Digital Commons Network^™

Crystal Isom, Mark Naison, Steven Payne

Oral Histories

Crystal Isom is a New York native and the eighth president of the Bronx chapter, also known as the family chapter, of Jack and Jill of America, Inc. Jack and Jill works to improve the quality of life for African American mothers and their children through providing them easy access to new opportunities such as scholarships for college and other job opportunities . Isom was raised within a small family dynamic. Her mother was a seamstress who raised Isom on her own. Isom lived in an apartment in East Harlem with her mother, aunt, and grandmother. Her childhood was filled …

A Secret Chord: Finding Meaning In Music, Science, And Faith, John Macinnis

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"Through the harmony and beauty of music, we are resonating with the deeper harmony of creation and perceiving the Triune God who calls it good."

Posting about how music affects the whole person from In All Things, an online hub that offers insight into maintaining and faithful and orthodox Reformed Christian worldview while fearlessly engaging in every aspect of contemporary life – until all is made new.

A Secret Chord

Naturalizing Motherhood: Neoliberal Femininity And The Re-Traditionalization Of Gender In Turkey, Canan Tanir

Sociology Faculty Publications

The recent trends in the social construction of “good mothering” through “naturalism” have become remarkably definitive in Turkey in the last decade. This study presents data from in-depth interviews with naturalist mothers in Istanbul demonstrating four operative mechanisms in their narratives with regard to their conception of gender. Practices of naturalist motherhood depart from systemic criticism and opposition to the ongoing neoliberal conservatization process in Turkey. However, at the same time, they are congruent with the normalization of a patriarchal gender order in this context. I propose that addressing this controversy is contingent on problematizing the focus on choice and …

Noblest Enterprise: Jimmy Carter And The Fight To Establish The U.S. Department Of Education, Stephen R. Merritt

Teaching Social Studies in the Peach State

This paper seeks to survey some of the political forces which clashed in the late 1970s as the U.S. Department of Education was created. It also seeks to posit that President Jimmy Carter’s personal views about schooling in America had more to do with his tireless fight to establish the new department than previous scholars have indicated. Several previous papers on this subject emphasized Carter’s political debt to the National Education Association and that union’s demands that a separate department be created but none focus on Carter’s personal attachment to the ideals of education in a democratic society.

10.20.2025 Ored Connect, Liz Williamson

ORED Newsletter

• OTC Director Candidate Forum
• ORED Small Grants Program RFP

The Big Bang Theory’S Blurred (Tele)Vision Of Scientific Ethics: Some Thoughts For Educators Who Want To Change The Channel, Lee-Anne Broadhead, Sean J. Howard

Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy

This article investigates the way the popular American television program The Big Bang Theory represents the pursuit of scientific knowledge and reflects on the cultural and educational implications of the show’s contradictory problematization and valorization of the reductionist method at the core of modern Eurocentric science. Drawing on story-lines relating to military research, animal experimentation, and pharmaceutical drug trials, we consider the show’s precarious balance of implicit critique (the consistent exposé of systematically violent, often unethical research) and overt celebration (the presentation of science as “cool,” and its practitioners as flawed but endearing). This tension, we argue, enhances the show’s …

Aging By Design, Bruce Vermeer

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"While we may be tempted to see aging as a loss, let us receive it as a gift that refines our faith, strengthens our witness, and deepens our longing to dwell forever with the Lord."

Posting about a ­­­­­­­­healthy perspective on getting older from In All Things, an online hub that offers insight into maintaining and faithful and orthodox Reformed Christian worldview while fearlessly engaging in every aspect of contemporary life – until all is made new.

Aging by Design

The Political Construction Of Anti-Transgender Policy: A Critical Policy Analysis Of North Carolina State Legislators' Discursive Strategies, David Osworth, Morgan Edlin

Journal of Queer and Trans Studies in Education

In recent year anti-LGBTQ policy has been cropping up at the state level across the United States. While these policies have been described as unprecedented, they signal a period of retrenchment for the rights of queer and transgender individuals in the United States. This critical policy analysis of North Carolina state legislation that is decidedly homophobic and transgender examines the discursive tactics of policy actors (i.e. North Carolina Legislators) as they argue these policies during legislative sessions. Through our analysis of legislators’ commentary during House of Representative sessions we identified discursive formations that were considered allied with the LGBTQ community …

Wayward Joy In Queer Femme-Inist Educational Research, Sarah Stapleton, Lindsay Cavanaugh, Jade Crimson Rose Da Costa

Journal of Queer and Trans Studies in Education

This article draws on our experiences with “Femme Educational Futurities,” a dream-mapping (Author 2, 2023), critical arts-based, participatory-informed project about softness in K–12 schools, to explore the boundaries of queer, femme-inist research. We trace how our attempts to enact research softly (Schwartz, 2020) led us towards wayward joy (Hartman, 2019): a messy affective terrain marked by connection, vulnerability, shame, and hope. For each author, we identify what Applebaum (1995) calls a “stop” moment and explore within each instance the convergence of softness, radical love (hooks, 2000) and tender failure (Halberstam, 2011), and discuss what joy means to us as a …

“It Has Made Me Stronger”: The Strengths Of Trans And Nonbinary Teachers, Heather K. Mcentarfer, Matthew D. Rice

Journal of Queer and Trans Studies in Education

This study draws from two data sets collected from interviews with trans and nonbinary (TGNB) teachers. It highlights the strengths related to gender identity and gender history that the teachers bring to schools and classrooms, as identified by the teachers and the researchers. Strengths identified included multiple ways of supporting LGBTQ+ students (especially TGNB students), connecting with all students, greater self-awareness, and seeing beyond “boxes.” The study adapts Pennell’s (2016a, 2016b) queer cultural capital, introducing and exploring TGNB cultural capital.

Generation Z And The Church: A Phenomenological Study Of Perceptions, Barriers, And Opportunities For Church Engagement, Hector Albert Soto

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the perceptions, barriers, and opportunities that shape the relationship between Generation Z and the Christian church, with particular attention to how these factors influence patterns of engagement. Recent trends indicated a significant decline in church engagement among Generation Z, contributing to the erosion of vital resources necessary for the sustained vitality of contemporary Christian congregations (Barna, 2020; Braddy, 2021; Earls, 2020). The study was guided by three research questions: 1) What Generation Z variables did the church need to focus on to attract and retain Gen Z (e.g., social concerns, leadership …

Developing A Ministry Model That Reengages The Members Of Mount Zion Into Fulfilling God’S Purpose, Desmond Wayde Wallace

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Making a meaningful difference within a ministry that requires intervention demands not only strategic planning and teamwork but also leadership that is unwavering in its commitment to fulfilling God’s purpose through service. The church under review has faced significant shifts within its community beginning in the late 1990s and extending into the early 2000s. Unfortunately, these changes did not lead to the anticipated growth and development; instead, they triggered a noticeable decline within both the ministry and the surrounding area. This decline has had a cascading effect, negatively impacting the community and further eroding the church’s vitality, resulting in decreased …

Job Burnout And Executive Leader Turnover, David Zayas

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Executive leadership roles are characterized by increasing organizational demands that necessitate substantial cognitive and physical effort, thereby elevating the risk of emotional exhaustion, diminished work engagement, decreased job satisfaction, and increased turnover intention. This study investigates the impact of organizational and occupational stressors on executive clergy leader burnout and turnover intentions. A qualitative single case study was undertaken to delve into the challenges faced by executive clergy leaders (senior, executive, or associate pastors) in the religious sector, where demanding workloads are exacerbating role ambiguity, creating work-life balance conflicts, fostering unhealthy work practices, and influencing job burnout. Three organizational theories (e.g., …

"Concealed Sorrow": Unveiling The Implications Of Miscarriages On Women In England 1500-1600s, Krista Ann Everson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examines the societal, religious, and political implications of miscarriage in Tudor England, with a particular focus on the experiences of Anne Boleyn. Miscarriage, a profoundly personal yet historically stigmatized event, intersects with broader cultural, theological, and economic forces that shape public and private responses to it. By exploring Anne Boleyn’s miscarriages within the context of Tudor society, this research sheds light on how historical understandings of pregnancy loss have influenced cultural attitudes and policies, offering insights into the lived realities of women in the early modern period.

Identity, Purpose, And Value: Amplifying The Position Of The Millennial At The Beulahland Bible Church, Sam Reid

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Beulahland Bible Church (BBC) experienced growth in 2024. However, a closer look into the development of the BBC revealed a vital concern: the Millennial growth accounted for only 5 percent of the church's overall growth. The researcher of the current DMIN project identified this as a problem. This DMIN undertaking has developed a comprehensive design that addresses the concern and restores the Millennial to its position at the Beulahland Bible Church. This creation is rooted in the instructions given by Jesus Christ to make disciples; this intervention will move beyond the physical construction of the church and carry out this …

Preparing New Life Pentecostal Ministries Young Adults For God’S Design Of Marriage Through Identity Development, Ameerah Brown

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This thesis project, Preparing New Life Pentecostal Ministries Young Adults for God’s Design of Marriage Through Identity Development, addresses the growing crisis of identity, purpose, and relationship instability among young adults within NLPM and beyond. The purpose of this action-oriented research is to provide a theological and spiritually formative framework that prepares young adults for marriage by biblical principles. The project identifies key spiritual and emotional barriers, including unresolved wounds and distorted self-identity. Lack of discipleship and cultural confusion hinder spiritual maturity and readiness for God-ordained relationships. Grounded in Scripture and supported by human development theory and spiritual formation scholars, …

A Plane, A Plaque, And A Prize: J.R.R. Tolkien And Peter Medawar, Kristine Larsen

Journal of Tolkien Research

On May 4, 1941, a military plane crashed near Tolkien's home. This article ties together his family's experience, the impact it had on the Oxford community, and a Nobel Prize, whose winner Tolkien later shared air raid warden duty with.

Teaching Oppositional Resistance To The Weaponization Of Artificial Intelligence In Acts Of Gendered Violence, Lili R. Romann, Elizab​Eth A. Hintz

Feminist Pedagogy

Meeting the aims of this special issue to take a uniquely feminist approach to understanding AI in higher education, we offer a critical commentary to help other scholars apply a critical feminist lens when teaching about the promise of artificial intelligence in the classroom. Specifically, we center pornographic deepfakes as a primal, contemporary, and disastrous example of the gendered weaponization of artificial intelligence. This critical commentary has staying power – equipping future teachers with feminist tools to tackle AI (as well as the inevitable future of AI to come) in pedagogical practice.

Terminating Pregnancies In Boccaccio, Anne C. Leone

Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics - All Scholarship

Analyzing examples from the Decameron (1349-51), De mulieribus claris (1361), and the Corbaccio (1365), I argue that Boccaccio (1313-75) demonstrates an awareness of theological, legal and medical opinions on abortion and contraception at the time. However, he is more attuned to the practical concerns of pregnancy than are many of his contemporaries. Acknowledging the variety of situations facing pregnant people and some parts of their lived experience that were ignored by many religious and legal authorities, Boccaccio highlights a disconnection between theory and practice, and thereby raises questions about the limits of abstract knowledge in the face of practical concerns.

Diversity In Aquatics:4th Special Issue, Tiffany M. Quash Ph.D., Angela K. Beale-Tawfeeq, Steven N. Waller Ph.D.

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

The theme of this special issue is “Building a Community of Champions.” The purpose of this theme is to highlight and promote a civic engagement perspective that engages, advocates, and supports communities of Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) in addressing the national, regional, and local evolving health-related issue of drowning. Aquatic Settings have been a pivotal focal point of social justice, water safety, and public health, not only in the past but also in our present day (Beale-Tawfeeq, Quash, et al, 2023 and Waller and Bemiller, 2023). Diversity In Aquatics (DIA) strives to positively impact the field of aquatics …

If We Tear It Down, We Might Build You A New One: The Troublesome Use Of Eminent Domain And Urban Neighborhood Swimming Pools, Steven N. Waller Ph.D., James H. Bemiller

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

Public swimming pools are a vital part of America’s recreation and sport culture since the early 1900’s. Municipal swimming pools were initially built to provide recreation and hygiene to urban communities, regardless of race or class. However, a complex history of segregation, civil unrest, suburbanization, and funding challenges has resulted in a significant decline in public pools, depriving many communities of vital recreational spaces. In many communities, options for sustaining the operation of swimming pools have resulted in pool closures. Unfortunately, once swimming pools close, especially those in aging neighborhoods in central city areas, they are seldom resurrected. They quickly …

Adopting Stuart Hall’S “Race, The Floating Signifier” As A Conceptual Framework Within Aquatic Research And Education, Kurt J. Cordice

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

During his 1997 lecture at Goldsmiths College in London, Stuart Hall, renowned for his contributions to sociology and cultural studies, offered his argument that the concept of race functions as a Floating Signifier. In this essay, Stuart Hall’s Race, the Floating Signifier is presented as a strong conceptual framework to support more accurate and effective positioning of race as an important consideration within aquatic research and education. Evidence from a range of disciplines, including historical research, is presented to establish both the importance and challenge of race within aquatic research and education. This evidence is also used to demonstrate …

Ethnic Studies: October 2025, Department Of Ethnic Studies

Ethnic Studies Department Newsletters

Here are some department updates and a preview of our Spring 2026 course offerings!

Student Senate Meeting Minutes October 15, 2025, Student Senate-Winona State University

Student Senate Meeting Minutes

This document is the official Winona State University Student Senate Minutes for October 15, 2025.

“I (Still) Need Help On Many Things”: A Writing Center Replication Study Of First-Generation College Students’ Writing Challenges And Cultural Capital, Red Douglas, Ashley Cerku, Isabelle Lundin, Mary Gallagher, Xavier Iriarte, Sophia E. Williams, Kaylie Williams

The Writing Center Journal

Research has increasingly addressed first-generation (FG) students both in and outside the center (Baelemian & Feng, 2013; Bond, 2019; Denny et al., 2018; Ward et al., 2012), but there remains a need to address this unique student population from the perspective of critical theory. In a replication study of Bond’s 2019 “‘I Need Help on Many Things, Please’: A Case Study Analysis of First-Generation College Students’ Use of the Writing Center,” we examined the needs and perceptions of self-reported FG students in a writing center at a large, regional, public R2 university in the Midwest. We gathered preexisting digital data …

Indiana At A Glance: County Trends, 2025 Edition, Roberto Gallardo

Purdue University Press Books

Indiana at a Glance: County Trends, 2025 Edition provides an overview of macro socioeconomic and demographic trends based on county-level data in ten-year periods in Indiana, the upper Midwest region, and the nation. Analyzing data primarily from 2013 through 2023, this book presents information that contextualizes the design and implementation of specific policies enacted by elected officials and community leaders, and reveals the impact these initiatives have on the public.

Inspired, in part, by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Rural America at a Glance reports, as well as the author’s more than twenty years of work in the field, …

“I Just Need Another Set Of Eyes”: Understanding Students’ Idea Of The Writing Center, Isabelle M. Lundin, Neal Lerner

The Writing Center Journal

In this article, we describe writing center clients’ “idea” of the writing center based on interviews with 26 writing center users and qualitative coding of interview transcripts. Participants’ constructs of the writing center provide a lens to better understand how they perceive writing as an activity, the “writing culture” of the institution, the role of the writing center in their writing processes, and, ultimately, if they see writing centers in the way we would expect them to. The tensions we derived from our data are (1) between who and what tutors are and offer: discipline-specific expertise (including the disciplines of …

Relationship Between Years Of Adventist Education And Adherence To The Health Message Among The Seventh-Day Adventists Worldwide, Safary Wa-Mbaleka, Shannon Trecartin, Duane Mcbride

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Ethical Dilemmas Surrounding Community Water Fluoridation, Roopwant Kaur, Herminio Perez, Mark Moss

Journal of the American College of Dentists

Since the 1950s, community water fluoridation (CWF) has stood as a cornerstone of dental public health. However, a growing amount of public scrutiny necessitates reflection on the ethical basis for coming to a firm position on the topic. Aside from CWF, fluoride in the form of ingestible supplements has recently been identified as a concern by the US Food and Drug Administration. Indeed, it is challenging to wade through the facts, opinions, misinformation, and policy shifts. This article examines the ethical dilemmas that surround CWF through the lens of the American Dental Association (ADA) Principles of Ethics and Code of …

J Am Coll Dent 2025 92 1

Journal of the American College of Dentists

The Journal of the American College of Dentists (JACD) publishes scholarly articles, editorials, essays, and reflections addressing the ethical, professional, and social dimensions of dentistry. The Journal serves as a forum for advancing ethics, professionalism, leadership, and excellence within the dental community. By fostering dialogue across disciplines and perspectives, JACD provides readers with insights that encourage ethical, professional practice, lifelong learning, and service to the public, reinforcing dentistry’s commitment to advancing oral healthcare and the common good.