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The repository is a service of the Western Connecticut State University libraries. Research and scholarly output included here has been selected and deposited by the individual university departments and centers on campus.
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Item A Preliminary Study of Northern Diamondback Terrapin (Malaclemys Terrapin Terrapin) Nesting Activity in Connecticut(2025-08-29)The Northern Diamondback Terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin terrapin) (DBT) is a keystone species within estuary habitats and is responsible for maintaining the saltmarsh ecosystem. The goal for this study is to map DBT nesting locations and examine how habitat management influences nesting location. Sites were sampled by walking transects divided into 100 m x 20 m zones. The zones were then categorized as unmanaged or managed depending on if the vegetation was frequently altered. Any DBT nest found within the transect was characterized by recording vegetation height, plant species diversity, substrate size, soil temperature, and location. All nests were photographed at 2 meters high with a meter square to define the boundary of the nest. The percentage of vegetation cover was determined in Canopeo. A total of 518 nests were documented across three of the five research sites. This study suggests a non-random distribution of nests for sites where nests were observed. Zones that were unmanaged had a greater number of nests than managed zones. There was no difference in vegetation factors between the sites or throughout the nesting season. The highest number of nests was found in the months of June and July near the height of DBT nesting season. This data can be applied to the conservation of the species by informing best practices for managing nesting habitat.Item Phylogeography of Bark Scorpions (Centruroides exilicauda) from the Baja California peninsula(2025-09-12)Scorpions are an arthropod order known for their potent venom and stinger. We currently recognize over 2,800 species, which are mainly differentiated using morphology. Bark Scorpions (Buthidae: Centruroides) occur across the southern and western United States and western and northern Mexico. They have also been recorded in Central America and northern South America. The low vagility of these animals makes them ideal candidates to study biogeographic and phylogeographic patterns, especially in areas with great biogeographical complexity. This thesis investigates the phylogeographic patterns of Centruroides exilicauda, a species distributed across the Baja California peninsula. Phylogenetic analysis of the cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) sequences from 24 sequences (21 sequenced here) plus seven outgroup samples revealed the presence of two distinct clades within this species, one restricted to the south (the Cape), and another one distributed across the peninsula. The divergence of these two clades predates the split of the peninsula from mainland Mexico. While the focus on this work is not new, as it builds on previously published studies, it aims to provide further insights into the biogeographic process influencing these patterns. A key framework for understanding these divergences is the mid-peninsular seaway hypothesis, which proposed that a historical water barrier may have influenced the genetic isolation of Centruroides populations along the Baja California peninsula. Further studies are needed to clarify the taxonomic status of these clades and to determine whether the Northern and Southern clades represent distinct species.Item Organizational mindfulness in recognition schools: Mindful leadership practices of principals that build high reliability learning organizations(Western Connecticut State University, 2025-07-23)The purpose of this study was to explore mindful leadership practices of principals who represent Recognition Schools at the elementary and secondary level in New York State. School principals throughout the state are met with exhausting and extremely challenging tasks to achieve. They are responsible for the effective development, management, and sustainability of teaching and learning for all the teachers and students in their buildings. School principals are evaluated by a set of standards that represent the decisions they make with and among all the people they work with throughout the multilayered, interconnected educational system. They are the final decision makers as it relates to school building matters and are responsible for the promotion, management, and sustainability of the school they represent. This qualitative, multicase study explored the perceptions of six Recognition School principals, three who led elementary schools, and three who led secondary schools. Purposeful, criterion-based sampling procedures were utilized, in combination with pre-defined selection criteria, to triangulate the phenomena being studied. Data collection tools included demographic survey data, semi-structured interviews, and document review. Data were analyzed and resulted in three findings and six themes. Findings showed that principals described their mindful leadership experiences in high achieving, Recognition Schools by metacognitively acknowledging specific character traits or perceptions of self and identifying necessary leadership actions or techniques used throughout the building and district that contribute to student achievement. Principals suggested their mindful leadership experiences in high achieving Recognition Schools contributed to organizational success because they established personal and system-wide norms that directly influenced the growth, sustainability, and strategic decision making made by principals in schools. Finally, principals explained there are several barriers that exist in Recognition Schools that can negatively impact student achievement, limit professional development, and weaken the learning organization's alignment from its vision and mission.Item Pathways to AP mathematics in an urban school district(Western Connecticut State University, 2025-04-08)This study was used to examine the results of secondary school students who followed one of two pathways to enrollment in Advanced Placement (AP) mathematics courses. Students completed algebra 1 in either the eighth grade (pathway 1) or ninth grade (pathway 2). The study took place in an urban district that uses an open enrollment process for entry to AP courses. Three types of mathematics achievement scores were collected from 131 students enrolled in AP mathematics courses. A chi-square test revealed that students who completed algebra 1 in the eighth grade had significantly higher AP scores than their peers. A 2x2 MANOVA provided comparative information for students based on gender and pathway type with respect to two standardized mathematics assessments. Students who completed algebra 1 in the eighth grade had significantly higher scores on both assessments as compared to their peers who completed algebra 1 in the ninth grade.
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