Digital Commons Network^™

Master Narrative Of College Access Belies Reality For Today’S Students, Jonathan S. Lewis, René A. Hernandez

Journal of College Access

Master and alternative narratives offer a useful framework through which to consider contemporary issues in college access. Implicit and ubiquitous, the master narrative of a linear progression from high school through a residential college toward a fulfilling career has long been dominant. Meanwhile, alternative narratives of fluid, dynamic, alternate pathways are ascendant, having received a boost from the Covid-19 pandemic and the stubborn lack of affordable postsecondary options. Observing a decline in a shared cultural narrative about college, the authors recommend that advisors help students to sort through possible storylines and then write their own.

School Counselors’ Perspectives On Preparing Students Experiencing Homelessness For College, Stacey A. Havlik, Dana Brookover, Patrick Rowley

Journal of College Access

The purpose of the study is to investigate school counselors’ support of youth experiencing homelessness going to college. Using survey methods, school counselors reported their knowledge, perceived competence, advocacy, and actions related to supporting students experiencing homelessness in their college preparation. The results suggested that training and the number of students experiencing homelessness on counselors’ caseloads were significantly related to their knowledge and competence. Knowledge, competence, and advocacy all impacted the number of interventions utilized by participants. The implications of these results for school counselors and counselor educators are discussed.

(Non)Cognitive Dissonance? A Stakeholder-Based Exploration Of The Consideration Of Graduate Admissions Applicants' Personal Skills And Qualities, Reginald M. Gooch, Joseph H. Paris, Sara B. Haviland, Jose Sotelo

Journal of College Access

Prospective graduate students’ noncognitive attributes are commonly evaluated as a part of a holistic review of their admission applications. Yet it is difficult to determine which noncognitive attributes are considered by those who evaluate graduate admissions applications and what approaches they take to measure applicants’ noncognitive attributes. It is even less clear to what degree prospective graduate students understand how they are evaluated for graduate admissions and how the evaluation of their noncognitive attributes factor into admissions decisions. Drawing on surveys of graduate enrollment management (GEM) professionals and prospective graduate students in the United States, our study investigates the noncognitive …

Navigating Improvement For A Master Of Occupational Therapy Program: Enhancing Content For A Mental Health Course, Emily Markovicz

Capstone Projects

Education is the forefront to the field of occupational therapy. As occupational therapists advocate for the significance of their profession, it is expected to grow further. In recent decades, the research of many health professions have increasingly explored the impact of trauma. As occupational therapy evolves to address this public health concern, more research, increased integration into occupational therapy curriculum, and clear practical guidelines are necessary. Considering the mental health risks stemming from adverse life events, the complexities of mental health conditions should remain a crucial part of occupational therapy education, ensuring that students are well-prepared to deliver optimal care …

Wmu Board Of Trustees Formal Session ,April 25, 2024, Wmu Board Of Trustees

WMU Board of Trustees Meetings

• Acceptance of the Agenda
• Approval of the Minutes
• Remarks by the President
• Updates by the Faculty Senate President
• Updates by the Western Student Association President
• Presentation: Bronco Challenge for Sustainable Impact
• Public Comments Regarding Action Items

Leo: A Carrier To Help Increase Disaster Evacuation Compliance Among Cat Owners, Anna Lorino

Honors Theses

My thesis project is Leo: a carrier to help increase disaster evacuation compliance among cat owners. It’s focused on creating a product that helps increase disaster evacuation compliance among cat owners. There’s an increase in the severity and frequency of natural disasters and being able to evacuate ahead of time saves lives and resources. However, 20-30% of people choose not to evacuate because they don’t want to leave their pet behind. Cats are of particular interest because they are sensitive to environmental stress and need to be contained. The main reasons cat owners fail to evacuate with their cat is …

Virtual Reality As An Adjunct To Behavior Therapy: A Systematic Literature Review, Alya Alharrasi

Honors Theses

The World Health Organization (WHO) projects that by 2030, mental disorders will become the primary source of global disease burden [1]. Anxiety-related disorders, including specific phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and various forms of general or specific anxiety, are the most rapidly growing mental health disorders worldwide [2]. In the United States (US), over 1 in 10 American youths are experiencing depression, resulting in a severe impact on their personal, academic, or professional encounters and social engagements [3]. Similarly, anxiety disorders affect up to one-third of the US population during their lifetime [4].

Due to the growth of mental health …

Deaf And Hard Of Hearing Children’S Resources In K-12 Mainstream American Schools, Ashley Green

Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to find out what mainstream schools have to offer for Deaf and Hard of Hearing children’s education. This thesis includes a survey given to a few school districts in Michigan as well as literature review. To take this survey, participants must be qualified staff members who work in a school with Deaf and Hard of Hearing children. The survey was sent out via email to school principals in the district, to be distributed to qualified staff. Once the staff members agreed to the study, they were given access to a twelve-question anonymous survey regarding …

An Investigation Of Bone Preservation As A Result Of Environmental And Cultural Variables In Mortuary Contexts, Adyn Hallahan

Honors Theses

Stable isotope analysis in bioarchaeology of human bone is generally used to reconstruct diet or migratory patterns of certain populations. Although this type of analysis is now standard practice, little research has been done regarding how cultural and mortuary practices may affect chemical composition of bone. This study aims to determine whether different simulated mortuary contexts have an effect on stable isotope levels in bone, using seven pig rib bone samples as proxy for human bone. In addition, macroscopic and microscopic observations are used to assess preservation and taphonomic processes. One of the samples served as a control, not being …

The Effect Of Emotional Intelligence On Relationships: Examining The Correlation Between Teique Score And Support System Health, Anna Lowes-Cannizzaro

Honors Theses

Emotional intelligence (EI), or the ability to monitor one’s own and others’ feelings, and the ability to step outside of these feelings in order to use information to guide thinking and actions, has been shown to affect many aspects of a person’s life. Through prior research, EI has been linked to aspects such as marital satisfaction, job performance, and life satisfaction. This study examines how trait emotional intelligence affects the health of one’s support system. The association between trait EI and support system health, including other demographic variables, was measured with two separate questionnaires: one questionnaire measuring trait EI, the …

Green Solutions: A Smart Strategy For Recycling Electronics In Ghana, Yodit Fitsum

Honors Theses

Electronic waste (e-waste) presents a significant environmental challenge, particularly in developing nations like Ghana. This study examines the opportunities and challenges associated with e-waste recycling in Ghana, focusing on the Agbogbloshie dumpsite. In Ghana, the informal e-waste sector plays a crucial role, providing employment to marginalized individuals who dismantle and process e-waste using basic methods. However, these practices raise concerns due to hazardous working conditions and environmental pollution. Conversely, certified recycling companies adhere to strict safety and environmental standards. Key challenges include recycling contaminated e-plastics and declining precious metal content in modern electronics, highlighting the need for improved recycling infrastructure. …

Does Kinesiology Taping Support Lateral Ankle Sprains And Provide Stability To The Injured Ankle?, Lilianna Giacalone

Honors Theses

Lateral ankle sprains (LAS) are prevalent among athletes and can lead to chronic instability and re-injury. Kinesiology taping (KT) is a treatment modality aimed at providing support, pain management, and prevention of further injury. This review aims to evaluate the efficacy of KT in supporting lateral ankle sprains and providing stability to the injured ankle. A comprehensive search yielded seven studies, including randomized controlled trials, non-randomized controlled trials, and case-control studies. The studies investigated the immediate effects of KT on injuries, compared KT with other treatment modalities, and assessed the long-term outcomes of KT use. The findings from the reviewed …

Medication Errors: The Radonda Vaught Case, Nayeli Guandique-Benitez

Honors Theses

We can recognize that to err is human, yet it may cost us great things, such as our jobs, licenses, and peace of mind. In nursing, 40% percent of the time is spent administering medication (Wolters Kluwer, 2022, p.15-17), which puts nurses and nursing students at an increased rate of making medication administration errors (MAE). The National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention (NCCERP,2023) says medication error is any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm while the medication is in the control of the health care professional, patient, or consumer." …

Personal Insights: Navigating Informal Networks, Catherine Jordan

Honors Theses

As a non-traditional student, my journey through college has been anything but conventional. Unlike the typical high school-to-college transition, I embarked on my educational adventure later in life, balancing coursework with familial responsibilities and career aspirations. Within this paper, I will share my insights, my triumphs, my challenges, and the interactions that have shaped my experience. Join me as I unravel the unseen and intricate ties that link us together through learning and growth.

Implementing Choice In Treatment Modality For Adolescents With Autism Learning Daily Living Skills, Silvia Robazza

Honors Theses

Daily living skills, categorized as personal-care activities within the home, community, and school setting, are crucial components in establishing daily routines amongst adolescents (Stabel, 2013). Many of these activities require gross motor and fine motor skills, which are skills that tend to be difficult for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD;Chen et al., 2022). When trying to express their wants and needs surrounding completing day-to-day activities, individuals with ASD may engage in problem behaviors as a way to communicate (Iwata et al., 1982). Nonetheless, implementing choice in treatment has been found to significantly decrease occurrences of problem behavior (Shogren et …

Latu Mae Rissa: Leader Come To War! An Autoethnography Of Colonialization And Post-Colonization, Leah Latumaerissa

Honors Theses

Latu Mae Rissa: Leader Come to War! An Autoethnography of Colonialization and Post-colonization is an undergraduate honors thesis that examines the effects and aftermath of Dutch colonialism regarding the Moluccan community through oral history, and unique narratives from four generations in the family Latumaerissa in the Netherlands. The generational narratives capture the indigenous Moluccan experience during the Dutch colonial and postcolonial eras. The findings in this thesis indicate that the Dutch colonial past and the historical events that occurred during and after Dutch decolonization function as significant Moluccan identity markers as they influenced the Moluccan being through intergenerational trauma which …

Energy-Absorbing Helmet For Safer Football, Aidan Laudeman

Honors Theses

Football-related injuries are a common occurrence and are often detrimental to the player’s health. Force impacts frequently occur at the front, back, and sides of a player’s helmet, resulting in head injuries like concussions. The goal of this project is to reduce recurrent head injuries by designing a solution involving the use of energy-absorbing metallic materials that are inserted into a football helmet. These energy-absorbing materials are configured in target zones inside the helmet to reduce the acceleration of the head based on impact locations. The chosen materials are nitinol and spring steel, which display energy-absorbing properties. Various energy-absorbing material …

How Social Movements Have Influenced Child Custody Standards Over Time, Victoria Miller

Honors Theses

Child custody standards have evolved over time due to societal attitude shifts regarding gender roles. The stereotypes present within the decision-making process of child custody laws have been challenged repeatedly in order to attack sexism within the laws. Child custody decisions are important for the child and family in question, because whichever parental guardian has custody over the child has the legal authority to make life changing choices for the child. These choices can include education, religion, and the environment the child grows and develops in. Parental choices can affect a child's mental and physical well-being, which makes it crucial …

Electric Ducted Fan Lander, Maggie Waechter

Honors Theses

This report, and corresponding project, addresses the fact that there are not many student experiments with controlling real spacecrafts due to the scarceness of the craft, cost, risk, and finite fuel supply. This project demonstrates the possibility of a classroom substitute for students to understand how landers would operate on planetary bodies. In order to achieve flight from the drone, there were two separate designs produced, the electrical and structural system, that were integrated together to form a full prototype. The performance of the electric ducted fans (EDFs) as well as the batteries were tested to ensure that the components …

Production Of Mrna Vaccine For Influenza, Christina Miller

Honors Theses

The objective of this project is to design a process to produce an mRNA influenza vaccine that serves as an alternative to conventional influenza vaccines, replacing current options with innovative mRNA technologies. Given that older populations are most likely to follow up on immunizations consistently, and the increasing average age worldwide, the market for this project appears to be expanding in the next 80 years. Additionally, experts predict more frequent mutations and outbreaks of viral disease from a variety of factors including globalization and global temperature trends. Rapid response to these viral outbreaks will continue to be as, or even …

How Does Childhood Exposure To Toys And Video Games Relate To Young Adult’S View On Gun Control?, Shelby Wilmot

Honors Theses

The present study investigated the factors influencing support for gun control and attitudes toward gun control restrictions on individuals, specifically violent video games and toys. From the 119 total responses collected, 78 (65.5%) of the participants identified as female, 34 (28.6%) of the participants identified as male, and 7 (5.9%) of the participants identified as nonbinary. Regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationships between various independent variables and the dependent variables representing these attitudes. For the dependent variable measuring support for gun control, the model summary revealed a moderate correlation

(r = .610), with approximately 37.2% of the variability …

1st Person Ev With Electronic Differential, Tessa Biondo

Honors Theses

The First Person EV with Electronic Differential for Vehicle Dynamics Analysis project makes a significant leap forward in the exploration of electric vehicle (EV) stability and performance enhancement. Lead by a team of skilled electrical engineering students under the guidance of WMU’s associate Professor Dr. Sandun Kuruppu, this project aims to improve EV stability by optimizing power and torque distribution between wheels using an electronic differential system. The project encompasses the design and assembly of a 1/7^th scale custom electric vehicle, capable of remote control via a first-person view (FPV) camera and modified USB wheel and pedal assembly. The …

A Legal Analysis Of The Competition And Antitrust Law Enforcement Reform Act Of 2021, Nicholas Owczarzak

Honors Theses

This legal analysis examines the “Competition and Antitrust Law Enforcement Reform Act of 2021” proposed by Senator Amy Klobuchar, which would amend Section 7 of the Clayton Act to prohibit more anticompetitive mergers and acquisitions. Senator Klobuchar and other antitrust law experts disagree with how courts currently evaluate mergers using the Chicago School of Thought, and Klobuchar sought to strengthen antitrust laws which would change the way mergers are evaluated. This bill mainly aimed to create a lower burden of establishing an anticompetitive merger, from mergers that may “substantially lessen competition” to mergers that may “create an appreciable risk of …

Kalamazoo Nature Center Mobile Application, Jacob Tebben

Honors Theses

This project aimed to address the challenge of enhancing visitor engagement and information dissemination at the Kalamazoo Nature Center (KNC) through the development of an integrated mobile and desktop application system. This initiative arose due to the limitations posed by traditional mobile applications which often become outdated and need to be updated by a dedicated software team. This project was designed for any user of the KNC desktop app to be able to update content on the mobile app, without the need of a dedicated software team.

The mobile application was designed for visitor use, enabling them to access up-to-date …

Veterinarian Perception Of The Impact Of Covid-19 On The Mortality Of Pets, Jason Bainbridge

Honors Theses

The pandemic led to many changes in society, changes that may have affected pets either directly or indirectly from the new way people had to live life. The primary variable of investigation is if the changes were significant enough to affect pets enough to see a trend in mortality. This thesis used a survey, sent out to veterinarians for their perspective, to see the effects the pandemic had on the mortality of pets, as well as any secondary variables. This survey had 38 responses, with 34 being eligible to complete the survey. The survey did not obtain the information of …

Art, Family, And A Calling To Occupational Therapy, Erin Barrus

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Karen Sames was born and raised in Milwaukee, WI. From an early age, she was surrounded by art. An experience with occupational therapy during the third grade jumpstarted her journey connecting art to occupation. Karen believes that art is a necessary part of life and credits much of her own personal success with art to her friends and family for their inspiration and to the instructors at the Eagan Art House in Minnesota. Her piece “Cherry Blossoms,” a pastel on paper, is based on a photograph taken by her son, who is currently living in Japan, and graces the cover …

Sibling Involvement: Highlighting The Influential Role Of Siblings In Supporting Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Gracie Krueger, Robyn Otty

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Social impairments experienced by children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can limit participation in meaningful occupations. Incorporating typically developing siblings of children with ASD in occupational therapy-based community settings is an emerging practice approach that aims to support children with ASD during social challenges to enhance their participation in daily activities. The inclusion of siblings in occupational therapy practice presents a unique opportunity to address social skill development while facilitating positive sibling relationships. In this Opinions in the Profession paper, the influential role siblings play as social models for their siblings with ASD will be examined. The purpose of …

Promoting Equity And Inclusion For Mothers Of Young Children In Academia, Sabina Khan

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Equity and inclusion are critical factors in ensuring that mothers of young children are able to participate fully in occupational therapy academia. Mothers of young children often face significant barriers that prevent them from fully engaging in academic pursuits, including lack of access to childcare, limited support structures, and societal expectations regarding gender roles and caregiving responsibilities. This opinion paper reviews strategies for academics at various levels within academia to promote equity and inclusion for these individuals.

The Role Of Occupational Therapy In The Recognition, Assessment, And Treatment Of Presbyvestibulopathy, Jennifer Hill, Ellen Hudgins, Sharon Leonard

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Sensory functions decline with age, and the likelihood of having multiple sensory impairments increases with age, potentially leading to decreased physical activity and performance, decreased social participation, poorer quality of life, and greater health care spending. Presbyvestibulopathy (PVP), a diagnosis established in 2019, is a vestibular dysfunction or loss related to the aging process characterized by mild bilateral vestibular deficits, chronic dizziness, unsteadiness, gait disturbance, and/or recurrent falls. Given the potential impact of vestibular dysfunction on occupational performance and participation in meaningful activities, occupational therapy’s (OT) role in PVP is evident; however, limited literature exists specific to OT and vestibular …

Improving Occupational Therapy Doctoral Students’ Social Awareness For Making Equitable Policy Decisions: A Quantitative Quasi-Experimental Study, Alysson Goodwin, Denise Crowley

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapy has set a strategic vision to increase equity and health access through leadership in all practice areas. To this end, educators in occupational therapy doctorate programs must increase the students’ ability to lead with an awareness of the social impacts of policy decisions. The purpose of this study was to explore educational opportunities to support occupational therapy doctorate students in developing social awareness for decision-making. The study aimed to use an e-learning module to increase social awareness surrounding a departmental decision about a white coat ceremony. A quantitative quasi-experimental one group pre-test post-test study examined if a significant …