Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring Undergraduate Understanding And Learning Of Catholic Social Teaching In Catholic Higher Education, Kenny Van Tilburg

Dissertations

Since the Second Vatican Council in the mid-1960s, Catholic higher education (CHE) has wrestled with its Catholic identity in a changing landscape and changing world (Gallin, 1996, 2000; Gleason, 1995; Morey & Piderit, 2006). A big component of this identity-recognition process is the continued evolution and inclusion of Catholic social teaching (CST) in the educational approach of CHE. Despite its importance, much evidence has suggested CST is underwhelmingly present in the education of contemporary CHE (Beyer, 2021; Galligan-Stierle, 2014; Hudson et al., 2018; Nickerson & Dammer, 2018; Reed-Bouley, 2016; Sullivan & Pagnucco, 2014; United States Conference of Catholic Bishops [USCCB], …

Administrator Leadership And Collective Efficacy: Enhancing Math Education In Public High Schools In California, Lina Ahmadieh

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative, multicase study was to determine challenges that high school administrators experience when they establish the elements of collective teacher efficacy (CTE) based on the elements of common purpose, collective teacher accountability practices, protocols for collective practices, and interventions in their mathematics department and to determine the strategies that high school administrators use when they establish CTE in their mathematics department.Methodology: In this qualitative, multicase study, five interviews were conducted with public high school administrators in California. The researcher employed qualitative methods to explain the challenges that high school administrators experience when they establish the …

Resetting The Imposter Phenomenon Reality: A Mixed Methods Research Study Of An Immediate Cognitive Behavioral Intervention On Stem Practitioners, Peter D. Smith

Dissertations

Imposter Phenomenon (IP) remains an essential framework for understanding how professionals attribute success to chance or misconceptions rather than genuine abilities. IP is especially pertinent for individuals who feel like frauds when attaining higher positions, convinced the promotions resulted from luck rather than accomplishments and credibility. The misguided mindset cultivates feelings of inadequacy or deceit, even when accolades, experiences, and qualifications prove the contrary. The prevalence of IP is widespread, impacting numerous individuals who have faced or continue to endure episodes of varying intensity. The psychological state makes individuals vulnerable to feelings of inadequacy, leading to reduced productivity, increased procrastination, …

Attracting Secondary Public School Teachers Through Servant Leadership In South Carolina, Chetara Lee

Dissertations

This study investigated the impact servant leader administrators have on the recruitment of secondary public-school teachers in South Carolina. The purpose of this study was to identify effective servant leadership behaviors that align with teacher recruitment. This research sought to enhance the existing body of knowledge on servant leadership in education by offering a comprehensive understanding of how school leaders can recruit career changers as teachers by aligning their servant leadership behaviors with the motivations of prospective educators for transitioning into teaching.

This research assessed 16 secondary public-school teachers and 3 school district HR personnel employed within various school districts …

A Phenomenological Study Of Gender And The Leadership Of Female Academic Library Directors, Julia D. Grace Dr

Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore how the gender of female academic library directors affects their leadership. The theory guiding this study was Acker’s theory of the ideal worker, as it offers a framework for examining the impact of worker gender in the workplace. The central research question of this study examined how the gender of female library directors at medium nonprofit private universities and colleges in the U.S. affected their leadership. This study utilized a phenomenological approach, conducting semi-structured interviews of female academic library directors at medium nonprofit private universities and colleges in the U.S. The …

Assessing Best Practices Of Facilitation Of The Free Exercise Of Religion By Army Chaplains Utilizing The Success Case Method, Geoffrey N. Bailey Phd

Dissertations

This mixed-methods study examined how U.S. Army chaplains experience and facilitate the free exercise of religion. The research explored compelling narratives of best-case facilitation experiences, identified leadership qualities associated with successful religious support, and analyzed similarities and differences between best and worst-case scenarios. Using Brinkerhoff's Success Case Method, the study distributed a quantitative survey to 1,478 active-duty chaplains (achieving a 23% response rate) followed by twelve guided interviews with participants representing diverse ranks and faith traditions. The research revealed six major themes: significant gaps in education for pluralistic ministry, tension between personal religious convictions and professional duties, crucial impact of …

Leadership In Times Of Crisis: Motivating Employees Through The Challenges Of The Covid-19 Pandemic, Hanan Khamis

Dissertations

Purpose: This study explores the critical role of leadership and employee motivation in sustaining organizational effectiveness during times of disruption, focusing specifically on the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. It investigates how leadership styles and motivational theories evolve in response to heightened uncertainty, rapid operational changes, and emotional strain. Central to this purpose is understanding how adaptability, empathy, communication, and relational leadership practices help maintain employee engagement and ensure continuity within higher education institutions during crisis conditions.Methodology: A qualitative phenomenological methodology was used to capture the lived experiences of 10 human resource (HR) leaders representing public and private universities …

Affordability Culture In Practice : Survey Validation Through A Socio-Technical Lens, Taylor Yeazitzis

Dissertations

Affordability has been a key directive in engineering projects as organizations seek to develop larger and more complex systems on stable or reduced budgets. This dissertation proposes a socio-technical framework of affordability to evaluate current affordability practices in organizations. Socio-technical frameworks have been used in complex organizations due to the ability to examine both social aspects as well as technical aspects as interconnected organizational components, yet previous research is lacking when attempting to approach affordability from this perspective. This research aimed to bridge this gap by validating a survey that examines affordability from both social and technical perspectives to gain …

Bridging The Gap: A Comparative Delphi Study Of Elementary Educators And Business Leaders On Interpersonal Workforce Skill Needs, Jazmyne Mercedes Chaffin

Dissertations

The purpose of this comparative Delphi study was to identify similarities and differences between elementary educators and business leaders regarding interpersonal workforce skill needs for students leaving elementary school and workers entering the workforce. Additionally, this study sought to identify how both panels rate the importance of the identified skills and gather recommendations for teaching the skills. Finally, the study was designed to compare results. This study used a comparative Delphi method, consisting of three data collection rounds with expert elementary educators and business leaders. In Round 1, participants responded to an open-ended question designed to elicit perspectives on essential …

Correlated Unsteady Interactions Between A Normal Shock Wave, Lambda Foot, And Other Flow Events, Ward Manneschmidt

Dissertations

This dissertation considers interactive relationships between a normal shock wave and the downstream shock wave leg of the associated lambda foot, as well as between a normal shock wave, time-varying static pressure, surface temperature fluctuations, and surface heat flux variations as measured along the bottom surface of the test section. Such relationships are investigated as they vary with two different magnitudes of inlet unsteady Mach wave intensity and are characterized using shadowgraph flow visualization data, as well as power spectral density, magnitude squared coherence, and time lag data. Employed for the investigation is a specialty test section with an inlet …

Patient Violence In The Emergency Department : The Potential Role Of Endogenous And Exogenous Factors, Laura Baker Graham

Dissertations

Patient Violence against nurses is a widespread problem resulting in both emotional and physical injury to the nurse. Emergency Department (ED) nurses are at an increased risk due to the volume and variety of the patients they serve, and the general chaotic environment of the ED; however, little research has been done examining the characteristics of patients who offend and the physical environment of the ED where the event happened. The aim of this three-article dissertation was to develop a more thorough understanding of the personal attributes (endogenous) of the individual patient and external (exogenous) factors of the emergency department …

The Impact Of Electrode Design On Lithium-Ion Battery Fast Charging, Prehit Patel

Dissertations

The growing demand for lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles, grid storage, and consumer electronics drives the need for advancements in energy density and power capability. Achieving higher energy density requires improved electrode architectures to enhance ionic transport while minimizing polarization and resistive losses. Although increasing electrode thickness can boost energy density, it also introduces transport limitations and raises the risk of lithium plating. A promising solution to this challenge is the integration of electrolyte channels within multi-layer electrodes, which can enhance lithium-ion mobility, particularly under high-rate cycling conditions. This study explores potential improvements to conventional lithium-ion cells that enable high …

A Dissertation To Explore Entrepreneurial Decision-Making In High-Risk Uncertainty Using Ethical Leadership, Janice Patrick Honeycytt Hering

Dissertations

Entrepreneurs regularly face high-risk, uncertain situations. Until this study, no research had examined how entrepreneurs approach these situations. Although studies have identified the construct of courage and suggested ways for employees to take courageous action in the workplace, no study has examined how entrepreneurs approach situations perceived as high-risk and with uncertain outcomes until now. This study was based on ethical leadership, one of the major components of courage: acting for the higher good. This study conducted qualitative grounded theory research to determine what process entrepreneurs use when faced with the need for courageous actions. Participants were entrepreneurs in the …

Skip-Level Meetings: Perspectives Of Skipped First-Tier U.S. Tech Leaders, Samuel Blacher

Dissertations

Although significant research exists on numerous intersecting theories, such as adaptive leadership, leadership communication, and employee voice, and although they are discussed in business publications and widely yet inconsistently implemented in industry, skip-level meetings are little scholarly studied. Such meetings offer benefits for employees, direct (skipped) managers, and skip-level leaders, and through them, to organizations, yet they also hold risks and pitfalls, and are influenced by various contextual factors, such as stakeholders’ national culture and age. This exploratory qualitative study employed elements of interpretive phenomenology, followed by thematic analysis, to examine the experiences, perceptions, and emotions of a diverse set …

Staying In The Game: A Study On Mentorship And Persistence Of Women Ncaa Division Iii Athletics Directors, Myranda Hope Nash

Dissertations

Mentorship and persistence among women NCAA Division III Athletics Directors (ADs) remain underexamined despite their significance for leadership continuity. With women comprising only 33% of Division III ADs, intentional mentorship is essential to advancing gender equity in collegiate athletics. This qualitative study analyzes interviews with ten women ADs to examine mentorship structures, professional trajectories, and psychosocial outcomes. Seven themes emerged: institutional culture and alignment; supervisors as mentors; queen bee syndrome; career pathways; influential leadership; Clutterbuck’s mentorship phases; and psychosocial support. Informal mentorship proved most effective, frequently developing into sustained professional relationships. Participants reported increased confidence, validation, and emotional support, particularly …

Radar Resolution Improvements Using Reference Target Sliding Method In Range Doppler Matrix, Trent Shelton

Dissertations

A novel reference target sliding method (RTSM) in the frequency domain of post-match-filtered radar data is presented, and it is shown that target resolution can be improved to levels much finer than classical bandwidth-limited resolution metrics. The RTSM uses a priori knowledge of the radar system to test returned signals against baseline references to provide expected target fitting. The methods developed have broad application and can be used to provide crossing target resolution and estimation parameter refinement in the presence of overlapping targets. Additionally, the reduced requirement for bandwidth in target resolution will allow for low-bandwidth systems to perform on …

Pushing The Limits Of Fermi-Gbm Data, Stephen Lesage

Dissertations

The Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) is a wide-field survey instrument in a low-Earth, low-inclination orbit. It contains twelve sodium iodide detectors and two bismuth germanate detectors which together span an energy range from ~8 keV to ~40 MeV and observe the entire unocculted sky (~70%). The highest resolution GBM data product is the time-tagged event data which has ~2 microseconds temporal resolution and 128 pseudo-logarithmically spaced spectral channels. All of these factors make Fermi the perfect instrument for detecting a wide variety of high-energy terrestrial and astrophysical phenomena. In this dissertation, I implement new data analysis techniques to explore …

Understanding The Behaviors Of Internal Short Circuit And Thermal Runaway Of Li-Ion Batteries Through In Situ Diagnosis And Modeling, Siyi Liu

Dissertations

Internal short circuit (ISC) caused thermal runaway is a critical challenge for Li-ion batteries that are widely used in various applications. However, currently, there is still a lack of understanding on how exactly an ISC triggers thermal runaway. ISC is a highly localized and transient phenomenon, hence, in situ diagnosis is important in understanding the development of ISC. In this work, experimental methods were developed for simultaneous in situ measurement of ISC temperature, ISC current, and ISC resistance during slow nail penetration of small single-layer Li-ion cells and large-format multiple-layer Li-ion cells. Furthermore, the experimental results of multiple-layer Li-ion cells …

Frameworks For Multi-Source Image Search Using Latent Space Feature Matching, Praveen Vijayakumar Phatate

Dissertations

In this dissertation we study frameworks for image matching for three distinct application scenarios: the first relates to positioning in GPS agnostic environments, the second relates to matching and retrieving similar images in an indoor environment sourced from multiple uncalibrated cameras and the third relates to matching and retrieving satellite images across multiple uncalibrated satellite cameras. We propose three different frameworks the first one based on the idea of transformers, the second one based on the idea of autoencoders and the third one based on the idea of Siamese networks. We report extensive experiments with novel datasets for each of …

The Effect Of Micro-Sized Tin/Hard Carbon Composition On Sodium-Ion Battery Performance, Joseah Amai

Dissertations

Sodium-ion batteries represent a promising alternative to lithium-ion technology for large-scale energy storage due to sodium's abundance, global availability, and cost advantages. However, developing high-capacity anodes that simultaneously deliver substantial energy density and stable cycling performance remains a critical challenge for its commercial viability. This dissertation investigates tin/hard carbon composite anodes as a solution to the fundamental trade-off between specific capacity and cycling stability in sodium-ion battery systems. While tin offers exceptional theoretical capacity through alloying reactions, it suffers from massive volume expansion during sodiation/desodiation, leading to particle pulverization and rapid capacity degradation. On the other hand, hard carbon has …

Lost In Translation: The Impact Of Intermediate Language Representations On Machine Learning Applications, Logan Cannan

Dissertations

Machine learning assisted binary analysis is an area of great interest in cybersecurity research. Training accurate machine learning models requires methods of binary lifting, which can require binaries to be translated through an intermediate language representation. This dissertation postulates that different intermediate language representations change the performance characteristics of these machine learning models. This dissertation takes a published machine learning frameworks as a control, modifies their input methodology to include different intermediate language representation transforms, and performs direct comparisons of model performance to ascertain bias in performance caused by different intermediate languages. This research enables the machine learning engineer, focused …

An Algorithm For Three-Dimensional Bubble Simulations And Analysis For Advanced Nuclear Propulsion, Pongkrit Darakorn Na Ayuthya

Dissertations

This dissertation presents the development of a predictive simulation framework for analyzing gas-liquid dynamics in Centrifugal Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (CNTP) systems, where hydrogen gas is injected into a rotating liquid uranium fuel core. Using Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH), a fully Lagrangian mesh-free method, this research models multiphase flow behavior under extreme conditions, capturing critical phenomena such as bubble formation, surface deformation, void fraction evolution, and rotational confinement. A novel modification to the liquid equation of state is introduced to mitigate SPH artifacts, improving fluid stability and enabling surface recovery after deformation. The model is validated against experimental data from static …

Increase Successful Outcomes With Technology-Driven Mergers And Acquisitions : Prioritize Post-Merger Integration Risk Mitigation, Kingsley Eromosele Usianeneh

Dissertations

In the post-COVID-19 era, accelerated engineering advances including Artificial Intelligence (AI) have increased firm’s reliance on technology-driven mergers and acquisitions (M&A) as an expedient strategy to bolster their technological innovation capabilities, retain competitive advantage and ensure sustainability. However, many M&As fail to achieve their strategic goals because of persistent challenges during post-merger integration (PMI). This dissertation adopts and integrates chapter 2 – chapter 4 to identify, theorize, and proactively mitigate the primary recurring PMI challenges that impede successful technology-driven M&A outcomes. Chapter 2 adopts PRISMA guidelines, conducts a systematic literature review, identifies, and synthesizes four persistent PMI risk categories: (1) …

Signal-To-Interference Degradation Due To Adc Dynamic Range For A Pulsed Doppler Radar Digital Signal Processor, Shawn Richard German

Dissertations

The objective of this study was to develop an expression for signal processor signal-to-interference ratio (SIR) improvement that combines factors that have historically been treated separately into a simple closed form expression, specifically factors such as analog-to-digital converter (ADC) dynamic range, phase noise, sub-quanta signal levels, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), gain, automatic gain control (AGC), receiver noise, and signal and clutter characteristics. The SIR expression developed in this study quantifies how much a signal processor’s performance is degraded by the inclusion of an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) with respect to an equivalent well designed all-analog design. Using this unified SIR metric, expressions …

Toward Measurable Explainable Ethical Ai: An Llm-Driven Data Analytics Study, Greg Bacon

Dissertations

Large Language Models (LLMs) have been a hot area for popular and research audiences. Users marvel subjectively at Artificial Intelligence (AI) outputs — so much that OpenAI delayed public release of Generative Pre-trained Transformer 2 (GPT-2) back in 2019, citing ``safety and security concerns.'' This research advances ethical and transparent AI through qualitative and quantitative measures between user intent and LLM responses in a way that aims to assist users with clear indications of good and poor alignment and of where to backtrack to minimize bias and hallucinations. The use case is recommending grant topics in a United States Department …

Novel Ai/Ml-Based Frameworks For Protein Conformation Selection In Drug Discovery Applications, Shivangi Gupta

Dissertations

Drug development is a lengthy, expensive process with a high failure rate. The urgency brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to enhance drug discovery by increasing target specificity, reducing toxicity, and optimizing formulation strategies. Building on this momentum, this dissertation introduces novel AI/ML-driven frameworks for protein conformation selection and classification, addressing critical challenges in modern drug discovery. However, designing such a novel AI/ML data-driven framework is a difficult task because most real-world biomedical datasets suffer from class imbalance issues, which can significantly skew AI/ML model training, resulting in …

Analysis Of Second-Order Decoupled Time-Stepping Schemes For The Navier-Stokes-Debye-Hückel Model Of Electroosmotic Flow, Craig S. Bosma

Dissertations

Electroosmotic (EO) flow has attracted much attention in recent years due to applications in microfluidics, such as in lab-on-a-chip type systems. Because of the inherent difficulties in measuring and monitoring microfluidic channels, analysis of EO flow is often performed by numerical simulation. The Navier-Stokes-Debye-Hückel model — a simplification of the Nernst-Planck model which couples conservation of the ionic concentrations to the Navier-Stokes equations — is the preferred model for studying such flows when the zeta potential is small. In this work, we study the well-posedness of the unsteady Debye-Huckël model, and propose decoupled time-stepping schemes for numerical simulation. We demon- …

Manganism And The Development Of A Green Sustainable Low-Threshold Spectrophotometric Test For The Monitoring Of Manganese In Consumable Water, Anna Merritt Holmes

Dissertations

Manganism, a neurotoxic disease from the hyperaccumulation of manganese, follows an etiology that parallels Parkinsonism. Non-occupational Manganism is acquired by the lifelong accumulation of manganese through water contaminated by natural and industrial sources. Biologically active manganese (II) eludes flocculation and filtration removal methods at water utilities. The U.S. Standard Methods For the Examination of Water and Wastewater persulfate testing method uses mercury sulfate, concentrated nitric and phosphoric acids, silver nitrate, and ammonium persulfate. The low detection limit of 210 µg/L is an order of magnitude greater than the World Health Organization (WHO) allowable limit of 10-50 µg/L. In 2004, the …

Online Chebyshev-Based Pseudospectral Methods For Nonlinear System Identification, Arian Yousefian

Dissertations

Nonlinear system identification plays a crucial role in developing effective control for various systems, including autonomous vehicles, robotics, and industrial process control. Acquiring the system model with minimal sensing and computation can significantly reduce control costs in these applications. Traditional adaptive control techniques often rely on uniform or high-frequency sampling, which may become impractical or computationally expensive for rapidly changing or high-dimensional systems. While Chebyshev-based pseudospectral (PS) methods have proven highly effective in offline contexts, their direct online implementation faces several challenges. Successfully approximating system dynamics online requires prior information about the approximation intervals to compute Chebyshev nodes for data …

Assessing The Selection And Impact Of Completeness In Technical Measure Sets In Systems Engineering, Casey Eaton

Dissertations

Technical measurement is foundational in large-scale complex engineered systems (LSCES) design and contract awards due to the state of practice of systems engineering. Although technical measurement is ubiquitous in systems engineering practice, the selection and assessment of the impact of a set of technical measures is often heuristics-based, rather than based on empirical evidence or theory. Current technical measure set selection has been observed to be subject to many challenges which, in turn, can degrade system outcomes. Two main thrusts comprise the research: selection and impact. Motivated by the potential impacts of a poor set of technical measures, a significant …