Digital Commons Network^™

Costume Design And Technology – A Process Of Growth During A Global Pandemic, Heather Gonzalez

Theses and Dissertations

In the best of circumstances, obtaining a Master of Fine Arts in Costume Design and Technology requires dedication and persistence. However, another layer of complication is added when the world shuts down due to a global pandemic. This thesis provides a look at three realized designs and delves into the way in which the pandemic affected my process for each of the designs. I also discuss my growth technologically as a costumer as I examine the class projects and shop work completed. Additionally, I review my growth artistically, and my professional experiences. My thesis provides a look at each facet …

Psychophysiological Biomarkers Of Concussion Recovery, Adam Todd Harrison

Theses and Dissertations

Each ach year a growing number of individuals report lingering deficits months-years following concussion. Persistent post-concussion symptoms (PPCS) can negatively impact day-today activities and if left untreated may manifest in severe neurological sequelae resulting in long-term cognitive impairment or advanced neurological degeneration (i.e., CTE). Current clinical diagnostic and prognostic assessments (e.g., symptom reports and neurocognitive testing) lack the sensitivity to quantify neurological function. Accordingly, there is a critical need to identify objective biomarkers specific to PPCS to improve an individual’s quality of life and prevent severe long-term neurological dysfunction.

Psychophysiological measurements (e.g., EEG derived event-related potentials, heart rate variability, and …

How Decision Makers’ Career Histories Impact The Gender Diversity Of The Ceo Successor Candidate Pool, Andre G. Havrylyshyn

Theses and Dissertations

Scholars have explored when/why women are chosen as CEOs, and what factors explain the presence of women in the TMT, but little is known about when/why firms have women executives in their internal CEO successor candidate pool. This omission is consequential, since there are firm performance benefits to having a woman CEO who is an internal hire, and because being a CEO successor candidate helps ensure a woman executive has had skill-building opportunities that will help her thrive when she becomes CEO. To address this, my dissertation explores two research questions. First, when and why do women directors positively impact …

The Impact Of Content-Specific Virtual Mentoring On Job Satisfaction And Attrition: A Mixed Methods Study Of Delaware Arts Teachers, Rachel M. Hoke

Theses and Dissertations

Teacher attrition is most prevalent among novice teachers and occurs largely as a result of poor job satisfaction. Content-specific mentoring interventions demonstrate effectiveness in combating novice teacher attrition, but are inaccessible by visual and performing arts teachers due to their status as one-person departments within school buildings. This mixed methods action research implemented virtual delivery of content-specific mentoring for novice arts teachers to mitigate geographic isolation throughout the state of Delaware. Research questions assessed (1) the intervention’s impact on attrition intentions, (2) the intervention’s impact on job satisfaction, and (3) perceptions of mentoring by novice and experienced arts teacher participants. …

Teachers’ Value Beliefs And Perceived Barriers Of One-To-One Devices: A Descriptive Study Of Technology Integration At A Middle School For Students With Dyslexia, Deborah Anne Irwin

Theses and Dissertations

One-to-one devices provide the opportunity to develop 21^st century skills, improve academic learning, access information, and increase student independence. Prior to the one-to-one initiative, device use among the teachers of students with dyslexia had included low-level integration. The administration at this site made the decision to implement a one-to-one device program with the intent of increasing how devices were utilized during instruction. This descriptive study explored the value beliefs and perceived barriers held by middle school teachers at a school for students with dyslexia following the implementation of one-to-one devices. This study sought to describe the value beliefs and …

For Colored Girls Who Have Experienced Institutional Racism Because The Discipline Code Is Not Enuf: Principals And Assistant Principals, School Discipline Policies, And Discipline Disparities Faced By Black Girls, Lecinda R. Jennings

Theses and Dissertations

For many years, school discipline has been a research focus, particularly the disparities in discipline between Black and White males. Black girls are suspended at a rate that is 5.3 times that of White girls and approximately the same rate as Black boys. Black girls represent the fastest growing group of students who receive discipline disparities. The goal of this case study was to explore if and how principals and assistant principals contribute to discipline disparities faced by Black girls. I discussed the lived experiences of high school administrators to capture their encounters with race, gender, and the implementation of …

Approaches To Teaching Music Counting To Piano Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Sunghun Kim

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to interview five internationally and nationally recognized professionals currently teaching piano to students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and to explore their approaches to teaching music counting to students with ASD. The interview questionnaire contained 5 sections. Sections 1, 2, and 3 focused on teacher experience and training, studio demographics, and educational curriculum. Sections 4 and 5 of the questionnaire focused on pedagogical practices in teaching music counting to piano students with autism spectrum disorder, including questions regarding pedagogical approaches in teaching meter, rhythm, and steady pulse. Section 6 emphasized pedagogical practices to teach …

The Effects Of Game-Based Learning On The Motivation And Engagement Of Career Technical Education Students In The High School Chemistry Classroom, Samuel Lackey

Theses and Dissertations

The problem of practice in this dissertation in practice focuses on the lack of motivation and engagement exhibited by career technical education (CTE) students within the traditional high school chemistry classroom as a response to textbook and teacher-centered pedagogy. This qualitative action research study utilizes a game-based learning intervention that is ultimately based upon the personal interests and sociocultural discourses of the six case study participants and analyzes its impact on both the motivation and engagement of this particular sample of rural, socioeconomically disadvantaged, CTE secondary students. During the intervention, a total of five chemistry video games were played by …

Coalitional Game Theory For Stormwater Management And Green Infrastructure Practices, Carly Lawyer

Theses and Dissertations

As global warming and climate Variability bring about more frequent and intense rainstorms and accelerate sea level rise, our social and built environments are at heightened risk of flood induced damages and consequent costs. This is particularly true for coastal areas, facing the coupled effects of these threats while serving as home to people, businesses, unique landscapes, and historic landmarks. Complex decisions at all levels of government and community planning stand to benefit from increased understanding of possible outcomes and pathways resulting from decentralized human behavior and decision making in the realm of water resources engineering and management. Game theory …

Effectiveness Of An Ecowellness Intervention For College Aged Individuals With A Developmental Disability, Olivia Jean Lewis

Theses and Dissertations

Nature has the ability to heal many psychological wounds from anxiety and depression, stress, post traumatic stress disorder, and behavioral concerns. As a result, clinicians are recognizing the power of nature as a tool in the healing process. The purpose of this dissertation, which consists of one completed systematic review and a multiple probe single case study is to (a) provide background information on the current literature regarding nature, (b) create a manualized EcoWellness treatment intervention, and (c) test the effectiveness of the treatment intervention in order to provide practicing counselors with a potential new intervention to increase psychological wellbeing …

Assessing Identification Of Newly Diagnosed Breast Cancer Patients For Referral To Genetic Counseling, Corinne Marie Locke

Theses and Dissertations

Since 1998, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines have specified clinical indications for genetic testing for breast cancer susceptibility genes, but retrospective studies have shown that, despite meeting the NCCN criteria, patients are not always advised of the option of genetic testing. Further compounding this issue, studies have shown that cancer family history intake and documented family history can be incomplete even when taken by oncology providers. At this study site and other cancer centers in the country, patients with a new diagnosis of breast cancer are referred for genetic counseling by their cancer care team if they are …

Photophysics And Electronic Properties Of Photochromic Metal-Organic Frameworks, Corey R. Martin

Theses and Dissertations

Modulation of materials properties through light-based illumination has the capability to expand the technology sector due to stimuli-responsive dynamic behavior that cannot be achieved in traditional materials. For example, reversibly tuning photophysical profiles of such materials allows for switching between discrete states that is a key aspect for the developing logic gates, spatially- and temporally-resolved sensors, and on-demand drug delivery systems. My efforts have focused on employment of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as a versatile platform for the material development which contain photochromic moieties allowing for tailoring their electronic properties. Our group has expanded this direction to include heterometallic and actinide-containing …

The Existence And Quantum Approximation Of Optimal Pure State Ensembles, Ryan Thomas Mcgaha

Theses and Dissertations

In this manuscript we study entanglement measures defined via the convex roof construction. In the first chapter we build the notion of an entanglement measure from the ground up and discuss various issues that arise when trying to measure the amount of entanglement present in an arbitrary density operator. Through this introduction we will motivate the use of the convex roof construction. In the second chapter we will show that the infimum in the convex roof construction is achieved for a specific set of entanglement measures and provide canonical examples of such measures. We also describe LOCC operations via a …

Assessing Parental Satisfaction Of Current Fragile X Syndrome Resources Provided At Diagnosis, Megan Michalski

Theses and Dissertations

Diagnosis of a child with fragile X syndrome (FXS) is associated with parental anxiety. Existing literature recommends FXS resources, but there has not been a formal assessment of when parents learn about these resources, or their satisfaction with them. Studies have demonstrated negative feelings surrounding the diagnostic experience of FXS. This exploratory analysis assessed the gap in knowledge on parental satisfaction of the recommended resources from healthcare providers during the time of diagnosis. We predicted parents would not be satisfied with the way resources were presented to them. We discussed parental satisfaction or dissatisfaction, utility of the recommended resources, and …

Examining Parental Disclosure To Unaffected Siblings Of Children Diagnosed With Rett Syndrome, Rachel Nicely

Theses and Dissertations

Rett syndrome is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is inherited in an X-linked dominant manner due to pathogenic variants in the MECP2 gene that are almost always de novo. It is one of the most common causes of developmental delay and intellectual disability in females and occurs in about 1 in 10,000 females. While there is valuable literature surrounding the impact of a neurodevelopmental diagnosis on unaffected siblings, there are no articles about the impact of a disclosure of Rett syndrome to unaffected siblings and the needs of parents during this disclosure. This study aimed to examine the disclosure process …

Redistributing Cultural Capital: Graduate Programs In Wind Conducting At Historically Black Universities; Toward An Alternate Future, Jamaal William Nicholas

Theses and Dissertations

The visibility and popularity of marching bands at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) represents a multi-generational tradition of marching and musical excellence. With performances that reach national and international audiences through large viewership, HBCU marching band culture is elevated to artistic prominence with each major league sporting event performance, Presidential inaugural parade, and viral retweet of a performance by a recording artist. After decades of significant contribution to instrumental music education, however, HBCUs have been unilaterally unable to develop graduate programs in wind conducting. Using a qualitative study design, the goal of the current study was to identify challenges …

Why Ask Questions? How Phenomena-Based Inquiry Affects Student Engagement In A Middle School Science Classroom, Laura Nix

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of phenomena-based inquiry on students’ engagement levels in my science classroom. This action research study took place in the fall of 2021 with six student participants. Participants were enrolled in an eighth-grade honors science course in a middle school in South Carolina. The research was predominantly qualitative, and data was collected from participant pre- and poststudy surveys and interviews, anticipation guides, exit tickets, online discussion forums, and teacher field notes. The data revealed that phenomena-based inquiry encouraged students to participate and engage in their own learning, as indicated by post …

Evidence-Based Practices And Teacher Practice, Deanna Mozingo Parish

Theses and Dissertations

The use of evidence-based practices (EBPs) by special education teachers is still inconsistent. Additionally, special education teachers often have little knowledge of high-quality indicators of research that identify specific EBPs proven effective for designated populations of students with disabilities. Teacher preparation during college programs (i.e., pre-service) and training from districts (i.e., in-service) can certainly play an important role in introducing EBPs to special education teachers. In pre-service and in-service training, observation, feedback, and coaching experiences can help to ensure the acquisition of skills and implementation of EBPs into daily teaching. In this study, I investigated special education teachers’ experiences with …

The Role Of Force Dynamic Schemas In The Comprehension Of Causal Language, Dawson Petersen

Theses and Dissertations

The current study is an attempt to empirically test the predictions of Talmy’s (1988) force dynamics. Specifically, Talmy argues that causal sentences are understood by reference to basic image schemas, such as Starting and Stopping. While many of the predictions of other cognitive linguistic models, such as Lakoff and Johnson’s (1980) conceptual metaphor theory, have been tested empirically by psycholinguists (Fischer & Zwaan, 2008; Gibbs, 2006; Boroditsky & Ramscar, 2002), force dynamics has received very little empirical attention (I am only aware of Wolff & Song, 2003), in spite of its productivity in formal linguistics.

The current study aims to …

Moderating Effects Of Parental Feeding Practices And Emotional Eating On Dietary Intake Among Overweight African American Adolescents, Mary Quattlebaum

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effects of parental feeding practices and adolescent emotional eating (EE) on dietary outcomes among overweight African American adolescents. Based on Family Systems Theory, it was hypothesized that parental feeding practices, such as parental monitoring and responsibility, would buffer the effects of EE on poor dietary quality, whereas practices such as concern about a child’s weight, restriction, and pressure-to-eat would exacerbate this relationship. Adolescents (N = 127; Mage = 12.83 ۫.74; MBMI % = 96.61 ± 4.14) provided baseline data from the Families Improving Together (FIT) for a Weight Loss trial and an ancillary study. Dietary outcomes …

Dissecting Human Capital Resources: Unpacking The Structure And Activation Of Human Capital Resources Within Firms, Caitlin Ray

Theses and Dissertations

Human capital resources (HCR) are often identified by scholars and practitioners as a firm’s most crucial resource. However, the academic use of the HCR construct, which is relatively new addition to the research vernacular, is often described with vague and imprecise terms, challenging the ability for academics and practitioners to clearly understand HCR’s precise impact on firm outcomes. One of the challenges arises because much of the HCR research literature focuses on the processes surrounding HCR without clearly specifying the components that make-up the HCR. Such lack of specificity has resulted in theoretical and empirical work which is often too …

Creating Discursive Spaces To Promote Productive Discourse And Dissuading Sectarianism In Online Political Enclaves On Tiktok, Kenneth Root

Theses and Dissertations

Over the last ten years social media has emerged as a major space for political discussion and the dissemination of information. On open platforms such Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram, algorithms personalize each user’s experience and tailor the posts they see to their specific interests and tastes. What this eventually leads to are echo chambers or discursive enclaves centered around anything from history to mental illness to extreme political ideologies. Within these enclaves, users almost exclusively see and interact with content that aligns with their group’s interest, and in the case of political enclaves this can and does lead to further …

Margaret Rowell: Pedagogical Approach And Teaching Style, Robert-Christian Sanchez

Theses and Dissertations

While there are numerous biographical details about Margaret Avery Rowell’s life, few details exist about her pedagogy. The current researcher interviewed and subsequently analyzed transcripts from eight of Rowell’s former students to reconstruct her pedagogical approach and teaching style. The researcher’s questions were: 1) How did Rowell structure individual lessons and student development? 2) What were the recurring concepts within Rowell’s principles? 3) What exercises did Rowell use to teach her principles? 4) What personal and pedagogical qualities made Rowell an effective teacher and influence on her students?

Based on the interviews, Rowell tailored her approach to each student without …

The Variation Of Metaphor Processing Strategies And The Effects On Reading Skills In L2 English Learners, Shana Scucchi

Theses and Dissertations

Metaphor use and meaning is deeply tied to the culturally-determined conventional use of language. To date, most research regarding metaphor comprehension exists within the realm of first language (L1) acquisition, with little research that examines how learners interpret metaphor in their second language (L2). Thus, little is known about how learners process metaphor constructions in their L2, or how these processing strategies may affect other L2 skills, such as reading abilities.

Gentner (1988) investigated how metaphors are comprehended at various ages using the nominal metaphor X is Y, where Y is the base of the metaphor and X is the …

Motivation In Online Course Design: Action Research Using A Self-Determination Theory-Based Mathematics Unit To Improve Students’ Autonomy, Competence, And Relatedness, Emily Rose Shank

Theses and Dissertations

Strong mathematics achievement is lacking in the United States, with motivation waning especially among mathematics and online students. Online mathematics students, in particular, struggle with self-regulation and self-efficacy (Kim, 2012; Sun & Rueda, 2012). Ryan and Deci (2017), in their well-established and empirical self-determination theory, contended that satisfying the psychological needs of autonomy (involving self-regulation), competence (involving self-efficacy), and relatedness (involving a sense of belonging) creates a suitable environment for integrated extrinsic and intrinsic motivation to thrive. The purpose of this action research was to create and implement a self-determination theory-based online unit on factoring polynomials for mathematics students at …

‘Conspiring Together’: Woolf’S Investigations On ‘Party Consciousness’ And Interwar Instability In Mrs. Dalloway And To The Lighthouse, Madeline Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Woolf has been generalized popularly as enthusiastic about parties, relishing their effervescence and conversation, and she had a particular bent for imagining a party’s vivacity while often remaining distanced from it. This imagination and duality would mark Woolf’s thoughts as is recorded in her diary entries, and they became especially apparent in her fiction. In an entry on April 27^th, 1925, less than one month from Mrs. Dalloway’s May 14^th publication, she declares that “people have any number of states of consciousness” and reports that she “should like to investigate the party consciousness” (A Writer’s …

Sexual Health Education For Children With Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Genetic Counselor And Pediatrician Perspectives, Mary Catherine Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Many barriers prevent individuals with disabilities from receiving appropriate sexual health education (SHE), including deficits in socialcommunication skills and lack of resources and trained educators. There are few guidelines specifically addressing how to accommodate for providing SHE to individuals with disabilities. Healthcare professionals who are trained in working with adolescents with disabilities, such as pediatric genetic counselors, developmental-behavioral pediatricians (DBP), and neurodevelopmental disabilities (NDD) subspecialty pediatricians, could fill this gap. The purpose of the current study was to assess what informational items pediatric genetic counselors, DBP, and NDD subspecialty pediatricians felt were most essential to include in SHE for children …

Examining Sixth-Grade Students’ Music Agency Through Rhythm Composition, Robert Zagaroli Spearman

Theses and Dissertations

Music agency refers to ones ability to have control over their musical actions and musical ideas. With the intent of examining music agency, the purpose of this action research study was to observe and investigate my sixth-grade students’ rhythm composition processes. The guiding research questions, regarding their music composition processes, were: (a) What did students think about making choices, and (b) How do students describe making choices?

I utilized purposive sampling that comprised the 2021-2022 St. Peter’s Catholic Elementary School sixth-grade students. I led my students through music composition activities in the role of their teacher during nine 45-minute classes. …

Advancement Of New Solid-Oxide Iron-Air Battery (Soiab) Operated On High-Temperature Oxide-Ion Chemistry, Qiming Tang

Theses and Dissertations

Climate change caused by anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions such as the burning of fossil fuels for power generation and industrial processing is affecting the global climate. To address this critical issue, a transition from fossil energy to renewable energy, especially wind and solar, is necessary. However, to successfully realize this transition, a cost-effective and large-scale stationary electricity storage system is indispensable. In this work, a new type of solid-oxide iron-air battery (SOIAB) operated on high-temperature oxide-ion chemistry is studied for this purpose due to its unique cycling characteristics suitable for large-scale Long Duration Electricity Storage (LDES) applications.

In the …

Tailored Nanomaterials For Advancing Fast-Charge Research, Wessel Van Den Bergh

Theses and Dissertations

The demand for fast, energy-dense storage has driven research into nanoscale intercalation materials. Nanoscale materials not only accelerate kinetics but also can modify reaction path thermodynamics, intercalant solubility, and diffusivity. Pioneering works have revealed such nanoscale changes, often without the need to separately probe each fundamental transport process. While electrodes can be designed to have one transport processes dominant, there remain opportunities to better understand energy-dense designs with multiple concomitant transport constraints. The contents herein highlight emerging an method using tailored, energy-dense nanomaterials and the process of elimination to clearly correlate architectural features to performance. For example, this method revealed …