Digital Commons Network^™

Wildlife Factors And Zoonotic Spillover In Sub-Saharan Africa, Bernard Mgba

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Zoonotic spillover, the transmission of infectious pathogens from animals to humans, is a critical public health concern in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study examines the role of wildlife factors in zoonotic spillover within this region, highlighting the complex interplay between human-wildlife interactions, environmental changes, and emerging zoonotic diseases. The research underscores that Sub-Saharan Africa is particularly vulnerable due to its rich biodiversity, cultural practices involving wildlife, and socioeconomic challenges. Factors such as habitat encroachment, wildlife consumption, and inadequate health infrastructure contribute to the heightened risk of zoonotic spillover. The study employs an online survey followed with a contextual analysis, and socioeconomic …

Special Education Teachers' Perspective On Burnout When Legal Counsel Is Part Of The Iep Team: A Phenomenological Study, Erin M. Squibb

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand teacher perceptions of special education teacher burnout rates when legal counsel or parent advocates are Individualized Education Program (IEP) team members in public schools in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia. The two theories guiding this study are the social cognitive theory and the job demands-resources model. Special education teachers are leaving the field at an alarming rate. It is essential to understand burnout specifically related to special education teachers. This study determined how fourteen special educators with varying years of teaching experience described their experience when an advocate or legal counsel was …

The Role Of Customers In Strategic Information Technology (It) Initiatives, Siddharth Aggarwal

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study focused on a small organization in the United States of America. The organization has IT departments that cater to the IT needs of its internal and external customers through IT products and services. Such organizations run full life cycles of product management and product development and often face off with situations to prioritize the use of their limited resources. Ideally, organizations focus on strategic IT initiatives that might be in the company's and its customers' best interest. However, instances occur when IT-driven initiatives lose that focus and might end up diverting resources toward the latest shiny technology and …

Air Supremacy, The Enabler Of Close Air Support Operations – An Evaluation Of Past, Present, And Future Air Campaigns., Owen Topolnicki

Senior Honors Theses

The achievement of gaining aerial supremacy, or lack thereof, is the hinge upon which Close Air Support (CAS) swings. The attainment of it enables CAS specialist aircraft, not unlike the Ju-87 Stuka or A-10 Thunderbolt II, to be exceptionally effective in their operating environment. While the lack of it, forces aircrews to pioneer new solutions either in the form of multi-role aircraft (capable of self-defense), or other innovative solutions similar to unmanned aerial systems (UAS’s), as aptly seen in the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian conflict. Thus, the ability of an air force to gain air supremacy and to do so quickly, …

A Mixed Methods Study Of Undergraduate Psychology Students At An Evangelical University: The Integration Of Psychology And Christianity, Claire Voshell

Senior Honors Theses

The integration of psychology and spirituality has gained attention in both religious and secular communities over the last decade, and there has been an increased emphasis on Christian integration in the last few years. Current literature is primarily focused on frameworks and theories for integration. This thesis examines the existing literature on current methods of teaching integration and its applications within social work, church ministry, counseling, and education. By completing the Psychology-Faith Integration scale and a brief semi-structured interview, participants detailed how they understood and experienced the integration of psychology and Christianity throughout their undergraduate psychology programs. Scores on the …

Beyond Color: Design Approaches For Conveying Mood And Music Genre In Album Covers For Color Blind Accessibility, Victoria Erdmann

Senior Honors Theses

In the music industry, album cover design serves as a pivotal visual medium that not only acts as a marketing tool but can also shape a listener’s perception of the music. Designing album covers that are accessible to color blind individuals presents a unique challenge in an industry where color plays a significant role in design choices. This thesis examines how color vision deficiency impacts the perception of album art and defines four approaches that designers can take to ensure inclusive visual communication. By analyzing how contrast, typography, texture, and imagery can effectively convey genre and mood, designers can create …

Limitation For Liberty: A Commentary On Federalism And The Tenth Amendment, Riley Banker

Senior Honors Theses

The concept of Federalism is essential to the very survival of the United States. However, recent decisions by the Supreme Court have illustrated attempts by the federal government to expand its authority and undermine the balance of power created by Federalism. This thesis will explore the concept of Federalism to demonstrate how it can best be protected. First, this thesis will address the origins of Federalism. Second, it will show how the principles of Federalism are manifested within the founding documents of the United States. Finally, this thesis will analyze current events including Supreme Court cases to demonstrate a concerning …

Liberty To The Captive: The Two Definitions Of Equality In The Abolitionist Movement, Justin Searls

Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History

The matter of the debate on equality’s definition between black Christian ministers and white Christian ministers is an understudied topic of discourse that merits attention in the historical profession. In recent years, there has been discussion surrounding the general racial divide within abolitionism. However, the religious perspective on this matter has received little to no attention. How did black ministers and white ministers address the question of emancipation and enfranchisement for African Americans in the abolitionist movement from the 1830s through the Civil War and beyond? There is a significant disparity in the discussion of equal rights for African Americans …

An Analysis Of The Second Battle Of Fort Fisher, Tanner Port

Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History

In the closing stages of the American Civil War, the Union seizure of Fort Fisher (guarding Wilmington, North Carolina) in January 1865 was a key operation sealing the defeat of the Confederacy. The operation is worthy of study by modern military officers, as it was a prime example of the coordination of land and naval forces in an amphibious operation.

Cutting Ties With The South: Maryland’S Constitution And The Demise Of The Slave Economy, 1864, Alex Fancher

Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History

In the years immediately preceding the Civil War, the state of Maryland appeared to be doing away with slavery at a slow but steady pace. However, an examination of the data at the county level shows a significantly larger population of slaves in the southern and eastern parts of Maryland. While this is well-known, the number of slaves in the top five tobacco producing counties (what I call the Big Five) fluctuated slightly in the years leading up to the war. Four of the Big Five counties remained the same or increased slave totals. Only one, Anne Arundel, saw its …

Christianity In Civil War Pow Camps: Union And Confederate Differences, Christina Banker

Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History

Throughout the Civil War, separated from home churches, Christianity came to most soldiers from chaplains serving on the battlefields alongside them. However, as the war waged, men on both sides became prisoners in need of spiritual care beyond the battlefield. With the establishment of Prisoners of War (POW) camps, the spiritual needs and availability of Christianity to prisoners became a vital component to the survival of the prisoners. Thus, to fully understand the treatment of the POWs, it is necessary to analyze the treatment of Christianity and chaplains within POW camps. Such analysis reveals surprising similarities and drastic differences in …

Social Distortion In Prison Life: Life On The Inside For Civil War Prisoners Of War, Marybeth Allison

Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History

Understanding the day-to-day life of prisoners of war is crucial to understanding their experience. This study focuses on the experience of Union POWs as they struggled with extreme levels of physical deprivation, psychological abuse, and brutal treatment at the hands of guards and, in some cases, fellow prisoners. They often coped through engagement in everyday activities such as letter-writing, Bible-reading, playing sports, and other means.In the process, these survivors formed a strong bond that enabled them to endure these difficult conditions.

Silence Is Golden: Publicly-Traded Corporations Should Not Speak Out On Social Or Political Issues, Alyssa Zern

Senior Honors Theses

In a social and political landscape that is becoming quite divided, the role of publicly traded corporations in this landscape is up for much debate. On one end, speaking out can improve a corporation’s overall brand image, help relate to socially conscious customers, and help maintain customer loyalty. On the other end, however, it creates significant risks. Speaking out can alienate stakeholders, create damaging backlash, and generate detrimental financial repercussions. This significant paradox asks an important question that must be answered by each company at some point: Should corporations remain neutral on contentious issues to perhaps protect their business interests, …

From Academic To Everyday: Utilizing Social-Emotional Learning In The Secondary English Classroom, Claire Collins

Senior Honors Theses

Social-emotional learning is an educational process that allows students to better understand themselves, their relationships, and their problems. While social-emotional learning is often emphasized at the elementary level, the concept continues to be important in secondary grade levels, and teachers have many opportunities to incorporate social-emotional learning within secondary English classrooms. Teachers can utilize diverse literature choices to intertwine life skills with instruction, as well as classroom activities. This integration starts at the planning level and moves into daily instruction, where there are numerous ways to engage students in meaningful discussion, promote reflection, and practice empathy and perspective. English educators …

The Sacred Duty Of The Christian Storyteller: The Rediscovery Of Divine Creative Heritage And Its Function In The Public Square, Trinity Wood

Senior Honors Theses

This thesis assesses the specific value of the storytelling medium and evaluates how one’s artistic duty coexists with their spiritual responsibility as a Bible-believing Christian. Storytelling has a proven power to evoke change within society and within the hearts of its members, and creativity is an innate characteristic we share with the original Divine Creator. Creativity is our birthright and our inheritance from God the Father, as beings made in His Image. The secular entertainment industry often appears as foreign enemy territory to the Christian creative – in most recent years, faith-based content has garnered a poor reputation for itself …

Empathy From Artificial Intelligence Therapists And Human Therapists, Ruth Zeller

Senior Honors Theses

In response to the constantly evolving daily pressures in society, various forms of Artificial Intelligence (AI) are currently in the developmental stages. These AI systems are specifically designed to cater to the emerging needs for mental health services. This is a burgeoning area of research and development. Studies examining AI therapy have found that client use of these services has successfully promoted healthy lifestyles. However, caution should be exercised when considering AI as a therapist, as human-chatbot relationships may lack essential components present in human relationships. Empathy, a crucial aspect of therapy, is a key focus of the present study. …

English Literacy Rates Across The United States, Hailey Reisinger

Masters Theses

Literacy rates among students in the United States have been at an all-time low for the last several years. There have been many factors to this including but not limited to, the COVID-19 pandemic, technology, teacher shortages, and chronic absenteeism. This study looks into the literacy rate decline, the mentioned factors, and what is being done to improve the literacy proficiency among students across the country. This study also looks at what is specifically being done for school divisions across the Commonwealth of Virginia, focusing on one school in particular, Culpeper Middle School.

An Evaluation Of Public Perceptions Regarding Strain And Workplace Violence, Benjamin Newman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Verbal abuse, physical injury, and property damage have become pervasive in employment sectors. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) declared workplace violence as a national health and safety issue. Statistics indicated workplace violence as the third-leading cause of fatal occupational injury in the United States. While previous research has focused on case studies, policies, and awareness, limited data has been published regarding public attitudes related to workplace violence. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand public attitudes related to strain and its involvement in workplace violence. Participants between the ages of 18 and 65, who are currently …

Investigating The Effects Of Social And Emotional Learning On Career And Technical Education Students' Career Readiness Certification, Helen K. Linkous

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative predictive-correlational study was to determine if social-emotional learning (SEL) impacts career and technical education (CTE) students’ career readiness certification. This study was guided by Albert Bandura’s social learning theory which has been applied to social emotional learning to help individuals develop the skills necessary to navigate social interactions effectively. It is important to understand the correlation between SEL and career readiness since it affects students’ graduation, employability, and the potential for high-skilled, high-waged careers. The 152 participants for the study were drawn from a convenience sample of high school students who completed a CTE program …

Rejuvenating Ministry Engagement: Developing Small Spiritual Formation Groups For Young People At Salem Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Speker Antoine

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This doctoral research project addresses the need for enhanced youth engagement within the Salem Seventh-day Adventist Church. The study aims to identify and implement strategies to foster participation and commitment among youth members. Key goals include assessing current engagement levels, identifying barriers to participation, exploring preferred formats for involvement, and evaluating church leadership's role in youth engagement.

A multi-method approach was used, combining quantitative and qualitative research methods. Data collection involved a Likert Questionnaire to gauge youth engagement levels, pilot testing to refine the questionnaire, and focus group discussions for in-depth insights. Quantitative data identified trends and patterns, while thematic …

Employee Retention In Elderly Care: The Impact Of Coworkers On Newly Hired Caregivers, Lewis Mccoy

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Retention of newly hired staff is a critical issue for organizations, specifically those in the long-term care profession. Post-pandemic staffing shortages in this sector of the healthcare continuum have significantly increased the importance of retaining new employees. Previous research on socialization tactics on turnover intentions has demonstrated the importance of employee relationships within the workplace but has failed to address the critical onboarding phase of a newly hired employee. In this qualitative phenomenological research study, the impact of peer socialization during the first 90-days of employment on caregiver turnover intention within the long-term care profession is examined. Research questions are …

The Relationship Between Moral Courage And Professional Confidence And Academic Achievement Among Precertification Radiologic Sciences Students In The United States: A Cross-Sectional Quantitative Study, Kristin M. Beinschroth

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Moral courage and professional confidence are traits that benefit healthcare professionals and students in practice but have yet to be explored in the radiologic science population. This study aimed to discern if relationships exist among moral courage, professional confidence, and academic achievement factors in pre-certification radiologic sciences students in the United States. This cross-sectional, nonexperimental quantitative study employed correlation and regression analyses using abridged versions of the Nurses’ Moral Courage Scale (NMCS) (Numminen et al., 2019) and the Confidence in Managing Challenging Situations Scale (CMCS) (Walsh et al., 2021). Participants exhibited high moral courage and high professional confidence, and both …

Cultural Competence And Cultural Humility Among Healthcare Students Related To Community Engagement And Service Learning: A Multiple Regression And Confirmatory Factor Analysis Study, Maryanne Koech Gathambo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative, hierarchical multiple regression and confirmatory factor analysis study was to investigate the cultural humility and cultural competence (competemility) of healthcare students and examine the strongest predictor of cultural competemility based on demographic and experiential learning factors. Hierarchical multiple regression was used to investigate the degree to which the predictor variables age, gender, and community engagement/service hours (i.e., CEL/SL) could be forecasted by their competemility score (criterion variable) as measured by The Inventory for Assessing The Process Of Cultural Competemility Among Healthcare Professionals (IAPCC-HCP). Data were obtained from a criterion-based purposive sample of 70 survey participants …

An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Of Emotional Preparedness Of U.S. Transitioning Servicemembers: Differences In Military Officers And Enlisted Personnel, Jasmine L. Hayes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This interpretive phenomenology analysis study examines the specific emotions of 10 U.S. transitioning veterans (5 enlisted personnel and 5 military officers) during the transitioning process. 9 out of the 10 participants stated that they had anxiety about transitioning out of the military. A common theme among military officers and enlisted personnel is that they were all anxious about healthcare after transitioning from the military. In contrast, a common theme among military officers that was not a theme among enlisted personnel was the anxiousness of feeling like they were leaving the military and not completing what they started. A common theme …

Early Childhood Educators' Training And Support For Addressing Challenging Behaviors Of Students: A Phenomenological Study, Sonia Monica Sumner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the training and support early childhood educators receive when addressing challenging behaviors. The theory guiding this study is Mezirow’s transformative learning theory. Many early childhood educators response to repeated challenging behaviors is to suspend or expel. This can be an ineffective strategy with many negative developmental trajectories for the future. This study explored the central research question: How do early childhood educators address repeated challenging behaviors from their students? The participants were early childhood educators from the state of North Carolina and were recruited using snowball and purposeful sampling. Data …

Examining The Predictive Relationship Of Perceived Preparedness And Career Stage On The Emotional Exhaustion Of Interrelated Resource Special Education Teachers: A Quantitative Study, Navia Doris Penrod

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative, predictive correlational study aimed to investigate the extent to which emotional exhaustion can be predicted by the perceived preparedness and career stage of interrelated resource (IRR) special education teachers serving students with disabilities. This study is important, as understanding the correlation between preparedness, career stage, and emotional exhaustion offers the opportunity to understand better other issues within the field, such as teacher burnout, turnover, and shortage. Literature relevant to the topic was reviewed, including special education legislature, special education settings, teacher burnout and emotional exhaustion, teacher preparedness, and career stage. The expectancy theory of motivation, originating from Victor …

Organizational Citizenship & Counterproductive Workplace Behaviors: Personal Trauma & Workplace Conduct, Patricia Giaccone

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The influence of a survivor-advocates personal trauma history on their work and ability to cope with its challenges are inadequately understood. This research project aimed to distinguish if there was a significant difference in engagement between survivor-advocates and nonsurvivor-advocates in organizational citizenship behaviors or counterproductive workplace behaviors. Furthermore, this study looked at organizational employment tenure as a factor affecting such engagement. The data for this quantitative research project was collected from a nationwide pool of respondents who worked directly with victims of domestic violence in the United States resulting in a total of 54 participants completing the anonymous survey. Exploring …

A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study Of A Blended Learning Community Designed To Encourage Biblical Literacy, Discipleship, And Formation Of A Biblical Worldview In Members Of A Local Church, Denise O. Johnson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand biblical worldview development of church members at Community Church. The theory guiding this study was Garrison et al’s (2010) Community of Inquiry (CoI). The central research question for this study was: Using a blended online learning approach based on instructional design and technology principles founded in Community of Inquiry CoI theory, how was the development of a biblical worldview influenced by discipleship in a local assembly to increase biblical literacy and community engagement? The study focused on perceptions from 12–-15 members of a small local church in the southern United …

Nonverbal Cues In Real-World, High-Stakes Deception, Nancy L. Carr

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Decades of low-stakes deception research, in which participants lied without risk of severe personal, professional, or legal consequences, produced few reliable deception cues. As a result, deception detection methods based on low-stakes findings generated limited accuracy. More research was needed to identify reliable deception cues performed in real world scenarios. To address the problem, this within-subjects mixed methods study coded videos of public figures’ nonverbal (NV) cues during real-world high-stakes (RWHS) baseline, deception, and confession (BDC); tested each cue for significance; and identified demeanor (descriptively and quantitatively) for each condition. The qualitative study described how each subject’s behavior changed between …

Motivational Or Disheartening?: A Phenomenological Study On Black Doctoral-Level Support At Predominantly White Institutions, Morgan Harbison

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study is to describe the lived experiences of Black students majoring in the mental health field and the perceived influences that challenges have on degree completion at predominantly White institutions (PWIs) in Central Virginia. The theories guiding this study are Tinto’s theory on student departure in higher education and Astin’s theory on student involvement as they relate to White stakeholders supporting Black students at the doctoral level. The following central research question guides the study: What are the lived experiences of Black doctoral students majoring in the mental health field at PWI? A transcendental …