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A Guide To Growing Broad: : Expanding The Notion Of Social For Mental Health, Natural Resources, And The Infinite Intersections Of How To Care For The World, Leah D. Nuese-Yaker

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

This MSW portfolio narrative examines the expanding boundaries of social work practice at the intersection of human and ecological systems. Organized as a series of interconnected personal essays structured around river metaphors, the portfolio argues that social work's anthropocentric foundations limit the profession's capacity to address contemporary crises of environmental justice, climate change, and ecological health. Drawing on fieldwork in natural resources conflict resolution, wilderness therapy, outdoor education, and climate health advocacy in rural Montana, the author demonstrates competency across all ten CSWE social work practice behaviors while advancing a practice framework that centers relational, embodied, and ecologically grounded intervention. …

Master Of Social Work Portfolio, Isabella Faith Decunzo

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

This Portfolio has been developed in partial fulfilment of the Master of Social Work (MSW) degree and demonstrates my personal and professional growth over the course of the program. It highlights selected academic and practice-based work completed throughout the past two years, reflecting my developing knowledge and application of the Five Elements of Advanced Integrative Practice and the Ten Competencies of Social Work.

Included is an appendix containing completed assignments from the MSW program in Missoula, Montana, which supports and demonstrates the reflective narrative presented throughout the portfolio. Each artifact directly aligns with and illustrates my progression toward competency in …

Who’S To Blame? Exploring Collective Emotions Between Shared Guilt And Anger: A Semiotic Study Of Digital Narratives And Social Activism In The Context Of Online Gender-Based Violence, Cristina Greco, Marianna Boero

All Works

The present study explores digital narratives and social activism in the context of online gender-based violence, focusing on the mechanisms of collective emotions, such as guilt, anger, shame, and fear. In this perspective, the narrative continues to deal with how media representations legitimate ideological conceptions and perpetuate the normalization of online violence against women. By deepening our understanding of how collective emotions are constructed and manipulated, the study aims to identify the subtle and hidden link between media discourses and actual events as they occur online. In doing so, it explores media narratives evoking collective shame, fear, anger, and guilt, …

Celebrating Faculty Scholarship 2026, Smith College Libraries

Celebrating Faculty Scholarship: Bibliographies

Bibliography of selected scholarly and creative work produced by Smith College faculty and submitted by faculty for the 2026 celebration in the Neilson Library Skyline Reading Room, Smith College on September 14, 2026.

The Human Toll Of Change: Reframing Fatigue As A Latent Risk In Aviation Human Factors, Stephanie Douglas

Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research

Aviation organizations are operating in an era of rapid, overlapping transformation that places continuous cognitive and emotional demands on personnel. Traditional aviation fatigue frameworks emphasize physiological mechanisms such as sleep loss, circadian disruption, and extended duty hours driving fatigue risk management systems. This conceptual paper introduces change fatigue: a psychological form of fatigue arising from cumulative, frequent, or poorly sequenced organizational change that depletes cognitive and emotional resources and undermines safety-critical performance. Drawing on stress and coping theory, the Job Demands–Resources (JD–R) model, the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS), and ICAO’s Human Performance Framework, it develops a multilevel …

2026 Cancelled Titles With Alternate Access, Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library

Himmelfarb Library Liaison Letters

No abstract provided.

Wise Beyond Our Years: Menopause, Negative Body-Image, And Art As A Catalyst To Self-Acceptance, Nicole Lea

Art Therapy | Master's Theses

This mixed methods study examined the impact of menopause on women’s body image and self-acceptance through an arts-based group intervention. Quantitative data was collected using the Body Image Self-Compassion Scale, and qualitative data was gathered through art-making, group discussion, and individual interviews. Participants were (n=5) menopausal women aged 46-52 from the Bay Area who reported negative body image related to menopause. The intervention consisted of four one-hour open studio workshops with a fifth meeting added in which participants created altered books while engaging in peer support and discussion. Descriptive statistics indicated an increase in mean body image self-compassion scores from …

Using Remote Sensing Technology To Develop A Framework For Improving Hydrologic Models, Marissa Cook

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

With increased storm intensity due to climate change and urbanization, flash flooding has become an increasingly significant issue globally and regionally. Although the factors influencing urban flash flooding are well-known, there is a growing need for technology to accurately and remotely predict the chance of a flash flood occurring from any given rain event to give people time to prepare. This study aims to use multispectral satellite imagery to provide a framework for improving near real-time flood predictions in an urban area of a high gradient, fourth order stream impacted by flooding. Specifically, we utilize satellite imagery to create the …

Different Destinations: Clarifying And Addressing Pipeline Problems For Women In Academic Archaeology, Scott R. Hutson, Jaycee Castro, Bruno Athie Teruel

Anthropology Faculty Publications

In STEM fields, women tend to leak out of the pipeline to the professoriate. In archaeology, however, robust databases and chronological control reveal that there is no leakage from earning a PhD to tenure-track positions. Nor is there a leak from assistant professor to associate professor. Nevertheless, men get hired as faculty in PhD programs more often than women. This is important because PhD programs are research-intensive and train future leaders. Furthermore, women PhD students have women as advisers more than often men and report advantages to this arrangement. Yet with fewer women faculty in PhD programs, women mentors are …

Examining The Results Of Revolutions In The Third World: A Case Study Of The Iranian, Libyan, And Nicaraguan Revolutions, Noah A. Mohammedelamien

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis examines the post-revolutionary trajectories of Libya, Iran, and Nicaragua to explain why some Third World revolutionary projects preserve and use elements of their founding ideology while others fragment, personalize, or diffuse over time. Rather than focusing on the causes of revolution alone, it analyzes the durability of religious-socialist ideological continuity after revolutionary upheaval. Using a (MDSD) comparative historical and institutional approach grounded in primary and secondary sources, the study evaluates five key dimensions across the cases: religious-socialist ideological fusion, religious elite loyalty, popular religious mobilization, institutional embedding of ideology, and external pressure. The findings suggest ideological continuity is …

Origins Of Musical Preferences: Infants' Responses To Sung Vocal Timbre, Hayley Leopold

Honors Theses

Understanding the origins of aesthetic preferences remains an important question in psychology, particularly in domains such as music where both biological constraints and cultural learning play important roles. While adults exhibit consistent preferences for certain musical features, including aspects of vocal quality or timbre, it remains unclear whether these preferences reflect early-developing perceptual biases or emerge through experience. The present study addresses this question by adopting a developmental paradigm previously used in the visual domain to examine whether infants’ responses to music align with adult aesthetic evaluations.

Twenty three infants between 8 and 12 months of age participated in a …

Framing The War On Terror: Media Narratives And U.S. Foreign Policy After 9/11, Neva Essex

History and Political Science | Senior Theses

The media plays an essential role in developing an informed public and the shaping of information. Foreign policy and the coverage of the U.S. movements abroad drastically changed with the 9/11 terrorist attacks. This paper seeks to examine the ways in which media coverage of presidential rhetoric in regard to the U.S. response to terrorism changed over the course of the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations. With the use of qualitative narrative analysis of print news media sources and official statements made from the White House, this paper will identify the patterns and changes which occurred over the …

Male Disposability, Law, And Feminism, Edward Cantu

Faculty Works

This article explores scientific evidence that societies care more about the welfare and safety of females than that of males, and that this dynamic of "male disposability" is deeply entrenched in culture, and thus in law. The recognition and integration of male disposability theory would mean an evolutionary leap in modern theorizing about gender and the law, but it is ignored. Why? Feminist theory dominates current academic gender discourse. Far from appreciating the explanatory power of male disposability theory, feminist theorists are often invested in theorizing gendered problems in ways that mischannel compassion away from men and toward women. The …

Bi+ Cismale Experiences With Straight Cismale Friends, Taylor M. Hardock

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Minority Stress Theory (2006) posits that individuals with a marginalized sexual identity have unique challenges and stressors. Bisexual+, or bi+, individuals have particular stressors related to not holding a monosexual identity, including specific mental health challenges. Research has shown that friendship can have many positive benefits on individuals, though the literature looking at friendship among bi+ identifying people is very limited. This qualitative study investigates the experiences of friendship between bi+ and straight cis men, especially as they may relate to minority stress and experiences of resilience and community belongingness. A thematic analysis was utilized to understand the personal experiences …

Investigating Sex Differences In The Regulation Of Conditioned Morphine Reward By Orexin, Farzana Akter Koly

Psychology Theses

Strong activation of the brain’s reward circuitry by morphine and morphine-associated cues drives the progression toward morphine abuse. Additionally, orexin neurons in the lateral hypothalamus (LH) are activated in response to cues paired with morphine reward. The orexin system, particularly the orexin-1 receptor (OX1R) regulates reward-seeking behavior through its activation. Despite the well-established role of orexins in reward-related behaviors, the specific contribution of OX1R in morphine-associated reward remains unclear. Furthermore, while sex differences in drug reward and reward-related behaviors are well documented, they remain unexplored in the regulation of morphine-associated reward by orexins. To address this gap, the present study …

Navigating Family, Culture, And Well-Being: A Qualitative Study Of First-Generation Adult Children Of Middle Eastern Immigrants In The United States, Ramona Amely

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The purpose of this study is to explore the lived experiences of first-generation adult children of Middle Eastern immigrant parents/caregivers living in the United States. This was a phenomenological study with reflexive thematic analysis. Participants (N=10) were interviewed via Zoom, and transcripts were analyzed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis (RTA). The results included four themes: (1) Migration Contact and Cultural Formation, (2) Bicultural Identity Development, (3) Family System Adaptation, and (4) Emotional Socialization and Psychological Impact. This study highlights how first-generation adult children of Middle Eastern immigrants navigate complex, interwoven processes of bicultural identity development, family adaptation, and emotional socialization shaped …

Exploring Students' Perceptions Of Active Learning Practices And Their Role In Critical Thinking Development In Undergraduate Biology Education, Kwame Kyeremah

All Master's Theses

As the global landscape becomes increasingly complex and undergoes more rapid changes than ever before, critical thinking has become an indispensable skill for addressing challenges in society, science, and the workplace. Despite its widespread adoption in undergraduate STEM education, active learning remains poorly understood from the student's perspective. This study investigated how undergraduate biology students perceived active learning in a ten-week biostatistics course (BIOL 213) at Central Washington University, and whether those perceptions aligned with critical thinking gains measured by the California Critical Thinking Skills Test with Numeracy (CCTST-N). A convergent mixed-methods design integrated student perception and mindset survey data …

Suicidal Ideation As Regulation: Exploring Dispositional Factors, Risk, And Comfort In Those With Suicidality, Christopher Francis Weller

Selected Full-Text Dissertations 2020-

Despite decades of research, suicide rates remain high, suggesting that risk-factor approaches have not captured the complexity of suicidality (Cai, Chang, & Yip, 2020; Hjelmeland, 2016; Milner, Robinaugh, & Nock, 2020). Contemporary theories have emphasized understanding suicidal ideation (SI) as part of a developmental process (Joiner, 2010; Klonsky & May, 2015). Emerging research has suggested that, for some, SI serves an emotion regulation function, but individual differences in this remain underexplored (Coppersmith et al., 2018; Kleiman et al., 2018). This study examined SI as a regulation strategy by integrating the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide, attachment theory, and models of emotion …

Climate, Energy, Economy: Interconnected Perspectives From Politics, Business, And The Public, Isabella Harper Heinzen

Theses and Dissertations

When considering the economic and social costs and benefits of a global, intergenerational, and environmental issue, rigid analysis often falls short. The topics discussed in this thesis aim to address the complex moral, economic, and political concerns regarding climate change to provide a holistic view of the issue and the role humans play. The first section on the scientific consensus addresses concerns regarding the existence and severity of climate change, finding where the responsibility lies for humans. The second section analyzes the energy context in modern society to understand the call for a transition from oil and gas to renewable …

Applying Groupthink To Digital Spaces: The Rise Of Online Conspiracy Theory Networks, Lily Karen Schow

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the transformation of political paranoia and collective decision-making in the United States from the twentieth century to the digital age. Building on Richard Hofstadter’s concept of the “paranoid style” and Irving Janis’s theory of groupthink, it argues that the dynamics of conspiratorial thinking and collective misjudgment have not disappeared but have been reconfigured by digital communication systems. While Hofstadter identified paranoia as a recurring rhetorical mode and Janis analyzed groupthink as a pathology of small, cohesive decision-making groups, this study contends that both frameworks require adaptation to account for contemporary digital environments. The analysis traces how historical …

Understanding Self And Others: Exploring The Relationship Between Maladaptive Personality Traits And Theory Of Mind, Christian Dellavella

Theses and Dissertations

The relationship between theory of mind (ToM) and maladaptive personality traits is a poorly understood but critical intersection between cognitive and clinical psychology. While some research has suggested certain personality characteristics may elevate ToM ability, others may contribute to deficits that lead to negative health outcomes and poor social functioning. Understanding how variability in the population’s ideological disposition affects our capacity to comprehend others’ perspectives and emotions is key to grasping the intricacies of social interactions. As the fields of clinical psychology and psychiatry begin to reclassify their diagnostic systems, it is critical to evaluate how novel conceptualizations of personality …

Examining Positive Psychology Components In Cbt For Adolescent Depression: A Manual-Level Content Analysis, Isabel Bingham Mixter

Theses and Dissertations

Adolescent depression is prevalent, recurrent, and associated with substantial functional impairment, yet variability in treatment response suggests that existing interventions may differ in how therapeutic processes are emphasized. The present study examined the extent to which positive psychology–consistent components, operationalized using the PERMA framework (positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment), are embedded within empirically supported cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) manuals for adolescent depression and whether variation in this content corresponds to differences in treatment outcomes. Rather than analyzing individual participants, the unit of analysis was the treatment manual. Seven manualized CBT protocols for adolescents aged approximately 12–17 years were identified …

Moderators Of Change In Parent Child Relationship Quality In Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Emilie Paul

Theses and Dissertations

The parent-child relationship may protect children against negative mental health outcomes after trauma. One aim of evidence-based interventions for trauma-related symptoms in children is often to improve the parent-child relationship, as seen in trauma-focused cognitive behavior therapy (TF-CBT). This study investigated changes in parent-child relationship quality during TF-CBT in child-parent dyads. Participants were families receiving TF-CBT through a community-based training clinic as part of an ongoing open trial of TF-CBT (N=287). Children reported on relationship quality at pre-, mid-, and post-treatment. Multilevel growth modeling examined changes in relationship quality across TF-CBT and moderating effects of caregiver symptoms, homework completion, and …

Do Friendship Features Moderate Associations Between Body-Related (Co)-Rumination And Disordered Eating Behaviors?, Annabel Grace Susanin

Theses and Dissertations

For young adults, the transition to college includes increased responsibility and academic pressures, as well as new living environments with same-age peers. The demands of this transition can contribute to increased stress and uncertainty in students, resulting in engagement of behaviors that negatively impact physical and mental well-being. Among these behaviors include disordered eating. In this project, we sought to better understand individual and social risk factors for developing disordered eating behaviors. We measured a cognitive process that can occur within the self (rumination) or between the self and others (co-rumination), two concepts previously linked to other internalizing disorders, including …

The Relation Between Referral Source And Completion Of Trauma-Specific Assessment And Therapy In A Community-Based Training Clinic, Olivia Fiallo

Theses and Dissertations

In the United States, more than 60% of youth experience at least one trauma by age 16, and about one-third develop a trauma-related disorder. Evidence-based trauma-specific cognitive behavioral therapies (TS-CBTs) exist, yet fewer than 20% of trauma-exposed youth receive trauma-focused treatment, with dropout rates as high as 75% after treatment initiation. Referral sources are gatekeepers to TS-CBTs and may be a key system-level factor shaping barriers to starting and staying in treatment. This study examined whether referral source was associated with entry into and completion of a full TS-CBT service delivery pathway in a community-based trauma clinic. Participants were 346 …

Beliefs And Recommendations Of Parents And Teachers For Internalizing Vs. Externalizing Disorders: A Thematic Analysis, Kyle Macdonald

Theses and Dissertations

The prevalence of mental health disorders among school-aged children continues to rise, underscoring the importance of effective collaboration between families and schools. This qualitative study explored how parents (N=11) and teachers (N=11) perceive the causes, severity, and most appropriate interventions for internalizing (e.g., anxiety, depression) and externalizing (e.g., ADHD, conduct) disorders. Using vignette-based interviews and thematic analysis, six central themes emerged: (1) causal attributions (biological vs. environmental), (2) links between causes, symptom permanence, and intentionality, (3) intervention preferences, (4) importance of collaboration, (5) perceptions of severity, and (6) gendered interpretations of symptoms. 12 of the 22 participants (5 parents, 7 …

Interference Under Pressure: Task-Switching And Cognitive Control In Adhd, Rocio Belen Varela

Theses and Dissertations

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a widespread neurodevelopmental condition associated with significant academic difficulties, often resulting in students scoring a year below average on standardized examinations (Lawrence et al., 2020; Mohammadi et al., 2019). A proposed core feature of the disorder involves impairments in working memory (WM), specifically the Central Executive component responsible for attentional control (Alderson et al., 2013; Kofler et al., 2008). These WM operations are governed by two cognitive control modalities: proactive control (sustained, anticipatory maintenance) and reactive control (cue-driven, on-demand processing) (Braver et al., 2007). This quasi-experimental study investigated whether a natural tendency toward reactive control grants …

Don’T Hit Mommy! Associations Between Harsh Parenting And Aggression In Toddlerhood: The Moderating Role Of Temperament, Serah Betancourt

Theses and Dissertations

Physical aggression is known to be particularly common in toddlerhood. Further, harsh parenting practices and certain temperament traits in children have been found to be associated with aggressive behaviors. Recently, aggression has been demonstrated to be differentiated between provoked and unprovoked aggression. The current study examined early aggression and explored the mechanisms by which harsh parenting practices and temperament traits may predict different types of aggression and how that may also change depending on the stage of development in toddlerhood. That is, we proposed that harsh parenting would be more strongly associated with provoked aggression among toddlers with higher negative …

Vulnerable Narcissism In Borderline Personality Disorder: Impact On Emotion Dysregulation, Identity Disturbance, And Rejection Sensitivity In Psychiatric Inpatients, Lauren Baker Lloveras

Theses and Dissertations

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a severe personality disorder frequently seen in clinical settings due to high service utilization. It is characterized by emotion dysregulation, identity disturbance, suicidal behavior, fear of abandonment, and impulsive or risky behavior. BPD is categorized as a Cluster B personality disorder, alongside narcissistic personality disorder (NPD), which is defined by grandiosity, attention-seeking, and a lack of empathy. NPD can be further conceptualized across two subtypes: grandiose narcissism and vulnerable narcissism (VN). Unlike grandiose narcissism, VN has been largely neglected in research – despite overlapping features with personality and mood disorders, especially BPD. These shared features …

Assessing Urban–Rural Differences In Largemouth Bass Abundance In Minnesota, Jonathan Gates

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Urbanization can significantly alter freshwater ecosystems and influence sport fish populations. This study examined differences in largemouth bass Micropterus nigricans catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) between urban and rural lakes in Minnesota and evaluated temporal changes between 2000–2010 and 2011–2021. Forty lakes (20 urban, 20 rural) were selected using Minnesota Department of Natural Resources fisheries survey data. Lakes were classified using NLCD 2019 land cover data, with ≥10% developed land designated as urban. Nonparametric analyses (Wilcoxon rank-sum and signed-rank tests) were used to assess spatial and temporal differences in CPUE. Results showed that rural lakes had consistently higher median CPUE than urban lakes …