Digital Commons Network^™

Take A Break With Matt Shaw, Shannon Shelton Miller

University Libraries Blog Archive

It’s been a busy first year for Matt Shaw, dean of the University of Dayton Libraries. Shortly after he started in July 2024, Shaw helped lead a transition to a new library services platform and a reorganization of instructional models.

Proceedings Of The 2025 Berry Summer Thesis Institute, University Of Dayton. University Honors Program, Dorian Borbonus, Nicholas J. Canfield, Triet M. Cao, Thomas Crossman, Jeffrey Huettemann, Aung Myat Khaung, Chase Kinder, Elizabeth Krahe, Anh Duc Nguyen, Quynh Anh Nguyen, Anna M. Petre, Kayden G. Rothery, Anna M. Schmitz, Rachel Zeller

Proceedings of the Berry Summer Thesis Institute (2013-Present)

Thanks to a gift from the Berry Family Foundation and the Berry family, the University Honors Program launched the Berry Summer Thesis Institute in 2012. The institute introduces students in the University Honors Program to intensive research, scholarship opportunities and professional development. Each student pursues a 12-week summer thesis research project under the guidance of a UD faculty mentor. This contains the product of the students' research.

Interdisciplinary English Language Arts And Tesol Education To Advance Academic Achievement Of Immigrant, Refugee, And Urban Students, Elizabeth G. Krahe

Research from the Berry Summer Thesis Institute, 2025

By 2043, the United States is projected to become an official “plurality” in which the non-Hispanic White alone population will comprise less than 50% of the nation’s total population (Devine and Ortman, 2014). Schools are reflecting this demographic shift as they are more diverse culturally and racially. Yet the teaching population remains predominantly White middle class females. Teachers need to find ways to engage with all of their students to promote excitement in the classroom to joyfully learn. Reading and writing are central to education and are naturally found in all subject areas to be tied to academic achievement.

This …

The German Press's Coverage Of The Bavarian Freikorps, Chase Kinder

Research from the Berry Summer Thesis Institute, 2025

The Freikorps (Free Corps) was a German paramilitary group that primarily consisted of former World War I soldiers who experienced post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and continued their military combat by suppressing communist revolutions in Germany throughout the early Weimar Republic. My research investigates how the German press in Munich covered the Bavarian Freikorps’ swift removal of armed communists and their violence against German civilians during the suppression of the Bavarian Soviet Republic in May 1919. This news coverage influenced how a large portion of German civilians viewed and interacted with German veterans of World War I and the Freikorps after …

In Memoriam: William Roberts, Professor Emeritus Of Theology, Dave Larsen

College of Arts and Sciences Newsroom

Well known for his popular Christian marriage course, professor emeritus of theology William "Bill" Roberts taught at UD for 35 years.

2025 Visiting Scholar Reflection: Jacob Phillips, Jacob Phillips

Marian Fellowships and Other Sponsored Research in the Marian Library

My interest in American Marian piety and theology in the United States began through stumbling upon some online resources over ten years ago when I was doing my Ph.D. For some light relief from my doctoral project, I began spending my spare time reading the work of various American Franciscan theologians, particularly Father Peter Damian Fehlner, O.F.M. Conv. (1931-2018). Mariologies like Fehlner’s were a world apart from my own scholarly formation in English academia and were thus a breath of fresh air, albeit sometimes a little intoxicating as well.

Ud Hosts Mandarin Chinese Summer Camp With $136k Nsa Startalk Grant, Dave Larsen

College of Arts and Sciences Newsroom

Twenty U.S. high school and college students participated in the free residential summer camp, where they cultivated their Chinese language and cultural competencies.

Sense Of Belonging In The Profession And Program Of Study Among Nutrition And Dietetics Students, Jessica Torro, Melissa Masters, Rachel C. Sinley, Jesse Lunsford, Heidi Masching, Miranda Chen Musgrove

Journal of Dietetic Education

Sense of belonging may positively impact student performance, especially in marginalized groups. This study aimed to examine sense of belonging among a diverse group of nutrition and dietetics students. An online survey investigated students’ feelings of belonging, isolation, and connection to the field of nutrition and dietetics and department of study. The survey was distributed through email to the nutrition and dietetics student body in the Department of Nutrition at Metropolitan State University of Denver. Quantitative data were analyzed as count and percentage. Overall sense of belonging scores were calculated as an average on a 5-point scale (1-strongly disagree to …

The Intersection Between Child Marriage And Climate Change: An Example Of Malawi, Musu Bakoto Sawo

Journal of African Policy Studies

Child marriage affects 39,000 girls daily, totaling 650 million women married before age eighteen globally. While driven by poverty, tradition, and limited education, climate change is emerging as a significant new factor, particularly in developing nations such as Malawi, where 42% of girls marry before age eighteen. An estimated 1.5 million girls in Malawi are at risk due to climate-exacerbated food insecurity and displacement. This paper, using feminist theories of intersectionality, postcolonial feminism, and feminist political ecology, examines the complex link between climate change and child marriage in Malawi. It critiques existing international, regional, and domestic policies, highlighting their inadequacy …

African Feminist Theories And The Gendered Dimensions Of Climate Change In Africa, Manase Kudzai Chiweshe

Journal of African Policy Studies

This paper analyzes how African feminist theories can provide nuanced insights into the gendered dimensions of climate change across the continent. African feminist theories provide essential insights into the everyday lived experiences of women within African spaces, allowing for a contextual analysis of the impacts of climate change. There has also been a growing recognition of the need to identify the gender-differentiated impacts of climate change. The main argument is not only that climate change will be experienced by men and women differently but also that the impacts will hurt women more severely. Yet this theorization must employ theoretical lenses …

Ud History: Hispanic & Latino Students, Ava Merriman

University Libraries Blog Archive

Ava Merriman ’25 explores the Hispanic and Latino student experience using early 20th-century yearbooks and campus publications.

Ud History: The First Woman Flyer To Fly, Ava Merriman

University Libraries Blog Archive

Ava Merriman ’25 profiles pilot Susan Martin High ’42.

Father Jim Fitz, S.M., To Semi-Retire; Assist With Transition Of New Vp For Mission And Rector, University Of Dayton

News Releases

The University of Dayton today announced a leadership transition for its vice president for mission and rector position, a role central to upholding the University’s Catholic, Marianist identity.

Evaluating The Impact Of Information Literacy Workshops On Student Success, Amanda Shannon, Aaron Skira, Ying Chen, Matt Shreffler

Roesch Library Faculty Publications

Objective – This study was designed to identify the impact of standalone information literacy tutorials on student success indicators. The study was conducted in two different phases to compare findings across different modalities and to identify whether online, asynchronous delivery of substantively similar content affected outcomes.

Methods – Using institutional records from a mid-sized, Midwestern public university, and attendance and completion data from student participation in asynchronous library workshops, the authors used propensity score matching to construct a control group that mirrored library workshop participants based on like characteristics. Statistical analyses were then conducted comparing the GPA, semester completion, and …

A New Audience For ‘Orpheus’, Maureen Schlangen

University Libraries Blog Archive

A literary magazine published at UD since 1969 is now available in digital form in UD’s institutional repository, eCommons.

Ud History: The Central Women’S Organization, Ava Merriman

University Libraries Blog Archive

Ava Merriman ’25 traces the trajectory of women enrolled on campus and how the coeducational environment took shape.

Moral Courage Project Students Document Atlanta ‘Stop Cop City’ Protests, Lauren Mccarty

College of Arts and Sciences Newsroom

The Moral Courage Project takes UD students into the field to document communities during times of crisis.

Imri Newsletter, June 2025, International Marian Research Institute

IMRI Newsletter

• Welcome from IMRI director
• Congratulations to Pope Leo XIV
• Marian Studies Spotlight: "Weaving Ways of Knowing Mary"
• "All Things Marian" podcast
• Announcement: Journal of the International Marian Research Institute
• Upcoming events
• Recent events
• Alumni news
• Marian Studies at the University of Dayton
• Recent IMRI publications and presentations
• Call for Marian Fellows
• Save the date: IMRI and IPI anniversary celebration

Ud History: Asian American And Pacific Islander Students, Ava Merriman

University Libraries Blog Archive

Ava Merriman ’25 celebrates past students and their achievements.

Curating Passion, Christina Beis

University Libraries Blog Archive

Students lead the development of a one-of-a-kind collection of popular romance novels.

Emphasis On The United Or The States? Entertaining Justice Kavanaugh’S Ross Dissent As A Textualist Reimagination Of Horizontal Federalism Following The Death Of The Dormant Commerce Clause, Aaron N. Kaeser

University of Dayton Law Review

No abstract provided.

Ud In The News May 9-16, University Of Dayton

News Releases

The Associated Press, Fox News, The Conversation and outlets in Spain, Canada and Australia sought faculty expertise. Local media highlighted UD's involvement in the Spring 2025 NATO Parliamentary Assembly and the Imagining Community Symposium.

The Influence Of (Post-) Colonial Language Policies On Local Languages In Cameroon: An Acquisition Planning Perspective, Alain Flaubert Takam

Journal of African Policy Studies

This paper examines language policy and planning in favour of minority languages during the colonial era and immediately after. It is based on the observation that local languages in Cameroon do not seem to have the ethnolinguistic vitality necessary for their long-term survival. The situation of these languages begs the following question: Did the promotion strategies of national languages in colonial Cameroon pave the way for language attrition that is observable today or is it the language policy choice of the political authorities in independent Cameroon that has caused this language issue? This paper, which falls within the general framework …

The Political Economy Of Pension Reforms: An Analysis Of Policy Design And Practice In Ghana, Michael Kpessa-Whyte

Journal of African Policy Studies

There is a gradual move away in African pension policy from the hitherto predominantly pay-as-you-go social insurance schemes to new social security policies that prioritize private pension. But in African economies where capital market is underdeveloped and private sector is generally fragile, the shift to private pensions has implications for income security of the elderly. This study examines the design and practice of three-tier pension scheme with dual private pillars introduced a little over a decade ago. While discussing the various categories of private pension schemes that operate under the three-tier pension plan, it echoes the view that, the design …

Pierce And The American Proposition, William E. Thro

University of Dayton Law Review

No abstract provided.

Pierce V. Society Of Sisters At 100: Reflections On Parental Rights In Transition, Charles J. Russo

University of Dayton Law Review

No abstract provided.

Concerned Philosophers For Peace, Vol. 33 (2025), Concerned Philosophers For Peace

Concerned Philosophers for Peace

In addition to organizational information, honors, and awards, this issue contains the following articles:

• "The Nature, Ethics, and Politics of Uncivil Obedience," by Jennifer Kling
• "Hegemonic Gamblers Playing with Nuclear Fire," by Edward Demenchonok
• "The Truth Will Set Us Free: A Reflection and Response," by Angela Walter
• "On ‘The Post War Dream’: 80 Years Since the Nightmare," by Court Lewis

175th Commencement, Spring

Commencement Programs

Commencement program (graduate and undergraduate exercises) for Spring 2025

Living In Paradise? Cameroonian Women In The American Diaspora, Joseph Takougang

Journal of African Policy Studies

For decades after independence, African migration was a phenomenon that could be attributed to a patriarchal culture that encouraged male domination. Later, that traditional mindset was reinforced by a colonial system that often marginalized the role of women in many African societies. Indeed, because young men were more likely to be educated than their female counterparts under the colonial system, they were advantaged after independence to attend institutions of higher learning abroad when it became necessary to train young Africans to occupy important government and other decision-making positions in the newly independent states. Recently, however, women have become important players, …

Transformation Of Artisanal Small-Scale Mining (Asm) In Ghana: From Pre-Colonial To The Modern Era, Emmanuel Ababio Ofosu-Mensah

Journal of African Policy Studies

Literature abounds on the nature and impact of gold mining activities in Ghana, but limited efforts have so far been directed at exploring a concise historical account of the transformation of artisanal small-scale gold mining in Ghana from the pre-colonial era to the present. Against this background, this article traces the history of gold mining policies and regulations that have brought about the transformation of the artisanal small-scale mining sector in Ghana. Drawing on archival documents, interviews, newspaper reports, and a review of secondary materials, this study reveals that, unlike the situation in the pre-colonial era, artisanal mining from the …