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

Morehead State Press Release Archive, 1961 to the Present

Press releases for June of 2026.

Care Ecologies Between Knots, Eliza R. Marris

Masters Theses

Discarded fibers like raw wool behave the way harm reduction does. Harm reduction resists stigma and works to move beyond assumptions and oversimplifications of substance use and addiction. Wool is irregular, complicated, and emotionally charged. It resists compression and maintains its own being even when pulled apart. Working with raw wool is in relationship with complexity, as is harm reduction.

At its core, harm reduction is grounded in thoughtfulness and empathy towards people, their lived experience, and its nuances. It is a witness to lives, memories, and imprints, acknowledging the entangled realities of addiction. Our detachment from fiber remainders, materials …

Incorporating Principles And Wisdom From Hospital Chaplaincy And Pastoral Ministry To Create A Ministry Model To Address Social Isolation And Loneliness In Black Churches, Albert A. Kemp

Doctor of Ministry Projects and Theses

To address the growing and widespread epidemic of social isolation and loneliness, with special focus on Black churches, this dissertation developed a program with the following areas of application: 1) how healthcare trained chaplains can coordinate with churches to positively impact individuals identified as lonely and socially isolated with better social and physical health, 2) how principles of chaplaincy and pastoral care can mitigate and intervene competently when such people are identified, and 3) how the project’s model can be organized, taught, and incorporated into existing arenas of church ministry.

The purpose of the project was to create a ministry …

Gme As A Healthcare And Economic Driver In Southern Nevada, Tripp Umbach

Policy Briefs and Reports

In early 2025, the Nevada Health and Bioscience Corporation (NHBC) commissioned Tripp Umbach to conduct a comprehensive study examining the current state and future expansion of physician training and retention in Southern Nevada. The approach recommended in this report is rooted in strategic partnerships among medical institutions, proven funding approaches, and needed policy changes. Tripp Umbach, a nationally renowned private consultancy specializing in medical education expansion strategies, reviewed data, conducted interviews, and developed recommendations to expand GME, highlighting its profound economic impact in Southern Nevada.

Healthcare Decision-Making In An Ageing Society: Legal, Policy, And Ethical Challenges In Japan, Yukio Sakurai

Japanese Society and Culture

This paper examines the evolving landscape of healthcare decision-making in Japan’s rapidly ageing society, with a focus on the legal, policy, and ethical challenges it entails. It analyzes the limitations of the adult guardianship system, the risks associated with family-dependent decision-making, and the underutilization of advance care planning (ACP). The study further considers how demographic shifts, advances in medical technology, and socio-legal inertia affect end-of-life care, particularly for individuals with diminished capacity. A central theme is the inherent ethical dilemma in balancing individual autonomy with Japan's cultural context, where explicit self-assertion can be challenging, especially for older adults. Cultural dimensions …

Association Between Internet Use For Health Information And Alzheimer’S Disease Diagnosis Among Older Adults With Diabetes In The United States: Examining Racial And Gender Disparities, Henry M. Zeidan

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This study uses data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) Round 13, collected in 2024, to examine whether internet use for health information is associated with Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis among older adults with diabetes in the United States. Given the rising adoption of digital health, understanding who benefits from online health resources is increasingly important. The research also examines whether these associations differ across racial and gender groups, offering insight into potential disparities in digital health engagement and cognitive outcomes. Findings from this study will inform clinical practice, public health programming, and strategies to ensure equitable access …

Journey Through, Cathan B. Tautfest

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

Journey Through is the Master's Portfolio for the University of Montana for Author Cathan Tautfest. This paper serves as the capstone graduation requirement for students of the School of Social Work. Over the final semester of the Master's program, this Portfolio was created, reviewed by committee, and defended before its publication. This Portfolio is a culmination of three years and thousands of hours to demonstrate mastery of the ten Social Work competencies, the elements of Social Work Practice, and critically reflect on time spent in the School of Social Work's Master's of Social Work (MSW) program. This Portfolio reflects on …

Environmental Sanitation In Long-Term Care Facilities: A Focus On Regulations And Implementations, Ruwan Dissanayake Dissanayake Mudiyanselage

All Theses

Environmental sanitation is a fundamental component of infection prevention in long-term care facilities (LTCFs), where residents are at increased risk due to advanced age, underlying health conditions, and communal living arrangements. Despite its critical role, significant gaps remain in implementing environmental sanitation procedures and the regulatory frameworks that guide them.

This study combines two components: (1) an across-state regulatory review of environmental sanitation in LTCF regulations and (2) a cross-sectional survey assessing environmental sanitation characteristics of nursing homes (NHs) and assisted living facilities (ALFs) and Rural and Urban LTCF observation study in South Carolina (SC) . For the regulatory review …

Uthealth Mcgovern Medical School 2025 Quality Symposium Abstracts

Teaching in Clinics

UTHealth McGovern Medical School 2025 Quality Symposium Abstracts

Gathering At The Table: Using Food To Heal On One’S Grief Journey, Jamie B. Daugherty, Jada Staat, Julie Rachford

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

This research study explored the registered dietitian nutritionist’s (RDN) role and impact while supporting those on their grief journey. Data collection methods included a focus group, journaling, workshop evaluations, and photo elicitation. Qualitative data analysis highlighted three themes emerging from a six-week culinary nutrition education support workshop: providing intention, building community, and showcasing RDNs as encouraging companions, by contributing their skills of nutrition education and hands-on culinary applications, supporting individuals continuing to grieve.

Helping Persons Experiencing Homelessness Complete Advance Directives: A Model For Service Learning Within A Community-Academic Partnership, Woods Nash, Sandra J. Mixer, Polly M. Mcarthur, Annette Mendola, Kylie Jackson, Caroline Darlington, Bruce Spangler, Merrell Pressley, Erin Conley

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

Despite their interest in completing advance directives (ADs), persons experiencing homeless-ness (PEH) appear to have fewer surrogate decision-makers and limited opportunities for ad-vance care planning (ACP). Nursing students and faculty, a hospital bioethicist, and social ser-vice agency staff formed a community-academic partnership that helps PEH complete advance directives. This unique service-learning opportunity offers a model for assisting vulnerable pop-ulations with advance care planning. Model effectiveness and limitations are described from each partner’s perspective in their own words.

In Like Flint: How The Innovation Incubator At Um‐Flint Fosters Social Entrepreneurship In A City Remaking Itself, Nic Custer

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

This paper focuses on how the University of Michigan-Flint’s Innovation Incubator supports emerging for-profit businesses and nonprofit organizations through programming, business plan development, and ongoing mentorship. The incubator is especially interested in supporting start -ups that address key social issues in the surrounding community, including economic vitality. This goal aligns with the university’s mission, which emphasizes that engaged citizens can exercise some control over the social, environmental, and economic factors in the larger community.

Student Reflections On Service‐Learning: Cognitive, Affective, And Behavioral Lessons, Maria L. Claver, Lisa A. Lares, Lauren Gelgur

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

Service-learning is an educational experience that allows students meaningful interaction with older adults. Students in a gerontology course completed service-learning and recorded their experiences in weekly journals. This study explored student-reported reflections, which indicated cognitive, affective, and behavioral lessons. Future research should include the perspectives of faculty members, agencies, and older adults; long-term influences of service; and approaches to facilitating service-learning for hybrid and online courses.

The 505 Initiative: Service Learning And Student Philanthropy In Graduate Social Work, Jessica Averitt Taylor, Caroline Macke, James E. Taylor

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

This case study describes a community engagement project involving graduate social work students. The project centered on a specific area in Northern Kentucky: the Westside neighborhood of Newport. Efforts included a student philanthropy component that fostered community exploration, an assessment of strengths and challenges, service learning and an involved grants process, and student-initiated volunteer hours. The students demonstrated increased commitment to community and connected community engagement with student philanthropy and course concepts.

Time Ticks Slowly For Kidney Transplant Reform: Eskd Patient Challenges And Opportunities, Gregory P. Hess

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.

Institutional Betrayal And Military Vaccine Mandates: An Inquiry Into Loss Of Health Autonomy Concerning Unlimited Liability Contractual Employment In The Covid-19 Era, Aaron G. Dehaven

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The balance between government control and personal liberty is a growing concern in the modern world. Nowhere is this more evident than in discussions surrounding government policy in public health and individual health autonomy. The Covid-19 pandemic forced many institutions to change their standard operating procedures by adapting to rapidly changing health guidance instituted to protect public health. These changes highlighted the role of health autonomy and individuals’ rights to refuse medical treatments. The Department of Defense changed many aspects of how it operated during the pandemic, including the mandate of the Covid-19 vaccine for all service members. For various …

Hope After Grief And Loss: A Needs Assessment Of Peer-Led, Non-Denominational Bereavement Support Services At Laurel’S Grief Center, Julia A. Lange

Public Administration Master’s Projects

This needs assessment examines the grief support services provided by Laurel’s Grief Center (LGC), a nonprofit organization in Buffalo, New York, and identifies opportunities to expand tailored services for grieving adults in Western New York. Using a convergent mixed-methods design, this study collected data through semi-structured interviews with LGC board members and surveys with clients and peer volunteers. Key findings highlight the importance of peer-led, non-denominational grief support and creative approaches, such as art therapy, while identifying barriers, such as stigma, limited awareness, and fragmented regional services.

Based on these findings, this study recommends expanding healing arts programs, enhancing outreach …

A Narrative Review Of Military Reverse Triage., Daniel J Hurst

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

INTRODUCTION: Military reverse triage has been described at several points in the literature. However, an extensive review of the concept and any gaps that may exist has not been conducted. This narrative review seeks to understand how reverse triage is used in the military literature and how it might be implemented in practice, as well as the documented historical applications of reverse triage.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four databases were searched manually for English-language articles: PubMed, SCOPUS, JSTOR, and Worldwide Political Science Abstracts. In addition, a manual search of references, U.S. DoD, and NATO doctrine, as well as other published works …

Recovering Palestinian Lives: Qudsiyya Khurshid From Mandate Palestine To Postwar Pennsylvania, Andrea L. Stanton

Religious Studies: Faculty Scholarship

This article works to recover the life story of Qudsiyya Khurshid, a once well-known Mandate Palestinian intellectual and educator, who wrote essays for publication and for broadcasting on the Palestine Broadcasting Service, while working as a principal at girls’ schools in al-Bireh and Jerusalem. One of a number of educated women active in the Mandate public sphere, she disappeared from public consciousness after the Nakba. But in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, where she had moved with her husband, a naturalized U.S. citizen, she became a prominent figure in civic work and as a community speaker on Palestinian and Middle Eastern life …

Assessing Best Practices Of Facilitation Of The Free Exercise Of Religion By Army Chaplains Utilizing The Success Case Method, Geoffrey N. Bailey Phd

Dissertations

This mixed-methods study examined how U.S. Army chaplains experience and facilitate the free exercise of religion. The research explored compelling narratives of best-case facilitation experiences, identified leadership qualities associated with successful religious support, and analyzed similarities and differences between best and worst-case scenarios. Using Brinkerhoff's Success Case Method, the study distributed a quantitative survey to 1,478 active-duty chaplains (achieving a 23% response rate) followed by twelve guided interviews with participants representing diverse ranks and faith traditions. The research revealed six major themes: significant gaps in education for pluralistic ministry, tension between personal religious convictions and professional duties, crucial impact of …

Identifying Intangible And Biocultural Heritage Elements Toward Environmental Understanding: Engaging Stakeholders Through Art, Martha B. Lerski

Publications and Research

Grounded in a case study in Barbuda in the Caribbean, this research examines sustainability from the perspective of what arts and heritage can contribute to community engagement and local and broader understandings about the environment. This article documents a growing body of literature recognizing the role of arts and culture, including local knowledge and traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), in climate change endeavors. Art and TEK present expansive world views. Contextual information situates research done on the island of Barbuda pre- and post-Hurricane Irma. Visual arts workshops engaged community members in mixed methods research. Results documented cultural elements, particularly intangible and …

Applying A Health Equity Lens To Better Understand End-Of-Life Prognostication, Newsha Nikzad, Joelle Robertson-Preidler, Faith E Fletcher

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Racial and ethnic inequity exists throughout the lifespan, including at the end of life (EOL). Although prognostication is inherently fraught with uncertainty, many underrepresented minorities get prognoses that are overly optimistic, which can exacerbate inequity by depriving patients of details needed to make informed decisions and plan for EOL care. This article applies a health equity lens to facilitate better ethical and clinical understandings of how to care for patients of color more equitably at the EOL.

Providing End-Of-Life Counseling: A Narrative Inquiry, Carol Hecht, Sibyl West

Adultspan Journal

This qualitative study aimed to address the gap in the research related to end-of-life counseling by exploring the experiences of counselors working with clients at end of life. While counseling literature and education are lacking regarding end of life, many counselors will work alongside clients approaching death. The purpose of this study was twofold: (a) to better understand the nuanced experiences of counselors providing end-of-life counseling and (b) to explore the supports and preparations helpful for counselors to provide end-of-life counseling. A narrative approach, using the Listening Guide (Gilligan, 2015), was employed to analyze and present the stories of three …

Considerations Of Medicare Telehealth Services With Older Adults, Sonah Kho, Amanda Dediego

Adultspan Journal

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic set in motion a rapid expansion of mental health services offered via telehealth. With this rapid expansion came the need to examine how policy and practice should be shaped in a future where telehealth is considered common in counseling practice. For counselors to understand how to support older adult clients in using telehealth services, they must understand telehealth policy. Following the eligibility of licensed counselors to participate in Medicare, counselors need to stay abreast of regulatory changes regarding restrictions and regulations on use of telehealth for mental and behavioral health services, including video and …

Leadership In Collaborative Emergency Management For Compound Hurricane-Pandemic Threats: Insights From Practitioners' Experiences, Norah Alshayhan, Saige Hill, Marina Saitgalina, Juita-Elena (Wie) Yusuf

School of Public Service Faculty Publications

Emergency management is a key government function for mitigating risks and reducing the impacts of disasters. Emergency management leaders play a critical role in preparing for and responding to disasters whose impacts are exacerbated by a pandemic. Using the example of the compound threat of hurricanes and the COVID-19 pandemic, this qualitative research uses insights from emergency management professionals to describe collaborative approaches and leadership skills that help balance the needs for stability and flexibility. Data collected using focus groups and one-on-one interviews with emergency management professionals highlight that collaboration involved existing and new partners in a changing and uncertain …

Effect Of Education And Policy On Informal Caregivers’ Experience Of Grief With End-Of-Life Care, Brandan Margaret Rose

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

While numerous studies have explored various aspects of end-of-life care, a significant gap persists in the literature regarding the emotional burden experienced by informal caregivers as they grapple with challenging decisions. Additionally, with current federal and state guidelines, administrators do not have clear policies to drive equity for patients and their informal caregivers. This qualitative study examined informal caregivers’ perceptions of how end-of-life care policies impacted the dying process and how education influenced their grief and guilt. Using a conceptual framework of Simon’s concept of bounded rationality and evidence-based policymaking, the study addressed constraints on caregivers’ decision-making due to limited …

Inciting Peace From The Inside Out, Stephen G. Adubato, Ebere Bosco Amakwe, Katherine Hinic, Sarita Maldjian, Forrest Pritchett, Jon Radwan, Nicholas Sooy, Chad Thralls

Conferences

Violence and war can be incited, and so can peace. This volume shares select addresses and responses from Seton Hall University’s 2/7/23 conference “Inciting Peace From The Inside Out.” A multi-disciplinary range of scholars each addresses how reconciliation processes grow from spiritual dynamics. Multiple religious traditions teach contemplative praxes that prioritize and nurture personal reflection oriented toward peace. Social conflicts divide, so engaging them with a partisan orientation only serves to escalate harmful rifts. In contrast, bringing personal awareness and sensitivity, spiritual balance, and holistic integral perspective to conflict can transcend divisions and work toward unity. This volume is supported …

Buprenorphine Use For Analgesia In Palliative Care, Leanne K Jackson, Ivy O Poon, Mary A Garcia, Syed Imam, Ursula K Braun

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Buprenorphine is a semi-synthetic long-acting partial µ-opioid receptor (MOR) agonist that can be used for chronic pain as a sublingual tablet, transdermal patch (Butrans®), or a buccal film (Belbuca®). Buprenorphine’s unique high receptor binding affinity and slow dissociation at the MOR allow for effective analgesia while offering less adverse effects compared to a full agonist opioid, in particular, less concern for respiratory depression and constipation. It is underused in chronic pain and palliative care due to misconceptions and stigma from its use in opioid use disorder (OUD). This case report discusses the unique pharmacology of buprenorphine, including its advantages, disadvantages, …

Promoting Successful Industry Academic Partnerships For Curriculum Development: Integration Of Multiple Streams Framework And Stakeholder Theory, Jennifer D. Gudapati

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

There is a widening gap between traditional higher education and the needs of the industry workforce. Higher education has lately been criticized for having too few voices playing a role in most curricula development, with the voices being used consisting largely of career academics (Nature Editorial, 2023). Both industry and academia have found a disconnect between academic training and preparedness to enter the labor market (Jackson et al., 2016). Multiple Streams Framework (MSF) and Stakeholder Theory (ST) have been offered as potential frameworks for guiding elements of policy or strategy development and implementation in this context. However, in this dissertation, …

Standing At The Back Of The Bar, Lawrance Cuellar

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Standing at the Back of the Bar is a collection of semi-autobiographical literary pieces, a hybrid of lyrical essays, poetry, and short stories, that are based on life experiences of the author, Lawrance Cuellar. The book begins with stories of the narrator growing up as a gay Latino in the very conservative, West Texas town of Amarillo in the 1960s and 1970s. The narrator describes and expresses the normalized and internalized homophobia and racism he experienced in the city. As the title for the manuscript implies, he is expected to “stand at the back of the bar” in deference to …