Digital Commons Network^™

Reapplication And Credential Completion Among Non-Selected Community College Health Science Applicants: A Social Stratification Perspective, Donna G. Whitehouse

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Reapplication and Credential Completion Among Non-Selected Community College Health Science Applicants: A Social Stratification Perspective by Donna Whitehouse Community colleges serve as primary access points for healthcare workforce preparation, yet thousands of qualified applicants are not selected for competitive admission health science programs each year. Research on what happens to these students following non-selection is limited, and existing studies focus almost exclusively on nursing, leaving allied health programs largely absent from the literature. This study addressed that gap by examining the reapplication behavior and credential completion outcomes among 2,604 applicants to three competitive admission health science programs, Nursing, Occupational Therapy …

An Exploration Of The Psychological Impacts Of Code-Switching, Cristina Culler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is an interpretative phenomenological analysis of the lived experiences of four Black American adults who have frequently engaged in code-switching. Historically, code-switching has been perceived as a necessary skill that helps marginalized folx adopt the norms and practices of the dominant culture. As a result, code-switching has become a routine practice specifically for Black Americans who often occupy white spaces. Since code-switching has been perceived as a skill, the oppressive origins of code-switching often go unnoticed. Therefore, this dissertation examines code-switching through a critical lens that deems this practice a product of racist ideologies that prioritize whiteness. Through …

Predictors Of Pre-Service Teachers’ Strength-Based Teaching Practices With Els (English Learners), Stephany M. Panza

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The increasing number of English learners (ELs) in U.S. school classrooms highlights the importance of utilizing pedagogical approaches that build upon their preexisting cultural and linguistic strengths. Strength-based teaching practices, grounded in positive psychology represent a systems-levels approach to promoting positive academic and socio-emotional outcomes for ELs. In this study, a sample of 21 pre-service teachers attending Northeastern teacher preparation programs completed a series of surveys identifying their EL teaching experience, EL coursework, multicultural attitudes, and intercultural self-efficacy. These predictors were examined to determine their cumulative impact and unique contributions to an adapted Strength-Based Practices Inventory (SBPI), which captured pre-service …

Perceptions Of Situational Leadership Styles On The Behavioral Intervention Skills Of General Educators, Kendall Jordan Baethge

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The researcher conducted the following study to describe the lived experiences and perceptions of general educators employed in a rural, central Texas school district. The study specifically inquired about the perceptions of leadership styles and strategies to successful behavior intervention strategies for inclusive general education classrooms. The problem addressed within the study was the growing diversity in general education classrooms ensuring inclusive opportunities to students with disabilities who exhibit challenging behaviors. The purpose of the study was to better understand those leadership styles currently being used and styles that are most appropriate to develop perceived self-efficacy and proficiency in behavior …

Navigating The Dark Side: Emotional Labor's Impact On Hr Professionals' Wellness, Esmeralda Amelia Rendón

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative descriptive study was designed to document and describe how female-identifying human resource (HR) generalist practitioners serving as sole or primary employee relations practitioners in small- to medium-sized organizations across the United States experience and manage emotional labor in their roles, cope with its demands, and how these experiences impact their wellness and perceptions of organizational support. Despite the centrality of emotional labor (EL) in human resource professionals’ (HRPs) roles, little was known about how HRPs in these underresourced environments cope with these demands. Data were collected through semistructured virtual interviews with eight participants and analyzed using Braun and …

Kindergarten Teachers’ Perceptions, Experiences, And Challenges Using Visual Supports For Children With Autism, Jasmine M. Mcnair

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study examined kindergarten teachers’ perceptions, experiences, and challenges related to the use of visual supports for students with autism spectrum disorder in East Texas. Grounded in cognitive load theory, the study explored whether visual supports enhance learning outcomes by reducing cognitive overload. Four research questions addressed teachers’ perceptions of effectiveness, implementation challenges, the influence of teacher attitudes, and differences based on teaching experience. The researcher collected data through semistructured interviews with 10 kindergarten inclusion teachers and supplemented by classroom observations. Thematic analysis revealed five primary themes: emotional impact and student growth, visual supports as essential instructional tools, …

Cultural Intelligence And Leadership: Examining School Principals’ Impact On Teacher Belonging, Retention, And Conflict Resolution, Quincy C. Commerford

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The increasing diversity throughout the United States, especially reflected in the school system, has increased the need for school leaders who can effectively lead culturally diverse communities, and, specifically, for culturally diverse teachers. Cultural intelligence has gradually become a leadership competency alongside other intelligences, such as emotional and social, but little is known about how a school leader’s cultural intelligence affects culturally diverse teachers sense of belonging, their experiences with conflict, and overall teacher retention. In this study the researcher examined how a school leader’s cultural intelligence affects teachers’ sense of belonging in two culturally diverse secondary school settings. Using …

A Correlational Study Exploring The Influence Of Organizational Climate On Job Satisfaction Of Non-Faculty Staff At Texas Community Colleges, Tamesha M. Hilliard-Daniels

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As U.S. higher education institutions face increasing challenges related to employee morale and retention, understanding the drivers of workplace satisfaction is critical for institutional stability. This research investigates the relationships between organizational climate factors and job satisfaction among staff within Texas community colleges, applying Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and Herzberg’s motivator-hygiene as the theoretical framework. Specifically, this study explores the influence of institutional communication, employee well-being, and organizational mission and pride on staff job satisfaction. Utilizing a quantitative correlational design, the study analyzed secondary data from ModernThink’s Higher Education Insight Survey©. The sample consisted of 2,265 higher education professionals collected …

Microplastic Effect On Behavior Of Nudibranch (Berghia Stephanieae); A Trophic Transfer Study, Isabela Salina Fernandes Beneli

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With the continuous rise in economic supply and demand, an enormous increase in waste, litter, and pollution has been seen globally, with plastic pollution being the most abundant category. Microplastic (< 5 mm), derived from larger plastics, pollution is intensely widespread across marine ecosystems and can be transferred across trophic levels through predator-prey interactions. Recent studies have shown that ingestion of MPs can damage cells, tissues, and internal organs and increases oxidative stress leading to malformations, reduced feeding and growth, , and slower developmental rates in a wide array of organisms. This study examined the trophic transfer of microplastics (MPs) from the anemone Exaiptasia pallida to its specialist predator Berghia stephanieae, and evaluated the effects of exposure on predator behavior. A dose-response experiment demonstrated that MP retention in E. pallida decreased over time, although higher exposure concentrations resulted in greater initial microplastic concentrations. Trophic transfer to B. stephanieae was confirmed through feeding experiments. Behavioral assays revealed that B. stephanieae did not exhibit a preference between MP-exposed and control prey. However, microplastic …

From Words To Form: Disability In Contemporary Italian And Italian American Literature, Arianna Salomon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation traces nearly fifty years of representations of disability, understood as a cultural category, from the late 1970s to the early 2020s, in two interconnected traditions: Italian and Italian American literature. In particular, it explores how disability reshapes the act and aesthetics of writing in contemporary Italian and Italian American novels and memoirs. Given the field’s relative newness, the substantial groundwork still required, and the many connections between literature and disability, this dissertation uses nine case studies with a balanced pairing of Italian and Italian American works in each chapter: Carmelo Samonà’s Fratelli (1978) and Tina De Rosa’s Paper …

Modeling Nonequilibrium Community Dynamics Of Bivalves In The Indian River Lagoon, Jada Lee Brown

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Benthic infaunal communities are widely-used indicators for assessing estuarine health, especially in systems that experience frequent disturbances and hydrological fluctuations. However, using benthic infauna to predict ecosystem responses to future disturbances remains a challenge. The Indian River Lagoon (IRL), spanning 40% of Florida's east coast, is a prime example of a complex estuary that has experienced decades of hydrological alterations leading to reduced water quality, sediment composition, and biodiversity. To assess benthic bivalve community dynamics in response to disturbances, an emerging Empirical Dynamic Modeling (EDM) approach was applied to a large test dataset comprising 17 years of benthic bivalve abundances …

Establishing Thermal Bleaching Thresholds For Montastraea Cavernosa On Florida’S Coral Reef, Olivia Faris

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Marine heatwaves are increasing in frequency and duration, with widespread bleaching events and mortality impacts observed on Florida’s Coral Reef. However, thermal bleaching thresholds for corals in Southeast Florida are not well established, limiting the ability to forecast or manage response to thermal stress events in the region. This study was designed to establish bleaching thresholds for Montastraea cavernosa, a reef-building stony coral, in Southeast Florida. Ex-situ experiments were conducted where triplicate M. cavernosa fragments of multiple genotypes were exposed to acute thermal stress or held at intermediate temperatures to simulate chronic stress. Thermal performance curves based on photosynthetic …

Assessment Of Anaerobic Co-Digestion Of High Strength Organic Feedstocks Diverted From Landfills, Sumaiya Sharmin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The increasing generation of high-strength organic wastes such as food waste and fats, oils, and grease (FOG) presents challenges for landfill capacity and waste management. Anaerobic co-digestion offers a sustainable alternative by converting these wastes into renewable energy and nutrient-rich digestate. This study evaluated the co-digestion performance of single fruit waste residuals and mixed food waste with wastewater sludge to identify substrate combinations that maximize methane production while maintaining process stability. Laboratory-scale batch experiments were conducted under mesophilic conditions using thickened waste activated sludge (TWAS) with varying proportions of food waste and co-substrates, including seaweed, aquatic weed, grease trap waste, …

Childbirth Experiences Of The Bangladeshi Immigrant Women In South Florida, Tahsina Ferdous

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative research was conducted among Bangladeshi immigrant women living in South Florida who have given birth here. Twenty Bangladeshi immigrant women were selected using the snowball sampling method from various cities in South Florida. The unit of analysis was the individual Bangladeshi immigrant woman, focusing on her experiences and behavior during pregnancy and childbirth. Semi-structured interviewing and case study methods were used for data collection. The results reveal the coping strategies and the navigation process of socio-cultural transition from non-mother to mother, and the Bangladeshi traditional views regarding beliefs, rituals, and practices of Bangladeshi immigrant women regarding their pregnancy …

Physiological Impacts Of Plastic Ingestion On Sea Turtles, Heather Seaman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Over the years, plastic production has increased to astonishing numbers and is predicted to continue. Over time, environmental plastic will degrade into smaller pieces, which sea turtles can mistake for prey. Chemicals associated with plastics have been identified in tissues of sea turtles, and some are suspected to be endocrine disruptors. Sea turtles are known to ingest plastics, but more information is needed to illuminate the potential physiological impacts plastic chemicals may have on sea turtles. This study compared plastic ingestion and toxicant levels across species and ontogenically, as different species and life stages inhabit different areas which will influence …

Enhancing Rapid Reef Resilience Through Transplantation Of Thermally Tolerant Corals In OʻAhu, HawaiʻI, Allison M. Klein

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Coral reefs are increasingly threatened by marine heatwaves, disease outbreaks, and other anthropogenic stressors, leading to widespread declines in coral cover worldwide. As a result, efforts are increasingly focused on identifying thermally tolerant corals for reef restoration. However, it remains unclear whether thermal tolerance is maintained following transplantation and whether thermally tolerant corals perform differently in novel environments. This dissertation examined thermal tolerance, survivorship, symbiont communities, and growth in two dominant Hawaiian reef-building corals, Montipora capitata and Porites compressa, using a reciprocal transplant experiment between Kāneʻohe Bay and Ulupaʻu, Oʻahu. Initial heat-stress assays showed high thermal tolerance in both …

Evaluation Of Microwave Treatment Of Pfos-Laden Granular Activated Carbon, Rachel Melo Fonseca

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the microwave treatment as a potential regeneration approach for PFOS-laden granular activated carbon (GAC). PFOS was used as a model legacy PFAS, and calcium was selected to examine how inorganic constituents may influence PFAS loading and fluorine behavior during treatment. Microwave temperature profiling showed that GAC temperatures increased with treatment time and power level, reaching approximately 400-950°C. Selected microwave conditions reduced PFOS-derived extractable organic fluorine (EOF), with apparent EOF reduction increasing from 65.5% after 1 min to 96.8% after 4 min. Calcium increased PFOS-derived EOF loading before microwave treatment but did not show a consistent effect on …

Who Do You Think You’Re Talking To? A Longitudinal Study Of How Disclosed Partner Identity Shapes Relational Communication With Ai Among College Students, Vito Anthony Borio

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study presents a longitudinal, two-condition, between-subjects experiment in which partner identity is disclosed as either human or AI in text-based chat; however, all participants (N = 60) interacted with the same chatbot. Informed by both Social Information Processing Theory (SIPT; Walther, 1995) and the Computers Are Social Actors Paradigm (CASA; Nass & Moon, 2000), this design draws on the former’s longitudinal measurement tradition to empirically test whether its predictions hold, using the latter as both a framework and procedure for investigating chatbot interactions. The findings inform both theories, indicating that perceived partner identity significantly affects perceptions of relational …

Intra-Individual Cognitive Variability As A Predictor Of Mild Cognitive Impairment In Older Adults: Longitudinal Patterns, Clinical Classification, And Sex Differences, Joshua Conniff

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Some older adults score differently on the same cognitive test from one visit to the next, and that inconsistency has been proposed as an early warning sign of decline. This dissertation tested whether within-person variability actually tells us anything useful about who has, or will develop, mild cognitive impairment (MCI). A total of 334 older adults completed quarterly neuropsychological testing over three years as part of a larger longitudinal study. Visit-to-visit variability was measured as the mean absolute successive difference on the MoCA, the MMSE, and a battery of memory, executive, language, and visuospatial tasks, and MCI was classified from …

Enhancing Ecological Resilience: Evaluating Peanut Island's Breakwater Impacts On Coral Reef And Shoreline Dynamics, Dayana Castillo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Anthropogenic shoreline modification and inlet-driven hydrodynamic processes can alter sediment transport pathways and sediment deposition in adjacent coral reef environments. This study evaluated how coastal engineering structures, sediment transport dynamics, and localized hydrodynamic processes influence sediment distribution and coral-associated habitats at Peanut Island, Florida. Beach profile surveys, shoreline mapping, sediment grain size analyses, coral monitoring, and historical aerial imagery were used to assess shoreline variability, sediment characteristics, and long-term shoreline evolution between October 2024 and July 2025. Results indicated that much of the eastern shoreline remained relatively stable, while greater variability was observed along the southern shoreline adjacent to the …

Legislative Signals And Human Rights Advocacy: A Longitudinal Analysis Of U.S. Congressional Resolutions And Ngo Reporting In The Post-Cold War Era, 1989-2004, William J. Manosh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the unique relationship between nongovernmental human rights reporting, and U.S. congressional attention during the post-Cold War period, 1989-2004. Using a longitudinal content analysis research method, it compares human rights-related resolutions from the 101st through 108th Congresses with materials from Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and Human Rights First. Rather than claiming causation, the study evaluates whether congressional country or issues mentioned overlapped with NGO reporting during those same sessions. The findings show recurring overlap between congressional attention and NGO-identified countries, abuses, and normative claims. This convergence suggests that NGOs operated within a democratic information environment yet simultaneous …

Understanding The Experience Of Separation On The Substance-Exposed Mother-Infant Dyad, Tamara Lee Depascale

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Maternal-infant separation following birth is a profoundly distressing experience that may have significant emotional, relational, and health implications for mothers with substance use disorders (SUD). Guided by Caring Science and Swanson’s Theory of Caring, the purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore the dimensions of the health challenge associated with maternal-infant separation among mothers with SUD following birth and the approaches mothers used to navigate and respond to that experience. Data were collected through semi structured interviews with mothers who had experienced separation from their infants following birth and analyzed using deductive and inductive thematic analysis. Findings revealed …

Voices Of The Homeless: Phenomenological Portraits Of Parental Engagement Among Parents Experiencing Homelessness, Geneva Marie Winterbottom

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Family homelessness is a widespread crisis that disrupts the educational experiences of thousands of children, including South Carolina where rates of family homelessness continue to grow. Although research has explored families and homelessness, limited research has focused on the parental engagement of homeless parents. This study explored the parental engagement among homeless parents in South Carolina.

Guided by van Manen’s (1990) interpretive phenomenology, four parents residing in a South Carolina homeless shelter participated in semi-structured interviews and created self portraits, which were analyzed using the hermeneutic circle to derive phenomenological insight.

Findings revealed that parental engagement while homeless was like …

Privacy-Preserving Intrusion Detection For The Internet Of Medical Things Using Ensemble And Federated Learning, Theyab Alsolami

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The rapid proliferation of the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) has transformed healthcare by enabling continuous monitoring, intelligent diagnostics, and data-driven clinical decision-making. However, this increased connectivity has significantly expanded the attack surface of healthcare systems, exposing sensitive patient data and critical medical devices to cyber threats such as intrusion and data exfiltration attacks. Ensuring both strong security and strict privacy preservation in IoMT environments remains a fundamental and unresolved challenge.

This dissertation investigates the design and evaluation of robust and privacy-preserving intrusion detection systems (IDS) for IoMT networks using advanced machine learning techniques. The research first examines the effectiveness …

Sophisticated Song: Exploring The Evolution And Ontogeny Of Large Repertoires And Syntax Usage In The Bachman’S Sparrow (Peucaea Aestivalis), Heather Jean Wolverton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

While humans have the most complex vocal communication system, many of the features that make human language so intricate can be found in other taxa. One building block of language commonly studied in animal communication is syntax, or the organization of vocalizations. Birds, wolves, and cetaceans all display complex vocal signaling that utilizes syntax. Understanding how syntax functions in different taxa can help illuminate the evolution and development of human language and the role it plays in social cognition. The Bachman’s sparrow (Peucaea aestivalis) is a species of songbird that utilizes syntax in the form of preferred transitions …

Nurse Staffing Variation Viewed Through The Lens Of Institutional Isomorphism, Mara Raggi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nurse staffing is strongly associated with organizational and patient quality outcomes. Existing studies have not adequately explained why nurse staffing levels vary across hospitals operating under similar external institutional isomorphic pressures. Secondary and administrative datasets, along with random-effects regression models, were used to analyze 6 years of data (2014-2019) and examine the relationship between institutional factors and hospital nurse staffing in the general acute care setting. The results indicate that coercive factors of state laws were significantly associated with nurse staffing. Staffing mandates and staffing committees were significantly associated with increases in nurse staffing, while public reporting was significantly associated …

Co-Designing Translanguaging-Informed Transformative Socioemotional Learning With Bilingual Kindergarten Teachers In Colombia, Catherine Restrepo-Widney

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Emergent bilingual children enter early childhood classrooms with rich, dynamic linguistic repertoires that span languages, cultural practices, and ways of knowing. Socioemotional learning (SEL) often fails to meaningfully incorporate children’s linguistic and cultural repertoires, reflecting critiques that many SEL frameworks privilege individualistic, culturally narrow competencies that may marginalize learners from diverse backgrounds. This is particularly consequential in early childhood dual language bilingual education (DLBE), where children's heritage languages are central to authentic emotional connection and identity development, and where empirical models for culturally sustaining SEL remain limited. Through a participatory design research approach structured around iterative cycles of collaborative inquiry, …

“This Place Is My Home”: A Phenomenological Study Of The Academic Experiences And Sense Of Belonging Of Specially Admitted Student-Athletes At Division I Universities, Jana Alexandra Valentine

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to further understand the experiences of specially admitted student-athletes regarding their sense of belonging. In addition, this study aims to add to the existing literature regarding support services for student-athletes. The three research questions for this study were: 1. How do specially admitted student-athletes at Division I Universities make meaning of their admissions experiences? 2. What contributes to developing a sense of belonging of specially admitted student-athletes at Division I universities? 3. How do specially admitted student-athletes make meaning of their academic experiences at their university? A qualitative, descriptive phenomenological research approach was used …

Firms In The Flood: Is Fema Failing Small Businesses?, Lauryn Charles

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

When faced with a natural disaster, small businesses remain largely outside the direct reach of federal assistance. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) estimates that up to 65% of small businesses close within two years of direct impact by a hazard event. Despite this vulnerability, existing research has focused primarily on infrastructure and household recovery, leaving the small business sector underexamined. This study is the first to link county-level IRS income data, FEMA mitigation grants, and SBA disaster records to empirically evaluate whether federal pre-disaster mitigation spending and community social resilience moderate the relationship between disasters and small business recovery …

Illuminating Sanja Matsuri: Lived Religion And Festival Practice In Asakusa, Caleb R. Merckle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines Sanja Matsuri, a major Shintō and Buddhist festival in Asakusa, Tokyo, through the lenses of lived religion, participant observation, autoethnography, and anthropology. Departing from institution-centered approaches, it foregrounds the experiential dimensions of festival participation, showing how physical devotion, collective movement, and festive intensity function as expressions of spiritual meaning. Ethnographic fieldwork conducted in 2023 and 2025 included participant observation, informal interviews with local and foreign participants, and Reflexive Discourse Analysis of fieldnotes and bilingual transcripts. Analysis reveals a dynamic interplay between formal sacralization strategies — such as mitama-ire rituals and structured processions — and spontaneous, informal participant …