Digital Commons Network^™

Barriers To Climate Change And Sustainability Action: Nursing Education And Practice, Dawn Marie Smith

Dissertations

Climate change is one of the most pressing public health emergencies of our time and nurses can have a great impact in their current practice and in the education of future nurses (The Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments, n.d.; American Nurses Association, 2023; Health Care without Harm, 2025). Deaths due to rising temperatures, vector-borne illness, and food insecurity related to drought and extreme weather are on the rise (WHO, 2024). It has been estimated that globally over 250,000 additional deaths will be attributed to climate related effects between 2030 and 2050 (Watts et al., 2020; WHO, 2023).

A primary …

Convergence And Divergence Of Opinion About Treatment Of Binocular Vision Disorders Among Vision Care Professionals, Sonia Young

Dissertations

There are three distinct professions prominent in the field of pediatric vision care. They are ophthalmology, optometry and orthoptics. All professions are integral to the detection and treatment of pediatric binocular vision disorders. However, distinct schools of thought exist to describe the best approach to pediatric binocular vision disorders and their treatments. Literature often highlights two opposing schools of thought represented by the “medical” and “behavioral” approaches. While there is academic debate about the merits and pitfalls of either approach, there is a paucity of nuanced perspectives which more closely resemble the ways in which pediatric ocular clinicians approach diagnosis …

“The Thorns Of The Most Severe Virtue”: Education, Religion, And Cultural Power In Michigan, 1798–1855, Kyle Christopher Vanderwall

Dissertations

This project seeks to demonstrate the centrality of education and religion as cultural power levers used by Americans, Odawa, and Catholic missionaries. Though the power of each culture was uneven, efforts to create educational institutions imbued with different denominations of Christianity, as well as continued contestation over land, remade the cultures of all involved. Americans privileged state-building practices, the Odawa acculturated to remain in Michigan when removal policies were enacted throughout the United States, and the Catholic church attempted to proselytize Indigenous communities.

Although the ethnohistorical method needed to be understood in order to write this project, it is not …

The Effects Of Fluency Building On Undergraduate Student Performance, Lauren B. Shibley

Dissertations

Online learning has become integral to higher education, with enrollment steadily increasing over the past decade and accelerating during the COVID-19 pandemic. Research highlights the importance of flexibility, learner autonomy, and self-regulated learning skills in this environment, with studies demonstrating that strategies such as mastery-based, self-paced instruction, fluency training, and timely feedback support student engagement and academic success. Early work adapting personalized instruction for online use (Pear & Crone-Todd, 1999) and subsequent studies on fluency practice (Quigley et al., 2018; Urbina et al., 2019) emphasize how these supports can improve concept retention. Despite these advances, more quantitative research is needed …

Place-Based Scholarship Utilization And Urban Black Males, Nkenge Amir Bergan

Dissertations

Despite the expansion of place-based scholarship programs across the United States, Black males from urban communities remain significantly underrepresented in post-secondary enrollment. Though these scholarships are designed to provide expanded or universal access to higher education, Black males disproportionately underutilize this financial resource. This qualitative investigation examines the lived experiences, perceptions, and contextual factors influencing Black males’ decisions regarding place-based scholarship utilization and college attendance.

This study, grounded in Critical Race Theory (CRT) and self-efficacy theory, employs a qualitative design to explore participant experiences. Participants are recruited through outreach to local alumni networks and community organizations, with eligibility limited to …

A Phenomenological Study Of Black College Students’ Belonging Built Through Meaningful Interactions With Black Staff At Predominantly White Institutions, Katelyn A. Hanley Semelbauer

Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to explore how Black students at Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs) describe meaningful interactions with Black staff and how they make meaning of those interactions as it relates to building a sense of belonging. The conceptual framework for this study incorporates Strayhorn’s (2019) college students’ sense of belonging theoretical model as a foundation with Museus’s (2014) culturally engaging campus environment model as a lens for analysis of the findings.

Using a hermeneutical phenomenological approach, 12 Black undergraduate students were recruited to participate. Each of the students attended a public 4-year PWI in the Great …

Making Sense Of The Faith-Based School’S Mission: An Instrumental Case Study Exploring How The School’S Espoused Mission Is Enacted, Richard Mingerink

Dissertations

What happens in the space between a school’s espoused mission and the enactment of that mission in the classroom? For faith-based schools—institutions whose very identity rests upon a religiously grounded purpose—this question is not merely technical but existential. While these schools publicly espouse missions centered on a religious faith, research consistently suggests that what is proclaimed on paper is not always what is practiced in classrooms. The persistent gap between espoused mission and enacted practice raises a critical question: how do educators actually make sense of their school’s religious mission, and how does that sensemaking shape what they do?

This …

Small College Registrars As Leaders: A Multiple Case Study Of Shared Leadership, Kyle John Wigboldy

Dissertations

This study investigates the leadership relationship between the small college registrar and the people with whom they work most closely. The college registrar is not structured to be a strategic leader within the small college, but their leadership contributions across the campus are constantly felt. This research uses a qualitative case study approach to explore how three college registrars lead and participate with coworkers.

This investigation used a multiple case study design where data collection involved exploring three small colleges of fewer than 1,000 students. The study used semi-structured interviews with the registrar at each of the three colleges, and …

Having Our Say: A Sociological Examination Of English Instruction In Urban High Schools And Effects On Black And Latino Identities, Jena Marie Escareno

Dissertations

This interdisciplinary study integrates a macro‑sociological perspective on language bias with an examination of English language instructional policies and practices that shape the identities of Black and Latino former urban high school students. Its purpose is to apply a sociological framework capable of illuminating the intersections of language, race, and social justice. By bridging linguistic, sociological, and educational theories, the study seeks to explain why current approaches to language instruction remain ineffective for urban learners and may inadvertently harm minority cultural identities.

Persistent disparities in urban academic achievement often highlight race and ethnicity as explanatory factors without acknowledging how these …

Exploring The Lived Experiences Of Second-Career Educators, Kyle Avink

Dissertations

School districts across the United States face a persistent teacher shortage driven by high attrition rates, declining enrollment in teacher preparation programs, and increasing demands on educators (Carver-Thomas & Darling-Hammond, 2017). Teacher attrition is especially high within the first three to five years, with nearly 40-50% of new teachers exiting within their first five years (Carver-Thomas & Darling-Hammond, 2017; Cells et al., 2023; Gray et al., 2015; Ingersoll et al., 2025). In response, many states have expanded alternative certification pathways that allow professionals from other fields to enter teaching, making second-career educators a potential solution to workforce challenges (Afacan, 2022; …

Perceived Campus Safety And Psychological Flexibility As Moderators Of Posttraumatic Stress And Anxiety Following Indirect Exposure To School Gun Violence, Samara Trout

Honors Theses

The growing prevalence of gun violence in school settings within the United States, combined with extensive media coverage of these events, has heightened concerns regarding the psychological impact of indirect trauma exposure among students. The present study examined associations between indirect exposure to gun-based school violence and symptoms of posttraumatic stress and anxiety among undergraduate students at Western Michigan University (WMU). A secondary aim was to explore whether perceived safety and psychological flexibility/inflexibility moderated associations between indirect exposure and psychological distress. Using a cross-sectional correlational design, undergraduate students (N = 33) completed a self-report survey containing screening assessments, attention …

Trust And Legitimacy In Police Public Encounters: An Analysis Of The 2018–2022 Police Public Contact Survey, Brooke Campbell

Masters Theses

This study examines how interaction-level characteristics in police-public interactions shape perceptions of trust and legitimacy. Using the Police Public Contact Survey (PPCS), interaction characteristics were investigated to see if they shaped perceptions of legitimacy and trust that the public has toward policing. Logistic Regression was used to see if factors such as contact duration, contact type, and time of day were associated with perceptions of police behavior, satisfaction, bias, future willingness to contact the police, and adequacy of the time spent. Drawing on legitimacy as the guiding framework, the PPCS years 2018, 2020, and 2022 (United States Bureau of Justice …

Extremum Seeking Compensation And Quantification Of Position Sensor Offset Error In Speed-Controlled Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors, Tessa Biondo

Masters Theses

Position sensor offset errors present a persistent challenge in speed-controlled permanent magnet synchronous motor drives operating under field-oriented control. Even small, constant offsets in the measured rotor position can reduce torque effectiveness, requiring increased current and voltage demand to maintain the commanded speed and resulting in degraded speed regulation performance across a range of operating conditions. These effects are particularly problematic in speed-controlled systems, where speed loop dynamics cause increased electrical effort and limit overall performance. Many existing detection and compensation approaches are either dependent on the system model, require offline calibration, or are primarily designed for torque-controlled operation. This …

What Better Means: A Full-Length Album By Fake Baseball, Maggie Heeren

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

The Trade-Off Between The Fear Of Judgment (Stigma) And The Intention To Engage With Ai-Driven Hiv/Aids Information: Evidence From Bangladesh And Nigeria, Abdullah Mohaimen

Masters Theses

This study explores the relationship between Fear of Judgment (FOJ), understood as perceived stigma, and Intention to Engage (EI) with an AI-driven chatbot providing HIV/AIDS information. Stigma often discourages individuals from seeking information or discussing sensitive health issues, creating barriers to prevention and education. AI chatbots offer a potential solution by enabling anonymous, accessible, and non-judgmental interactions. This study examines whether FOJ reduces users’ willingness to engage with such technology and whether cultural context shapes this relationship. Data were collected from young adults in Bangladesh and Nigeria (N = 56) through an anonymous online survey using a simulated chatbot, Lifeline. …

Distribution Mapping And Modeling Of The Invasive Japanese Knotweed, Jossalyn Rogalski

Masters Theses

This thesis investigates the distribution of invasive Japanese knotweed across Michigan. This plant poses significant challenges to land management due to its rapid growth, environmental impacts, and difficulty of removal once established. Using geographic information systems (GIS), remotely sensed data, and secondary environmental datasets, this research maps current infestations and analyzes key factors influencing the species’ growth and dispersal, such as soil composition, hydrology, land use, and a range of environmental variables, including climatic (annual mean temperature, temperature seasonality, annual precipitation, precipitation seasonality), elevation, vegetation and hydrological indices (NDVI, EVI, NDWI), percent tree cover, and distance to roads. Spatial analysis …

Transformer Vulnerability To Geomagnetically Induced Currents Using Layered Soil Conductivity Models, Junior A. Sterling

Masters Theses

Geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) pose a significant threat to modern power transformers connected to long high-voltage transmission systems, particularly in regions with low subsurface electrical conductivity. During geomagnetic disturbances (GMDs), time-varying magnetic fields induce surface electric fields that drive quasi-DC currents through grounded transformer neutrals. These currents can bias transformer cores, leading to saturation, waveform distortion, and potential system instability. Despite extensive research, the role of regional Earth conductivity in shaping electric fields and transformer response remains an area requiring deeper investigation.

This study analyzes how contrasting Earth conductivity profiles influence GIC magnitude and transformer saturation risk using two representative …

Conventional Vs. Regenerative Apple Orchard Management In Michigan, Anthony Poynter

Masters Theses

This study compares the variables and outcomes of a conventional apple orchard and a regenerative apple orchard production system in Kent County, Michigan. The premise is that conventional agriculture relies on high-input systems characterized by synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides, while regenerative agriculture focuses on long-term soil health, biodiversity, and ecological processes. These differences are important as soil degradation, nutrient loss, and environmental impacts are becoming too significant to ignore. Most research on alternative ways to farm, such as regenerative practices, is focused on annual crops, while perennial orchard systems, especially in the Great Lakes region, have gained limited …

Transient Mitigation In Dual Active Bridge Converter Using An Auxiliary Converter With High-Frequency Selective Control For Load Step-Down Condition, Sachith Dilshan Wijesooriya

Masters Theses

Dual Active Bridge (DAB) converters are widely utilized in applications such as electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, and solid-state transformers due to their high efficiency, galvanic isolation, and bidirectional power transfer capability. However, during rapid load transitions, DAB converters frequently exhibit significant output voltage overshoot and prolonged settling times, which increase device stress and adversely affect system reliability. This thesis proposes an auxiliary-circuit-based transient mitigation method to address these limitations. The auxiliary circuit, implemented as a bidirectional Buck–Boost stage, operates in Boost mode during load step-down events to absorb excess energy and suppress the resulting voltage overshoot. The design of …

Haunted By A Cheap Ghost: Objects As Identity, Caitlin Zachow

Masters Theses

I am haunted by a cheap ghost, surrounded by inherited memories that are not my own, preserved in heirlooms that leave little room for me to create souvenirs of my own experience. In response, my practice centers on the personal significance of collections as outward expressions of identity, personality, and lived experience. Rooted in themes of Midwestern Americana, this exhibition presents narrative tableaus and curated collections that examine how personal identity is constructed through objects of memory, and display.

Informed by research into the history of kitsch, Sigmund Freud’s concept of the uncanny, and the “outmoded,” my work considers how …

A Multiple Case Study Of Place-Based Promise Programs, Chad Edward Inabinet

Dissertations

This qualitative multiple case study examines three place-based Promise Programs situated in Midwestern community colleges to understand how they are designed, implemented, and experienced by staff and students. Guided by General Systems Theory, data are collected from program documents, archival sources, and 13 interviews with staff and students across three sites. Within- and cross-case analyses explore program origins, design features, partnerships, student supports, financial sustainability efforts, and outcome tracking. Findings show that: funding models shape eligibility and long-term stability; partnerships with K–12 districts, colleges, funders, and community organizations are essential for implementation; proactive supports, such as advising and mentoring, improve …

Transition Experiences Of Early Middle College Completers: A Grounded Theory Study, Sarah Louise Drabik Cheatham

Dissertations

Early middle college (EMC) students arrive at universities academically prepared yet institutionally undefined, occupying a space between traditional first-year and transfer student identities. Emerging through the Early College High School Initiative, EMC programs were structured to expand college access by embedding college coursework within the high school experience (Edmunds et al., 2012; Edmunds et al., 2017a; Haxton et al., 2016; Miller et al., 2013). Students frequently graduate from EMC with significant college credit, up to an associate’s degree, and demonstrate strong rates of post-secondary credential attainment and accelerated progress toward a bachelor’s degree (Edmunds et al., 2012; Edmunds et al., …

The Intersection Of Occupational Therapy And Optometry In The Treatment Of Visual Impairments: Addressing An Unmet Need, Grace Bannon

Capstone Projects

The prevalence of visual impairments in the United States is substantial and anticipated to increase in severity over the coming decades. These impairments have wide-reaching consequences on an individual’s occupational performance in daily living. While both occupational therapists and optometrists focus on the relationship between visual function and engagement in meaningful and purposeful occupations across the lifespan, only a limited number of optometrists offer specialized vision therapy services. This gap emphasizes a growing demand for vision services to manage the needs of individuals with visual deficits. Therefore, this Doctoral Capstone Experience (DCE) sought to bridge this gap by exploring the …

Identifying The Role Of Occupational Therapy In Suicide Prevention, Grey Buchheit

Capstone Projects

Occupational therapists are uniquely positioned to identify and support individuals experiencing suicidal ideation; however, suicide prevention education remains limited within occupational therapy curricula despite its relevance across diverse practice settings. This doctoral capstone experience sought to address this educational gap by developing evidence-based suicide prevention resources for Western Michigan University's Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program while promoting student wellness and burnout prevention as complementary components of suicide prevention. Guided by a literature review, SWOT analysis, faculty interviews, and a needs assessment that included a survey of Level I fieldwork educators, this project identified opportunities to strengthen occupational therapy education related …

Supporting Neurodiversity-Affirming Practice For Young Adults: Resource Development For A Level I Occupational Therapy Fieldwork Clinic, Grace Campbell

Capstone Projects

Neurodiversity-affirming and strengths-based practices are a growing area of focus within occupational therapy, viewing neurological differences as natural variations of human diversity rather than deficits to be corrected. This Doctoral Capstone Experience (DCE) focused on applying these perspectives within the Work-to-Work Clinic, a Level I occupational therapy fieldwork clinic that serves young adults with neurodevelopmental conditions such as Autism, ADHD, and intellectual disability. Commonly-used assessments and treatment materials at the clinic were outdated, deficit-focused, and poorly suited to this population’s developmental stage, leaving many clients with unmet needs. Additionally, Level I fieldwork students are still developing clinical reasoning skills and …

Coloniality In Blue, Aaron Rosa

Masters Theses

This research explores Puerto Rican identity through a diasporic lens. I investigate thematic underpinnings of colonialism and sovereignty in Puerto Rico, focusing on the intersectionality of colonial history, gender, memory, objectification, identity fragmentation, cultural resilience, narrative reclamation, and the color blue through autobiographical anecdotes. The recounting of these stories is interpreted through a variety of materials linked to my relationship with their colonial histories.

Through these relationships, I have created sculptures that reflect the materials to which these bonds are linked. Through the reflection of 451 years of colonial rule, my goal is to interweave the symbology of these materials …

Increasing Accuracy Of Mapping Local Climatic Zones Using Building Height And Spectral Unmixing, Ian Douglas Stauffer

Masters Theses

Local climatic zone (LCZ) classifications are traditionally done using reflectance, population data, and often climatic data. The goal of this research is to utilize Google’s new “Open Buildings Temporal v1” building data set as well as “spectral unmixing”. With the objective of testing, assessing, and implementing this data set into the workflow of LCZ mapping. After testing the quality of the data against a validated LiDAR data set from the same year as a given “Open Buildings Temporal v1” band, I implemented it into the Random Forest machine learning process. Secondly, I justified the use of spectral unmixing as a …

Changing Dynamics Of Microbial Communities At A Hydrocarbon Contaminated Site And Methanogenic Interactions With Iron Minerals, Jakob Sell

Masters Theses

Microbial life is not only ubiquitous but also plays a critical role in the geochemical makeup of our planet. While researchers have long studied easily culturable aerobic microbes, the influence of anaerobic life on soils and mineral cycling is less understood. Notably, knowledge about interactions between anaerobic microbes and inorganic elements such as iron has progressed with the discovery that magnetite influences how anaerobic archaea carry out methanogenesis. To better understand anaerobic bacterial metabolisms and how they interact with minerals and subsurface hydrocarbons, we extracted 16S rRNA genes from two adjacent subsurface petroleum plumes, sequenced the DNA, and analyzed it …

Evaluating The Effects Of Multi-Functional Stations, Direct, And Motivational Messaging On Paper Cup Recycling, Madisyn Wynter Slater

Masters Theses

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), within Michigan alone, the municipal solid waste that has been collected in landfills contains approximately 31.5 million dollars in mixed paper and 18.8 million dollars in plastics (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [EPA], 2016). One important aspect of recycling awareness is the impact that recycling has on the world. Whereas products like paper and plastic are accepted in recycling programs, any lined paper products (e.g., soda cups and to-go hot cups) are typically not accepted and therefore go to a landfill. Recent technology that can separate the lining from the paper, however, enables paper-lined …

Scholarship As A Means For Musical Performance: An Exploration Of Johannes Brahms Violin Sonata In G Major, Op. 78, Josh Zallar

Masters Theses

Developing a quality musical performance is a complicated and time-consuming endeavor. Endless hours are spent learning a musical instrument, developing technique, and growing into a mature sound. Learning the notes, rhythms, dynamics, and basic musical markings of a score compound this task, not to mention the preparation for performing by managing nerves, among other areas of concern. Amidst the undoubtedly enormous amount of work, however, often focus gets lost. Musicians forget that, despite the inherent fact that our inner voice is heard when we perform, that it is ultimately the composer whose voice and musical meaning must be conveyed in …