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 …

Building Value And Maintaining Engagement In State-Level Professional Associations, Steve A. Stuglin, Paul R. Raptis

Iowa Journal of Communication

Engagement with international, national, regional, and state professional associations provides invaluable experiences for scholars at any level, and many scholars maintain several memberships throughout their careers. Each level of association offers different things to members, though, and not every association should be trying to fill the same role or to meet every need. Those interested in the future for a state association should identify what role that association fills, what it can provide, and for which audiences. State associations are best positioned to offer a high-value and low-barrier means of engagement, targeting students and junior professionals for membership and participation. …

General Music Methods’ Effect On Sel Development: A Review Of Literature, Tessa M. Hansen

Graduate Research Papers

In an increasingly digital world, the demand for social-emotional learning (SEL) in the classroom has become a priority for holistic student development. While music education is often cited as a tool for emotional growth, there is a lack of synthesized research examining how specific, established music pedagogies facilitate these competencies. This literature review investigates the intersection of five foundational music methods–Orff-Schulwerk, Kodály, Suzuki, Dalcroze, and Gordon’s Music Learning Theory (MLT) – and their impact on the five core SEL competencies: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.

Findings indicate that the Orff-Schulwerk and Kodály methods provide robust frameworks …

Iowa Journal Of Communication, Volume 58, Number 1, Fall 2026 [Download Entire Issue]

Iowa Journal of Communication

No abstract provided.

Is Kamala Brat? Counteracting Persuasion Resistance With Authenticity On Tiktok, Shannon Pappas, Anne Oeldorf-Hirsch, Bailey Quigley

Iowa Journal of Communication

TikTok is the social media app most frequented by Gen Z, yet political candidates have struggled to connect with this audience. However, Kamala Harris’ 2024 U.S. presidential campaign has changed how political candidates interact with potential voters. Through unconventional memes and viral moments, she has connected to Gen Z like no other candidate before her. Based on Persuasion Knowledge Model, an online, between-subjects quasi-experimental survey exposed Gen Z participants (N = 370) to three KamalaHQ TikTok videos employing a combination of TikTok (e.g., trending music, humor) and political campaign strategies (e.g., campaign ad). Results show that video exposure reduced message …

Effects Of Diversity Mixed Messages In Organizational Hiring Websites On Perceived Person-Organization Fit And Application Intention For Entry-Level Applicants, Clementina Edema, Edikan Nkanta, Alexis Noeela Quick, Linda Kabaaula, Alina Niftulaeva, Caleb T. Carr

Iowa Journal of Communication

Organizations frequently incorporate explicit diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) statements and photographs of current employees into their online presence, in part to signal to potential job applicants their ability to ‘fit in’ to the organization, its culture, and its extant members. This two-factor (match between organizational DEI statement and racioethnic diversity of members depicted) experiment (N = 105) tested the effect of diversity mixed messages on applicant perceptions of person-organization fit, accounting for the moderating effects of individuals’ demographics (i.e., race/gender and political lean). Results revealed the consistency of DEI statements and the depictions of current organizational members did not …

Ideological Women And Pursuit Of Political Attitude And Opinion Change In Serial Arguments Within Heterosexual Marriage, Jayne R. Goode, Kendra Knight

Iowa Journal of Communication

Despite the present state of political animus in the U.S., relatively little research has examined how spousal political differences along ideological lines influence marital communication and conflict. This study examines wives’ perception of marital political conflict from the lens of serial arguments. Using a national sample of heterosexual married women, we examine interrelationships among perceived spousal ideological conflict and serial argument goals. We find that both wife’s own political ideology and wife’s perception of husband’s political ideology influence pursuit of serial argument goals. Specifically, the greater degree of self-rated conservatism, the less wives report expressing negativity or dominance/control. The greater …

Liar Stereotypes Among Deaf College Students In The United States, Darrin J. Griffin, Mark G. Frank

Iowa Journal of Communication

This article reports the findings of a study exploring liar stereotypes held by college participants who are Deaf. Inspired by the findings of the Global Deception Research Team’s (2006) study on liar stereotypes across the globe, the authors conducted an exploration of beliefs about liars in a sample of college students who are Deaf and hard of hearing in the United States. For comparison purposes, a hearing sample of college students was also surveyed about their beliefs on this topic. This study further confirms the findings of the World of Lies project in that the pan-cultural belief that liars avert …

Seeking Support After Miscarriage: A Reflexive Thematic Analysis Of Semi-Anonymous Communication On Reddit, Mahtab Talafian

Iowa Journal of Communication

Miscarriage is a deeply stigmatized and emotionally complex experience, often leaving individuals feeling isolated and unsupported. Increasingly, people turn to online communities for connection and assistance after miscarriage, and this has been the focus of research for a while. However, little is known about how they seek support in the presence of anonymity. This study examines the strategies people use to seek social support in the r/Miscarriage subreddit, addressing a gap in both health and communication scholarship. While previous research has shown that individuals use online platforms following miscarriage to seek information, share experiences, and seek emotional validation, this study …

Faith-Based Leadership, Mckenna Hohenadel

Honors Program Theses

The thesis paper that follows centers on the concept of faith-based leadership and its impact on organizational outcomes. Leaders play a critical role in shaping not only the success of an organization but also the experiences and well-being of its employees. This research aims to explore the intersection of Christian faith and leadership, best displayed through three styles of leadership including servant leadership, transformational leadership, and spiritual leadership. The literature review covers these three styles and provides the background information for the empirical research. The empirical research concerns how faith-based leaders manage the relationship between their faith values, their leadership …

“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.

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 …