Artist Statement from the MFA Exhibition: "In my recent work, I have expanded upon the deconstruction, reconstruction, and reflection that has informed my artistic process for many years. My working method involves using remnants from previous works; they reappear in their original form or are reworked, aged destroyed, or recreated from different materials. My Process allows me to illustrate the passage of time as older work takes on new forms in a renewed context. New connections begin to surface as my paintings and accompanying objects are layered into a work about the passage of time as well as other passages; a migratory mentality know to all who live away from home."

This article is a short biography of journalist Robbie Owens describing her childhood in Kildare and her career as a reporter, highlighting specific memories and her thoughts about the field.

Photograph of Abigail Mueller, Maren Garcia, and an unidentified student petting a therapy dog in the Willis Library.

Photograph of Abigail Mueller and Maren Garcia petting a therapy dog in the Willis Library. Several other people are visible sitting around the room.

Photograph of Shannon Williams, Maren Garcia, and Abigail Mueller petting a therapy dog in the Willis Library. The dog's handler and several unidentified people are also partially visible.

Photograph of Jodi Rhinehart-Doty, Rachael Zipperer, and others petting a therapy dog in the Willis Library. Several other people are visible sitting around the room.

Photograph of Abigail Mueller, Maren Garcia, and an unidentified student petting a therapy dog in the Willis Library.

Photograph of several people petting a therapy dog in the Willis Library while the dog's handler holds the dogs leash.

Photograph of Maren Garcia, Abigail Mueller, and unidentified people petting a therapy dog in the Willis Library.

Photograph of Shannon Williams, Jodi Rhinehart-Doty, and Adriance Rhoades petting a therapy dog in the Willis Library.

Photograph of several people petting a therapy dog in the Willis Library while the dog's handler holds the dogs leash.

Photograph of Maren Garcia, Abigail Mueller, and unidentified people petting a therapy dog in the Willis Library.

Photograph of Maren Garcia and Abigail Mueller posing while unidentified people pet a therapy dog in the Willis Library.

Photograph of Abigail Mueller and Maren Garcia petting a therapy dog in the Willis Library. Several other people are visible sitting around the room.

Photograph of Abigail Mueller, Maren Garcia, and an unidentified student playing with a therapy dog in the Willis Library.

Photograph of several people petting a therapy dog in the Willis Library while the dog's handler holds the dogs leash.

Photograph of Shannon Williams and Jodi Rhinehart-Doty petting a therapy dog in the Willis Library while the dog's handler holds the dog's leash and hands dog treats to Rachael Zipperer.

Photograph of Shannon Williams, Jodi Rhinehart-Doty, and Rachael Zipperer petting a therapy dog in the Willis Library.

Photograph of Jodi Rhinehart-Doty, Rachael Zipperer, and others petting a therapy dog in the Willis Library while the dog's handler holds the dog's leash. Several other people are visible sitting around the room.

Photograph of Jodi Rhinehart-Doty, Rachael Zipperer, and others petting a therapy dog in the Willis Library. Several other people are visible sitting around the room.

C-lignin (caffeyl-lignin) is a novel linear lignin polymer found in the seed coats of several non-crop plants, notably Vanilla planifolia (Vanilla), Jatropha Curcas (Jatropha), and Cleome hassleriana (Cleome). C-lignin has several advantages over normal G/S-lignin, found in the majority of lignocellulosic biomass, for valorization in the context of bioprocessing: less cross-linking to cell wall polysaccharides (less recalcitrant biomass), ordered linkages between monomers (homogeneous polymer), and no branching points (linear polymer). These properties make C-lignin an attractive replacement for native lignin in lignocellulosic biomass crops. The seed coats of Cleome hassleriana (Cleome) synthesize G-lignin during early seed maturation, then switch to synthesis of C-lignin during late maturation. This switch to C-lignin in Cleome seed coats is accompanied by loss of caffeoyl-CoA 3-O-methyltransferase (CCoAOMT) and caffeic acid 3-O-methyltransferase (COMT) activities, along with changes in transcript abundance of several lignin related genes. The focus of this research thesis is to understand the biochemical changes leading to C-lignin deposition in Cleome hassleriana seed coats, and to explore the ability of Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings to polymerize caffeyl alcohol to C-lignin. In this thesis, candidate transcripts were implicated in C-lignin biosynthesis by differential gene expression analysis of transcripts in seed coat tissues at 8-18 days after …

The role of the principal has become increasingly complex and challenging. Recent emphasis has been placed on the role of principals as leaders who can build a culture of learning in schools to close the student achievement gap. Outside factors such as fast-growth in Texas have caused schools to change and grow quickly, which increases the learning demands placed on principals as they seek to develop the knowledge and skills needed for effective leadership. Developing and sustaining a professional learning community is a powerful strategy that has been found to improve teaching and learning, however developing professional learning communities requires skilled leadership. Limited research exists regarding how principals learn to implement and sustain professional learning communities within fast-growth districts, therefore, with this phenomenological qualitative research, I explored the lived experiences of seven principals within one fast-growth district in Texas to explore how they learned to develop and sustain a professional learning community.

In rural, low socioeconomic public schools, the diversity of the student population challenges teachers beyond their means to meet the wide-ranging needs of students, and therefore creating opportunity gaps. The purpose of this study was to explore one district's leadership support of teachers to create an equitable learning environment for all students. The present study built on existing literature by discovering leadership practices and perceived necessary supports for closing achievement gaps in K-12 classrooms. Through interviews with district and school administrators, classroom teachers, and observations of leadership meetings, the research for this case study included data collection and analysis. From the interview questions and observations, six themes emerged. The themes revealed from the data collected and analysis for this qualitative study aligned with the components of the conceptual framework, a sequence of initiative requirements for equitable learning environments. Developing a sequence of initiatives among all levels of educators could benefit sustainment of an equitable learning environment in Rural ISD. Recommended for further research is professional development to both leadership and teachers about professional learning communities (PLCs). In addition, study of parent education programs and how relationships achieve more parental involvement requires further research. A final recommendation for collegiate education preparation …

Improving water efficiency is and will continue to be a top concern to meet the world food production demands for a growing population. By having a clear understanding of water efficiencies, communities will be able to address these concerns from an economic standpoint and use more productive methods to grow food and limit water consumption. This study examines the water efficiencies of three irrigation methods over a single growing season in southeastern Oklahoma. Two crops, tomatoes and cucumbers, were grown using drip irrigation, a self-wicking container, and a non-circulating hydroponics barrel. Results at the end of the season showed the drip irrigation method had the highest water efficiency in terms of yield of product over water applied for both crops. The drip irrigation method also had the lowest associated set up costs and second lowest time requirements after the hydroponics method. These results were found to be consistent with other studies that compared drip irrigation to other irrigation methods and showed drip to have the highest water efficiencies.