Digital Commons Network^™

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 …

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.

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 …

I Saw This On Tiktok: Examining The Nature Of Memorable Health-Related Messages On Tiktok, Andrea L. Meluch, Rhiannon Kallis

Iowa Journal of Communication

This qualitative study examines the foci and characteristics of health-related TikTok videos users find memorable. Specifically, this analysis applies the theory of memorable messages to understand what types of health-related messages on social media are memorable to users and the impact of these messages on health-related behaviors. Participants included college students who use TikTok and recalled a memorable health-related TikTok video. Participants identified (a) exercise and fitness, (b) nutrition and diet, and (c) mental health as the most common memorable health-related topics in TikTok videos. Study findings also indicated that participants often have a strong emotional reaction to memorable content …

His Cues, Her Cues: Teaching Presence, Gender, And Relational Impressions In Online Learning, Kyle R. Vareberg, Ryan Goke, Ian Berry, Maranda Goke, Stephanie Kelly

Iowa Journal of Communication

Online courses are increasingly common and taken more frequently by students, yet students' perceptions of them may portray instructors as invisible and uninvolved. Drawing on social information processing theory, we argue that cues intended to signal course design are also interpreted relationally. Teaching presence, the work instructors do to be “present” in the online environment, is not merely instructional structure: it is relational communication embedded in course design. This study explored whether teaching presence and students' perceptions of immediacy and credibility are related, and whether those relationships differ by student gender. Using a cross-sectional survey, we divided our sample into …

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 …

The Need To Prioritize Educating Special Educators On Augmentative And Alternative Communication Systems, Natalie Owens

Graduate Research Papers

As alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices continue to be present in classrooms, it is vital for special educators to have a grasp of the potential systems they could interact with. Existing literature has indicated three main themes among special educators and their relation to AAC systems: a lack of preservice training, poor in-field experiences relating to collaboration and deficiencies in educational resources, and little understanding of evidence-based interventions and their implementations. It will be shown that through the continued absence of AAC systems in preservice training, special educators’ knowledge and skill set will help future students suffer. This synthesis …

Autoethnography On Being A Queer Science Teacher In The Midwest, Emily Gomez

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the experiences of a queer teacher in the Midwest. It examines how my identity, community, and professional practice intersect within the schools I taught that had traditional cultural norms. Through analysis of key moments in my personal journals and school emails, this study highlights the complexities of navigating visibility, safety, and authenticity in the classroom while teaching science.

The research examines experiences in teaching science and advocating for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) inclusion, including the formation of a student organization, the Gay–Straight Alliance (GSA). The data provides insight into …

Factors Affecting Dating Violence In Adolescence, Madison Darrah

Graduate Research Papers

Prior research has named many risk and protective factors associated with adolescent dating violence (ADV). However, comparatively little research has examined how substance use intersects with these risk and protective factors or how effective interventions can be designed to address both issues of substance use and ADV simultaneously. The purpose of the current study is to examine the relationship between substance use and ADV, with a particular focus on perpetration of ADV during adolescence. This literature review synthesizes existing research to identify factors associated with ADV, evaluate theoretical frameworks that explain ADV, and examine how substance use contributes to ADV …

Echoes Of The Nation: Janáček, Bartók, And The Articulation Of Central European Identity In Opera, Elyse Morris

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This thesis examines how opera functioned as a medium for articulating and negotiating national identity in the final decades of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Focusing on Leoš Janáček’s Jenůfa (1904) and Béla Bartók’s Bluebeard’s Castle (1911), it explores how composers employed dramatic structure, linguistic choice, and musical language to construct culturally specific forms of expression within a rapidly shifting political and social landscape. Drawing on approaches from musicology and cultural history, the study considers how operatic works not only reflect national identity but actively participate in its formation.

Through analysis of libretto, language, and musical style, this thesis demonstrates that both …

Predictors Of Prejudice Towards People With Tattoos, Jordan Smith

Honors Program Theses

Thirty-two percent of Americans have at least one tattoo (Schaeffer, 2023), and many of them experience discrimination. The purpose of this study was to examine potential correlates of this prejudice. 251 participants completed a survey online that assessed their attitudes towards people with tattoos along with variables that have previously been associated with other types of prejudice. Perceived threat was the strongest predictor of prejudiced attitudes. Participants who reported greater prejudice also reported greater perceptions that tattooed people were different from themselves, higher levels of authoritarianism and lower levels of agreeableness. Older people and those without tattoos also reported greater …

Music Education In My Band Room: A Personal Philosophy Statement, Dorothy Roorda

Honors Program Theses

I want to be the best band director I can be. As a pre-service music educator, I have received countless hours of instruction in content knowledge. At the end of the degree program, music education majors are certified to teach K-12 music of any kind. To receive that certification, we take dozens of classes in our content area. We are taught how to teach every band instrument, how to lead choirs, jazz bands, and marching bands, how to conduct and how to sing, how to play our primary instrument and many others. We spend hours in practice rooms, honing our …

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

Honors Program Theses

The purpose of this study is to examine 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 already exist, many lack the cultural context that shapes expectations about aging and care. This work focuses on this distinction. Ten individuals ranging in age from 21 to 83 participated in interviews about their perceptions of aging: five with an American background and five with a Japanese background. The interviews …

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.

"That's Just Not Who I Am": Rejection Of The Good Mother Ideology And Other Tools Used By Homeschool Moms To Navigate Motherhood, Gina S. Reynolds

Iowa Journal of Communication

Studying mothers often focuses on the mother-child dynamic rather than the mother as a person. Mother types, such as working mothers, often are singled out for study. One mother that is rarely considered is the homeschool mother. In homeschooling, the mother typically takes the active role in educating the children, and she receives little attention as a person (Lois, 2016). This study examines how these mother/teachers navigate their motherhood. Nine online discussions with 26 homeschooling mothers revealed strong connections to self-efficacy and agency. Agency and self-efficacy contributed to the mother’s ability to navigate and manage the tension between her needs …

Reproducing Audiovisual And Representational Dissonance: Translating Foreign Telenovela Into Twinovela, Nancy A. Frimpong

Iowa Journal of Communication

This article examines the production processes and cultural implications of adapting foreign telenovelas into "Twinovela"— serialized foreign dramas dubbed into Akan—on Ghanaian television. Focusing on Adom TV and United Television (UTV), the study explores how dubbing practices challenge traditional notions of indigenous media by merging global and local cultural narratives. Using ethnographic research methods, including interviews, participant observation, and institutional discourses, the analysis delves into recruitment strategies, translational practices, and the creative process of dubbing. The study highlights the sociocultural dynamics of Akan language use, the role of linguistic norms, and the integration of Ghanaian cultural motifs to ensure audience …

Amplifying African Immigrant Women's Voices: Self-Advocacy And Competency In Maternal Healthcare Communication In The United States, Sahar Khamis, Faith Otchere, Delight Agboada

Iowa Journal of Communication

This qualitative study examines African immigrant women’s access to maternal health information (MHI), resources, and services in the United States (U.S.), the barriers and challenges they encounter when accessing and utilizing these resources, and strategies for overcoming these challenges. The study explored how African immigrant women access and share MHI, the degree of agency they exhibit in accessing maternal care, and how their participation in the study’s focus group discussions (FGDs) shaped their perceived competence and advocacy regarding maternal healthcare in the United States. Fourteen African women currently living in the United States participated in FGDs. Through these FGDs, 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, …

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 …

On The Surface: The Mural Of Shireen Abu Akleh As Space For Encounter, Saja Abd El Hai

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This thesis examines a mural of Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in the city of Baqa al-Gharbiya as a site of political encounter. Rather than approaching the mural solely as a commemorative image, the study analyzes how it generated a series of interactions through acts of creation, defacement, restoration, performance, and digital circulation. Drawing on scholarship in visual culture, graffiti studies, and political theory, I argue that the mural operates as a gendered space of political encounter through which grief, resistance, and national identity are negotiated in public space. Methodologically, the project combines visual and contextual analysis with rhetorical criticism, …

Examining The Current And Potential Impacts Of Erosion, Flooding, And Permafrost Thaw On Small Businesses In The Lower Kuskokwim Basin, Alaska, Dela Yao Agbagba

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Climate change has intensified hazards such as flooding, erosion, and permafrost thaw in Arctic Communities, threatening small business buildings, disrupting operations, and reducing income. Small businesses are important to these communities because they provide essential goods and services and support local economic activity. Understanding their vulnerability and adaptation needs is therefore important for sustaining communities in the Lower Kuskokwim Basin, Alaska.

This study used GIS spatial analysis and content analysis as its two main methods, supported by a limited number of semi-structured interviews. A spatial database of 78 businesses across seven Alaska Native Communities was developed, and flood susceptibility was …

Are Iowa Pk-12 Schools Prepared For A School Shooting? A Needs Assessment Of Iowa Superintendents, Kurt Mj Devore

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

As school shootings remain a persistent threat to PK-12 education, this quantitative survey study examines the preparedness levels and beliefs of 75 out of 277 Iowa superintendents regarding active shooter events. In the wake of the 2024 tragedy in Perry, Iowa, results indicate a near-universal recognition of risk (97.3%), prompting a shift toward "muscle memory" training and the adoption of the Standard Response Protocol (SRP) to ensure a common language during a crisis. The data reveals a significant move away from high-intensity simulations in favor of trauma-informed tabletop exercises, alongside a definitive rejection of arming educators (0%) due to insurance …

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 …

Master's Recital: Anna Godtland, Anna Godtland

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The two purposes of this recital are to partially fulfill the requirements for the Master of Music degree in Jazz Pedagogy and to display proficiency on the drum set, piano, and string bass. Anna Godtland presented her graduate recital on April 27, 2026, at 7:30 PM in Bengtson Auditorium. The recital program included two pieces each on piano, drum set, string bass, and four pieces on trombone. These selections showcased an array of styles and required a variety of skills necessary to fulfill the requirements of the Jazz Pedagogy degree. The recital featured personnel from two UNI jazz combos (Cincopatos …

Can’T Sue A Movement: Greenpeace’S $667 Million Crisis Narrative, Trevor Hart

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

In March of 2025, the environmental group Greenpeace was found liable for nearly $667 million to Energy Transfer, the oil company behind the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL). The lawsuit was widely regarded as a SLAPP, or Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation, because it weaponized civic torts to infringe upon Greenpeace’s First Amendment rights. The $667 million verdict is an unprecedented figure in SLAPP litigation–it’s enough to bankrupt Greenpeace in the United States and “chill” democratic participation. This thesis used a hybrid blame-renewal crisis narrative framework to analyze Greenpeace’s public response to lawsuits against a backdrop of cultural and political economic …

Sexual And Bystander Harassment Among Part-Time Employees: Effects On Work Attitudes, Stress, And Withdrawal, Robert T. Hitlan

Faculty Publications

This study investigated the impact of sexual and bystander harassment experiences on work attitudes, stress, withdrawal, and psychological well-being of part-time employees. Participants included 314 female employees who worked part-time in their organizations. All participants completed a computer-administered workplace experience survey assessing various aspects of their work environment, including personal and bystander harassment experiences, work-related attitudes (supervisor satisfaction, coworker satisfaction, and general job stress), work behaviors (work and job withdrawal), and psychological well-being. Experiences of sexual harassment and bystander harassment were predicted to be negatively related to satisfaction and psychological health and positively related to stress and withdrawal. Both forms …

Commencement [Program], December 20, 2025, University Of Northern Iowa

UNI Commencement Programs

Contents:

University Organization --- 2
Ceremony Symbols & Traditions --- 3
University Honors Program --- 4
Graduation with Honors --- 4
Legacy Graduates --- 4
Order of Events --- 5
College of Education --- 6
College of Humanities, Arts & Sciences --- 12
College of Social & Behavioral Sciences --- 19
David W. Wilson College of Business --- 26
Division of Online Education & Individual Studies --- 31
UNI Alma Mater --- 34

Introduction To The Special Issue, “Forgiveness Education Around The World: Considerations, Benefits, And Approaches”, Suzanne Freedman

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Uni Scholarworks Readership Snapshot, October 2025, Bepress

Library Documents & Reports (entire collection)

No abstract provided.