Digital Commons Network^™

What Is Coach Development? A Uscce White Paper, Melissa Thompson, Christine Nash, Sean Dahlin, Andrea Woodburn, Jeremy Elliott

Journal of Coach Development

Organizational white papers serve as a mechanism for strategic communication and to establish thought leadership, build credibility, and drive informed decision-making across stakeholder groups. It is the belief of the USCCE that the official launch of the Journal of Coach Development offers the appropriate outlet and timing to publish this official stance of the organization defining the term ‘coach development.’ As an emerging term in the field, there is need for clarity around what coach development is and what it looks like in practice. Further, as a critical focus of the Journal of Coach Development, this paper will serve to …

Terrorism By The Numbers: Event And Structural Determinants Of Attack Outcomes, Claire Lebakken

Student Research Symposium (SRS)

This project aims to identify which event-level and structural covariates are most predictive of terrorism outcomes. Using the Global Terrorism Database (1970–2020), we examine whether fatalities, injuries, attack type, target type, and actor type, combined with national-level conditions, can reliably predict outcomes such as lone actor versus group involvement, attack method, target selection, and property damage. Event-level data are merged with World Bank Development Indicators and Freedom House scores to incorporate economic and governance contexts. After cleaning the data, creating dummy variables, and log-transforming skewed measures (e.g., GDP per capita), we apply logistic and multinomial logistic regression models to test …

The Nexus Between Perceived And Scientific Weather Patterns And Its Effects On Cereal Crop Production In Manyoni District, Tanzania, Fadhili Lufunyo Ngajilo, Helena Elias Myeya, Evarist Fundisha Swai

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

This study examines the nexus between perceived and scientific weather patterns, and its effects on cereal crop production in Manyoni District; and involved 157 participants. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected through a mixed methods research approach. The data were collected through a household survey, FGDs, in-depth interviews and documentary review methods for triangulation and complementarity purposes. The quantitative data were analysed through descriptive and inferential statistics with IBM SPSS (version 27) and Microsoft Excel Office (version 2007). The results indicate that smallholder farmers perceived that rainfall had been fluctuating with increasing trends, while temperature and wind had been …

Constraints To Adopting Locally Based Innovation Systems In Adapting To Climate Change Impacts In Serengeti District, Tanzania, Donald Mwiturubani

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

Smallholder farmers in rural Tanzania depend mainly on rain-fed agriculture, which makes them vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. This paper is based on a study conducted in Burunga and Musati villages in Serengeti District, Tanzania. The study employed a mixed methods approach; combining qualitative and quantitative methods. It involved 154 participants and employed household surveys, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions as data collection methods. The findings suggest that smallholder farmers in the study area are aware of climate change and do, indeed, develop, adopt, and use locally-based innovation systems that avert or minimise its impacts. Smallholder …

Analysis Of Traditional Wisdom For Ecological Sustainability In Tanzania: A Case Study Of Metaphorical Source Domains In Pangwa Ritual Texts, Winne Stephen Mtega, Angelus Mnenuka

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

Campaigns for ecological sustainability have gained a great currency in the contemporary academic discourse. Nonetheless, from time immemorial, Africans have pushed the ecological sustainability agenda through cultural taboos and regulated resource harvesting. Many African societies have embedded ecological consciousness in daily life expressions, and have intricately expressed it through literary and ritual texts. This study focuses on ecological awareness in the ritual texts of the Pangwa community. It analyses how environmental domains—such as land, seeds, and fruits—serve as the basis for metaphors in the Pangwa community to prove the use of wisdom to promote and sustain ecological practices (ecocriticism). The …

Ecomusicological Representation Of Climate Change And Environmental Sustainability In Selected Bongo Fleva Lyrics In Tanzania, Auson N. Wincheslaus

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

This article critically explores how Bongo Fleva’s lyrics engage with environmental themes; and the interrelationship between nature and culture in the context of the Anthropocene. The data were purposively sampled from YouTube via content analysis, from which 50 Bongo Fleva songs were listened to, and only 10 environmentally-themed songs were analysed. Then, the selected songs were subjected to transcription (from oral to written form), translation (from Kiswahili into English), and close reading and textual analysis. The close reading of the selected songs focused on the employed aesthetic and rhetorical strategies, such as anthropomorphism, symbolism, antithesis, apocalyptic tones, solastalgia, rhetorical questions, …

Influential Factors In Agricultural Technology Adoption By Maize Farmers In Tanzania: Insights From The 2020–21 National Panel Survey, Rebecca Yauleni, Wiggins Kyatikila, Cornel Joseph

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

Abstract

In many developing countries, agriculture remains a vital source of food, employment, and income. The adoption of agricultural technologies can boost farm revenue and productivity, reduce food insecurity, and lessen poverty. This study investigates the main factors influencing farmers’ decisions to adopt fertilizers, improved seeds, soil conservation practices, and pesticides in Tanzania. The analysis uses cross-sectional data from the fifth wave of the Tanzania National Panel Survey (TNPS), and employs an ordered probit model. The findings revealed that access to extension services, higher household years of schooling, poor soil quality, livestock ownership, and use of hired labour significantly increase …

Ecosystem-Based Flood Disaster Risk Reduction In The Little Ruaha River Basin, In The Southern Highlands Of Tanzania, Mawazo Ghambi, Tiemo Romward Haule

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

Ecosystem-based approach that integrates floods and environmental risk management is believed to reduce flood disaster risk while providing socio-economic and environmental benefits to floodplain occupants. This study examined the socio-economic and environmental benefits of the ecosystem-based approach in managing flood disaster risk in the Little Ruaha River Basin in the southern highlands of Tanzania. The study involved 157 participants and employed the mixed research design to collect quantitative and qualitative data. Semi-structured interviews, in-depth interviews, direct field observation and Focus Group Discussions were used to collect primary data, whereas documentary review was used to collect secondary data. Findings revealed that …

Resilience Among Smallholder Irish Potato Farmers To The Impacts Of Climate Variability In Wanging’Ombe District, Tanzania, Timotheo Bilary Ngalaga, Digna Wolfram Mlengule, Jackson Raymond Sawe

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

This paper examines smallholder farmers’ adaptation strategies to climate variability, and their resilience in enhancing their capacity to adopt. The data was collected from 98 heads of households using both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The methods of data collection included household surveys, focus group discussions (FGDs), in-depth interviews, and document review. The quantitative data were analysed using the IBM SPSS (Version 23), while the qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings indicate that 69.4% of respondents reported a decrease in rainfall, while 89.8% reported an increase and fluctuations in temperature over the past 29 years. Moreover, the findings …

Climate Change Vulnerability And Adaptation Pathways: Stakeholders’ Synergies In Building Climate Resilience In The Semi-Arid Area Of Central Tanzania, Helena Elias Myeya

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

This article examines the perceived effect of climate change on cereal crop production and the responses of various stakeholders aimed at enhancing the resilience of smallholder farmers in semi-arid areas of central Tanzania. A total of 366 household heads, 28 participants in focus group discussions (FGDs), and 8 key informants from Bahi and Kongwa districts in Dodoma, Tanzania, were involved in this study. Both quantitative and qualitative data were gathered through a structured interview schedule, FGDs, in-depth interviews, and documentary reviews. Descriptive statistics and content analysis were used to analyse quantitative and qualitative data, respectively. The findings indicate that smallholder …

Phishing Susceptibility Among Healthcare Workers: A Multiyear Study, Darin Challacombe, Elizabeth Mcelhiney

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Understanding and improving phishing awareness is an important aspect of ensuring patient health information (PHI) is protected. Many health organizations require associates to complete annual training and supplement that training with simulated phishing email campaigns.

This poster will provide the results of a multiyear group of four studies in which health information (HI) professionals were provided various types of training and then tested on their susceptibility to simulated phishing emails. This will supplement the research on the viability of this method. And, this will present the findings by using real HI professionals (vs. college students).

We will provide a summary …

Lost In Translation? Bilingual Readability In Healthcare Forms, Darin Challacombe, Elizabeth Mcelhiney

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Health information achieves impact only when it is accessible and understandable to patients and their caregivers. Challacombe and McElhiney (2025), in Advances in Health Information Science and Practice, reported results from three studies analyzing the readability of patient-facing forms from the 150 highest-ranked hospitals in the United States. Their findings revealed the average readability of these forms exceeded the recommended 8th-grade reading level, indicating patients may not have fully understood their privacy rights or the specific documents requested.

This follow-up study extends the previous research by evaluating Spanish-language versions of these forms. Preliminary results suggest many translated documents are written …

Relationships Between Resource Utilization And Relapse In Rural Areas, Shane Sneddon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, over 100,000 deaths were attributed to drug overdose in 2021. Relapse rates are higher in rural communities than in urban communities due to sociocultural barriers such as employment, limited entrainment activities, and peer pressure during social events. Previous research did not indicate whether the increase or decrease of Daily Living Assessment (DLA-20) scores have a correlation between community resource utilization and relapse. Using systems theory as the research lens, this study examined the correlation between use of community engagement resources and relapse as manifested by scores on the DLA-20. Data were collected from 100 individuals enrolled …

Cost-Effectiveness Of Blood-Based Fibrosis Screening In High-Risk Metabolic Liver Diseases With Emerging Therapies, Wanyi Chen, Stephanie T. Chang, Ramsey C. Cheung, Donald B. Chalfin, Kinpritma Sangha, Szu-Yu Zoe Kao, Artem T. Boltyenkov

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) remains a global public health threat. With emerging effective pharmacologic therapies, early identification of significant fibrosis in primary care is critical. We evaluated the cost-effectiveness of blood-based noninvasive tests incorporating real-world diagnostic performance in the contemporary MASLD treatment era.

METHODS: We developed a decision-analytic model for MASLD natural history and treatment to compare 6 noninvasive test strategies using Fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) and/or enhanced liver fibrosis (ELF) tests at varying cutoffs. Patients identified with significant fibrosis were referred for hepatology staging (biopsy and/or imaging-based), and eligible individuals were considered for Resmetirom ($47,400/y; mean …

[Review Of] The Informational Animal: Humans, Technology, And The Competition For Reality, Katherine Roth

Library Articles and Research

A review of Alicia Wanless' The Informational Animal: Humans, Technology, and the Competition for Reality.

The Appropriation Of Indigenous Land In HawaiʻI, Julie Loo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the transition from a monarchical to a democratic governance system in Hawaiʻi, Indigenous perspectives have not been fully integrated into land-use decision-making, resulting in mistrust, cultural marginalization, and inequitable policy outcomes. While prior researchers have examined colonization in Hawaiʻi, there is limited understanding of how Hawaiian cultural protocols may impact modern state-level decisions regarding Indigenous land use. The purpose of this qualitative ethnographic case study was to explore perceptions and lived experiences related to the cultural protocol of Kapu Aloha among Kanaka Maoli who participated in the Mauna Kea blockade and government officials involved in permitting Indigenous land for …

Vigilante Justice: A Study On The Causes, Christina Tackett

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Caudill College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree Master of Arts by Christina Tackett on March 13, 2026.

The Collective Impact Of Physical Activity, Somatic Therapy, And Nature-Based Spirituality (Pastans) On Individuals Recovering From Substance Use Disorders (Suds), Sara R. Maddox

University Honors Theses

This correlation research study explores the collective impact of physical activities, somatic therapies, and nature-based spirituality (referred to as PASTANS, a term created by the researcher) on individuals recovering from substance use disorders (SUDs). The study aimed to evaluate how these practices enhanced emotional regulation and fostered community development, thereby supporting sustained recovery and overall well-being. PASTANS interconnected to alleviate cravings and rewire brain reward pathways, promoting cultural connections through activities that resonated with pre-colonial traditions and were accessible to atheists and agnostics.

Participants engaged in movement and somatic practices in natural settings, including yoga and hiking. Somatic therapies are …

Emotional And Psychological Well-Being In Early Postmenopausal Women: A Phenomenological Study, Marjorie F. Leon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore how early postmenopausal women experience and navigate emotional and psychological well-being during the postmenopausal transition. Although menopause has been widely examined as a biological process, women’s lived emotional and psychosocial experiences during the early postmenopausal period remain underexplored in psychological research. Conceptually informed by Engel’s biopsychosocial model, this study examined how biological, psychological, and social factors intersect in shaping resilience, identity, and coping during this transitional life stage. Thirteen women within 5 years of menopause onset participated in semi structured interviews. Data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s six-phase reflexive …

Adapting Peer Review Of Electronic Search Strategies For Single-Concept Hedges: Introducing Press-H, Jenn Ann Monnin, Lynn Kysh

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

No abstract provided.

The Employment Situation Of Veterans: February 2026, Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

The February 2026 IVMF employment report shows veteran unemployment improving despite a slight national increase. Overall veteran unemployment fell from 4.5% to 4.1%, and Post‑9/11 veteran unemployment dropped sharply from 5.9% to 4.8. Younger veterans (18–24) saw the largest gains, while rates for older veterans rose slightly. Male veteran unemployment decreased to 3.9%, and female veteran unemployment fell to 5.2%. Black veteran unemployment declined significantly, while Hispanic veteran unemployment rose. Compared with nonveterans, veterans generally experienced better or comparable outcomes, though differences vary by age, gender, and race.

Human First: How Journalists Employ Ethics Of Care And Empathy When Covering School Shootings, Grace M. Ficara

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

School shootings have become a regular part of the news media cycle in the 21st century. Now, more than ever, journalists are needing to find innovative, yet empathetic, ways to deal with such crises as they navigate their own professional boundaries. Using the Ethics of Care model, this research intends to showcase how journalists have, willingly or unwillingly, utilized an empathetic approach when covering school shootings and how they use these tools to comfort their sources and themselves. Through semi - structured interviews of 9 participants, this study seeks to connect the practice of journalism with the one thing journalists …

Mismatched Music And Meams: Short-Form Social Media Videos And Social Attitude Messaging, Kaitlyn M. Serafin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

“If the formative power in the media are the media themselves, that raises a host of large matters” (McLuhan, 1964, p. 10). Famed communications theorist Marshall McLuhan stated this all the way back in the 60s to explain how technology can act as a formative force in the messaging of media. This is because the medium in which they communicate the messaging can act as its own force, shaping the message like clay. The dominant media at the time of this theory was television; however, in the past decade social media and short-form social media videos have become dominant forms …

Is There No Such Thing As Bad Pr? A Case Study Analysis Of Influencer Pseudo-Events, Authentic Crises, And Crises As Opportunity, And Paracrisis, Sofia Aparicio-Gallagher

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There's no such thing as bad PR, and any publicity is good publicity are phrases coined by 19th-century P.T. Barnum, a showman and businessman known for his circus hoaxes (Hiergesell, 2025). The idea implies that all media attention, whether negative or positive, is beneficial to the organization or individual. The purpose of this study is to evaluate three brands; Tarte, Poppi, and Shein during a brand event to determine whether it was a pseudo-event created to gain awareness, or a genuine, unplanned crisis. Another purpose of the study was to determine if the event was used as an opportunity for …

A Look At The Potential Impacts Of Priming Thoughts Through The Show Family Guy, Thomas Wiskoff

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examined whether brief exposure to a death-themed episode of the adult animated show Family Guy could prime viewers to adopt less serious attitudes toward death and dying. Drawing primarily from priming theory, with supporting insights from cultivation and framing theories, the research focused on the show's unique use of magical realism and irreverent humor, particularly the personification of Death as the sarcastic Grim Reaper, to explore potential shifts in death-related attitudes. Participants (N = 100) were randomly assigned to view one of two clips from Family Guy Season 2, Episode 6 ("Death is a Bitch") with one clip …

Framing Power: The “Deep State” In Georgian Populist And Conspiratorial Rhetoric Introduction, Salome Tsetskhladze

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates how the concept of the “deep state” is used in contemporary Georgian political communication. The term traditionally refers to hidden networks of power that function within state institutions. However, in Georgia, it has become a political narrative that interprets international criticism, delegitimizes domestic opposition, and derails political accountability. The study analyzes how this concept is constructed and mobilized in the political discourse.

The research employs a qualitative inductive-deductive thematic analysis. It examines 125 statements made by Georgian public officials between August 2024 and February 2025 referring to the “deep state.” The analysis integrates framing theory, populist communication …

Examining The Effect Of Household Socioeconomic Status And Maternal Characteristics On Child Developmental Delay In The United States, Samuel Ilori

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Child developmental delay remains a pressing public health issue with lifelong implications. This study examines the association between household socioeconomic status, maternal characteristics, and child developmental delay using data from the 2023 National Survey of Children's Health (N = 35,399 female respondents). Bivariate analyses using Chi-square tests and binary logistic regression with sequential modeling were conducted. Results revealed that economic hardship, employment status, maternal mental health, maternal physical health, marital status, and race were significantly associated with child developmental delay (p<0.001). Educational level and poverty level showed no significant associations. Among mothers reporting poor mental health, 90.0% had a child with a delay, compared to 6.6% among those with good mental health. Every mother reporting poor physical health had a child with a delay, while virtually none with good or better physical health did. In the fully adjusted regression model, maternal mental and physical health remained the most powerful predictors, while economic hardship and employment status became non-significant once health was introduced, suggesting mediation. Maternal mental and physical health are the factors most strongly correlated with child developmental delay. Economic hardship matters primarily because it undermines maternal well-being. The COVID-19 pandemic likely intensified these dynamics by disrupting healthcare access and increasing economic instability. Supporting maternal health must be recognized as a fundamental strategy for promoting child development. Universal screening for maternal depression and physical health problems, integrated into pediatric and obstetric care, can identify at-risk mothers early. Policies that reduce economic hardship alleviate the chronic stress that undermines maternal health. Children thrive when their mothers are healthy.

Using A Place-Based Harms Typology To Inform Community Practice And Research: Illustrative Cases And Contexts, Jason Sawyer, Greer A. Hamilton, Amie Thurber, Amy Krings

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Place-based harms comprise direct threats to community wellbeing within the spaces where people live. These harms, rooted in structural and cultural violence, are codified in policies and programs that contribute to poverty, homelessness, over-policing and surveillance, and environmental injustices. This paper argues, although community practitioners are needed to work alongside communities impacted by place-based harms, there are critical tensions and tradeoffs embedded within the place-based strategies. To illustrate this, we draw from the Contested Places Typology and present cases that highlight key tensions, tradeoffs, and nuances associated with its six approaches: (1) Reparation, (2) Remembrance, (3) Regeneration, (4) Resistance, (5) …

Determining The Minimal Clinically Important Difference Of The 40-Item Smell Identification Test In People With Cystic Fibrosis, Eugene Oh, Jessa E. Miller, Michelle J. Lee, Anna Zemke, David Baraghoshi, Matthew J. Strand, Jeremiah A. Alt, Todd E. Bodner, Michael Chang, Naweed I. Chowdhury, Multiple Additional Authors

Psychology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Chronic rhinosinusitis(CRS) and olfactory dysfunction (OD) are highly prevalent among people with cystic fibrosis (PwCF) and negatively impact quality of life. The 40-item Smell Identification Test (SIT) is widely used to assess psychophysical olfaction, but a CF-specific minimal clinically important difference (MCID) has not been established. This study aimed to determine the SIT MCID in PwCF treated with elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor (ETI) and/or endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS). Methods: Data from three prospective, multi-institutional observational studies were pooled. Participants were ≥12 years old with confirmed CF and CRS who completed SIT at baseline and ≥1 follow-up (3, 6, 9, 12, or 24 …

Prevalence Of Contact Child Sexual Abuse Victimization In The Us: Perpetration Types And Cohort Differences, Luciana C. Assini-Meytin, Rebecca L. Fix, Yi Sun, David Finkelhor, Elizabeth J. Letourneau, Keith Kaufman, Ben Mathews

Psychology Faculty Publications and Presentations

We investigated the prevalence of contact child sexual abuse (CSA) victimization in the US by comparing perpetration types in two adult cohorts. Participants included a nationally representative sample of adults aged 18–22 (n = 3,174) and 32–36 (n = 3,237). We used weighted proportions to obtain prevalences, Rao-Scott χ2 tests to assess for differences between cohorts. Analyses were also stratified by gender. The overall prevalence was 21.7% and similar between the two cohorts; 9.7% reported abuse by adults and 16.9% by youth under age 18. Most said that offenses were perpetrated by people known to them. CSA perpetration by youth …