Digital Commons Network^™

Sustaining Queerness: A Phenomenological Study Of Colorado Educators, Devani Lemmon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to engage queer Colorado educators to explore how to sustain their identities as queer educators in a politically fractured state. By focusing on Colorado, I could assess the extent to which the legal protections afforded there adequately support educators in sustaining themselves. Additionally, the findings from Colorado had the potential to further illuminate factors influencing teacher sustainability and retention on a much larger scale. The questions for this research project were: 1) How are queer educators sustaining themselves and each other in an increasingly volatile political climate? 2) What, if any, factors impact queer …

E Ho’Omau Mākau, We Will Continue: The Living Sovereign Entities Of Contemporary Hawaiian Songs, Kēhaulani Lagunero

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the relationship between contemporary Hawaiian mele (songs) and Hawaiian ea (sovereignty), focusing on how mele acts as sovereign living entities representing cultural resilience, identity, and resistance to settler-colonial influences. Through semi-structured interviews with Kānaka Maoli, participant observation at cultural events, and close analysis of mele, I identify that these songs are not only expressions of cultural memory, but also living embodiments of ea—sovereignty because they are alive, and they are alive because they are ea. Drawing from the frameworks of cultural survival, survivance, symbolic power, and defiant indigeneity, I explore how mele actively engage …

Carbon Monoxide Releasing Polymeric Micelles, Riya Joshi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Carbon monoxide (CO), traditionally known as a toxic gas, has emerged as a potential therapeutic agent due to its cytoprotective, anti-inflammatory, and vasodilatory properties. This study explores the development of CO-releasing polymeric micelles as a controlled delivery system for biomedical applications. Using ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP), we synthesized diblock copolymers incorporating CO-releasing moiety diphenylcyclopropenone (DPCP) with hydrophilic polyethylene glycol (PEG) to enhance solubility and stability of the overall CO releasing system. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) and electron microscopy (EM) confirmed the formation of well-defined micelles, while fluorescence assays demonstrated efficient CO release with the use of Iridium photocatalyst under 470 …

Phenomenological Inquiry: High School English Language Arts And Reading Professional Development Design And Delivery, Michelle Jestice

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative, phenomenological inquiry aimed to understand the overall essence of public high school English language arts and reading professional development design and delivery from an inclusive, sociocultural, responsive theoretical lens. The lens extended previous scholarship, combining six educational concepts and theories to develop an ideological framework for high school English language arts and reading professional development design and delivery. They include Vygotsky’s (1978) sociocultural theory, Knowles’ (1978) andragogy, Shulman’s (2013) content-pedagogy-curricular contextualization, Hammond’s (2015) culturally responsive teaching, Bennett’s (1986) intercultural competencies, Smale-Jacobse and others’ (2019) and Tomlinson and others’ (2003) concepts of differentiation: referred to as SACReD. A central …

How Executive Leaders Build Trust: Navigating Organizational Disruption During The Covid-19 Mega-Crisis, Marji Karish

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic, declared a global health crisis by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11, 2020, created a “mega-crisis” characterized by intersecting physiological, economic, political, social, and cultural disruptions. This study examines how senior organizational executives narrate their response to the crisis, focusing on their engagement with organizational stakeholders. Using a constructivist grounded theory methodology, I conducted in-depth interviews with 12 organizational leaders to construct the Theory of Social Crisis Leadership Communication (SCLC).

Findings highlight the centrality of trust as an interdependent relationship in which executive leaders and organizational stakeholders rely on each other to navigate crises successfully. …

Paving The Way: Cultural Relevance In College And Career Readiness Programs, Jacqueline Turner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Students of color face persistent educational and systemic barriers that impact their success in college and career readiness (CCR) programs. Standardized approaches to CCR often fail to address the cultural identities, lived experiences, and needs of diverse learners (Castro, 2013; Malin et al., 2017; Welton & Martinez, 2014). Guided by the theoretical framework of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy, with the extension of Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy, this instrumental case study investigates how one CCR initiative—the Legacy Scholars Program (LSP), implemented by a Western Urban School District—integrates culturally responsive practices to better serve students of color. Through interviews, observations, and artifact analysis, this …

The Role Of Imagination In Archaeology: Linking Contemplation And Method At The Amache National Historic Site, Sami Zepponi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Archaeology is both a science and an interpretative process, blending material discovery with imagination to reconstruct past experiences. This research, conducted through the 2024 University of Denver Amache Field School, explores the archaeological imagination and the creative and cognitive engagement that shapes historical interpretation. Using Amache, a WWII Japanese American incarceration site, as a case study, this thesis examines how material culture, landscape modifications, and reflection inform archaeological understanding. This study explores how imagination connects tangible findings to cultural narratives by integrating community-based archaeology, place and landscape theory, and contemplative inquiry. Findings highlight imagination as essential to archaeology, enabling deeper …

Stewards Of Place, Stewards Of Democracy: The Role Of Regional Public Universities In Rural Political Well-Being, Katie Kleinhesselink

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative embedded single-case study explored how a rural-serving regional public university (RPU) contributed to the political well-being of its politically polarized service region ahead of the 2024 presidential election. Guided by the stewardship of political place theoretical framework, which integrates rural consciousness, the Community Capitals Framework, and the stewardship of place framework for RPUs’ public engagement, the study utilized policy discourse analysis to examine regional residents' and internal constituents' perceptions regarding WPU’s role in promoting regional political well-being. Data collection included semi-structured interviews, direct observations of campus civic engagement events, and institutional document reviews.

The study demonstrates that regional …

Chingonas In Charge: A Phenomenological Study Of Latina Educational Leaders In Colorado, Paulina Yvette Lerma-Banuelos

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite comprising 76% of the U.S. teaching workforce (2017−2018), Latina women held only 8.5% of principal roles and 2.7% of superintendent positions. In places such as Colorado, where Latinos make up 15.1% of the population, this inequity highlights the pressing necessity for better representation. The present study used a qualitative phenomenological approach to explore the fundamental essence and attributes of leadership among Latina K−12 administrators in Colorado, with a focus on the concept of “chingona” and its transformative significance in their professional journeys. The name “chingona” was historically rejected by young Latina women because of connotations to being aggressive or …

Elevating After-School: Addressing After-School Program Quality Through Improvement Design, Kate Marie Vincent

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines how Pathfinders After School, a national after-school provider can improve program quality amid rapid expansion. As enrollment has grown, program quality has declined, evidenced by decreasing net promoter scores (NPS), rising student behavior incidents, and terminated district partnerships. Grounded in Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory (1979), this mixed-methods study uses improvement science methodology to test systemic interventions that empower key user groups and enhance program effectiveness. An improvement team, composed of crossfunctional organizational members, conducted root-cause analysis to identify primary drivers of after-school program quality. Core focus areas included staff training, student engagement, feedback mechanisms, and implementation fidelity. …

Conduct-As-Status In Skrmetti's Gender-Affirming Care Bans, Robert Blake Watson, Neha Srinivasan

Denver Law Review

With its decision in United States v. Skrmetti, the Supreme Court has permitted government prohibitions on gender-affirming care for certain transgender individuals. Although these bans construe themselves as barring medical procedures in neutral, conduct-based terms, we contend that the laws discriminate on the basis of transgender status and sex. Drawing from equal protection jurisprudence—including decisions in Lawrence v. Texas, United States v. Windsor, and Obergefell v. Hodges—we contextualize the gender-affirming care bans within the Court’s history of rejecting efforts to mask status-based discrimination through ostensibly neutral restrictions on conduct. By underscoring that both cisgender and transgender individuals seek gender-affirming interventions, …

Protesting, Cash Bail, And (Un)Equal Protection: Using Empirical Data To Prove Equal Protection Violations, Alireza Nourani-Dargiri

Denver Law Review

Despite considerable data demonstrating disparate government treatment of racially minoritized groups, recent race-based equal protection cases have met only measured success because courts often find statistical evidence of racial bias to be too attenuated. Without an explicitly racist statement, policy, or law made by government officials, many courts will not intervene in systems that have long, consistent histories of racially discriminatory impacts. But this contradicts the purpose of the Equal Protection Clause: to prevent people of color—particularly Black people—from being discriminated against and kept in a functional caste system. Courts and scholars have consistently identified this purpose, and throughout equal …

Islands Of Inequality: The Fourteenth Amendment's Reach After Vaello Madero, Sigrid Vendrell-Polanco

Denver Law Review

The Supreme Court’s 2022 decision in United States v. Vaello Madero has reignited discussions about the application of the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause to residents of U.S. territories. This Article examines how the ruling, which upheld the exclusion of Puerto Rico residents from the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program, reflects and reshapes the constitutional relationship between the federal government and territorial inhabitants. Although the Court said it was not “irrational” for Congress to exclude Puerto Rico (applying only “rational basis” review), that very ruling underscored a longstanding tension: U.S. citizens in the territories do not receive the same constitutional …

Equality And Protection: The Forgotten Meaning Of The Fourteenth Amendment, David H. Gans

Denver Law Review

At the heart of the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause are two fundamental principles: equality and protection. Tragically, the Supreme Court has read one of these two principles—protection—out of our foundational charter. While the Justices repeatedly invoke the textual promise of equal protection, their precedent turns a blind eye to the constitutional command of protection and the idea that, in return for allegiance, the government owes its citizenry protection. Until the Supreme Court takes seriously the right to protection embedded in the Fourteenth Amendment, its jurisprudence will continue to be deeply flawed. As the text and history laid out in …

Vol. 102, No. 4: Table Of Contents, Denver Law Review

Denver Law Review

No abstract provided.

Vol. 102, No. 4: Full Issue, Denver Law Review

Denver Law Review

No abstract provided.

Revisiting Section 2 And The Electors Clause: On The Right Of The People To Choose Presidential Electors, Mark Bohnhorst

Denver Law Review

Recent scholarship argues that Section 2 of the Fourteenth Amendment protects the people’s right to elect presidential electors. This Article offers fresh perspectives both on Section 2 scholarship and on the underlying history of the Electors Clause. It begins with a review of modern interpretations of the Fourteenth Amendment. It then summarizes the author's recent research into the text and structure of the Electors Clause and its ratification. It also offers new perspectives on consequential debates over the constitutionality of legislative election that began in 1800 and ended in 1826. When Section 2 was drafted in June 1866, the popular …

Bostock And The Limits Of Textualism: A Doctrinal Structuralist Approach, Martin J. Katz

Sturm College of Law: Faculty Scholarship

In Bostock v. Clayton County, the Court held that Title VII prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. This result, the majority claimed, was required by the interpretive theory called textualism. But textualist justices in the dissent vehemently disagreed. This split, and the controversy that has followed it, has had two consequences. First, it added fuel to the ongoing debate about the value of textualism. Second, it opened the door for lower courts to decline to apply Bostock to similar antidiscrimination laws, such as Title IX in education or the Equal Protection Clause (such as the Skrmetti case, …

Gang Violence And Pacification In Ecuador: Comparing Trends In Guayaquil And Duran 2008-2024, Mason Alexandra Rothenberger

Undergraduate Theses, Capstones, and Recitals

Why has there been a dramatic increase in gang violence in Ecuador beginning in 2020? Cities like Guayaquil and Duran in the coastal region of Ecuador, as well as the border region that Ecuador shares with Colombia have experienced significant increases in criminal activity and with it a rise in criminal violence. I review four hypotheses for why criminal violence has emerged and proliferated within Ecuador. Analysis of primary interviews with subject matter experts in Ecuador shows that the rise in violence resulted from the 2007 efforts to reintegrate gangs into society, which set the stage for fragmentation of gangs …

Bridging The Gap Between Muslim Students And School Leadership In The United States, Sahar Khawaja

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Entering the third decade of the 21st century, the political landscape in the United States presents a challenging environment for Muslims, mirroring the global trend of oppression and discrimination faced by this community (Neptune, 2021). Despite being the fastest-growing demographic in the nation (Lipka, 2017), Muslim Americans increasingly encounter discrimination. By actively addressing and dismantling these stereotypes, educators can cultivate an inclusive environment where the needs of Muslim students are understood and respected. Understanding the stories and experiences of these students is vital for school leaders, as it enables the creation of an environment where every student feels a genuine …

Value-Based Healthcare Reimagined: A Mixed-Methods Study On Behavioral Health Clinicians' Perspectives, Amanda L. Strickland

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explores how behavioral health clinicians perceive Value-Based Healthcare (VBHC), a model designed by Porter and Teisberg (2006) to improve outcomes relative to costs. While widely promoted in healthcare reform, VBHC poses unique challenges when applied to behavioral health settings. Using an explanatory mixed-methods design, this study first assessed clinicians’ awareness of VBHC through a survey of 23 licensed clinicians at a Community Mental Health Center (CMHC) in Colorado. Quantitative findings revealed that one-third of participants were aware of VBHC with awareness differing by role prompting further exploration in a qualitative phase. Semi-structured interviews with eight clinicians provided deeper …

Examining Variations In The Kremlin’S Repression Of Non-Systemic Political Opposition Parties Under The Putin Regime, Brock B. Anderson

Undergraduate Theses, Capstones, and Recitals

What factors illustrate the differences in how the Kremlin under President Vladimir Putin responds to non-systemic political opposition groups in Russia? While existing literature on political opposition theory is expansive, more research specifically addressing contemporary Russian opposition forces is necessary. In particular, it is useful to zoom in on specific non-systemic opposition parties within Russia, as opposed to the customary method of using countries holistically as cases (Kubát 2010; Helms 2023; Eckstein 1967; Taylor 1988) . As such, my research seeks to demonstrate the value of appropriate theoretical frameworks to understand and measure individual non-systemic opposition parties’ actions and subsequent …

The Empirical Double Standard: Opinion Surveys Across The Civil-Criminal Divide, Kay L. Levine, Bernard Chao

Sturm College of Law: Faculty Scholarship

Across different legal domains, liability doctrines recognize the value of community input. But do courts truly listen to the community's voice when deciding these sorts of cases? This study is the first to explore how courts treat community opinion survey evidence across both civil and criminal law. To that end, we comprehensively examine trademark, false advertising, patent, antitrust, obscenity, death penalty, and Fourth Amendment search cases.

Our research uncovers a significant asymmetry: courts readily admit survey evidence in civil proceedings but systematically exclude it in criminal cases. This asymmetry does not appear to stem from structural differences between civil and …

Epr Imaging Workshop: From Theory And Practice To Applications, Arthur H. Heiss, Ralph T. Weber, Sandra S. Eaton, Gareth R. Eaton

TeachEPR Submissions

Methods of imaging and insights from imaging are described. Practical aspects of sample type and dimensions are described.

Workshop presented at the 27th International EPR Symposium, sponsored by Bruker BioSpin EPR Division and the University of Denver, in Denver, Colorado on August 1, 2004.

Not Demented Enough: Dementia And Competency To Stand Trial, Rashmi Goel

Sturm College of Law: Faculty Scholarship

Although competency to stand trial holds a vaunted position among the due-process rights in our criminal justice system, its current application is a mere shadow of the original promise articulated in Dusky v. United States. The competency-to-stand-trial requirement is supposed to protect the mentally ill and the mentally impaired from criminal trial, but the requirement has been continually chipped away, both doctrinally and practically. As a result, it no longer protects the most vulnerable. People with dementia, most often elderly with cognitive impairments, face a perilous ordeal when caught in the criminal justice system. And, as dementia rates increase, more …

Consumer Protection And The Illusory Promise Of The Unconsciounability Defense, Benjamin C. Zipursky, Zahra Takhshid

Sturm College of Law: Faculty Scholarship

The United States Supreme Court’s notorious decision in AT&T Mobility LLC v. Concepcion seems to display impatience with the idea of an unconscionability defense to the enforcement of a contract. At the core of Justice Antonin Scalia’s opinion, however, was not an argument against the idea of unconscionability per se, but an argument against using “unconscionability” as a cover for a broader public policy agenda. This interpretation is confirmed by the Court’s little-known decision in Marmet Health Care Ctr., Inc. v. Brown, handed down the term after Concepcion was decided. Plaintiffs were allowed to move forward in Marmet because the …

Think Globally And Act Locally: Collaboration Across Borders To Address Climate Change, Allan T. Marks

Denver Journal of International Law & Policy

Climate change is a global challenge. International cooperation is essential yet insufficient. This tension is evident in negotiations of international climate agreements and at global climate conferences. In this context, it is worth asking why international law has so far failed sufficiently to address the global challenge of climate change and whether other types of cross-border collaboration can fill the void. Economic, political, and social factors inhibit accelerated and coordinated responses to climate challenges. The scope and direction of climate mitigation and adaptation are uneven, especially in the energy transition. The failure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions fast or far …

Education Is Not A Commodity – It Is A Human Right, Barbara Stark

Denver Journal of International Law & Policy

America has embraced neoliberalism, and virtually everything that is tangible—and much that is not—has been commodified. Natural resources once thought of as ‘free,’ such as water, have been packaged and branded. ‘Value’ is routinely conflated with ‘cost.’ This article explains why education should not be regarded as a commodity, but as an internationally recognized human right. Like the right to free speech, it should be free and meaningful. It should be a national priority. The United States does not recognize education as a human right. If it did, public education in this country would probably be in better shape. Equally …

Promoting International Criminal Justice In Korea: A Korean War Crimes Tribunal?, John M. B. Balouziyeh

Denver Journal of International Law & Policy

Since the Korean Armistice Agreement was signed between representatives of United Nations Command, the Korean People’s Army, and the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army in 1953, tensions have run high on the Korean Peninsula. North Korea has time and again threatened an invasion of South Korea and has issued warnings to South Korea that, if provoked, it would not hesitate to use nuclear missiles and chemical weapons against its southern neighbor. Both the threat of an invasion and the deployment of weapons of mass destruction leave open an important question in the event of an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula: …

The Shift Towards Resilience: Disaster Risk Reduction (Drr) In The International And Regional Legal Frameworks, Eleni Polymenopoulou, Flavia Zorzi Giustiniani

Denver Journal of International Law & Policy

This article provides an overview of the legal framework applicable in the event of disasters, with an emphasis on resilience and disaster risk reduction (DRR). It provides an overview of the emergence and nature of International Disaster Law (IDL), and the inclusion of DRR in this context. It further explores the array of international and regional standards applicable in the event of disasters, including the International Law Commission (ILC) Draft articles and recent efforts in the context of the European Union (EU) and South-East Asia for a more concerted approach. The chapter further provides examples from the practice of international …