Sustainability has become a prominent global project through which peoples and nations are seeking to alleviate poverty and stop environmental degradation. This thesis explores the contribution that Pentecostalism, a global religious movement of some 500 million people, can make to this project at the several levels of practice, political economy and philosophy. After an initial chapter where the challenges and dimensions of the sustainability project are outlined, the development and characteristics of Pentecostalism as a dynamic global movement are reviewed. This sets the context for a central empirical case study of Citipointe Christian Outreach Centre (a Pentecostal megachurch in Brisbane, Australia). Survey data, content analysis of sermons, and in depth interviews show how one particular congregation is engaging with the social, economic and environmental issues of sustainability. I conclude that although Citipointe’s engagement with sustainability issues at a practical level is weak, their demonstrated commitment to community building and the congregation’s shared worldview indicate potential for a more constructive engagement. In light of global Pentecostal praxis I suggest that Pentecostalism holds greater potential to engage with sustainability than is being realised at Citipointe. This thesis contributes to our understanding of how and why Pentecostals are already engaging in social, economic and environmental issues. More broadly, it develops our understanding of the role Pentecostal Christianity can play in sustainability. This thesis proposes that while Pentecostalism can contribute to sustainability at the level of practice, it can make a deeper contribution by addressing the worldview challenge of sustainability. Pentecostal Christianity does this because it can keep the sustainability discourse open to a wider discussion about God, truth and the purpose of life, rather than limit it to matters of science, technology and public policy.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 1998. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [285]-291).

Thesis--Wisconsin. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 287-291).

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of earthquake instruction on students' earthquake content and preparedness for earthquakes. This study used an innovative direct instruction on earthquake science content and concepts with an inquiry-based group activity on earthquake safety followed by an earthquake simulation and preparedness video to help middle school students understand and prepare for the regional seismic threat. A convenience sample of 384 sixth and seventh grade students at two small middle schools in southern Illinois was used in this study. Qualitative information was gathered using open-ended survey questions, classroom observations, and semi-structured interviews. Quantitative data were collected using a 21 item content questionnaire administered to test students' General Earthquake Knowledge, Local Earthquake Knowledge, and Earthquake Preparedness Knowledge before and after instruction. A pre-test and post-test survey Likert scale with 21 items was used to collect students' perceptions and attitudes. Qualitative data analysis included quantification of student responses to the open-ended questions and thematic analysis of observation notes and interview transcripts. Quantitative datasets were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical methods, including t tests to evaluate the differences in means scores between paired groups before and after interventions and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) to test for differences between mean scores of the comparison groups. Significant mean differences between groups were further examined using a Dunnett's C post hoc statistical analysis. Integration and interpretation of the qualitative and quantitative results of the study revealed a significant increase in general, local and preparedness earthquake knowledge among middle school students after the interventions. The findings specifically indicated that these students felt most aware and prepared for an earthquake after an intervention that consisted of an inquiry-based group discussion on safety, earthquake content presentation and earthquake simulation video presentation on preparedness. Variations of the intervention, including no intervention, were not as effective in significantly increasing students' conceptual learning of earthquake knowledge.

abstract: ABTRACT For decades the United States has tried to increase the number of students pursuing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and careers. Educators and policy makers continue to seek strategies to increase the number of students in the STEM education pipeline. Public institutions of higher education are involved in this effort through education and public outreach (EPO) initiatives. Arizona State University opened its largest research facility, the new Interdisciplinary Science and Technology Building IV (ISTB4) in September, 2012. As the new home of the School of Earth & Space Exploration (SESE), ISTB4 was designed to serve the school's dedication to K-12 education and public outreach. This dissertation presents a menu of ideas for revamping the EPO program for SESE. Utilizing the Delphi method, I was able to clarify which ideas would be most supported, and those that would not, by a variety of important SESE stakeholders. The study revealed that consensus exists in areas related to staffing and expansion of free programming, whereas less consensus exist in the areas of fee-based programs. The following most promising ideas for improving the SESE's EPO effort were identified and will be presented to SESE's incoming director in July, 2013: (a) hire a full-time director, theater manager, and program coordinator; (b) establish a service-learning requirement obligating undergraduate SESE majors to serve as docent support for outreach programs; (c) obligate all EPO operations to advise, assist, and contribute to the development of curricula, activities, and exhibits; (d) perform a market and cost analysis of other informational education venues offering similar programming; (3) establish a schedule of fee-based planetarium and film offerings; and (f) create an ISTB4 centric, fee-based package of programs specifically correlated to K12 education standards that can be delivered as a fieldtrip experience. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ed.D. Higher and Postsecondary Education 2013

Magister Public Health - MPH / Mycobacterium Tuberculosis (MTB) is an endemic disease in Nigeria. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates the incidence rate for all forms of Tuberculosis at 322 per 100,000 population in Nigeria in 2014 (WHO, 2015). This figure places Nigeria fourth among the 22-high burden countries in the world after India, Indonesia and China. These 22 countries have been prioritized for intensified Tuberculosis (TB) control at the global level, and together they accounted for over 82% of all estimated forms of Tuberculosis the world over in 2014 (WHO, 2014). The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) estimates the Osun state Tuberculosis Case Notification Rate for all forms of TB to be 54 per 100,000 (USAID, 2014). Osun state also has a total of 30 Local Government Areas (LGAs) with 30 TB and Leprosy Supervisors (TBLS) overseeing TB control at local government level. Osun state TB, Leprosy and Buruli Ulcer programme was established in 1993 and currently comprises of 218 health centres implementing the DOTS (Directly Observed Therapy Short-course) strategy and 55 Acid Fast Bacilli (AFB) diagnostic microscopy centres.

Master of Landscape Architecture / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional & Community Planning / Laurence A. Clement / The City of Manhattan, Kansas (“the City”) is planning a landscape improvement project for a 0.3-mile portion of one of its non-vehicular rights-of-way (“the Trail”). The focus of the City’s project is to resolve safety issues that have arisen due to a lack of nighttime lighting. While the City’s plan is to implement lighting, this plan would not comprehensively address the Trail users’ and stakeholders’ needs. This study asks, “What design alternatives can be generated to address lighting, safety, and other user and stakeholder concerns for the Trail?” This study employs a literature review, a site inventory and analysis, and a pair of surveys to facilitate the synthesis of a series of design alternatives. The literature review analyzes urban design theory and environmental psychology research to develop a series of design considerations. The site inventory and analysis documents the Trail’s existing conditions through photography, drafting, inventory, observation, and dérive. User and stakeholder surveys were also conducted to gauge existing usage patterns and perceptions of the Trail. From the findings of these methods, a series of environmental designs were developed which respond to users’ experience and stakeholders’ needs as they use and consider the Trail. These designs range on a spectrum of intervention from “minimal” to “high.” It was determined that there are two key regions of the Trail which need immediate attention: an area of thick overgrowth (“the Tunnel”) and an area of ponding and erosion (“the Low Water Crossing”). Additional design considerations were also revealed and addressed by the design alternatives. These designs where then presented to a group of stakeholders who determined that rather than implementing one intervention level, a phasing strategy to implement all intervention levels would be of particular interest. This study also reveals the potential need for a future study about the Trail which would allow stakeholders to analyze the effects of specific, constructed design interventions.

A substantial number of older women are adversely affected by mild to severe levels of depression. In this study the Social Health Outreach Program (SHOP), an educational intervention originally developed for middle-aged women, was modified and implemented with depressed and non-depressed older women. Through an educative process, participants learned ways to strengthen personal social networks as a means of augmenting social identity and overcoming depression. The purposes of the study were: 1) to measure the impact of SHOP on older women's levels of depression and demoralization, and on their social networks; 2) to determine factors either within or outside of SHOP that helped or hindered their progress during the program; and 3) to describe and analyze their experience of depression. A total of 15 women, aged 58 to 76, participated in a 20 session version of SHOP over a ten week period. Measures of depression and demoralization were obtained before, after and three months following the program; social networks measures were also obtained at three month follow-up. Participants' perceptions about their experience of depression, and about program factors and other concurrent aspects of life that helped or hindered their progress during the program, were obtained in post-program interviews. Outcomes validated SHOP'S approach and demonstrated that with slight modification the program is as effective with older women as it is with mid-life women. Participants who were depressed at pre-test showed a significant decline in depression scores; on measures of demoralization, changes were in the direction expected, although non-significant. Participants reported significant gains to their social networks in terms of people and groups added. Content analysis of interview data yielded 205 helping incidents and 130 hindering incidents that occurred during the program period; from these, 20 categories of factors that advanced participants' progress during the program, and 19 categories of factors that impeded their progress, were determined. This study supported the view that for many older women depression originates in their social environment. The findings validated SHOP'S educational program as a means of increasing social participation, re-constructing social identity and overcoming depression. / Education, Faculty of / Graduate

The thesis serves as an evaluation of the psychometric properties of a measure of cognitive competence used with a multi-ethnic, adolescent sample. The primary goal of this study was the development of the Critical Problem Solving Skills Scale – Qualitative Extension, using Relational Data Analysis (RDA). This study builds on previous work that has been conducted to provide evidence for the reliability and validity of the RDA framework in evaluating youth development programs (Kurtines et al., 2008). Inter-coder percent agreement among the TOC and TCC coders for each of the category levels was moderate to high, with a range of .76 to .94. The Fleiss’ kappa across all category levels was from substantial agreement to almost perfect agreement, with a range of .72 to .91. The correlation between the TOC and the TCC demonstrated medium to high correlation, with a range of r(40)=.68, p

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