Digital Commons Network^™

The Lived Experiences Of African American Clergywomen In In New York City, Rosa Queen-Allen

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In this century, there has been a notable escalation in the tally of African American women purporting the imperative in their lives to serve within the Black Church in clergy oversight positions. Despite overt inequities in clergy leadership regarding the percentage of males versus females, there is a dearth in the ministerial leadership literature concerning African American females. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of African American females in senior ministry in New York City. For this study, African-American clergywomen will be generally defined as African-American women who lead a church or are called/ordained …

Parental Understanding Of The Influence Of Ecological Systems On The Educational Experiences Of The Dependent Children Of Enlisted And Officer Families Stationed In Japan: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study, Nortia M. Miller

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore how enlisted and officer parents stationed in Japan understand and described how different ecological systems influence the educational experience and academic performance of their dependent children. The theory that guided this study is Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory as it provided a comprehensive framework for understanding the inter-influential relationship between the children and the different ecological systems in their environment. The central research question provided a conduit for further exploration by asking how do enlisted and officer parents understand and describe how different ecological factors from Bronfenbrenner’s systems theory shape the …

A Hermeneutical Phenomenological Study On The Queen Bee Phenomenon In Women Higher Education Administrators In Public Colleges, Joy L. Medford

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to discover the lived experiences of women leaders in higher education administration who have experienced the queen bee phenomenon. The theory guiding this study was Tajfel’s social identity theory as it relates to women leaders in public higher education administration. The central research question aimed to explore the lived experiences of women in higher education leadership roles who have experienced the queen bee phenomenon. This hermeneutical phenomenological study included 10 participants who were administrators in public higher education institutions in the United States. Data was collected through semi-structured, individual interviews, journal entries, and …

Building Capacity And Inspiring Change: The Impact Of Louisiana’S Ucedd Across The Lifespan, Alicia Kowitz, Constance Alphonse, Phil Wilson, Maria Blanco

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

The Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Human Development Center (HDC), as the state’s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD), serves as a catalyst for inclusive systems change through interdisciplinary training, community engagement, and evidence-based service delivery. This manuscript highlights the breadth and impact of HDC’s initiatives across early childhood, education, transition, and community inclusion. Through programs such as Inclusive Practices in Early Childhood, PAYCheck, and LEND, HDC builds capacity among professionals, empowers individuals with disabilities and their families, and strengthens systems to be more responsive and equitable. The stories and outcomes shared illustrate how intentional, collaborative efforts …

Pa 146: What Is Clear, What Is Fuzzy, And What Should We Do Next?, Jenelle Williams, Nicole Peterson

Michigan Reading Journal

Michigan’s Public Act 146 (PA 146), the state’s K–12 Literacy and Dyslexia Law, establishes new requirements for screening, evidence-based instruction, structured literacy practices, professional learning, and strengthened multi-tiered systems of support to improve reading outcomes. While the law provides detailed and prescriptive guidance for elementary schools—particularly regarding decoding-focused instruction aligned to the science of reading, universal screening, and intervention planning—its implications for grades 4–12 are less clearly defined. This article examines what is explicit in the legislation, what remains open to interpretation in secondary contexts, and how districts can move forward strategically as they prepare for full implementation by 2027–2028. …

Elementary Students’ Perceptions Of Peers As Audience, Christina N. Lorelli

Michigan Reading Journal

Abstract

This pilot study, grounded in sociocultural theory, humanizing pedagogy, and dialogic theory, examines how fourth-grade students perceive their peers as their primary audience. It explores how writing becomes a social and relational act that enhances purpose, voice, and identity. As a teacher-researcher in a rural Pennsylvania district, I collaborated with other teachers to build a community of writers as students shared, discussed, and received feedback on their work. Responsive surveys with students revealed key themes: 1. Sharing writing with peers boosts student motivation and involvement; 2. their writing becomes more meaningful, fostering a sense of ownership; and 3. quality …

Mindfulness Practices In The School Setting: Research, Strategies, And Student Voices, Katie Lewis

Michigan Reading Journal

This article explores the role of mindfulness practices in elementary school settings, drawing from current research, practical classroom strategies, and student reflections from a school-based mindfulness yoga pilot. While children enter school with an innate capacity for presence, the structure and demands of formal education can unintentionally diminish their natural ability to regulate attention and emotion. Grounded in research connecting mindfulness to improvements in executive functioning, including working memory, inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, and sustained attention, this article argues that intentionally teaching mindfulness can strengthen both behavioral and academic outcomes.

A review of empirical studies highlights correlations between mindfulness-based interventions …

Joyful Literacy Experiences: Insights From The Pei In Multicultural Ya Literature, S. Rebecca Leigh, Taraneh Matloob Haghanikar, Danielle Alexander, Yujie Mao, Kim Stein, Maria Mendola, Xunmei Luo, Quigxian Wang, Yonghong Li

Michigan Reading Journal

The primary focus of this qualitative study was to determine how we could apply the theory of emotion and transactional reader response theory to the experience of coding and analyzing emotion in multicultural young adult literature. Seven graduate students in a doctoral class in the Midwest participated in the study for one academic semester, including their instructor and another faculty member from a different Midwestern university. Data included coding and analysis of eight Coretta Scott King medal and honor-winning novels and the Protagonist Emotion Inventory (PEI). Chapters were coded for eight basic emotions and the constant comparative method (Corbin & …

Assessing Media Literacy Competence In Secondary Education: Towards A Rubric Based On A Systematic Review, Steijn Jan Van Der Craats, Jason Simon, Romy Andrieu, Bo Sichterman, Stan Van Ginkel

Journal of Media Literacy Education Pre-Prints

Developing media literacy competence is an essential objective in secondary education. However, a validated instrument aimed to encourage the development of media literacy amongst students formatively is lacking hitherto. This review aims to identify relevant studies on media literacy competence or components thereof and their assessment strategies. Further, this study synthesizes these findings into a set of principles for constructing a formative assessment instrument fostering media literacy competence. Seventeen publications from the last 15 years were selected through a systematic search in scientific databases. All studies were categorized concerning crucial characteristics of assessment instruments. Furthermore, the synthesis of this study …

The Impact Of Response Latency On Perceived Level Of Intelligence And Likability Of Autistic Speakers, Brinley Atkinson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine how turn-taking latency and speaker or listener gender affect the perceived intelligence and likability of the speaker across autistic speakers. In addition, the overarching goal of this research is to help speech-language pathologists (SLPs) better provide support and strategies to autistic individuals to improve their social and professional lives. Neurotypical English speakers (20 male and 20 female) were recruited to listen to a series of conversational speech samples collected from a group of eight autistic adults (four male and four female). In each sample, autistic individuals responded to a series of everyday …

Strategic Agency In Action Transforming Academic Life Through Non-Traditional Intellectual Workflows, Yoshihiko Ariizumi

Learning, Teaching, & Researching Optimization

In popular culture and traditional academia, the image of the "productive scholar" is static: a researcher chained to a desk, staring at a screen for eight hours, manually typing out sentences. However, a subculture of modern intellectuals, independent researchers, and creative professionals on the internet is proving that this setup is actually a bottleneck for the human brain.

By experimenting with cognitive offloading, dynamic movement, and collaborative technologies, these individuals have shifted from passive routines to strategic agency. Below are four curated, real-world case studies drawn from intellectual blogs, creators' post-mortems, and digital newsletters that demonstrate how non-traditional strategies unlock …

May 19, 2026 Ereporter, University Of Alabama At Birmingham

eReporter (campus newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Advancing Menstrual Equity: Development And Implementation Of The Minnesota Menstrual Products In Schools Toolkit, Kara Cowell, Mary Kenny

InnovateHER Meeting 2026

The Minnesota Menstrual Products in Schools Toolkit is a practical guide for educators and school staff, created to support implementation of the state’s menstrual product access law. Our research helped identify current needs from schools, now supported by this content that is grounded in established science and best practices in menstrual and health education. The Minnesota Menstrual Products in Schools Toolkit was developed throughout 2025 and was launched to the public on August 12th2025. The toolkit and subsequent resources are now available (for free) on the website of the Women's Foundation of Minnesota, Honest Sex Ed, and the …

Improving Hormone Therapy Replacement Use Through Provider Education, Caitlin Schmidt, Jennifer Peterson

InnovateHER Meeting 2026

Menopausal symptoms significantly affect quality of life, yet hormone therapy (HRT) remains underutilized in primary care settings. This quality improvement project assessed whether a brief educational intervention could improve provider knowledge and prescribing confidence. A pre–post survey design revealed increased knowledge, greater guideline awareness, and heightened willingness to prescribe HRT following a 10–15 minute educational module.

Unearthing Misconceptions And Opinions In An Established Pollinator Project, Stella Holstrom

InnovateHER Meeting 2026

The Sartell High School has 13 acres of pollinator fields that were cultivated within the last 3 years. While the main part of the garden has signage, it is far from the more visible parts of the gardens. Over the last three years, there has been some negative feedback about the gardens, much of which seems to come from a place of ignorance by the public. A literature review about pollinator project and their benefits establishes that most research has surround bees or plants, but not usually both or the public reaction to pollinator gardens. My hypothesis was that most …

A Practical Survival Guide For New Faculty, Yoshihiko Ariizumi

Learning, Teaching, & Researching Optimization

This guide was written for faculty who are new to academic life — or who sometimes feel like they are drowning in it. You will not find technical jargon here. What you will find are honest descriptions of the traps most academics fall into, and clear, practical suggestions for getting out of them. Everything here is based on real research with real faculty — but you do not need to know the research to use the advice. Treat it as a menu: try what sounds useful, skip what does not fit your situation, and come back to it as your …

The History Of Lagrange College, Robert S. Steen

Documents

This digital teaser of The History of La Grange College includes the Table of Contents, Introduction, Acknowledgements, Forward, and About the Author pages.

All Rights are Reserved by Robert S. Steen, author.

From Service To Purpose: Helping Students See Civic Engagement As A Path Forward, Anna Spethman

Presentations

What’s one experience that shaped your career—but didn’t come from a formal job?

Civic engagement offers students more than an opportunity to serve.  It can build skills, confidence, connections, and pathways to meaningful careers.  Yet students do not always recognize or articulate the value of these experiences. This interactive session explores practical strategies for helping student connect service to career readiness and community impact through intentional reflection, skill identification, and storytelling.  Participants will leave with approaches they can use to help students move from service, to purpose, to pathway.

Exploring Imagined Identities And Communities Among Learners Of English As A Lingua Franca: A Qualitative Narrative Inquiry, Özge Kuru, Enisa Mede

The Qualitative Report

Exploration of imagined identities and communities has been recognized as critical aspects in learning English as a foreign language. These two aspects perspectives differ as to how learners view themselves with respect to others through narratives and how they practise the language not only face to face but also in virtual interactions. This study aimed to explore how being a participant in virtual communities of practice affect the identity construction among English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) learners coming from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds (Jenkins, 2006). Specifically, we tried to find out how three Turkish ELF learners positioned themselves …

Dual Identification: How Organizational Culture Impacts Educational Access For Student With Intersecting Language & Dis/Ability Identities, Kara M. Piastrelli

Doctoral Dissertations

Educating multilingual learners (MLLs) in the K–12 setting has been, and continues to remain, a complex challenge. Students with intersecting language and dis/ability identities often face organizational barriers that interrupt equitable access to curriculum, language acquisition, and educational opportunities. While previous research has largely focused on racial disproportionality within special education, limited research has examined the intersection of multilingual learners within special education and the organizational systems that shape their educational experiences. This study sought to examine how organizational culture shapes the implementation and expression of institutional policies and practices related to multilingual learners with dis/abilities, specifically in relation to …

The Mba In Music Industry: An Introduction, William T. Neese, Robert W. Smith

Atlantic Marketing Association Proceedings

No abstract provided.

Women Empowerment Conferences For Soft Skill Development: Do Students Value Their Impact?, Joie Hain, Margaret A. Thompson

Atlantic Marketing Association Proceedings

No abstract provided.

Online Classes Versus On-Campus Classes: How Do You Maximize Both? Welcome To Hyflex!, Joie Hain, Anita Whiting, Carin Lightner-Laws

Atlantic Marketing Association Proceedings

No abstract provided.

Like A Thief In The Night: Do Ai Tools Hijack Marketing Creativity?, Heather Morgan, Jennifer Hutchins

Atlantic Marketing Association Proceedings

No abstract provided.

Improving Quality Of Distance Education: An Illustration And Implications For Universities, Sadia Raisa, Ismet Anitsal, Nebil Buyurgan

Atlantic Marketing Association Proceedings

No abstract provided.

Textbook Publishing For Secondary And Higher Education, Sherry Roberts, Lucy Matthews

Atlantic Marketing Association Proceedings

No abstract provided.

Faculty And Student Perspectives On Course Collaborations Within Communication Sciences And Disorders, Shanna R. Callewaert, Sarah M. Ginsberg

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

The collaborative course (re)design (CCRD) process provides faculty and students with an opportunity to collaborate in partnership to redesign a course that the faculty teaches and that the student has previously taken. This process amplifies student voices and allows faculty to increase their understanding of students’ learning and experiences. However, barriers of CCRD, such as faculty members’ desires to retain decision-making control, students’ hesitations to share feedback, and logistical concerns, prevent many faculty and students from taking part in the process. This qualitative study sought to gain insight into the perspectives held by students and faculty in the communication sciences …

Crisis Preparedness And Confidence Levels In Faculty & Staff At Rowan University, Paige Bathurst

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined faculty and staff confidence and preparedness in responding to crisis situations at Rowan University. As higher education institutions face an increasing range of emergencies, understanding how employees perceive their readiness is essential for strengthening institutional crisis management efforts. Using a quantitative research design, data were collected through an anonymous online survey distributed to all faculty and staff. The survey measured participants’ confidence across multiple crisis scenarios, perceptions of preparedness and response competency, and participation in crisis-related training. A total of 135 participants completed the survey, and descriptive statistics, including mean confidence and agreement scores, were used to …

Robert, Powers; Unl Chemistry; Nmr-Assisted Drug Discovery, Mark Griep, Robert Powers

Department of Chemistry: Faculty Interviews

Dr. Robert Powers became a chemistry professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2003 and is about to retire after 23 years. Prior to UNL, Bob was a drug discovery researcher for 11 years at American Cyanamid, which eventually became Wyeth and is now part of Pfizer. Bob was born in Jersey City, New Jersey. Something in his youth must have sparked an interest in chemistry because he earned a bachelor's in that subject from Rutgers University in New Brunswick. Then he traveled 1200 miles west to Purdue University in Indiana where he earned his doctorate. Next, he did postdoctoral …

Beyond Pedagogical Inertia: Understanding And Overcoming The Barriers To Effective Faculty Work In Higher Education, Yoshihiko Ariizumi

Learning, Teaching, & Researching Optimization

Academic faculty are among the most educated professionals in the world. Yet a striking body of empirical research demonstrates that they face profound, systematic barriers to performing their own work effectively—barriers that are cognitive, institutional, cultural, and structural in origin. This paper extends the analysis of “pedagogical inertia” beyond the classroom to the full scope of faculty professional life: research, writing, service, advising, and self-directed learning. Drawing on evidence from organizational psychology, cognitive neuroscience, higher education research, and behavioral science, we identify six classes of barriers that consistently impede effective faculty work, and we analyze—with reference to documented successful cases—the …