Digital Commons Network^™

Queerly Writing, Queerly Researching: Using Art-Based Research To Re-Examine My Past And The Imagined Future Of Queer Educators, Matthew Panozzo

Journal of Queer and Trans Studies in Education

Through my own coming out process, I turned to LGBTQ+ books as mentors and guides on how to live authentically. These texts shaped my time as a middle and high school English teacher, as well as my time as a doctoral student. This article uses excerpts from Caught Between Closets (Panozzo, 2020), a social fiction written as my doctoral dissertation, to explore and highlight the way queer K-12 educators navigate personal and professional closets. These excerpts were written using a reiterative process (writing to research; researching to write) to re-examine personal experiences, empirical research, multimodal texts, and grey literature. This …

Practicing Community, Cultivating Democracy -- Lessons From Professional Power Shifters, Sylvia Gale

Other Publications

Below I describe five intentional practices people working in human-facing professions can employ in order to create the conditions for a healthy democracy.

These practices were originally distilled from my observations at the Deaconess Foundation’s Helsinki D-Stations and from my interactions and discussions with professionals across the Foundation’s Civic Action and Community Programs team from January-June 2023, when I was hosted by the Deaconess Foundation on a Mid-Career Professional Development Award from the Fulbright Finland Foundation. Since then, I have augmented and clarified these practices through observation and reflection with colleagues in my American context, where I am the executive …

Whole Genome Sequencing Analysis Of Body Mass Index Identifies Novel African Ancestry-Specific Risk Allele, Xinruo Zhang, Jennifer A Brody, Mariaelisa Graff, Heather M Highland, Nathalie Chami, Hanfei Xu, Zhe Wang, Kendra R Ferrier, Geetha Chittoor, Navya Shilpa Josyula, Mariah Meyer, Shreyash Gupta, Xihao Li, Zilin Li, Matthew A Allison, Diane M Becker, Lawrence F Bielak, Joshua C Bis, Meher Preethi Boorgula, Donald W Bowden, Jai G Broome, Erin J Buth, Christopher S Carlson, Kyong-Mi Chang, Sameer Chavan, Yen-Feng Chiu, Lee-Ming Chuang, Matthew P Conomos, Dawn L Demeo, Mengmeng Du, Ravindranath Duggirala, Celeste Eng, Alison E Fohner, Barry I Freedman, Melanie E Garrett, Xiuqing Guo, Chris Haiman, Benjamin D Heavner, Bertha Hidalgo, James E Hixson, Yuk-Lam Ho, Brian D Hobbs, Donglei Hu, Qin Hui, Chii-Min Hwu, Rebecca D Jackson, Deepti Jain, Rita R Kalyani, Sharon L R Kardia, Tanika N Kelly, Ethan M Lange, Michael Lenoir, Changwei Li, Loic Le Marchand, Merry-Lynn N Mcdonald, Caitlin P Mchugh, Alanna C Morrison, Take Naseri, Jeffrey O'Connell, Christopher J O'Donnell, Nicholette D Palmer, James S Pankow, James A Perry, Ulrike Peters, Michael H Preuss, D C Rao, Elizabeth A Regan, Sefuiva M Reupena, Dan M Roden, Jose Rodriguez-Santana, Colleen M Sitlani, Jennifer A Smith, Hemant K Tiwari, Ramachandran S Vasan, Zeyuan Wang, Daniel E Weeks, Jennifer Wessel, Kerri L Wiggins, Lynne R Wilkens, Peter W F Wilson, Lisa R Yanek, Zachary T Yoneda, Wei Zhao, Sebastian Zöllner, Donna K Arnett, Allison E Ashley-Koch, Kathleen C Barnes, John Blangero, Eric Boerwinkle, Esteban G Burchard, April P Carson, Daniel I Chasman, Yii-Der Ida Chen, Joanne E Curran, Myriam Fornage, Victor R Gordeuk, Jiang He, Susan R Heckbert, Lifang Hou, Marguerite R Irvin, Charles Kooperberg, Ryan L Minster, Braxton D Mitchell, Mehdi Nouraie, Bruce M Psaty, Laura M Raffield, Alexander P Reiner, Stephen S Rich, Jerome I Rotter, M Benjamin Shoemaker, Nicholas L Smith, Kent D Taylor, Marilyn J Telen, Scott T Weiss, Yingze Zhang, Nancy Heard-Costa, Yan V Sun, Xihong Lin, L Adrienne Cupples, Leslie A Lange, Ching-Ti Liu, Ruth J F Loos, Kari E North, Anne E Justice

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Obesity is a major public health crisis associated with high mortality rates. Previous genome-wide association studies (GWAS) investigating body mass index (BMI) have largely relied on imputed data from European individuals. This study leveraged whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data from 88,873 participants from the Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine (TOPMed) Program, of which 51% were of non-European population groups. We discovered 18 BMI-associated signals (P <  5 × 10

The Emotions Of Uncertainty: Science, Politics, And The Social Dynamics Of Decision Making, Alisa N. Rogers

Sociology ETDs

This dissertation examines how social and emotional factors influence attitudes toward science and decision making regarding science-based policy recommendations during the COVID-19 pandemic. I examine boundary work practices among the public as they evaluate experts during the pandemic and the social sources of information people used to construct knowledge. Then I examine the social and emotional factors that participants indicated influenced their own attitude formation and decisions to act regarding public health recommendations during the pandemic. I find that emotions influence each element of the decision process: information gathering, information evaluation, attitude formation, and decisions to act. Affective commitment and …

Child Protective Services Accountability And Reform: The Role Of Judicial Oversight, Caseworker Training, And Systemic Failures In Protecting Vulnerable Children, Amiah Kuykendall

Student Research Symposium

Introduction

What is the purpose of this project?

▪ Investigate systemic failures

o Research question:

▪ How does judicial oversight influence CPS caseworker accountability in child abuse cases, and what legal measures can be taken to ensure policy enforcement?

Did Covid-19 Change How Adolescents Connect? Analyzing Social Media's Role In Post-Pandemic Relationships, Tessi Hurst

Student Research Symposium

The Covid-19 pandemic significantly increased social media use among adolescents, altering the way they formed and maintained relationships. As in-person interactions became limited, social media platforms played a crucial role in shaping social behaviors.

Existing research highlights the shifts in friendship quality, mental health and social interaction patterns, revealing both positive and negative effects.

37. Protest 2025. Protest At Applied Engineering Building 2 [Photograph]

LGBTQIA+ Archive Class Projects

Citation: Villatoro, J. (2025, April 9). Students protest during Applied Engineering Building ribbon cutting, Gov. Reynolds is a no-show. Northern Iowan, 1.

Description: Front page of "The Northern Iowan" paper titled "Students protest during Applied Engineering building ribbon cutting, Gov. Reynolds is no-show".

The Correlation Between Mental Health And Electronic Media Usage In Adults, Thea Lefave

Student Research Symposium

How does an adult's electronic media usage impact their levels of anxiety and depression and overall emotional well-being?

How Does Social Media Influence The Self-Perceived Well-Being Of Rural Residents?, Danalee Welch-O'Donnal

Student Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

Latinx Education: Catalyst For Permanent Socio-Economic Change, Evan Schellhous

Student Research Symposium

This poster explores the transformative impact of education in empowering the Latinx community, drawing on insights from four contemporary films: Spare Parts, McFarland USA, Walkout, and A Million Miles Away. Each film depicts unique narratives where education is pivotal in overcoming socio-economic challenges, cultural barriers, and systemic inequities. Spare Parts narrates the inspiring journey of Latino students who, with determination and innovative spirit, defy stereotypes to excel in science and technology. McFarland USA illustrates how mentorship and community support enable under-resourced Latinx athletes to break the cycle of poverty through academic and athletic success. In Walkout, historic student-led protests …

A Modern Community Men’S Shed, Carly Bendull, Melinda Heinz

INSPIRE Student Research and Engagement Conference

The inception of the Men’s Sheds Movement began in Australia to bring men together who were socially isolated. At sheds, men converse with each other, make new friends, and engage in activities together. Further iterations of sheds around the world have also been created, including Community Sheds and Women’s Sheds. In the U.S., the Men’s Sheds Movement began in 2016. However, sheds have not been studied as extensively in the U.S. and this paper adds to the literature by further investigating gender, expectations, age, motivation, and participation in a Community Shed located in the Southern part of the U.S. Results …

The Effect Of A Dance-Like Martial Arts Training On Prisoners’ Concentration Ability, Uta Czyrnick-Leber, Kiara Kuhrs, Christian Kraft, Pamela Wicker, Bernd Groben

Journal of Prison Education Research

A cognitive prerequisite for education and (re)entry into the labor market is the ability to concentrate for a long period. Conducted with 39 participants, the present study examines the effect of a six-week dance-like martial arts program on prisoners’ concentration ability in an open prison in Germany (n=15), and compares their concentration ability with a control group of prisoners (n=5), as well as a treatment (n=11) and control group (n=8) of university students. Concentration ability is assessed using the d2-R concentration and attention test before, after, and six weeks following the program. The program’s participants showed significant improvements compared to …

Methods For Community-Engaged Data Collection And Analysis In Implementation Research, Lawrence A. Palinkas, Benjamin Springgate, Leopoldo J. Cabassa, Michelle Shin, Samantha Garcia, Benjamin F. Crabtree, Jennifer Tsui

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Community engagement is widely recognized as critical to successful and equitable implementation of evidence-based practices, programs, and policies. However, there are no clear guidelines for community involvement in data collection and analysis in implementation research. METHODS: We describe three specific methods for engaging community members in data collection and analysis: concept mapping, rapid ethnographic assessment, and Photovoice. Common elements are identified from a case study of each method: 1) selection and adaptation of evidence-based strategies for improving adolescent HPV vaccine initiation rates in disadvantaged communities, 2) strategies for implementing medication for opioid use disorders among low-income Medicaid enrollees during …

Predictors Of Political Participation Of U.S. Social Workers: The Mediating Effect Of Confidence, Maria Wathen, Rachel A. Young, Amy Krings, Teresa Kilbane

Social Work: School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Other Works

What factors are associated with social workers’ political participation, and how does political confidence mediate those relationships? To answer this question, data were collected in 2020 through an original online survey of members of the U.S.-based National Association of Social Workers (NASW). Informed by self-efficacy theory, researchers conducted a structural equation modeling (SEM) path model with political participation as the outcome variable, and political confidence as a mediating variable. Exogenous variables included: one’s self-reported political orientation, belief that social work has a political mandate, gender, and knowledge about how to effectively participate in politics. Results indicate that high political confidence …

Emergency Operations Plan To Sufficiently Support Prison Disaster Preparedness, Nyhrie Love Chapman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Emergency management in correctional facilities is a critical aspect of institutional safety and security. Natural disasters and public health crises have exposed significant gaps in preparedness, leaving incarcerated individuals and staff vulnerable during emergencies. This qualitative study was conducted to examine prison staff members’ perspectives on the effectiveness of emergency operations plans (EOPs) in responding to natural and human-made disasters. Guided by social vulnerability theory and policy implementation and effectiveness theory, this study employed a phenomenological approach to explore staff experiences. Through 12 in-depth interviews, participants described challenges related to resource limitations, training deficiencies, and breakdowns in communication between agencies. …

35. Protest 2025. Hands Off! Protest [Article & Images], Holly Hudson Hill, Chris Zoeller

LGBTQIA+ Archive Class Projects

Citation: Hill, H. and Zoeller, C. (2025, April 8). Hands Off Protest. Courier, A1 & A4.

Inciting Action By Analyzing Pachirat, Rhi N. Soto

Amplify: A Journal of Writing-as-Activism

The book Every Twelve Seconds: Industrialized Slaughter and the Politics of Sight by Timothy Pachirat explores “the politics of sight”, or the intentional invisibilizing or transparentizing of repugnant acts in order to encourage or limit them, through the case study of a beef slaughter house in Omaha, NE. While also utilizing the politics of sight, Pachirat hopes for great political and social change concerning the immoral acts that happen at meat plants through a radical act of transparency: a narrative ethnography. Writers with similar goals of great change in social and political issues can make use of Pachirat’s techniques, which …

Church As Community: Religiosity And Queer Identity Among Emerging Adults In Adventist Higher Education, Chris N. Ngugi

Honors Theses

How do LGBTQ+ or “queer”-identifying emerging adults attending Seventh-day Adventist Christian institutions of higher education in the United States relate to their religiosity or relationship with religion? Within certain religious contexts (Avishai, 2020; Chiongbian et al., 2023; Lockett et al., 2023), including within the Seventh-day Adventist church (Pew Research Center, 2014), an individual’s LGBTQ+ identity may seem incongruent with commonly held stigmas, norms, doctrines, and beliefs maintained by religious group members and officials. LGBTQ+ identity and religiosity in such contexts are often described through “conflict” and “beyond conflict” theories, principally Cognitive Dissonance Theory and Identity Integration Theory (Rêgo-Moreira et al., …

Growing The Good: A Communal Garden Case Study Among Marginalized, Rural Populations, Claire Barbier

LSU Master's Theses

Community and Communal gardens (CG) have been documented as early as the late 1800s during periods of economic recessions and high food insecurity (The MIT Press Reader, 2022). However, C.G. adoption rates are expanding on a global scale as communities and municipalities see the potential for the tool to bring relief to environments in dire need of additional resources. Utilizing a communal garden can be used to address a surplus of systemic barriers a community faces; it has a significant opportunity to bring forth the interconnected tiers of public health altogether (Twiss et. al, 2003). Modernized C.G projects bring forth …

A Mapping Review And Critique Of The Literature On Translation, Dissemination, And Implementation Capacity Building Initiatives For Different Audiences, Ana A Baumann, Danielle R Adams, Laura-Mae Baldwin, Rachel G Tabak, Sara Malone, Maura M Kepper, Anita D Misra-Hebert, Kathleen R Stevens, Maria E Fernandez, Sunil Kripalani

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Capacity building is critical for research and practice as the fields of dissemination, implementation and translation science continue to grow. Some scholars state that capacity building should be grounded in competencies. However, the fields are unclear in determining which competencies are relevant for whom, including the content and appropriate level of information and skills for different roles. The goal of this study was to catalogue competencies across current D&I capacity building initiatives.

Methods: We conducted a mapping review to examine to what extent are theories or frameworks used to guide capacity building, who is being trained, to what extent …

From Story Time To Small Talk: Do Parents Use Descriptive Language Based On Gender?, Alyssa C. Connelly

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

This study examines whether parents use descriptive language differently based on gender using a wordless story book between the parent and child. Findings indicate that parents use more emotion-based language when describing female picture gender and more verb-based language for boy children. These results show ways in which gendered language may shape early self-perception and interests.

Investing In "Left Behind" Places: Learning From Native American Tribal Communities, Robert Maxim

Brookings Scholar Lecture Series

As part of the Brookings Scholar Lecture Series, Brookings Mountain West presents a lecture titled, "Investing in 'Left Behind' Places: Learning from Native American Tribal Communities" by Brookings fellow in Brookings Metro, Robert Maxim.

Over the past decade, U.S. political and economic discourse has centered on helping “left behind” places. The federal government joined this conversation, emphasizing everything from tariffs and trade protectionism to revitalize domestic industry, to landmark industrial policy bills aimed at pouring new federal investment into lagging places. Native American tribes can serve as an important case study for understanding how federal, state, and local policies can …

Ua19/16/2 Women's Basketball Press Releases, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

Press releases and game statistics for WKU women's basketball team in spring 2025.

From Campus To Community: Supporting Black Warrior Riverkeeper, Anusha Mukherjee, Jalyn Youngblood, Ridhima Talsani, Sruti Sivan

Expo Student Presentations

2025 Spring Expo Online Poster Presentation

• Service-Learning

Ua19/16/2 Ahletics Press Releases, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

Press releases regarding general activities of the WKU Athletics Department for spring 2025.

Ua19/16/2 Volleyball Press Relations, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

Press releases and game statistics for WKU volleyball team in spring 2025.

Ua19/16/2 Track & Field Press Releases, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

Press releases and game statistics for WKU track teams in spring 2025.

Ua19/16/2 Football Press Releases, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

Press releases and game statistics for WKU football team in spring 2025.

Turning Farm Waste Into Energy: Pragmatic Approaches For Cleaner Midwestern American Communities, Rebecca Gaisie

Selected or Submitted Student Research Papers/Projects

Mismanagement of farm waste in the Midwest of the United States has resulted in significant methane emissions, water contamination, and public health concerns. The present manure management rules are still inconsistent, underfunded, and insufficient to motivate individuals to behave in a way that benefits the environment, despite increasing concerns about the environment. This policy study investigates anaerobic digestion as a potential means to convert waste into energy that could support rural and environmental development. Some of the problems with the federal and state legislation examined in this study under an EPI framework are a lack of incentives, inadequate technical support, …

Ua19/16/2 Soccer Press Releases, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

Press releases and game statistics for WKU soccer team in spring 2025.