Digital Commons Network^™

Women Leading In Higher Education: Exploring The Experiences Of Women Leaders In Student Affairs, Amelia Lindsay

Honors Theses

Student affairs is a field within higher education that works to support students’ out-of-classroom needs and provide them with a college experience that promotes holistic growth. This study examines the experiences of women leaders in student affairs at a mid-sized university in the southeastern United States and the opportunities and barriers they encountered in their pathways to their careers. Through in-depth, qualitative interviews, clear themes emerged regarding both facilitators of and challenges to their progression to leadership. Data show that their early life characteristics, self-perceptions, collegiate involvement, and mentorship were the largest catalysts in their career trajectories while the challenge …

Modeling Of Aggregate Losses Of Metastatic Cancer Using Katz Family (A, B, 0) Distributions, Cynthia M. Mwau, Howard Omukami

Institute for Educational Development, East Africa

The incidence of metastatic cancer over the years has gradually increased. This can be due to delayed quality treatment, attributed to insufficient funds. Models that can more accurately price cancer insurance policies incorporating its metastatic nature would enable insurance firms to develop affordable and profitable cancer insurance policies. Effectively marketed and reasonably priced insurance policies can enhance the uptake of cancer specific insurance, thereby alleviating the financial strain linked to cancer treatment. To capture the impact of metastatic cancer on overall cancerrelated losses, we construct Katz recursive models grounded in the Katz family of distributions, specifically the (a, b, 0) …

Start With What They Know: Using Motivational Interviewing To Create A Cooking Class, A Culinary Intervention For Teens (Autistic And Non-Autistic), Gwendolyn S. Tedder

LEND Trainee Presentations

Autistic teens are at greater risk for having heart disease and diabetes as adults. Food particularity, sensory issues, fixed mindset, and anxiety over trying new things can slow down their interest in preparing food for themselves. Nurturing basic cooking skills and gently encouraging trying new foods would provide more nutritional options to teens as they move into adulthood. A cooking class preceded by Motivational Interviewing (MI) developed further interest in preparing food afterward in teens, both autistic and non-autistic, and in trying new foods for autistic teens with food concerns.

Not Too Early, Not Too Late: A Framework For Career Guidance In Competency -Based Education (Cbe), Mercy Igoki

Institute for Educational Development, East Africa

The aim of this study is to develop a framework for providing career guidance to learners in Kenyan schools within a competency-based education framework. The framework will give guidance from early childhood to senior schools. It will help learners select careers and develop relevant competencies. Learners are often introduced late to career guidance, mostly when they must make key academic and career decisions, such as subject selection. This timing may limit their ability to make informed decisions about their future career pathways. The study uses a conceptual research design, grounded in a review and synthesis of existing literature on career …

Sjsu Erfa News, Spring 2026, San Jose State University, Emeritus And Retired Faculty Association

Emeritus and Retired Faculty Association (ERFA) Newsletter

Volume 39, No 3

Retreat, Renew, Reflect: Exploring Digital Marketing Strategies For Faith-Based Retreat Centers, Rebecca A. Mickler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In today’s fast-paced world, retreat centers offer a vital opportunity for rest, reflection, and spiritual renewal. Despite growing societal awareness of mental health and wellness, many religiously affiliated retreat centers face stagnant participation, aging leadership, and operational challenges that threaten their long-term sustainability. This qualitative-dominant mixed methods study uses bright spots analysis to examine how Villa Maria Education and Spirituality Center (VMESC), a Catholic retreat center, can strengthen its digital marketing strategies to attract new audiences while maintaining mission alignment.

Bright spots analysis examines positive outliers, organizations that achieve notable success despite operating within similar constraints, to identify practices that …

Pastoral Listening Skills Training In The Black Baptist Church: Equipping Clergy To Better Support Congregants, Regina Pair Allen

Doctor of Ministry Projects and Theses

This study engages a historical survey of qualitative studies of perspectives of Black pastors regarding pastoral care, examining various avenues for training in pastoral listening and the role of ministers as theological clinicians in supporting church ministries and community needs. The findings highlight the ongoing need for professional development among pastors as primary educators and theological clinicians. The study underscores the importance of equipping Black Baptist pastors to address the clinical pastoral needs of African American congregants. The significance to this field of study is providing Black Baptist clergy with practical skills and tools, grounded in theological principles, to better …

Otterbein Towers Spring 2026, Jonathan Atwood

Towers Magazine

Contents:

Around the 'Bein; Towers: A Retrospective; Chapters of Otterbein's Story; Witness to History; Evolution of the Cover and Nameplates; The House the Fritsches Helped Build; The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same; Philanthropy; Alumni Matters; Class Notes.

The Impact Of Social Determinants Of Health On The Emotional Well-Being Of Lgbtq Young Adults, Bridget J. Mantooth-Urso

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

The current study examined whether neighborhood-based social determinants of health (SDOH) were associated with emotional health outcomes among sexual minority young adults ages 18–29, and whether perceived social support mediated this relationship. SDOH refers to the conditions in which individuals are born, grow, live, work, and age, including neighborhood and built environment characteristics that shape access to resources, safety, and well-being. Emotional health in this study was operationalized through self-reported symptoms of depression and anxiety, while social support represented perceived availability and quality of interpersonal resources that may buffer the impact of structural disadvantage. This study utilized a non-experimental, cross-sectional …

Columnas: The Honors Program Newsletter At Bentley University, Amanda Li, Wilson Jan, Michael Raphael, Alexandra Rieckehoff, Karina Wu, Michael Shehata, Nilufar Noorian, Eloise Weintraub

Honors Program

INSIDE THE MODERN WORLD

Page 2: Stepping Out by Amanda Li

Page 3: Inside the Corporate Slop Bowl by Wilson Jan

Page 4: The Silencing: An Evaluation of the Global Attacks on the Right to Protest by Michael Raphael

THE SOUND OF CHANGE

Page 5: The Social, Cultural, and Economic Impact of Bad Bunny by Alexandra Rieckehoff

Page 6: Streaming Changed Music, But Is It Fair to Artists? by Karina Wu

Page 7: Feeling the Music: How Haptic Wearables Are Changing the Way We Experience Sound by Michael Shehata

SHIFTING SYSTEMS

Page 8: The Story Behind Davos, One of the …

Writ And Roe: How And Why American Evangelicals Responded To Abortion And Roe V. Wade (1960-Present), Caiden Hooks

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

Beginning in 1925, evangelical Protestants largely left American politics. During the late 1960s, the pro-life movement was a largely liberal, Roman Catholic cause focused on reversing liberal state abortion laws. After the Supreme Court's ruling on abortion in Roe v. Wade (1973), the political landscape changed dramatically. Over the next decade-and-a-half, evangelicals, including Southern Baptists, re-entered American politics, eventually becoming the face of the pro-life movement and the conservative Religious Right. Southern Baptists in particular, were motivated to join the pro-life movement by statements and material put out by prominent evangelicals, including books, documentaries, and biblical commentary material that laid …

The Impact Of Future Business Leaders Of America (Fbla) On High School Students And Leadership Development, Thomas Michael Robert Ray

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A capstone submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the Ernst and Sara Lane Volgenau College of Education at Morehead State University by Thomas Michael Robert Ray on April 1, 2026.

Uab Libraries News, 04 2026, Uab Libraries

UAB Libraries News

No abstract provided.

Conservation Communication In Web 2.0: A Mixed Methods Analysis Of Alveus Sanctuary's Strategies On Twitch.Tv, Hope Denison

Senior Theses

This thesis examines how environmental creators can effectively transmit conservation messages in the evolving Web 2.0 media environment. The case of Alveus Sanctuary, a virtual sanctuary and education center on Twitch.TV, is used to explore the strategies currently used to engage audiences and raise ecological awareness online. Thematic analysis of interviews with the sanctuary’s founder revealed that Alveus combines traditional environmental education with an influencer business model to engage online audiences, leveraging parasocial behavior, interactivity, and collaboration to garner support. A quantitative content analysis of social media posts revealed that these strategies effectively induce parasocial engagement in online spaces. These …

Morning Meditation: Productivity And Stress In Educators, Harnels Maurice Michell

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

This study examined whether a brief, consistent morning meditation practice could meaningfully influence educators' daily experiences in private schools across South Florida. Teachers often carry a heavy combination of cognitive load, emotional labor, and time pressure, which can erode both productivity and well-being. To explore whether mindfulness could offer practical support in these areas, a 30-day intervention was implemented in which educators engaged in a 15-minute guided meditation each morning before the start of their workday. The purpose of the study was to determine whether this routine produced measurable changes in perceived stress and daily productivity.

Thirty-four educators began the …

Effective Support Services For Black-African International Students, Amy V. Rutledge

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

Currently, 1.5 million F-1 and M-1 students are enrolled in U.S. institutions of higher education (IHEs; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 2025). Although support services for international students are improving, substantial gaps remain in helping these students transition to the next phase of life (Weiner & Ghazarian, 2024). This transcendental phenomenological study examined the lived experiences of six recently graduated Black African international students (BAISs) to identify effective support services for graduate programs, licensure, or legal employment. Participants were recruited through snowball sampling for interviews, which were analyzed using descriptive coding (yielding 61 codes) and thematic analysis (producing six themes). …

Examining How Trauma-Informed Behavior Support Strategies Influence Teachers' Confidence And Instructional Decision-Making In Elementary Settings, Suzan L. Grover

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this practitioner inquiry was to examine how trauma informed behavior support strategies influence teacher confidence and instructional decision making in an elementary school setting. This study was conducted in a low socioeconomic status K–4 school and included general education teachers, special education teachers, and interventionists. Data were collected using a mixed-methods approach, including a pre-survey, classroom observations, and teacher reflection journal entries. Survey data assessed teacher confidence and perceptions of trauma-informed practices, while observational and reflection data provided insight into classroom implementation and teacher mindset. Findings indicated that teachers value trauma-informed practices but demonstrate varying levels of …

Improving Student Behavior Through Physical Activity Breaks, Raymond Duve

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Students struggle to remain on-task throughout long periods of time in class. This results in off-task behaviors and a lack of focus. As a result, this keeps students from maximizing their achievement. Research has shown that classroom activity breaks can help reduce off-task behaviors and improve on-task behaviors for students. This inquiry-based research study aims to find out if classroom activity breaks can improve on-task behaviors, classroom enjoyment for the students, and student behavior. The study used a quantitative approach via a student survey, a tally chart, and behavior log. The findings showed that students had fewer off-task behaviors and …

Digital Scaffolding Interventions And Self-Regulation For Students With High-Incidence Disabilities, Jessica Brown

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The setting of this study takes place in a rural high school, nestled in the center of corn fields, in a self-contained classroom. I’m the assigned leader of this group, an instructional strategist II, which is just a fancy way of titling a special education teacher with endorsements focused on moderate learning and behavior disabilities. Our classroom environment is a community of close-knit students and adults. The 10 students that have been selected for this study range from 9th to 12th grade. Each of these students are equipped with Individualized Education Programs, in the goal areas of social-emotional behaviors and …

Teaching Behavioral Expectations Explicitly And Its Effect On Classroom Behavior In Elementary Classrooms, Jasmine Leigh Spann

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This inquiry-based capstone project examined the impact of explicitly teaching behavioral expectations on student behavior and overall classroom functioning in an elementary classroom. The study was conducted in a third-grade classroom with 17 participating students over a six-week period. The identified problem was the loss of instructional time due to frequent minor disruptions, inconsistent transitions, and unclear behavioral expectations. The intervention focused on proactively teaching, modeling, practicing, and consistently reinforcing classroom expectations. Data was collected using quantitative behavior tracking logs, including the frequency of minor disruptions, major incidents, teacher redirections, and instructional time lost. Findings indicated a consistent decrease in …

Csbs Kudos, Spring 2026, University Of Northern Iowa. College Of Social And Behavioral Sciences.

CSBS Kudos

Contents:

--- Faculty Accolades
--- Retirements - Ken Atkinson, Gregory Bruess, Todd Evans, Mark Grey, James Hall, Wallace Hettle, Mary Losch
--- Promotions - Disa Cornish, Tyler O'Brien, Jayme Renfro, Eran Hanke, Kyle Endres
--- In Memoriam - Mary Louise Franken, John Johnson, Susan Welch, Charlotte C. Wells
--- $1.22 million grant to UNI’s Center for Civic Education
--- University of Northern Iowa receives $2.4 million grant to launch Humanities Hub
--- UNI announces restructuring to strengthen humanities and public service education
--- UNI launches online non-thesis Master of Arts in Geography
--- UNI teacher education program continues to boast …

Expanding Traditional Literacy Frameworks: A Multiliteracies Approach In Elementary Classrooms, Caroline Cuenca

Doctoral Dissertations

Teaching literacy in elementary schools can provide students with a rich, meaningful, and engaging learning experience. Furthermore, cultivating a culturally responsive approach to teaching and learning can promote feelings of acceptance and belonging in young children (Comber, 2018). However, elementary educators are feeling increased pressure to emphasize literacy instruction with a sole focus on foundational literacy skills, standardized curriculum, and accountability measures (Unadkat & Ochoa, 2026). Unfortunately, these instructional practices often limit students' opportunities to engage in creative, collaborative, multimodal, and meaningful learning (Unadkat & Cuenca, 2025). This mixed-methods study examined how a critical multiliteracies curriculum was implemented in a …

2026 April - Mary V. Jordan Center Newsletter, Mary V. Jordan Center, East Tennessee State University

Mary V. Jordan Center Newsletters

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Institutes Of Higher Learning In Deepening Social Impact, Steve Loh, Janna Wong

Asian Management Insights

Institutes of higher learning do more than generate knowledge. At their best, they connect partners, evidence, policy and capability to make social impact more credible, cumulative and durable. 

Abundance Of Microplastics In The Water And Stream Fish Of Big Walnut Creek, David J. Hartman

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

Microplastics are a major threat to both ecosystem and human health. In this study, I investigated the abundance of microplastics at five sites along Big Walnut Creek, Ohio including sites upstream, downstream, and within urban development. Samples were taken from the stream surface water and fish at each site. Microplastics were detected in the surface water and fish at all five sites with a total of 383 microplastic particles found in the 157 fish collected for this study. The mean concentration for all sites was 80.8 particles/m3 in the surface water and 2.4 particles per fish. Microplastics were almost entirely …

Navigating Inclusive Education In The United Arab Emirates: Perspectives From School Leaders And Teachers, Daisy Loyd, Rhoda Myra Garces-Bacsal, Zachary Walker, Najwa Mohamed Alhosani, Hala Elhoweris, Osha Almuhairy, Ahmed Mohamed, Rachel Alison Takriti, Sana Butti Al Maktoum, Amani Mohamed, Hamdah Jibar Alhashmi

All Works

Inclusive education in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been promoted through ambitious policies. These have included a mandated change in nomenclature alongside strengthening the infrastructure and professional development to support inclusive education in mainstream schools. Perspectives from school leaders and teachers across the country about these changes and their implementation have not been captured. This research used a qualitative methodology to explore school leaders' and teachers' perspectives of inclusive education policy and practice. Participants included 22 school leaders and 57 teachers from public and private schools across the seven Emirates of the UAE. Data were collected through group and …

Leadership Challenges In Achieving Healthcare Interoperability: A Cross-Sectional Survey Of Patient Experiences, Hoshiar J. Sher

Education Doctoral

Healthcare interoperability remains constrained not only by technical barriers but also by leadership, governance, and administrative fragmentation. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to examine how leadership-related barriers to interoperability were reflected in patients’ and caregivers’ experiences with administrative clarity, system integration complexity, trust in leadership, satisfaction, and switching behavior. Guided by transformational leadership theory, data were collected through an online survey of 435 U.S. adults who managed healthcare administrative tasks for themselves or family members. Descriptive, subgroup, and multivariable analyses were conducted to address five research questions. Respondents reported moderate coverage clarity and billing ease, elevated billing …

Building Teacher Capacity To Support Newcomer Multilingual Learners In Upper Elementary Classrooms, Grace Getchell-Ochoa

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

As classrooms become more linguistically diverse, many teachers are working with newcomer multilingual learners and questioning how best to support their learning and engagement. This capstone project explored the question: How can a web-based resource platform enhance teachers’ knowledge and practices for interacting with and engaging newcomer multilingual learners in upper-elementary classrooms? The purpose of this project was to create a practical and accessible resource that helps bridge the gap between research and classroom practice. This project was influenced by research on language development, structured student interaction, and culturally and linguistically responsive teaching (Alvarez et al., 2023; Umansky et al., …

How Can Professional Development Be Designed To Better Equip Teachers To Support Multilingual And Immigrant Students Emotionally, Socially, And Academically In U.S. Elementary Schools?, Safiie Seitaptiieva

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This capstone project examines how professional development can better support teachers working with multilingual and immigrant students in elementary classrooms. Research highlights that culturally responsive teaching, inclusive curriculum design, and social-emotional learning are essential for improving student engagement and academic success in diverse learning environments, and this project draws on these frameworks to explore how educators can create more equitable and effective instructional practices. The study uses a qualitative approach, combining a review of existing research with professional classroom experience in the United States, and focuses on strategies such as adapting instruction, building meaningful relationships, and creating accessible learning environments …

Geographies Of Change: Exploring Demographic Shifts & Civic Engagement Through Gis-Based Inquiry, Emily Murphy

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question addressed by my Capstone project was: How can an ArcGIS-based inquiry project about local demographic change be designed to engage students in civics and community identity? It is based within secondary social studies education, particularly human geography. Through a constructivist approach, this project applies key findings from research on Geographic Information Systems (GIS), geographic inquiry-based learning, spatial citizenship, and suburban demographic shifts. These highlight the instructional potential of ArcGIS for student-centered interactivity and spatial analysis, as well as challenges in implementation. Using a backwards-planning curriculum design methodology informed by Understanding by Design (UbD), this project develops a …