Government agencies throughout California face complicated issues with public employee defined benefit pension plans. Market earnings on pension investments have plummeted with the decline of the U.S. economy. This market downturn increases pension co . . .

Student behavior continues to be a significant concern among administrators and teachers. Traditional suspension and expulsion practices have failed to reduce negative behavior and prevent discriminatory practices. This study investigated secondary ad . . .

Individuals who struggle with a chronic and persistent mental illness can face many obstacles in coping with their daily lives. A community that embraces their mentally ill citizens can find that there can be a cohesive co-existence with these members . . .

Social media has permeated almost every aspect of the lives of anyone who utilizes the internet. Teachers and students are no exception. Students are most likely to use social media sites such as MySpace, Facebook and Twitter. This research focuses on . . .

A 2004 article in the Bakersfield Californian detailed the relationship the community of Kern County had with what the writer calls “throw away” animals. A subsequent series of articles revealed approximately 25,000 animals were being killed in the lo . . .

This policy analysis describes the current expenditures for inmates in California. Expenditures for inmates have not reduced since the state of California has cut back on many programs throughout the state to close the deficit. The goal of this policy . . .

The state of California has made tremendous budget cuts in the last year. Many of these cuts have affected the education of our children. In Bakersfield, CA a state funded women’s center wants to open up a children’s center for the women who have chil . . .

The policy analysis was conducted to find that the use of cell phones while driving causes drivers to be distracted mentally, and visually causing an increase in automobile accidents. According to the findings the use of a cell phone while driving lea . . .

When a child is placed into foster care, the courts and dependency care systems focus on finding a safe haven for the child which means that the child’s education is often overlooked. The long-term effects of not considering the child’s educational ne . . .

Bridges Academy is an alternative education program designed to assist high-risk juveniles who are on probation in obtaining a high school education. This study was conducted in order to evaluate this programs effectiveness in reducing truancy. Past a . . .

In the field of public policy it is important for cities to make choices that provide safety and security for its citizens; to give them a place to live that offers housing, employment and amenities to enjoy. Cities should be fiscally responsible by m . . .

The purpose of this study is to address the different ways in which female and male candidates are combating gender stereotypes in political campaigns. Society has led us to believe that masculine qualities are the qualities in which make good leaders . . .

Reading “The Clerk‟s Tale” can be a frustrating experience, for it seems to mean something, but—even barring modern sensibilities from the analysis—it seems confused or even self-contradictory in its conclusions. Is it the ideal marriage or not? A lit . . .

The textual, biographical and historical inquiry into Charlotte Bronte's novel Jane Eyre will center on the explicit and implicit Christianity of the novel and how it was possibly influenced by Charlotte Bronte's own unconventional religious perspecti . . .

A study of equivocation will yield that this practice commanded a vast amount of attention during the Renaissance, the time period of 1450-1600, in which Jesuitical equivocation was an ongoing phenomenon. The practice became part of the Renaissance er . . .

In this thesis, I seek to resolve the debate over Tiresias’s ability to unify The Waste Land by offering a new perspective—Tiresias as a Modernist Maypole. I propose that Tiresias’s inability to perfectly coalesce the different voices and themes withi . . .

Originally published in 1898 in serial form, The Turn of the Screw has undergone many incarnations. The short story was published again, complete with a preface, in Henry James’s New York Edition, 1907-1909. The version I have chosen to use, edited by . . .

There is a possibility to eradicate infectious diseases with antibiotics. However, new infectious diseases are continually being identified and some known pathogens are again becoming a threat because of antibiotic resistance. Amphibians mostly live i . . .

To approach these concerns, this project seeks to provide an evaluation of the intellectual and personal relationship between authors Ralph Ellison and Kenneth Burke as viewed through the lens of personal correspondence. A review of selected letters d . . .

This study explores the dynamics of the social construction of the conflicting identities of “evangelical Christian” ministers who have embraced atheistic beliefs, but contrary to normal conventions and expectations, have chosen to remain in their rel . . .

The main topic of this thesis focuses on geomagnetic excursions. The exact definition of an excursion is problematic and over time a number of conventions have been used. The traditional excursion is defined by VGPs that travel more than 40° to 45° aw . . .

The soon to retire baby boomers are going to create a strain on the current elderly infrastructure in America. The following is a proposal for an assisted living facility in Mexico. If put into effect the outsourced assisted living facility will help . . .

This policy analysis researches the epidemic of childhood obesity in California and the state’s efforts to reduce obesity by banning competitive food and beverages in public schools. With an extensive literature review of obesity in California and the . . .

The blunt-nosed leopard lizard (Gambelia sila) is a federally and state-listed endangered species, endemic to the San Joaquin Valley, Carrizo and Elkhorn Plains, and Cuyama Valley of central California. Habitat degradation has had a profound impact on . . .

The Tipton kangaroo rat (Dipodomys nitratoides nitratoides), is an endangered subspecies of the San Joaquin Valley kangaroo rat, found in the Tulare basin of the San Joaquin Valley. Dipodomys n. nitratoides and the larger Heermann’s kangaroo rat (Dipo . . .

Intergenerational programming has benefits for both the older adults and the children involved in them. The objective of this project was to work toward the implementation of an intergenerational program at an adult day health care center in Southern . . .

California has been facing a severe fiscal crisis for several years. The challenge before elected officials is providing services and balancing the budget. As the Governor and the Legislature work to solve a projected $26 billion budget deficit for fi . . .

The current Minimum Legal Drinking Age (MLDA) laws were created to save lives and deter underage drinking. Researchers have found that has been a steady occurrence of unsafe drinking practices among college-aged adults (18 to 24 year olds). The most c . . .

Senate Bill 899 was a partial success as it was able to lower the costs of workers’ compensation for California’s insurance carriers and employers. That 2004 reform bill led to a substantial reduction in overall claim volume by limiting the various ex . . .

Purpose of the Study: This thesis examines the patriarchal wounding of my Slavic mother line and follows the healing journey I took to transform wounds to enrich my self-identity in my pursuit toward wholeness Procedure: My study follows the motherli . . .

At the forefront of the American political debate today is the issue of same-sex marriage. The significance of this research is to analyze the political discourse used by the proponents and opponents in the 2008 State of California Proposition 8 or (C . . .

Late in the summer of 1918, Bakersfield and Kern County was consumed by news of the war in Europe. Many hoped they were nearing the end of the deadliest war in history. But as one tragedy was ending another was just beginning. Today, ninety years afte . . .

Since 1994, California‟s three strikes law has been the most far-reaching of all the three strikes laws in the nation. While designed to incapacitate and deter violent habitual offenders from committing further violent crimes, the breadth of the law h . . .

All children should be able to have opportunities for experiences and explorations with nature through their own discoveries. Involved in this process is the importance of children experiencing nature directly, through hands on experiences. The Childr . . .

Federal, state and local environmental regulatory agencies guide the activities of the City of Bakersfield Wastewater Industrial Pretreatment Program. The goals of one of those agencies, the California State Water Resources Control Board is to educate . . .

Law enforcement agencies are encountering dire financial constraints as the depressed economy continues to exist. These agencies are working with significantly reduced staffing levels with no immediately relief anticipated. The current circumstances h . . .

A stratigraphic and structural study from the late Miocene to the present at Wheeler Ridge oil field, Kern County, CA gives new insight into the formation of the Wheeler Ridge anticline and refines previous interpretations. Well log correlations of th . . .

The state of California’s budget deficits have been a problem for decades. There are many signs and published reports demonstrating that financial stability is needed. The revenues for the state of California are volatile, the debt is growing out of c . . .

Purpose of the Study: The endangered Sonoma County population of the California tiger salamander, Ambystoma californiense, undergoes migrations between breeding pools and upland dry-season refugia. Orientation in this species during breeding migration . . .

toogoodtobetrue is a fiction creative project containing a collection of queer short stories designed to examine the unifying and diverse experiences of a modern queer existence. Thematically, the collection seeks to create and explore the practical a . . .

Purpose of the Study: This research study hopes to address the negotiation of important aspects in teaching such as how to foster inquiry and literacy while adhering to standards, specifically the Next Generation Science Standards, and if those standa . . .

Statement of Intent: The intent behind Children of Immigrants is to give a voice to people who are Latinx, Chicanx, or Mexican in a country which constantly shapes our narratives to benefit the Anglo-American narrative. By writing about the culture, r . . .

Rhus ovata is an evergreen shrub species that is common to low elevations in southern California. This species is subdioecious, i.e. some individuals are functionally females and produce fruit while others are functionally male and produce flowers wit . . .

This study of the BCS is an evaluation of the current policies and guidelines’ governing collegiate football’s post-season. By focusing specifically on tax-exempt status bowls, this study highlights a disturbing trend among the individuals in charge o . . .

Summary Associated Students Incorporated at California State University Bakersfield is the student government on campus. ASI not only represents the students of CSUB, but also is a nonprofit organization 501(c) 3 corporation. ASI has never had progra . . .

Public institutions of all kinds are being subjected to more accountability by legislators, educators, the media, and taxpayers. But, U.S. colleges and universities that once enjoyed relative freedom from accountability have been increasingly in the s . . .

Healthcare in rural locations in America continues to draw disparities due to a myriad of issues including access issues, lack of physicians, and lack of facilities in rural locations. It is a pivotal time in the healthcare industry to ensure that the . . .

Chlamydia trachomatis is an intracellular bacterium that causes Chlamydia infections. It is the most common sexually transmitted disease, and is the most preventable cause of infertility in the United States. Since 1994, it has had the highest inciden . . .

This organization currently operates numerous Patient Service Centers where specimens are collected for clinical testing. Many times these sites are failing to meet the corporate standard of 15 minute patient wait times. The organization currently has . . .

Located at the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley of California, Kern County is comprised of over 8000 square miles of desert, mountains, foothills, river and creek bottoms, lakes marsh, and reclaimed land. During the time period of this study- th . . .

In an effort to reduce sexual offenses against minors, the community, political leaders and the media have pushed for new measures and laws. In the process, laws such as Jessica's Law and Megan's Law have been produced, funneling hundreds of millions . . .

With over 1,300 known species, the genus Megaselia Rondani is the largest phorid genus, largely the result of high cryptic diversity and a past tendency for researchers to lump species into the genus that defied convenient classification. For many of . . .

Geochemical and geophysical proxy data from the TL05-4A lake plain cores of Tulare Lake, California extends the previously published record for this lake back to 19,000 cal yr B.P. The new Tulare Lake record principally consists of carbon/nitrogen rat . . .

As of May 2013, the Community Action Partnership of Kern (CAPK) operates an Individual Development Account (IDA) program called Kern IDA in Bakersfield, California, alongside several partner organizations. Unfortunately, Kern IDA has suffered several . . .

This thesis is an evaluability assessment of the Public Safety Realignment Program (AB109) and its potential effect on recidivism. It is anticipated that given the absence of specific language on recidivism reduction in the overall program that the ef . . .

This thesis, entitled “The Politics of Cultural Trauma and Violence in Junot Díaz’s The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao,” asserts that transgenerational trauma takes place in the aftermath of the 1930-1961 reign of Dominican president Rafael Leonidas . . .

Since the turn of the century, the U.S. has become proactive in addressing the obesity epidemic that affects more than two-thirds of the adult population and 17% of children between the ages of two and nineteen (U.S. Dept. of HHS, 2013). However, as p . . .

The N-word, a linguistic tool of racism, has been historically used, by primarily White Americans, to demean and degrade Black Americans, and since slavery ended it continues to be used in a derogatory manner by both Blacks and Whites in the present d . . .

If Shakespeare “invented the human,” a claim made rather spectacularly by the critic Harold Bloom in a 1998 book, then the six British poets who comprised what was to become known as the Romantic Period perfected the mode. Shakespeare, in Bloom’s term . . .

This study investigates whether the use of engagement and instructional strategies studied by Robert Marzano can reduce student behavior problems in primary grades. The strategies for engagement include two categories: daily strategies and opportunist . . .

The phorid fly genus Apocephalus is the largest assemblage of ant-parasitizing Phoridae. Apocephalus is currently organized into two subgenera: A. (Apocephalus) and A. (Mesophora). The species of A. (Mesophora) attack a wide variety of non-ant hosts i . . .

The narcocorrido or drug ballad is a subgenre of the traditional Mexican corrido. Characterized as a violent and drug themed music, the narcocorrido is often criticized for its glorification of the narcolifestyle as it often depicts stories related to . . .

The primary goal of this research is to test four current models for South Asian population history with tooth-size allocation analyses and assess the degree and patterning of sex dimorphism based on tooth size among the Hazara. Odontometric data coll . . .

California schools are suspending and expelling student at rates unprecedented in recent history, and Kern County is leading the way. During the 2010-2011 school year, Kern County averaged thirty-one suspensions for every one hundred students, and the . . .

California has one of the most expensive workers compensation systems in the nation. Employers pay a high premium to carry a workers compensation policy. In California, if employers do not carry any workers compensation they can be subject to high fin . . .

In October 2011, California Governor Jerry Brown signed into law Assembly Bill 109. The law mandates that individuals sentenced to non-serious, non-violent or non-sex offenses serve their sentences in county jails instead of state prison. Since its im . . .

The needs of victims of family violence are more than often unmet. Victims of abuse require a skill set, programming, and help from many individuals to overcome the struggles abuse has caused. They live a constant life of struggle, trauma, and physiol . . .

Kern County, particularly Bakersfield, is experiencing an influx of participants in the underground economy. The underground economy encompasses, for purposes of this study, street vendors of food whose earnings go unregulated. Agencies such as the Ke . . .

There is an epidemic facing today’s youth, that if not acted upon could cause today’s youth to be the first generation to be the first generation to lot out live the previous generation. The epidemic that is facing today’s youth is childhood obesity. . . .

The primary goal of this research is to determine whether highland Pakistani populations share close biological affinities to one another, or if they represent phenetically distant groups. This research is undertaken in order to: 1. Test models of den . . .

Public pensions in the United States have faced unprecedented reforms in recent years. From the smallest special district to the largest states in the union, from the state of Florida all the way to Alaska, public entities across the county have made . . .

The purpose of this research project is to examine the different stressors or indicators of burnout for 911 dispatchers working for both law enforcement organizations as well as fire personnel in the County of Kern. This is a master’s thesis applied r . . .

The purpose of this research is to recommend a program proposal to combat cyberbullying. Bullying in school used to end when the bell rang. Now, with the advancements in technology, comes instantaneous and anonymous ways for cyberbullies to torment th . . .

The two main causes of childhood obesity consuming more refined, high-calorie foods and being less physically active. Research has found contributing factors that cause lower rates of physical activity are excessive video games and television, unsafe . . .

“In pursuit of CSUB’s vision and our commitment to serve the Southern San Joaquin Valley, individuals enrolled in our Department of Public Policy, and Administration (PPA) programs engage in learning experiences to develop new skills and expertise tha . . .

The purpose of this study was to explore training models and funding related to the health care workforce needs of those who serve an older adult population. Three main questions were addressed: What methods of training a health care workforce focused . . .

The DREAM Act has endured a tumultuous journey since its introduction in 2001. The bill has survived multiple revisions, additions to other bills and finally stands alone, as a bill that was a few votes shy of becoming a reality for the Dreamers. Many . . .

Today there is a great debate on the legalization of marijuana. Although the legalization of marijuana is of great importance, this paper is not an argument for the legalization of marijuana. This paper is simply an analysis of the current policies re . . .

The Golden Empire Chapter of the Air & Waste Management Association (AWMA) is a professional organization that provides a continuing education and networking forum for environmental professionals in Kern County. Its goals are to promote environmental . . .

Hydraulic Fracturing has been around for over a hundred years and practiced in the oil field industry. It wasn’t until recently with the big boom in hydraulic fracturing that raised controversy over the regulations involved in fracturing. Part of the . . .

America’s middle class has been shrinking in size and median income due to decades of income inequalities and financial discrepancies. Median-income households have been earning less due to income inequalities that have led to exceeding debt levels an . . .

Cases of trauma being caused by distracted driving are increasing. The following is a sample of plans that can be used to end this problem and the rationale for implementing these plans. While conducting presentations at local area schools, KMC can e . . .

Within recent years, there has been a significant increase in shootings throughout the United States of America. In an effort to prevent the next shooting from occurring, and to keep the United States of America a safer place to live, a policy proposa . . .

In the United States there are millions of illegal immigrants apprehended each year at the border. There are three borders through which immigrants try to enter this country and they are the Coastal Border, Northern Border, and Southwest Border. Over . . .

This thesis consists of creative fiction by the author.

Children with developmental delays have been found to be at higher risk for behavior problems. Marital satisfaction has been found to have strong correlations with child behavior problems. Based on existing research, it is not yet clear whether marita . . .

This qualitative research study focused on students as stakeholders. The research question consisted of how do students benefit from their participation as stakeholders in the school context? The ultimate goal in asking questions regarding students’ i . . .

Immigration had become the culture of America. American history mainly builds by the diversity of immigrants from different places around the world. The first immigrant groups came from Europe which later expanded to immigrants from different continen . . .

After more than a decade, the United States is still struggling to address the academic achievement gap between Hispanic and White students. Addressing this issue is critical considering that a large number of Hispanic college graduates will be needed . . .

California Department of Education’s (CDE) mission is to “provide a world-class education for all students, from early childhood to adulthood. The Department of Education serves our state by innovating and collaborating with educators, schools, parent . . .

For the past several years, the United States has had an issue with drug trafficking. Drug smugglers continue to make persistent efforts to get supply Americans with illicit drugs. They conceal drugs in cargo shipments, vehicles, and hidden compartmen . . .

Domestic violence has been a social issue for many years and response to this problem the Alliance Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault (AAFVSA) was founded by a group of volunteers. The AAFVSA is a nonprofit organization that began by operating . . .

At this time, hospitals and other health care facilities are only able to transfuse the gift of life to a patient in need with the help of voluntary blood donors. However, the number of eligible blood donors was significantly reduced after efforts wer . . .

Children all over the world are victims of bullying each year, and although bullying is thought to have been a normal part of growing up in the past, children are more often suffering from depression and are at higher risk of contemplating suicide (bu . . .

Regulatory safety guidelines are arising to be more present in work environments. With hazards increasing and work hours climbing, organizations of all sizes are faced with compliance issues related to the protection of life and the environment. With . . .

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) has initiated the reshaping of America’s healthcare industry. The new law enacted in March of 2010 recognizes the shortage of primary care providers and has provided incentive funds to increase th . . .

In 2012, the AABB (formerly the American Association of Blood Banks) published updated clinical practice guidelines for transfusions that are significantly more restrictive than those previously released in 2001. The more restrictive guidelines were d . . .

This research study explores the relationship between adult obesity and adult Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in California. The State has been experiencing fast growing rates of increase in adult obesity. SNAP participation also grew . . .

On March 23, 2010, The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) was enacted into Federal law, thereby requiring many changes to the current healthcare system in the United States. A major portion of PPACA is the expansion to Medicare and Med . . .

The study was initiated in the spring of 2013. The study was conducted on five days in May 2013 and one day was spent at each clinic site. A pilot project was conducted at Central Clinic on May 7th, 2013 and four other CSV clinics were surveyed on May . . .