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Title: Lake County, Florida solid waste management plan.
Creator: Morey, Lawrence J., Wanielista, Martin P., Engineering
Abstract / Description: Florida Technological University College of Engineering Thesis; The history of solid waste management in Lake County, Florida is reviewed. The role of governmental agencies is mentioned. Loc al environmental characteristics and transportation systems are discussed. Existing collection and disposal practices are presented. A land use analysis of the unincorporated areas of the County is given. Projections of population and solid waste quantities are listed. Two computer models are presented....
Show moreFlorida Technological University College of Engineering Thesis; The history of solid waste management in Lake County, Florida is reviewed. The role of governmental agencies is mentioned. Loc al environmental characteristics and transportation systems are discussed. Existing collection and disposal practices are presented. A land use analysis of the unincorporated areas of the County is given. Projections of population and solid waste quantities are listed. Two computer models are presented. Their optimum solutions are analyzed in detail. The cost associated with implementing either plan is presented. A recommended plan is given based on a combination of transfer stations and sanitary landfills.
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Date Issued: 1975
Identifier: CFR0003476, ucf:53037
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFR0003476

Title: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLEPROCUREMENT ACTIVITIESIN THE EXPENDITURE OF PUBLIC FUNDSAT THE STATE AND LOCAL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT.
Creator: McCarthy, Donna, Martin, Lawrence, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The aggregate annual expenditures of federal, state and local governments, in concert with universities and school districts represents incredible purchasing power and requires great prowess in its expenditure. Over the course of centuries, procurement has been used as a policy tool to improve society. This research delved into defining and determining the involvement of state and local governments in socially responsible activities related to the expenditure of public funds. Data collected...
Show moreThe aggregate annual expenditures of federal, state and local governments, in concert with universities and school districts represents incredible purchasing power and requires great prowess in its expenditure. Over the course of centuries, procurement has been used as a policy tool to improve society. This research delved into defining and determining the involvement of state and local governments in socially responsible activities related to the expenditure of public funds. Data collected in 2005 by the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing, Inc., was reviewed to determine if the expectations set for the private sector known as corporate social responsibility could be applied to the public sector. The study found that the definition as established for the private sector with regard to procurement social responsibility may also be employed in the public sector. A composite index of Public Procurement Social Responsibility (PPSR) was created as a benchmark for future comparison. Further, the presence of top-down management support for socially responsible initiatives in procurement in the areas of formal policies, goals and objectives and performance tracking mechanisms dictated higher PPSR scores for agencies. Mean Scores for PPSR were reviewed using independent variables of agency type, location, population served, procurement volume, and budget size. While top-down support of PPSR initiatives dictated strong involvement of an agency, there was no correlation between agency type, size, procurement spend, or population size on the mean score of a governmental entity, with or without the presence of PPSR drivers. The variables that influence the PPSR activities of an agency are similar across all demographics. What appears to drive the participation in socially responsible initiatives of government is the buy-in and mandate through regulation, policy and example set by management. This posture is emulated not only professionally, but the data indicates that it influences personal behavior as well. In order to bring about societal change, results are best achieved through the creation of policy for participation, establishing benchmarks for measuring success and integrating performance review milestones for achievement of goals and objectives related to PPSR.
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Date Issued: 2006
Identifier: CFE0001486, ucf:47105
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001486

Title: THE EFFECT OF NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION ON BURNOUT LEVELS IN EDUCATORS.
Creator: Judd, Tanya, Martin, Lawrence, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Teacher attrition and retention has become a major issue facing education policymakers and practioners as our nation's school age population continues to grow, but the teaching workforce does not. This study seeks to examine the impact of certification by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) on burnout levels in educators. The potential benefits to teachers who pursue NBPTS certification include a sense of professional pride, new leadership roles and...
Show moreTeacher attrition and retention has become a major issue facing education policymakers and practioners as our nation's school age population continues to grow, but the teaching workforce does not. This study seeks to examine the impact of certification by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) on burnout levels in educators. The potential benefits to teachers who pursue NBPTS certification include a sense of professional pride, new leadership roles and responsibilities for teachers, recognition of outstanding teaching practice, and higher salaries (Shapiro, 1995). Some of these potential rewards seem to address a number of the factors that are related to the onset burnout, and therefore may reduce teacher attrition. The study utilized the Maslach-Leiter conceptual framework to examine burnout, which breaks the burnout construct into three separate dimensions; emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment. The research questions sought to determine if there was a difference between National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) and their non-certified peers in each of these dimensions of burnout. The research sample consisted of the NBCTs and a comparable random sample of their non-certified peers from a large urban school district in the Central Florida area. The Maslach Burnout Inventory Educators Survey was used a basis of comparison of the burnout levels. The two groups were compared utilizing an independent samples t-test. The instrument utilized in this study also included demographic questions, as well as questions that were designed to measure the various elements of the Maslach-Leiter theoretical model of burnout. These questions and the independent variable NBPTS certification were included in a multiple regression analysis in order to determine if the differences noted between the groups using the independent samples t-tests were in fact a result of NBPTS certification, and not the theoretical model itself. The instruments were mailed in the fall of 2006, and were returned to the researcher anonymously. A total of 476 surveys were returned, for a response rate of 52%. The independent samples t-tests revealed significant differences between NBCTs and their non-certified peers on all three dimensions of burnout. An examination of the individual scores for each group revealed that in each of the dimensions showed that the NBCTs demonstrated lower levels of experienced burnout in each dimension. The multiple regression analyses that were conducted to confirm that NBPTS certification was in fact a significant factor in the development of each burnout dimension revealed mixed results. Emotional exhaustion and reduced personal accomplishment were both found to have a significant negative relationship with NBPTS certification, which indicates that the NBCTs are significantly less burned out then their non-certified peers. Despite the initial finding of significance in the independent samples t-test, NBPTS certification was not found to be a significant factor in the onset of the depersonalization dimension of burnout. This relationship needs further exploration in future studies. The significant difference between the research and control groups in this study suggests that NBPTS certification may reduce burnout levels in at least two dimensions. Legislators and policymakers at the state and federal levels have provided millions of dollars to support NBPTS certification. These findings seem to indicate that this financial support has impacted burnout levels in educators, and may therefore warrant examination as a strategy to address the issue of teacher attrition.
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Date Issued: 2007
Identifier: CFE0001567, ucf:47136
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001567

Title: AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE PREDICTORS OF ADOPTION AND UTILIZATION OF INFORMATION-SHARING NETWORKS BY LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT IN THREE STATES.
Creator: saviak, joe, Martin, Lawrence, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: ABSTRACT A major change in longstanding police organizational behavior is increasingly evident in the recent emergence of computerized information-sharing networks in public safety. From both theoretical and empirical perspectives, a better understanding of the determinants that can explain and predict the rise and growth of this new and significant development in American policing is needed. A highly limited body of empirical studies has endeavored to validate effective predictors of...
Show moreABSTRACT A major change in longstanding police organizational behavior is increasingly evident in the recent emergence of computerized information-sharing networks in public safety. From both theoretical and empirical perspectives, a better understanding of the determinants that can explain and predict the rise and growth of this new and significant development in American policing is needed. A highly limited body of empirical studies has endeavored to validate effective predictors of adoption and utilization of electronic information-sharing networks by local law enforcement agencies. Utilizing an integrated theoretical framework largely built upon Rogers' diffusion of innovations theory, sixteen hypotheses were tested through logistic regression and multiple regression analyses of survey research data collected from local law enforcement executives in the three states of California, New York, and Georgia. Qualitative research organized and conducted through targeted telephone interviews with twenty law enforcement executives across the three study states and with responses to open ended questions within the study survey instrument aided in the examination of these hypotheses. 66.7% of the cases of agency adoption of information sharing were correctly classified by the predictors within the logistic regression model. Adoption was positively influenced by a chief executive who demonstrated strong leadership and possessed more extensive experience in law enforcement. Adoption was negatively affected by increasing the opportunity to experiment with this innovation and advancing age of the chief executive. Both quantitative and qualitative findings confirmed that law enforcement agencies that exhibited dedicated leadership are more likely to adopt information-sharing networks. 19.4-25.9% of the variation in the outcome variable of adoption was explained by the predictors within the logistic regression model. Utilization was negatively impacted by growing autonomy of police organizations within the network but benefited from innovation attributes such as the acquisition of an advantage in crime fighting capabilities and reduced complexity in employment of the information-sharing network. 9.1% of the variation in utilization of information-sharing networks could be explained by the predictor variables included within the multiple regression model. Qualitative research also cross-validated the positive effect of gaining an advantage over the criminal element as influential to utilization. A greater advantage in preventing and solving crimes, higher levels of inter-organizational trust between police agencies, and enthusiastic executive leadership were found by the qualitative inquiry to enhance both adoption and utilization. Knowing in advance which theoretically informed and empirically validated antecedents can facilitate or impede adoption and utilization of information integration networks could enable policymakers and law enforcement administrators to optimize strategies to attain successful outcomes.
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Date Issued: 2007
Identifier: CFE0001839, ucf:47377
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001839

Title: NONPROFIT BOARD EFFECTIVENESS, FUNDING SOURCE,AND FINANCIAL VULNERABILITY.
Creator: Hodge, Matthew, Martin, Lawrence, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Nonprofit organizations rely heavily on their governing board of directors to provide leadership, strategic guidance, and financial oversight. The nonprofit community continues to grow, and the services provided by these organizations have become a critical part of our society, providing a wide variety of services targeting a diverse population. In this context, how the role of the board of directors impacts the financial position of the nonprofit organization is of great interest to both the...
Show moreNonprofit organizations rely heavily on their governing board of directors to provide leadership, strategic guidance, and financial oversight. The nonprofit community continues to grow, and the services provided by these organizations have become a critical part of our society, providing a wide variety of services targeting a diverse population. In this context, how the role of the board of directors impacts the financial position of the nonprofit organization is of great interest to both the academic community and the practitioner. This study examined three areas of interest: board effectiveness, funding source, and financial vulnerability. First, the association between board effectiveness and financial vulnerability was tested. Second, specific board behaviors associated with strategic planning and stakeholder management were tested to determine if they were greater predictors of financial vulnerability. Finally, the role of funding source (specifically privately funded organizations) as a moderating variable for board effectiveness and financial vulnerability was explored. The sample was composed of 112 participants, consisting of board member/executive director survey responses and financial information for the participating organizations. The sample was drawn from six counties in the Central Florida area. Data were collected from a series of mailings, and surveys were distributed at nonprofit lecture series. The Financial Vulnerability Index (FVI) was used as a measure of the financial condition of the nonprofit organization and represented the dependent variable in this study. The Board Self-Assessment Questionnaire (BSAQ) was used to assess board effectiveness and represented the independent variable in this study. Primary funding source was identified as a moderating variable, while board size, age of the organization, CEO tenure, service area, United Way affiliation, national affiliation were included as control variables. Board effectiveness as measured by the BSAQ was a significant predictor of financial vulnerability as measured by the FVI. The strategic and stakeholder behaviors associated with board effectiveness were not found to be significant predictors of financial vulnerability, beyond other behaviors associated with board effectiveness. Funding source was shown to moderate the observed relationship between board effectiveness and financial vulnerability, as the association between effectiveness and financial condition was significant in privately funded nonprofit organizations (no such significance was identified in government funded or commercially funded organizations).
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Date Issued: 2006
Identifier: CFE0000974, ucf:46690
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000974

Title: AN INVESTIGATION OF THE FACTORS RELATED TO DIRECT CARE STAFFS' KNOWLEDGE OF EFFECTIVE INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES FOR PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES.
Creator: Cook, Craig, Martin, Lawrence, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The Medicaid Home and Community Based Services Waiver (HCBS) funds services for people with developmental disabilities in community based group homes. The purpose of the Medicaid HCBS Waiver is to: (1) support alternatives to institutions, (2) promote independence, (3) maximize functioning, and (4) support community integration. Direct care staff members have primary, day to day contact with people with developmental disabilities living in group home settings. Residential agencies for people...
Show moreThe Medicaid Home and Community Based Services Waiver (HCBS) funds services for people with developmental disabilities in community based group homes. The purpose of the Medicaid HCBS Waiver is to: (1) support alternatives to institutions, (2) promote independence, (3) maximize functioning, and (4) support community integration. Direct care staff members have primary, day to day contact with people with developmental disabilities living in group home settings. Residential agencies for people with developmental disabilities have the responsibility to train direct care staff in the use of effective teaching strategies in order to realize the purpose of the Medicaid HCBS waiver. Direct care staff's knowledge of effective teaching strategies will afford people with mental retardation an opportunity for greater independence and help them achieve their maximum potential within the community. This study set out to evaluate what factors were related to direct care staff members' knowledge of effective teaching strategies. The factors investigated include agencies use of evidence based staff training practices, feedback as a performance management strategy, and Certified Behavior Analysts involvement with the training and support of direct care staff. A random sample of 294 direct care staff members who work in 55 different group homes throughout the State of Florida participated in the study. Direct care staff members' average score on the knowledge of effective teaching strategies quiz was 23.31 out of 50 questions. The maximum score achieved was 43. These findings indicated that the direct care staff members generally did not demonstrate knowledge of effective teaching strategies. The findings of this investigation demonstrated a statistically significant positive relationship between direct care staff members who received empirically derived staff training and knowledge of effective teaching strategies. Additionally, the investigation found a statistically significant positive relationship between the behavior analyst involvement and direct care staff members' knowledge about how to teach. The investigation failed to identify a statistically significant relationship between performance feedback and knowledge about how to teach. This research is important to policy formulation as it relates to the efficient and effective delivery of supports for people with developmental disabilities.
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Date Issued: 2009
Identifier: CFE0002832, ucf:48077
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002832

Title: THE IMPACT OF HIGHER EDUCATION ON THE JOB PREPAREDNESS AND JOB PERFORMANCE OF TURKISH NATIONAL POLICE OFFICERS.
Creator: BEYHAN, ERHAN, Martin, Lawrence, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The Turkish National Police converted its 9-month Police Training Schools to 2-year college degree programs in 2001 in their pursuit to improve the quality of police officers' job performance, police job preparedness levels, and the police service as a whole. The purpose of this study is to investigate the actual benefits of this higher education policy by empirically measuring and comparing the job preparedness and job performance of police officers with higher education and police...
Show moreThe Turkish National Police converted its 9-month Police Training Schools to 2-year college degree programs in 2001 in their pursuit to improve the quality of police officers' job performance, police job preparedness levels, and the police service as a whole. The purpose of this study is to investigate the actual benefits of this higher education policy by empirically measuring and comparing the job preparedness and job performance of police officers with higher education and police officers without higher education. This study consists of two quantitative parts. The first part measured the job performance construct with multiple indicators, including performance evaluation scores, numbers of received official awards, and appreciation letters. The second part of the study measured the perception of officer's job preparedness levels through a self-report survey. The structural equation modeling technique was utilized to evaluate the latent constructs. A response rate of 55.5% was attained--500 out of 900. The study found that there were statistically significant positive relationships between police officers' level of education and job preparedness, as well as between police officers' level of education and job performance. Statistically significant relationships between jurisdiction sizes, assignment type, and perception of job performance with job performance and preparedness were also found. However, no significant relationships between gender, age, and marital status were identified with job performance and preparedness. Among the variables, education had the strongest influence on officers' job performance and preparedness. In addition, a negative relationship exists between officers' perception of self-performance ratings and observed job performance ratings, suggesting that officers that rated their job performance levels higher were actually the ones with lower observed job performance ratings. This study contributes to the body of knowledge on criminal justice and public policy not only in Turkey, but also internationally.
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Date Issued: 2008
Identifier: CFE0002237, ucf:47892
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002237

Title: GENDER SEGREGATED LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS: AN ANALYSIS OF THE PERCEIVED IMPACT OF SINGLE-SEX CLASSROOMS IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
Creator: Gleason, Paul, Martin, Lawrence, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Educating male and female students in separate learning environments has been a common practice since the early inception of educational programs. However, this practice was heavily debated in the 20th century for its perceived inequalities in the treatment of students based on their gender resulting in today's coeducational classroom structure. Recently, interest in single-sex classrooms returned as an alternative for educating America's youth. Political support for this educational approach...
Show moreEducating male and female students in separate learning environments has been a common practice since the early inception of educational programs. However, this practice was heavily debated in the 20th century for its perceived inequalities in the treatment of students based on their gender resulting in today's coeducational classroom structure. Recently, interest in single-sex classrooms returned as an alternative for educating America's youth. Political support for this educational approach was evident in modifications to the 2006, No Child Left Behind Act which in turn led to increased availability and popularity of this educational venue. Despite same-sex classrooms' acceptance, research results on the effectiveness of single-sex classrooms have been mixed contributing to inconclusive findings that do little to support the use of public funds for such initiatives. The purpose of this research is the analysis of data to clarify the outcomes of single-sex classroom environments and their effects on students. South Carolina Department of Education survey results (2008) were examined using ANOVA analysis to identify differences in the group means between the male and female students and regression analysis was used to test the influence of the control (independent) variables on the dependent variables. The statistical analysis did not find significant differences in how the single-sex classrooms impact males and females in terms of academic achievement. However, motivation and self-esteem were found to have significant differences for male and female students in single-sex classrooms. Notably the analysis results indicated 4th, 5th, and 6th grade levels demonstrated the greatest disparities between the genders. Regression results highlighted the inability of the independent (control) variables of grade level, gender, or ethnicity in explaining the variation in any of the dependent variables, failing to confirm the model used in analysis. Likewise, grade level was generally found to have a greater impact than gender or ethnicity on the academic achievement, motivation and self-esteem dependent variables. It is recommended that additional research be conducted to further consider these variables and their effects on students utilizing a wider range of control (independent) variables.
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Date Issued: 2011
Identifier: CFE0003599, ucf:48884
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003599

Title: STATE LEGISLATURES: DIVERSITY, INNOVATION, AND POLICY ADOPTION.
Creator: Souvorova, Janna, Martin, Lawrence, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The question of policy origination is the very essence of state public policy analysis. This study provides an overview of the previous research on innovation, as defined by Rogers (1962, 2003) and Walker (1969), and determinants models of state policy formulation, as they relate to innovation and policy adoption on the state level. The literature review indicates that previous research mostly focused on the internal state characteristics such as political and socioeconomic variables to...
Show moreThe question of policy origination is the very essence of state public policy analysis. This study provides an overview of the previous research on innovation, as defined by Rogers (1962, 2003) and Walker (1969), and determinants models of state policy formulation, as they relate to innovation and policy adoption on the state level. The literature review indicates that previous research mostly focused on the internal state characteristics such as political and socioeconomic variables to explain state differences in policy adoption. The literature also indicates a general lack of empirical research relating diversity to innovation and policy adoption. State governments have to deal with diversified populations and workforces whether they want to or not. The number of immigrants from other countries as well as migrants from other states is constantly growing. For instance, in just the five years from 2000 to 2005, we added almost 5.5 million immigrants, and that figure represents only those who are documented. These people are coming from all over the world. They speak different languages, are accustomed to different foods, and have different religious affiliations. It would be unrealistic to expect them to have social and political values similar to those of people born and raised in the United States. The impact and the overall influence of such diversity on state policy formulation have not yet been fully explained. The growing importance of diversity in the United States calls for its inclusion into state policy adoption models. This study proposes a new model including a construct of diversity as one of the determinants of state policy adoption. The reasoning for the new model is twofold: first, to determine the potential influence of diversity on innovation, and second, to determine whether diversity also influences state policy adoption. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) is used to test the proposed model in five different policy areas: education, health care, criminal justice, economic development, and environmental policies. Results of the analysis indicate that, while state diversity is positively associated with state innovation and state policy adoption, inclusion of state socioeconomic and political variables in the analysis decreases the relative influence of state diversity on innovation and policy outcomes. Furthermore, the relative influence of diversity, socioeconomic, and political variables differs among the policy areas used in this study. Three major themes are noticed here: the overwhelming significance of state political characteristics to state innovation, the relatively moderate significance of state socioeconomic characteristics to state policy outcomes and state innovation, and the low significance of state diversity variables to state policy outcomes.
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Date Issued: 2011
Identifier: CFE0003726, ucf:48791
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003726

Title: Interaction between income, health insurance, and self-rated health: A path analysis.
Creator: Ashley West, Atalie, Unruh, Lynn, Malvey, Donna, Gau, Jacinta, Martin, Lawrence, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The political focus of equitable health outcomes in the United States have long centered on access to medical care. However, there is compelling evidence that access to medical care is only the bare minimum necessary to achieve health, and the true influence of health insurance on health is still unclear. Widely accepted models of health estimate that less than 20% of health outcomes can be attributed to clinical care, while greater than 50% is related to social and economic determinants of...
Show moreThe political focus of equitable health outcomes in the United States have long centered on access to medical care. However, there is compelling evidence that access to medical care is only the bare minimum necessary to achieve health, and the true influence of health insurance on health is still unclear. Widely accepted models of health estimate that less than 20% of health outcomes can be attributed to clinical care, while greater than 50% is related to social and economic determinants of health, with income being the most consistent predictor. As a result, this study investigated whether earned income is related to insurance status on the one hand and self-rated health on the other; whether the association between income and self-rated health is indirectly influenced by the presence of health insurance (-)namely private health insurance; whether there are differences in self-rated health between the privately insured, the publicly insured, and the uninsured; and if duration of uninsurance was inversely associated with self-rated health. As hypothesized, higher income was associated with having health insurance, and in particular private insurance. Among all included predictor variables, higher income and private insurance are the strongest predictors of higher self-rated health, and lower income and Medicaid were the strongest predictors of lower self-rated health. This study affirms that the health of persons with Medicaid is more similar to persons who are uninsured, and the health of persons with private insurance is more similar to those with Medicare. The association between income and self-rated health is indirectly influenced by health insurance. Age and education exerted the strongest overall influence on self-rated health: older respondents had lower self-rated health, and more educated respondents had higher self-rated health. And as uninsurance duration increased, self-rated health decreased. Additional studies are recommended to improve health insurance policy.
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: CFE0007308, ucf:52151
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007308

Title: Assessing the Impact of Economies of Scale and Uncontrollable Factors on the Performance of U.S. Cities.
Creator: Allaf, Mamoon, Martin, Lawrence, Wan, Thomas, Kapucu, Naim, Baker, Paul, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Despite the increased interest among local governments in collecting data on performance measurement, empirical evidence is still limited regarding the extent to which these data are utilized to assess the impact on efficiency of economies of scale and uncontrollable factors. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) is a linear programming method designed to estimate the relative efficiency of decision-making units. In addition to assessing relative efficiency, DEA can estimate scale efficiency and...
Show moreDespite the increased interest among local governments in collecting data on performance measurement, empirical evidence is still limited regarding the extent to which these data are utilized to assess the impact on efficiency of economies of scale and uncontrollable factors. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) is a linear programming method designed to estimate the relative efficiency of decision-making units. In addition to assessing relative efficiency, DEA can estimate scale efficiency and incorporate the impact of uncontrollable factors. Using data from the International City/County Association (ICMA), this study utilized DEA to evaluate the impact of economies of scale and uncontrollable factors on the relative efficiency of municipal service delivery in the United States. The findings from this doctoral dissertation show that uncontrollable variables such as population density, unemployment, and household income suppress the relative efficiency of local governments. Moreover, the findings imply that the prevalence of economies of scale in city governments depends on the types of services these governments provide.
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Date Issued: 2012
Identifier: CFE0004201, ucf:49002
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004201

Title: Design and Verification of a Multi-Terawatt Ti-Sapphire Femtosecond Laser System.
Creator: Roumayah, Patrick, Shah, Lawrence, Richardson, Martin, Amezcua Correa, Rodrigo, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Ultrashort pulse lasers are well-established in the scientific community due to the wide range of applications facilitated by their extreme intensities and broad bandwidth capabilities. This thesis will primarily present the design for the Mobile Ultrafast High Energy Laser Facility (MU-HELF) for use in outdoor atmospheric propagation experiments under development at the Laser Plasma Laboratory at UCF. The system is a 100fs 500 mJ Ti-Sapphire Chirped-Pulse Amplification (CPA) laser, operating...
Show moreUltrashort pulse lasers are well-established in the scientific community due to the wide range of applications facilitated by their extreme intensities and broad bandwidth capabilities. This thesis will primarily present the design for the Mobile Ultrafast High Energy Laser Facility (MU-HELF) for use in outdoor atmospheric propagation experiments under development at the Laser Plasma Laboratory at UCF. The system is a 100fs 500 mJ Ti-Sapphire Chirped-Pulse Amplification (CPA) laser, operating at 10 Hz. Some background on the generation of very high intensity optical pulses is also presented, alongside an overview of the physics of filamentation. As part of the design of MU-HELF, this thesis focuses on a novel approach to manage the large amount of dispersion required to stretch the pulse for CPA utilizing a custom nonlinear chirped Volume Bragg Grating (VBG) as a pulse stretcher matched to a traditional Treacy compressor. As part of this thesis, the dispersion of the CPA system was thoroughly modeled to properly design the chirped VBG and fabricated VBGs were characterized using a scanning spectral interferometry technique. The work demonstrates the feasibility of using a compact monolithic pulse stretcher in terawatt class CPA lasers.
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Date Issued: 2017
Identifier: CFE0006651, ucf:51241
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006651

Title: The Effect of the Great Recession on Local Goverment Policy in Florida.
Creator: Levey, Richard, Martin, Lawrence, Zhang, Ning, Lawther, Wendell, Hawkins, Christopher, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The length and depth of the Great Recession of 2008 provides an opportunity to examine the policy behavior of local governments unlike any window since the 1930's post Depression era. Utilizing Peterson's (1981) City Limits typology as a framework for local government policy allows for an evaluation of whether or not the economic downturn caused local governments to change their relative expenditures between policy categories. The City Limits typology has been widely used in the literature to...
Show moreThe length and depth of the Great Recession of 2008 provides an opportunity to examine the policy behavior of local governments unlike any window since the 1930's post Depression era. Utilizing Peterson's (1981) City Limits typology as a framework for local government policy allows for an evaluation of whether or not the economic downturn caused local governments to change their relative expenditures between policy categories. The City Limits typology has been widely used in the literature to explain how expenditures define a local government's role in economic development. The typology has had limited use in a pre-post natural experimental research design to determine if a local government has 'shifted' policy priorities as measured by changes in expenditures among and between policy categories. This research design and the use Peterson's framework combine for a study that has not yet been conducted under similar conditions.Most of the existing literature, including the research from the 1980's, failed to account for inter-state differences that directly affect local government expenditures and policy. Concentrating solely on Florida local governments, this study eliminates the confounding nature of a national study and ensures that the unit of analysis is comparable for research purposes. The study utilizes actual expenditure data for all cities and counties in Florida from FY2006 through FY2011. The research tests for the relationships between changes in policy priorities from pre- to post-recession, and the type of government, form of government, and various socio-economic factors.The research contributes to a new body of knowledge that is just beginning to emerge in the literature about how local governments respond to periods of extreme fiscal stress. The findings suggest that cities and counties had an inverse response from pre- to post-recession with cities shifting toward developmental expenditures and counties prioritizing allocational spending. Differences were also found between forms of government. In addition, the density of population was found to contribute differently to shifts in expenditures for cities and counties. The study identifies emerging patterns that can help local governments understand past behavior and better anticipate future economic downturns.
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Date Issued: 2015
Identifier: CFE0005971, ucf:50782
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005971

Title: Filament Wavefront Evolution.
Creator: Thul, Daniel, Richardson, Martin, Shah, Lawrence, Baudelet, Matthieu, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Filamentation is a complex process that gives rise to many nonlinear interactions. However, the fundamentals of filament formation and propagation can be explained in terms of two dominant mechanisms: Kerr self-focusing and plasma defocusing. The first to occur, self-focusing, is responsible for an increase in irradiance through beam collapse. This process requires sufficient initial peak power, on the order of gigawatts for near infrared beams in air. Plasma defocusing then arrests the...
Show moreFilamentation is a complex process that gives rise to many nonlinear interactions. However, the fundamentals of filament formation and propagation can be explained in terms of two dominant mechanisms: Kerr self-focusing and plasma defocusing. The first to occur, self-focusing, is responsible for an increase in irradiance through beam collapse. This process requires sufficient initial peak power, on the order of gigawatts for near infrared beams in air. Plasma defocusing then arrests the collapse process once the irradiance reaches the ionization threshold of the medium. These two pro-cesses balance each other in an extended plasma channel known as a filament. A beam's collapse behavior is strongly influenced by the initial beam conditions, espe-cially in applications that require power scaling to terawatt levels where the Kerr effect is more pronounced. Therefore, understanding and controlling the collapse process is essential in this regime. For this reason, an exploration of the wavefront evolution of filamenting beams is of great interest and the topic of this thesis, which has three parts. First, it reviews the filamentation process and describes characteristics of filaments. Next, experimental measurements of the wavefronts of filamenting beams are given in two separate regimes. The first regime is the Kerr self-focusing that takes place before beam collapse is arrested. This data is then contrasted with wavefront measurements within a filament after collapse has occurred.
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Date Issued: 2017
Identifier: CFE0006808, ucf:51804
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006808

Title: Laser-induced crystallization mechanisms in chalcogenide glass materials for advanced optical functionality.
Creator: Sisken, Laura, Richardson, Kathleen, Richardson, Martin, Shah, Lawrence, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Glass-ceramics (GC) are promising candidates for gradient refractive index (GRIN) optics. These multi-phase, composite materials also exhibit improved physical properties as compared to the parent base glass resulting from the formation of a secondary crystalline phase(s). Nanocrystal phase formation in a multi-component chalcogenide glass (ChG), (GeSe2-3As2Se3)(1-x)-(PbSe)x glass where x = 0-40 has been investigated, and the role of the starting material morphology has been correlated to the...
Show moreGlass-ceramics (GC) are promising candidates for gradient refractive index (GRIN) optics. These multi-phase, composite materials also exhibit improved physical properties as compared to the parent base glass resulting from the formation of a secondary crystalline phase(s). Nanocrystal phase formation in a multi-component chalcogenide glass (ChG), (GeSe2-3As2Se3)(1-x)-(PbSe)x glass where x = 0-40 has been investigated, and the role of the starting material morphology has been correlated to the resulting composite's optical properties including refractive index, transmission, dispersion, and thermo-optic coefficient. Optical property evolution was related to the type and amount of the crystal phases formed, since through control of the local volume fraction of crystalline phase(s), the effective material properties of the composite can locally be varied. Through computational and experimental studies, tailored nanocomposites exhibiting gradient index properties have been realized. A Raman spectroscopic technique was developed as a means to spatially quantify the extent of conversion from glass to glass ceramic, and to confirm that the scale length of the local refractive index modification can be correlated to the extent of crystallization as validated by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Spatial control of the crystallization was examined by using a laser to locally modify the amount of nucleation and/or growth of crystallites in the glass. A novel technique converse to laser-induced crystallization was also developed and demonstrated that a glass ceramic could be locally re-vitrified back to a fully glassy state, through a laser-induced vitrification (LIV) method. Proof-of-concept demonstrator optics were developed using furnace and laser induced crystallization methods to validate experimental and computational approaches to modify the local volume fraction of nano-crystals. These demonstrators exhibited tailorable optical functionality as focusing optics and diffractive optics. This work paves the way for the design and fabrication of nanocomposite GRIN optics and their use in the mid-wave infrared.
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Date Issued: 2017
Identifier: CFE0006916, ucf:51684
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006916

Title: Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Policies and Youth Tobacco Use in Florida Public Schools.
Creator: Terry, Amanda, Zhang, Ning, Martin, Lawrence, Gammonley, Denise, Delnevo, Cristine, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable disease and premature death in the United States. In 2014, an estimated 16.8% of adults were current cigarette smokers, and 9.2% of high school students smoked cigarettes. Nearly 90% of smokers developed their habit as teenagers, and students' tobacco use in high school influences their behaviors later in adulthood. Smoking behaviors appear to be inseparable from the social environment, physical environment, small social groups, and cognitive...
Show moreTobacco use is the leading cause of preventable disease and premature death in the United States. In 2014, an estimated 16.8% of adults were current cigarette smokers, and 9.2% of high school students smoked cigarettes. Nearly 90% of smokers developed their habit as teenagers, and students' tobacco use in high school influences their behaviors later in adulthood. Smoking behaviors appear to be inseparable from the social environment, physical environment, small social groups, and cognitive and affective processes. Preventive strategies, such as advertising bans, clean indoor air laws, education programs, increased taxes, labeling limitations, mass-media campaigns, and youth access regulations, have been commonly used to prevent and reduce youth tobacco use nationwide. In Florida, local public school districts were authorized to develop new tobacco-free school policies through an amendment to the Florida Clean Indoor Air Act in June 2011. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of the recently implemented smoking cessation policies, as well as individual-level factors and interpersonal-level factors, on youth tobacco use in Florida public schools. This study employed a pooled cross-sectional design with data for high school students from the Florida Youth Tobacco Survey (FYTS) in 2010 (n=37,797) and 2014 (n=32,930). It was guided by a theoretical framework based on the reasoned action approach and the social ecological model. Hierarchical logistic regression was used to analyze the data. The four models were binary logistic regression for cigarette use, multinomial logistic regression for cigarette use, binary logistic regression for cigar use, and multinomial logistic regression for cigar use. The results of this study support the importance of the individual-level constructs of background factors, behavioral beliefs, and control beliefs, the interpersonal-level construct of normative beliefs, and the policy-level construct of actual behavioral control when applied to youth tobacco use. These findings led to a better understanding of which policies, environments, and cognitions contribute to preventing and reducing teenage tobacco use, which is imperative in controlling the risks related to smoking and improving youth health. Now that the individual-level factors, interpersonal-level factors, and policy-level factors that contribute to youth tobacco use were recognized, preventative and therapeutic programs and interventions can be suggested and improved. This study provided evidence-based knowledge for improving public policies and interventional strategies towards smoking prevention and cessation for youth.
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Date Issued: 2016
Identifier: CFE0006188, ucf:51128
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006188

Title: High Average Power Nanosecond Pulsed Tm:Fiber Laser for Pumping an Optical Parametric Oscillator.
Creator: Abdulfattah, Ali, Richardson, Martin, Shah, Lawrence, Delfyett, Peter, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Thulium-doped fiber lasers operating with wavelengths in the vicinity of 2 (&)#181;m are useful for several emerging applications including generating mid-IR light via nonlinear frequency conversion. In this study we describe the design and construction of a thulium fiber laser system comprising a master oscillator and a power amplifier. The first stage is a Q-switched, thulium-doped photonic crystal fiber oscillator utilizing an acousto-optic modulator to produce 65-80 nanosecond pulses. A...
Show moreThulium-doped fiber lasers operating with wavelengths in the vicinity of 2 (&)#181;m are useful for several emerging applications including generating mid-IR light via nonlinear frequency conversion. In this study we describe the design and construction of a thulium fiber laser system comprising a master oscillator and a power amplifier. The first stage is a Q-switched, thulium-doped photonic crystal fiber oscillator utilizing an acousto-optic modulator to produce 65-80 nanosecond pulses. A diffraction grating in the cavity provides wavelength tunability from 1.8 (-) 2?m. The oscillator produced up to 3 W of average power and 150 (&)#181;J pulse energies, corresponding to 2.3 kW peak powers. The amplifier stage consists of a large mode area, thulium-doped, step-index fiber seeded with powers up to 2 W from the oscillator. An output energy of 700 (&)#181;J with 81 ns pulse width, was achieved at a wavelength of 1.9 (&)#181;m. The effect of the fiber holder temperature on the amplifier performance relative to output pulse energy and seed wavelength was also studied. As a part of this thesis, a methodology has been developed to thoroughly characterize Tm:fiber amplifier performance. This has been the subject of prior work by several research groups, however, this work explicitly focuses on the precise characterization of absorbed pump power, pump bleaching, and extracted amplified energy for a range of input seeds power, pulse energy, and wavelength in order to better understand amplifier performance.
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Date Issued: 2016
Identifier: CFE0006240, ucf:51065
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006240

Title: Photothermal Lensing in Mid-Infrared Materials.
Creator: Cook, Justin, Richardson, Martin, Shah, Lawrence, Gaume, Romain, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: A thorough understanding of laser-materials interactions is crucial when designing and building optical systems. An ideal test method would probe both the thermal and optical properties simultaneously for materials under large optical loads where detrimental thermal effects emerge. An interesting class of materials are those used for infrared wavelengths due to their wide spectral transmission windows and large optical nonlinearities. Since coherent sources spanning the mid-wave and long-wave...
Show moreA thorough understanding of laser-materials interactions is crucial when designing and building optical systems. An ideal test method would probe both the thermal and optical properties simultaneously for materials under large optical loads where detrimental thermal effects emerge. An interesting class of materials are those used for infrared wavelengths due to their wide spectral transmission windows and large optical nonlinearities. Since coherent sources spanning the mid-wave and long-wave infrared wavelength regions have only become widely available in the past decade, data regarding their thermal and optical responses is lacking in literature.Photothermal Lensing (PTL) technique is an attractive method for characterizing the optical and thermal properties of mid-infrared materials as it is nondestructive and can be implemented using both continuous wave and pulsed irradiation. Analogous to the well-known Z-scan, the PTL technique involves creating a thermal lens within a material and subsequently measuring this distortion with a probe beam. By translating the sample through the focus of the pump laser, information can be obtained regarding the nonlinear absorption, thermal diffusivity and thermo-optic coefficient. This thesis evaluates the effectiveness and scope of the PTL method using numerical simulations of low loss infrared materials. Specifically, the response of silicon, germanium, and As2Se3 glass is explored. The 2 ?m pump and 4.55 ?m probe beam geometries are optimized in order to minimize experimental error. Methodologies for estimating the thermal diffusivity, nonlinear absorption coefficient and thermo-optic coefficient directly from the experimentally measured PTL signal are presented. Finally, the ability to measure the nonlinear absorption coefficient without the need for high-energy or ultrashort optical pulses is demonstrated.
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Date Issued: 2017
Identifier: CFE0006730, ucf:51885
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006730

Title: Predictors of an Effective Performance Measurement System: Evidence from Municipal Governments in Turkey.
Creator: Eliuz, Sedat, Kapucu, Naim, Hu, Qian, Martin, Lawrence, Wang, Xiaohu, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The aim of this study is to examine the predictors of effective performance measurement in the context of Turkish municipalities. In the study, mainly the theoretical guidance of context-design-performance model has been utilized to examine the contextual and design factors which have influenced the effective use of performance measurement systems in Turkish municipalities. The following research questions were examined in this study: To what extent do Turkish municipalities implement...
Show moreThe aim of this study is to examine the predictors of effective performance measurement in the context of Turkish municipalities. In the study, mainly the theoretical guidance of context-design-performance model has been utilized to examine the contextual and design factors which have influenced the effective use of performance measurement systems in Turkish municipalities. The following research questions were examined in this study: To what extent do Turkish municipalities implement performance measurement systems effectively?, What are the predictors of effective performance measurement in Turkish municipalities?, and whether or to what extent do quality of performance measures, technical capacity of the municipality for performance measurement, organizational support, and external support for the use of performance measurement have influence on the effectiveness level of performance measurement systems in Turkish municipalities? In the study, the data were collected from Turkish municipalities by a self-administered online survey and were analyzed by using the structural equation modeling (SEM). It is hypothesized in the study that external support and organizational support for the use performance measurement, and technical capacity for the performance measurement are associated with quality of performance measures and effectiveness of performance measurement systems in general. The results of the study supported the hypotheses of the study regarding the relationships among organizational support, technical capacity, quality of performance measures, and effectiveness of performance measurement. Although the results confirmed that external support has an indirect effect on effectiveness of performance measurement via technical capacity and quality of performance measures, the hypothesis regarding the direct effect of it on effectiveness of performance measurement was not supported. Moreover, the study found that support of employees and citizens for the use of performance measurement in Turkish municipalities are relatively low, the municipalities have deficiencies both in the quantity and the quality of staff that are responsible for performance measurement activities, and the level of employee involvement in the development of performance measures is low.
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Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: CFE0005487, ucf:50364
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005487

Title: Peak Power Scaling of Nanosecond Pulses in Thulium based Fiber Lasers.
Creator: Gaida, Christian, Richardson, Martin, Shah, Lawrence, Amezcua Correa, Rodrigo, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Thulium based fiber lasers represent a promising alternative for pulse energy scaling and highpeak power generation with ytterbium based systems at 1 micrometer. Advantages of thulium arise fromthe operation at longer wavelengths and a large gain bandwidth (1.8-2.1 micrometer). Nonlinear effects,such as self phase modulation, stimulated Raman scattering and stimulated Brillouin scattering generally limit peak power scaling in fiber lasers. The longer wavelength of thulium fiber lasersand...
Show moreThulium based fiber lasers represent a promising alternative for pulse energy scaling and highpeak power generation with ytterbium based systems at 1 micrometer. Advantages of thulium arise fromthe operation at longer wavelengths and a large gain bandwidth (1.8-2.1 micrometer). Nonlinear effects,such as self phase modulation, stimulated Raman scattering and stimulated Brillouin scattering generally limit peak power scaling in fiber lasers. The longer wavelength of thulium fiber lasersand large mode field areas can significantly increase the nonlinear thresholds. Compared to 1 micrometer systems, thulium fiber lasers enable single mode guidance for two times larger mode field diameterin step index fibers. Similar behavior is expected for index guiding thulium doped photonic crystalfibers.In this work a novel thulium doped rod type photonic crystal fiber design with large mode field diameter (>50 micrometer) was first characterized in CW-lasing configuration and then utilized as finalamplifier in a two stage master oscillator power amplifier. The system generated MW-level peakpower at 6.5ns pulse duration and 1kHz repetition rate. This world record performance exemplifiesthe potential of thulium fiber lasers to supersede ytterbium based systems for very high peak powergeneration in the future.As part of this work a computer model for the transient simulation of pulsed amplification inthulium based fiber lasers was developed. The simulations are in good agreement with the experimentalresults. The computer model can be used for efficient optimization of future thulium basedfiber amplifier designs.
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Date Issued: 2013
Identifier: CFE0004845, ucf:49699
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004845

public policy (3)	+ -
Laser (2)	+ -
OPCPA (2)	+ -
Thulium (2)	+ -
laser (2)	+ -

thulium (2)	+ -
2 ?m (1)	+ -
2 micron (1)	+ -
Behavior Analysis (1)	+ -
Board of Directors (1)	+ -
CPA (1)	+ -
Chalcogenide Glass (1)	+ -
Chirped Pulse Amplification (1)	+ -
DPA (1)	+ -
Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) (1)	+ -
Economies of Scale (1)	+ -
Effectiveness (1)	+ -
Efficiency (1)	+ -
FLorida (1)	+ -
Fiber (1)	+ -
Fiber Amplifier (1)	+ -
Fiber Laser (1)	+ -
Filamentation (1)	+ -
Financial Vulnerability (1)	+ -
Funding Source (1)	+ -
Glass Ceramic (1)	+ -
Gradient Refractive Index (1)	+ -
Great Recession (1)	+ -
Health Insurance (1)	+ -
High Energy Laser (1)	+ -

University of Central Florida (30)	+ -
Martin, Lawrence (18)	+ -
Richardson, Martin (12)	+ -
Shah, Lawrence (12)	+ -
Amezcua Correa, Rodrigo (5)	+ -

Kapucu, Naim (4)	+ -
Wan, Thomas (4)	+ -
Delfyett, Peter (3)	+ -
Gaume, Romain (3)	+ -
Zhang, Ning (3)	+ -
Baudelet, Matthieu (2)	+ -
Hawkins, Christopher (2)	+ -
Hu, Qian (2)	+ -
Richardson, Kathleen (2)	+ -
Sincore, Alex (2)	+ -
Sisken, Laura (2)	+ -
Wang, Xiaohu (2)	+ -
Abdulfattah, Ali (1)	+ -
Allaf, Mamoon (1)	+ -
Ashley West, Atalie (1)	+ -
BEYHAN, ERHAN (1)	+ -
Baker, Paul (1)	+ -
Bodnar, Nathan (1)	+ -
Bradford, Joshua (1)	+ -
Bryer, Thomas (1)	+ -
Chang, Zenghu (1)	+ -
Chen, Hsueh-Fen (1)	+ -
Cook, Craig (1)	+ -
Cook, Justin (1)	+ -
Delnevo, Cristine (1)	+ -

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