Digital Commons Network^™

Perceptions And Metaperceptions Of Bison In The West, Riley Rush Comstock

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Effective coexistence between wildlife populations and the people that live with them requires an understanding of how people feel toward the species and their management. Bison occupy a unique place in conservation history and management. Once extirpated across nearly all of their range and only recently introduced to areas outside of large tracts of federal land, they are now a jurisdictionally challenged species, with varying management paradigms across a patchwork of landowners and managers. Recent research has shown how activating different social identities can distort people’s attitudes toward species. Here, I explore whether activating urban and rural identities distorts people’s …

Embodied, Relational, And Rooted: A Social Work Portfolio, Deneen Pancari

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

This portfolio reflects my professional and personal growth over the past three years of the University of Montana!s (UM!s) Online Master of Social Work (MSW) Program and showcases my understanding of advanced social work competencies (University of Montana School of Social Work, n.d.). My background includes yoga facilitation and preschool education, where I developed a strong appreciation for early childhood development and mindfulness. I never imagined how this path would lead me into clinical work in eating disorder recovery, adolescent therapy, and somatic-based interventions, which focus on the connection between the mind and body. My MSW coursework and practicum experiences …

Practicing From The Inside Out: A Portfolio Of Trauma-Informed And Spirit-Led Social Work, Cailey R. Denboer

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

This portfolio represents the integration of academic learning, practicum experience, and personal growth throughout my Master of Social Work education at the University of Montana. Grounded in empowerment theory, trauma-informed care, and anti-oppressive practice, this work reflects my commitment to ethical, culturally humble, and relational social work across individual, community, and organizational contexts. Drawing from coursework and practicum experiences, I highlight the development of core competencies through applied work.

A central theme of this portfolio is the ongoing process of self-reflection and humility, particularly in recognizing areas of growth and navigating the tensions between personal values, professional responsibilities, and systemic …

Msw Portfolio, Ryan Stadheim

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Spiritual Ecology For Entanglement: Reshaping Perceptions Through Spirituality, Education, And Enchantment, Hannah M. Bregman

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

A Third Way: An Unlikely Professional Portfolio, Sami C. Pack-Toner

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Adults With Dyslexia: Experiences Accessing And Using Reading Strategies And Assistive Technology, Brenda Rosalie King

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Dyslexia is a specific learning disorder of neurobiological origin characterized by persistent difficulties with accurate and/or fluent reading, word recognition, spelling, and decoding. Although dyslexia is widely recognized as a lifelong learning difference, the majority of research has historically focused on children and adolescents, with less attention given to adult experiences. The purpose of this study was to explore how adults with dyslexia access and use reading strategies and assistive technologies to support reading comprehension and independence across contexts. The study also examined barriers and supports influencing access to these tools, as well as the emotional experiences associated with their …

Advancing Understanding Of Lived Experience Of Unhoused People To Reduce Social Stigma And Promote Community Health: A Theoretically-Guided Photovoice Study, B-Rad Stephen Applegate

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Homelessness is a persistent public health challenge shaped by structural inequities, stigma, and exclusion from social and health systems. Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) has increasingly been used to center the knowledge of people who are unhoused, yet limited attention has been given to the theoretical frameworks guiding this work across disciplines. The purpose of this dissertation was to examine theories and methods used in CBPR with unhoused populations and to explore the extension of Margaret Newman’s Theory of Health as Expanding Consciousness from a nursing-focused theory to a public health framework for understanding lived experience.

Using a scoping review methodology …

Promoting Hope And Resilience: Measuring The Psychological Effects Of An Undergraduate Climate Change Education Course, Clare Bridgett Maguire

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The psychological effects of climate change are increasing, which has led to an increase in advocacy to research these effects. Current literature has included a focus on categorizing and understanding the psychological impacts, creating psychometrically sound instruments to measure the effects, and education as a tool to enhance coping strategies. However, limited research exists on measuring the emotional outcomes for students who engage in climate change education at the post-graduate level.

This dissertation explores the effects of an undergraduate-level climate change course on participants’ experiences of eco-anxiety, ecological grief, resilience, and hope to better understand the psychological effects of climate …

Ghostly Grieving In Theatre’S Now Also The Dramaturgy Of Perception And The Body In Contemporary American Ghost Plays, Jacob Mann Christiansen

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

“Ghostly Grieving in Theatre’s Now Also” explores how contemporary American plays and playwrights stage the dead as a way of understanding theatre’s unique language for dealing with the shared, complex human experience of grief. Focusing on theatrical ghosts and other “impossible” presences, I articulate how these figures function as dramaturgical devices. I also argue that theatre’s ghosts “set the stage” (as it were) for communicable meaning-making by inviting audiences into the tasks of creation and mourning.

My work draws on performance theory (especially phenomenological accounts of theatrical storytelling), on dramaturgical analysis, and on grief studies. In this dissertation project, I …

Developing Identity After Goodbye: Social Identity Theory And How Adolescent Survivors Navigate Suicide Loss, Elizabeth Susan Lawton

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Adolescents who lose a loved one to suicide, known as suicide-loss survivors, face a disruption to identity development, a life stage defined by identity formation (Adler et al., 2018) and group belonging (Pittman & Richmond, 2008). Suicide bereavement is complicated not only by grief but also by stigma, which can fracture social ties and undermine self-concept. Social identity theory (SIT) provides a framework for examining how young adults, now ages 18 to 30, reconstruct their social identities after experiencing suicide loss in adolescence. Research in other stigmatized contexts shows that adopting positive in-group identities can buffer against stigma and protect …

Á’Po’Taki Iiyika’Kimaa Work/Try Hard For Such A Time As This, Misamsai’Piaakíí Longtime Charging Woman Kimberly Lynn Paul

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This body of work adds to a recent shift in the academic landscape, valuing interdisciplinary research and Indigenous worldview. Predominant is the reversal of extractive research norms within Indigenous populations and the biosystems they steward, instead claiming Piikani (Blackfeet) led community-needs-based research valuing Indigenous data sovereignty, research methodologies, ethics, equity, and Indigenous empowerment. This research proffers requisite historical information providing the ‘why’ context, followed by three of the author’s studies: in toxic dumping, food sovereignty, and Piikani well-being. Under an environmental justice framework, the first study presents a cursory investigation of decades-long illicit toxic waste disposal reports linked to observed …

Hidden Wounds: Exploring Moral Injury In Childhood Exposure To Domestic Violence, Megan Elizabeth Denny

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The profound impacts of Childhood Exposure to Domestic Violence (CEDV) have been documented extensively, revealing long-term psychological effects such as the potential development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and increased likelihood of future victimization or perpetration of violence. Yet, the concept of moral injury (MI) traditionally explored in military and healthcare contexts, remains significantly underexplored in populations exposed to CEDV. This study examines the relevance of MI among individuals who experienced domestic violence (DV) during their youth. The research focused on two primary aims: (1) to describe the level and variability of moral injury-related distress among adults with histories of …

Unmuted: An Augmentative And Alternative Communication User’S Experience In Accessing And Engaging In Mental Health Care, Kanbi Faith Knippling

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Communication accessibility is a critical yet underexamined factor influencing access to and engagement in mental health care for individuals who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Existing literature suggests that AAC users experience significant barriers to obtaining communication-accessible mental health services, including limited provider preparation, communication-related assumptions, and broader structural inequities. Despite growing recognition of these concerns, little research has explored how AAC users experience and navigate mental health counseling or how communication accessibility shapes participation in care.

This single-case study explored communication accessibility within the context of an adult AAC users' experiences accessing and engaging in mental health counseling. …

Building Trust Through Partnership: A Community Advisory Board Self-Evaluation Within A Blackfeet Nation Community-Based Participatory Research Collaboration, Lauren Dupuis

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Community Advisory Boards (CABs) are frequently used within community-based participatory research (CBPR) to promote community engagement, shared decision-making, and cultural responsiveness. Although CABs are widely utilized in Indigenous research partnerships, relatively few studies have evaluated CAB function from the perspectives of Indigenous community members. Our study describes the development of a CAB established through a collaborative partnership between the University of Montana and the Blackfeet Nation and evaluates the quality and impact of the partnership from the perspectives of CAB members. We conducted a mixed-methods partnership self-evaluation with members of a CAB supporting an Indigenous healthcare research initiative. Three of …

"More Boldly I Shall Go:" Jacobites, Hanoverians, And The Fabrication Of Nostalgia, 1745-1766, Jacob Louis Shropshire

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This study investigates how Jacobites and Hanoverians constructed competing forms of nostalgia, identity, and political meaning in the decades after the rebellion of 1745. Although the defeat of Prince Charles Edward Stuart at Culloden ended any realistic hope of a Stuart restoration, it sparked a cultural struggle in which both supporters and opponents of the Stuarts depicted the Highlander as a symbol of heroic resistance or barbarism. A psychic struggle emerged as a result, and the Highlander became beloved by Jacobites and loathed by Hanoverians. These representations circulated through paintings, engravings, clothing, glassware, newspapers, pamphlets, and verse, which became central …

Thistlebloom Moondog, Gary W. Jensen

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

An aging grieving artist decides to write a memoir as part of a self-healing process, using samples of song lyrics from his extensive collection of original Americana songs as narrative prompts.  Steeped in wanderlust, aspiration, paradox and dysfunction, his is a tale of vexing sub-clinical troubles rooted in the mire of developmental and religious trauma.

The Experience Of A Single Parent Participating In Child-Parent Relationship Therapy: An Instrumental Single-Case Study, Matthew Nicholas Schramm

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Traditional family structures in the United States have shifted significantly, with single-parent households facing systemic barriers that increase parental stress and strain the parent-child relationship. As this bond is critical for healthy child development, accessible mental health support is essential for these families (Parache et al., 2023).

Child Parent Relationship Therapy (CPRT), a ten-week evidence-based program, strengthens this bond by training caregivers to use play as a therapeutic tool (Landreth & Bratton, 2020). This instrumental single case study (Stake, 1995) examined one single-parent's experience of CPRT delivered in a condensed four-week telehealth format, addressing the limited representation of single-parent households …

Empowering Rural Lgbtq2s+ Parents: An Exploration Of Perinatal Social Support And Perinatal Mental Health, Tess Alexandra Carlson

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs), which include depression and anxiety symptoms occurring during pregnancy and up to one year postpartum, are highly prevalent and frequently untreated, severely impacting family health. The immediacy of this issue is backed by CDC data showing mental health issues as the leading cause of pregnancy-related deaths. Improved methods for identifying PMADs, connecting parents to care, and understanding the broader social factors that shape perinatal mental health are critical. Guided by ecological systems theory, this dissertation research explores informal and formal social support and perinatal mental health among LGBTQ2S+ parents in Montana, contributing knowledge of …

Preserving Their Institutions While Living Among Strangers: Heritage Adaptation Exhibited Within Missoula, Montana’S Chinese Community, 1860 – 1940, Sophia Hattie Etier

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This dissertation by publication reconstructs the history, cultural institutions, and adaptive strategies of Missoula, Montana’s Chinese community between 1860 and 1940, arguing that the population underwent a long-term, multi-generational process of heritage adaptation shaped by exclusion, isolation, and demographic decline. Drawing from Kalervo Oberg’s 1954 culture shock model, the study proposes a new theoretical framework—heritage shock—that extends the four-stage adjustment process from individuals to cultural communities. This model demonstrates how diasporic populations collectively navigate periods of arrival, crisis, adjustment, and long-term adaptation when confronted with sustained external pressures. Using an interdisciplinary methodology that integrates archival research, archaeological and faunal analysis, …

Effectiveness Of Behavioral Cough Suppression Therapy In A Closed Enrollment Group Telehealth Delivery Model And Comparison To A Rolling Enrollment, Kinsey Louise Roberts

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Background:

Refractory chronic cough (RCC) is a subtype of chronic cough (CC) that persists

despite guideline-based treatment and can negatively affect quality of life. Behavioral cough

suppression therapy (BCST), typically delivered by speech-language pathologists (SLPs), is an

effective treatment for RCC. However, access to BCST remains limited due to geographic

barriers and a shortage of trained providers. Group-based telehealth may help expand access to

treatment. This study evaluated the effectiveness of BCST delivered via telehealth using

a closed enrollment group model and compared outcomes to a rolling enrollment group model.

Methods:

In this prospective sequential cohort study 32 participants attended …

Winding Roads: A Qualitative Phenomenological Study Of Female Educational Leadership, Nicole Casper

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The experiences of female superintendents were examined in this study to provide insight into the commonalities in their leadership journeys within public school organizations. A phenomenological, qualitative approach, aligned with Moustakas’s (1994) framework, was used to explore participants’ shared experiences. Comprehensive interviews were conducted with 17 female superintendents serving during the 2022–2023, 2023–2024, and/or 2024–2025 academic years in the states of Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. Through phenomenological reduction, three overarching commonalities emerged: (a) barriers, (b) challenges, and (c) supporting factors. The findings illuminate how organizational, societal, and gendered influences interact to shape female leadership advancement toward assistant superintendent or …

Instructor Created Video: Differences In Perception Of Administrative Support In Respiratory Care, Brian Daniel Cayko

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Background: The recent proliferation of online education has highlighted the need to reduce transactional distance and increase the community of inquiry presence between the instructor and students and between students. This quantitative non-experimental study examined the differences in perception of administrative support for instructor-created video (ICV) between faculty and administrators within Commission on Accreditation of Respiratory Care (CoARC) higher education programs of Respiratory Care. Methodology: The Difference in Perception of Administrative Support (DPAS) survey was utilized to collect data from 93 valid participants through a snowball sampling method. Analysis was performed using an independent samples t test and Cohen's d …

Beyond Words: The Horse-Human Encounter In Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy For Residential Substance Use Treatment, Leah Finch Lungren

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Equine-assisted psychotherapy (EAP) has emerged as a promising experiential therapeutic intervention, yet the lived experience of adults participating in EAP within residential substance use disorder (SUD) treatment settings remains underexplored. This hermeneutic phenomenological study examined the lived experience of 12 adults who participated in EAP groups during residential SUD treatment across three treatment facilities in the United States. The primary research question was: What is the lived experience of participating in EAP for adults in residential SUD treatment? Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed through iterative hermeneutic interpretation guided by van Manen’s (1990) existential framework.

Six themes emerged …

Peer Mentorship Among Women Staff In Higher Education Organizations: A Phenomenological Study, Katherine Marie Booher

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The role of higher education within U.S. society has broadened. As colleges and universities expand their work beyond the core teaching and research functions, staff become more involved in mission-delivery than they have been historically. In the past, staff primarily served in supportive roles, but now also lead initiatives such as outreach and community engagement, workforce and economic development, international programs, and more. This broadening mission underscores the importance of staff within the higher education organizations’ mission-delivery functions. However, the execution of this work is hindered by staff attrition in positions primarily filled by women. The current literature on mentorship …

Integrating Hippotherapy Into Interprofessional Aphasia Rehabilitation: A Feasibility Pilot Study, Bethany H. Wenger

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Background and Significance: Stroke remains a leading cause of disability in the United States, affecting over 2.5 million individuals annually. Stroke-related motor and communication deficits often co-occur, increasing challenges for recovery, increasing social isolation, depression, and dependency. Hippotherapy has emerged as a novel treatment approach for neurorehabilitation; however, its application within interprofessional models for individuals with stroke-related motor and communication impairments remains underexplored. This study examines the feasibility, fidelity, and acceptability of an interprofessional intervention using hippotherapy for adults with chronic post-stroke aphasia, the purpose of which is to generate methodological guidance for future controlled trials.

Methods: A non-randomized, single-group …

Integrating Perspectives Of People With Aphasia: A Holistic Approach To Community Aphasia Groups Within An Intensive Comprehensive Aphasia Program, Mckinlee A. Mihelish

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Introduction: People with aphasia (PWA) experience chronic communication deficits that impact daily life. Community Aphasia Groups (CAGs) are commonly used to address these challenges and have demonstrated psychosocial and communicative benefits; however, they lack standardized structure and are implemented with variability across settings. Additionally, much of the existing research focuses on group-level outcomes rather than participant-driven priorities, limiting clinicians’ ability to tailor interventions. This study examined what PWA want from CAG participation and how these priorities may change over time.

Methods: This quantitative study investigated priority changes among PWA participating in a CAG within a summer 2025 Intensive Comprehensive Aphasia …

What Really Matters In Behavioral Cough Suppression Therapy? A Retrospective Look At Targeted Treatment Components, Mary B. Walsh, Laurie Slovarp, Kassidi Heinle, John Quindry, Jane Salois

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Background: 
Refractory chronic cough (RCC) is a prevalent condition that substantially impairs quality of life and is associated with significant physical, psychological, and social burden. Behavioral cough suppression therapy (BCST), delivered by speech-language pathologists, is an evidence-based nonpharmacologic intervention shown to improve cough-related quality of life. However, variability exists in how BCST is implemented, and the relative contribution of specific treatment components remains unclear.

Objective: 
To evaluate the effectiveness of a BCST program implemented in a community otolaryngology clinic that emphasizes consistent suppression at the urge-to-cough and neuroplasticity-informed behavioral principles.

Methods: 
This observational retrospective case series examined clinical records of …

An Exploratory Analysis Of The Role Of Sex In Load Carriage, Rachel E. Perez, Dustin R. Slivka, Brent C. Ruby

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Axially loaded weight may impose a metabolic demand equivalent to that of fat mass (FM) during load carriage. Males (M) typically have a lower body fat percentage than females (F), resulting in metabolic demand differences during load carriage that may be mitigated by accounting for FM in pack loads. PURPOSE: To determine whether normalizing pack load to FM equalizes metabolic cost across sexes during load carriage. METHODS: Twenty-eight participants (14M, 23 ± 5 y, 1.81 ± 0.07 m, 78.7 ± 10.0 kg, 12.7 ± 5.4% body fat, VO₂peak 4.18 ± 0.54 L·min^-1; 14F, 22 ± 4 …

The Laymen's Conceptualization Of The “Safe Space”, Tiffany A. Nord

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The term "safe space" appears frequently across academic, organizational, therapeutic, and social contexts, yet lacks conceptual clarity. While originating from LGBTQ+ and women's activist movements, contemporary usage has expanded without theoretical development, making it confusing and challenging to effectively implement for researchers and practitioners alike. This two-phase qualitative study examined how individuals define safe spaces. Phase 1 employed an open-ended questionnaire with 62 general population participants. Phase 2 involved semi-structured interviews with 22 self-identified LGBTQ+ individuals. Data were analyzed using a constructivist grounded theory methodology. Findings revealed five core elements: specified setting, enacting responsiveness, allowing candor, perceiving security, and sensing …