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Liberation And Inclusion Through The Voices Of Trans Youth: A Phenomenological Approach, Klaudia Neufeld

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The primary aim of this phenomenological study is to elevate trans youth voice to understand the essence of their individual and shared lived experiences within school systems designed for them to be silenced, excluded, and erased. In alignment with Eve Tuck’s desire-based research, this study is designed to counter deficit narratives of trans youth. Participants include six racially and ethnically diverse trans youth, ages 13−17 in the U.S. state of Colorado. Analyses revealed four themes: a gender-identity transition journey; navigating geography; safety and the impact of school culture; creating belonging through a coalition of community and friendship; and youth lessons …

A Qualitative Inquiry Of Research Administrator Perceptions Of Job Satisfaction In A Central Research Administration Unit At The University Of Denver, Noelle L. Strom

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Sponsored Programs Administration (SPA) team provides critical research administration services for the research community at the University of Denver. As research funding continues to rise at the University of Denver, retention of research administrators is critically important. Job satisfaction is key to employee engagement and retention. Higher job satisfaction contributes to several positive outcomes for institutions, including lower turnover, higher productivity, lower costs, and employee loyalty. The need to retain experienced research administration professionals is highlighted by the fact that few formal educational routes exist that prepare employees for a career in research administration; rather, developing expertise takes a …

A Phenomenological Study Of Women Principals Who Resigned During The Pandemic, Jessica A. Urbaniak

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

It is well established that principal turnover is of grave concern in the U.S. (Goldring & Taie, 2018; Levin et al., 2020) and may have been exacerbated due to the pandemic (Steiner et al., 2022). This transcendental phenomenological study explored the experience of women principals at P-12 schools in the U.S. who voluntarily left their roles during the pandemic. Data was collected from five participants through two semi-structured interviews and a visual representation of their experience. The essence of this phenomenon was: the pandemic allowed for reflection which intensified the need for women principals to feel in harmony with their …

The Transformation: Teaching Critical Thinking And Clinical Decision Making In Nursing Education, Winifred Ferguson Adams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

The profession of nursing has recognized in the past 20 years the need for graduate nurses to enter the profession prepared to care for complex medical patients in an ever-changing healthcare environment. It has become a major challenge for nurse educators to provide students with adequate didactic and clinical education in nursing. The overall purpose of this project was to help nurse educators accept the challenge required to make the radical transformation in education. Faculty participated in the measurement of self-efficacy pre and post-exposure to teaching strategies related to (1) critical thinking, (2) clinical judgment, and (3) clinical reasoning …

“Difference In/At The Center" A Transnational Approach For Mobilizing International Multilingual Graduate Writers' Writing Assets During Writing Instruction., Olalekan Adepoju

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research project presents an empirical exploration of how the writing assets possessed by international multilingual graduate writers impact the theory and pedagogical practices in writing studies, especially regarding the approaches to teaching writing. Extant scholarship in writing studies, especially on second language research/teaching, translingual writing practices, and asset-based writing pedagogy has engaged issues of difference in language, race, culture, as well as funds of knowledge, highlighting the impacts of these differences on the academic success of non-native English speakers in US schools and colleges. My dissertation builds on these trends and highlights the narratives, perceptions, and experiences of international …

Where Are All The Women?: Using Role Congruity Theory To Explore The Experiences Of Female Interscholastic Athletic Directors., Nicholas Swim

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Leadership in sport organizations continues to be male dominated, even as multiple scholars have argued and proven the importance of women holding sport leadership positions (Burton & Leberman, 2017; Darvin & Lubke, 2021; Schull, 2017). The lack of women attaining these positions leads to fewer opportunities for role modeling and mentoring experiences for female athletes. As Burden et al. (2010) argue, interscholastic athletic directors are important as they usually represent the first interactions for young athletes with people in sport leadership positions. Researchers have investigated this phenomenon at the intercollegiate level (Bower & Hums, 2013; Darvin & Lubke, 2021; Taylor …

Intercalation And High-Pressure Investigations Of Black Arsenic Phosphorus: Unraveling Material Transformations., Dinushika Vithanage

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Black arsenic phosphorus (b-As_yP_1-y) alloys have emerged as intriguing materials within the realm of two-dimensional (2D) materials, following the discovery of black phosphorus (BP). These alloys possess capability to overcome major limitations of BP and exhibit potential for tunability and enhancement of properties making them promising materials for a wide range of applications, including lithium-ion batteries. Inspired by the intriguing findings obtained for BP, this research focuses on understanding the structural modifications that can be achieved in b-As_yP_1-y alloys through the application of intercalation and high pressure. The initial phase of our investigation …

From Androgyny To Binary And Back: A Qualitative Analysis Of Nonbinary Tiktoks., Savannah Hatton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explores how nonbinary individuals represent and express their gender on TikTok. Given the limited amount of research that has been done on nonbinary gender expression in online spaces, this study uses TikTok to observe the ways that nonbinary individuals perform gender. Additionally, given the relative newness of TikTok, this study serves to inform growing research on identity formation through social media. It used a sample of fifty TikToks by nonbinary creators to perform a content analysis. The findings reveal significant variation in how nonbinary individuals "do gender" on the platform, with some individuals identifying closely with binary labels, …

Cad System For Early Diagnosis Of Diabetic Retinopathy Based On 3d Extracted Imaging Markers., Ahmed Sleman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation makes significant contributions to the field of ophthalmology, addressing the segmentation of retinal layers and the diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy (DR). The first contribution is a novel 3D segmentation approach that leverages the patientspecific anatomy of retinal layers. This approach demonstrates superior accuracy in segmenting all retinal layers from a 3D retinal image compared to current state-of-the-art methods. It also offers enhanced speed, enabling potential clinical applications. The proposed segmentation approach holds great potential for supporting surgical planning and guidance in retinal procedures such as retinal detachment repair or macular hole closure. Surgeons can benefit from the accurate …

Connectivity Of Amygdala Somatostatin-Expressing Neurons And Their Role In Taste-Guided Behavior., Jane Jeruto Bartonjo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The nucleus of solitary tract (NST) and parabrachial nucleus (PBN) represent the first and second central synapses of ascending gustatory information. Neural processing in these nuclei is influenced by descending input from forebrain regions such as the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA). In mice, we have shown that somatostatin (Sst) expressing neurons of CeA that project to NST and PBN are largely distinct cell populations and optogenetic inhibition of the CeA/Sst-to-NST subpopulation increases the intake of high concentrations of quinine with no apparent effect on sucrose intake. Synaptic connectivity of these cells is needed to understand the possible mechanisms …

Using Graphic Novels To Teach Economics Content To High School Students With Extensive Support Needs., Caroline Mae Fitchett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of social studies instruction in school is to facilitate the growth of competent citizens (National Council for the Social Studies [NCSS], 2013). Despite the recognized benefit of social studies instruction, emphasis on this subject has decreased over time, and has ultimately been termed a “dispensable subject” (Fitchett & Haefner, 2010). Social studies is an even more marginalized subject area for students with disabilities (Zakas et al., 2013). Expanding the research in this area is not only necessary to improving social studies academic content acquisition but is also likely to facilitate greater independence for students post-school – and by …

A Practice-Based Inquiry Into The Correlation Between Nursing Retention Rates And Resiliency, Kelly J. Watson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nurses are the frontline in the security of the United States. Their wellbeing and retention in the workforce is of the utmost of importance. Nurses are leaving at increasing levels with just over 27% turnover rates across the nation in 2021. Organizations are experiencing increasing fiscal losses and the average loss for a nurse leaving is just over $46,000. The prioritization of nurses’ wellbeing and taking steps to address policy that promotes the sustainability of this very valuable workforce has the potential to pay high dividends for nurses individually, the security of the nation, and the good of the organization. …

Investing In Your Employees: Understanding The Impact Organizational Commitment Has On Staff Retention, Vanessa Lynne Mcwhirt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

High employee turnover in higher education has been an issue for decades, and successfully integrating newly hired staff (NHS) into their new job and the organization can be challenging for human resources and leadership. New employee orientation and onboarding programs can assist NHS. The author of this paper conducted a Utilization-Focused evaluation of the Thriving at DU program at the University of Denver (DU) to improve the program. The study examined the perceptions of how 12 student and academic affairs professionals made meaning of organizational commitment in the workplace throughout their onboarding experience.

The major findings of this evaluation aligned …

Exploring Collective Impact: A Developmental Program Evaluation Of A College Access Program, Diana C. Zakhem

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Partnership was established in 2015 when the Arbor Glen School District, Brook Heights Community College, and Remarkable Outcomes rallied around their common priorities of increasing college matriculation rates in their community. The Partnership created programming that promotes the preparation and transition of students into postsecondary education and the completion of a postsecondary credential. The COVID-19 global pandemic directly impacted The Partnership, including the loss of grant funding, changes in data reporting systems, changes in the delivery method of its services to students, and significant staff turnover. The combination of these factors caused The Partnership’s organizational structure, measurement systems, activities, …

Institutional Racism, Racial Trauma, And Mental Health In Bipoc Graduate Students And Professionals., Jody Zhong

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

While there is increasing mainstream focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) amongst U.S. college campuses, institutional racism and everyday racist events continue to be common experiences for Black/Brown, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) students (Bartz, 2019; Noltemeyer et al., 2012; Pieterse et al., 2010; Regis, 2016; Vaishnav, 2020). Research has shown that subtle, everyday racist slights, known as microaggressions, can have a substantial effect on the mental health and functioning of BIPOC, leading to the development of posttraumatic stress and to negative impacts on psychological well-being (Abdullah et al., 2021; Le et al., 2021; Lui & Quezada, 2019; …

“Long Live Ear X-Tacy!”: An Oral History Study Of Rhetorics Of Nostalgia And Place., Aubrie Warner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study aims to explore rhetorical placemaking through how people understand and construct narratives around places that no longer exist. In doing so, it examines the relationship between nostalgia and place — how rhetorical construction of place is influenced and/or informed by rhetorics of nostalgia, how our experiences influence our sense of place (past and present), and how we create continuity for ourselves in the construction and maintenance of particular narratives. This study contributes to the emerging field of rhetorics of nostalgia and places it in direct conversation with rhetorics of place and unpacks how these two are more connected …

Why Are Measures Of Depression Imperfectly Correlated? An Empirical Investigation., Eric Joseph Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Depression remains one of the most prevalent and impactful mental health disorders worldwide. A large number of measures of depressive symptoms are currently available, all designed to assess the same underlying construct. However, the measures tend not to correlate highly with one another. Measurement error cannot fully account for this observation, suggesting that clinical heterogeneity – that is, differences in symptom coverage across measures – might contribute to the lower-than-expected correlation between measures. We conducted two concurrent studies to examine this hypothesis. In Study 1, we developed a coding scheme to categorize items into one of 10 symptom categories. We …

Swallow, Breathing And Survival: Sex-Specific Effects Of Opioids., Michael Frazure

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents a series of studies examining mechanisms of deglutition and respiration, and how these vital processes are impacted by opioids. The experiments in Chapter Two investigated the role of the upper esophagus in airway protection through systematic activation of pharyngeal and esophageal mechanoreceptors in a cat electromyography model. Chapter Three compared effects of opioid administration on breathing and swallowing between male and female rats, and found that females are more susceptible to opioid-induced depression of breathing and swallow than males. Findings from Chapters Two and Three led to the development of a translational model of opioid-induced dysphagia using …

Visibility Based Hospital Inpatient Unit Design., Uttam Karki

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Patient fall is one of the adverse events in an inpatient unit of a hospital that can lead to disability and/or mortality. Healthcare literature suggests that increased visibility of patients by unit nurses is essential to improve patient monitoring and, in turn, reduce falls. However, such research has been descriptive in nature and does not provide an understanding of the characteristics of an optimal inpatient unit layout from a visibility-standpoint. This dissertation fills significant voids in this domain and adds much-needed realism to develop insights that hospital decision-makers can use to design their inpatient unit layout. Our first contribution (Chapter …

Embodying An Afrofuturist Character On Stage: A Case Study In The Performance Of Sarah B. In Afromemory., Candace S. Spencer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores Afrofuturism and positions Afrofuturist drama as a new, 21st -century genre of theatre. My thesis defines Afrofuturism and characteristics of Afrofuturist plays by Black women. My examination of Afrofuturist pieces and performance strategies is for Black female performers working in Afrofuturism. I show how Black female fiction writers contributed to Afrofuturism by examining two 20th -century plays by Black women that have Afrofuturist features but were written before the term was coined. I use Afromemory, a play produced by the University of Louisville Theatre Arts Department in Spring of 2022, as a case study of an …

Teachers And Administrators' Perceptions Of The Implementation Of District Student Conduct Procedures., Amy Ghibaudy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

While there is a body of research about student conduct policies and procedures, there is a lack of research about how different role groups work together to implement these procedures and have a positive working interpersonal relationship. This sequential mixed methods case study design takes place in a large urban school district. In this study, I investigate the perceptions that educators have on the implementation of student conduct procedures in their school. I also explore how their perceptions of each other shape their interpersonal relationships. I used Normalization Process Theory (NPT) as my guiding theoretical framework. This study drew upon …

The Influence Of Power On Racial Identity And Social Power: Learning While A Minority In A Bullitt County High School In Kentucky., Michele Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to examine the influence of power on racial identity and social awareness of minority high schools’ students in Bullitt County, Kentucky. The research will come from the student perspective of those attending high school with students predominantly from another racial background. Using purposeful sampling, 12 students participated in semi-structured interviews, providing insight into three research questions regarding racial identity, social power, and social awareness. Student participants used their voice to share their lived educational experiences attending school with students from another racial background. Interviews were transcribed, coded and analyzed using In Vivo and …

Promotional Communication For A College Food Pantry: Findings From A Cross-Sectional Assessment Of Socioecological Variables Related To Past Use Of A Campus-Based Food Pantry., Bunny Marie Hayes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objective: This study examined differences between users and non-users of campus food pantry, conducted communication audit, and made recommendations for future food pantry communication. Methods: Cross-sectional twofold study, first analyzing existing intrapersonal, interpersonal, and environmental data to test predictors of campus food pantry usage characteristics, using inferential statistics. Secondly, conducting a communication audit that evaluates the reach of student communication. Results: Significant differences were found between users and non-users of food pantry that support hypotheses in relation to gender, age, race, class, marital status, housing type, housing description, and Pell eligibility. Findings could not support hypothesized differences in first-generation status. …

Non-Western Rendition Of Ambient Rhetoric Of Khajuraho Monuments., Shiva Hari Mainaly

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation develops an ambient rhetoric: a living practice that is more disclosive than communicative, more entangled than intersectional, and more subtle than explicit and evidential. Rather than exploring the symbology, iconography, texture, and artistic integrity of Khajuraho monuments, I claim that Khajuraho monuments aim at convincing visitors with their persuadability and affectability inherent in their material bases, architectural panels, fractal design, allegorical cast, aura of attunement, and the environment in which the monument complex is nestled. Khajuraho groups of monuments in Central India, matchless in their monumentality, dynamic in their adjustment to the shifting socio-politico-cultural landscape in the world, …

Perceptions Of Preparedness Regarding Administrative Responsibilities: A Comparative Analysis Of Preservice And In-Service Secondary Music Educators., Ashley Ann Hokenson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated perceptions of knowledge and preparation regarding administrative responsibilities among in-service and preservice music teachers. Samples were selected randomly through NAfME and NASM databases. Data collection and analysis answered research questions asking how knowledgeable these groups felt about administrative topics, how they felt their undergraduate coursework prepared them for administrative responsibilities, and if there were any significant differences in preparedness among different subject areas taught by in-service directors. The findings report in-service teachers felt more knowledgeable of all administrative topics. Among in-service and preservice teachers, one significant difference was found; regarding preparedness pertaining to laws of communication via …

Sense Of Belonging For Black Families At Their Child's School: Factors That Promote, Inhibit, And Oppress., Jill Handley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate how the perceptions about family engagement structures influence the sense of belonging for Black families at their child’s school. Qualitative participatory action research (PAR) design was used for this study and purposeful homogenous sampling (Creswell, 2012) was used to select participants. The participants for this study were Black parents/guardians of students in grades K-12 in Jefferson County, Kentucky. This qualitative study used the World Café method to collect multiple data points that were triangulated to contribute to the trustworthiness of the study (Glesne, 2006). Epstein’s Model of Overlapping Spheres and Bourdieu’s …

Analyzing The Influence Of Mathematics Intervention Teacher Actions On Students' Mathematics Identities: An Examination Of Bipoc Student Perceptions And Past Learning Experiences., Sydni P. Morris

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines mathematics education's past and present state in the United States, emphasizing mathematics intervention instruction. This dissertation includes a complex and critical analysis of intervention practices and historical and structural inequities based on race present in these interventions and mathematics education. In combination, it examines the construct of mathematics identities, their role in student success with mathematics, and trends surrounding mathematics education and its impact on populations of students of color. Using Critical Race Theory as an underlying framework and Critical Counter-Narrative as a methodology, it argues a need for marginalized student voices to be present in the …

Design And Evaluation Of A Multi-Functional Surgical Device For Microgravity Surgeries., Sienna Shacklette

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Learning Mindset Dimensions And Completion Status Of Tennessee Community College Students, Donna Sue M. Shellman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this nonexperimental, quantitative study was to analyze relationships between three learning mindset dimensions (growth mindset; purpose and value; and sense of belonging) to retention and persistence to graduation among first-time, full-time Tennessee community college student graduates and nongraduates who attended one of 13 institutions in Fall 2019. In addition to comparing Tennessee community college graduates and nongraduates’ learning mindset dimensions, I analyzed student subgroups to explore those dimensions with regard to gender and race. Additional analyses included correlations between students’ growth mindset scores; purpose and value scores; and social belonging scores.

Analyses included Tennessee Board of Regents’ …

Extraction, Purification, And Characterization Of Potential Bioactive Compounds Produced By Janthinobacterium Lividum Tajx1901, Andy Elorm Agbakpo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Underexplored environments such as soil samples continue to be an untapped source of bacterial strains with great potential to produce secondary metabolites for medicinal applications. As a result, these microorganisms represent a broad and yet unknown reservoir of new strains capable of producing these novel compounds. The current research primarily seeks to perform the isolation, purification, and characterization of secondary metabolites from a soil bacterium (Janthinobacterium lividum TAJX1901). The isolated soil bacterium was successfully cultured on rich media agar plates, followed by extraction using methanol and chloroform. The purification methods utilized include flash column chromatography, preparative thin-layer chromatography, and …