Digital Commons Network^™

Norman H. Cromwell, Unl Chemistry; Nu System Dean; Eppley Cancer Center Director, Norman H. Cromwell, Pete Boughn, Mark A. Griep

UNL ORCA Interview Series

This 1980 interview of Normal Cromwell was done by Pete Boughn at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. He asked about Cromwell’s history but mostly about his time as director of the Eppley Cancer Center. The interview is reproduced with permission from the UNMC McGoogan Library.

Cromwell was born in 1913 in Terre Haute, Indiana. In 1935, he earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in his hometown. In 1939, three things happened: he earned a doctorate in organic chemistry from the University of Minnesota, he got married, and he was hired …

A Bibliometric And Descriptive Analysis Of The Disciplinary Affiliations Of Research About Students With Disabilities In College-Level Science Education, Tongriang N. Daspan M.Ed, Aaron C. Wenger Phd, Brandy Pleasants Phd

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

Despite the global emphasis on equity and the need for inclusive science education, students with disabilities (SwDs) encounter persistent barriers in college-level science learning environments. While prior research has explored isolated challenges faced by SwDs, few studies have examined how these challenges vary across science disciplines. Yet, science education research is often situated within distinct disciplinary traditions, such as biology education research or geoscience education research, known collectively as Discipline-Based Education Research (DBER). Understanding the disciplinary distribution of research on SwDs is essential to identifying gaps and fostering cross-disciplinary learning. This study maps trends and patterns in the disciplinary affiliations …

Remixing Dialogue: A Case Study On Perceptions Of Hip Hop Pedagogy In A Professional Learning Course, Kelly J. Thelen

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This qualitative case study examines how teachers’ decision-making and professional autonomy shift while participating in a Hip Hop Pedagogy Professional Learning course supported by structured FIXIT (Lo & Wachter, 2023a, 2023b, 2023c, 2023d; Wachter & Lo, 2024) game-facilitated dialogue in a rural, culturally and linguistically diverse Midwest community. Grounded in Freire’s (1970) Critical Pedagogy, Ladson-Billings’ (1995) Culturally Relevant Pedagogy, Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy (Paris and Alim, 2017), and Adult Learning Theory (Knowles et al., 2005), the study explores the reclamation of agency by teachers in a time of constrained creativity and educator autonomy shaped by strict policy environments, an emphasis on …

A Causal-Comparative Study Of The Effect Of Developmental Education Courses On College Persistence In Higher Education Among First-Year College Students, Tosha J. Mobley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative study was to examine differences in institutional integration scores among first-year college students based on enrollment status and gender assigned at birth at a public southern university. This study was important because previous reform efforts intended to improve college persistence and graduation rates have not eliminated the need for developmental education or learning support courses within higher education. The independent variables included enrollment status and gender assigned at birth. Institutional integration was measured using the Institutional Integration Scale–Revised (IIS-R). The sample was composed of 107 first-year college students enrolled in developmental (support) and traditional …

The Empathy Equation: Nontraditional Students Recruited With A Transformational Approach - A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study, Ashley E. Sempowski

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to examine the influence that individualized, student-centric, transformative recruitment and communication efforts had on university student choice for nontraditional students at a private four-year university. The theory guiding this study is Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, as it explains how an individual’s environmental system and contexts influence their human development and decision making, and how these developments can be seen as predictors of student choice, retention, academic preparedness, and performance. This hermeneutic phenomenological study was conducted through interviews, focus groups, and reflective writing prompts with 10 nontraditional students at a private, four-year university. …

System Leadership For Sdg-Aligned Research Security In Ireland, Seán Lacey

Publications

What is new?

Research security has rapidly emerged as a priority in research governance across Europe and internationally. However, discussions frequently frame research security primarily in terms of national security or geopolitical risk, with limited attention to how security measures intersect with sustainable development objectives. This paper addresses this gap by exploring the relationship between research security and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), using the emerging Irish research security framework as an illustrative context. It argues that research security and sustainable development are not inherently in conflict; however, aligning them requires coordinated system leadership to ensure that security measures protect …

Not Quite Foreign, Never Fully Belonging: Racialization Of Southbound Policy Students In Taiwan, Garima Jha

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

This paper critically examines how race and racialization shape the socio-cultural adjustment experiences of international students from New Southbound policy (NSP) countries in Taiwan. Drawing from a qualitative part conducted for my master’s thesis, which explored the coping strategies and adjustment processes of seven students from Southeast and South Asia through semi-structured interview, I reframe the data to center race as an analytical lens using the conceptual framework proposed by Glasgow (2009) which explains that racialization as the process through which social meanings are attached to perceived cultural or bodily differences, creating and maintaining hierarchies among groups. and Brondolo et …

Transnational Racialization: An Exploratory Case Study Of Asian International Students In U.S. Higher Education, Jia Zheng, Kristyn Lue

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

This exploratory case study examines the transnational racialization experiences of 14 ethnically diverse Asian International Students (AIS) studying abroad in the U.S. Using International Student Critical Race Theory to foreground the contexts of participants’ home countries, we ask: What are AIS’s experiences with transnational racialization? Findings suggest that AIS are socialized to the racial dynamics of the U.S. through: (1) the different contexts of their home countries, (2) their specific social positioning within these contexts, (3) the influence of Western narratives across the globe, and (4) their academic communities in the U.S. Our findings advance theoretical perspectives on racialization in …

Race, Racism, And Racialization In International Higher Education: A Transnational And Mobility-Aware Approach, Benjamin Denga, Louise Michelle Vital

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

Race, racism, and racialization are increasingly recognized as central to understanding inequality in global higher education. Yet dominant frameworks in comparative and international higher education remain nationally bounded and citizenship-centered, offering limited insight into how race operates under conditions of mobility, legal temporariness, and transnational governance. As internationalization intensifies through student mobility, cross-border partnerships, and global knowledge circulation, racialized experiences are shaped by visa-dependent status, differential protection, global racial imaginaries and discourses, uneven or unequal geopolitical relations and institutional logics of internationalization (including marketization, risk management and revenue extraction). In this conceptual article we argue that race and racialization in …

Pdf Full Issue, Rosalind L. Raby

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

No abstract provided.

Exploring The Effectiveness Of A “How-To-Teach” Book Club For Preservice Teachers, Rina Bousalis, Eden Greene, Robyn Klein, Abigail Woods, Isabella Mandoeng

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

As teacher training programs continue seeking ways to prepare their preservice teachers to teach, many have turned to “how-to-teach” books written by veteran teachers, viewing them as a valuable source that could offer teacher candidates additional support. This study, which developed from the idea of creating a book club with instructors and members of a university’s future educators’ organization, used a qualitative textual analysis approach to explore concepts that emerged from how-to-teach books, how participants’ perceived those concepts, and how the books benefited participants. The study revealed that although authors’ perspectives often conflicted with participants’ beliefs, the authors’ engaging activities …

Comparative Analysis Of Artificial Intelligence (Ai) Implications For Active Learning And Assessment At Various Curricular Levels Of Stem And Health Sciences In Developed Versus Underprivileged Countries, Vinay Munlapudi, Santanu De

FDLA Journal

Today’s all-pervasive emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) necessitates a comprehensive evaluation of its role in education, especially for occupational disciplines in health sciences and STEM. AI has reshaped student learning and instructors’ navigation of the evolving, post coronavirus infectious disease (COVID-19) global academic landscape. This study aimed at encapsulating evidence-based AI implications for student-centered, active learning and assessment at various curricular levels of science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) and health sciences education in developed versus underprivileged or less developed countries. An extensive, scoping review of 65 recent, scholarly publications was conducted over six months through diverse search engines (PubMed, Google …

Rockin’ Rover On The Rainbow Road, Michael Kolta, Lawrence Burgee, Ying Yuan

Transformations

This paper presents a progressive series of age-appropriate lesson plans for grades K-12 that all use the same interdisciplinary activity to educate students about Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM) simultaneously. Technology from Texas Instruments (TI) was employed including a TI Nspire graphing calculator that can run Python programs, a TI Innovator Hub, and a TI Rover. The TI Rover is a small, robotic car that has sensors and is controlled by the calculator via the Hub hardware interface. A Python program was developed that uses the color sensor in the Rover to detect the color on colored paper …

From Reluctance To Resilience: The Link Between Attitude And Growth Mindset In Calculus Students, Olivia Valente, Kathryn E. Pedings-Behling, Amy N. Langville

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Many postsecondary students enter general education mathematics courses with negative attitudes, shaping their willingness to engage with the content. This study explores the relationship between students’ attitudes towards mathematics and their growth mindset, revealing effective strategies to enhance learning experiences, particularly for students who are reluctant learners. The research investigates two questions: (1) How do students’ Attitude Toward Mathematics Inventory (ATMI) scores and Growth Mindset Scale (GMS) scores relate? and (2) Do gender or course modality affect this relationship? This study addresses a gap in literature by examining how enjoyment, motivation, self-confidence, and perceived value connect with growth mindset. The …

August 4, 2026 Ereporter, University Of Alabama At Birmingham

eReporter (campus newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Staying The Course: Community College Student Lived Experiences On Program Completion And Motivation, Jessica Leigh Mills

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of former community college students who successfully completed an associate degree, certificate, or program of study and to understand how they experienced the personal, institutional, and environmental factors that supported their persistence to completion. The study, guided primarily by Tinto’s (1975,1988) Model of Student Departure and was complemented by Bandura’s (1988) Social Learning Theory (SLT), and Maslow’s (1943) Hierarchy of Needs, explored the extrinsic and intrinsic motivations students attributed to their successful completion of their associate degree, certificate, or program of study. Twelve former community college students who …

From Gatekeeping To Opportunity: Authentic Assessment In Natural Resources Education, Aradaryn Marsh

All Dissertations

Assessment practices play a central role in shaping how students engage with learning, demonstrate understanding, and participate in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. Despite increasing calls for more inclusive and professionally relevant educational practices, undergraduate STEM assessment remains heavily dominated by traditional examinations emphasizing memorization, speed, and standardized performance. These concerns may be particularly important within Natural Resources (NR) education, a field that requires students to integrate scientific knowledge with communication, collaboration, and applied problem-solving. This dissertation explores authentic assessment within undergraduate NR education through a multi-phase investigation examining assessment prevalence, student experiences, racially marginalized (RM) student perspectives, …

University Of Central Florida Undergraduate Catalog, 2025-2026, University Of Central Florida

UCF Catalogs

No abstract provided.

The Relativity Of Education: Student Perspectives On Artificial Intelligence In Community College, Ashley Greta Magana

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This hermeneutic phenomenological study examined how diverse community college students experience and make meaning of the integration of generative artificial intelligence (AI) into their educational contexts. Although AI is quickly transforming higher education through automated grading, personalized learning systems, and new models of assessment, the discourse surrounding its implementation remains dominated by administrators, faculty, and institutional stakeholders, while the perspectives of students, specifically community college students who are often historically underrepresented and economically marginalized, are systematically excluded. Most existing research is quantitative and centered on universities, leaving a critical gap in qualitative understanding of the most diverse population in higher …

2026 August, Morehead State University. Office Of Communications & Marketing.

Morehead State Press Release Archive, 1961 to the Present

Press releases for August of 2026.

Exploring Literacy Preparedness And Academic Experiences Of First-Year Community College Students, Alexandra Ranieri

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Community colleges enroll students with diverse levels of academic preparation, yet placement into college-level coursework often relies heavily on high school grade point average (GPA), which may not fully reflect students' literacy preparedness. Although research has linked literacy proficiency to academic success, little is known about how first-year community college students experience literacy preparedness during the transition to college. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the literacy preparedness of first-year community college students and explore how their reading abilities aligned with their early academic experiences. Guided by the Reading Systems Framework (Perfetti & Stafura, 2014), the …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Lived Mentoring Experiences Of Black Women Faculty At Public Hbcus, Leona Quatena Mcgowan

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Despite increases in the representation of women in academia, Black women remain significantly underrepresented, accounting for approximately 4% of full-time faculty in postsecondary institutions. This lack of representation contributes to intersecting challenges, including experiences with racism, sexism, and limited access to mentorships in higher education. Previous studies have established that mentoring aids in the success and retention of faculty, but there is limited research examining how Black women faculty experience mentoring within public Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived mentoring experiences of Black women faculty employed at public …

Analyzing The Institutional Factors Associated With Sense Of Belonging Among Stem Adjuncts At Community Colleges, Karuna Taneja

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

In this study I examined the relationships among organizational support, workplace conditions, and sense of belonging among adjunct faculty teaching STEM courses in community colleges. Grounded in the need-to-belong theory (Baumeister & Leary, 1995) and Herzberg’s two-factor theory (1968), I distinguished between relational and structural dimensions of faculty experiences. Perceived organizational support was conceptualized as a relational construct reflecting faculty members’ perceptions of being valued and included within their institutions, whereas workplace conditions were examined as structural factors influencing job satisfaction.

Using a quantitative, cross-sectional correlational survey design, data were collected from adjunct STEM faculty (N = 64) teaching at …

An Evaluation Of Peer Mentoring In A Pre-Veterinary Science Program Within A College Of Forestry And Agriculture, Amy Neal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mentoring is a tool utilized to improve the retention of college students and can serve as an effort to increase their willingness to persist despite challenges. Establishing mentoring relationships amongst first-year students and more-experienced students can create a sense of belonging. Mentorship programs may be developed within a particular major or program. Within this study, an online survey was formed to analyze the perceptions of first-year pre-veterinary students in Fall 2024 and Fall 2025. A peer-mentorship program was implemented amongst pre-veterinary students in Fall 2025. First-year students who completed the survey in Fall 2024 were not mentored. Many of the …

Educator Perspectives Of Available Special Education Transition Programming Through High School Career And Technical Education Organizations For Female Students In Self-Contained Classrooms, Cassandra L. Aungst

Theses and Dissertations

The problem addressed in this study was that there is a lack of research regarding alignment between special education student transition assessments, transition goals, and transition programming and specifically those who identify as female students. While career readiness programs are accessible to all students, regardless of gender, female students in special education remain underrepresented in career and technical education programs. The purpose of this research was to review educational practices that influence female students with disabilities in relation to their individualized education plan transition goals and programming by addressing (a) educators’ perceptions, (b) systemic challenges, and (c) policy gaps influencing …

A Pedagogical “Eras” Tour: Thirteen Years Of Evolving As A Writing Methods Instructor [Special Issue], Susanna Benko

Teaching/Writing: The Journal of Writing Teacher Education

ABSTRACT: This reflective essay uses Taylor Swift's Eras Tour as a conceptual framework for examining thirteen years of teaching a writing methods course for preservice teachers. Drawing on longitudinal reflection, I identify four distinct pedagogical eras in my practice, each representing shifts in how I conceptualize what preservice teachers need to learn about teaching writing and how clinical experiences shape that learning. Through this extended reflection, I argue that meaningful pedagogical change becomes visible only across time, not semester-to-semester. Key insights include the sustained centrality of writing practice in methods courses and the influence of institutional changes on course design. …

Unf Student Research Symposium Conference Program Summer 2026, Office Of Undergraduate Research, Unf Graduate School

UNF Student Research Symposium

The Summer UNF Student Research Symposium is a multi-disciplinary conference where students showcase their research and creative projects. The symposium, hosted by the UNF Office of Undergraduate Research in partnership with the UNF Graduate School and the College of Arts and Sciences Dean's Office, is a component of the Student Research Symposium series, which provides a venue for students to present their research projects to the campus community.

Surveying First-Year Stem Students’ Self-Reported Knowledge, Skills, And Attitudes Towards Teamwork, Gregory R. Goldsmith, Camilla Acosta

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

The ability to work in a team is cited as a key outcome for many undergraduate Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) programs, both as a method for improving learning and as a highly desired trait for employers. Despite a growing focus on teamwork, our ability to design appropriate teamwork curriculum is limited by our poor understanding of what students arriving at university know about teamwork, what teamwork skills they consider themselves to possess, and their attitudes towards teamwork. We delivered a mixed-methods survey to first-year STEM undergraduate students (n = 205) to benchmark knowledge, skills and attitudes towards …

Embedding Evaluation For Continuous Improvement In A Cohort-Based Doctoral Residency Model: Evidence From An Ed.D. Program, Monica J. Weir

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

The Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership Program at Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM) includes two required summer residency weeks that serve as signature components of the doctoral experience. Given their central role in supporting academic milestones and scholarly community, program faculty have embedded systematic evaluation into residency design to support continuous improvement. This article describes a multi-phase, utilization-focused evaluation framework examining residency preparation, implementation, and participant experience. The evaluation designer collaborated with program faculty to design pre- and post-residency week instruments that elevate doctoral student voice and support faculty-led reflection. Preliminary findings indicated strong value placed on peer …

Preparing Teachers To Read The Data: Strengthening Data Literacy For Early Literacy Decision-Making, Tevia Q. Strand

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

Teachers are increasingly expected to use literacy screening and benchmark data to guide instruction, identify student needs, and participate in multi-tiered systems of support. However, pre-service and early-career teachers may enter the profession without sufficient preparation to interpret assessment data or connect benchmark patterns to instructional action. This white paper examines the gap between teacher preparation and the realities of K-12 data use, with particular attention to early literacy decision-making. Drawing from Bradbury’s discussion of teacher preparation and the changing realities of education, this paper argues that data literacy is an essential part of preparing teachers for equitable classroom practice. …