Digital Commons Network^™

Speech Motor Learning In Divided And Undivided Attention Conditions, Garrett Barnes

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the effect of dual tasking on speech motor learning. Forty young adult participants (20 male, 20 female) practiced speaking nonsense words containing non-English consonant clusters. Half of the participants practiced the words while also completing a shape identification task. After practice, the two groups produced the words in a retention task both with and without the shape identification task. They returned the next day to produce the words again with and without the shape identification task. Acoustic analysis of the consonant cluster and word duration was used as an index of motor learning. Statistical analysis revealed that …

Creativity In Large Language Models, Robert Kenneth Morain

Theses and Dissertations

As artificial intelligence systems approach human-level performance across a wide variety of domains, creative domains remain a critical yet underexplored area of research. Unlike traditional AI tasks with well-defined objectives, creative tasks rely on inherently subjective measures, making them particularly challenging for machines that lack human experiential context. This dissertation establishes the fundamental importance of creativity in AI systems and presents methods for improving and evaluating the creative capabilities of LLMs on the pathway toward AGI. This work addresses and examines key limitations in current LLM creativity through model innovations, development frameworks, and comparative studies. The dissertation develops novel architectural …

Integration Of Sco2 Brayton Cycles With Carbon Capture Systems, Nathan C. Stearns, Rajarshi Roy, Brian Schooff, Andrew Chiodo, Andrew R. Fry, Brian D. Iverson

Faculty Publications

Increasing global energy consumption and greater market penetration of intermittent energy sources require a baseline power source to enable renewable energies. Here, a case is made for pairing supercritical CO₂ Brayton cycles with carbon capture to create low-emission, high-efficiency, combustion-based power generation systems. Pairing carbon capture and storage (CCS) systems with supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO₂) Brayton cycles enables the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in combustion systems, but with an associated energy cost. Three different representative models of CCS systems (oxyfuel combustion, amine scrubbing, and cryogenic carbon capture) are considered for pairing with an sCO2 Brayton cycle, …

Supporting Young Children’S Composing Practices Through Pre- And Post-Writing Conversations, Jackie Ridley, Rebecca Rohloff, Xiao Zhang, Margaret Quinn

Journal of Response to Writing

In this teaching tip, we propose purposeful pre- and post-writing conferences as a teacher practice to support young children’s early writing practices. We share how teachers can facilitate children’s idea development through conversational moves during writing conferences and provide a model for what this could look like using a task-based composing prompt.

“What Grade Do You Feel You Earned?” Integrating Student-Led Grading With A Labor-Based Grading Framework, Megan Von Bergen

Journal of Response to Writing

This brief article discusses the advantages of using a student grade proposal within a labor-based grading framework, focusing on how the grade proposal may reinforce the equity-related aims of labor-based grading and hone students' ability to self-assess. The article discusses the learning outcomes of the grade proposal and its process, then ends with a sample grade proposal.

Realidades De Las Organizaciones De La Sociedad Civil En México: Índice De Fomento A Las Actividades De Las Osc, Pablo Armando González Ulloa Aguirre

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

Este artículo presenta los hallazgos derivados de la construcción de un Índice que evalúa el estado del fomento de las Organizaciones de la Sociedad Civil (OSC) en las 32 entidades federativas de México durante el año 2021. También describe los criterios considerados en la construcción del Índice y los resultados obtenidos en cada una de sus dimensiones. El Índice proporciona una perspectiva integral y multidimensional sobre el estudio del fomento a las OSC, analizando las dimensiones legal, institucional y programática con el objetivo de comparar los avances y los retrocesos en este ámbito. Al hacerlo, ofrece una oportunidad para mejorar …

Research Summaries - Research For Practice: Joni September 2025 Issue, Erica Jensen, Emma Indart, Emilyn Watkins, Faith Manchester

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

No abstract provided.

Program Evaluation: Best Practices And Examples For Nonprofits, Erica Bassett, Faith M. Manchester

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

No abstract provided.

Mapping Nonprofit Data Accessibility In Latin American Countries: Early Insights From An Exploratory Comparative Study, Angie Holzer, Tania Hernandez, Ted Gray Barnes Jr, Noah Ellis, Sumasri Jasti, Hannah Chu, Nithin Kumar, Evan Campione, Louis Ye, Quoc Thai Dinh

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

This paper presents findings from a global study of nonprofit data accessibility, focusing on Mexico and other Latin American countries. The analysis explores whether nonprofit databases exist, who operates them, what accessibility barriers are present, what requirements nonprofits must meet to register, and what registration costs they face. Using an exploratory comparative design, the study highlights both cross-country similarities and differences while situating nonprofit data systems within broader theories of transparency, accountability, and open-data governance.

Early insights reveal that about 70% of countries in Latin America maintain nonprofit registries, yet accessibility, usability, requirements, and costs vary widely. Registration processes range …

Realities Of Mexican Civil Society Organizations: Index For The Promotion Of Activities Of Civil Society Organizations, Pablo Armando Gonzalez Ulloa Aguirre

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

This article presents the findings derived from the construction of an Index that evaluates the state of promotion of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) across Mexico’s 32 federal entities during the year 2021. It also outlines the criteria considered in building the Index and the results obtained in each of its dimensions. The Index provides a comprehensive and multidimensional perspective on the study of CSO promotion, analyzing legal, institutional, and programmatic dimensions with the aim of comparing progress and setbacks in this area. In doing so, it offers an opportunity to improve certain aspects as more data is generated and made …

Tendiendo Puentes La Teoría Y La Práctica: La Visión Y El Plan De Acción Del Grupo De Afinidad De Investigación Para La Práctica De La Istr, Angie Holzer, Christopher Dayson, Dana Doan, Patricia Quinn, Michele Fugiel Gartner, Tayyeb Hadi, Carissa Van Den Berk-Clark, Ana Maria Sanchez, Farouq Aliyu Muhammad, Romina Farias, Christopher Einolf

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

Sociedad Internacional para la Investigación del Tercer Sector Grupo de Afinidad de Investigación para la Práctica (ISTR/R4P)

Transparencia, Confianza Y Asociaciones: Fortaleciendo La Colaboración A Través De Datos Y Rendición De Cuentas, Sujeeth Reddy Sithagari, Angie Holzer

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

Este artículo explora cómo la transparencia influye en la confianza y fortalece las asociaciones dentro de organizaciones sin fines de lucro y de desarrollo internacional. A partir de una revisión bibliográfica estructurada de artículos revisados por pares, tesis e iniciativas globales, como la Iniciativa Internacional para la Transparencia de la Ayuda (International Aid Transparency Initiative, IATI), este artículo destaca el papel fundamental de la comunicación transparente en la creación de confianza de las partes interesadas. Los resultados indican que, si bien muchas ONG recopilan datos sobre su desempeño y sus finanzas, pocas los utilizan de manera sistemática para elaborar informes …

Nonprofit Spotlight: Rising Violet, Angie Holzer, Tiffany Sowby

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

No abstract provided.

How Civil Society Organizations Build Resilience In The Face Of Financial And Political Pressures: Lessons From Czechia, Hungary, And Bulgaria, Merrill Sovner

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

How are some civil society organizations (CSOs) able to pivot and innovate in the face of political hostility and funding withdrawal, while others shrink or become inactive? It posits that it’s not just the external environment, funding, or degree of political pressure, but attributes intrinsic to each CSO that narrows the range of possible responses. It is based on sample of CSOs in Czechia, Hungary and Bulgaria that faced political pressures and funding withdrawal between 2010 and 2019. CSOs responded in three ways: reduced staff and expenditures, replaced lost funding while operating in a similar way, or reframed their work, …

Transparency, Trust, And Partnerships: Strengthening Nonprofit Collaboration Through Data And Accountability (Hindi Version), Sujeeth Reddy Sithagari, Angie Holzer

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

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Cultural Dynamics And Reverse Culture Shock: A Strategy For Building Sustainable Human Resources In International Ngos, Haruka Minemura, Yuko Nishide

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

This study explores the dynamics of cultural conflict between expatriate and local staff in international NGOs (INGOs) and proposes a framework for sustainable human resource management. While existing INGO management literature emphasizes cultural factors in expatriate-local relations, limited empirical evidence explains the developmental process of these relationships and their implications. Through qualitative case study methodology, this research addresses the question: How do cultural conflicts between expatriates and local staff evolve within INGOs, and what management strategies emerge from these dynamics?

The findings reveal a dual-phase conflict management model where both expatriates and local staff experience sequential cultural tensions. The first …

Bridging Research And Practice: Advancing Pracademic And Applied Research In The Social Sector, Emma Indart, Emilyn Watkins

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

For many nonprofits around the world, accessing relevant research, data, and strategies to drive change can be a barrier to success. This gap between nonprofit practitioners and researchers is compounded by the high cost of academic articles, the limited availability of non-English publications, and the lack of practical tools to translate research into actionable strategies.

This paper examines the intersection of research for practice, applied research, and “pracademic” scholarship, highlighting how these approaches can expand the capacity of nonprofit professionals to create meaningful change in their communities. Furthermore, bridging the divide between research and practice has the potential to help …

The Inaccessibility Of Nonprofit Organizations Data In Sub-Saharan Africa, Barnabas Suva, Robert Bhero

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

This article presents initial findings from a research study on nonprofit data across countries, focusing on the accessibility of nonprofit organizations in 49 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, following thorough research of accessibility data from nonprofit organizations, regulatory bodies, and nonprofit websites. Only 12% of countries maintain a functional public nonprofit organization database, and even fewer provide detailed, searchable registries. While 94% of countries legally grant nonprofit organizations tax exemption, mandatory reporting obligations are often not paired with public access, thereby weakening accountability. These findings situate data inaccessibility as an agency problem where principals (donors, policymakers, communities) lack sufficient information to …

Special Edition: Full Issue - Research For Practice, September 2025, Angie Holzer, Erica Bassett

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

No abstract provided.

Transparency, Trust, And Partnerships: Strengthening Nonprofit Collaboration Through Data And Accountability, Sujeeth Reddy Sithagari, Angie Holzer

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

This paper explores how transparency influences trust and strengthens partnerships within nonprofit and international development organizations. Drawing from a structured literature review of peer-reviewed articles, doctoral dissertations, and global initiatives such as the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI), this article highlights the critical role of transparent communication in building stakeholder confidence. The findings indicate that while many NGOs collect performance and financial data, few use it consistently to inform external reporting or internal learning. Trust is found to be highly context-specific, shaped not only by data sharing but also by leadership humility, community engagement, and ethical governance. The study …

Mapeo De La Accesibilidad De Datos De Organizaciones No Lucrativas En Países De América Latina: Primeras Perspectivas De Un Estudio Comparativo Exploratorio, Angie Holzer, Tania Hernandez, Ted Gray Barnes Jr, Noah Ellis, Sumasri Jasti, Hannah Chu, Evan Campione, Louis Ye, Nithin Kumar, Quoc Thai Dinh

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

Este artículo presenta los hallazgos de un estudio global sobre la accesibilidad de datos de organizaciones no lucrativas, centrado en México y en otros países de América Latina. El análisis explora si existen bases de datos de organizaciones no lucrativas, quién las opera, qué barreras de accesibilidad están presentes, qué requisitos deben cumplir las organizaciones no lucrativas para registrarse, y qué costos de registro enfrentan. Utilizando un diseño comparativo exploratorio, el estudio destaca tanto las similitudes como las diferencias entre países, situando los sistemas de datos de organizaciones no lucrativas dentro de teorías más amplias de transparencia, rendición de cuentas …

Bridging Theory And Practice: The Vision And Action Plan Of The Istr Research For Practice Affinity Group, Angie Holzer, Christopher Dayson, Dana Doan, Patricia Quinn, Tayyeb Hadi, Michele Fugiel Gartner, Carissa Van Den Berk-Clark, Ana María Sánchez, Farouq Aliyu Muhammad, Romina Farías, Christopher Einolf

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

This article presents the strategic vision and comprehensive action plan of the International Society for Third Sector Research (ISTR) Research for Practice (R4P) Affinity Group, established to address the persistent gap between academic research and nonprofit practice in the third sector. Recognizing that practitioners are primarily focused on action and problem-solving while academics concentrate on knowledge accumulation and theory building, the R4P initiative creates a systematic framework for enhanced collaboration to maximize societal impact and advance evidence-informed practice. The R4P model employs a multi-dimensional approach through seven specialized sub-committees—Advocacy, Education & Training, Practitioner Engagement & Matchmaking, Research Accessibility and Sharing, …

Fostering Belonging Through Library Descriptions, Nicole Lewis, Sharolyn Swenson, Katie Yeo, Karen Glenn

Faculty Publications

In late 2023, the BYU Library adopted its Inclusive Metadata Policy as part of its commitment to fostering a campus culture of belonging. This policy reflects the Statement on Belonging, which affirms that we “value and embrace the variety of individual characteristics, life experiences and circumstances, perspectives, talents, and gifts of each member of the community and the richness and strength they bring to our community.”[1] Catalogers and archival processors at the library are engaging in practices of cultural humility to ensure that the language and frameworks we use to describe people, communities, and histories are inclusive and respectful. …

Who Gets Stitches? The Effects Of Rewarding Whistleblowers And Protecting Their Identity On Subsequent Willingness To Work With Others, Ryan D. Sommerfeldt

Faculty Publications

Companies are strongly encouraged to implement whistleblowing programs to help detect and deter misconduct in organizations, but whistleblowers often face ostracism as their coworkers are less willing to work with them (the whistleblower effect). Rewarding the whistleblower and protecting the whistleblower’s identity are two highly recommended features of whistleblowing programs that aim to encourage reporting. Across two experiments, I examine the spillover effects of these whistleblowing program features on how willing employees are to work with their coworkers after reporting occurs. I find that providing a reward to the whistleblower exacerbates the whistleblower effect, leading employees to work even less …

Resolution Of Physics And Deep Learning-Based Protein Engineering Filters: A Case Study With A Lipase For Industrial Substrate Hydrolysis, Spencer Gardiner, Peter Dollinger, Filip Kovacic, Jörge Pietruszka, Daniel Ess, Karl-Erich Jaeger, Gunnar F. Schröder, Dennis Della Corte

Faculty Publications

Computational enzyme design remains a powerful yet imperfect tool for optimizing biocatalysts, especially when targeting non-natural substrates. Using design tools we investigated Pseudomonas aeruginosa LipA, a lipase with a flexible lid domain crucial for substrate binding and turnover, aiming to enhance its hydrolysis of the industrially relevant substrate Roche ester. We generated an initial set of single-point mutations based on structural proximity to the active site and evaluated their effects using a computational pipeline integrating molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, density functional theory (DFT) calculations, and ensemble-based energy scoring. While we identified several active variants, attempts to rank them by activity …

Guiding With Love: Building Self-Regulation Through Structure And Warmth, Kylie Collette

Family Perspectives

No abstract provided.

The Value Of Play In Improving Children’S Experiences With Healthcare, Kylie Howes

Family Perspectives

Hospitalization can be a distressing experience for children, often resulting in heightened anxiety and pain due to unfamiliar environments, procedures, and personnel. This literature review examines the effectiveness of Child Life Play Interventions—specifically Developmentally Supportive Play, Psychological Preparation Play, and Distraction Play—in reducing pediatric patients’ healthcare- related anxiety and pain. Developmentally supportive play provides children with familiar, age-appropriate activities that help maintain normalcy and routine, thereby reducing stress during extended hospital stays. Psychological preparation play uses role-playing and hands-on demonstrations to enhance children’s understanding of medical procedures, alleviating anxiety and decreasing perceived pain. Distraction play shifts children’s attention away from …

When Evidence Is Shocking: The Value Of Struggling With Uncomfortable Ideas, Cortney Evans-Stout, Christin L. Porter

Family Perspectives

No abstract provided.

Marital Conflict And Male Depression: The Role Of Emotional Withdrawal And Hostility, Nicolas Enzo Mouhsen

Family Perspectives

This literature review investigates the relationship between marital conflict and male depression, focusing on emotional withdrawal and spousal hostility as key contributing factors. Male depression, often underreported due to differences in symptom expression such as anger and irritability, is explored in the context of marital dynamics. Emotional withdrawal, characterized by avoidance behaviors during conflict, is particularly prevalent among men and linked to rigid gender role perceptions. This behavior correlates with increased depressive symptoms and reduced well-being. Additionally, spousal hostility, including verbal aggression and criticism, exacerbates male depression through both the perception of aggression from a partner and self-awareness of hostile …

Divorced After Age 50: What Gray Divorced Women Can Do To Move Forward, Sheri Duvall

Family Perspectives

No abstract provided.