Digital Commons Network^™

Summer 2026, Augustana College, Rock Island Illinois

Augustana Magazine

No abstract provided.

Working Out Loud Resilience In Cooperative Extension: Results From An Internal Pilot Program, Lyndi M. Buckingham-Schutt, Debra Sellers, Barbara Dunn Swanson, Jody Catherine Gatewood

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

This study evaluates Working Out Loud (WOL) Resilience, a program designed to enhance resilience through peer-to-peer learning, targeting social isolation and self-determination. The WOL Resilience pilot program, delivered by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach facilitators, included 29 participants and 5 facilitators over 8 weeks. Participants engaged in weekly sessions focusing on 8 resilience attributes. Evaluation included baseline, midpoint, and post surveys; facilitator feedback forms; and interviews. Results showed improvements in resilience attributes from baseline to post-program and indicated high program acceptability and positive behavioral changes. The peer-to-peer learning model proved beneficial for participants and feasible for delivery through Extension …

Building Community Leadership Capacity Through Extension Partnerships: An Evaluation Case Study, Paul A. Hill, Lendel K. Narine

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

This evaluation study examines the effectiveness of the Leadership Dixie program in enhancing leadership capacity among participants in Washington County, Utah. As a program partner, Utah State University (USU) Extension conducted the evaluation on the program’s 25th class, comprising 27 participants (N = 27). The program, characterized by 10 monthly “Challenge Day” field tours, was evaluated using two instruments to collect data on participant learning and satisfaction levels, overall program experience, demographics, and impacts on social capital, interpersonal leadership skills, community engagement, and volunteerism. Results indicate strong positive outcomes in social capital, community engagement, and volunteerism while highlighting areas for …

Evaluating The Impact Of A Community-Based Prenatal Education Program On Maternal Knowledge And Intentions In Utah, Aaron T. Hunt, Jenna Dyckman, Kaylee Cox

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

Maternal and infant health in the U.S. has worsened, with rising rates of maternal mortality, gestational diabetes, postpartum depression, and infant mortality. Prenatal education is a proven strategy to improve outcomes, yet many expecting parents rely on unvetted information or lack access to reliable resources. To address this gap, a pilot prenatal education program was implemented through Utah State University Extension to improve knowledge, attitudes, and intentions related to breastfeeding, nutrition, mental health, and other key topics. The program consisted of 3 1-hour, evidence-based workshops incorporating lectures and interactive activities. A retrospective pre-post survey was completed by 28 pregnant participants …

Geomapping With Python: An Innovative Data Visualization Technique, Tirna Purkait, Dipti Dev

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

No abstract provided.

Perspectives Of Scholars, Families, And Advisors On 360-Degree Video Technology In Graduate Education, Oluwatobi A. Mogbojuri, Bridget A. Walsh, Matthew Aguirre

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

This study explored the experiences of scholars in creating and sharing 360-degree videos, as well as the perspectives of families and advisors who viewed the videos. Focus groups and individual interviews were conducted online using a videoconferencing platform. Perspectives from 20 participants (15 scholars, three advisors, and two family members) were analyzed using thematic analysis. Three primary themes were identified: (1) barriers to 360-degree video use, (2) perspective shifts and limited change, and (3) storytelling and scholar visibility. Findings suggest that 360-degree video technology may be an innovative tool for enhancing recruitment and retention, especially for historically marginalized groups, through …

Reflections On Participation In Collective Impact Initiatives: Through The Lens Of Extension Practitioners, Omolola A. Adedokun, Marian Jaitto-Jeffrey, Jacqueline Corum

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

Collective Impact (CI) continues to gain recognition as a useful model for guiding the development, implementation, and evaluation of cross-sectoral efforts addressing complex social issues, including substance use recovery and workforce development. However, application of CI in Extension is very scant, and evaluation of its implementation, process, and outcomes remains a persistent challenge. Hence, the need for rigorous process and outcome evaluations of CI initiatives to build the literature base. Using a mix of focus group and survey methods, this process evaluation study examined Extension professionals’ experiences in two CI initiatives, with a specific focus on their perceptions of the …

Evaluating The Lasting Impacts Of A Dialogue-To-Change Program On Racial Understanding Using Ripple Effect Mapping, Mary Emery, Anuradha Choudhary, Mike D. Stout, Grace Langford, Eric Walcott, Marcia Ostrom

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

This paper explores the impacts of Coming Together for Racial Understanding (Coming Together), using Ripple Effect Mapping (REM). REM is a participatory evaluation tool that captures and analyzes intended and unintended outcomes. This method maps how individual change leads to wider changes in interactions and activities, from personal, interpersonal, institutional, and cultural levels to the widest ripple of the potential for change in policy, structure, and accepted practice. We adapted REM for virtual settings using Google Jamboard to hold two REM sessions with 20 participants and used mapping results to populate a follow-up survey for 2018 and 2019 training participants. …

Culturally Responsive Evaluation In Extension Programs For Indigenous Youth, Sara M. Tomis, J.C. Bunch, Amy Harder, T. Grady Roberts

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

Indigenous communities, deserving and in need of salient Extension services, experience disparity in programming and culturally responsive evaluation because of historic and current social and financial barriers. An exploration of culturally responsive evaluation practices in Extension programs serving Indigenous youth audiences is warranted to identify areas for improvement. A focus group of Extension professionals was conducted to investigate evaluation practice within a federally funded Extension program. Findings indicated that Extension professionals were committed to operating and evaluating in ways that respected Indigenous culture, but improvements in culturally responsive practice are needed among both university and federal partners.

Trauma-Informed And Culturally Responsive Teaching Practices To Support Multilingual Learners In K-12 Classrooms, Emily Johnson

Graduate Teacher Education

This Capstone paper examined how trauma-informed (TI) and culturally responsive (CR) belonging of multilingual learners (MLs) in K-12 classrooms. This study evaluated the intersection of TI education and CR teaching as a framework to support MLs. With MLs representing approximately 10% of the U.S. student population (NCES, 2024), schools faced an urgent need to address the academic, linguistic, and social-emotional challenges due to adverse childhood experiences, migration-related stress, displacement, and cultural adjustment. The literature review included qualitative, quantitative, mixed-methods, and intervention-based studies examining MLs, refugee-background students, teacher perceptions, professional development, school-based interventions, and CR instructional practices. This paper explored how …

Automated Scoring Of Prosody In Oral Reading Fluency: Integrating Acoustic And Sentence/Chunk-Level Silence Features With Machine Learning, Kuo Wang

Education Policy and Leadership Theses and Dissertations

Prosody, the ability to read with appropriate variation in pitch, duration, pausing, and stress, is an important (and challenging to measure) dimension of oral reading fluency (ORF) and comprehension. ORF prosody is currently measured through human raters and rubric-based scoring systems (e.g., the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) or the Multidimensional Fluency Scale (MDFS scales). The rating process is labor and resource-intensive and introduces rater bias. Recent work has shown acoustic features to predict prosody ratings; however, their models had low generalization performance on cross-domain data (unseen passages and student samples).

The present study investigated the automated assessment of …

Female Athletes With Differences Of Sex Development (Dsd): A Christian Perspective On Fairness And Compassion, Angela M. Robles

Movement and Being: The Journal of the Christian Society for Kinesiology, Leisure and Sports Studies

One of the most significant controversies in elite women’s sport relates to the participation of female athletes with differences of sex development (DSD), as demonstrated by recent Olympic debates surrounding athletes like Imane Khelif and Caster Semenya. Today, a complex challenge continues to evolve at the intersection of DSD and competitive sports, and it requires careful consideration. The central argument of this paper is that DSD athletes are worthy of compassionate treatment grounded in their inherent dignity, and is founded on the understanding of what it means for humans to be created in the image of God (imago Dei). The …

A Holistic Christian Perspective On Wellness For College Students - A Qualitative Analysis, Shari L. Jurgens, Deb Majewski, Jessica Clevering

Movement and Being: The Journal of the Christian Society for Kinesiology, Leisure and Sports Studies

Aim: This study sought to explore the impact of a Christ-centered, holistic wellness course on college-aged students’ understanding of key wellness principles. The goal was to gain insight into how students comprehend and apply these principles considering their spiritual and personal development.

Background: Wellness education for undergraduate students is both timely and essential, especially within Christian higher education, where nurturing the whole person is a core value. A common misconception is that wellness pertains only to physical and mental health. However, Scripture affirms that human flourishing involves a harmony of body, mind, and spirit. A holistic, biblically informed approach to …

The Virtue Of Hope In Sports Through Spe Salvi And Its Role In Faith, Resilience, And Character Formation In Student-Athletes, Hansson G. Labisig, Arvin D. Eballo

Movement and Being: The Journal of the Christian Society for Kinesiology, Leisure and Sports Studies

Pope Benedict XVI, in Spe Salvi, presents hope as a transformative and redemptive virtue that enables believers to live and suffer differently, rooted in faith in God. He writes, “The one who has hope lives differently.” This study develops a theological-pastoral framework for integrating the virtue of hope into the faith formation of student-athletes within Catholic educational institutions, positioning sport as a genuine locus theologicus for Religious Education and evangelization. Employing the See–Judge–Act methodology, it draws from Spe Salvi, Aquinas’s Summa Theologiae, and the Vatican document Giving the Best of Yourself, in dialogue with C. R. Snyder’s psychological theory …

Perceived Teacher Tensions: Navigating Educational Mandates Of Explicit Instruction And Culturally Responsive Pedagogy, Ruby Olivia D'Aietti, Brian Lewthwaite, Philemon Chigeza

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

In this paper I discuss the perceived tensions in navigating an Explicit Instruction approach with a Culturally Responsive Pedagogy at the cultural interface. The study took place in a Year 6/7 classroom in the Torres Strait, Queensland, Australia. All students identified as EAL/D learners. As an experienced, yet non-Indigenous practitioner, I documented the perceived tensions I encountered in the discipline of English. Adopting an Action Research methodology, I explored the classroom struggles as I navigated the mandate of teaching explicitly, yet responsively. I used student dialogue sessions and a reflective journal to document my tensions. Results showed, despite being able …

Dnp Final Report: From Academic Chaos To Professional Preparedness: Time Management And Goal Setting To Support Self-Efficacy In Undergraduate Nursing Students, Cristy Baker Mrs.

DNP Final Reports

Low perceived self-efficacy among undergraduate nursing students may contribute to stress, burnout, and challenges with academic success and program completion. Evidence suggests that interventions focused on time management and goal setting may support students' confidence.

The purpose of this improvement project was to implement time-management and goal-setting interventions and evaluate changes in perceived self-efficacy among undergraduate nursing students. Guided by Bandura's Self-Efficacy Theory and the ADKAR Change Model, the project examined the changes in perceived self-efficacy following the implementation of the interventions. The PICOT guiding the project was: In undergraduate nursing students (P), how does implementing time management and goal-setting …

July 1, 2026 Blazer Weekly, University Of Alabama At Birmingham

Blazer Weekly (student newsletter)

No abstract provided.

A Word From The Writing Team (July 2026), Pam Walter, Mfa, Laura Deloretta, Phd

A Word From the Writing Team (Newsletter)

No abstract provided.

A Hand Therapy Quick Reference Guide: Supporting Level Ii Fieldwork Experiences ​, Raven I. Gammage, Rebecca Caudrillier, Mary Greer

Summer 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

Occupational therapy students often begin Level II hand therapy fieldwork with limited preparation. This capstone project developed an evidence-informed Hand Therapy Quick Reference Guide to support students and clinicians with foundational knowledge and clinical resources. Following implementation, feedback from hand therapists, fieldwork educators, and students indicated the guide was organized, practical, and applicable across clinical settings. The guide has the potential to improve fieldwork preparedness and support successful entry into hand therapy practice.

Nh Ece Research Consortium Research & Evaluation Stakeholder Map, Jess Carson, Evan England, Lisa Bauer

New Hampshire Early Care and Education Research Consortium

New Hampshire's early care and education (ECE) ecosystem is complex and includes a broad, dynamic community of people and organizations who contribute to and rely upon ECE research. This visual stakeholder "map" documents the organizations that contribute to research and evaluation in NH ECE. These maps rely on contributions, updates, and refinements from the field and are meant to be a shared resource reflecting the complexity and partnerships in New Hampshire's ECE ecosystem.

Nh Ece Research Consortium Research Funder Stakeholder Map, Jess Carson, Evan England, Kamala Nasirova

New Hampshire Early Care and Education Research Consortium

New Hampshire's early care and education (ECE) ecosystem is complex and includes a broad, dynamic community of people and organizations who contribute to and rely upon ECE research. This visual stakeholder "map" documents the research funders that support NH ECE. These maps rely on contributions, updates, and refinements from the field and are meant to be a shared resource reflecting the complexity of partnerships in NH's ECE ecosystem.

Cultural Effectiveness In Early Care And Education Systems In New Hampshire Project Summary, Evan England

New Hampshire Early Care and Education Research Consortium

No abstract provided.

Fractured Focus: Understanding Stress In Second-Year Radiologic Science Students Across Alabama, Kelsi Clotfelter

Honors Theses

Higher education is a period of rapid transition and growing responsibility, where stress often becomes a routine part of students’ lives. In health professional programs, the combined demands of intensive coursework and clinical training can intensify emotional strain and negatively affect overall well-being. Radiography students experience uniquely high levels of academic, clinical, and emotional stress due to the simultaneous demands of didactic coursework, competency-based clinical training, and high-stakes professional expectations. A cross-sectional mixed-methods study was employed to evaluate the prevalence, sources, and perceived impact of stress among second-year radiography students across multiple Alabama institutions with the goal of identifying strategies …

Influence Of Stormwater Flooding Events On The Mobile County School District Student Population, Kadence Kali Johnston

Honors Theses

Mobile County, Alabama, receives among the highest annual rainfall totals in the United States resulting in frequent stormwater flooding that intersects with existing socioeconomic vulnerabilities. Within the Mobile County Public School System (MCPSS), 77% of students are economically disadvantaged and over 10% experience homelessness, creating heightened risk for educational disruption during flood events. This study investigates how stormwater flooding influences school attendance, closures, and academic performance across MCPSS, providing insight into how climate-driven hazards exacerbate educational inequities. The research integrates flood frequency, school performance metrics, and GIS flood-zone mapping and teacher perceptions to understand how flooding affects student learning opportunities. …

Nsu Library Link - Summer 2026, Nova Southeastern University

NSU Florida Link Newsletter

No abstract provided.

July 2026 Feature Article 1 — The Real Importance Of The Dental Team, William Chase Dds, Maom

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Drawing on over 40 years of experience, Dr. William R. Chase identifies a cohesive dental team as the primary key to practice success. Moving away from the "solo performer" mindset often developed in dental school, the article highlights the necessity of trust and commitment among staff. Chase offers strategic advice for leadership, including sharing a clear practice vision, holding regular meetings, and recognizing staff through bonuses or continuing education opportunities. He underscores that maintaining a strong, appreciated team is vital for practice longevity and providing optimal patient care.

July 2026 Mda At Your Service — Who Can Supervise Dental Assistant Radiography Training In Michigan?, Mda Membership Department Staff

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This Q&A feature provides practical guidance on common professional and licensing questions for Michigan dentists. It clarifies that any licensed dentist can supervise required dental assistant radiography training, highlighting the MDA's online program. The article also offers advice for new dentists looking to connect with colleagues through local societies and the "New Doc Connection" online hub. Additionally, it outlines the mandatory steps for updating a professional license after a legal name change and directs members to valuable MDA resources for navigating dental insurance contracts and third-party payer agreements.

July 2026 Feature Article 2 — Burning Mouth Syndrome In Dental Settings: Clinical Clues, Diagnostic Approaches, And Management With Topical Doxepin And Alpha-Lipoic Acid, Elizabeth R. Hatfield, Dds, Elizabeth A. Van Tubergen, Dds, Phd, Felipe Nör Dds, Ms, Phd

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This clinical case report explores Burning Mouth Syndrome (BMS), a chronic pain condition predominantly affecting post-menopausal women. Describing BMS as a diagnosis of exclusion with often idiopathic origins, the authors present a case study of a 54-year-old female patient. They review the challenges of traditional management and detail a novel, effective treatment using a combination of topical doxepin oral rinse and oral alpha-lipoic acid. The article provides dentists with practical strategies for recognition and diagnostic procedures, emphasizing their role as the first line of care for improving the quality of life for BMS sufferers.

July 2026 Feature Article 3 — Introducing: The Great Lakes Dental Summit!, Emily Varsanik, Annie Mcintosh

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This article announces the reimagining of the Michigan Dental Association's flagship annual meeting, evolving from the MDA Annual Session into the Great Lakes Dental Summit, set to debut in 2027. The transition reflects the changing needs of dental professionals who desire more integrated, collaborative experiences beyond traditional lectures. The summit will feature segmented programming, expanded networking opportunities, and a more inclusive approach for the entire dental team. By focusing on well-being and innovation while maintaining high-quality CE, the MDA aims to provide a renewed and exceptional in-person connection for its members.

How Can Bison Conservation And Reintroduction Onto Native Prairie Habitat Increase Land Health And Restore Indigenous Cultural Importance?, Malaney Peterson

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

For millenia, bison roamed the native prairie by the millions, stretching from the rain shadow of the Rocky Mountains to the Mississippi River, and from Canada down to Texas. This once thriving ecosystem quickly went from thriving to near extinction within a few decades after the arrival of Europeans in North America. The downfall of the bison was a strategic plan devised not only to eliminate bison, but also indigenous peoples and the prairie on which they lived. According to research, both bison and the native prairie are considered to be ecologically extinct, meaning they will never be able to …