Digital Commons Network^™

Arts-Based Sustainability: From New York To Malawi, Martha B. Lerski

Publications and Research

Recognizing that libraries serve multiple constituencies and subject areas, this chapter documents and advocates for development of transdisciplinary arts-based research (ABR) and culture-related projects linked to environmental challenges. Libraries contribute collections and spaces, as well as the research of library and information scientists. Libraries are currently among invisible contributors to sustainability planning and services. The chapter will link this invisibility to the value of what visual arts refer to as negative space elements in subjects ranging from traditional ecological knowledge to environmental science. Library collections, projects, and research contribute to education for sustainable development (ESD) as required to achieve the …

Adam Smith: Social Imaginary And Religion, Jan Van Vliet

Pro Rege

No abstract provided.

Forging The Future, Kenneth Benoit

Asian Management Insights

How AI is rewriting the rules of knowledge, expertise, and practice.

In The Beginning: Crucial Lessons For Our World From The First Three Chapters Of Genesis (Book Review), Eduardo Echeverria

Pro Rege

Reviewed Title: In the Beginning: Crucial Lessons for Our World from the First Three Chapters of Genesis. Catholic Answers Press, May 2, 2024. 272 pp. BOD392K526

The Fault Line: Understanding Tension Between Industry And Higher Education Institutions In Sustained Partnerships, David Lawrence

Dissertations

This study investigates the dynamics that influence tensions in industry–higher education partnerships and identifies effective navigation factors in sustainable partnerships. Despite the increasing prevalence, such partnerships face high failure rates due to inherent tensions. This research explores how partners from industry and higher education institutions successfully navigate these tensions using a qualitative case study approach.

This investigation employed a case study design with a multi-case two-by-two holistic matrix and an interpretive, constructivist framework. Data collection involved 16 semi-structured interviews with key individuals from nine higher education institutions and five industry organizations spanning healthcare, technology, consulting, real estate development, and accounting …

College Access Literacy With A Focus On Key Transition Knowledge For Historically Underrepresented Students And Their Educators, Molly S. Dunn, Stephanie L. Savick, Rachel E. Durham

Journal of College Access

In this article, we present a programmatic model to develop College Access Literacy (CAL) among both students and educators. University faculty developed a six-module curriculum delivered through existing Professional Development School partnerships in afterschool seminars for high school juniors and separate class periods for other high school students. Professional development sessions were also delivered by content experts to high school educators and faculty who were paired to co-teach the curriculum. The program was implemented in three high schools that primarily serve historically underrepresented students. CAL topics, intended to provide students with knowledge and strategies for college access success, included college …

University Leadership, Singapore Management University

Asian Management Insights

The future belongs to institutions that advance impact and prepare minds for lifelong learning. An interview with Dr Andrew Hamilton, President Emeritus of New York University and former Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University.

Through The Wire: Examining The Experiences Of Formerly Incarcerated Students In Prison Education Programs And The Wraparound Services Needed To Support Their Success, Isabel Castro

Dissertations

This qualitative study examines the experiences of formerly incarcerated individuals in Prison Education Programs (PEPs) and the wraparound services necessary to support their success. Through Schlossberg’s Transition Theory, this study explores how incarcerated students navigate educational transitions and how educators facilitate transformative learning. Using case study and narrative inquiry, interviews were conducted with fifteen formerly incarcerated PEP participants and seven educators.

Thematic analysis revealed six major themes: Access to Education in Carceral Settings, the Impact of Education on Incarcerated Individuals, Wraparound Services and Student Support, Experiences of Formerly Incarcerated Students, the Role of Educators and Program Facilitators, and Best Practices …

To Reflect & To Be Reflective: Student Experiences Of Critique In Art & Design Higher Education, Jade Seobin Yun

Masters Theses

This thesis investigated the critique process in art and design higher education, focusing specifically on student experiences at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). Through a combination of autoethnographic reflection and a campus-wide student survey, the study explored how critique was perceived, practiced, and internalized by students across disciplines. Central to this inquiry was the emotional and pedagogical complexity of critique, which was often treated as an assumed skill rather than a learned process. Drawing from personal narrative, pedagogical literature, and qualitative data, the research proposed a framework of Trust (Barrett, 2019), Courage (Brown, 2022), and Responsiveness (hooks, 1994) …

Imagination: Bridging The Intended, Delivered, And Received Curricula, Vicki Boley Dr., Paul A. Michalec Dr.

Journal of Contemplative and Holistic Education

This paper explores the transformative potential of imagination in higher education, particularly its capacity to bridge the intended, delivered, and received curricula. Through a qualitative study involving in-depth interviews with graduate students, the research highlights how imagination fosters holistic, socially just, and humanizing educational experiences that transcend traditional instructional boundaries, encouraging student ownership and creative engagement in the higher education classroom and beyond.

Oberlin College Commencement 2025, Oberlin College

Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Reassessing Policy Responses To Irregular Migration In Receiving Democracies: A Process-Tracing Analysis Of Transactional Migration Governance, Otoniel Ramos

Student Research

This policy brief analyzes the growing use of transactional migration agreements (TMAs) by receiving democracies—bilateral arrangements that exchange financial or diplomatic concessions for the external enforcement of migration control. While politically expedient, TMAs often generate long-term strategic liabilities: they reduce state control over enforcement outcomes, expose receiving states to coercive leverage by partner states, and weaken normative commitments to transparency and rights protection. Using analytic process tracing and formal modeling, this paper identifies four recurring mechanisms by which TMAs evolve into systems of asymmetric dependence. It then evaluates three alternative policy frameworks—Exit Doctrine, Legal Category Reform, and a Structured Conditionality …

Ph Dependent Structural Characterization Of Ich Ensembles Needed For Catalysis, Kevin C. Prososki

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

No abstract provided.

Belonging Is Resistance: Illuminating The Power Of Women Of Color Mid-Level Administrators In Higher Education, Rachelle Ann Martinez

Dissertations

Resistance has long been a mechanism through which the dominant norms of society are challenged in the name of social justice. White supremacy, heteropatriarchy, and neoliberalism make it difficult for institutions of higher education to increase diversity, advance equity, and prioritize inclusion. Although these systems of domination adversely impact the belonging of all campus stakeholders, the experiences of mid-level administrators are relatively overlooked, and feeling undervalued and underappreciated is a top reason for many, especially women and people of color, who leave the profession altogether. This qualitative study utilized narrative inquiry to understand how dominant societal norms adversely impact the …

Becoming A Beloved Community: A Restorative Reckoning For A Radical Conversion To Transform Discourse In Higher Education, Latasha Tomay Varlack-Butler

Dissertations

This dissertation critically examines the misappropriation of Restorative Justice Discourse (RJD) within three predominantly white institutions (PWIs), analyzing 59 institutional documents through Critical Discourse Analysis, Relational Critical Discourse Analysis, and Rhetorical Criticism (Fairclough, 1995; Vaandering, 2021; van Dijk, 2008). Tribal Colleges and Universities and South African institutions have emerged as exemplars of authentic RJD, countering co-optation within PWIs. The findings demonstrate that RJD as applied in PWIs is framed in ways that attenuate its transformative potential, perpetuating color-evasiveness (Bonilla-Silva, 2017) and obscuring the intersectional experiences of Black, Indigenous, and disabled communities (Crenshaw, 1991; Million, 2009).

Grounded in decolonial praxis (Smith, …

Respectability, Code-Switching, And Expression: Examining The Experience Of Black Expressive Arts Therapists Through A Sociolinguistic Lens, Darrien Bush

Expressive Therapies Theses

This literature review explores how the linguistic phenomenon of code-switching can be applied to expressive arts and expressive arts therapy to describe the experience of Black expressive therapists. The review outlines the evolution of the term, reasons why individuals switch codes, and how this affects their experience. The understanding of code-switching is then examined in expressive arts and the expressive arts therapy field. A history and understanding of code-switching in Black communities is also explored, connecting Black experiences of code-switching and expressive arts therapy programs. A discussion suggests that culturally relevant practices are implicitly discouraged due to dominant expectations. Future …

Perceptions Of Faculty On Trauma-Informed Practices At The American University In Cairo, Marwa M. Emara

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Trauma-informed education is gaining momentum in higher education as a framework that seeks to create learning environments that are safe, inclusive, and responsive to the emotional and psychological needs of students—particularly those who have experienced trauma. This qualitative study, situated at the American University in Cairo (AUC), explores how faculty perceive, understand, and implement trauma-informed practices in a diverse university context that includes refugee and displaced students. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with seventeen faculty members from various disciplines and incorporating an autoethnographic reflection. An expert interview was conducted with Dr. Mays Imad, a leading scholar in trauma-informed …

A Time-Strapped Reality: Christian Faculty Perceptions On Research Expectations And Job Satisfaction, Hailey A. Manicone, Bruce K. Bell, Roger B. Bingham, Jacob T. Byrd, Kimberly S. Cashman, Sherri Ann Walker

Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

There are many factors related to faculty perceptions of expectations and demands to conduct research that can significantly impact their job satisfaction. While much research has been done on the relationship between a faculty member’s ability to perform research and their job satisfaction, limited research on this relationship exists in the context of Christian higher education. To address this problem, this study asks the following questions: 1. What are the perceptions of Christian higher education faculty regarding research? 2. How do Christian higher education faculty’s perceptions of these research expectations affect their job satisfaction? Data were collected from six faculty …

Faith Learning Integration In Christian Higher Education And Faculty Job Satisfaction: A Hermeneutical Phenomenological Study, Brad Burgess, Grace Michele Baker, Jamaica Conner, Jonathan Giles, Rachel Joseph, Kevin Layell

Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

Faith learning integration (FLI) in Christian institutions of higher education contributes to job satisfaction (JS) for faculty. This study explores FLI and JS among interdisciplinary faculty in a Christian university in the Southeast US. Researchers used a hermeneutical phenomenological approach to collect data from six faculty from varying disciplines, using interviews, focus group discussions, and journaling. Manual coding was utilized to uncover three primary themes: (a) clear expectations for FLI; (b) challenges to implement FLI; and (c) faculty JS from FLI. Two subthemes emerged from the primary theme of clear expectations for FLI: standards set by the organization and classroom …

About This Journal, Shawn Bielicki

Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

No abstract provided.

Legislative Transparency And Self-Government: Nevada And First Amendment Application, Allister Dias

Student Research

With the rise in political tension in the United States, the call for transparency from elected officials has reached an all-time high. While the role of American democracy is to promote a sense of participation from constituents, the lack of information regarding policy decisions has exempted the public from the halls of the legislature. This policy brief examines legislative transparency in Nevada through the concept of self-government theory. Despite a 1994 constitutional amendment to require publicly accessible legislative committee meetings, exemptions from Open Meeting Law and statutory exemptions continue to limit public access and further the divide between the government …

High-Entropy (Feconimnal)3o4/Cnt And (Feconimnal)3o4/Rgo Hybrid Bi-Functional Catalyst For Hydrogen And Oxygen Evolution Reactions, Bhumikaben V. Makawana

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

Developing efficient and durable electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is crucial for advancing sustainable energy conversion technologies. In this study, high-entropy (FeCoNiMnAl)₃O₄ and its hybrid forms supported on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) were synthesized with varying carbon concentrations (5 mM, 10 mM, and 15 mM) and evaluated for their bifunctional electrocatalytic performance in alkaline media. The rGO-supported catalyst with 10 mM concentration exhibited the best HER performance, achieving a low overpotential of 162 mV at 10 mA/cm², followed by rGO (15 mM) and rGO (5 mM) …

First Annual Advances In Business Education Conference 2025 Proceedings, Kelsey Metz, Joshua Ray

Advances in Business Education (ABE) Conference Proceedings

Conference Overview: The First Annual Advances in Business Education (ABE) Conference was held on May 16, 2025, at Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tennessee. Hosted by the LMU School of Business, the ABE Conference was established to promote teaching excellence through innovation and collaboration in business education. With a focus on fostering meaningful dialogue among educators, researchers, and students, the conference welcomed participants from across disciplines and institutions. The event was structured around three key tracks:

Pedagogy & Teaching Excellence: Showcasing innovative teaching methods and strategies for enhancing student learning and engagement.

Business Research: Presenting research focused on advancing knowledge …

The Teaching Experiences Of Black Women Faculty In Educator Preparation Providers Licensure Programs At Predominantly White Institutions, Tiffiney M. Atterberry

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding the experiences that Black women faculty encounter in instructional spaces of Educator Preparation Providers licensure programs (hereafter referred to as EPPs) at predominantly White institutions are important for institutional change and reform to occur. In spaces of EPPs, Black women faculty are forced to cope and deal with racialized issues such as feelings of social isolation, a lack of inclusion, acts of microaggression from students, disrespectful acts, and students challenging their knowledge and credentials. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how Black women faculty narrate their teaching experiences in EPPs at PWIs. The use of Collins’ …

Bio-Based Composites With Enhanced Mechanical Strength And Flame Retardancy, Riya Patel

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

Composites are versatile and useful in many fields, including aerospace, automotive, construction, and healthcare, due to their high mechanical strength. It is common practice to synthesize these materials using petroleum-based chemicals. Nonetheless, in the twenty-first century, scientists are more interested in using renewable resources to create composites. The greatest substitute for petroleum-based chemicals is vegetable oil. It has unsaturated double bonds that are modifiable chemically. In the present study, bio-polyol was synthesized using castor oil, an inedible vegetable oil. A ring-opening process was used to modify it and produce castor oil-based polyol. The synthesized castor oil-based polyol was characterized by …

Barriers Faced By College Sexual Violence Survivors Who Identify As A Racial And Gender Minority, Brittany A. Gordon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sexual violence is a significant issue in the US, and specifically on college campuses. Students who identify as a racial and gender minority have been found to be at increased risk. While research has examined the barriers to disclosure, reporting, or help-seeking among survivors within higher education who identify as a racial minority and those who identify as a gender minority, no qualitative studies have looked at the barriers faced by student survivors who identify as both a racial and gender minority. The purpose of this study was to understand the barriers faced by students who identify as a racial …

A Psychocosocial Behavior Modification That Impacts Social Belonging In College Students, Julia Roland

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Disparities in educational attainment have been at the forefront of many educational leaders' minds. For those in higher education, finding solutions to eliminate these disparities is critical to their viability. Research on these disparities has led to an encouraging discovery centered around the psychological construct of social belonging. Studies have been finding evidence that a student's sense of social belonging impacts their academic success in college. Furthermore, researchers have discovered an intervention that fosters a student's sense of belonging. This intervention has been shown to increase a student's sense of belonging at college and, in turn, has increased the students' …

The Cost Of Leadership: Giving Voice To The Experiences Of Student Leaders Of Color At Predominantly White Institutions, Gustavo F. Burkett

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

The Cost of Leadership: Giving Voice to the Experience of Student Leaders of Color at Predominantly White Institutions

August 2025

Gustavo F. Burkett, B.S., The University of Maine

M.Ed., The University of Maine

Ph.D., University of Massachusetts Boston

Directed by Professor Tara Parker

The way many predominantly white institutions (PWIs) have positioned cultural student organizations as representations of campus diversity, often disguises the complex, racialized burdens carried by the organization’s student leaders. Leadership roles held by students of color are embedded in administrative structures not built with their identities in mind. This study explored the intersection of race, institutional culture, …

The Role Of Popular Culture In Decolonial Transformative Learning: A Racially Minoritized Adult Educator's Journey, Riyad Shahjahan

Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy

While a growing body of literature examines the role of popular culture in transformative learning, much of it centers on fostering transformative experiences among learners, rather than educators themselves. This paper addresses that gap by exploring how popular culture enhances transformative learning for racially minoritized adult educators. Drawing from my experiences as a graduate instructor at a predominantly white institution, I reflect on how engaging with popular cultural texts facilitated my own transformative learning within my teaching practice. Grounded in decolonial theory, which emphasizes the inclusion of Indigenous and marginalized knowledges while confronting contemporary colonial oppressions, my reflexive approach highlights …

Spring Commencement, 2025, Marshall University

Marshall University Commencement

Program for the Commencement of Marshall University, Saturday, May 10, 2025 held at the Mountain Health Arena in Huntington, West Virginia.