TAMU-CC Repository

The Texas A&M University‐Corpus Christi (TAMU‐CC) repository is an open online site for storing and sharing digital content created or owned by the TAMU‐CC community. Content includes published and unpublished research and scholarship as well as archival materials. The service is managed by the Mary and Jeff Bell Library in cooperation with the Texas Digital Library. Learn more

 

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Advancing consistent socio-economic monitoring of coastal ecosystem restoration through collaborative metric development
(Communications Earth & Environment, 2024-09-30) Lydia Olander; Katie Warnell; Sara Mason; Rachel Karasik; Heather Tallis; Kara Coffey; Christine Hale; Christine Shepard; Kateryna Wowk; David Yoskowitz
Ecological restoration programs increasingly aim to provide socio-economic and environmental benefits. However, monitoring of socio-economic outcomes of these programs lags behind monitoring of ecological outcomes. Socio-economic methods are less established, managers have less experience, and metrics used vary, stymieing evaluation and adaptive management. Here we demonstrate that logic models and stakeholder engagement can be used to identify core socio-economic metrics across various types of restoration, focusing on coastal restoration in the Gulf of Mexico. Across four major restoration types (oyster restoration, habitat restoration, recreation enhancement, and water quality improvement), core metrics were identified as changes in jobs, restoration expenditures, recreational activity, cognitive function, and subjective well-being. These metrics can provide a starting point for increased and more consistent monitoring of socio-economic outcomes. The collaborative, science-based, and replicable process we developed to identify core metrics can be applied to other ecosystems and management actions to expand monitoring and evaluation of socio-economic impacts.
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Abilene bird's eye photo postcard
(2024) Haugen Enterprises
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Retention and strategic enrollment management at a community college in Texas
(2024-04-15) Benavides-Dominguez, Patricia; Benedetti, Christopher; Cervantes, Bernadine; Rodriguez, Tracie; Omoruyi, Felix
Student enrollment at community colleges within the U.S. has remained flat or decreased for over a decade (AACC, 2019). Before COVID-19, community colleges had been experiencing a steady decline in enrollment for approximately ten years (Irwin et al., 2021). The purpose was to determine whether demographic, environmental, and academic variables depend on a student’s decision to stay enrolled at Texas Community College (TCC) [pseudonym] for cohort years 2018-2019 and 2020-2021. The study used a quantitative, non-experimental, retrospective design (Cronk, 2020) to examine a subset of archival student data from TCC, a large public college in Texas. The subset of archival data consisted of 1,242 student records from the fall 2018 academic year (before COVID-19) and 791 student records from the fall 2020 academic year (after COVID-19). The researcher used Jamovi statistical software to conduct a chi-square test of independence to examine relationships between (a) demographic, environmental, and academic variables and (b) a student’s decision to enroll. For 2018 and 2020, descriptive statistics were generated for each variable to obtain frequency distributions of the levels within each variable. The levels with the highest number of counts for each variable included the following: RQ1: age (18-23), enrollment status (part-time), educational goal (associate degree), ethnicity (Hispanic), gender (female); RQ2: financial aid (yes); and RQ3: GPA (0.00-1.00). Additional proportion analyses indicated that the proportions of all levels within each variable were unequal (p<.01). The chi-square test of independence was conducted to determine whether a statistically significant relationship existed between each of the seven variables and students’ decision to enroll in the subsequent semester. For 2018 and 2020, the variables of age (18-23), enrollment status (part-time), financial aid (receipt of financial aid- yes/no), and academic outcome (GPA) played a critical role in student retention. Statistically significant relationships were absent between students’ decision to enroll and the following variables: educational goal, ethnicity, and gender.
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Understanding hope as experienced by first-generation college students at Hispanic-serving institutions
(2024-04-16) Ayala, Claudia Amy; Hemmer, Lynn; Banda, Rosa M; Wilson, Kristina; Rodriguez, Stephanie
Utilizing interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA), this study describes how the phenomenon of hope is experienced by six first-generation college students at South Texas Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), how student affairs contributed to that hope, and how these students understood the spaces on a college campus relative to their experiences of hope. The culturally engaging campus environment (CECE) model was used as a theoretical framework which allowed for consideration of how the HSI environment engages with students. The study’s findings add to the literature by revealing how hope surfaced from 1) within the individual participants, as it might if were a value, a character trait, or someone’s nature, and 2) within their relationships, with family, friends, colleagues, mentors, staff, and faculty. Furthermore, these hope experiences and interactions took place on HSI campuses and within the purview of student affairs. The implications for HSIs are that they can cultivate cultures of hope, by integrating culturally engaging campus environment tenets, which is valuable to first-generation college students.
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Synthesis and characterization of aspartic acid-based tripeptide surfactants
(2024-05-03) Swonke, Roslyn Camille; Billiot, Eugene J.; Billiot, Fereshteh H.; Azad, Chandra; Olson, Mark A
Amino acid-based surfactants (AABSs) provide a more environmentally friendly option than traditional surfactants. The introduction of amino acids into the polar headgroup increases bioavailability and biodegradation. This study aimed to introduce three amino acids at the polar headgroup to form a tripeptide surfactant. However, this study used aspartic acid (Asp) as a central amino acid at the polar headgroup and utilized its dicarboxyl groups to form peptide bonds with auxiliary amino acids, thus forming bifurcated tripeptide surfactants. This study used stoichiometric coupling with diisopropylcarbodiimide (DIC) and n-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) to aid in synthesis. Products were examined with proton NMR (1H-NMR) to analyze synthesis results. Then, solubility tests were performed to determine relative solubility and preliminary critical micelle concentration (CMC) studies were conducted. The 1H-NMR results revealed that the current method of bifurcated tripeptide surfactant synthesis should be amended to obtain desired products, as a mixture of bifurcated tripeptide surfactants and linear dipeptide surfactants formed. Solubility tests revealed the products formed organogels, while preliminary CMC tests revealed an estimated CMC of 51.20 mM.