sexual identity trajectories: Bisexuals who identify before marriage and reemerge within marriage; or bisexuals who do not identity before marriage but who emerge from within marriage. Two gender identity processes were reported: gender non-conformity and deliberate gender conformity. Finally, two negotiation processes around marital commitment were found: (a) closed marital commitment, and (b) open marital commitment. Closed marital commitment was defined as monogamous. Open marital commitment had four subtypes: (a) monogamous with the option to open; (b) open on one side (i.e., the bisexual spouse was or had the option to establish a tertiary relationship outside the marriage); (c) open on both sides or polyamorous; and (d) third-person inclusive (i.e.. couples had or were seeking a third person to bring into their marriage for both spouses). The implications for research and clinical practice were discussed. / Ph. D.

Intensive selection for increased milk production over many generations has led to growing genetic similarity and increased relationships in dairy population. In the current study, inbreeding depression was estimated for number of days to first service, summit milk, conception by 70 days non-return, and calving rate with a linear mixed model (LMM) approach and for calving difficulty, calf mortality with a Bayesian threshold model (BTM) for categorical traits. Effectiveness of classical and unknown parentage group procedures to estimate inbreeding coefficients was evaluated depending on completeness of a 5-generation pedigree. A novel method derived from the classical formula to estimate inbreeding was utilized to evaluate completeness of pedigrees. Two different estimates of maternal inbreeding were fitted in separate models as a linear covariate in combined LMM analyses (Holstein registered and grade cows and Jersey cows) or separate analyses (registered Holstein cows) by parity (1-4) with fetal inbreeding. Impact of inbreeding type, model, data structure, and treatment of herd-year-season (HYS) on magnitude and size of inbreeding depression were assessed. Grade Holstein datasets were sampled and analyzed by percentage of pedigree present (0-30%, 30-70% and 70-100%). BTM analyses (sire-mgs) were performed using Gibbs sampling for parities 1, 2 and 3 fitting maternal inbreeding only. In LMM analyses of grade data, the least pedigree and diagonal A matrix performed the worst. Significant inbreeding effects were obtained in most traits in cows of parity 1. Fetal inbreeding depression was mostly lower than that from maternal inbreeding. Inbreeding depression in binary traits was the most difficult to evaluate. Analyses with non-additive effects included in LMM, for data by inbreeding level and by age group should be preferred to estimate inbreeding depression. In BTM inbreeding effects were strongly related to dam parity and calf sex. Largest effects were obtained from parity 1 cows giving birth to male calves (0.417% and 0.252% for dystocia and calf mortality) and then births to female calves (0.300% and 0.203% for dystocia and calf mortality). Female calves from mature cows were the least affected (0.131% and 0.005% for dystocia and calf mortality). Data structure was found to be a very important factor to attainment of convergence in distribution. / Ph. D.

This dissertation explores mathematical programming optimization models and algorithms for routing and scheduling ships in a maritime transportation system. Literature surveyed on seaborne transportation systems indicates that there is a scarcity of research on ship routing and scheduling problems. The complexity and the overwhelming size of a typical ship routing and scheduling problem are the primary reasons that have resulted in the scarcity of research in this area. The principal thrust of this research effort is focused at the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) Problem. This problem is of great economic significance to the State of Kuwait, whose economy has been traditionally dominated to a large extent by the oil sector. Any enhancement in the existing ad-hoc scheduling procedure has the potential for significant savings. A mixed-integer programming model for the KPC problem is constructed in this dissertation. The resulting mathematical formulation is rather complex to solve due to (1) the overwhelming problem size for a typical demand contract scenario, (2) the integrality conditions, and (3) the structural diversity in the constraints. Accordingly, attempting to solve this formulation for a typical demand contract scenario without resorting to any aggregation or partitioning schemes is theoretically complex and computationally intractable. Motivated by the complexity of the above model, an aggregate model that retains the principal features of the KPC problem is formulated. This model is computationally far more tractable than the initial model, and consequently, it is utilized to construct a good quality heuristic solution for the KPC problem. The initial formulation is solved using CPLEX 4.0 mixed integer programming capabilities for a number of relatively small-sized test cases, and pertinent results and computational difficulties are reported. The aggregate formulation is solved using CPLEX 4.0 MIP in concert with specialized rolling horizon solution algorithms and related results are reported. The rolling horizon solution algorithms enabled us to handle practical sized problems that could not be handled by directly solving the aggregate problem. The performance of the rolling horizon algorithms may be enhanced by increasing the physical memory, and consequently, better solutions can be extracted. The potential saving and usefulness of this model in negotiation and planning purposes strongly justifies the acquisition of more computing power to tackle practical sized test problems. An ad-hoc scheduling procedure that is intended to simulate the current KPC scheduling practice is presented in this dissertation. It is shown that results obtained via the proposed rolling horizon algorithms are at least as good, and often substantially better than, results obtained via this ad-hoc procedure. / Ph. D.

Despite much attention given to school counselors and their roles, minimal research has been conducted with regard to parental expectations of school counselors and no research exists in how expectancy theory relates to parental motivation. The primary purpose of this mixed methods study was to explore parental expectations of the secondary school counselor's roles and to gain an understanding of how expectancy theory influences parental motivation. The following questions were researched: What are the attitudes and general beliefs that parents have regarding expectations of school counselors? What do parents expect their children to gain from working with secondary school counselors? How do parents' prior interactions with school counselors impact their expectations? Is there a relationship between parental expectations and what advice/encouragement parents give their children when consulting school counselors? The first phase consisted of a qualitative exploration of the expectations of secondary school counselors based on focus group interviews with fifteen parents. Qualitative results revealed that parents expect secondary school counselors to know and guide their child. In addition, parents expect their children to gain information and knowledge from their school counselor. Finally, it was determined that there was a relationship between what parents expect and the encouragement and advice parents gave their children about working with school counselors. Themes that emerged from the focus groups were used in the development of the Parental Expectation School Counselor Questionnaire (PESCQ) and to confirm the focus group findings. The PESCQ was administered to 450 parents of high school students in grades 9-12 at two SW Virginia high schools. The survey did not detect significant findings between demographic variables but did confirm qualitative findings of parental expectations and child gains. Clearly, parents who had expectations expected their children to gain knowledge and information from their school counselors and those parents were motivated to encourage their children to work with their school counselor. This study contributed to research on expectancy theory and analysis revealed that parents are motivated to work with counselors because they have shared values of wanting what is best for the child. This positive outcome equals a students' success. This research also provided implications for parents, school counselors, counselor educators, administrators, and school boards. Parents need to get to know their child's school counselor and become informed about their roles and functions. School counselors need to do their best to get to know their students and evaluate how they can motivate their parents to be more involved. Parents and school counselors share values of wanting the student to be successful. Since parents see the school counselor as a key to success and parents want to meet their child's needs this creates a motivation in working with the school counselor. / Ph. D.

As the cities grow, our lives get busier and we live further away from our families than we ever have before, have we thought about what life is like for our parents and grandparents at home? Can architecture help improve the mental and physical health of the occupiers? Design like a problem solver does not only mean solving pre-existed problems, but also thinking preemptively. Although technology can solve part of the problem, if we explore the role of design in our society and know how to apply good architecture to promote connection between generations, we can help elders feel active. We can even help prevent depression amongst seniors. In the near future, the population 65 or older will continue being the majority of the entire demography. And inclusive living will be an inseparable part of every future design project. Biophilic design would contribute to part of the solution as well. The elderly have lots to offer that the younger generations would need: experience, education, wisdom and most importantly, freetime; we can't leave all these resources aside. By encouraging interactions between different age groups, our children could benefit from all of this in one way or another that is going to be useful for their learning, and elders would feel they can also create value in the society. This thesis originates from a simple desire to make a safe and fun environment for my grandparents to spend their time in. And to make people be aware of their surrounding physical and also the psychological world. This design is site-specific, where the nearby park/trails and existing neighboring buildings become an integral part of the work. The beauty of the natural world always strikes me, thereby I try to work in response to that beauty. Protect the wetland park nearby and use it as an educational resource for people who come across my project. But whether socially or aesthetically based, in this work I seek to create a strong bond with the residents and visitors, to allow a place of lively interactions. I think architecture is not just physical walls and roofs enclosing a space, but a passage, a journey, a reflection of time. / Master of Architecture / As the cities grow, our lives get busier and we live further away from our families than we ever have before, have we thought about what life is like for our parents and grandparents at home? Although technology can solve part of the problem, if we explore the role of design in our society and know how to apply good architecture to promote connection between generations, we can help seniors feel active. We can even help prevent depression amongst them. The seniors have lots to offer that the younger generations would need: experience, education, wisdom and most importantly, freetime; we can't leave all these aside. By encouraging interactions between the two age groups, our children could benefit from all of this in one way or another that is going to be useful for their learning, and elders would feel they can also create value in the society. This thesis originates from a simple desire to make a safe and fun environment for my grandparents to spend their time in. And to make people be aware of their surrounding physical and also the psychological world. This design is site-specific, where the nearby park and existing neighboring buildings becomes an integral part of the work. The beauty of the natural world always strikes me, thereby I try to work in response to that beauty. Protect the wetland park nearby and use it as an educational resource for people who come across my project. But whether socially or aesthetically based, in this work I seek to create a strong bond with the residents and visitors, to allow a place of lively interactions. I think architecture is not just physical walls and roofs enclosing a space, but a passage, a journey, a reflection of time.

I believe that there are certain forces, I call them rhythms, which exist in the urban environment. They are rhythms because they are both physically and perceptually dynamic. These rhythms shape the city, and give character to the different neighborhoods in the city. They help organize the sites in those neighborhoods; they influence the designs of the buildings on those sites, the rooms within the buildings and even the buildings' smallest details. Rhythms are found at every scale of design. They exist regardless of language or articulation of the Architecture. They are independent of style or ornament. They are clues for the architect to discover and act upon. They can be anything from actual physical elements, to fleeting emotional ones. They allow projects to be tied intimately to the environment around them. They give the city its fabric. These rhythms are in a constant and dynamic evolution, yet they help produce and enhance something seemingly static - the sense of place, because they are already an intimate part of the place. I believe that architects have the opportunity to capture these rhythms, to manipulate them, and to use them in the creation of places which energize the user's experience. In fact, architects have the responsibility to do so in exchange for the privilege of impacting the development of the city. This project is an exploration of design with these rhythms. / Master of Architecture