Digital Commons Network^™

Point Of Contact, Melina Wilcox

Honors Theses

Dance exists as an expression which originates in the body. This work derives from contact improvisation: a nonverbal conversation wherein each partner concentrates completely on the other, dialoging through touch. At this point of contact, a mark is made.

In life, scars blemish our skin and serve as indications of previous touch. Here, pigments interrupt skin—performer, sculpture, gallery wall, or otherwise—and document the interaction between two bodies.

Our bodies are vehicles for communication. Through tactile interaction and spatial relationships, we understand each other in ways beyond words. Our innate intelligence and intuition arise from a lifetime of moving through space …

Research And Innovation, February 2019, Office Of Vice President For Research

Research and Discovery News

• Join us March 26 at the Spring Convocation, 9 to 11:30 a.m.
• New Limited Submission Website and Process Announced
• ECRT Payroll Confirmation Opened
• Mapping and GIS Services for Research
• Data Management Plan (DMP) Tool
• Feb. 19 Discovery Acceleration Workshop
• Internal Funding Deadline for Undergraduates
• Congratulations on Recent Research Endeavors
• MTRAC Funding Opportunity - Deadline Feb. 21, 2019
• Spotlight on Undergraduate Research
• Upcoming events

Inspire E-News 02 2019, College Of Engineering And Applied Sciences

College of Engineering and Applied Sciences News

• WMU included in $2.2 million state grant to enhance mobility for veterans
• Disruptive technology theme of Engineers Week Dinner
• Shrestha receives Fullbright award
• Paper engineers host student summit
• Area students get to "Dream Big"
• Printing organization provides scholarship
• Save the date to "Give a Slice"

The Road To Resilience: Traveling The Path Less Followed To Realize What Is Possible, Jennifer Fortuna

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Dr. Bernadette Mineo, PhD, OTR/L, an occupational therapist and mixed media artist based in Portland, Oregon, provided the cover art for the Winter 2019 issue of The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy (OJOT). The piece, titled “Paper Dolls” (2009), consists of 37 individual paper doll sculptures made from mixed media. Dr. Mineo believes that being an artist is about connecting with one’s creative heart. Her art is about being playful, challenging oneself, and setting up experiments. Engaging in a daily creative art practice has brought joy to Dr. Mineo’s life. Art has empowered her to take risks, build resilience, and …

The Role Of Occupational Therapy In Functional Literacy, Lenin C. Grajo, Sharon A. Gutman

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

In this Opinions in the Profession article we aim to uniquely articulate the distinct value of and need for functional literacy development in the clients we serve. Functional literacy, as coined in this article, is the ability to interpret common written materials needed to effectively carry out basic daily life skills and participate in meaningful occupations and social roles. We propose three specific strategies through which occupational therapists, across practice settings, developmental stages, and populations, can assume active roles in literacy support as it is embedded in occupation: literacy (a) as a form of occupational justice promotion; (b) as an …

Role Emerging Placements: Skills Development, Postgraduate Employment, And Career Pathways, Sobiya Syed, Andrea Duncan

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapy educators are increasingly using role emerging placements (REPs) as a forum for students to develop skills required to work in emerging areas of practice. This study explores the impact of REPs on skill development, postgraduate employment, and career pathways for occupational therapists. An online survey was sent to occupational therapists across Canada (n = 1,763). Occupational therapists who had completed a REP responded to the online survey (n = 88). Descriptive analysis was used to examine trends in the quantitative data, and content analysis was used to code categories derived from qualitative survey data. Results indicated five skills …

Collaborative Care Best Practices Model (Ccbpm) Development For Nursing And Occupational Therapy Assistant Interprofessional Simulation, Carrie M. O'Reilly, Lisa P. Simmons, Mary L. Romanello

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

The use of simulation as a teaching and learning stratagem is well supported in the professional literature. The development of a collaborative care best practices model (CCBPM) was undertaken to help the creation and implementation of an interprofessional education (IPE) learning strategy between occupational therapy assistant (OTA) and pre-licensure nursing students at a private liberal arts college. The project goals and outcomes involved faculty development, CCBPM development, and OTA and nursing novice student competency acquisition in their respective professions. Twenty-three students (10 OTA and 13 nursing) completed the IPE learning simulation exercise. A mixed-method approach to data analysis was used …

Enhancing Collaborative Practices With Preprofessional Occupational Therapists And Early Childhood Special Education Student Teachers: A Pilot Study, Kathleen M. Farrand, Megan Troxel Deeg, Oaklee Rogers, Allison M. Mullady, Stephanie S. Williams, Bjorg T. Lesueur

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

This article presents the Collaborative Design Model as a tool for developing collaboration and self-efficacy for preprofessional educators and service providers. As student populations continue to become more diverse, preprofessionals entering the classroom must be prepared to collaborate with colleagues effectively and efficiently to address the variety of needs presented in the classroom. Little research exists on the collaboration among preprofessional teachers and preprofessional occupational therapists. The proposed model provides a method for supporting preprofessionals in collaborating to meet the needs of students at risk for or with disabilities. Initial pilot findings suggest the Collaborative Design Model could potentially increase …

Occupational Therapist Licensure Revocation By State Licensing Boards, Regina Drummond, Myrel Agbayani, Christine Chong, Chris Josko, Shelby Murley, Brenda M. Coppard

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapists must abide by certain standards to maintain a license to practice. Despite the existence of various studies on licensure revocation in other health care professions, no prior research has been conducted regarding occupational therapist licensure revocations. The purpose of this study was to examine reasons for occupational therapy licensure revocations in the United States from 2005 to 2015. A retrospective descriptive study design was completed. Data were collected from public databases on state websites or through communication with state licensure board representatives. From 2005 to 2015, 65 occupational therapists had their licenses revoked in 40 states and the …

A Scoping Review Of Challenges And The Adaptation Process In Academia: Implications For Occupational Therapy Educators, Maria Concepcion C. Cabatan, Lenin C. Grajo, Erlyn A. Sana

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

The fulfillment of role expectations and responsibilities as one builds an academic career can be challenging. Increased demand for occupational therapy faculty merits examination of academic experiences from the literature. This study describes the experiences of educators using adaptation models (Savickas & Porfeli, 2012; Schkade & Schultz, 2003) as a theoretical lens. Arksey and O’Malley’s Scoping Study Framework (2005) was used in the study. Researchers reviewed literature from 2005-2017 from four databases. Researchers analyzed 28 articles from higher education and the health professions using quantitative and qualitative methods. Twenty-two of the 28 articles were published from 2010-2017. The studies analyzed …

Older Adults And Photo-Elicited Perspectives On Shopping For Groceries In A Changing Community, Lori E. Breeden, Alessandra Planera, Lauren Kirchner, Samantha Asencio, Matthew Branden, Evan Dunlap, Alex Robinson, Samantha Stevens, Sally Wasmuth

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: A community experiencing gentrification created challenges for older adults and their ability to access food. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine barriers and facilitators perceived by three urban-dwelling older adults during their grocery shopping experiences.

Methods: The researchers conducted photo-elicitation supported interviews to gather information on grocery shopping from three older adults attending a local senior center. Photo-elicited interviews were conducted, and the thematic analysis examined the participants’ perspectives on their experiences.

Results: Thematic analysis revealed the participants’ experiences in a changing landscape. In the categories of community resources, transportation, and the store, …

Effects Of Partnerships Between Adolescents With Developmental Disabilities And Service Dogs, Terry K. Crowe, Jean C. Deitz, Melissa Y. Winkle, Rachel A. Nelson, Jennifer Woolf

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: With increasing frequency, service dogs are being placed with children with developmental disabilities (DDs). Occupational therapists and other professionals have advocated for the therapeutic use of service dog partnerships to facilitate greater independence and quality of life. There are no studies that examine service dog intervention with adolescents.

Method: This study focused on the effects of partnerships between service dogs and three participant dyads, each including an adolescent with DDs and a parent. A single-subject, alternating treatment design was used to compare the effects of two conditions (service dog present or not present). The effects were examined …

The Lived Experiences Of Occupational Therapists In Transitioning To Leadership Roles, Shawn Sasha Shams, Ravneet Batth, Andrea Duncan

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Several studies on leadership in occupational therapy have discussed the key qualities of leadership and its importance, even though little is known about the transition process into leadership roles. This research examined the lived experiences of occupational therapists who have transitioned from a clinical to a leadership role and identified the supports and challenges that were found to be important.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were used to gain insight into the transition process of five occupational therapy professional practice leaders. NVivo software was used to organize and analyze the qualitative data.

Results: Three common themes were identified as “supports” for …

Early Modern Britain’S Relationship To Its Past: The Historiographical Fortunes Of The Legends Of Brute, Albina, And Scota, Philip M. Robinson-Self

Research in Medieval and Early Modern Culture

This volume considers the reception in the early modern period of four popular medieval myths of nationhood—the legends of Brutus, Albina, and Scota—tracing their intertwined literary and historiographical afterlives. The book is particularly timely in its dialogue with current investigations into early modern historiography and the period's relationship to its past, its engagement with pressing issues in identity and gender studies, and its analysis of British national origin stories at a time when modern Britain is considering its own future as a nation.

Quiet: The Power Of Introverts In A World That Can't Stop Talking: A Book Analysis, Molly Goaley

The Hilltop Review

The topics addressed in Quiet are important to nonscholarly and academic audiences because introversion is a universal personality trait that affects us all in some way. If we are not introverts ourselves, we have colleagues, supervisors, family members, friends or children who are. Studies of extroversion and introversion in organizational teamwork (Zanin & Bisel, 2018), office environments (McElroy & Morrow, 2010), and leadership (Grant et al., 2011) therefore have practical implications regardless of personality type. The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast Cain’s work with the existing scholarly research in order to gain a deeper understanding of …

Subjective Religiosity And Organized Religiosity As A Predictor Of Sexual Affect Among African Americans, Janelle B. Grant, Kyla Day Fletcher

The Hilltop Review

Historically, religiosity and attendance at a church with a majority African American or Black population was of practical value for African Americans, these branches of practicality extended to sexual health, such as delayed sexual intercourse and higher instances of using contraception. Overall, however, public sexual discourses show some African American communities as “at risk” regarding sexual health, which can make an African American individual feel negatively about their sexual experiences. The current study aimed to understand how subjective religiosity and organized religiosity influenced African Americans to experience a positive, negative, or shameful sexual affect, We found that higher levels of …

Pleasure In Virtue: The Possibility Of Willful Virtuous Behavior, Kaleb Terbush

The Hilltop Review

Virtuous behavior has often been construed as having three requisite elements: right action, done for the right reason, and also carried out with the “right feeling,” i.e. without the contrary inclination of Aristotle’s merely continent individual. Some have argued that even if the right motivating reason(s) for action might not be directly within our power to act on at will, there are a number of steps we can take in order to make ourselves more responsive to the appropriate reasons – thus giving us indirect control over which reasons we take to be compelling. However, I believe that such accounts …

There’S No “Me” In “Imgur”: Applying Side Theory And Content Analysis To Viral Posts On Imgur.Com, Ryan P. Castillo

The Hilltop Review

The Social Identity model of Deindividuation Effects (SIDE) asserts that social (i.e., collective) identities are more salient under conditions of anonymity, prompting “deindividuation” as group members place more focus on community standards and downplay individual differences. As a result of deindividuation, social standards become the driving force of group interaction, and the successful practice of group norms identify individuals’ in-group status while reinforcing the social identity of the community. The current study applies the SIDE model to the anonymous image-sharing platform Imgur.com to ascertain whether self-referential posts are assessed more negatively than other-referential and non-directed content, and to examine whether …

The Hilltop Review, Vol 11, No 1, Fall 2018

The Hilltop Review

No abstract provided.

Blind Spots Of Knowledge In Shakespeare And His World, Subha Mukherji

Studies in Medieval and Early Modern Culture

A "blind spot" suggests an obstructed view, or partisan perception, or a localized lack of understanding. Just as the brain "reads" the "blind spot" of the visual field by a curious process of readjustment, Shakespearean drama disorients us with moments of unmastered and unmasterable knowledge, recasting the way we see, know and think about knowing. Focusing on such moments of apparent obscurity, this volume puts methods and motives of knowing under the spotlight, and responds both to inscribed acts of blind-sighting, and to the text or action blind-sighting the reader or spectator. While tracing the hermeneutic yield of such occlusion …

College Of Arts And Sciences Magazine: 2019, College Of Arts And Sciences

College of Arts and Sciences news

• Arts and Sciences News
• Eyes in the Sky
• Bringing Japanese Religion and Culture to Career
• Finding Fortune
• Sunny's Healing Power
• Drones in Geological and Environmental Sciences

Business Magazine (2019), Haworth College Of Business

Haworth College of Business News

• Dear Alumni and Friends
• Business Buzz
• What's Trending?
• Strategic Direction
• Perspectives: Shifting Gears
• Living a Multi-Dimensional Life
• The Way We Work
• Making a Difference
• In the Spotlight
• Analytics = The Future of Business
• Celebrating Alumni and Friends
• Faculty Impact
• Simply Bliss
• Career Readiness Snapshot

Connections, 01/2019, College Of Health And Human Services

College of Health and Human Services Newsletter

• Audiology assistant professor receives research award
• Biennial Diversity and Inclusion Conference set for February
• Specialty Program in Alcohol and Drug Abuse program names new director
• Three CHHS students receive OVPR research awards
• Study abroad application deadlines approach

College Of Arts And Sciences: Winter 2019, College Of Arts And Sciences

College of Arts and Sciences news

• WMU part of $2.3 million program that boosts diversity in economics
• National association honors historian for service
• Researcher earns prestigious fellowship for brain cell regeneration study
• Three students win scholarships through Arts and Sciences Study Abroad Photo Contest
• Bronco Brewery Bus Tour
• WMU appoints proven leader as new VP for development and alumni relations

Truth 2018-2019, University Center For The Humanities

University Center for the Humanities Events

The truth is easy. Tell me it’s raining outside, or not. But we know the truth is easy only until it’s not. When it really matters, and when matters are complex, the truth is in question, contested, open to interpretation, subject to doubt, even strategically denied. On the big questions, truth functions as a fragile, even suspect ideal. For this reason, truth has long been a central theme of the humanities. What should we believe, whom should we trust, how can we capture and face deep truths about ourselves, our social lives, the fundamental conditions of life and well-being? This …

Research And Innovation, January 2019, Office Of Vice President For Research

Research and Discovery News

• The Office of Human Research Protections has set Jan. 21 for the Implementation of the Final Rule on the "Federal Policy for the Protection of Human Subjects" (Common Rule)
• Undergraduate Award for Research and Creative Scholarship Excellence Recipients Named
• Changes in FY19 to NIH Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA)/R15 Program
• The Center for the Study of Ethics Speaker Series to feature talks on the Opioid Crisis and Addiction Prevention
• NSF CAREER Workshop Feb. 15
• Feb. 19 Discovery Acceleration Workshop
• Reminder of Internal Funding Deadlines for Spring 2019
• Federal Agencies Impacted by the Partial Government Shutdown
• Kay Mortellaro Selected as Research …

18-02 Investigating And Prioritizing Factors For Quantifying Bikeability, Valerian Kwigizile, Jun-Seok Oh, Sia M. Lyimo

Transportation Research Center Reports

Bikeability is an important element that must be considered in planning bicycle facilities. The resource constraints make it imperative for the planners and engineers to be able to identify and shortlist important factors that promote cyclists’ friendly environment. The current study utilized the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), a multiple criteria decision analysis technique, to rank the relative importance of bikeability factors for on-road bicycle facilities. AHP is the most applied multiple criteria decision analysis technique due to its ability to convert subjective judgment to a numerical value which can easily be incorporated in the decision-making process. A survey was administered …

John Toland’S Pivotal Version Of Secularism At The Turn Of The Eighteenth Century, Edward Jayne

English Faculty Publications

John Toland’s Pivotal Version of Secularism at the Turn of the Eighteenth Century

John Toland (1669-1728) sustained a life-long confrontation with Christianity as well as with religion and orthodox belief in general. His unprecedented advance from Irish Catholicism to secularism and finally outright atheism played a central role in European philosophy despite its having been all but forgotten in later times. He left Ireland to attend Edinburgh University in Scotland followed by Leyden University in the Netherlands and finally a faculty position at Oxford University preceding his career as an independent author. By his early death he had published as …

2019 Year In Review: Wmu College Of Arts And Sciences News, College Of Arts And Sciences

College of Arts and Sciences news

• College of Arts and Sciences News
• Student News
• Faculty News
• Alumni News

Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project 2018 Annual Report, Michael S. Nassaney

Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project

Western Michigan University (WMU) hosted its 43rd annual archaeological field school this past July and August under the auspices of the Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project. The Project is a long-term, multidisciplinary, community-based partnership between the City of Niles and WMU that investigates and interprets colonialism and the fur trade in the region.

We selected the theme “Technology Then and Now,” to focus our activities in 2019. We recognize that technology is not only important in the 21st century, but has defined humanity since our earliest ancestors crafted simple tools to assist them in their survival. Most of the archaeological …