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Investigating The Role Of Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine For Cancer Symptom Management In Older Adults: A Rapid Review, Isabelle C. Karshner

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Background: Patients with cancer often experience symptoms related to disease, complications, and treatment. One potential method of alleviating these symptoms is traditional Chinese herbal medications (TCHM). This rapid review explores the role of traditional Chinese herbal medications in treating cancer-related symptoms in older adults.

Purpose: The purpose of this rapid review is to gain and provide a better understanding of the effects of TCHM on cancer-symptom management in the older adult population. This review explores the association between TCHM and effects on cancer symptoms in older adults, including interactions, toxicity, and signs/symptoms of TCHM use that may be useful information …

From Designation To Implementation: A Qualitative Study Of Support Structures For Latinx Students At A Hispanic-Serving Institution, Steven A. Freeman

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

This study addresses the persistent misalignment between the enrollment-based designation of Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) and the extent to which these institutions implement intentional practices that support Latinx student success. As HSIs continue to grow nationally, it is critical to examine whether institutional efforts move beyond symbolic designation toward meaningful “servingness,” particularly given the increasing reliance on these institutions to advance social mobility and educational attainment for Latinx students. The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore the support structures an HSI provides to promote Latinx student success and to examine Latinx students’ perceptions of the effectiveness of these supports. …

Evaluating The Brain-Muscle Connectivity Of Cyclic Ankle Pedaling Movement In A Clinical Setting, Matthew K. Shanosky

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Clinical neurorehabilitation requires objective biomarkers to accurately detect and monitor neuromotor impairments. While traditional metrics are favored for their efficiency and minimal equipment demands, they typically rely on subjective observation and lack physiological resolution. High-resolution electrophysiological technologies, such as electroencephalography (EEG) and electromyography (EMG), offer objective insights into nervous system dynamics; however, prolonged data acquisition times have hindered their translation into frontline clinics. To bridge this translational gap, this study developed a time-efficient experimental paradigm designed for rapid clinical deployment. Healthy participants completed two initial resting baseline trials before performing an externally paced, dynamic, cyclic ankle movement task utilizing simulation …

Revisiting The Foundation Of Strategic Core Theory: Informal Roles And Teamwork Roles In Work Team Centrality, Allen Thomas Shorey

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Strategic core theory makes a distinction between roles within a team that are central to the team’s workflow (i.e., core roles) and those that are not central (i.e., non-core roles) (Humphrey et al., 2009). This line of work has shown that attributes, such as job-related skill of core team members, were more predictive of team performance than those of non-core members. However, this line of work has primarily examined core and non-core roles as defined by formal taskwork roles. In this thesis, I examine patient care teams and management simulation teams with the principal conviction that (a) informal roles and …

The Lifecycle Of The Educator: Bridging Fragmented Pathways Across Writing Center And Composition Pedagogy, Emma S. Weis

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Graduate students are frequently positioned as instructors of record in foundational writing courses, yet preparation for these roles is often distributed across institutional sites, including writing centers, pedagogy courses, and mentorship opportunities. This thesis examines educator development across successive institutional roles, tracing how instructional responsibility is encountered and negotiated within writing center and composition studies. Through autoethnographic tracing, this research considers how progression is experienced in practice, with attention to the influence of institutional design on the movement between stages.

Paired with this narrative approach, a rhetorical analysis of institutional artifacts draws upon experiences at Stetson University and the University …

Myth To Mindset: Comparing Perceptions Of Feminine Leadership In Hinduism And Christianity, Maya Arangath

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2026

This research project investigates the intersection of religion and feminine leadership by comparing barriers in Hinduism and Christianity found in their sacred texts. The purpose of the study is to identify if the customs followed in each tradition affects women in positions of authority in modern day. To uncover that, this project will use a two-part mixed methods approach. First, a primary source comparative analysis will be completed, followed by an in-depth interview focusing on the living theology. A key takeaway from the study so far is the nuanced ways each religion shows feminism. The study suggests that feminism is …

Constrained Freedom: Economic Strain, Time Control, And Perceived Autonomy In Life, Lorena E. Black

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2026

Autonomy is often framed as an individual capacity rooted in personal choice, discipline, and self-determination, with dominant cultural narratives positioning freedom as something earned through effort and responsibility. This study challenges that assumption by examining autonomy as a socially structured and unequally distributed condition shaped by material and temporal constraints. Drawing on classical and contemporary sociological frameworks—including Marx’s analysis of labor and material dependence, Weber’s account of disciplined rationality, and Antonio Gramsci’s concept of cultural hegemony—this research positions perceived autonomy as an outcome produced through economic and institutional arrangements rather than solely through individual will. While existing literature has extensively …

Helping The Whole Heart, Aashna A. Shah

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2026

My service-learning project, “Helping the Whole Heart,” focuses on my second semester volunteering with Shepherd’s Hope, a nonprofit organization that provides free healthcare to uninsured and underinsured adults in Central Florida. The purpose of my project was to support the clinic while learning more about healthcare access, service, and community responsibility. During my shifts, I helped greet patients, check them in, prepare charts, organize paperwork, and assist the clinic team wherever I was needed. Through this experience, I learned that healthcare is about more than just medical treatment. It is also about patience, communication, compassion, and making patients feel respected. …

Women In Industrial Engineering Leadership And Barriers To Advancement, Fiorella Barney

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2026

This research investigates how organizational and cultural barriers influence the advancement of women into leadership positions within industrial engineering. Despite being one of the more gender-balanced engineering disciplines at the entry level, industrial engineering remains largely male-dominated in leadership, and this project set out to understand why that gap persists and what sustains it.

To explore this question, I conducted a review of seven peer-reviewed sources organized around five themes: the scope of underrepresentation, organizational barriers, gendered workplace culture, early career pipeline effects, and attrition. I then conducted a qualitative, semi-structured interview with a woman who began her career as …

How Do The Interrogation Strategies Of Women Detectives Differ In Style And Efficacy From Their Male Counterparts?, Sarah M. Quinones

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2026

This research proposal seeks to examine recorded interrogation footage and in-depth interviews of professional interrogators to analyze how their interrogation styles and efficacies differ between men and women. There is an imminent need for a reformed, standardized, and research-backed interrogation system to improve the efficacy and discriminatory habits of the justice system. The proposed hypotheses include:

• Transformational interrogation styles yield more cooperative and informative responses than transactional interrogation styles. 

• Because women’s interrogation styles more often align with transformational leadership patterns, their interrogations exhibit higher efficacies.

These hypotheses were drawn following an extensive literature review of the current academic contributions, both …

Factors Related To Deviant Behavior, Chiara S. Popp

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Understanding the factors that contribute to deviant behavior across the life span remains an important goal in psychology and criminology. Guided by life course theory, the present study examined whether childhood trauma, social connectedness, perceived childhood socioeconomic status, and key life transitions are associated with deviant behavior in adulthood. The purpose of this research was to better understand how early life experiences and social relationships may shape behavioral outcomes later in life. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted with adult participants in the United States, aged 18 to 55. Participants completed measures assessing adverse childhood experiences, perceived childhood socioeconomic status, …

Honor Of Culture, Gender Socialization And Behavioral Outcomes In College Students, Ana Maria Moreno Henriquez

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Honor of culture is a culturally based concept that involves holding a strong defense for  the dignity and reputation on one’s family and self. This thesis focuses on the relationship between this honor of culture and gender socialization in the behavioral outcomes of college students, who are in a highly important learning phase of discovering their identity and independence from familial values. Participants were University of Central Florida (UCF) students who completed an online Qualtrics survey, which included an Honor of Culture Scale (Rodriguez Mosquera et al., 2016), Gender Role Beliefs Scale (Kerr & Holden, 1996), the Short Dark Triad …

The Adjustment Of Autistic First-Generation Students To Higher Education, Paris J. Cumba

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The purpose of the current study is to investigate how first-generation students on the autism spectrum adjust to higher education compared to their continuing generation and neurotypical peers through the lens of intersectionality. Previous research has studied how first-generation students and autistic students transition into college environments, but little research has explored how these identities intersect and affect college adjustment.

For this study, 189 undergraduate students completed a survey that measured different dimensions of college adjustment, such as academic motivation, self-efficacy, and current life satisfaction. ANOVA tests showed that there was no significant interaction between first-generation status and autism status …

Barriers To Healthcare For Traditionally-Aged Lgbq+ College Students, Parker Long

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Seeking and receiving high-quality healthcare are key components of healthy living. Greater access to high-quality healthcare is associated with higher quality of life (Bunker, 2001). Despite the many benefits of quality healthcare, many people face barriers to accessing quality healthcare, resulting in poorer physical and mental health outcomes (Jatrana & Crampton, 2021). Individuals who identify as LGBQ+ face serious health disparities as a marginalized group. The current research was designed to examine and address these specific barriers to accessing high-quality healthcare among LGBQ+ traditionally-aged college students in order to inform ways to improve access to care. Specifically, this study investigated …

Fear, Uncertainty, And The Chilling Effect: A Case Study Of Organizational Racialized Omission, Annie Jones

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Florida passed House Bill 7 in 2022 and Senate Bill 266 in 2023, both policies that restrict how race and racism are discussed and taught in the public higher education setting. Although scholars of race and racism contend that colorblind ideology drives the “new racism,” the U.S. is experiencing a resurgence in similar curriculum bans explicitly based on topics related to race and racism. With these trends has emerged a need to understand how explicitly racialized policies fit within the “new racism” framework. Using Victor Ray’s Theory of Racialized Organizations, this study analyzes how colorblind ideology and racialized threat are …

Governing Harm: Three Essays On Anti-Lgbtq+ Legislation In The United States, Kathryn Hickey

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

In the United States, over 140 state bills were passed between 2014 and 2024 that directly targeted the lives of LGBTQ+ individuals. Drawing on administrative evil and the minority stress model, this dissertation demonstrates how policy environments that normalize discrimination through the passage of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation can lead to devastating consequences. Using a three-essay format, the first study conducts a qualitative content analysis of state level anti-LGBTQ+ laws passed between 2015 and 2024 to identify how administrative evil is woven into the language of the legislation. The results of this analysis show these laws systematically dehumanize LGBTQ+ individuals, restrict their …

An Investigation Into The Impact Of Open Educational Resources (Oer) On Postsecondary Student Outcomes, Amber Mullens

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Increasing higher education costs are a concern for policymakers and the American public. In 2024-25, undergraduate students paid on average $1,290 for books and supplies (College Board, 2024). These costs have led policymakers and educators to advocate for the use of open educational resources (OER). OER are teaching and learning materials that are in the public domain or licensed under copyright allowing no cost access, reuse, repurpose, adaptation, and redistribution (UNESCO, 2019, p. 5). While research has demonstrated OER use significantly reduces costs for students, less is known about OER's impact on student academic outcomes. Despite significant research on these …

Come And See: Exploring Complex Dynamics And Abjection Through A Southern Gothic Family Portrait, Lenee N. Peterson

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

“COME AND SEE: Exploring Abject Theory Through a Southern Gothic Family Portrait” examines the artist’s complex familial upbringing through the visual and narrative traditions of Southern Gothic art. Drawing upon abject theory and the cultural references of folk horror and Southern Gothicism, this thesis positions the family portrait where intimacy, trauma, and cultural inheritance collide. The project argues that direct confrontation with abjection can foster recognition, shared experience, and the possibility of collective healing. Grounded in practice-based research, this work functions as a critical and creative response to familial strain shaped by scarcity, social oppression, and emotional precarity. Through a …

Examining Attrition In Rtms For Smoking Cessation: The Roles Of Perceived Research Burden And Delay Discounting, Miranda Proctor

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

This secondary analysis examined predictors of attrition in a randomized clinical trial conducted by Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center evaluating repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for cigarette smoking cessation. Smoking cessation reduces cancer risk and mortality and improves mental health outcomes. Although rTMS shows promise for supporting sustained abstinence by targeting neurobiological mechanisms underlying nicotine dependence, participant attrition threatens statistical validity, reduces power, and limits generalizability. Identifying predictors of attrition is therefore critical for optimizing trial design and retention.

Research examining predictors of attrition in smoking cessation trials remains limited. Prior work in other clinical populations suggests that higher perceived …

Modeling Hazard Perception Learning In Novice Drivers With Autism: A Multimodal Simulation-Based Study, Erik J. Sand

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Young drivers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often demonstrate difficulties with road-surveillance behaviors such as scanning ahead, monitoring mirrors, and identifying emerging hazards. These challenges can increase crash risk, particularly for adolescents with limited driving experience. This study explored whether a simple, video-game–based hazard-training program could improve hazard detection performance, visual scanning, and self-regulation in this population. Five participants aged 15–18 years, each identified by a parent as having ASD and possessing either a learner’s permit or no license, completed sequential Baseline, three Treatment, and Withdrawal phases using the SpeedLimit driving simulation. The study employed a single-case experimental design with …

Holistic Review In Graduate Admissions: Admissions Professionals’ Evaluation Of Non-Cognitive Traits, Joshua L. Olson

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

This basic qualitative study examines how graduate admissions professionals conceptualize, operationalize, and interpret holistic review within graduate admissions processes. Guided by Social Cognitive Theory and Expectancy-Value Theory, the study explores how non-cognitive traits such as motivation, resilience, self-efficacy, and professionalism are evaluated alongside traditional academic indicators in admissions decision-making. Using semi-structured interviews with graduate admissions professionals directly involved in admissions decisions, the study identifies how holistic review is defined and implemented across institutional contexts, which non-cognitive traits are most valued, and the tools and procedures used to assess applicant potential beyond academic metrics. Findings suggest that, for participants in this …

Reclaiming The Self: A Visual Narrative Of A Process Of Individuation Through Artistic Practice, Stacie Becker

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Reclaiming the Self: A Visual Narrative of a Process of Individuation Through Artistic Practice features a multidisciplinary practice that uses visual narrative, metaphor, and symbolism to reconcile the complex intersections of internal and external identity-shaping experiences, informed by lived experience as a woman. Working across painting, mixed media, printmaking, book arts, sculpture, and restorative medical tattooing, the artist dissects the tension between internal identity and external expectations, addressing themes of gender roles, relationships, trauma, and agency. Various artistic methods serve not only as a process but also as a parallel for reclaiming, healing, and restoring an authentic, unashamed sense of …

Motivational Interviewing Impact On Provider Burnout, Julie Cook

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

The study of patient–provider communication rarely considers the impact of provider–patient dialogue on providers themselves. This dissertation explores why motivational interviewing (MI) has been shown to reduce burnout among health care providers who use it. Using the empathic communication model (ECM) as a lens, it examines possible explanations for how MI contributes to lower burnout in providers. A mixed‑methods approach was used, consisting of a survey‑based quantitative study and a qualitative study using semi‑structured interviews. The quantitative study surveyed physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. Participants were asked questions assessing their knowledge of MI, the types of empathy they experience …

Code-Switching, Identity-Shifting, And Identity Distress Among Black Undergraduate Women Attending Predominantly White Institutions, Erin Smith

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Code-switching (altering language or speech) and identity-shifting (modifying appearance or behavior) are adaptive strategies often used by individuals from marginalized groups to navigate environments shaped by dominant cultural norms. Although these behaviors are commonly discussed in qualitative literature, relatively few quantitative studies have examined their psychological correlates among Black undergraduate women attending predominantly White institutions (PWIs). These behaviors may function as coping strategies in response to racialized and gendered expectations, yet the psychological implications of these strategies remain understudied. The present study examined the relationships among identity distress, code-switching, identity-shifting, and gendered racial identity centrality within a diverse sample of …

For Whom The Tale’S Told: Multilevel Perspective On Narrative And Identity In Information Ecosystems, Jihye Song

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

In contemporary online information environments, narratives do not merely convey facts. They organize meaning, signal identity, and guide collective sensemaking. During periods of crisis and uncertainty, these processes become especially salient, as individuals and communities turn to social media to interpret unfolding events. At the same time, these environments are shaped by complex sociotechnical dynamics, including platform affordances, algorithmic amplification, elite influence, and grassroots participation. These dynamics form ecosystems in which narratives and identities are constructed, contested, and stabilized. Drawing on theory and empirical analyses of COVID-19 discourse on Twitter, this work develops and applies a multilevel framework to explain …

Examining Relationships Between Pre-Arrival Information, Perceived Preparedness, And Distressing Call Outcomes Among Firefighters, Victoria L. Steigerwald

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Responding to distressing emergency calls increases firefighters’ risk for negative mental health outcomes, including posttraumatic stress disorder, warranting investigation into factors that can be targeted to reduce their risk for call-related distress. The present study examined whether the completeness of pre-arrival information about a distressing call reduced firefighters’ peri- and post-call distress via their perceived preparedness for the call and whether general self-efficacy moderated the relationship between pre-arrival information completeness and perceived preparedness. Data were analyzed from 173 active firefighters in the United States (89.0% male, mean age=37.98 years) who completed an online survey asking them to report on levels …

The Reliability, Validity, And Sensitivity Of Physical Working Capacity At The Pain Intensity Threshold, Danielle A. Sterner

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

The purpose of this dissertation was to evaluate the reliability, validity, and responsiveness to training intervention of a pain-anchored capacity threshold, the Physical Working Capacity at the Pain Intensity Threshold (PWC_PIT), as a practical submaximal marker of endurance-related exercise tolerance. Study one examined the test-retest reliability of pain-based, perceptual, and physiological physical working capacity measures in recreationally active men using a standardized multi-bout cycling protocol, with pain intensity responses demonstrating strong reproducibility and low measurement error, supporting the stability of pain-anchored thresholds when standardized procedures are applied. Study two evaluated the validity of PWC_PIT by examining pain …

Invisible Stress, Visible Patterns: How The Superwoman Schema Shapes Diet And Feeding Practices In Black Mothers And Their Youth During The Summer Versus School Months, Jillian Weathington

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Background: Black mothers are frequently socialized into the Superwoman Schema (SWS), a coping pattern characterized by self-sacrifice and suppression of personal needs. Alongside significant caregiving demands, SWS may limit healthy eating opportunities, yet its relationship with diet quality (DQ) remains understudied. SWS may also intensify during unstructured summer periods. This study examined associations between SWS, perceived stress, and DQ among Black mothers and their youth during summer (T1) and school months (T2).

Methods: This observational within-subjects study included Black mothers (T1: n=51; T2: n=32; mean age 39.6±6.1) and their youth (mean age 10.6±0.3). Assessments occurred at two timepoints six weeks …

Dynamics Of Household Food Insecurity Vulnerability: Examining Health, Functional Limitations, And Income Stability, Renita Washburn

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Household food insecurity is a multidimensional issue affecting millions of households in the United States. While research has established that low income and poor health or functional limitations can increase the risk of food insecurity, current approaches do not fully capture these dynamic processes to identify long-term vulnerability. Specifically, income-based measures rely on static thresholds that miss instability, potentially underestimating risk. Gaps also remain in understanding persistent food insecurity, including how functional limitations (difficulties with activities like bathing, shopping, or managing finances) are associated with insecurity over time. These functional limitations can impact both economic factors (such as the ability …

Resources And Coping Strategies In Adverse Work Situations: A Person-Centered Approach, Chad Yagey

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

The resilience process model highlights an approach to how people mobilize their resources to cope and positively adapt in the face of adversity. Leveraging Conservation of Resources (COR) theory and the Work Home Resources Model (WHRM), I aim to uncover the extent to which resilience capacity (resources) and resilience enactment (coping) influence outcomes of resilience, offering one of the first empirical tests of the resilience process model. Specifically, COR theory posits that the more psychological resources someone has, the more successful they are in coping. I challenge this notion by examining whether specific profiles of the combination of resources available …