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The Power Of International Relations In Local Communities: An Institutional Theory Case Study Examining The Implementation Of Sustainable Development Goal 11 In Four Virginia Communities, Latisha R. Rothenbach

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

By pursuing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, communities across Virginia may be losing their unique, local characteristics. This study investigates whether communities in Virginia have been implementing Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11. Guided by institutional theory, this study explores the research questions: What effect do global isomorphic pressures of SDG 11 have on local institutional integration of urban planning regarding community connectivity, land use, and open green public spaces? How do local planning documents and institutional actors frame, adopt, or resist global isomorphic pressures of SDG 11 in relation to community connectivity, land use, and open green public spaces? …

Resiliency Among Service Industry Workers: A Biopsychosocial-Spiritual Assessment, Winston King

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to quantify service industry workers’ resiliency’s relationships with their emotional intelligence, understanding of differing personality types, spiritual resiliency, and substance abuse, as these are all applicable to the biopsychosocial-spiritual model, which served as the theoretical framework. The study included administering the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS), the Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test (SEIT), a self-reporting of employees’ understanding of differing personality types, a self-reporting of employees’ spiritual resiliency, and the Substance Use Brief Screen (SUBS) to social science graduate students working in the service industry. Resiliency was identified as the predictor variable and the other …

Experiences Of Victim Advocates Serving Military Sexual Assault Victims In The State Of New York: A Phenomenological Study, Neisha Louhar

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to describe victim advocates’ (VAs’) experiences serving victims of sexual assault (SA) in the State of New York. Current researchers emphasize experiences in the areas of professional satisfaction, development of new skills, and work relationships. The theories guiding the current research are Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and social cognitive theory (SCT). Maslow’s hierarchy of needs suggests that individuals are motivated to meet their needs in a specific order. Social cognitive theory’s observational learning shapes decision-making factors. have an important role in supporting victims of SA emotionally. Understanding victims’ experiences can provide awareness of …

Perceptions Of Defund The Police, Russell F. Cooper

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This research delves into contemporary literature on the Defund the Police movement in the United States, a significant force shaping law enforcement practices and the future landscape of policing and criminal justice. Stemming from the aftermath of the 2020 George Floyd protests, this movement has spurred transformations in policing methodologies and resource distribution. With its expansion across the nation, law enforcement agencies are grappling with high turnover rates and a dwindling pool of qualified applicants. The Defund the Police movement, originally aimed at abolishing police departments due to perceived systemic issues, underscores the need for progressive law enforcement reforms, particularly …

A Qualitative Exploration Of Global Remote Leadership, Melissa Morrison

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Leaders of organizations have faced many changes with respect to remote work. As face-to-face interactions decrease, the opportunities and challenges of technological and digital advancement further the complexity of remote work. Leaders serve as prominent figures who use remote technology to communicate and interact with employees that report to them. The relationship between remote work and the development of meaningful social interactions remains largely unexplored (Clark et al., 2018). This phenomenological study explored the described experiences of remote leaders, the role that identity development plays in the success of leadership remote work, how their identity development impacts their well-being and …

Bridging Theory And Self-Development In Human Services And Counselor Education, Kristy Carlisle

Journal of Human Services Scholarship and Interprofessional Collaboration

Counselor and human services education increasingly recognize self-awareness as a core component of professional competence and ethical practice. This conceptual manuscript presents a pedagogical framework that integrates major helping theories as tools for structured self-reflection and self-development among students and practitioners. Drawing from experiential learning theory, reflective practice, and models of counselor identity formation, the approach encourages learners to view themselves through theoretical lenses such as person-centered, cognitive-behavioral, and existential frameworks, paralleling the very lenses through which they will view their clients in practice. By engaging in guided reflective activities, students examine personal beliefs, emotions, and behaviors to enhance self-understanding, …

Threads Of Empathy: An Integrative Model Of Empathy In The Schools, Arthur J. Clark, Tara M. Simpson

Journal of Human Services Scholarship and Interprofessional Collaboration

Empathy has a distinctive and evolving history in education for cultivating human relationships and engendering mutual understanding. Within a school setting, empathic engagement is essential for the social and emotional development of children and adolescents. From an educational perspective, literature from multiple disciplines and specialties illustrate innovative practices to harness empathy in the classroom and beyond. The representative initiatives hold promise for developing an integrative model of empathy within a school or a school district through a program involving interprofessional collaboration.

Interviews With Roman Catholic Couples In First-Time Long-Term Marriages: Navigating The Landscape Of Life-Long Marriages With Spirituality As The Guiding Principle To Achieving Enduring Marital Relationships, Sovichan E. Scaria, Carl L. Thameling, Jana P. Sutton, David Hale

Journal of Interprofessional Practice and Collaboration

In-depth guided interviews were conducted with 10 Roman Catholic (RC) couples to reveal the impact religious spirituality had on their long-term marriages. Achieving this goal meant examining Catholic Church’s teachings on marriage, divorce and annulment, and relationship development and maintenance. The interview sessions were video-audio taped and analyzed. Some sample questions asked of the couples were: “How, if at all, did spirituality play a role in choosing your spouse?” “How do you practice spirituality in your marriage?” and “What advice would you give younger couples who have recently gotten married?” Analysis resulted in 8 themes being identified as important to …

Exploring Juvenile Justice System Social Workers’ Dual Role Conflicts, Tayler Janet Deggendorfer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social workers working within the juvenile justice system face challenges in managing dual roles of providing social support for clients in a punitive environment of incarceration. The problem that was explored in this study is the ethical and practical dilemmas of dual roles for social workers—specifically the potential for burnout and mental health injury for social workers who work within the parameters of both roles. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of a selected criterion sample of social workers. The study was framed by Goffman’s role theory. Oral narrative data were collected …

Voices From The Hyflex Classroom: Understanding The Graduate Counseling Student Experience, Taryn Akgul, Jessica Brown, Aaron Suomala Folkerds

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

Counselor education and counseling master’s Programs face a changing landscape in higher education. This includes balancing the demand for a high-quality HyFlex program that prepares students for the counseling field. This qualitative exploratory study utilized a phenomenological approach to understand the counseling master's student experience in a hybrid program. The research questions focused on the students' experience attending the program either strictly on zoom, in person, or a combination of both and how that impacted them and their learning. The study consisted of eight participants who were alumni from one CACREP accredited counseling masters program. The findings included themes of …

Technology-Enabled Cognitive Behavioral Therapy For Insomnia (Cbt-I) In Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment: Development And Feasibility Study, Hongtu Chen, Marta Pagán-Ortiz, Sara Romero Vincente, Emma Chapman, James Maxwell, Otis L. Owens, Sue E. Levkoff Scd, Msw, Sm

Faculty and Staff Publications

Background/Objectives: Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) is a transitional stage between normal aging and early dementia, affecting up to 20% of older adults. Sleep disturbances, particularly insomnia, affect around 60% of individuals with MCI, contributing to declines in cognitive and physical function. Although Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) is an evidence-based non-pharmacological treatment, few studies have adapted it for individuals with MCI. This pilot study developed and evaluated Slumber, a clinician-supported mobile CBT-I app tailored for older adults with MCI and insomnia. Methods: The study had three aims: (1) to develop the app for delivering CBT-I to individuals with …

Cultural Influences Experienced By Self-Identified Hmong College Students, Nkaujntsa Lovy Lee

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this qualitative research was to explore how self-identified Hmong college students aged 18–24 perceived their culture’s influence on their academic experiences. The study examined the relationships shaping individual identity and their effects on academic pursuits. A basic qualitative inquiry approach was used to interview ten Hmong undergraduate students enrolled in colleges across the United States. Semi-structured interviews facilitated data collection guided by the ecological systems theory, while thematic analysis and inductive coding were employed to identify patterns and develop themes from the data. The themes identified in the study were family as the central influence, negotiating conflicting …

The Explored Experiences Of Latino Families In The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Devlynne S. Ondusko, Veronica I. Underwood Carrasco, Astrid Platteau, Susanne Klawetter, Roberta Suzette Hunte, Emily Hawkins Carter, Morinne Osborne, Jaime W. Peterson

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

While many families experience multiple etiologies of stress during a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission, unique stressors arise for certain groups that are at higher risk for disparities in infant outcomes, including Latino families. The objective of this study was to explore the experiences of Latino families regarding support received in the NICU while their infant was hospitalized to identify ways to enhance the quality of care.

Social Workers' Perspectives Of Using Teletherapy To Foster Resilience Among Middle-Class Single Black Mothers, Yvonne Judge

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Inadequate mental health support, particularly from social workers, disproportionately affects middle-class single Black mothers. Prior studies have examined low-income single mothers’ access to mental health care and the potential of teletherapy as a tool for improving access; however, few have explored how middle-class single Black mothers navigate mental health challenges. Further, there is a lack of research on social workers’ perspectives of using teletherapy to foster resilience among middle-class single Black mothers. This is a critical gap, as social workers play a key role in tailoring mental health interventions. The purpose of this study was to explore social workers’ perspectives …

Employment Stability And Security Of Low-Wage Workers In The United States, Mathieu Despard, Guangli Zhang, Stephen Roll

Center for Social Development Research

One quarter of workers in the United States make $35,000 or less, and nearly half of these are between 35 and 64 years old. Forty percent are caring for children in the home. As temporary and gig working arrangements become increasingly common, this brief explores the stability of work and income for low-wage workers. The analyses draw upon data from the Workforce Economic Inclusion and Mobility survey administered to a nationally representative sample of U.S. workers earning less than 250% of the federal poverty line. The findings from this work have direct implications for employment practices and labor policies.

2026 Spring Convocation Program, Morehead State University. Office Of Communications & Marketing.

Communications and Marketing Publications Archive

The 2026 Morehead State University Convocation Program from January 7, 2026.

Examining The Impact Of Racial Microaggressions And Psychological Distress In Latine Individuals: A Focus On Ptsd, Anxiety, Depression, And Stress, Melanie Garcia, Yajairy Cabrales, Miguel A. Castano, Richard Chang, Gloria Wong-Padoongpatt

Spectra Undergraduate Research Journal

Latine individuals in the United States face distinct mental health challenges due to unique stressors, including systemic racism and discrimination. While research has established that racial microaggressions—such as daily slights, insults, and invalidations—negatively impact the psychological well-being of people of color, there remains limited scholarship specifically focused on Latine communities. This study examines different types of racial microaggressions—such as invisibility, criminality, and sexualization—as predictors of psychological distress among Latine individuals. A sample of 434 Latine participants completed measures assessing their experiences with racial microaggressions, as well as symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress, and trauma. Four multiple linear regression models were …

From Compliance To Care: Reconstructing Feminist Accountability In Global Aid Governance, Andi Pangeran, Ani Widyani Soetjipto, Shelly Adelina

Global: Jurnal Politik Internasional

This article critically examines the literature on global aid governance through a feminist lens, focusing on three key areas: epistemic power, organisational depoliticisation, and the ethics of accountability. The review reveals that the coloniality of knowledge in global aid governance creates epistemic hierarchies grounded in claims of objectivity and efficiency, thereby marginalising local voices. Meanwhile, processes such as NGO-isation and professionalisation have transformed activism into administrative compliance. However, within these structures, reflective agency can still emerge through negotiated autonomy and the politics of translation, allowing feminist organisations to maintain their political significance. Regarding ethics, feminist accountability is redefined as a …

From Local To Global: Surabaya’S Paradiplomacy Strategy In Realising A Child-Friendly City, Muhammad Fajhriyadi Hastira, Ali Maksum, Muh Fichriyadi Hastira, Ramalina Ranaivo Mikea Manitra

Global: Jurnal Politik Internasional

Along with the development of decentralisation and subnational diplomacy, strengthening child protection at the city level has become an important part of the global agenda. This research aims to analyse the implementation of the Child-Friendly Cities Initiative in Surabaya City from a paradiplomacy perspective. In addition, this study seeks to explain the synergy between local, national, and global policies and identify opportunities and challenges using literature studies and analysis of official documents from the Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection (PPPA) and the Surabaya Office of Women's Empowerment, Child Protection, Population Control, and Family Planning (P3APPKB), the Surabaya City …

Integrating Clinical Reasoning Into Mental Health Diagnosis: A Conceptual Framework For Counseling Practice, Ashley F. Waddington, Alexander M. Fields, Haley Ault

Journal of Human Services Scholarship and Interprofessional Collaboration

Clinical reasoning has long guided diagnostic accuracy in nursing and medical fields, but its application in mental health counseling remains limited. This paper presents a conceptual diagnostic decision-making (DDM) process to embed clinical reasoning into the diagnostic process for counselors, incorporating two vital constructs: counselor self-efficacy and counselor bias (implicit and explicit). Grounded in Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy (1977) and Carvalho et al.’s (2017) clinical reasoning model, the framework highlights the cognitive, behavioral, and contextual factors that shape diagnostic decision-making in early-career counselors, including counselor biases. The paper calls for reform in counselor training, emphasizing curriculum enhancements as pathways to …

The Gsa Leadership Committee: Collective Liberation Through Community Building In Chicago Public Schools, Elizabeth A. Jarpe-Ratner, Corey M. Blake, Emilie L. Clark, Li Lichner, Meaghan L. Tomasiewicz, Nora Benomar, Jose Dominguez Magdaleno, Booker Marshall, Makayla Boyd, D. Little

Journal of Queer and Trans Studies in Education

Strong evidence links Gender and Sexuality Alliances (GSAs) to improved outcomes for LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer and questioning and other identities) students. Chicago Public Schools’ (CPS) is known for being a leader in supporting LGBTQ+ students. Despite this, CPS’ size has made it difficult to support all schools in adopting recommended practices. Therefore, in 2020 CPS launched the GSA Leadership Committee (GSALC), which comprises teachers and other school-based staff leaders throughout the district, to support all schools in adopting practices known to support LGBTQ+ students. This paper draws on four years of interviews with group facilitators and focus groups …

Cultural Perceptions And Willingness Or Reluctance To Use Ai Chatbots For Emotional Support By International African Students In Higher Educational Institutions In The United States, Zakariah Issah

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots for emotional support underscores the need to understand how cultural perceptions shape their adoption among international African students in higher education institutions in the United States. Guided by the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Social Stigma Theory, this qualitative study explored the perceptions, motivations, and barriers influencing the use of AI chatbots for emotional support. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 undergraduate and graduate students from 10 African countries. The findings reveal that participants viewed AI chatbots as conditional and situational sources of emotional support rather than replacements for human relationships. Convenience, …

“Black Students Matter”: A Phenomenological Study Of Black Student Experiences At A Predominately White Institution In Appalachia During The Dual Pandemic Of Covid-19 And Systemic Anti-Black Racism, Toni Owens

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

As the spread of COVID-19 escalated into a global pandemic in 2020, simultaneously, the nationwide media in the United States (U.S.) highlighted coverage of the country’s ongoing incidents of longstanding systemic anti-Black racism in America, another pandemic. In the Summer of 2020, a collective of Black students at West Virginia University (WVU) signed and publicly submitted a petition to the university’s leadership with a list of demands to address their needs as they were further exacerbated by the dual pandemic. This study is guided by the question, “What are the lived experiences of Black Students at West Virginia University during …

Operationalizations Of Adverse Childhood Experiences And Health Prediction, Sarah Josephine Miller

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) has been consistently linked to suboptimal health outcomes and behaviors across the lifespan. As such, there has been widespread adoption of measures like the 10-item cumulative ACEs count measure developed by Felitti and colleagues (1998) across research literature and clinical practice. However, this measure was not developed with consideration of optimal psychometric properties and thus consists of several limitations that inhibit understanding of the specific dimensions of adversity that influence health outcomes. This 3-study dissertation focused on different measurement and statistical techniques to better understand the associations between ACEs and health. In study 1, …

Digital Redlining In The Smart City: Artificial Intelligence, Housing Law, And Structural Urban Inequality, Spurthi Nrusimhadevara

Undergraduate Scholarship and Creative Works

Artificial intelligence is increasingly used in urban housing systems, where it shapes decisions about tenant screening, rent pricing, lending, zoning, and neighborhood investment. Although these tools are often promoted as efficient and impartial, they frequently rely on historical data that reflect racial, economic, and spatial inequality. As a result, AI systems can reproduce discriminatory outcomes even when protected characteristics are not directly used. This paper examines digital redlining in the smart city and argues that algorithmic housing tools mirror long standing structural inequities that raise significant concerns under fair housing and civil rights law. It evaluates how automated screening, predictive …

Navigating Academic Accommodations For Students With Chronic Illnesses In Higher Education: A Scoping Review, Lauren M. Sutton

Social Work Theses

College is a very important and exciting chapter in students’ lives, one that will prepare them for a career and the rest of their lives. For one student population though, this also comes with additional unknowns, obstacles, and institutional barriers. This student population is students with disabilities. For a student with a disability pursuing a degree in higher education, there are institutional barriers that can be addressed by receiving academic accommodations, reducing or removing institutional barriers that disproportionately affect these students. The barriers faced by a student with a disability vary greatly by student, their disability, their major or program, …

The Path To Information Literacy: From Finding A Topic To Writing An Annotated Bibliography, Robyn Hartman, Claire Nickerson, Heather P. Vandyne

All Open Educational Resources

This book is an adaptation of Ohio State University's Choosing & Using Sources: A Guide to Academic Research. It has been revised with a new introduction and learning objectives and section summaries. It also includes sections on common research assignments such as research plans, research logs, note-taking, and annotated bibliographies. The sections on evaluating resources have been expanded to include lateral reading with SIFT (Stop, Investigate the source, Find better coverage, Trace sources) and evaluation with CRAAP (Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, Purpose), the 5Ws (Who What When Where Why), and BEAM (Background, Exhibit, Argument, Method). Sections on generative AI have …

Psychosocial Strengths Associated With Higher Functioning After Interpersonal Adversity In The United Kingdom And Ireland, Matthew Brooks, Victoria Banyard, Xiafei Wang, Sherry Hamby

Social Work Faculty Publications

Objective: Over the past two decades, positive psychology research has identified correlates of resilience. Although a range of strengths have been explored, there is a need to identify specific strengths that best support individuals to thrive after interpersonal trauma and adversity. This study assessed the contribution of 24 strengths from the Values in Action (VIA) positive psychology survey, alongside five other measures of strengths identified from resilience research, to identify those that show most promise.

Method: In total, 1,440 adults from the United Kingdom and Ireland completed the online VIA survey, and questions on five psychosocial strengths (ecoconnections, …

Lived Experiences Of Black Girls In The City Of Richmond, Va, Nakeina E. Douglas-Glenn, Yali Pang, Charity Scott, Morgan Woodle, Craig Dearfield, Mariam Ai-Khafaji, T'Niyah Baylor, Faith Holmes, Jin Dorjderem, Rise

Research Institute for Social Equity

The VCU Research Institute for Social Equity (RISE) partnered with Girls For A Change (GFAC), a nonprofit youth development organization, to explore the lived experiences of Black girls in Richmond, Virginia. The report offers a comprehensive understanding of the lives of Black girls by working closely with them and their communities, including their guardians/parents and Black emerging adult women. The voices of Black girls and emerging adult Black women were heard directly through surveys and focus groups, and their parents and guardians provided further insights through interviews. This approach allows us to understand their lived experiences, individual strengths, and community …

The Southeastern Librarian 73(4) Winter 2026 (Full Issue)

The Southeastern Librarian

No abstract provided.