Digital Commons Network^™

Combat And Beyond: Predictors Of Post-Traumatic Growth In War Zone Veterans, Gabriela Crucianu

Dissertations

Veterans returning from combat often face psychological challenges, but many also experience posttraumatic growth (PTG), which refers to positive changes that can emerge after trauma. This study explored whether coping strategies, personal characteristics, social support, and combat exposure were associated with PTG in a sample of 42 war zone veterans using quantitative and qualitative methods. Participants completed validated measures assessing combat exposure, coping strategies, social support, personal characteristics (e.g., optimism), and PTG. Regression analyses showed that combat exposure, coping strategies, and optimism were not significant predictors of overall PTG. However, combat exposure was associated with appreciation for life, a dimension …

Supporting Best Practice Standards In Clinical Simulation Through Community Collaboration: An Exploration Of Impacts On Nursing Student Clinical Competency, Lindsay N. Dubois

Dissertations

Authentic patient representation is essential for preparing nursing students to provide quality care. This need is significant for populations impacted by legislative restrictions to healthcare. Additionally, inconsistent approaches in clinical simulation can hinder teaching and learning of valuable content. Nurses have extensive experience in ethics and social justice advocacy to improve health outcomes. Community collaborations help nurses better support their patients and novice learner competency. In 2022, clinicians and faculty collaborated to improve gender-inclusive representation in undergraduate nursing curricula and to educate learners about local resources. This standardized patient experience, focused on the care of a transgender and non-binary identifying …

Special Education Teacher's Perceptions Of Genai For Creating Individualized Lesson Plans, Mahadevan Iyer

Dissertations

In the United States today, 7.3 million students are receiving special education (SPED) services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA, 2004). Rules and regulations governing SPED help ensure that SPED students receive good quality education. Section 1414(d) of IDEIA requires schools to provide specialized academic instruction as per each student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP). SPED teachers are responsible for accommodating, scaffolding, and individualizing the curriculum to meet the goals specified in the IEP. Defining the individualized curriculum is an added responsibility for a SPED teacher. This study examined SPED teachers’ access to instructional materials that implement EBPs …

Exposing And Addressing Machine Learning Brittleness Through Constraint Solving, Muyeed Ahmed

Dissertations

Machine Learning (ML) implementations are fundamentally brittle: nondeterministic, inconsistent, and prone to overfitting; however, constraint solving can be used to systematically expose, quantify, and address this brittleness.

This dissertation first establishes that widely-used implementations of popular ML algorithms are nondeterministic (producing different outputs on the same input, across different runs) and inconsistent (different implementations of the same algorithm producing different outputs on the same input). This is more prevalent in Unsupervised Learning (UL) implementations where, due to the lack of a ground truth, subtle execution errors can go unnoticed and are difficult to verify. Nondeterminism and inconsistency also introduce security …

Development Of Ultrafast Protein Digestion And Standards Free Quantitation Methods For Mass Spectrometric Analysis, Praneeth Ivan Joel Fnu

Dissertations

A wide variety of biologically important molecules, such as enzymes, antibodies, hormones, transporters and receptors are proteins by composition and they play key roles in biological functions such as cellular regulation, communication, metabolism and physiological function. Protein dysfunctions and abnormalities are associated with numerous diseases, making proteins critical targets for understanding disease mechanisms and developing therapeutic interventions. Protein-based therapeutics such as monoclonal antibodies, hormones and vaccines gained popularity due to their high specificity, efficacy, and ability to treat complex diseases that are often difficult to address with small-molecule drugs.

Given the important role of proteins in a variety of biological …

Geographic And Environmnetal Influences On Color Pattern Similarity Between Coral Snakes (Genus: Micrurus) And Their Lookalikes, Anthony Sena

Dissertations

Venomous coral snakes and their lookalikes are often regarded as a classic example of Batesian mimicry, whereby a harmless species imitates a harmful species. The existing literature regarding coral snake resemblance presents a divisive stance on whether Batesian mimicry is the primary driver of shared color patterns or if alternative factors are responsible. While recent literature largely favors the Batesian hypothesis, empirical support remains inconsistent, and the specific geographic and interpretation of the conditions required for mimicry lacks consensus within the scientific community.

To evaluate the mechanisms maintaining these phenotypes, a quantitative, multivariate framework was utilized to analyze 400 museum …

Geometric Convergence And State-Space Decompositions For Stochastic Gradient Descent Markov Chains, Philip Zaleski

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Solar Wind - Magnetosphere - Ionosphere Coupling Processes Through Small-Scale Magnetic Flux Ropes, Youra Shin

Dissertations

Small-scale magnetic flux ropes (SMFRs) in the solar wind are examined to determine their properties in the near-Earth upstream region and their effects on geospace. Although SMFRs are observed frequently in the solar wind, their statistical behavior near Earth and their role in solar wind-magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling remain insufficiently constrained. In this dissertation, an automated Grad-Shafranov reconstruction technique is applied to magnetic field and plasma measurements from MMS and Wind, and ionospheric responses are investigated using geomagnetic indices and SuperDARN observations. During the survey period, MMS has an apogee of approximately 25-29 R_E. This orbital configuration allows the near-Earth …

Promoting The Bipartisan Dimension Of Political Leadership: A Study Of The Impact Of A Normative Intervention With Newly Elected Members Of Congress, Jaime M. Ruvalcaba

Dissertations

The U.S. political system is more polarized now than at any time in the past century, as evidenced by the rise of political incivility, legislative gridlock, and hyperpolarization. To date, most studies and efforts have focused on institutional strategies to explain, transform, and mitigate the challenges posed to the political environment. By contrast, little attention has been paid to the normative or values-based behaviors of leaders to either explain or influence political leadership in ways that positively impact the political environment. Fortunately, some organizational programs, like Harvard’s Bipartisan Program for Newly Elected Members of Congress, have taken a different tack, …

A Quantitative Exploration Of Public School Teachers’ Colorblind Racial Attitudes And Their Teaching Practices, Lindsey Dopheide

Dissertations

Teachers play a significant role in shaping student’s academic experiences, social development, and understanding of race and diversity within school settings. Because schools function as important sites of racial socialization, teachers’ beliefs about race may influence how they interpret student behavior, respond to inequities, select instructional practices, and engage with culturally diverse classrooms. One framework that has received increasing attention within psychological and educational research is colorblind racial ideology (CBRI) which reflects the minimization or denial of the continuing significance of race and racism in society. Colorblind racial ideology has been identified in prior literature as a dominant framework for …

Teacher Experience And Perception Of Feedback Literacy In The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, Carla B. Mills

Dissertations

Writing instruction in schools remains a significant area of concern even after decades of awareness that students are not performing at proficient levels upon high-school graduation. This phenomenographic case study investigated teacher feedback literacy at the secondary level through interviews with teachers of writing-intensive International Baccalaureate Diploma Program courses and document analysis. Areas of feedback literacy strength included teacher awareness of designing positive class environments, attending to the socio-emotional needs of their learners, extensive use of both rubrics and exemplars, and frequent provision of verbal feedback. Document analysis revealed the presence of explicit instruction in written feedback, rubric use, and …

Student Motivation In Writing, Technology Integration, And Middle Grade Pedagogy, Carol M. Edge

Dissertations

This qualitative case study explored how seventh-grade students experienced three-dimensional (3D) holographic technology during writing instruction. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and Multimodality Theory, the study examined how students’ intrinsic motivation processes were influenced by immersive learning environments that incorporated multiple modes of communication. A qualitative case study design was employed with 15 seventh-grade students. Data were triangulated through classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and artifact analysis.

Findings indicated that the 3D holographic environment supported students’ experiences of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Students engaged with diverse modes of expression, including textual, visual, spatial, and gestural forms, which enhanced their …

“Dynt Of Dede:” Reading The Medieval Combat Scene Through The Helmet-Cleave Motif, Andrew Sherwood Thomas

Dissertations

This research explores the continuity of chivalric combat descriptions throughout medieval literature. By tracing the history, development, and distribution of the helmet-cleave motif, this study is able to examine combat scenes spanning a wide reach of time, genera, and language. The purpose of this work is to suggest a reading methodology for the chivalric combat scene that appropriately situates it in its cross-textual context and so reveals the nuance of its expression and the value in its study.

Despite the volume of surviving combat descriptions in medieval literature, they remain underrepresented in the scholarship due to their apparent repetitious and …

Love’S Dialects: Proposed Additions In Emotionally Focused Therapy For Intercultural Couples, Nicola Heurich

Dissertations

Intercultural romantic relationships have become an increasingly prominent feature of contemporary society due to globalization, migration, and cross-cultural exchange (Livingston & Brown, 2017). However, these partnerships are also associated with elevated levels of relational distress and higher rates of conflict, separation, and divorce, underscoring the need for culturally responsive approaches in couple therapy (Bustamante et al., 2011; Genç & Su, 2021).

Research on intercultural couples remains limited both within and beyond Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), and despite increased recognition of cultural factors, there is still insufficient guidance on navigating differing cultural contexts within a dyad (Linhof & Allan, 2018).

The …

Adverse Childhood Experiences And Juvenile Offending: Client-Factor Variations And A Novel Intervention Approach, Madison M. Dobreff

Dissertations

Adverse childhood experiences have consistently been identified as risk factors for juvenile offending. However, this relationship is complex and varies based on individual factors. This critical literature review not only examined the current research on the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and juvenile offending but also identified client factor variations that influence the relationship. Client factors examined throughout include race/ethnicity, gender, age, internalized and externalized mental health symptoms, positive internal factors, familial and external social support, educational engagement, environmental factors, and positive childhood experiences. The relationship is further complicated by examining the effects of multiple client-factor variations on the adverse …

Blueprints For Resilience: A Delphi Study Of Architects' Competencies In Gulf Coast States, Richard J. Cantu

Dissertations

This study identifies and defines core competencies for licensed architects practicing in Gulf Coast states, emphasizing their critical role in protecting health, safety, and welfare (HSW) amid the region’s unique environmental challenges. Hurricanes, flooding, climate-induced risks, and other coastal hazards demand specialized expertise that existing architectural competency models do not adequately address. Leveraging Delphi’s research design, this study engaged Gulf Coast experts to develop and refine a region-specific competency framework across four iterative rounds. The findings highlighted the essential knowledge, skills, and abilities required for resilient and sustainable architectural practice. The study advances architecture’s human capital development (HCD) by addressing …

Why They Stay: A Qualitative Study Of Experiences Of Veteran Low-Incidence Self-Contained Special Education Teachers Who Remain In The Profession, Jessie Leyden

Dissertations

Persistent shortages of special education teachers in the United States have intensified the need to understand not only why some educators leave, but why others choose to stay. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand the experiences of veteran special education teachers working in low-incidence, self-contained classrooms who choose to remain in the profession. With a particular focus on the factors that contribute to their retention beyond the first three years, the study involved a sample of ten low-incidence, self-contained teachers from a variety of states across the country. Using semi-structured interviews, the study explored how these …

Constructing Female High School Students’ Stem Self-Efficacy: The Role Of High School Stem Research Experiences, Hyunjin Son

Dissertations

In the U.S., nearly a quarter of the workforce is employed in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) occupations. However, the STEM workforce lacks diversity, limiting perspectives to address real-world problems facing society. While many factors influence decisions to pursue STEM majors in college and enter the STEM workforce, one factor commonly associated with performance and persistence in STEM is STEM self-efficacy. Independent research experiences have been shown to increase conceptual understanding and confidence in STEM, leading to STEM degrees and careers. As high school co-curricular STEM research opportunities become more common, the effects of such experiences on students’ STEM …

Machine Learning For Predictive Energy And Emissions Modeling Of Vehicles And Power Grids In The United States, S M Tanvir Faysal Alam Chowdhoury

Dissertations

The environmental benefits of electric vehicle (EV) adoption depend on more than replacing internal combustion engine vehicles with electric powertrains. EV adoption reshapes electricity demand, interacts with regional generation mixes, and influences travel behavior and congestion, creating a coupled transportation-energy system in which vehicle and power-plant emissions must be evaluated together. This dissertation develops machine-learning frameworks for predicting energy consumption and emissions from vehicles and power grids under rising EV adoption. The first component forecasts grid emissions from EV charging. Using simulation data from NREL's Cambium database, a Prophet-based time-series framework predicts carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane emission rates …

A Trombone Studio Teacher's Guide To Non-Injury-Related Embouchure Changes, Austin A. Handley

Dissertations

This dissertation is a pedagogical guide for trombone studio teachers who will lead students through embouchure changes. These changes and adjustments are normal in brass pedagogy, but there is limited literature that addresses how teachers should identify the need for change, initiate the process, and support students through it. There are a growing number of resources available about embouchure injury and dysfunction, rehabilitation, and long-term prevention. This leaves a gap for teachers who are trying to help students using an inefficient embouchure setup.

The purpose of this study is to provide a practical resource for teachers by examining the experiences …

Pathways To The Streets: A Proposed Model Examining The Factors Influencing Gang Affiliation And Involvement Among Young Black Men In The United States, Ceauna L. Juarez

Dissertations

This literature review examined gang involvement among young Black men in the United States and explored the factors that contribute to joining gangs and the consequences that may follow. The first chapter provides a brief history of gang involvement in Black communities and introduces Erikson’s development model, self-determination theory, and the minorities’ diminished returns as the three theoretical frameworks. The second chapter discusses common challenges faced by young Black men who are currently involved in gangs or are at risk of joining. The chapter explores issues such as life expectancy after gang involvement, adverse childhood experiences, mental health concerns, and …

Intergenerational Trauma And Grief Among The Latine Community: Proposed Interventions And Treatment Considerations, Alexandra M. Johnson

Dissertations

The intersectionality of bereavement, trauma, and culture has many clinical considerations, including the impact on individuals and families. Traumatic events can impact an individual directly, collectively, and intergenerationally. The Latine community is one of the largest cultural groups in the United States, and mental health treatment often includes several cultural considerations. This critical literature review examined how the Latine community has been impacted by intergenerational trauma, specifically through experiences of grief and loss, to inform clinical focus, case conceptualization, and identify gaps in the literature. The first chapter provides a brief history of the intersectionality of intergenerational trauma and bereavement, …

The Influence Of Leadership On Leader Retention, Ruiwei Li

Dissertations

Prior research provided limited insight into how mid-to-senior leaders experienced and interpreted leadership in relation to retention. This interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) study explored how mid-to-senior leaders in a U.S. retail organization experienced and interpreted upper management leadership in relation to their retention decisions. Five leaders with at least four years of tenure participated in semi-structured, in-depth interviews. Each account was analyzed idiographically before patterns of convergence, variation, and divergence were examined across cases. Findings showed that willingness to remain reflected continued internal growth and meaningful influence, supportive leadership that affirmed personal value while preserving agency, and relational and cultural …

The Use Of A Sepsis Escape Room Simulation To Enhance Undergraduate Nursing Student's Clinical Judgment, Alaina Peterson

Dissertations

Background: Less than 10% of new graduate registered nurses meet practice-ready expectations for clinical judgment competencies, and 52% of critical care nurses are unable to adequately define sepsis. Traditional clinical rotations offer inconsistent exposure to high-acuity, low-frequency events such as sepsis, leaving new graduates unprepared for independent practice. Escape room simulations use the proven effectiveness of high-fidelity simulations with gamification to develop clinical judgment through active learning, teamwork and problem-solving.

Objective: The purpose of this project was to determine the effectiveness of a sepsis escape room simulation to improve perceived clinical judgment skills of undergraduate nursing students. The intervention was …

Exercise Self-Efficacy And Physical Wellness In A Worksite Wellness Program: Exploring Factor Structure And Perceptions, Micah B. Mcglathery

Dissertations

Exploring Perceptions of Exercise Self-Efficacy and Physical Wellness in a Worksite Wellness Program

Abstract

Worksite wellness programs are increasingly adopted to address insufficient exercise participation and other health-related behaviors that put employees at risk of chronic disease. Although quantitative outcomes are well-documented, there is limited research exploring how employees perceive these programs' impact on personal behavior change, particularly in relation to exercise self-efficacy. Guided by the Social Cognitive Theory and the Exercise is Medicine initiative, this study qualitatively investigates employee perceptions of a worksite wellness program’s influence on physical wellness and confidence to exercise. A phenomenological approach using semi-structured interviews …

Supports And Challenges For Esns In Higher Education: A State University Qualitative Study, Dilkash Ahmed

Dissertations

Although extensive support needs students (ESNS) benefit from access to inclusive higher education opportunities, research shows that navigating college settings has been challenging for these students. This study examined the supports available to ESNS enrolled in college classes and the challenges they encounter within a university setting. Using a State University as the research site, this qualitative study collected data through semi-structured interviews, observations, and reflection responses to capture the experiences of ESNS, faculty, and peer mentors in higher education. The study examined ESNS experiences in classes through the perspectives of faculty on teaching ESNS, peer mentors’ (who support students …

Rewriting The Plan: Environmental Justice, Community Resistance, And Governance Power In Hollister, California, Rolan Resendiz

Dissertations

This dissertation examines how community-led resistance in Hollister, California, challenged environmental injustice and infrastructure governance through grassroots civic action. Focusing on the Hollister Guardians, a coalition of primarily Latinx residents who organized in response to concerns about the city’s sewer system, this qualitative case study introduces the Critical Just Sustainability Policy Praxis (CJSPP) framework, developed by integrating Critical Policy Analysis and the Just Sustainability Paradigm with a praxis-oriented focus on community action. Using critical document analysis of city council meeting minutes, local media coverage, and community-authored texts mainly from 2023 to 2025, the study explores how policy discourse, institutional decision-making, …

Multiple Perspectives On Inclusion In Science For Students Receiving Support From The Learning Center (Tlc) Program, Jeremy C. Adams

Dissertations

Almaden Country Day School (ACDS) is a small, independent private school located in the Almaden Valley neighborhood of south San Jose, California. Currently serving over 400 students, the school has been in operation for over 43 years. Nan Hunter, its founder, set out to build a school community that could “discover the gifts in every child.” As part of this mission, the school sought to support neurodiverse students with accommodations as part of its general education program. In September of 2017, the school’s leaders committed more deeply to this aspect of the school’s mission when they opened The Learning Center …

Out Of The Briar Patch: Storying Resistance Among Black Male Survivors Of Childhood Sexual Abuse And Its Impact On Their Educational Experiences, Anthony Animuntu

Dissertations

This study examines the lack of support within educational settings for Black boys who are survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA). Despite growing attention to trauma-informed practices, the experiences of Black male survivors remain largely absent from educational research. Using a qualitative, phenomenological approach informed by critical autoethnography, semi-structured interviews were conducted with five African American men reflecting on their schooling experiences as CSA survivors. Axial analysis revealed four central themes: silence as survival and strategic invisibility, shame and internalized distress, institutional misrecognition, and the transformative role of relational care and educational kinship. Findings indicate that participants’ trauma was often …

Can Curriculum Improve Confidence? Examining The Impact Of The Implementation Of The California Math Framework On Math Anxiety Levels Of Preservice Teachers In California, Amanda Lubbs

Dissertations

In 2010, the state of California adopted the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) as an effort to ensure students were graduating high school as college and career ready. Shortly after, in 2013, the California Board of Education adopted the California Math Framework (CMF) as a tool for schools to implement the CCSS for Mathematics (CCSSM). Its recommendations incorporated research-based techniques to alleviate math anxiety through the use of explorative learning experiences that help students understand math skills in applied contexts, and by de-emphasizing rote practice and memorization. This study inquires about the framework’s effectiveness in mitigating math anxiety among pre-service …