Digital Commons Network^™

Strengthening Early Childhood Education: Increasing Family Engagement At The Sprout School Of Richmond, Virginia, Tara Davison, Jennifer Meadows

Doctor of Education Capstones

The Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) of Richmond is dedicated to fostering community and combating discrimination through various initiatives. Their early childhood education program, the Sprout School, is one initiative that strives to serve families from all walks of life within the Richmond community. However, a significant challenge faced by the Sprout School is increasing family engagement, which is crucial for strengthening the relationships among parents, teachers, and students. Research indicates that effective family engagement can positively influence children's educational experiences and outcomes. To address this, the research team conducted a mixed-methods study to assess the current state of family …

Unpacking The Study Abroad Experience: Exploring How The Perceptions And Awareness Of Faculty, Staff, Advisors And Students Shape Study Abroad Participation At Virginia Commonwealth University, Theresa Franklin, Lauren D. Harris, Stephanie Monn, Amy Snead, Sarah E. A. Steele

Doctor of Education Capstones

The study abroad experience, often credited with providing an inclusive learning opportunity, has the transformative potential to expand students' worldviews, enrich their academic experiences, and foster cross-cultural understanding. This study examines the Global Education Office (GEO) at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and its efforts to increase institutional support, student awareness, and engagement with study abroad programs. The study explores barriers to participation and perceptions of value through secondary analysis of GEO’s post-program student surveys and primary data from a faculty, staff, and academic advisor survey. Guided by Wigfield’s Expectancy-Value Theory and Perry’s Theory of Intellectual and Ethical Development, the research …

Campus Culture Of Hazing At James Madison University: A Mixed Methods Exploration Of Perceptions, Behaviors, And Policy Implications, Lauren D. Powell, Amanda K. Simmons, Alexandra E. Holt, Elizabeth M. Matthews, Mark D. Meadows

Doctor of Education Capstones

Hazing has been around for centuries and has become more prevalent with the rise in social media. This convergent parallel mixed method study sought to explore students, faculty, and staff perceptions of hazing and hazing prevention at JMU, examine what they define as reportable hazing behaviors, and identify what behaviors are currently being reported in organizational misconduct reports. Through content analysis of JMU organizational misconduct reports, a student survey, and interviews with faculty and staff, the capstone team collected data on hazing and determined seven key findings. Findings revealed that students, faculty, and staff acknowledge the risks of hazing, including …

Sealing The Deal: A Case Study Of A Private, Southeastern, Regional College’S Student Onboarding Practices, Alicia R. Gaston, Kristen Meyer, Tyler Ogden, Jennifer Perkinson, Casey Yocum Michaels

Doctor of Education Capstones

Each year, higher education institutions offer support to new, incoming students through an onboarding process that requires dedication and collaboration across multiple departments. Offering streamlined guidance and clear communication throughout the onboarding process is essential to ensure incoming students understand action steps without becoming overwhelmed with new terminology, processes, and environments. This explanatory case study is set to understand the current communication practices and technology use across onboarding departments at Brightside College – also referred to as Brightside or BC (pseudonym). The research team aimed to understand Brightside's onboarding staff's perspective of current processes and practices. With emphasis on the …

The Permanent Supportive Housing Of Central Virginia’S Aged Out Foster Youths: The Permanent Supportive Housing Of Central Virginia’S Aged Out Foster Youths A Plan To Increase Regional Capacity, Fill Gaps In Service, And Identify Potential Sites., Matthew Snow

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone Projects

As of 2024, Virginia’s Central Region continues to produce one of the highest rates of foster care emancipations in the state, despite having minimal infrastructure to support young adults transitioning out of care. Each year, dozens of foster youth in the region age out of the system without reunification, adoption, or other forms of permanency, disproportionately entering adulthood without the stability of housing, employment, or accessible services. Although permanent supportive housing (PSH) has emerged as a nationally validated model for housing and service integration, few PSH developments in Virginia are designed specifically for aged-out foster youth or their families.

This …

Aligning Practice With Principle: Institutionalizing Equitable Public Engagement In Hampton Roads, W. Derek Martin

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone Projects

This plan assesses the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission (HRPDC) and Transportation Planning Organization’s (HRTPO) current engagement processes through internal document reviews, national best-practice benchmarking, and key staff interviews. Among thee identified strengths of sound procedural compliance and deep staff commitment and agility, findings revealed three critical gaps: (1) limited decision-traceability, (2) inconsistent process evaluation, and (3) persistent constraints collectively impacting their geographic reach and efficacy of their Community Advisory Committee. To address these gaps, the study delivers the Community Engagement Compass—a five-dimension checklist (accessibility, quality, inclusivity, transparency, adaptability) that standardizes best principles such as equity metrics, real-time evaluations, …

Crater Pdc Community Identity & Assets: Foundations For Future Branding And Economic Development, Lydia M. Schauss

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone Projects

This project examines how the Crater Planning District Commission (CPDC) can develop a cohesive community identity through regional branding. Spanning eleven localities in Virginia, the CPDC faces challenges related to fragmented identity, under-leveraged assets, and limited community engagement across its jurisdictions. Through a review of thirty-two planning documents and two rounds of stakeholder focus groups, this research identifies common strengths, recurring issues, and shared aspirations across the region.

The analysis highlights quality of life—defined by affordability, rural character, and community connection—as a central theme. From these findings, the project proposes a branding framework rooted in Asset-Based Community Development and inclusive …

Richmond Handbook: The Future Of Youth Engagement In The Planning & Design Sector Of Richmond, Virginia, Chanté C. Holt

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone Projects

Storefront for Community Design is a non-profit organization in Richmond, Virginia that works to make design programs and resources accessible to all. While honoring this commitment, the organization also devotes resources to educating K-12 students on urban planning processes in the City of Richmond. Using this as a framework, the research creates parameters that guide the best practices for stakeholders such as the client Storefront for Community Design who are invested in producing urban planning educational material and programming. To effectively create recommendations for this client, the professional plan establishes the current state of urban planning education in the Richmond, …

A Call To Action For Transport Justice: Exploring Transportation Disadvantages Faced By Justice-Impacted Individuals Reintegrating Into Rural Communities, Tarnika Edmunds

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone Projects

This study explores the intersection of rural reentry and transportation planning, emphasizing the importance of Transport Justice in overcoming barriers faced by transit-dependent populations, particularly formerly incarcerated individuals. While urban transportation planning is widely discussed, this research highlights the overlooked challenges that rural environments pose for individuals reentering society. Through a multi-method approach that involved document analysis, participant observations, and informal discussions, this study uncovers a range of themes related to accessibility, reliability, vulnerability, and the quality of commuting experiences. The findings underline the necessity for transparency, accountability, and collaboration across sectors to address these gaps and inform policies that …

Senior Living Guide: Strategies For Aging In Place In Chesterfield County, Emma E. Tilley

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone Projects

The Senior Living Guide: Strategies for Aging in Place in Chesterfield County provides a comprehensive framework to support the county's growing older adult population in maintaining independence and quality of life within their homes and communities while aging in place. This plan outlines demographic trends, housing conditions, and the needs of older residents, and offers actionable planning strategies to make Chesterfield County a supportive locality for those aging in place. Emphasizing universal design, accessible infrastructure, and integrated support services, this plan promotes a multi-disciplinary approach to ensure that aging in place is a viable and equitable option for all residents. …

Exploring The Role Of Government Funding And Policy Criteria In Greening Projects: A Case Study Of Southside Richmond, Destiny R. Brown

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone Projects

This thesis explores how government and private funding structures and policy criteria influence community-based organizations (CBOs) engaged in urban greening projects, focusing on Southside Richmond, Virginia through a case study of a local CBO. Using a multi-method approach including document analysis, secondary data review, and autoethnographic reflection, the research suggests a gap between visibility and influence for CBOs, showing that their decision-making authority often varies while they are publicly recognized. The study also reveals that public documentation of funders' community engagement is often performative or symbolic rather than structurally embedded in decision-making processes. In addition, funding remains a barrier, with …

Public Transportation As A Vehicle For Upward Mobility Of Women In Appalachian Virginia, Katy Miller

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone Projects

Gender and geography are intersecting identities that can affect transportation access and therefore upward mobility. Mobility in rural areas is restricted by economic, temporal, and spatial limitations, as well as infrastructure accessibility. Gendered differences in mobility patterns influence the ability of women to utilize public transportation systems. There is a lack of consideration of rural women in transportation research and planning.

This paper seeks to understand the accessibility of public transportation systems in rural areas to women and how it can contribute to their upward mobility, by studying the Four County Transit system in Appalachian Virginia. Population demographics, current system …

Accurate Body Weight Class Prediction From Mirna And Gene Expression In Blood And Saliva Samples, Kimberly Lettner

Master of Science in Forensic Science Directed Research Projects

miRNA interference on protein abundance related to glucose uptake and lipid production has been evaluated in biomedical research and linked to metabolic disorders like severe obesity. The direct regulation of protein abundance caused by miRNAs on a person’s metabolism can lead to an increased weight and overall size. Body size, measured by BMI, provides additional physical descriptions that can be combined with hair color, eye color, age, and skin pigment to aid investigations of unidentified remains or unknown suspects not found in a database. The purpose of this project was to evaluate the miRNA expression of target biomarkers in dried …

Searching Effectively: Basic Principles And Practical Tips For Better Results, Roy E. Brown

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

This handout updates Doing a Good Search: Basic Rules and Search Tips, originally published in 2024. It outlines the basic principles of doing a good search, from identifying a topic and formulating a clear question to selecting and searching at least two databases. It also includes information on Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT), subject headings, and Google Scholar. New to this iteration of the document are best practices for using artificial intelligence in literature and evidence searches.

Remember: Searching is an iterative process, which involves repeated cycles of refinement. Your approach will shift depending on the specific question you're trying …

Supporting Students In Transition To And From Elementary School, Meleah Ellison, Jamelle Simmons, David B. Naff, Taryn G. Traylor, Meredith Dean, Sooyeon Moon, Jia Jia Liu, Latonja Y. Wright, Cameron Parkins, Jennifer Locasale-Crouch, Dana V. Yarbrough, Audrina Farrar, Obed Amoakoh Boateng

MERC Publications

This report is part of a two-part series focused on supporting students in transition across PK-12 education. Specifically, it explores transitions into and out of elementary school. The report includes a synthesis of recent peer-reviewed literature, analysis of publicly available data (with a specific focus on Virginia and the metropolitan Richmond region), and summary of relevant federal, state, and school division-level policies. It answers the following questions:

1. What are key considerations for supporting students in transition to and from elementary school in the MERC region?

2. How do federal, state, and division policies guide support for student transitions to …

Theatre As Sanctuary: Queer Identity, Religious Trauma, And The Path To Healing, Casey Worley

Theses and Dissertations

Growing up as a queer individual in a deeply religious Southern Baptist community, I learned early that faith and identity could feel like irreconcilable forces. I sat in the pews, surrounded by voices that preached love but often excluded people like me. For years, I struggled with the question: Can I be both queer and faithful? This tension—between belief and belonging, between the church I was raised in and the identity I could no longer deny—became the foundation of my journey, my artistic practice, and this thesis.

Through this research, I explore the intersections of queer identity, religious trauma, and …

A Parting Repast, Debra D. Dowden-Crockett

Theses and Dissertations

Both the thesis document and exhibition comprise the story of my journey through grief, examination of loss, contemplation of death, and transformation through acceptance and relinquishment. I conflate art and emotion to put form to the complex human experience of watching a loved one die, having to say a last goodbye, and the mourning that ultimately follows.

I examine the rituals surrounding death, the role of memory, and the symbolic presence of food as a shared experience of both mourning and nourishment, the intimate moments of mourning, and the gradual process of finding peace and closure.

Featuring works from a …

Vessels Of Spirituality: Merging Faith And Form, Maryam Al-Tajer

Theses and Dissertations

According to traditional Islamic teachings, natural materials like frankincense, black sesame seeds, and sidr (jujube) leaves are valuable both physically and spiritually. Historically, they have been used for healing and purification. Nowadays, influenced by contemporary science, people tend to overlook their metaphysical value, focusing on their medicinal uses. Similarly, Muslims assign spiritual qualities to the Muqatta’at, the disconnected letters that preface several surahs of the Holy Quran, believing them to contain sacred power. In both of these cases, the material leads to the spiritual.

Through material experimentation, informed by religious texts, my thesis combines revered materials with sacred letter forms …

Comparative Evaluation Of Three Endodontic Rotary File Systems In S-Shaped Root Canals: An In-Depth Analysis, Mudher Bahar

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: This study compares three endodontic file systems—XP‐3D Shaper⁺, EdgeFile X7 and WaveOne Gold in S‐shaped simulated canals in resin blocks. It aimed to quantify canals volumetric changes post‐instrumentation to guide clinical selection of a system that preserves tooth structure while efficiently shaping root canals.

Methods: Thirty S‐shaped canals in resin blocks were divided into three groups (n=10) for instrumentation with XP‐3D Shaper⁺, EdgeFile X7 or WaveOne Gold using the crown‐down technique and manufacturers recommended settings. A no‐treatment control provided a baseline for volumetric changes measured via CBCT scans analyzed with ITK‐SNAP. Data were analyzed using ANOVA and Tukey’s test …

Between "Hippies In Suits" And "Money Is The Name Of The Game": Farm Animal Advocates' Analyses Of Political Power In The Farm Bill, Jeff Thomas

Theses and Dissertations

The animal agriculture industry annually slaughters roughly ten billion land animals in the United States. What can be done to improve their welfare and lessen their suffering?

Over the past decade, the problem of farm animal welfare and suffering has drawn increasing interest from the effective altruism community, a loose movement of utilitarian advocates seeking technocratic solutions to social problems (Singer, 2015). As effective altruism has become a more potent driver of the animal welfare movement, an increasing number of nonprofits have begun engaging in political advocacy for farm animal welfare. Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz’ Open Philanthropy is the largest …

The Influence Of Gender Identity And Healthcare Delivery Experience On Hiv Screening, Delton Harris

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the roles of gender identity, healthcare experience, and practitioners' scope of healthcare services in the uptake of annual HIV screening among the understudied population of transgender individuals. Transgender individuals are about half as likely to have an annual HIV screening despite having similar risk profiles to men who have sex with men (MSM). The current HIV guidelines for MSM recommend annual HIV screening because of the risky sexual practice, anal sex with other men. Similar to MSM, transgender individuals who have anal sex with men are at higher risk than the general population for HIV acquisition because …

Assessment Of Drivers Of Light Attenuation In Virginia Reservoirs, Jackson Barnett

Theses and Dissertations

Water clarity in aquatic ecosystems is crucial for submerged vegetation and algal dynamics. We investigated the factors influencing light attenuation (kd) by measuring total suspended solids (TSS), chlorophyll-a (CHLa), and chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) across thirteen stations located in seven reservoirs. Average kd was 1.69 m^-1 (range: 0.37-3.99 m^-1), with photic depths averaging 3.27 m (range: 1.15-12.43 m). TSS was the primary predictor of light attenuation (R² = 0.57, P = 0.003, SE = 0.053). Average TSS values for each site were multiplied by the slope of the kd-TSS relationship to find the proportion of kd …

Subgingival Microbiomes Of Healthy And Periodontitis Subjects, Tareq Abdulrasoul

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Periodontitis is a common chronic inflammatory disease triggered by the dysbiosis of the subgingival microbiome. 16s rRNA sequencing has been used to profile the subgingival plaque samples in healthy and periodontitis subjects. Here, we have collected subgingival plaque samples from subjects and analyzed the microbiome profile from 16s rRNA sequencing. We hypothesized that periodontitis patients will have a different subgingival microbiome profile than that of healthy subjects.

Methods: Subgingival plaque samples were collected from periodontitis and healthy subjects who were indicated for periodontal surgeries (osseous resective and regenerative surgery for periodontitis patients or crown lengthening for healthy …

Beneath The Roots: Becoming Native Through Mangrove Teachings And Wisdom, Shima Aeinehdar

Theses and Dissertations

Beneath the Roots uses the wisdom of mangroves to investigate the naturalization of humans through science, spirituality, and storytelling. The seeds of Avicennia marina, the gray mangrove, drifted to Qatar at some point in history and took root, like so many other people here. The mangrove survives in a harsh saline environment through a unique salt excretion process. As a Qatar-born expat, I relate to this struggle to survive and nativize in a land that is both my own and foreign to me, in a cyclical conversation. I explore this nativization process through a ritual of salt extraction, creating botanical …

Development Of A Mediation Model Of Pain Cognition In Adult Patients With Sickle Cell Disease, Daniel M. Sop

Theses and Dissertations

Pain is a hallmark of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD), a genetic hemoglobinopathy characterized by chronic hemolytic anemia, vaso-occlusion, and organ damage. While acute vaso-occlusive crises (VOC) have been extensively studied, the mechanisms underlying chronic pain and its interplay with brain function remain unclear. This dissertation investigates the relationships between cerebral blood flow (CBF), fluid cognition, and pain sensitivity in adults with SCD, utilizing advanced imaging techniques and validated assessment tools.

Arterial spin labeling (ASL) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) were employed to measure CBF and brain activity, respectively. Pain sensitivity was assessed using the Pain Sensitivity Questionnaire (PSQ), and …

The Trauma-To-Prison Pipeline: A Multi-Level Theoretical Framework Exploring The Intersection Of Inequality, Trauma, And Exclusionary Discipline, Dana Ainsworth

Theses and Dissertations

The school-to-prison pipeline (STPP) is a widely recognized and extensively studied metaphor used to describe the process by which school discipline policies increase the risk of juvenile justice system involvement, particularly among historically marginalized populations. While it has been instrumental in shaping educational policy, the STPP framework has not evolved to account for the critical impact of trauma on learning and behavioral outcomes. Furthermore, it overlooks the role of systemic inequality that increases trauma exposure and produces concentric patterns of marginalization.

Drawing on research across the fields of education, public health, sociology, and criminal justice, this study proposes a theoretical …

Immersive Medical Practice And Clinical Training: Virtual And Mixed Reality In Pharmacy And Orthopedic Surgery, Silas Semprini De Toledo Contaifer

Theses and Dissertations

Extended‑reality (XR) technologies including virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR) offer new ways to improve training and surgical precision. This thesis evaluates their educational and clinical impact through two complementary studies.

Specific Aim 1 compared an immersive 360° video VR module with conventional training for teaching USP < 797> sterile‑compounding skills to second‑year PharmD students (N = 36). VR trainees raised their knowledge from 6.14 ± 1.55 to 8.69 ± 1.07, yet the overall post‑test advantage versus control was not statistically significant (U = 71.50, p = 0.21). Item‑level McNemar testing showed significant VR‑exclusive gains on three critical questions (K5, K6, …

Guardians Of Their Own: Routine Activities, Risk Perceptions, & Self-Protection Among Police Officers In The Line Of Duty, Amy Clifton-Mills

Theses and Dissertations

This research illuminated how police officers perceive risks in the line of duty and whether police officers implement protective behaviors on duty. This was done by implementing two phases of data collection: focus groups (I) and self-report surveys (II). The focus groups (N = 21) were conducted to inform the self-protective behaviors instrument in the self-report surveys (N =143). Officers self-reported their risk of assault and injury in the line of duty in the next six months to be 33.86% (SD = 27.13) and their risk of felonious death to be 14.4% (SD = 18.1). Results show that …

Investigating The Temperature Effects On Aedes Aegypti And Dengue Virus In Central Argentina: Perspectives From Mathematical Modeling, Morgan H. Jackson

Theses and Dissertations

Dengue virus (DENV) causes over 390 million infections and around 40,000 deaths worldwide each year. DENV is primarily transmitted by the mosquito Aedes aegypti, and both the life cycle of these mosquitoes and DENV transmission are significantly impacted by temperature. In the temperate region of Central Argentina, where dengue outbreaks first began in 2009, outbreaks only occur following new introductions of DENV from other regions. Due to the relationships between temperature and DENV and temperature and Ae. aegypti, the risk of an outbreak changes throughout the year. Here, we develop and analyze mathematical models for both mosquito population dynamics and …

Teaching Under Political Influence: A Multiple Case-Study Examining The Impact Of Curricular Restriction Policy On Community-Connected Instruction (Cci) In Full-Service Community Schools (Fscs), Isaiah Moore

Theses and Dissertations

Scholars describe the political landscape as polarized, where partisanship —loyalty to a particular political party— dictates one’s beliefs. In education, this partisanship is best exhibited through conservative policy restricting curricula regarding race, racism's pervasiveness, gender identity, and how history is taught in public schools. Conversely, Community-Connected Instruction (CCI) affirms students’ culture and builds critical thinking skills in an authentic environment. While studies suggest its benefits to students, the current curricular restriction policy challenges its usage. This form of teaching is closely associated with Full-Service Community Schools (FSCS), which primarily serve underserved student populations. This study examines how FSCS educators in …