Digital Commons Network^™

Using A Design Thinking Approach In Human Resource Practices In North America, Corinne Diane Eswar

Dissertations

Global forces have changed the landscape of the today’s global economy, with such disruptive forces reshaping the workplace, the workforce, and the work itself. Human Resource (HR) functions are no exception to these changes. HR departments must simplify their processes, build a culture of collaboration, help employees manage the flood of information at work, manage complexity, and encourage innovation and creativity. The concept of design thinking has been adopted widely across multiple disciplines and industries as a tool for innovation, however it has yet to be a major influence in the Human Resources field.

This research explored the use of …

Utility Of The Motivation To Change Lifestyle And Health Behaviors For Dementia Risk Reduction Scale (Mclhb-Drr) Based On A North American Sample, Angelina E. Witbeck

Dissertations

As the population ages, the prevalence rates of dementia continue to increase. Without a cure or promising treatment for dementia, the best course of lowering the prevalence rates of dementia is through preventative measures. Through an electronic survey, the study utilized the MCLHB-DRR scale to determine whether (1) gender, age, educational background, and socioeconomic status will impact the motivational factors to change lifestyle and health behaviors to reduce the risk of developing dementia and (2) direct experiences with individuals that have a dementia diagnosis are likely to impact one's motivational factors to change lifestyle and health behaviors to reduce the …

Preexisting Sexual Trauma And The Impacts On Psychological Well-Being Of College Students, Victoria Johnson

Dissertations

Childhood sexual abuse appears to be a taboo topic with a long history of being left out of the discussion regarding mental health in adulthood despite the varied and devastating consequences. The overall lack of research on this topic, especially regarding the college student population, can be considered a barrier to treatment for those individuals. The current literature review attempts to fill the research gap by discussing the epidemiology, prevalence, and description of preexisting sexual trauma in college students. The potential negative effects of preexisting sexual trauma and how they occur with college students were explored to highlight how pervasive …

The Life Story Analysis Of Those Suffering From Autoimmune Thyroiditis, Azalea Di Nardi

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand the pervasive impacts of autoimmune thyroiditis, specifically Hashimoto’s and Graves’ disease. To accomplish this, the life story methodology was utilized to gather individual experiences from 11 participants diagnosed with Hashimoto’s or Graves’ disease. The participants completed a background and general health questionnaire and 45- to-100-minute virtual interview disclosing their journey from the onset of symptoms, through diagnosis, to their most recent state. Themes were compiled from the interviews, which allowed identification of the largest areas of impact, needs, and future implications for practitioners and providers. Major themes identified were decreased quality of …

The Relationship Between Adolescent Exposure To Community Violence, Depression, And Resilience, Nieves A. Esquivel

Dissertations

The present study experimentally investigated the development of depressive symptoms in adolescents who have been exposed to community violence. Participants (N=334) were asked to take a survey of 81 questions addressing one’s exposure to neighborhood violence, resilience, and depressive symptoms. Participants exposed to community violence reported more depressive symptoms in every category except Ineffectiveness. Participants who were exposed to community violence also reported higher resilience levels. Given the results, more research is needed to understand the specific factors of resilience that may prevent adolescents exposed to community violence from developing depressive symptoms.

Uniting African Philosophy With Traditional African Dance Rituals To Help Heal Mental Health Symptoms From The Impact Of The African Diaspora, Brittnea Jones

Dissertations

The mental health challenges of members of the African diaspora have been a worldwide occurrence for centuries, initially beginning with the transatlantic slave trade. Africans were scattered abroad to different countries and subjected to the severe psychological impact of enslavement. Despite the considerable financial systemic pressure of profit in the slave trade, it caused significant harm to the enslaved Africans and their descendants by erasing Africa's memory and their healing traditions from the hearts and minds of the population. Severe mental health symptoms can arise from oppression and the impact of the African diaspora. This dispersion has left many African …

The Impact Of Psychological Abuse On A Female’S Engagement In Subsequent Relationships And How They Heal From The Abuse, Nicole Kratimenos

Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Objective: This study examined (a) the impact of psychological abuse on a female’s subsequent intimate relationships, and (b) what assisted the female victims of such abuse to heal and build subsequent healthy relationships. Psychological intimate partner abuse is connected to various long-term negative consequences, such as anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder, self-esteem struggles and trust issues. However, no studies have investigated how these negative consequences affect the female victim’s subsequent intimate relationships, nor what helps the victim heal enough to move on to engaging in healthy subsequent relationships. This study is the first to examine both of these aspects of …

Impact Of School-Based Mentorship Programs For Students With Disabilities, Ranita Brown

Dissertations

Mentorship in secondary schools can affect the course of students’ academic and personal life trajectories. Human association based on trust is the paste that connects students’ academic and individual lives and helps them sort out their fates. The purpose of my study was to determine how strong mentoring relationships between adults and children at risk for social and academic failure have been associated with improvements in academic performance, school attendance, and self-image. My study explored the efficacy of the development and implementation of one specific school-based mentoring program for students with disabilities. Through this study, I endeavored to demonstrate the …

Categorizing Reentry And Reintegration Efforts Across Five States, Modena Stinnette

Dissertations

An average of 12,500 individuals are released from correctional control institutions in America each week. The reentry and reintegration of formerly incarcerated individuals into communities has become a relevant concern. This collateral damage caused by mass incarceration continues to challenge correctional institutions and community-based service providers to create better pathways for individuals returning home. Ending the collateral damage caused by mass incarceration will require a change in the way reentry and reintegration are defined, policies are created, recidivism is defined, and services are provided to individuals affected by mass incarceration. This research explores reentry and reintegration practices across five states. …

Factors Influencing Community Responses To Hoarding: Evaluating Operational Culture Of Hoarding Task Forces, Stigma, And Successful Outcomes, Leslie Gail

Dissertations

Hoarding is generally recognized as a pervasive need to acquire and retain items past the point of maintaining safe living spaces. Ushered into popular culture through television shows highlighting conflict, awareness of hoarding has increased. Experts report this condition affects 2-5% of the adult population, but this figure does not include children, family, neighbors, and community members (Buscher et al., 2013; Minor and Youth Children of Hoarding Parents, 2021). A unique feature of hoarding is the myriad of ways it is discovered.” People who hoard may keep conditions a secret due to a lack of awareness, concerns about forced remediation, …

They Don'y Expect You To Know Much: Black African International Students Encountering And Countering The Afropessimistic Attitude Within Academic Spaces, Margaret Sergon

Dissertations

Black African international students in the United States are vulnerable to increased microaggressions because of their minority statuses. In addition to being Black and speaking with non-native accents, African students must contend with Afropessimism which in this study refers to the Western world’s negative perception of Africa. The study is a mixed methods study that seeks to understand how the Afropessimistic attitude impacts the way Black African international students are perceived and interacted with, within the academic spaces. The findings indicate that African international students consistently encounter the Afropessimistic attitude, and it impacts their academic engagement. The findings also suggest …

An Evaluation Of Factors Influencing Teacher Retention In Title I Elementary Schools, Marica Stewart

Dissertations

The goal of my study was to evaluate what factors support the decisions of teachers in Title I schools to remain at the same Title I school for multiple years. More specifically, my desired outcome for this study was to determine the factors which can be managed at a school-based level to positively affect teacher retention, thereby ensuring that students have access to fully qualified teachers on an ongoing basis. The study addressed the following research questions: 1) What factors motivated the teachers to accept employment at a Title I school? 2) What factors were instrumental in teachers remaining in …

How Teacher-Student Relationships Influence Student Attendance, Behavior, And Course Completion, Kristina Chowning

Dissertations

In many ways, students have become data points at the expense of their humanity, thus minimizing the benefit of healthy relationships between teachers and students. This study aims to determine the impact of positive teacher-student relationships on student attendance, behavior, and course completion. Given the nature of the topic, I cast a wide net to include teachers and parents across the United States as participants in my study. The methodology of this study was mixed methods, incorporating surveys with both Likert scale-type questions and open-ended questions and interviews from each of the participating groups. Outcomes showed that positive relationships between …

Stressors And Coping Of Mexican American College Undergraduates, Jeanette Calvario Perales

Dissertations

Empirical literature indicates that current mental health practices with Mexican American college students are lacking. Mexican American undergraduates have unique challenges that need to be addressed by counselors within the university context and in community settings. This study addressed the dearth of empirical literature on stressors and coping strategies by exploring the experiences of Mexican American students at a predominately White institution (PWI) in the Midwest region of the United States. Through grounded theory, a theory was generated from multiple in-depth interviews using a comparative analysis process to enhance understanding of how Mexican American college undergraduates at PWIs cope with …

Historical Memory And Feminist Consciousness In Almudena Grandes’ Episodios De Una Guerra Interminable, Alba Fernández-Fernández

Dissertations

General Francisco Franco’s brutal dictatorship (1939-1975) was one of the darkest periods in Spain’s recent history. During this dictatorial regime, political detractors were mercilessly persecuted, tortured and massacred. In 1975, Franco died leaving the legacy of nearly four decades of repression and over 150,000 victims on his back. Spain then cautiously headed into a process of democratization, with fear and horror still etched on the country’s memory. While politicians promised a smooth transition to democracy, their insistence to look ahead meant Spaniards were asked to neglect the country’s painful past. No legal action was taken against those responsible for mass …

Mid To Late Neogene (5.9-3.7 Ma) Epeirogenic Uplift And Associated Ultramafic Volcanism, Canterbury Basin, New Zealand, Katherine Anne Dvorak

Dissertations

Cored marine sediments from Canterbury Basin Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 317 shelf sites U1351, U1353, and upper slope Site U1352 have been resampled with emphasis on benthic foraminifera from the Late Eocene to Late Pliocene. These new data coupled with paleo water-depth and age data from the nearby Clipper-1 petroleum exploration well, are used to develop a 1-dimensional basin subsidence model for the Canterbury Basin. Our model indicates there was widespread epeirogenic uplift of 890  350m, in the mid-Neogene (5.9-3.7 million years ago), which took place during concomitant ultramafic volcanism. Close association of uplift and volcanism could …

Development Of Flexible Hybrid Electronics For Sterilization And Structural Health Monitoring Applications, Arnesh Kumar Bose

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

German Imperialism And Applied Orientalism: German Encounters With The Ottoman Empire, 1850-1918, Matthew David Penix

Dissertations

Edward Said’s influential treatise on culture and imperialism, Orientalism, specifically called out German scholars of the Islamic “Orient” as being different. The lack of a formal German empire in Muslim lands seemed to preclude a culture of Orientalism. This dissertation examines the lived experience of Germans who traveled and worked in the Ottoman Empire from 1850-1918. As German interests sought their “place in the sun” during the decades before 1914, the Ottoman Empire became a major field of business investment, military-to-military contact, and missionary endeavor for Germans acting at the behest of both state and private interests. Their experiences formed …

The Influence Of Demographic, Social, And Economic Factors On Referral For Heart Failure Services, Catherine Elaine Kelty

Dissertations

Patients with end-stage advanced heart failure must go through an extensive evaluation process before being selected for either heart transplantation or left ventricular assist device (LVAD). This evaluation not only assesses a patient’s medical need for advanced heart failure treatments but also includes an assessment of psychosocial and economic factors that may affect a patient’s success post-treatment. While it is important to allocate scarce resources, such as donated organs, to the patients who will benefit the most, there is also a need for equity in the allocation of and access to healthcare services. This raises the question of whether patients …

The Experiences Of Undergraduate Saudi Students In The Stem Trajectory: A Closer Look At Major Choice And Persistence Intentions, Manal Almalki

Dissertations

STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) are a key source of economic progress in many countries. As the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia works toward an innovative and knowledgeable economy, more qualified national professionals in STEM are needed. Nevertheless, the problem of STEM attrition is still insufficiently explored in Saudi Arabia, which may indicate a gap between skills of the Saudi workforce and the country’s need for economic development. Therefore, this study attempts to provide more information about the STEM trajectory in Saudi Arabia, underline possible attrition points that require more attention, deliver a better understanding of the factors that …

The Use Of Racialized Preferential Language On Dating And Hookup Apps Among Men Who Have Sex With Men, Lorenz Angeles

Dissertations

The use of racialized preferential language (RPL) to advertise desire or lack thereof on dating and hookup apps among men who have sex with men (MSM) is a point of contention: might such statements be expressions of sexual liberty, or might they be manifestations of racism and discrimination in the online space? To address this issue, 561 MSM were surveyed regarding their dating/hookup app use; awareness of as well as sensitivity and receptivity to racial diversity and gender equality; and acceptance of racialized partner discrimination. Relationships among participant attitudes, RPL dis/use, experiences of in/exclusion, and demographic characteristics were elucidated, as …

Centering Culture And Relationships In Learning: Culturally Responsive Teaching In Higher Education, Valerie Vistain

Dissertations

In colleges and universities all across the United States, the amount of culturally and linguistically diverse students has increased significantly. Research has shown that when educators can develop educational practices and curricula that account for and incorporate students’ cultural frameworks, outcomes improve for culturally and linguistically diverse students. Culturally responsive teaching is a pedagogical approach that does just that. This research project aimed to bring to light the various ways that general education professors define and enact culturally responsive teaching practices. It further illustrates how students receive and interpret these culturally responsive approaches. Using the general education college within a …

Activities Negatively Influencing Retention Of African American College Students And Leadership Strategies To Increase Retention, Melvaughn Thompson

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to recognize the decrease in retention of African American college students. What are some of the reasons for a decrease in retention and what do the leaders do about it? Leadership can develop and implement to recruit and increase retention of some of these African American academic students. The college dropout rates on college campuses overall are 40%, with 30% of these students being freshman and sophomores. The theoretical framework for this study is based on the expectancy theory of motivation which is a process theory of motivation (Vroom, 1964). An individual's motivation (Valence) …

Exploring The Development Process Of Innovative Graduate Programs For Adult Learners At A U.S. Midwestern Public University, Ibrahim Rustamov

Dissertations

This case study explores the development process of two innovative graduate programs designed to serve the needs of adult learners for programs at a U.S. Midwestern public university. This case study also explores how leaders addressed issues of allocating funding and other resources, contributed to improved processes, and addressed the problem of resistance to change during and after the development and implementation of such programs. Additionally, it also examines how they plan to support further development of graduate programs that integrate specific innovative and alternative approaches such as prior learning assessments and/or competency-based education.

For this study, I used a …

The Language-Dream Relationship In Multilinguals, Brittany Dishaun Burkes

Dissertations

According to the United States Census Bureau, the United States alone is host to around 350 languages. When it comes to investigating languages in dreams by multilinguals, some studies have focused heavily on only two languages—Spanish and English. The purpose of this study was to add to the understanding of how language use relates to the dream content of multilinguals. This study recruited the assistance of nine polylingual individuals. The participants were instructed to record their dreams in the languages in which they occurred for 2 weeks. After 2 weeks, the participants translated their dreams into English in order for …

The Elementary School Principal's Influence On Teacher Hiring Practice & Decision Making, Courtney Goodman

Dissertations

In the role of a building principal, the hiring process is among the most critical components of the job, particularly hiring the right people for the right positions. Yet, hiring approaches vary from principal to principal, building to building, district to district. This study surveyed and interviewed principals and administrators about their hiring processes to determine the most effective and evidence-based approaches to hiring. It identifies several strategies to streamline the hiring process, including using a common set of tools for hiring, adhering to a set timeline for the hiring process, and focusing on criteria for hiring decision-making. This research …

Narratives Of Black Female Elementary School Teachers: Navigating The Normative Discourse Of Whiteness, Thera Tilmon

Dissertations

This narrative research study illuminates the experiences of Black elementary school teachers as they navigate through whiteness on their identity journey. The purpose of this study was to examine the counter-narratives of identity by Black female elementary school teachers within the discourse of Whiteness that remains dominant in the U.S. culture and public school system. This study included semi-structured interviews with six participating teachers from several school districts in a large Midwestern metropolitan city. critical race theory, Black feminist theory, intersectionality, and transcendental theories comprised the theoretical underpinnings of the study. Narrative research design was employed for data analysis resulting …

A Case Study Examining How Students In An Elementary, Early Childhood, And Exceptional Child Educator Preparation Program Acquire Technology Skills, Jana L. Gerard

Dissertations

This qualitative case study examined two sections of an educational technology class that was part of an elementary, early childhood, and exceptional child educator preparation program, to determine how students acquired educational technology skills for future teaching. As the ability to integrate educational technology skills into teaching and learning is vital to preservice educators, this study aimed to address possible changes needed in educator preparation programs to ensure preservice educators are ready to effectively teach with educational technology in their field experiences, student teaching, and future classrooms. In order to examine how students acquired educational technology skills, the researcher observed …

Organizational Culture In Schools: The Impact Of Positive Culture On Staff Retention At Vista Charter Academy, Karrie Elizabeth Munster

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Design, Synthesis, And Characterization Of Copper-Based Metal-Organic Frameworks For Their Investigation Against Cancer And Their Effect As Anti-Microbial Agents, Sandy Elmehrath

Dissertations

A wide range of nanomaterials have been developed for biomedical applications, such as drug delivery, biomedical imaging, and sensors. Nanomaterials can include nanoparticles (NPs) and nanofibers with various dimensions that are both natural and synthetic. A successful nanomaterial, for use in biological applications, is characterized by its biocompatibility, biodegradability, intrinsic high surfaces area, high interconnected porosity, and functionality. These features were achieved with the development of metal-organic framework (MOF) nanostructures. MOFs are assemblies of metal ions and organic linkers that are built into different geometries and can exist in all dimensions (up to 3-D). The choice of linkers with well-defined …