Digital Commons Network^™

Navigating Hunger And Academic Success: College Students’ Experiences With Food Insecurity And Campus Food Pantries, Casey J. Weaver, Carl H. Sorgen, Cordelia D. Zinskie

Journal of Higher Education & Student Affairs

Food insecurity is a growing issue faced by many college students, and there is an increasing call for more qualitative research examining food insecurity on college campuses. It may be posited that students who experience food insecurity but have access to resources are more likely to succeed academically than those without access to such resources. This research examined how the resources provided to college students experiencing food insecurity influenced their academic success at a university in the United States. This study explored the experience of four students who identified as food insecure and utilized campus resources to address this issue. …

Conceptualizations Of Hazing: An Exploratory Study Using Lukes’ Three Dimensions Of Power, David James Kerschner, Emily Feuer, Elizabeth J. Allan

Journal of Higher Education & Student Affairs

Building on connections between hazing and power in the literature, we analyzed data generated from campus hazing climate interviews with 308 participants (209 staff members, 99 students) at nine research universities in the United States. Our analysis draws on Lukes’ (1974, 2005) three dimensions of power as a conceptual framework and highlights how each of these dimensions is embedded in staff member and student definitions, conceptualizations, and understandings of hazing. Findings and subthemes for each of Lukes’ dimensions are shared and described, illuminating sources of power associated with each dimension. This investigation reveals important nuances associated with hazing, aligning with …

Good Trouble For Good Debt? A Comparative Analysis Of Financial Factors And Racial Differences In U.S. Student Loan Debt Burdens, Carlton R. Smith, Kim E. Bullington, Matthew J. Smith

Journal of Higher Education & Student Affairs

This study examines the relationship surrounding undergraduate student loan debt burdens and income levels post-graduation, focusing particularly on the financial impacts of both on Black student borrowers. Using two datasets from the National Center for Education Statistics, our quantitative analysis highlights that while student loan debt in and of itself is not problematic in theory, when combined with other factors and barriers, debt becomes an additional stressor potentially impeding student success during and after college. We offer short-, intermediate-, and long-term implications, while also highlighting examples of targeted intervention programs tailored to specifically benefit Black student borrowers.

Comparing Gpas Of First-Time Students Based On Admissions Decision Date, John M. Adkins

Journal of Higher Education & Student Affairs

With the upcoming demographic shift, higher education administrators are aiming to enroll and retain as many students as possible. With this increased focus on enrollment and retention, a question that can be asked is whether students admitted late (two weeks prior to the start of the full term) will be less academically successful after their first full academic year? To study this question, the first-time, full-term cohorts for the fall 2020, 2021, and 2022 were obtained from Georgia Southern University. The data collected were the admissions decisions and registration dates, fall term GPA, spring term GPA, and cumulative GPA. The …

Where You Work Still Matters: A Content Analysis, Catherine E. Gonzalez, Ramona Meraz Lewis, Brianne Steele

Journal of Higher Education & Student Affairs

This qualitative content analysis examines institutional differences in student affairs work through 234 articles from JCSD and JSARP (2006-2023). The study explores the relevance of Hirt's (2006) original framework and identifies emerging themes. Findings reveal research imbalances across institutional types and growing attention to diversity, equity, inclusion, and Professional Competencies. Gaps exist in reward structures, career transitions, and research on institutional fit. Implications for scholarship, graduate preparation, and practice are discussed.

“Maybe I’M Not Valued Here”: Organizational Toxins In Student Affairs, William R. Bowey Jr

Journal of Higher Education & Student Affairs

Organizations of student affairs are dynamic entities that are situated to support the learning, growth, development, and wellbeing of students. However, like any organization, they may contain toxins that detract from these goals. This study situates ambiguity and exploitation as organizational toxins faced by individuals in student affairs. The conceptualization of organizational toxins is novel to the student affairs literature, and the findings provide fertile ground for future research and the implementation of strategies to mitigate toxins in student affairs.

Examining How Engagement Strategies Of Principals Influence Teacher Retention In Urban Title I Schools, Bridgette Allen

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

As the teacher shortage continues to rise, it is critical for educational leaders to focus on teacher retention. Principals play a significant role in teacher retention, teacher engagement, and job satisfaction; therefore, they must implement effective engagement strategies to improve teacher retention. The purpose of this basic qualitative study is to explore how engagement strategies employed by principals at urban Title I schools contribute to teachers’ decisions to remain at these schools. The research question for this study examines teachers’ perspectives on how the engagement strategies used by their school principals influence their decision to remain in an urban Title …

Exploring Teacher Perceptions: A Comparative Analysis Of Departmentalized And Self-Contained Instructional Models In First And Second Grades, Jason R. Trotter

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This qualitative multiple-case study examined the perceptions of first- and second-grade teachers who have taught in both the departmentalized and traditional self-contained instructional models. The study explored teachers’ perceived advantages and disadvantages of each model, examined how their experiences within each model influenced instructional strategies and classroom management approaches, and assessed their perceived impacts on student engagement and learning outcomes. Each grade level was a bounded case. This study was conducted at a Title I elementary school in Southeast Georgia, where both models were implemented.

Guided by social constructivism, semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven teachers (four first-grade and three …

Extracurricular Activities' Influence On High School Students' Academic Achievement, Michael Jones Jr

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This quantitative study investigates the relationship between participation in extracurricular activities and academic achievement among high school students, as measured by Grade Point Average (GPA). This study uses a cross-sectional research design to analyze GPA data from Greenbrier High School in Evans, Georgia. Greenbrier is a part of the Columbia County School District and serves approximately 2,000 students. Historical data were collected from 2024-2025 school records and analyzed using t-tests and ANOVA to compare the impact of ECAs on academic achievement. The study analyzed differences in academic performance based on (a) participation versus non‑participation in ECAs, (b) the type of …

Math Toxicity: A Psychoanalytic Examination Of Blips And Belonging In Mathematics Education, Kimberly R. Kirstein

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation examines how secondary mathematics education functions not only as a curricular and institutional structure but as a lived, relational, and affective experience for students. While mathematics education research has extensively documented patterns of achievement, access, and anxiety, far less attention has been given to how students come to experience mathematics as a site of threat, shame, and diminished worth. This study introduces the concept of math toxicity to describe the cumulative harm produced when mathematics operates as a gatekeeping mechanism that links performance to identity and value. Drawing on historical analysis, psychoanalytic theory, and autobiographical inquiry, this research …

Celebrities, Personalities, And Drinking Styles, Madeleine Krueger

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This study replicated and extended the findings of Hill et al. by examining the influence of sociocultural factors, vulnerable and grandiose narcissism, and related psychological variables on drunkorexia behaviors. The replication was expanded to include body dissatisfaction and celebrity worship, as prior literature suggests these variables may be strongly associated with disordered eating and alcohol-related compensatory behaviors. Results indicated that body dissatisfaction emerged as a significant predictor of drunkorexia, supporting previous research that links negative body image with maladaptive weight-control behaviors surrounding alcohol consumption. Several limitations should be noted, including the use of a single-university sample, reliance on a cross-sectional …

Impact Of Tactical Breathing On Marksmanship And Cognitive Function After Anaerobic Fatigue In Law Enforcement Personnel, Jackson D. Gilleland

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Background: Tactical breathing is commonly used in law enforcement training to regulate stress, yet limited evidence exists regarding its acute effectiveness following physical fatigue. Purpose: To examine whether a brief tactical breathing intervention improves shooting performance and heart rate variability (HRV) following anaerobic fatigue in law enforcement officers. Methods: Thirty-eight officers completed baseline HR/HRV and a shoot/no-shoot scenario, followed by a maximal 500-m row and post-fatigue shooting. Participants were assigned to either a control group or a tactical breathing group, which received brief instruction and coaching before post-testing. Results: No significant between-group differences were observed for A-zone accuracy, shot time, …

Ai-Driven Penetration Testing For Arm Systems: A Comprehensive Framework With Experimental Validation, Matthew Ragsdale

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The convergence of artificial intelligence and cybersecurity presents new opportunities for automated penetration testing capable of discovering, prioritizing, and remediating vulnerabilities at machine speed. However, deployment on resource-constrained ARM platforms remains unexplored despite ARM’s dominance in mobile, IoT, and edge computing with over 280 billion chips deployed globally. This thesis presents systematic experimental evaluation of AI-driven penetration testing across four paradigms—traditional machine learning, deep learning, large language models, and reinforcement learning—on three ARM platform tiers: Raspberry Pi 5 (8GB, Cortex-A76), Radxa ROCK 5B Plus (16GB LPDDR5 with NPU), and NVIDIA Jetson Nano (4GB with Maxwell GPU). The experimental framework generates …

Assessing Climate-Driven Shifts In Floral Resource Availability For Bees On Barrier Islands In The Southeastern U.S., Hannah Brown

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Climate change can alter the timing of bee and angiosperm phenology, potentially reshaping the seasonal availability of floral resources for bee species. Although plant-pollinator phenology has been widely studied in temperate systems, less is known about these dynamics in subtropical coastal ecosystems, such as barrier islands in the southeastern United States. In this study, we examined climate-driven changes in bee activity and floral resource availability across 16 barrier-island sites spanning from Florida to Virginia. Using museum bee occurrence records, herbarium-derived flowering phenology models, site-specific floristic inventories, and published bee-plant interaction data, we estimated species-specific bee activity periods and daily floral …

Exploring The Impact Of Adverse Childhood Experiences On Preventive Healthcare Utilization In Rural Georgia, Ryan R. Traylor

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This study examines the relationship between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and preventive healthcare use among adults in Georgia, specifically within rural populations facing structural barriers. Using 2023 Georgia Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data, the research analyzes associations between ACE exposure, rural residence, and preventive care outcomes, including physical exams and flu vaccinations. Guided by an intersectionally adapted version of Andersen’s Behavioral Model of Health Services Use, the study evaluates how predisposing factors, enabling resources, and perceived barriers relate to healthcare engagement. Logistic regression analyses assess the correlation of ACE exposure, cost barriers, provider access, and sociodemographics with preventive …

Swimming In Uncertainty: Filling Data Gaps And Providing An Educational Platform For Beach Water Quality At Tybee Island, Georgia, Lukas Roberson

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

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Swimming in beaches water contaminated with high levels of bacteria can make you sick. Current monitoring at the public beaches on Tybee Island consists of weekly monitoring and enumeration of fecal indicator bacteria that takes 24 hours for results. If the number of bacteria exceed regulatory limits, a public health advisory is issued, and affected waters are retested until …

Emotion Regulation: The Effectiveness Of Reappraisal And Potential Benefit Of Music, Ezra J. Greidinger

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Literature has supported potential benefits to cognitive reappraisal as a method of emotion regulation, as well as intentional music usage as an enhancer of these effects. It has been suggested that instruction be provided to individuals to use these methods, especially in highly stressed populations (Sakka et al., 2018). However, there has not been an experimental study to follow up on these claims. When instruction is provided, is cognitive reappraisal more effective than naturally developed habits in regulating anxiety, and would music enhance these effects? College students (N = 170) were randomly assigned to three treatment conditions: control, cognitive reappraisal, …

Examining Firefighter Perceptions Of Stress And Recovery Across A Shift And Engagement In Recovery Activities, Nathan T. Ebersole

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The occupational demands of firefighting, such as fire suppression and rescue tasks, working in hazardous conditions, inconsistent sleep patterns, and exposure to traumatic events, can lead to work-related injuries, burnout, and feelings of isolation. To date, there is limited research on the impact of a single work-shift on firefighter perceptions of stress and recovery and the recovery activities that may influence these perceptions. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a single work-shift on firefighter perceptions of stress and recovery status as well as the recovery activities firefighters choose to engage in. Forty-three firefighters across …

When The Gorenstein Projective Modules Are Precovering: A Survey On The Existence Of The Gorenstein Projective Precovers, Alexis L. Mcburney

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This thesis surveys known results on the existence of Gorenstein projective precovers and studies conditions under which the class of Gorenstein projective modules is precovering. In classical homological algebra, projective resolutions are used to study modules, while relative homological algebra replaces projective modules with a different class that must be precovering for resolutions to exist. Gorenstein homological algebra extends these ideas using Gorenstein projective modules. We review key developments by Jorgensen, Murfet and Salarian, Estrada, Iacob, and Yeomans, and Cortés and Saroch. We discuss the strongest known existence result, showing that Gorenstein projective precovers exist under suitable conditions; in particular, …

The Influence Of Localized Water Quality On Eastern Oysters (Crassostrea Virginica) And Their Internal Microbiome Under Changing Environmental Conditions, Jessie Rivera Lafreniere

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Oysters are found ubiquitously in estuaries along the Georgia coast, where marsh morphology and large daily tidal fluctuations create dynamic and stressful conditions to which oysters may be locally adapted. Based on water quality data from the Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve, it is evident that changing climatic conditions are rapidly causing shifts in water quality that may be adversely affecting oyster health, especially as ocean acidification alters the carbonate buffering capacity, increasing the amplitude of daily pH variations. Importantly, the rate of change of conditions are not uniform within estuaries, varying on spatial and temporal scales. The symbiotic …

Security-Oriented Voice Authentication Using Machine Learning, Ifeoluwa Stella Elegbe

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This study develops and evaluates a machine learning and deep learning-based voice authentication system for secure identity verification. As traditional authentication methods such as passwords, PINs, and security tokens continue to face challenges, including identity theft, forgetting, and unauthorized access, voice biometrics offers a more secure, convenient, and user-friendly alternative, especially for remote, hands-free, and accessibility-focused applications. The study adopts a closed-set speaker identification framework, where the system determines the most likely speaker from a predefined group of enrolled users. A structured methodology is implemented, beginning with audio preprocessing and feature extraction. Key acoustic features, including Mel-Frequency Cepstral Coefficients (MFCCs), …

The Battle Of Eden Station: Locating The Linchpin In Sherman’S Savannah Campaign, Roberto J. Jorge Jr

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

In December 1864, General William T. Sherman’s Union army approached Savannah, Georgia, towards the end of his “March to the Sea.” The Fifteenth Army Corps, part of Sherman’s Right Wing and commanded by General P. J. Osterhaus, crossed the Ogeechee River at Jencks and Wright’s Bridges, and advanced towards Station No.2 on the Central of Georgia Railway and the crossroads at Eden Station, located in Effingham County, Georgia. Three companies of the Tenth Battalion, North Carolina Heavy Artillery contested the crossing, falling back to multiple defensive positions before escaping by train in an effort to delay Sherman’s inevitable advance on …

Another Day's Journey: Birthing Brilliance Through Culturally Relevant/Responsive/Sustaining Pedagogies, Letitice Johnson

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation examines the implementation of culturally relevant/responsive/sustaining mathematics using hip-hop pedagogy with special education students. The theoretical frameworks for this include with Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (Ladson-Billings, 1995), Culturally Responsive Teaching (Gay, 2018), and Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy (Paris & Alim, 2014). Utilizing an autobiographical case study methodology, I examined the use of culturally relevant math tasks and hip-hop pedagogy with 3^rd grade students with disabilities. From this study, the following findings emerged: (1). Learning environments characterized by hope, empathy, and critical agency can be cultivated through the use of community resources and structured classroom norms that promote support, collaboration, …

Effects Of A Context-Based Intervention On Sidelining Teacher Bias Toward Students With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Marisa Kortright

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Students with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) often display behaviors such as inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity that may be perceived as disruptive in classroom settings. These behaviors can influence teachers’ responses and disciplinary decisions, which may be shaped by stereotypes or biases associated with ADHD diagnoses. This study examined whether a context-based intervention could reduce bias in teachers’ disciplinary decisions. Participants were 112 current or former elementary school teachers living in the United States who were recruited through the online recruitment platform Cloud Research. Using an experimental design, participants were randomly assigned to a neutral or empathetic intervention condition and evaluated student …

Mirroring Memory: Material, Reflection, And Becoming, Nila Mojaveri

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

ABSTRACT

This thesis explores how memory shapes identity through material, reflection, and tactile processes. Drawing from my personal experience of migration from Iran and the emotional distance from home, the work examines memory as a shifting, layered, and embodied phenomenon rather than a fixed narrative. Through the use of mirror, clay, fabric, and paint, I investigate how materials can hold, reflect, and transform lived experience. Each material carries specific meaning: mirrors introduce fragmentation and reflection, clay records touch and grounding, fabric evokes softness and domestic memory, and paint creates atmosphere through layering and tone. Together, these materials form a visual …

A Community Affair: An Exploration Of The Queer Community, Nightlife, Performance Art And Their Adjacent Qualities, Tatiana M. Castro

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This thesis explores the importance and roll of community in queer artwork, such as drag and burlesque and retroactively also all the work that I create. This paper aims to express this importance by exploring my personal relationship with building community. By interviewing performers selected through a customized-for-savannah voting process, I allowed the community to directly influence my thesis, as well as directly referencing photos of the hands of community members as a continued motif used throughout my work to represent community. This culminated in a two night thesis performance and installation  exhibition that explored performance and how its environment …

Sexual Dimorphism In The Immune Defense Mechanisms Against A Systemic Bacterial Infection In The Cat Flea (Ctenocephalides Felis), Ashley Lynch

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Fleas defend against infection through the activation of both humoral and cellular innate immune responses. Previous research in female cat fleas demonstrated increased immune activity following a systemic bacterial infection. However, comparable data for males and sex-based comparisons are limited. In this study, we investigated differences in innate cellular immune responses between male and female cat fleas following systemic infection with Gram-negative Escherichia coli. Bacterial load was quantified using colony-forming units 24 h post-infection. Immune function was assessed via phagocytic index and capacity. Survival and total circulating hemocyte counts were evaluated across infected, sterile-injected, and untreated groups. Male fleas …

Feasibility Of Quantifying The Dosage Of Zycotherm In Its Modified Asphalt Binders, Susmita Acharjee

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The quantification of low-percentage additives in asphalt binders is challenging due to their minimal concentration and the complex composition of the binder matrix. Zycotherm, a nano-organosilane anti-stripping additive, is typically used in very small dosages (0.05%–0.20%), making its detection and quantification particularly difficult. This study investigated the feasibility of estimating Zycotherm dosage in asphalt binders by examining chemical and rheological and moisture responses. Two asphalt binder grades, PG 64-22 and PG 76-22, were modified with Zycotherm at dosages of 0.05%, 0.10%, 0.15%, and 0.20% by weight of binder, along with corresponding base binders. Laboratory experiments were conducted using Fourier Transform …

Cytonuclear Incompatibilities In Hybrid Systems: Oxidative Phosphorylation Capacity And Nuclear Marker Transmission Ratio Distortion In Hybrids Of An Introgressed Strain Of Parasitoid Wasp, Julie Kessler

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Speciation is an evolutionary process resulting in the divergence of populations into reproductively isolated species, a key concept that supplies our planet with an abundance of biodiversity. Mechanisms for speciation center on obstacles to fertilization and include post-zygotic barriers, such as intrinsic deleterious interactions, that arise in hybrid systems where genetic variants are combined. Genes from separate parent lineages are often incompatible due to the co-evolution of paired genes within a singular species not matching their complement genes in another species, and the result is a reduction in fitness of the hybrid when these genes come together. The mitochondrial OXPHOS …

Flexible Membrane Electrodes For Use In High-Capacity Lithium-Ion Batteries, David A. Denemark

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Wearable electronic devices require high-capacity flexible batteries to improve user comfort and increase usage time per charge. In this thesis, flexible lithium-ion battery (LIB) electrodes are prepared using a novel and scalable phase inversion method, embedding one-dimensional SnO₂ nanowires and double-walled carbon nanotubes within a porous polyacrylonitrile asymmetric membrane. The optimized electrode delivered an initial specific discharge capacity of 915.93 mAh g⁻¹, approximately 2.5 times greater than conventional graphite anodes, with 61.99% capacity retention after 45 cycles. The incorporation of a carbon mesh substrate further enhanced both electrochemical and mechanical performance, achieving 89.46% capacity retention after 45 cycles and a …