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Vol. 22, No. 1: Editor's Note, Courtney Diguardi

Denver Sports & Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Vol. 22, No. 1: Full Issue, University Of Denver Sports & Entertainment Law Journal

Denver Sports & Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

The Experiences Of School Psychologists Serving Students With Traumatic Brain Injuries: A Phenomenology, E. Grace Ritchie

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a complex experience associated with a diverse constellation of symptoms and challenges. TBI scholars have extensively explored the varying needs of youth in the aftermath of a head injury. Likewise, recent literature details recommendations for school psychological services in support of these students. Such recommendations largely reflect insights drawn from broader TBI and disability research, integrated with the established scope of school psychologists’ practice (e.g., the National Association of School Psychologists Practice Model). Nevertheless, school psychologists’ perceptions of these students’ challenges have been inadequately examined. Such perspectives are likely valuable, given school psychologists’ unique training …

Comparing Ordinary Least Squares And Quantile Regression: A Causal-Comparative Approach To Modeling Conditional Relationships, Samuel Nnorom

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression has traditionally been the preferred quantitative method for estimating linear relationships. However, it assumes that the effect of a predictor variable remains constant across the entire outcome distribution, which can miss important insights when data are heterogeneous. Quantile Regression (QR), on the other hand, offers a more detailed analysis by focusing on the full response variable distribution, thereby revealing different relationship patterns at various quantiles within the outcome. This study compares how OLS and QR perform in modeling conditional relationships within a causal-comparative framework based on ex post facto research. Using the mortality data from …

The Multicultural Orientation Framework In Couple Therapy, Jasmine R. Davis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Couples’ cultural values and beliefs are important to their relational connection. Cultural values and beliefs can be sources of strength in relationships, but they can also lead to impasses. As such, clinicians and researchers could benefit from a cultural framework to inform conceptualization and treatment when working with couples. The Multicultural Orientation (MCO) framework has three pillars: cultural humility, cultural comfort, and cultural opportunities. The MCO framework is empirically supported for use in individual and group psychotherapy but has not been applied to couple therapy. This dissertation includes two parts. First, we outline a conceptual framework for the application of …

Examining Barriers To Crisis Service Use Among Black Young Adults, Emily K. Burns

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Black communities face an increased burden of mental illness (Gordon, 2020). This can be linked to factors such as experiences of racism, higher rates of unemployment, financial and food insecurity, and disparities in health care (Gordon, 2020). Despite this, Black communities have historically experienced relatively low rates of suicide (Gordon, 2020). This has been anecdotally attributed to protective cultural values and beliefs about suicide. However, there has been a recent shift in this trend, particularly for Black youth and young adults.

A Phenomenological Study Of Caregivers For Sexual Minority Hospice Patients, Catherine H. Bianchi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals face disproportionate barriers in healthcare across the lifespan that persist and often intensify at the end of life. Despite hospice’s mission to provide comfort, dignity, and patient-centered support, it remains unclear whether these services equitably meet the needs of sexual minority patients. Seeking hospice care presents a unique conundrum for many LGB individuals: it necessitates inviting representatives of a historically exclusionary healthcare system into the privacy of their homes - spaces that often serve as sanctuaries of identity, safety, and autonomy. The already vulnerable experience of seeking care in one’s final days can be …

Shifting From Damage Towards Desire At History Colorado: An Exploratory Case Study, Amanda Cali

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the paradigm shift within the fields of anthropology and museum studies away from decolonization and towards indigenization through a case study of the changes in museological practices of the History Colorado Center in Denver, Colorado, and one of its community museums, the Ute Indian Museum in Montrose, Colorado. This thesis examines the changes in consultation and collaboration, the care and stewardship of collections, the implementation of the Protocols for Native American Archival Materials (PNAAM), and co-curation of exhibits. This thesis looks at the paradigm shift as a movement away from “damage-based research” within communities to “desire-centered research” …

Establishing Cultivating Dialogic Feedback (Cdf): Enhancing Teacher Evaluation Through The Humanization Of Teachers, Adrian Michael Blumenthal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Current practices in K-12 teacher evaluation look to mechanize the evaluation model, and effectuate better teaching by enforcing compliance to the evaluation model. This practice treats teachers as disseminators of instructional practice and thereby of information to students which dehumanizes teachers. The following research takes a different approach to understanding teacher evaluation by working away from fixing the evaluation model by replacing it with another model. Instead, the research examines the breadth of compliance culture, called performativity, and examines the relationship between teacher and evaluator. At the root of the research is discovering how the relationship between teacher and evaluator …

Transgender Individuals’ Experiences Of Ruptures And Repairs In Group Psychotherapy, Gabrielle W. Kaufman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As the political climate across the United States worsens for transgender and gender diverse (TGD) individuals (Harmon, 2025), it has become increasingly important to attend to the mental health needs of this population (James et al., 2016). Group therapy is a widely used treatment modality that is often more accessible than individual therapy (Burlingame & Strauss, 2021) and provides unique interpersonal opportunities (Burlingame et al., 2016). While it is expected that TGD individuals face unique challenges in group therapy due to their gender identities (Chen et al., 2020), very little is actually known about the experiences of TGD individuals participating …

Examining Whiteness: A Narrative Inquiry Into Racial Identity Among White Women In Study Abroad Programs, Audrey Moreno Townsend

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this narrative inquiry study was to better understand race in contexts both domestically and abroad through the perspectives and experiences of white women who studied abroad outside of Europe and the Anglosphere. The investigation explored on how these experiences shaped white women’s understanding of racial identity upon returning to their home institutions. The research question which was addressed was: How do white women experience study abroad programming? Research highlights a critical gap in existing literature on this topic. While white women are centered in the study, it is contextualized considering how People of Color experience the world. …

“My Body Was Never Mine”: An Arts-Based Phenomenological Analysis Of Queer And Trans Adolescent Involuntary Psychiatric Hospitalization Experiences, Megan Doyle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Involuntary psychiatric hospitalization has life-saving and crisis-stabilizing intentions for queer and trans adolescents experiencing mental health crises; however, there are significant concerns about the adverse effects of this practice. This study employed two interwoven qualitative methods, interpretative phenomenological analysis and arts-based research, to gain a deeper understanding of queer and trans individuals’ adolescent experiences of involuntary psychiatric hospitalization. The theory of abolition was applied to examine the carcerality and identity-based oppression embedded within this procedure. Participant narratives and artwork revealed how involuntary psychiatric hospitalization is non-affirming for queer and trans young people in crisis, and the impacts of experiencing coercion, …

Playing Catch Up: A Brief Look Into Modern Internet Culture And Its Impact On Adolescent Male Development, Xavier Bird

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

This doctoral paper argues that the internet, particularly the "manosphere," poses three significant threats to the development of adolescent males in the U.S.: the influence of misogynistic online personalities, the normalization of risky online behavior, and the spread of right-wing misinformation. The paper highlights the role of the COVID-19 pandemic in exacerbating these issues due to increased internet usage. Furthermore, it proposes a research study to investigate the link between exposure to online misogynistic content and aggressive behavior in schools, emphasizing the unique challenges of studying adolescents and their online culture. Finally, the paper stresses the urgent need for updated …

The Journey Of Psychotherapy: Understanding Therapeutic Technique Through Ultralight Thru Hiking, Emma Bossier

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

This paper explores several principles of ultralight backpacking as metaphors for developing one’s therapeutic technique. The tenets of ultralight thru hiking, when interpreted through a clinical lens, offer early clinicians insight into the importance of moving through fear and leaning into exploration, discomfort, and authenticity while on the journey of becoming a therapist. The experiences of numerous thru hikers are synthesized into five principles: Don’t Pack Your Fears, Be Present for the Journey, Slow Simplicity, Embrace the Suck (and The Stink), and Trail Legs. These principles do not define ultralight as carefreeness but rather offer a metaphor for the careful …

Proposed Theoretical Model Of Pediatric Onset Multiple Sclerosis And Restrictive Eating Behaviors, Anna L. Smith

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Multiple Sclerosis (MS), a chronic, demyelinating, autoimmune disease that causes an array of physical and cognitive symptomatology, is commonly diagnosed in adulthood. Pediatric Onset Multiple Sclerosis (POMS) is characterized by diagnosis of the disease before age 18 and accounts for about 5% of MS cases. While there is a growing body of literature examining the impact of adult-onset multiple sclerosis on psychosocial functioning, research specifically addressing POMS remains limited. Moreover, there is a notable gap in the literature regarding the risk of eating disorders among individuals with POMS. This paper will explore a constellation of potential risk factors that may …

Tenzing Rigdol’S Biography Of A Thought: A Mandala In The Heart Of The Met, Sarah Magnatta

Art and Art History: Faculty Scholarship

In 2024, artist Tenzing Rigdol created an installation - titled Biography of a Thought - spanning the entirety of the atrium in the Robert Lehman wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. His larger-than-life mandala included twenty painted panels on four walls, a central podium with a panel on top, and carpets on the floor mirroring parts of the painted shapes on the walls. Complete with bright sunlight streaming from the above skylight, the room transformed into a modern mandala - a walkable, meditative, transformative space. Even with its multiple traditional Tibetan Buddhist components and organisational structure, many of the …

Exploring The Roots Of Republican Factionalism In Contemporary U.S. Politics, Emma Seel

DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive

The Republican Party has experienced significant internal divisions in recent elections, with the 2024 Presidential Primary revealing a party divided between two factions: Donald Trump’s followers, often referred to by his “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) slogan; and those that adhere to traditional Republican values that have defined the Grand Old Party (GOP) for decades. While MAGA Republicans still espouse conservative social values, they break away from the party when it comes to their “America First” ideology, another popular Trump slogan. The United States has long been a leader on the world stage, a position that both Democrats and Republicans …

Virtual Dignitary Torts, Zahra Takhshid

Sturm College of Law: Faculty Scholarship

The emergence of the metaverse and spatial computing, which has enabled immersive digital interactions, raise complex legal questions. This work examines the feasibility of addressing dignitary torts-such as battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress-committed via avatars. The particular challenge for tort law is the nonphysical nature of selfrepresentations in these virtual spaces. Drawing from the historical evolutions of several dignitary torts, such as the law of battery and emotional harm, this article argues that the key in allowing for the recognition of such harms is appreciating the expansion of the protection of physical body within these torts, to the …

Exploiting Vulnerability: Human Trafficking As A Tool Of Genocide, Madison Bryant

Undergraduate Theses, Capstones, and Recitals

This thesis examines the relationship between human trafficking and genocide, arguing that when trafficking is used with the intent to destroy a targeted group, it should be understood and prosecuted as an act of genocide. While international law traditionally treats genocide and human trafficking as distinct crimes, historical and contemporary evidence reveals significant overlap in their mechanisms, motivations, and outcomes. Through a thematic analysis of three case studies, this research demonstrates how trafficking has been systematically employed to further genocidal objectives, including displacement, exploitation, cultural erasure, and the destruction of communities. The case studies are the genocide of Indigenous peoples …

Cunning Commies, Dumb Democrats, And Exiled Germans: A Holistic Postmortem Of The 1948 Czechoslovak Coup D'État, Douglas Joys

Undergraduate Theses, Capstones, and Recitals

The role played by the post-WWII expulsion of ethnic Germans from Czechoslovakia in catalyzing the 1948 Czechoslovak coup d'état has been underexplored in favor of the traditional narrative of an East-West clash between Czechoslovak democratic and communist parties backed by the United States and Soviet Union, respectively. Scholarship on the expulsion and the coup has on occasion brought up connections between the two events, albeit briefly and only as a small part of larger examinations of one of the two. The Eastern and Western forces at play in Czechoslovakia were undoubtedly key factors in the coup’s outcome: the end of …

The Role Of Adolescent Depression Heterogeneity And Resilience Resources In Adulthood Cardiometabolic Health And Depressive Symptoms, Samantha R. Scott

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Depression in adolescence is a major public health problem and is a risk factor for early-onset cardiometabolic disease. Although adolescent depression is a risk factor for poor cardiometabolic health, depression is heterogeneous and associations may differ by sex. Additionally, if risk factors such as depression can predict adulthood cardiometabolic health, resilience factors (e.g., social, school, neighborhood) that are protective for depression may also be protective for physical health, but this is an ongoing area of research. The goals of the current dissertation were to gain a better understanding of what depressive symptom presentations in adolescents are most concerning for adulthood …

A Ritual Of Institutions: The State Industrial School In Golden, Colorado And The Shaping Of American Youth, Cyndal Groskopf

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the Colorado State Industrial School as a ritualistic institution that influenced boys aged 7 to 19 through Americanization practices between 1881 and 1930. By employing primary documentation, drone imagery, and LiDAR technology, the study examines how cultural and physical activities, along with personal statements, described and maintained the ritualized nature among these incarcerated youth. The findings reveal how institutional routines and activities reinforced narratives of American identity, particularly in relation to themes of personal identity, conformity, and agency. These rituals played a crucial role in institutionalizing cultural ideals and shaping the identities of marginalized youth. The research …

Movement As Metamorphosis: An Examination Of Transformative Learning In Dance, Whitney Egstad

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Using the arts-based methodology of Educational Criticism and Connoisseurship (Uhrmacher, Moroye, & Flinders, 2017) to examine the curriculum and pedagogy of a Colorado-based dance studio, this qualitative dissertation explores how transformative learning (TL) unfolds within the context of adult dance education. Grounded in Mezirow’s (1991) theory of transformative learning, the study investigates how dance becomes a medium for personal transformation, identity reconstruction, and emotional healing. Data collection included six hours of interviews with instructors and students and twelve hours of class observations, focusing on how adult learners experience curriculum not just as technical instruction, but as an embodied, relational journey …

An Auto-Criticism Exploration Of An International Transracial Adoption, Jessica M. Morganfield

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative dissertation explores the lived experience of international transracial adoption through the combined methodologies of auto-criticism and journaling. Using a first-person, insider-led approach, this study addresses four central research questions: (1) What experiences emerge when an adult adoptee reflects on their childhood as an international transracial adoptee? (2) How do identity development, cultural socialization, and experiences of racial and adoptive microaggressions intersect and influence an individual? (3) How does auto-criticism uniquely describe the international transracial adoptee experience? and (4) How might journaling serve as a research tool for data collection and analysis?

Daily journaling over a 30-day period functioned …

Optimizing Option Market Clearing, Juan Andrés Malaver Alvarado

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Modern options markets clear each strike in isolation, leaving cross-strike arbitrage unexploited. This thesis applies a payoff-dominant clearing mechanism to realized trades—roughly 2 000 Cboe VIX option executions from June–November 2016—after classifying each trade’s side and bundling by expiration. Three optimization formulations are tested: a fractional linear program (LP), a mixed-integer LP, and a pure integer program. On a 10-core laptop every bundle solves in < 0.5 s. The LP captures the greatest surplus, yet the integer models recover nearly as much while filling whole contracts and holding only modest margin. Results reveal persistent, albeit small, inefficiencies in executed trades and demonstrate that an integral cross-strike auction could operate in real time. The accompanying C/Gurobi code is modular and readily extendable to early-exercise options. Trade-level evidence thus supports redesigning exchange clearing to consider the complete option book.

Culture And Environment: The Calling Lakes Ecomuseum As A Community Sustainability Initiative, Kace N. Anders

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Located in Saskatchewan, Canada, the Calling Lakes Ecomuseum, CLEM, is a community-based organization focused on water management and sustainability. Ecomuseums are holistic organizations that occupy landscapes, are responsive to community needs, conserve in situ heritage, and incorporate sustainability along with community development. The ecomuseum movement came from a need for holistic heritage management that disengaged with conventional museology and created space for communities to engage with their heritage in ways that promote community identity. This thesis analyzes the Calling Lakes Ecomuseum and how it utilizes the ecomuseum concept alongside environmental sustainability. Both semi-structured interviews and place-based field observations were used …

Foldit Education Mode, Brett Schulz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Foldit education mode is a puzzle campaign within the protein folding video game Foldit. Education mode, initially designed as a classroom supplement for undergraduate biochemistry courses, has been expanded to provide a more comprehensive learning tool to players without a background in biochemistry. The edited and added levels teach players about protein biochemistry through playing puzzles designed to convey information and gameplay mechanics. The new Foldit education mode campaign features 49 levels grouped into 11 categories. The campaign has 6 new levels designed specifically for education mode and 4 levels adapted from the traditional Foldit campaign for use within education …

The Embodiment And Experiences Of Gender Euphoria Among Transgender And Nonbinary Communities: A Mixed Methods Inquiry, Brendon T. Holloway

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Gender euphoria is a critical aspect of embodiment for transgender and nonbinary (TNB) people that has long been overshadowed in academic research by deficit narratives and gender dysphoria. While gender dysphoria is the distress an individual may experience related to their gender, gender euphoria encapsulates the positive emotions a TNB person may experience because of positive gendered experiences. Despite community documentations of gender euphoria since the 1970s, academic research on gender euphoria has only recently begun to emerge. This three-paper dissertation advances this body of scholarship by exploring how gender euphoria is conceptualized, experienced, and embodied in TNB communities. Utilizing …

Excellence Gaps: A State-Based Review Of Policies, Jonathan M. Jennings

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates how state education policies address excellence gaps among student subgroups in gifted education. Using a multiple case study design, it examines the policy mechanisms, identification practices, and funding models employed across states to promote equity in advanced academic access. Grounded in critical policy analysis, the study highlights systemic disparities perpetuated by inconsistent definitions, underfunding, and limited accountability structures. Findings reveal that while some states adopt promising interventions - such as universal screening and dual enrollment support - many fall short in ensuring sustainable, inclusive practices. This research calls for reform grounded in transparency, comparability, and justice for …

The Narratological Maus, Isla Lader

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Complete Maus, a memoir graphic novel surrounding the events of character Art Spiegelman as he collects, records, and illustrates his father’s life pre-the Holocaust in Europe, his time in Auschwitz, and then life in the United States has been one of the focal Holocaust survivor testimonies and has redefined the genre it exists in as both a graphic novel, but also as a form of testimony. Like many popularized works dealing with the Holocaust, though, cultural preconceptions of Jewish people, genocide, and audiences’ desire to find morals within the work have made it so often audiences come to …