Digital Commons Network^™

Ka Lei No Kane: The Whole Libretto, Harvey Hess

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

No abstract provided.

The Historical Persistence Of Working-Class Culture: How Laborers Created The Ethical Foundation Of Western Civilization, Kenneth Atkinson

Faculty Publications

This article highlights four historical events that shape our present: the world’s first industrial strike in ancient Egypt to protest workers’ health and safety; working-class efforts to improve labor conditions during the Roman Republic and Middle Ages through strikes and the creation of guilds; the social justice activism of the prophets of Western religions (all working-class folks!); and the creation of the selfie and the transition from a culture of character to our present obsession with celebrities and individualism that began during the Renaissance. Each case highlights unique features of working-class culture, working class reactions to societal changes, and the …

Sesquicentennial Commencement [Program], May 15-16, 2026, University Of Northern Iowa

UNI Commencement Programs

Contents:

Brief History of UNI --- 2
Board of Regents --- 3
Institutional Leadership --- 3
Ceremony Symbols & Traditions --- 4
Commencement Over the Years --- 6
University Honors Program --- 8
Graduation with Honors --- 8
Legacy Graduates --- 8
Military Science --- 9
Merchant Scholarship --- 9
Outstanding Student Leader --- 9
Commencement Student Speakers --- 9
Purple and Old Gold Awards --- 10
Lux Service Award --- 11
7 p.m. Program --- 13
College of Education --- 15
David W. Wilson College of Business --- 22
10 a.m. Program --- 29
College of Humanities, Arts & …

Aging Across Cultures: How Cultural Attitudes Shape Senior Care In Japan And The United States, Ella Gunn, Melinda Heinz

INSPIRE Student Research and Engagement Conference

This study examines how cultural perceptions of aging influence the structure and delivery of care for older adults in Japan and the United States. By comparing cultural attitudes, this study identifies implications for senior care in each country. While cross-cultural studies comparing senior care systems exist, many lack the cultural context that shapes expectations about aging and care. This work focuses on this distinction. Results revealed 2 major themes: (1) Perception of burden with a subtheme of fear of burdening others, and (2) Perception of successful aging with a subtheme of aging as contentment vs. engagement. U.S. participants reflected an …

Tradition, Transition, & Identity: Models Of Masculinity In Marvel Superhero Films, Mikey Brown

INSPIRE Student Research and Engagement Conference

• Media & Film
  • Shapes cultural values, social expectations and ideas about identity
• Marvel Cinematic Universe
  • One of the most influential forces in todays pop culture (Johnson 2012)
• Masculinity & Adolescence
  • Adolescence use media to understand identity & social expectations

Missing Children: The Underrepresentation Of Youth In Mental Health Data, Sammie Mcdonald

INSPIRE Student Research and Engagement Conference

While research continues to grow, it is apparent that there are still gaps in knowledge. This research was inspired by my ongoing internship at Allen Child Protection Center, where I have seen children left behind for not recognizing an outdated radio during cognitive testing, as well as my experience as a fraternal twin with a 10 year diagnosis gap between me and my brother. This led me to investigate diagnostic disparities in children’s mental health data.

To better understand if children are experiencing mental health diagnosis disparities, I am analyzing 9 waves of data from the Substance Abuse and Mental …

College Student Perceptions Of Death, Shelby Brubaker, Melinda Heinz

INSPIRE Student Research and Engagement Conference

The purpose of this study was to understand college student perceptions of death. Undergraduate students were invited to participate in a focus group about their perceptions of death. Three focus groups were held and a total of nine students participated, all of whom had majors in the social sciences. All participants were women and approximately 55% were non-religious and 55% reported they were spiritual. Braun and Clarke’s reflexive thematic approach was used to code focus group transcriptions. Three themes were identified: 1) Family and Religious Influences: One participant said, “I think it is less of how religion has shaped …

Conversations On The Wall: Using Public Art To Destigmatize Discussions Of Death, Hope Thurm, Melinda Heinz

INSPIRE Student Research and Engagement Conference

Starting as a participatory mural in New Orleans, Candy Chang’s Before I Die project has been recreated in over 75 countries. Inspired by her work, the purpose of this project was to encourage students to reflect on mortality and life aspirations publicly. A temporary mural on a college campus was built as part of an honors gerontology class, Families and End-of-Life Issues to encourage interactive reflections about mortality. The mural was up for one week, each side was stenciled with “Before I Die, I Want To ___” and blank white lines for the public to fill in their aspirations with …

The Impact Of Teacher Burnout On Learning Ability In Elementary Children With Aces, Kassidy Lake Patterson

INSPIRE Student Research and Engagement Conference

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) impact individuals both psychologically and physically into adulthood. Children with ACEs often face challenges in learning, emotional regulation, and behavioral outbursts. Consequently, teachers supporting these students may experience Secondary Traumatic Stress and burnout. This examines the relationship between teacher burnout and students' ACEs. Using a mixed-methods approach guided by the Transactional model, the research discusses Allostatic Load and Toxic Stress theories. Teachers in the Waterloo area (n=10) completed the Professional Quality of Life Survey and the Trauma Informed Education Knowledge Survey. Findings indicate that teachers exhibit moderate burnout levels and possess high trauma knowledge, particularly those …

Predictors Of Prejudice Towards People With Tattoos, Jordan Smith, Helen Harton

INSPIRE Student Research and Engagement Conference

Tattoos continue to hold negative connotations, despite the increasing popularity of tattoos. In this study, we investigated potential correlates of negative attitudes toward tattoos to better understand this bias. Perceptions that people with tattoos were a threat and different from participants were better predictors than personality, similar to research on correlates of other prejudices.

Effects Of Race & Tattoo Status On Criminality Judgements, Gabriella Haddad, Madelyn Wells, Helen Harton

INSPIRE Student Research and Engagement Conference

310 Prolific participants viewed eight AI-generated images of men who appeared to be Asian, Hispanic, Black, or White who were "suspects in an ongoing investigation." Participants viewed one of the two targets for each ethnic group, one with an arm tattoo and one without. Participants rated each target on characteristics such as intelligence, competency, and trustworthiness, and rated how likely they think it was that the target was the perpetrator. Men without a tattoo were rated more positively than those with a tattoo across all four racial/ethnic groups. Hispanic men, with or without a tattoo, were rated the most negatively. …

Csbs Kudos, Spring 2026, University Of Northern Iowa. College Of Social And Behavioral Sciences.

CSBS Kudos

Contents:

--- Faculty Accolades
--- Retirements - Ken Atkinson, Gregory Bruess, Todd Evans, Mark Grey, James Hall, Wallace Hettle, Mary Losch
--- Promotions - Disa Cornish, Tyler O'Brien, Jayme Renfro, Eran Hanke, Kyle Endres
--- In Memoriam - Mary Louise Franken, John Johnson, Susan Welch, Charlotte C. Wells
--- $1.22 million grant to UNI’s Center for Civic Education
--- University of Northern Iowa receives $2.4 million grant to launch Humanities Hub
--- UNI announces restructuring to strengthen humanities and public service education
--- UNI launches online non-thesis Master of Arts in Geography
--- UNI teacher education program continues to boast …

Predictors Of Prejudice Towards People With Tattoos, Jordan Smith, Helen C. Harton

Research in the Capitol

Thirty-two percent of Americans have at least one tattoo (Schaeffer, K., 2023), up from 16% about twenty years earlier (Harris Poll, 2003). Despite this growing popularity, tattooed individuals are still viewed more negatively than those without tattoos. People with tattoos are perceived as being less inhibited, less competent, having worse character, less sociable, and more sexually promiscuous (Broussard & Harton, 2018). Tattoos are also one of the few physical characteristics that can be legally discriminated against in workplaces. Fewer than 30% of employers in beauty, hospitality, and office sectors are willing to hire someone with a tattoo. (Zestcott et al., …

Effects Of Race And Tattoo Status On Criminality Judgements, Madelyn Wells, Gabriella Haddad, Helen C. Harton

Research in the Capitol

310 Prolific participants viewed eight AI-generated images of men who appeared to be Asian, Hispanic, Black, or White who were "suspects in an ongoing investigation." Participants viewed one of the two targets for each ethnic group, one with an arm tattoo and one without. Participants rated each target on characteristics such as intelligence, competency, and trustworthiness, and rated how likely they think it is that the target is the perpetrator. AI men without a tattoo were rated higher on positive characteristics, for all four races. Hispanics were rated the lowest, with or without a tattoo.

The Role Of Parent Involvement In Enhancing Pediatric Speech And Language Therapy, Katie Lynch, Kenneth Bleile

Research in the Capitol

As speech-language pathologists we provide speech and language therapy for children in a variety of settings. It is crucial to include the client’s family in therapy because family involvement has been shown to promote generalization of skills learned in therapy to a child’s typical environment. Despite this, there are a variety of barriers that exist for families as they try to support their child’s speech and language goals. A literature review will be conducted in an effort to understand how speech-language pathologists can gain an understanding of these barriers and work to understand how vital family involvement is in pediatric …

20th Annual Research In The Capitol [Program], March 9, 2026, University Of Northern Iowa. University Honors Program. Iowa State University. Honors Program. University Of Iowa. Honors Program.

Research in the Capitol Programs

Program of research presentations given at the Capitol by students from the University of Northern Iowa, Iowa State University, and the University of Iowa.

Adverse Experiences Of D/Deaf Individuals, Lily Buchholz

Graduate Research Papers

With over 1 million people making up the Deaf and hard of hearing community in the United States, this population faces Adverse Childhood Experiences and intimate partner violence at rates higher than the hearing population. D/deaf people experience adversity specifically related to their inability to hear, including discrimination and daily microaggressions. Researching the adverse experiences of the D/deaf population allows for greater awareness to better serve them in professional settings. Clinicians using this information can provide more trauma-informed services, schools can create healthier and safer learning environments for D/deaf students, and D/deaf communities can support each other through connection and …

“Police Power” Or Puppeteer: Us Interventions In Latin America And Its Immigration Crisis, Alison Meagher

Honors Program Theses

No abstract provided.

We Don’T Get Our Voices Heard, We Work: Working-Class Perceptions Of Power And Powerlessness In Iowa, Jadin Grieser

Honors Program Theses

The question this thesis aims to answer is, what power dynamics influence the political behavior of working-class people? Rather than assuming that the working-class has certain interests or should behave in certain ways, this question needs to be answered by looking into how the working-class themselves describe their interests and needs, along with understanding why and how they decide to act or not to act upon those interests and needs. By analyzing how the working-class discusses and perceives politics, this thesis expands upon theoretical understandings of powerlessness and political behavior through observing how perceptions shape and reinforce powerlessness within the …

Digital Gender Based Violence: A Comparative Study Between Bangladesh & The United States, Ireen Parvin

Graduate Research Papers

No abstract provided.

Clinical And Community-Based Recovery Models: The Focus On How They Can Be Better Together, Alicia Wilder

Graduate Research Papers

Two of the main pathways for individuals to access recovery services are clinical and community-based. The clinical model focuses on medical stabilization and treatment, followed by community-based care that provides peer-driven support and sustainability through connection. The purpose is to examine how recovery models aim to support those in recovery and pinpoint the ways they can integrate medical and social systems to meet client needs. Comparing the two will allow us to understand how each model supports sustained recovery and overall well-being. The question that will be researched in this study is: How do acute clinical treatment and community- based …

Social Media Usage And Its Effects On Adolescent Mental Health, Kloey K. Thill

Graduate Research Papers

As social media increasingly becomes incorporated in many daily routines of adolescents, there is a growing concern about the psychological impacts associated with problematic social media use. This research study explores the relationship between social media habits and mental health outcomes among adolescents. The research found by conducting a comprehensive literature review indicates associations between problematic social media use and mental health outcomes including anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and poor sleep quality. Further research raises the question of whether there are different vulnerabilities and outcomes across different demographics of adolescents. Findings from this research study can be used when creating …

The Multidimensional Impacts Of Poverty On Adolescent Outcomes, Klarence Baker

Graduate Research Papers

Poverty is a pervasive, multidimensional phenomenon that extends beyond financial scarcity to encompass a lack of both tangible and intangible resources necessary for healthy development. This research article synthesizes current literature to explore the profound impacts of poverty on adolescents specifically examining how economic hardship influences long term outcomes in financial attainment, educational success, and physical and mental health. This study investigates how cooccurring risk factors can disrupt neural development and social trajectories. The primary purpose of this study is to assess the duration and severity of poverty exposure and its lasting effects extending into adulthood. This research examines three …

The Role Of Parent Involvement In Enhancing Pediatric Speech And Language Therapy, Katie Lynch

Honors Program Theses

As speech-language pathologists, we provide speech and language therapy for children in a variety of settings. It is crucial that we include a client’s family in therapy because family involvement has been shown to promote generalization of skills learned in therapy to a child’s typical environment. Despite this, various barriers exist for families as they aim to support their child’s speech and language goals. This literature review examines how speech-language pathologists can gain an understanding of these barriers and how they can promote family involvement in pediatric speech and language therapy.

Peers, Programs, And Prevention: A Holistic Approach To Adolescent Suicide In Schools, Kate Nelson

Graduate Research Papers

Adolescent suicide is the second leading cause of death among adolescents in the U.S. and is a growing public health concern. Schools are often the most accessible way for students to access mental health support. This makes them uniquely positioned to intervene when a student is experiencing suicidal ideation. Schools are a key environment for implementing suicide prevention strategies and providing education on suicide and depression. This paper reviews four evidence-based school-based suicide prevention programs, including Signs of Suicide (SOS), Youth Aware of Mental Health (YAM), Hope Squad, and Sources of Strength. The paper also examines the concept of school …

A Culturally And Linguistically Responsive Multi-Tiered System Of Supports For Emergent Bilingual Students With And Without Disabilities, Ben Christensen

Graduate Research Papers

No abstract provided.

Harm Reduction Awareness And Perceived Norms Around Cannabis Usage Among College Students, Tiana Selimagic

Honors Program Theses

Harm reduction refers to behaviors that are used to reduce the harmful risks or negative consequences that are associated with using drugs and aim to protect individuals. Research indicates that harm reduction strategies associated with cannabis are scarce, but that college students may be unaware of these behaviors since the legalization of cannabis in many U.S. states. However, there are gaps within research in regards to if college students are unaware of harm reduction strategies or if the perception of cannabis-use related harm reduction effectiveness or if there is a social norm aspect that relates to using these strategies. The …

Dementia Related Programs: A Case Study Of Spousal Care And Mental Health, Candace Hoisington

Honors Program Theses

This research paper explores the experiences of informal caregivers of people living with dementia. Focusing on topics such as mental health, caregiver education, and access to supportive resources within dementia related programs. The current literature highlights significant gaps in caregiver education and access to resources for spousal and older adult informal caregivers. A qualitative study was conducted by surveying informal caregivers from the Cedar Valley, Iowa area. Analysis of the survey results included use of Braun and Clarke’s (2020) six-step thematic analysis approach. Results found from four participants caused four major themes to emerge. The informal caregivers identified friends and …

Dynamic Social Impact Theory And The Consolidation And Dispersal Of Clusters In Squid Game: The Challenge, Adrienne Darrah, Robert J. Darrah

Iowa Journal of Communication

This study utilizes a dynamic social impact theory (DSIT) framework to analyze human influence on the popular Netflix television series Squid Game: The Challenge. A British reality competition, Squid Game: The Challenge is comprised of ten-episodes and features 456 contestants vying for $4.56 million. As contestants self-organize into social alliances, their shared attitudes, beliefs, and values transform the physical space into a dynamic social space. The creation of clusters through these alliances, the correlation between contestant attitudes and behaviors, and the consolidation of contestant attitudes and behaviors reflective of alliance needs is reinforced by the physical proximity of contestants, the …

Understanding Dementia Challenges In Rural Ghana: A Systematic Review, Diana Maame Agyeiwaa Agyei, Sesi Sedegah, Abena Abokoma Asemanyi, Theresa Ayertey, Wendy Yeboah

Iowa Journal of Communication

Dementia poses an escalating public health challenge in Ghana due to an expanding aging population, yet rural awareness remains critically low. Guided by Mohan Dutta’s Culture-Centered Approach (CCA), this PRISMA-compliant qualitative systematic review synthesized ten peer-reviewed articles to examine cultural perceptions and lived experiences surrounding dementia in rural Ghana. The findings highlight that cognitive decline is widely misattributed to witchcraft or normalized as standard aging. Witchcraft misconceptions subject individuals—especially older women—to severe stigmatization, social exclusion, physical abuse, and banishment to "witch camps". Meanwhile, normalizing symptoms as ordinary aging delays critical medical care and shifts family decision-making away from patients. Furthermore, …