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J Am Coll Dent 2026 92 2b

Journal of the American College of Dentists

This special issue of the Journal of the American College of Dentists responds to a growing but long-underrecognized demand for humanities and ethics in dental education, practice, and scholarship. It emerges from the work of the National Collaborative on Humanities and Ethics in Dentistry (NCHED), a multi-institutional partnership formed in 2023 to address the persistent exclusion of dentistry from broader health humanities conversations. Through national webinars and scholarly collaboration, NCHED has demonstrated substantial interest in ethical reflection, historical analysis, narrative inquiry, and the arts as essential to understanding oral health and dental care.

The unexpectedly strong response to the call …

Evaluating The Burnout Mitigating Effects Of A Structured Mentorship Program In Newly Hired Advanced Practice Providers, Melissa Soper

DNP Projects

Importance: Burnout is a leading driver of clinician intent to leave, lower productivity, increased medical errors, and increased resource use.

Objective: The purpose of this project was to evaluate the effects of an evidence-based mentorship program on newly hired advanced practice providers’ (APPs’) level of stress, burnout, and professional fulfillment.

Results: At baseline, APPs demonstrated higher stress levels, moderate professional fulfillment, and low burnout. Outcomes showed improvement at the end of a mentorship program.

Conclusion: Longitudinal studies with larger sample sizes are needed to determine the true effect of a 6-month mentorship intervention on APP burnout, stress, and professional fulfillment.

Artificial Intelligence–Enabled Revenue Cycle Management And Financial Performance In Healthcare Organizations, K’Reesa Webster

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this review was to examine how artificial intelligence–enabled revenue cycle management (AI-enabled RCM) systems have been associated with financial performance outcomes in healthcare organizations. A literature review following a systematic process consistent with PRISMA 2020 guidelines was conducted to identify quantitative studies published between 2015 and 2026. Eligible studies were required to report at least one financial outcome related to claim denial rate, days in accounts receivable, or operating margin. Twenty-seven studies met all inclusion criteria. Findings across these studies indicated that AI-enabled RCM systems have been associated with lower denial rates, shorter accounts receivable timelines, and …

Integrating Social Media And Entrepreneurship: A Study Of Social Media, Creativity, Strategy, And Innovation In Building A Successful Brand Presence In The Digital Era, Lys Ishiari

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Social media has completely changed what it means to start a business. It was once just a place for personal interactions but is currently a powerful channel that drives the growth of multiple industries (Felicia, 2022). Now, anyone can use their personal creativity and hobbies to build a brand, especially on apps like Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. The purpose of this study is to identify the common themes behind social media entrepreneurs’ success, which allows individuals to become both creators and business owners in the digital age. Furthermore, a key part of writing this paper is personal; it connects to …

Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy And Alcohol Use Disorder, Zoe R. Evans

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This current paper has studied whether the psilocybin-assisted treatment has been linked with meaningful shifts in three clinical outcomes among adults 18 years old and above diagnosed with alcohol use disorder (AUD): percentage of heavy drinking days, abstinence rates, and neural responsiveness to alcohol-related cues. A literature review following a systematic approach was performed using guidelines from PRISMA 2020 based on four databases, namely PubMed and PsycINFO, and Scopus and CINAHL, where peer-reviewed articles published between 2015 and 2026 were included. A semi-structured professional interview with a clinical researcher in the Division of Addiction Sciences of Marshall University was also …

Does A More Functionally Diverse Top Management Team Make The Financial Statements More Comparable?, Md Mahmudul Hasan, Audrey Wen-Hsin Hsu, Sayan Sarkar, Tsung-Hsuan Joey Yang

Accounting Faculty Publications

We examine whether top management team (TMT) functional diversity affects financial statement comparability. Drawing upon upper echelons theory and the information sharing perspective in diversity research, we argue that TMT functional diversity produces more comparable financial statements due to better information sharing and integration. Using a sample of US firms, we find that financial statement comparability is positively associated with TMT functional diversity. We also find that the positive relationship between TMT functional diversity and comparability is more pronounced in firms with a poor information environment. Our findings remain robust after addressing endogeneity concerns. This study contributes to the existing …

The Future Begins Today: A Case Study On Retirement And Hsa Decisions, Bonnie R. Albritton, Amy Foshee Holmes, Stephan A. Stewart

School of Business Faculty Research

This case study explores retirement and health plan decisions faced by many students who are newly hired as full-time employees. Students are drawn into the storyline of two former college classmates and friends as one accepts a full-time position after graduation and the other seeks a master's degree in accounting. The accounting student takes on the role of a consultant to research retirement and health plan options, calculate the impact on take-home pay, and estimate taxable income and related taxes. Learning objectives for the case include understanding how the tax consequences differ between retirement plans, explaining the attributes of a …

Developing Empathy In Business Students Through Humanities-Based Study Abroad: An Exploratory Empirical Study, Jorge Colazo, Makiko Fukuda, Katsuo Nishikawa Chávez

School of Business Faculty Research

No abstract provided.

Unlocking Organizational Support Through Psychological Empowerment: Identification And Test Of Transformational Leadership As A Catalyst Of Perceived Organizational Support, Ryan L. Klinger, Nathapon Siangchokyoo, Tipat Sottiwan

Management Faculty Publications

Organizational support theory (OST) explains how employees develop and respond to beliefs about their organization, with perceived organizational support (POS) representing a central construct within this framework. Integrating psychological empowerment theory, we examine an intrinsic motivational pathway through which POS relates to employee in-role performance and identify transformational leadership as a contextual catalyst that may strengthen this process. We test a multilevel moderated mediation model using multisource and multi-time data from 217 employees and 41 supervisors. Results indicate that POS is positively related to in-role performance through the psychological empowerment dimensions of competence and self-determination. Moreover, transformational leadership strengthens the …

The Successful Transition To Executive Leadership Roles In The Pharmaceutical Industry, Eddie J. Fuller

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The underrepresentation of minority groups in leadership roles within the pharmaceutical industry constitutes a significant issue, as evidenced by various studies. These studies consistently indicate that individuals from underrepresented groups are less likely to progress into leadership positions. It appears that much of the existing literature discusses African American women as the identified underrepresented group. This dissertation investigates the underrepresentation of minority groups in leadership roles within the pharmaceutical industry. The sample comprises both minority and majority participants who currently hold or have previously held leadership positions in pharmaceutical companies within the United States. This dissertation uses survey questionnaires to …

Attract Or Repel: Ceo Activism & Gen Z Pursuits, William Thomas Garrett

Open Access Dissertations

This study examines the effect of CEO sociopolitical activism on Gen Z job seekers by conceptualizing the former as an identity-implicating experience that poses either an identity opportunity or identity threat. As part of a 3 x 3 experimental study, participants reviewed comments about a proposed transgender bathroom bill made by the CEO of a fictional potential employer. The experiment introduced features of organizational policies governing internal discussions of political and social issues in the workplace and measured the ability of the policies to influence the potential applicant’s perception of an opportunity or threat. Results examined the relationship between the …

Information Asymmetry: A Configurational Perspective In Buyer-Supplier Relationships, Soode Vaezinejad

Open Access Dissertations

Information asymmetry in buyer-supplier relationships has been linked to several influencing factors. However, these factors are often examined in isolation, limiting understanding of their synergistic effects. Grounded in agency theory, signaling theory, and transaction cost economics, this study adopts a configurational perspective to examine which combinations of factors lead to high information asymmetry. Using a three-part study design, we first conduct a systematic literature review to identify relevant factors, which are then refined and prioritized through a Delphi study. Building on this foundation, fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) is applied to survey data from 385 buyer managers to uncover equifinal …

Unpacking And Re-Imagining Dental Ethics With Anti-Oppressive And Interdisciplinary Praxis, Eleanor Fleming Phd, Dds, Mph, Ficd, Facd

Journal of the American College of Dentists

Dental ethics are assumed to be neutral in their intent. With a social contract grounded in liberalism and assumptions centering whiteness, the resulting ethics reinforce hierarchy, otherness, and inequities. Because concepts and practices are rarely neutral, dental ethics is embedded with biases, which results in it falling short of the demands of the 21st century and exacerbating health inequities rather than supporting efforts for health justice. This manuscript invites the reader to reflect critically and re-imagine dental ethics using anti-oppressive and interdisciplinary praxis. For the improvement of public health, the narrowing of inequities, and a functioning oral health system, the …

From Privacy To Profit: The Evolution Of Name, Image, And Likeness Rights And The Revolution In College Athletics Toward Collegiate Capitalism, Donald M. Remy

Dickinson Law Review (2017-Present)

The story of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rights in American law is one of adaptation, transformation, and ultimately, revolution. What began as a modest recognition of personal dignity in the late 19th century has evolved into a multibillion-dollar framework that has fundamentally altered the landscape of college athletics. The journey from Samuel Warren and Louis Brandeis’s seminal articulation of the “right to be let alone” to the June 2025 approval of the House v. NCAA¹ settlement represents not merely a doctrinal evolution but a profound shift in how American society conceptualizes the relationship between identity, commerce, and fair …

Allyship And Social Support Networks: Examining Feelings Of Safety And Confidence Among Lgbtq+ Sports Officials, Jacob K. Tingle, B. L. Jacobs, A. C. Baeth, M. Katz, C. C. Zvosec

School of Business Faculty Research

For LGBTQ+ employees, research has indicated they feel othered, isolated, and unwelcome within their work communities. In other settings, social networks have been shown to provide stability and a sense of belonging that increases factors associated with mental health, such as self-care, stress moderation, and increased coping behaviors. Because of this, we examined the social networks of self-identified LGBTQ+ sports officials utilizing egocentric network analysis to better understand the influence of LGBTQ+ officials’ social networks on their feelings of safety and confidence and decisions to continue officiating. Participants responded to questions about people (alters) they considered to be allies in …

Self-Leadership And Perceptions Of Artificial Intelligence: A Single-Case Study, Patrik Garren

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this single-case qualitative project is to uncover how self-leadership’s behavioral and cognitive strategies influence perceptions of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and AI adoption. While existing literature acknowledges that there is an association between self-leadership, technology’s perceived usefulness and ease of use, as well as comfort with AI preparedness and its professional impact, there is limited research on how self-leadership shapes perceptions of AI and AI adoption in real-life contexts. To fill this gap in contemporary literature, this project analyzes qualitative semi-structured interviews with 25 healthcare professionals involved in the implementation of ‘AI Model 1’ at their mid-sized United …

Upper Echelons And Corporate Venture Capital: Ceo Effects On Investment Direction And Resource Deployment, Ralph Judicael Mompoint

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study examines how founder-CEO status shapes the strategic orientation of corporate venture capital (CVC) activity. Drawing on upper echelons theory, I argue that founder-CEOs differ from non-founder CEOs in where they direct CVC investments, not simply in whether they engage in CVC at all. Using a panel of S&P 500 firms spanning 2004 through 2024, I test whether founder-CEOs pursue greater CVC activity overall and whether they concentrate that activity in ventures operating within the firm's core industry. Results from random-effects negative binomial regression models show that founder-CEO status is positively associated with core-industry CVC but not with investments …

Well, If You Put It That Way Three Studies On Contract Framing In Incomplete Contract Environments, Garrison L. Nuttall

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

This dissertation contains three studies examining contract framing, with implications for how organizations structure and frame performance-based compensation systems. Across all studies, I compare penalty contracts to bonus contracts with gain framing and bonus contracts with loss framing. My first study examines how managers prefer to frame performance-based compensation systems on average and identifies how the traits trust propensity, empathy, personal norm of reciprocity, loss aversion, Machiavellianism, and critical thinking disposition are associated with certain preferences. I find that mangers prefer bonus contracts to penalty contracts on average and that empathy is positively associated with this preference. My second study …

Bare Bones Creamery/Ice Cream, Hanna Pope, Mason Dexter, Stephen Parker, Evan Trumpower, Logan Miller

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Essentially, our project focuses on the fictional company, “Bare Bones Creamery.” Bare Bones Creamery is a company that sells all natural, affordable, no nonsense ice cream targeted towards people between the ages of 18 to 40. Our main goal is to document the process to grow and scale this company to 100 employees in about 10 years. Outside of this, we’ll also develop different departments of the company including finance, accounting, supply chain, IT/ data analytics, human resources, legal, sales, and marketing. Each department will grow with the company and will become more detailed as time progresses. Certain variables such …

Pawpulse Dog Collar, Sean Graham, Hailey Barger, Connor Mulichak, Addison Towne, Kieran Nolan

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

PawPulse is revolutionizing pet care through innovative technology that enhances pet health, safety, and well-being. Combining advanced hardware designs, AI-driven analytics, and IoT integrations, PawPulse offers a comprehensive ecosystem that empowers pet owners with actionable insights into their pets' health and activity. As a global leader in pet health technology, PawPulse integrates features like real-time health monitoring, predictive analytics, and location tracking into a seamless mobile app experience.

This project examines the growth and scaling strategies of PawPulse, focusing on critical areas such as Information Systems, Analytics, and Legal frameworks. It details the company's strategic evolution from a startup to …