This thesis examines the barriers to business growth and youth development in Dangriga, Belize, within the broader context of post-crisis economic recovery. Despite Belize’s record-breaking tourism arrivals in 2024, Dangriga has not experienced parallel growth, hindered by limited government support, insufficient infrastructure, and gaps in workforce readiness. Through field research, stakeholder interviews, and the development of tailored business strategies, this project identified critical needs in risk assessment, collaboration, and youth engagement. The findings underscore the interconnectedness of politics, culture, and economics in shaping local business ecosystems, and highlight the importance of adaptable, context-specific solutions over the direct application of models from more developed economies. The work further reflects on the personal and professional growth gained through immersive engagement in a developing country, emphasizing lessons in humility, cultural awareness, and the value of sustainable, community-centered economic strategies.
Tourism Dependency: Prosperity or Precarity Is being tourism dependent in a developing country a beneficial tool to use to grow economics
Agriculture is a significant part of the economy of Stann Creek, Belize and faces many challenges. This research presents data from farms in the areas surrounding Dangriga regarding the problems that they have been experiencing and potential risks they may face. The research covers family/individual farms, an agriculture cooperative, commercial farms, agritourism businesses, and Mennonite communities. This research was conducted as part of an internship with the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) of Belize alongside extension officers of the Stann Creek branch of the MOA. The data from the internship found that agriculture in Stann Creek dealt with problems regarding availability of capital, availability of labor, weather and climate change, non-climate change related environment, pests, plant and animal disease, lack of experience and access to information, and market access, with the most commonly faced problems relating to the lack of availability of capital and climate change related problems. This thesis discusses potential solutions brought up by the extension officers and the advantages and drawbacks to each.
The goal of this creative project is to better prepare hospitality student for studying abroad in Florence, Italy. Studying abroad can be a daunting class, but there’s so many benefits from doing it. For example, you learn a lot about yourself and others around you. It better prepares you for after college because it teaches you life lessons like becoming more aware of the world around you. It also sets you apart from others when you start to apply for internships or jobs, because it shows the companies that you are independent and culturally diverse. The results that I gathered are from when I studied abroad in Florence. While I was there, I gathered information about the things that I liked to do and see. I compiled all this information together to make a tour guide for other students to be able to become more prepared for their trip. In addition, this guide can provide an example for other hospitality students to create their own travel guide to another major city, like Rome or Milan.
Travel planning is a time-consuming and ever-changing problem that can diminish the travel experience and greatly increase expenditure, if not done correctly. It is important to have an easy travel planning experience so you can enjoy the travel experience more and not waste time where it is not needed. This thesis aims to minimize the costs and time spent on travel planning using APIs and simple optimization models, creating a travel planning tool. This travel planning tool was developed in Java with the main API being Amadeus, this was combined with a greedy best-permutation heuristic to create the main route optimization function. Fixer.io was an API used to convert currency, and a database caching system was created to decrease the total amount of API pulls consumed. The average travel costs for a user-input travel itinerary that was put into the tool received an 11% average reduction in costs. There is currently no application or website dedicated to optimizing your travel route to decrease the cost of flights. This tool can be developed to fill that gap, helping users decrease the amount of time and money spent on travel planning.
Behavioral Bottlenecks in Belizean Smallholder Farming: An Action Plan investigates why Belizean smallholders hesitate to adopt new practices informed by a two-month internship with the Ministry of Agriculture at the Stann Creek branch. During the internship, a seventeen-page bilingual farm plan outline integrating SMART goals, a standard business plan, and farming essentials relevant to the local culture and environment was designed and developed. The Farm Plan Outline is grounded in observations in goal-setting theory, risk aversion under price uncertainty, and knowledge gap literature (AKIS/AKAP) tailored by smallholder Belizean contexts. Farmers were assisted with the Sustainable & Inclusive Belize Program grant application, which subsidizes 85% of costs for smallholder farms. Qualitative data indicates that limited digital literacy coupled with psychological and knowledge barriers presents a significant behavioral bottleneck. This thesis recommends addressing this through workshops linked to current subsidization programs to improve and impact knowledge, profit, and yields. This thesis shows the potential to overcome such adoption barriers by weaving behavioral insight with existing social strata.
Chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart and respiratory diseases, cancer, and stroke pose significant health challenges in the United States, with Arkansas experiencing some of the highest rates of related mortality. This project aimed to improve health literacy related to nutrition and physical activity among adults at risk for chronic disease in Arkansas, focusing on those living independently in Ozark, Ouachita, and Delta regions, as well as cooperative extension agents in Family & Consumer Sciences. Using a mixed-methods approach involving surveys and focus groups, the study explored participants’ nutrition knowledge, health awareness, physical activity engagement, and preferred methods of receiving health information. Results revealed distinct differences between community members and extension agents in information sources and delivery preferences, with community members favoring social media formats and agents relying on established educational materials. Challenges related to trustworthiness and the need for easily accessible, evidence-backed information were identified. Findings highlight the importance of tailoring health education programs to meet the diverse needs and preferences of Arkansans at risk for chronic disease. Recommendations for future research include conducting in-person focus groups, organizing participants by age to better understand generational differences, and incorporating objective measures to complement self-reported data. This research contributes to the development of effective, community-informed strategies to prevent chronic diseases through improved nutrition and physical activity education in Arkansas.
The broiler chicken industry has increased the number of birds produced each year, making the mitigation of stressors that affect broiler health and meat quality increasingly important. New management strategies, like lighting protocols, could help combat stressors and promote behavioral indicators of positive welfare. This study compared the effects of blue-green and white light on broiler fear response using a tonic immobility test and behavioral repertoire in the home pen using continuous focal sampling. Day-of-hatch male broiler chicks (N=600) were randomly divided into 12 pens (n=50 chicks/pen). The pens had either a white LED light (control, n=6) or a blue-green spectrum LED light (treatment, n=6). After 12 days, 3 birds per chamber were tested for tonic immobility (TI), which involved placing the birds backwards on a V-shaped cradle for a maximum of 300 seconds, and the latency for the bird to right itself (seconds) was recorded. On day 13, the behavior of one chick per room (n=12) was observed for 9 behaviors (walk, stand, run, peck, preen, stretch, sit, drink, and eat) for 30 minutes in the morning (0930) and in the afternoon (1400). Behavior was observed using continuous focal sampling, and the duration of each behavior bout was recorded manually and using Noldus Observer XT 14 software. The results for TI revealed that there was no significant light effect on chicken latency to the right, but there was a numerical one, with birds from the control taking 137 seconds to the right compared to 115 seconds for the treatment. Lighting treatment had few significant effects on the percentage a bird spent in each behavior. Time of day had a greater influence on behavior, with birds spending a greater percentage of time drinking in the morning (p=0.02) and pecking in the afternoon (p< 0.0001). The interaction between light and time of day was significant for pecking behavior, with control birds pecking the lowest percentage of time in the morning (p=0.02) compared to both treatments in the afternoon. There were no significant 2differences observed for all other behaviors for time of day, lighting treatment, or the interaction between the two. Overall, lighting treatment had minimal impact on broiler behavior and fear, but this could largely be due to the small sample size used in the study. Future research should be done using a larger sample size to get more comprehensive results.
Reducing friction in conveyor systems has significant economic and environmental implications, as a substantial portion of energy losses originates at the belt-bed interface. This thesis outlines the design, construction, and validation of a miniature conveyor tribological test system. Unlike conventional tribometers, which impose concentrated point contacts, the miniature conveyor replicates the distributed load consistent with industrial conveyor systems. It can measure real-time mechanical responses of steel samples coated in a low friction coating. The mini conveyor was validated by evaluating three materials: uncoated mild steel, PDA/graphite coated steel, and Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). Electrical power, temperature, sound, and acceleration were recorded. Electrical power results for the uncoated and PDA/graphite coated samples showed minimal differences under the current testing conditions, while the PTFE samples exhibited decreasing power consumption due to PTFE transfer onto the belt during extended testing. Sound, acceleration, and temperature measurements demonstrated the system’s sensitivity to subtle mechanical changes. Temperature proved to be the most consistent indicator of frictional behavior, with the uncoated samples showing the highest temperature rise while the PDA/graphite coated samples showed lower changes in temperature. Coating wear was assessed using 3D confocal microscopy, revealing nonuniform wear along the samples, suggesting uneven load distribution during testing. Overall, the results confirm the conveyor system’s capability to distinguish material behavior and pick up on minute differences in conveyor health during operation. This work provides a foundation for future studies involving prolonged testing, increased loading conditions for accelerated wear, and improved mechanical stabilization to enhance measurement reliability and tribological insight.
This paper attempts to provide insight into the commercial banking industry through personal experience and the help of high-level lending professionals.
Effective governance is critical for the success of non-profit organizations, with foundation boards playing a central role in ensuring accountability, strategic direction, and resource allocation for the organization. This thesis investigates best practices for non-profit foundation boards, using the Fayetteville Public Library Foundation Board as a case study to evaluate the efficiency of its governance practices. The research aims to identify whether the foundation board operates efficiently and adheres to established best practices for non-profit governance boards. To address this, a two-phase methodology was employed. The first phase involved an extensive review of scholarly journals, industry guidelines, and other resources to define criteria for best practices in non-profit board governance. In the second phase, interviews were conducted with board members and library executives with questions informed by the findings from the first phase designed to assess the efficiency of a non-profit board. The research supports the hypothesis that the Fayetteville Public Library Foundation Board operates efficiently and incorporates several recognized best practices, including strategic alignment with the organization’s mission and active engagement of board members. These results can contribute to the broader understanding of non-profit governance by highlighting how established best practices can be implemented and tailored within a specific organizational context to improve overall board effectiveness. By combining theoretical research with practical application, this study offers valuable insights for non-profit boards seeking to improve their governance practices and better fulfill their organizational missions.
During the summer of 2025, I had the opportunity to complete an internship in Belize with Peacework. During my time there, I worked with the Ministry of Agriculture. This Thesis is a summary of my time there and a study of the agricultural industry in Belize. It explores topics like climate change, sustainable agriculture, and the economic impact of recent events and potential future events on Belize.
This research explores the evolving role of the hearth in domestic architecture, examining its historical significance and its continuing symbolic and architectural significance. Once essential for heat, cooking, and gathering, the hearth has shifted from necessity to nostalgic artifact due to technological advances and changing domestic patterns. This study reexamines the hearth’s spatial, social, and functional roles in architecture through a combination of literature review, theoretical analysis, and visual diagramming. Six case studies, spanning pre-modern to contemporary housing, are analyzed to identify patterns and transformations in hearth placement and significance. Through detailed diagrams, the paper offers a visual and theoretical framework to understand hearth as both a cultural artifact and architectural feature, encouraging readers to question the role of comfort, memory, and centeredness in modern homes. Interpretations suggest that the hearth remains a vital architectural and cultural element, offering insight into how we define comfort, community, and home. This study concludes by advocating for a renewed understanding of the hearth in contemporary architecture as a meaningful tool for fostering well-being, and long-lasting domestic design.
This capstone examines the evolution of the log cabin from 1840 to 1980. At its core, the project questions the legacy of the log cabin from its origins as simply being a traditional dwelling typology to its establishment as a cultural icon or rather, an enduring vessel that established the American Dream and ideals of self-reliance, freedom, and individualism deep within the heart of American culture. Chapter One situates the log cabin historically and architecturally, defining the popular frontier dwelling as being a single-pen horizontal log constructed cabin. It then explores the cabin’s emergence as a cultural image through political propaganda, focusing on the 1840 presidential election, Abraham Lincoln’s log cabin birthplace, and the lasting “humble beginnings” narrative. Chapter Two features a case study of Lincoln Logs, a toy introduced in 1916, to analyze how log cabin imagery was used to shape American childhood. By studying advertisements from 1922 to 1935, this chapter reveals how a log cabin toy reinforced traditional gender roles, national values, and historical narratives—embedding these ideologies within American youth through play. Chapter Three examines how literature and television sustained and exaggerated the log cabin myth, using Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House series as a central case study. Focusing on Wilder’s early novels and their television adaptation, the chapter considers how the log cabin was not only portrayed with emotional and symbolic weight but also exported internationally—most notably to post–World War II Japan—as a representation of American democracy and history. In conclusion, each chapter works to prove that, yes, the log cabin, through various medias, has established itself and fundamental American myths in the nostalgic folder of the American brain.
I investigated the ultrastructure of the biflagellated spermatozoon of the Western Siren, Siren nettingi, using scanning electron microscopy from salamanders collected in northeastern Arkansas. My primary goal in this study was to reveal the general morphology of the distinctive sperm cell components (two axonemes, two undulating membranes, and two axial fibers), which run nearly the entire length of the spermatozoon. These remarkable gamete structures are found in members of the salamander family Sirenidae and do not conform to spermatozoal ultrastructure of any other salamander species. Moreover, the biflagellated sperm are the end product of an extraordinary assemblage of complex maturation stages associated with acystic lobular spermatogenesis, a unique type of spermatogenesis known only to occur in these salamanders.
Shinnery oak (Quercus havardii) is a deciduous, low-growing shrubby tree that is a dominant plant in large areas of grassland in western Oklahoma, the Texas Panhandle, and eastern New Mexico. Acorns of the plant are important food items for many wildlife species, including scaled quail (Callipepla squamata), mourning doves (Zenaida macroura), and endangered lesser prairie-chickens (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus). We analyzed the energy content of acorns of shinnery oak obtained from the crops of scaled quail collected from plains-mesa sand-scrub in Lea and Eddy counties, New Mexico. Acorns were removed from crops and dried for 48 hours at 60°C to remove moisture and standardize masses. Acorns were then analyzed for gross caloric value (i.e., energy content) in an oxygen bomb calorimeter. Energy content of acorns of shinnery oak from New Mexico averaged 15.8 J/kg (3.8 kcal/g— standard deviation, 0.5 J/kg [0.1 kcal/g]) and was lower than that of most other food items previously reported from the diet of scaled quail and other upland game birds from southeastern New Mexico.
Wood Storks (Mycteria americana) were thought to be common visitors to Arkansas in the early 1900s, but observations declined mid-century. Surveys of citizen science data and other online sources indicate that numbers of unique observations and total counts of birds have increased since 2000. Storks do not breed here, but have been reported in 34 of 75 counties, and appear mostly in August and September. Birds apparently originate from Mexico. Number of observations have increased since 2016, but many of those observations include only a few birds rather than larger flocks.
Geothermal activity such as hot springs are known to precipitate calcium carbonate (CaCO3) minerals, producing rocks such as tufa, travertine and sometimes associated with carbonatite. The precipitation of CaCO is caused by the reduction of CO, which is less soluble in warmer waters. Geothermal heating of water in natural springs drives this precipitation of CaCO3 in areas of Arkansas including Magnet Cove. Magnet Cove, Arkansas is an alkalic igneous rock complex that is composed of a series of ring dikes post-Mississippian in age. These dikes have intruded into faulted and folded Paleozoic sedimentary rocks. One of these igneous dikes is carbonatite, a rare carbonate-rich igneous rock. The formation of carbonatite remains unclear to this day. It may form from magmatic solutions, hydrothermal metasomatism, or a combination of both. If carbonatite is formed through hydrothermal metasomatism, then it likely formed through repeated events of redeposition and recrystallization. On the other hand, if carbonatite is formed through magmatic means, then its parental magma must be some type of alkalic composition. In this study, a carbonate-rich core sample was taken from Magnet Cove at the depth range of 10 feet to 55 feet below ground. Five samples were processed for analysis at every 10 feet. Petrographic and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis was conducted on each sample to investigate the mineralogy and better understand the chemical alterations the area experienced. Samples one, two, and five were primarily calcite, while Sample four contained calcite with some apatite. Sample three was unique, containing calcite, natrolite, epidote, and chlorite, suggesting hydrothermal alteration. The presence of these minerals raises the possibility that carbonatite, if sample Three is indeed carbonatite, may form through hydrothermal processes.
We present a comprehensive updated review of the distributions of the 38 species of snakes in Arkansas. We compare historical and current distributions with citizen science data uploaded and verified in iNaturalist, a leading biodiversity monitoring online citizen science database. The Arkansas Herpetological Atlas, a website maintaining species occurrence records, is also used and compared. We highlight the role played by iNaturalist in enhancing our knowledge of snake distributions in Arkansas. 10,885 verified and vetted Research Grade (RG) observations of Arkansas snakes have been recorded in iNaturalist, expanding the known distributions of 36 of the 38 species. This is the first paper in a planned series documenting the current distribution of all herpetofaunal species in Arkansas.
I investigated the pleated plasma membrane complex of linear folds and biflagellar entities in developing spermatids of the Western Siren, Siren nettingi. My primary goal was to reveal the ultrastructural morphology of these distinctive cellular folds (usually 8 in number) as they support the flagellar formation of biflagellated sperm found in this salamander and in other members in the family Sirenidae. My results reveal that the biflagellar components (2 sets of axonemes, undulating membranes, and axial fibers), termed biflagellar complex, develop between folds or are attached onto these folds. The folds themselves are transitory and do not directly contribute to the formation of the undulating membranes of the biflagellar complex. Also, the components of the biflagellar complex are uniquely spaced within the interior of the pleated plasma membrane complex. Finally, these extraordinary folds highlight the intricate spermiogenic maturation process within acystic lobular spermatogenesis that distinguish this novel type of vertebrate spermatogenesis known only to occur in sirenid salamanders.
