Kroc Ipj Border Fellows Report 2024 — English, Rebeca Cázares Adame

Kroc IPJ Research and Resources

The Kroc Border Fellows Program brings together change agents from academia, civil society, the public sector, and the private sector to build a more inclusive and peaceful Mexico-U.S. border region through action-oriented research and meaningful community partnerships.

The non-residential fellowship spans 10 months and provides financial and technical support for Fellow-designed and -implemented projects. This model reflects a core belief that those closest to border communities' challenges are best positioned to develop effective solutions — and that lasting change must be built on existing community assets and strengths.

Throughout the fellowship, cohort members meet regularly to foster collaboration, mutual learning, …

Adolescent Social Media Use And Associations With Parental Screen Time Practices, Joseph A. Simon, Josiah Leong

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

The rise of electronic use among younger generations has raised concerns surrounding  the developmental and behavioral effects of increasing usage. While past research has found some associations between screen time and mental health, there is less knowledge about how parenting practices influence these developmental and behavioral patterns of social media use. Our study examined longitudinal trajectories of social media use from ages 9 to 13 among 9,211 subjects at baseline, year 1, year 2 and later a complete 3-year parent questionnaire on screen time reward, limiting, and monitoring to then examine whether parenting behaviors were associated with previous social media …

Community Justice Advocates: Increasing Access To Legal Resources In Utah, Natalie Maria Rust

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

A large access to justice gap exists among defendants in debt collection cases. The gap arises from steep legal fees, a lack of accessible resources, and the complexity of the legal system. The Community Justice Advocates of Utah was founded in 2024 through the Utah Regulatory Sandbox and authorized under the Supreme Court of Utah to bridge this gap. Community Justice Advocates (CJA) are trained human service professionals authorized to provide limited-scope legal advice in various areas. The Transforming Communities Institute (TCI) at Utah State University joined this network in 2025, launching a pilot program training human service professionals in …

How Community Garden Participation Shapes Food Security: Participant Perspectives, Kai Li Tullis

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

This study aims to answer two research questions: How do participants of the Flores Family Community Garden perceive their food security needs? And are there differences between participants' individually owned gardens and previous small-scale agricultural experiences and the Flores Family Community Garden? 

This study used a semi-structured interview format to collect qualitative data on the experience of 8 participants of the Flores Family Community Garden regarding their perceived food security status. The results of this study found that the top 7 reasons that individuals used the Flores Family Community Garden include Fresh Produce Access, Access to Community, Exercise, Learning Opportunities, …

Understanding Gambling Behavior Among Hispanic College Students: The Role Of Attitudes, Norms, Self-Efficacy, And Acculturation, Joshua Torres

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Gambling has become increasingly accessible and socially normalized among young adults, particularly through mobile platforms and the expansion of legalized sports betting. Hispanic college students may be at heightened risk for gambling-related harms, given evidence of elevated rates of problem gambling, comorbid mental health concerns, and underrepresentation in empirical research. Cultural factors, such as acculturation, may further influence engagement in gambling behaviors and susceptibility to negative outcomes. Guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior, the present study investigated the relationships between gambling injunctive norms, gambling attitudes, and gambling self-efficacy across three outcomes: gambling frequency, problem gambling severity, and gambling intention. …

The Rodent Electronic Nicotine Delivery System (Rends): Effects Of Age On Self-Administration Of Inhaled Nicotine In Female Rats, Daniel Santos Da Silva

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Smoking tobacco is the leading avoidable cause of death and drives many health problems. Nicotine, the main chemical in tobacco products, keeps people using it. This study used the Rat Electronic Nicotine Delivery System (RENDS), an inexpensive and freely shared, to examine e-cigarette use in adolescent and adult female rats by exploring four phases of nicotine delivered and not delivered to understand use patterns among ages. Our study found that both adolescent and adult female rats chose to inhale nicotine when given the opportunity, showing drug-seeking behavior. Overall, nicotine use was similar between ages. These results could help inform therapies, …

Psychological And Inflammatory Ties To Diet In Breast Cancer Survivors, Sonal Kaur Johal

Master's Theses

Breast cancer is among the most prevalent forms of cancer and is a primary cause of death among women (Wang et al., 2020). Cancer patients experience higher levels of anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, and inflammation compared to non-cancer patients, which can predict a diminished quality of life but also contribute to higher mortality rates among cancer patients (Bortolato et al., 2016; Song et al., 2022). Diet has the potential to impact the manifestation of depressive and anxiety symptoms in both healthy individuals and those battling cancer. This study explored the association between dietary habits, specifically cholesterol, fiber, saturated fat, added …

Eating Trees To Save The World, Belle Breyanna Li

Pepperdine Journal of Communication Research

This essay posits that all climate solutions will require change, an important one being eating more trees. While our current crisis is the result of indifference and inaction, we must consider innovative solutions. Like all the other possibilities, investing in more trees will require the joint efforts of our communities. As we allocate effort, time, and resources to climate solutions, the benefits will return tenfold in numerous ways. By prioritizing trees as a food source, we can empower our communities and increase their resilience. At the same time, we will positively contribute to the global climate by sequestering carbon. This …

Exploring Self-Sufficiency And Economic Behavior In Economic Education Students, Rizza Megasari, Sheerad Sahid

International Conference on Business and Management Research (ICBMR)

This study investigates the self-sufficiency and economic behaviors of economics education students, focusing on how independent living shapes their financial management, consumption habits, and overall approach to life. Data was collected through in-depth interviews, using a question list informed by literature on 21st-century skills, sustainable development, and self-sufficiency. The interview explored the student's understanding and practice of self-sufficiency, examining their experiences with financial management (budgeting, saving, spending), living arrangements (boarding house choices, facilities, and habits), consumption patterns (food, clothing, transportation), and engagement in self-reliant activities (cooking, minor repairs). The study highlights the interplay between economic knowledge, personal values, and practical …

A Bridge Back To The Community, Anna Kemp, Summer Langva, Ulathi Mpofu

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

The Dream Center in St. Cloud, Minnesota, supports adult men aged 18 and older who face challenges such as mental illness, chemical dependency, traumatic brain injury, learning disabilities, and physical disabilities. The center provides stable housing, three daily meals, clothing, and a range of support systems designed to promote rehabilitation and community reintegration. In addition to meeting basic needs, the Dream Center offers faith‑based programming that emphasizes restoration through Christian teachings, including the message of God’s love through Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the Word of God. As part of our community service‑learning project, we conducted interviews with residents …

Who Leaves Home? Parenting Style And Personality As Predictors Of College Students’ Intent To Study Abroad, Katelyn Sutton

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

This study examines how parenting styles and personality factors influence college students’ intentions to study abroad. Using the Five-Factor Model and Baumrind’s parenting framework, it explores how authoritative, authoritarian, and permissive parenting relate to personality and students’ likelihood of pursuing international education, addressing a gap in research on early developmental influences. A sample of 156 undergraduate students from the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University completed measures of personality (NEO-FFI), parenting style (Parental Authority Questionnaire), and study-abroad intention. Participants were divided into two groups: those who intend to study abroad and those who do not, allowing for direct …

Utilizing Supervised Practice In School Settings As An Opportunity To Increase Student Awareness Of Food Waste Reduction Strategies, Maria Givler

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) play a vital role in facilitating nutritional health across a wide range of settings, from clinical care to community-based environments. As the profession continues to evolve, dietetics training programs are emphasizing experiential learning opportunities that address real-world public health challenges (Wegener, 2018). One such challenge is food waste, an issue with significant nutritional, environmental, and economic implications (Seberini, 2020). Within school food service systems, where millions of meals are served daily (Toossi et al.,2024), reducing waste while maintaining student satisfaction presents both a challenge and an opportunity. This article will discuss four ways supervised practice rotations …

Linking Sport Simulation Games To Real-World Sport Consumption: The Role Of Passion And Sport Enjoyment, Jeeyoon Kim

Journal of Applied Sport Management

This study examines the potential of utilizing sport simulation games in promoting real-world sport consumption. Drawing on diversification theory, we examine whether psychological experiences (arousal, belonging, achievement) in simulated sport play leads to sport enjoyment and subsequently increases sport consumption intentions (participating, spectating, media viewing); passion-type (harmonious vs. obsessive) is set as a boundary condition based on the dualistic model of passion. Using online survey data from 431 US/Canadian adults who regularly play sport simulation games, multi-group SEM was conducted. In harmonious group, arousal and belonging were positively linked to all three intention-types through sport enjoyment, supporting a positive relation …

Food Insecurity On College Campus, Erika Islao, Izzy Green, Rachel Stone, Ariana Messer

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

Food Insecurity can affect certain groups more than others. At the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University we've observed it in international students, student-athletes, and those without transportation. Although CSBSJU offers several dining options, it can still be difficult for students to access meals due to limited availability during breaks, limited dining hours for student-athletes, and transportation barriers. This paper examines how food insecurity and nutrition insecurity impact students’ overall well-being while also exploring how these challenges appear within the CSBSJU community. Research shows that students experiencing food insecurity often report higher stress levels, and lower academic engagement. …

Monastic Botanical Gardens: Medicinal Plants, Cultural Heritage, And Tourist Routes, Polyxeni G. Moira Dr, Dimitrios Mylonopoulos

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

in the natural environment. The natural environment, of which humans are an integral part, served as the first laboratory for the production of medicines. Medicinal botany can be traced back to ancient Greece, continued through ancient Rome, was closely linked to Islamic tradition, and persisted through the rise of Christianity in monasteries, enduring to the present day. Monastic botanical gardens serve as living proof of the relationship between humans, nature, healing, and spirituality. These gardens, which for centuries cultivated plants for medicinal, nutritional, and functional uses, can now be leveraged to promote tourism, cultural heritage, and environmental awareness.

This study …

Administrative Burdens In Post-Filing Eviction Prevention Programs: Focusing On Oregon's Safe Harbor Policy, Minji Cho

Homelessness Research & Action Collaborative Publications and Presentations

This study examines the administrative burdens faced by tenants in post-filing eviction prevention programs, focusing on Oregon’s Safe Harbor Policy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Safe Harbor, paired with the Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) Program, aimed to prevent tenants from being evicted while waiting for rental assistance applications to be processed and for the monies to be disbursed, by inserting a long pause in the otherwise short eviction process. Despite its novelty, tenants in post-filing eviction stages faced challenges with tight timelines and navigating both eviction proceedings and ERA applications. This study demonstrates the administrative burden tenants experienced when securing Safe …

Do Allied Health Professionals' Workplace Experiences Affect Their Decisions To Stay? A Quantitative Investigation Into The Relationship Between Wellness And Employee Retention In United States Hospitals, Dina Jarjees, Lihua Dishman

Patient Experience Journal

Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) are university-trained practitioners with specialized skills essential for preventing, diagnosing, and treating health conditions. AHPs play a vital role in comprehensive healthcare, including hospitals, where they comprise a significant portion of the workforce and recurrent health expenditures. However, AHPs experience considerable burnout and emotional distress, negatively impacting retention. This issue worsens workforce shortages and limits access to care, which jeopardizes patient safety. This national, cross-sectional, quantitative study examined the relationship between AHPs' wellness dimensions (physical, emotional, mental, social, and spiritual) and AHPs' retention in United States hospitals. A self-developed survey instrument included 10 demographic and 25 …

Investigating The Effectiveness Of Different Modalities In Interprofessional Training, Rose Ann Mathai, Sean Lopez, Maureen Emlund, Jim Scherrer, Elisa Buzinski, Julia Sonnichsen, Myra Carew

Patient Experience Journal

Background: Interprofessional education (IPE) highlights the importance of values and ethics, teamwork, communication, and roles and responsibilities for healthcare professionals. Different modalities have been used to teach these skills. The most effective teaching modality must be determined to enhance the collaborative learning experience. Purpose: This study evaluated the changes in student perceptions on each interprofessional competency with respect to the teaching modality. Two groups were evaluated for this study. One was taught using a hybrid curriculum and the other in-person. Methods: This study utilized the Students' Perceptions of Interprofessional Clinical Education (SPICE-R2) survey to determine the changes in student …

Leveraging Digital Patient And Family Advisory Councils To Drive Patient Engagement, Priya Radhakrishnan, Shambhavi Mishra, Melissa Price, Cammy Sanders, Fiker Bekele, Kathi Zarubi, Craig Kartchner, Amrit Singh Johal, Carol Mayer, Craig Norquist

Patient Experience Journal

Patient and Family Advisory Councils (PFACs) have been integral in enhancing patient care, but their limited reach often excludes underrepresented populations. Digital PFACs present an opportunity to overcome these barriers and engage a broader spectrum of patients and families, fostering more inclusive healthcare decision-making. We implemented a Digital Patient and Family Advisory Council (DPFAC) at HonorHealth, as part of the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) capacity building grant. We used the RE-AIM and PRISM frameworks to engage participants through a digital platform. The process began with a needs assessment and was followed by the development of the platform, during …

The Patient's Lived Experience: A Phenomenological Study On Factors Influencing Tuberculosis Treatment Outcomes In Medan, Indonesia, Erida Novriani, Urip Harahap, Khairunnisa Khairunnisa, Wiryanto Wiryanto

Patient Experience Journal

This qualitative phenomenological study was conducted to analyze the factors influencing tuberculosis (TB) treatment outcomes from the patient's perspective in Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia. The objective was to uncover the nuanced human factors shaping the patient's treatment journey, moving beyond a sole reliance on statistics and quantitative methods. The research was conducted across all 41 Primary Health Centers (PHCs) in Medan. Through a purposive sampling strategy, data was collected from 22 TB patients via in-depth interviews until data saturation was achieved. The collected data was analyzed using thematic, narrative, and phenomenological approaches to interpret the detailed lived experiences of the …

Applying A Patient Journey Mapping Approach To Understand Maternal Care Patient Journeys: A Pilot Study, Nicole Hicks, Kristin Tully, Christopher Goodier, Sreenath Chalil Madathil, Ayaba Logan, Myrtede Alfred

Patient Experience Journal

Introduction: In the United States, giving birth is the most common cause of hospitalization. Maternal care frequently represents birthing people's first experiences of prolonged interactions with the healthcare system. However, the structure of services is often fragmented and misaligned with individuals' needs, particularly for Black birthing people. Documenting birthing people's experiences during pregnancy and postpartum allows for identification of practices working well and opportunities to improve patient-centered maternal care. Methods: The mixed-methods study was conducted in the southeastern United States and used patient journey mapping(PJM) to document experiences of patients receiving maternal care at a large academic hospital …

The Implementation Of Family-Centered Care And Family Satisfaction In Caring For Children With Cancer, Lenny Gannika, Mulyadi Mulyadi, Jeanette Irene Christie Manoppo

Patient Experience Journal

Background: Family-Centered Care (FCC) is an approach that involves families actively in their children's care by emphasizing respect, collaboration, and support. The goal is to increase family satisfaction with the care of children with cancer. FCC covers six subscales: general satisfaction, information, family inclusion, communication, technical skills, and emotional needs. Objective: This study aims to analyze the relationship between implementing FCC and family satisfaction when caring for children with cancer. Methods: A cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted at the Estella Children's Cancer Center in Manado, Indonesia, from June to October 2024. Parents of hospitalized children with cancer were selected for …

Preventing Delirium After Surgery: A Qualitative Study Of Patients, Caregivers, And Providers, Jennifer O'Brien, Maria Cruz, Heather Dyck, Hassan Yassin, Una Goncin, Lei Xia, Huma Aftab, Lilian Thorpe, Peter Hedlin

Patient Experience Journal

Post-operative delirium is the most common complication in older adults following surgery. Symptoms include agitation, difficulty focusing, sluggishness, hallucinations, slurred speech, restlessness, rapid mood swings, and uncooperative or aggressive behaviour. It can result in longer hospital stays, increased mortality, loss of functional independence, increased need for a higher level of care post-surgery, and an increased risk of readmission to hospital. We aimed to understand and describe the experiences of patients, families, and healthcare providers with postoperative delirium, and to identify targeted initiatives to support patient and family centered care for high-risk patients. We conducted a qualitative descriptive study using interviews …

Final Report: The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Snap), Chelsea Livingstone

The Political Realm: Journal of Undergraduate Research in Political Science and International Relations

The article evaluates the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), arguing that while it is one of the nation’s most effective anti-hunger policies—reducing food insecurity, lifting millions out of poverty, and stabilizing household resources—it continues to produce uneven outcomes due to administrative burdens, geographic disparities, and barriers faced by rural, immigrant, and mixed‑status households. Using Kingdon’s Multiple Streams Framework, the paper explains how SNAP’s expansions and limitations reflect shifting alignments among problem recognition, feasible policy solutions, and political will. It concludes with evidence‑based recommendations to improve equity and access, including streamlined enrollment, regionally adjusted benefits, strengthened outreach, and reduced stigma to …

Hidden Barriers: Enforcement Asymmetry And The Political Economy Of U.S.–Mexico Food Trade And The Cattle Industry, Sabina Prieto, Chris Jackson

Honors Thesis

This project examines how enforcement irregularities in Mexican food safety regulation affect small exporters’ ability to access U.S. markets. On paper, agricultural trade is regulated by laws on food quality, certification, and logistics. In practice, it is how those rules are enforced. In Mexico, big firms and producer associations tend to gain steady support and easier certification, while smaller producers face delays, rejections, or inconsistent oversight that make it much harder to compete. This study uses a comparative case study approach to analyze how similar industries produce different outcomes in market access. By tracing key events such as disease outbreaks, …

Center For Social Development Report To The Community: 2026, Center For Social Development, Washington University In St. Louis

Center for Social Development Research

For more than 30 years, the Center for Social Development (CSD) has been a hub for implementing and testing applied social innovations. As the 2026 "Report to the Community" underscores, we remain dedicated to our mission to advance policies and practices that support individuals, families, and communities in achieving their goals and contributing to society and the economy.

An Exploration Of The Prioritization And Application Of Self-Care For Mental Health Therapists Working Within Mississippi Gulf Coast Community Mental Health Organizations: A Phenomenological Study, Elizabeth Lynn Leyva

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the prioritization and application of self-care for mental health therapists working within Mississippi Gulf Coast community mental health organizations. The theory guiding this study was Milton Rokeach’s belief system theory, which examined the significant impact of beliefs, attitudes, and values on decision-making regarding clinician self-care in personal and professional realms. The central research question for this study asked how mental health therapists in community mental health organizations described their experiences of prioritizing and applying self-care during and outside of therapy practice. There were three subquestions to support the central research …

A Phenomenological Study On The Experiences Of Educators As Mentors For Homeless And Highly Mobile Students In A Rural Community, Tracy Dawn Mcpheron

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study is to explore how educators perceive an implemented mentoring program in which they will serve as mentors of homeless and highly mobile students in a rural school district. The mentoring program will include educators working as mentors to students coded as homeless through the McKinney-Vento Act for Homeless Education. The educators participating in the mentoring program will be the participants in this study. The participants will include middle school (6th-8th grade) through high school (12th grade), teachers, counselors, librarians, the district’s homeless liaison, and the federal programs coordinator for an East Tennessee school …

Capitalizing On Crisis: A Statistical Analysis Of Federal Funding And The Surge In White-Collar Criminal Activity During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Lee R. Gibson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The COVID-19 pandemic ushered in a new era that has forever changed how people work, communicate, and socialize. The pandemic also brought one of the most significant influxes of financial assistance to individuals, businesses, educational institutions, and state and local governments that has ever been seen. This massive infusion of cash, which was orchestrated and managed by the federal government, was instituted in a manner that provided quick relief with little ability for oversight, resulting in every assistance program experiencing high rates of fraudulent activity. This project aims to understand if the levels of white-collar crime increase during a disaster, …

A Phenomenological Study On Korean Christian Immigrants’ Searching For Wholeness, Hyunjin Kim

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Wholeness is a way of living that integrates life’s paradoxes into a cohesive whole, and biblically it is living in harmony with God, others, and oneself. While both scientific and biblical perspectives affirm spirituality and virtues as central to wholeness, existing empirical models often fall short of capturing its full scope within Christian and cultural contexts. This qualitative phenomenological study aimed to gain deeper insights into the common essence of Christian wholeness by exploring the lived experiences of wholeness among Korean Christians living in the United States of America. Twelve participants engaged in in-depth interviews and focus groups, and data …