Digital Commons Network^™

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 …

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 …

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). …

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 …

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. 

Home And School Connection: Enhancing Middle School Literacy Through Family Involvement, Katherine Loveless

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

With continued declines in literacy rates within the United States and a notable lack of parental involvement within a middle school student’s educational journey, this capstone project looks to address both issues with a single project around middle school literacy nights. By means of an in-depth review of timely and relevant literature this capstone addresses the barriers that are frequently encountered for literacy based events such as rivaling expectations for involvement, socioeconomic barriers, scheduling conflicts, and language barriers. Through the development of this project, a resource-based website was created for event hosts, school leadership, and parents to rely on to …

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 …

Evolving Approaches To Teaching Secondary English Language Arts In The Age Of Artificial Intelligence, Timothy Crepeau

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Centered on the question of how to foster academic integrity while maintaining accountability for AI-assisted plagiarism in secondary English language arts (ELA) education, this project responds to the growing reality that students can outsource core cognitive tasks—reading, analysis, and writing—to AI tools. Informed by key influences from neuroscience and educational research, particularly studies on neural plasticity, the reading brain, and cognitive offloading, the project draws on scholarship by Collins, Wolf, and contemporary AI-in-education theorists. These influences underscore the central premise that meaningful learning is not merely demonstrated through output, but developed through the neurological processes activated by sustained cognitive effort. …

The Causes, Effects Of, And Solutions To A Nation-Wide Reading Comprehension Decline And Answers To The Question Of What Can Teachers Do About It?, Otto Harris

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The purpose of this project was to research the causes and effects of the reading comprehension decline in America. The research question: What is causing this decline, and how can we combat it? stemmed from personal interest in this topic and its relevancy in the school district I taught in. Research into this topic revealed factors such as texts lacking relevance to student lives, inaccurate comprehension measurement tools being used year after year, and the lifelong effects of lowered reading comprehension on adults’ lives after high school. In response to this need, a capstone project was developed that would provide …

A Place-Based Approach To Teaching Dakota History In Sixth Grade Social Studies, John Hooper

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This capstone project explored the question: How can a culturally responsive, land-based field trip that centers on the history and perspectives of the Dakota people deepen middle school students’ historical understanding, identity development, and their personal connection to place? In an effort to move beyond traditional textbook-based teaching, this study analyzed how experiential and place-based strategies can foster more meaningful and inclusive learning opportunities. Key themes from the literature review included culturally sustaining pedagogy, land-based and experiential learning, and the value of centering Indigenous perspectives. Research indicates that immersing students in hands-on experiences, while increasing exposure to primary sources and …

Social Emotional Learning In A High School Setting, Aaron Stack

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This project examined the capstone question: How can one design and implement a Social Emotional Learning (SEL) program for high school students? This topic is important as more and more students are exhibiting less desirable behaviors inside the classroom. While exploring this question, several key findings emerged. First, SEL programming in a high school setting may have a positive impact on students’ academic performance and behaviors. Second, there is no clear distinction between the effectiveness of the program as long as the SEL ideas are consistently explored. Based on these two findings, an SEL program was developed for high school …

A Set Of Grading Protocol Implementation Tools For A Unit Project In A High School Visual Arts Classroom, Brie-Anna Cabrera

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This capstone explores the question: How can high school educators promote equity through their grading protocols? Realizing there is a gap in research combining the ideas of equity and grading, this paper uses culturally relevant pedagogy, culturally sustaining pedagogy, and cultural and linguistic responsiveness as a lens to determine effectiveness of promoting equity through a variety of grading protocols. Using the concluding evidence and honing in on Guskey's idea of multiple grades, the research was organized into a framework for more equitable grading that can be translated to the visual arts. This research resulted in the creation of a set …

Connecting Children To Urban Environments Through Picture Books, Sophie Taylor

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

More children than ever before live in urban locations, and many do not see their city streets and natural environments represented in picture books. In the midst of a climate crisis, educators and parents may be seeking environmental books and activities that seek to connect children to their natural communities. The purpose of this capstone project was to explore the importance of picture books in connecting children with their environment through the creation of an urban-based children’s book with embedded environmental terminology and concepts, as well as associated activities. A review of relevant literature uncovered five central themes: illustrated books’ …

An Informal Environmental Education Curriculum To Help Learners Reconceptualize The Idea Of The “Wild”, Kimber Hendrix

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Philosophers posit that the “wild” is something often portrayed as elusive, dangerous, or out of reach. Research indicates that exposure to outdoor environments can yield positive outcomes. This project is designed to take learners into a specific outdoor environment and utilize Restorative Justice and Coyote Mentoring Techniques in order to assist them in reconceptualize their idea of “wild”. This project evolved into a ten-lesson curriculum designed for fourth- to sixth-grade learners, but it could be adapted for learners of any age. The curriculum is designed to take place in a consistent outdoor setting so that learners can build a relationship …

Place-Based Environmental Education: Forming Connections To Your Local Environment And Community, Deanna Grelecki

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Growing research shows that engaging children in environmental education produces a myriad of benefits, such as improved social, physical, mental, and cognitive aspects of children' s wellbeing. Even with these beneficial outcomes, researchers find that a disconnect between youth and the natural world exists and is growing. This capstone answers the question, How can educators create place-based environmental education opportunities for middle school students?, and ultimately help students build positive relationships with the environment. Grounded in place-based environmental education and created for a rural community in Northern Illinois, this capstone project centers on a field study situated in a local …

Availabilty Of Educational Tools And The Presence Of Technology In Online Stores: Supporting Teaching Practices In Autistic Youth, Sofia Kamar, Layla Alanis

Posters - 2026

- A neurodevelopmental condition known as, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), is characterized by difficulties with social interaction, behavior regulation, and communication. (DSM-5-TR; American Psychiatric Association, 2013) - Specialized educational tools are essential for supporting the learning, communication, and social development of autistic youth (Jones, Hanley, & Riby, 2020). - Teachers depend on a variety of learning aids—such as sensory supports, visual schedules, and assistive technologies— to address diverse student needs (Carrington et al., 2020). - According to earlier studies, young people with ASD frequently require specific resources, physical and technological, as well as scheduled routines to facilitate learning and transitions …

Resonant Cracks In The Music Curriculum: Integrating Social And Emotional Learning In The Secondary Music Classroom, Margaret E. Lerch

Education Doctorate Dissertations

Music education has long been recognized as a subject that encourages student learning beyond the walls of the music classroom. While elementary music programs often foster language development and social awareness, secondary music instruction tends to emphasize performance skills and technical development. The explicit secondary orchestra curriculum for this middle school includes only instrument skill-development standards and learning-target descriptions. In this fourth-marking-period sixth-grade orchestra class, coursework—including students’ journal reflections, classroom dialogue, and comparison soundscape projects—operated intentionally “within the cracks” of the formal curriculum to create opportunities for the students to express and engage with emotions, identity, belonging, empathy, perspective-taking, and …

From Our Stories, To Our Streets (Osos), Jennifer Lopez

Student Publications

Youth traffic safety persists as a critical planning challenge and public health concern in New Mexico, where pedestrian fatality rates consistently rank among the highest in the United States (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, NTSA, Governors Highway Safety Association, GHSA, 2023; Baca, 2025). Students (children), due to their daily interactions with roadways, whether when they walk, bike, ride transit, or drive/get driven to and from school, are among the most vulnerable groups within the transportation system (Ferenchak, N. Wesley, M., 2017. For many students in Albuquerque, the commute to or from school is one of the most dangerous parts of …

1st Place Research Paper: "Gaps In The Academy: Evaluating Pre-Service Criminal Justice Training For Interactions With Vulnerable Populations", Rowan Eiselman

Kevin and Tam Ross Undergraduate Research Prize

This research investigates pre-service training for law enforcement officers (LEOs), specifically examining how current educational practices prepare them to interact with vulnerable populations, including victims, suspects, and individuals in crisis. The quality of this training is critical, as it directly shapes officer behavior, decision-making, and ethical conduct in the field (Mier, 2018). Amid heightened public scrutiny of police practices and calls for reform, the effectiveness of law enforcement education has become a central concern.

The significance of this topic is underscored by extensive research on training methodologies such as procedural justice and de-escalation, which aim to improve police-community relations and …

Socio-Informed Policing: Applying Bourdieu To Mandatory Police Reform Training, Neil T. Shelton El

Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

Contemporary U.S. police reform policies rely on officer training as a primary mechanism to address issues of law enforcement legitimacy and accountability. Yet, despite legitimacy-based curricula such as procedural justice, research indicates that this training struggles to produce durable changes in police practice. This qualitative study used a phenomenological approach to examine officers’ perceptions of mandated reform-oriented training. Drawing on Bourdieu’s theory of practice, the study conceptualized police training as a sociological process shaped by habitus, forms of capital, and the policing field. Data were collected from six officers in a large urban police department to examine how they internalize, …

The Relationship Between Culturally Based Mentoring And Academic Persistence In African-American And Latino Male Community College Students, Corey M. Williams

Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

Men of color, particularly African American and Latino males, continue to experience disproportionately low rates of persistence and degree completion in community colleges. While prior research has often focused on individual deficits, less attention has been given to the institutional conditions and relational supports that shape student success. This study examines how culturally grounded mentoring influences persistence, student involvement, and overall student success among men of color in a community college context. Grounded in Tinto’s theory of student persistence and Astin’s theory of student involvement, this qualitative phenomenological study explores the lived experiences of participants engaged in a structured mentoring …

The Digital Dilemma: Social Media’S Influence On Children’S Well-Being In Developing Nations: A Systematic Literature Review, Hilal Hamed Al Busaidi, Ayman Al Shukri, Moosa Al Shukaili, Yahya Al Niyadi, Adil H Al Kindi

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

Social media has become an integral part of the lives of teenagers and children, particularly in developing countries. Though it opens avenues for communication and expression, it also plays a serious role in mental health. This paper conducts a systematic literature review (SLR) of published studies from 2015 to 2025, utilizing the databases of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, to assess the impact of social networking sites on the mental health of children’s populations in low- and middle-income countries. The review identifies three concern areas: cyberbullying, increased anxiety and depression rates, and socioeconomic factors’ effects. Literature suggests that adolescents …

Preface, Said Sulaiman Al Dhafri, Sumaira A. Chowdhury

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

No abstract provided.

The Lived Experiences Of Master's Level Counselors In Professional Counseling Association Leadership, Catalina R. Kraft

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Leadership and advocacy are essential for all counselors (Lewis, 2022; McKibben, 2016; Paradise et al., 2010; Sweeney, 2022). However, within research and professional counseling associations, there appears to be a bias in which counselor educators are the expected, default leaders within the counseling profession (Burns, 2015; Kleist, 2018; Speciale & Goodrich, 2020). While counselor educators may have experience as counselors, they primarily work in academia, so their experiences do not authentically represent the needs of professional counselors. Counseling leaders need to represent and understand the people they serve: counselors. Therefore, this study sought to understand the lived experiences of master’s …

Evolving Humanity: Educational Leadership And Research In A Technological Age, Winona State University, Matthew G. Howard, Kari J. Johns, Peter Johnson, Kateri J. Johnson, Kelly Muller, Kate Glogowski, Niesha Conley, Sara Welch, Kristin E. Brendt, Cody B. Henrichs, Lance Davis, Kate Macdonald, Jody Shong, Oscar Uribe Mardones, Stacy L. Schilling, Allison R. Grainger, Kristen Fenlason, David E. Kline, Rachel Nihart, Rebecca R. Simataa, Steven M. Baule

Education Doctorate Books

The essays in this book are selected from Winona State University (WSU) doctoral students as part of the 2025 summer  WSU Doctoral Residency course. The residency course is a core portion of the WSU Education Doctorate Program.

Quote from the back of the book:

Our Doctoral students and doctoral graduate faculty are community members sharing experiences, asking questions, exploring our world, celebrating successes, and learning from missteps. We build and reconstruct our community as we learn, but never forgetting the end goal. We are together on this journey. This is the exciting part of learning. - Rhea Walker, Professor, WSU …

Steer For The Deep Waters Only: Exploring Student Value Creation Through Dialogue And Art, Amy Weatherford

Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

With a focus on transformation within what educational philosopher and Buddhist leader Daisaku Ikeda termed the life-sized paradigm, this interpretive qualitative study drew heavily upon arts-based research practices to explore how dialogue with, through, and about art shaped student value creation and the development of global citizenship dispositions in an online graduate course. This study sought to address the need to explore curricular structures and pedagogical practices which center our humanity and cultivate epistemologies missed or minimized by traditional teaching methods. As this study focused on the activities of a particular class, purposeful sampling was used to recruit seven participants. …

“Affirming Minds, Lives, And Bodies”: Secondary English Teachers’ Perceptions Of Critical And Humanizing Antiracist Pedagogy In Urban Schools, Jennifer Leigh Ankerberg

Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

This qualitative study explores how White secondary English teachers perceive and enact antiracist approaches when teaching a prescribed, canon-based curriculum to students of color. Drawing on in-depth, semi-structured interviews with four teachers in a large Midwestern urban district, the study finds that the participants, aligned with their district’s stated philosophies and experiencing significant instructional autonomy, leveraged professional and contextual knowledge to adapt and supplement mandated curriculum. Guided by critical pedagogy and critical literacy frameworks, the analysis reveals how teachers’ values, beliefs, and dispositions grounded an assemblage of embodied antiracist, critical, and humanizing pedagogies. The participants’ curricular and instructional choices reflected …

Expl 188: Exploring Geneseo: A First-Year Exploration Course For Undeclared Students(Syllabus), Claire Gravelin Ph.D.

School of Arts & Sciences

This syllabus was developed by Professor Claire Gravelin during the 2025/2026 academic year.

Intended Outcomes

By the end of this course, you will:

• Develop and strengthen the academic skills needed to thrive in college – including study strategies, time management, goal setting, and growth mindset.

• Understand yourself as a learner and a future professional, including your strengths, values, and interests.

• Explore a range of academic disciplines and career paths, and understand how the arts, sciences, humanities, and social sciences each approach real-world problems.

• Engage with our course theme – the Future of Work – through multiple …

Mktg 200: Marketing (Syllabus), Shawn Harnish Ph.D.

School of Business

This syllabus was developed by SUNY Geneseo Professor Shawn Harnish during the spring 2026 semester.

Course Objectives

After completion of the course students will be able to:

1. Comprehend the environment within which the marketing firm operates

2. Analyze the role of marketing information system and marketing research (CG1)

3. Understand what influences the buying behavior of consumers and organizations

4. Apply market segmentation, targeting and positioning techniques

5. Analyze elements of the marketing mix; product and service, pricing, distribution and promotion

6. Comprehend the effects of globalization on a firm’s marketing decisions and understand the basic principles of international …