Digital Commons Network^™

Underrepresentation Of African American Women Superintendents In The Public Schools Of Texas: Descriptions Of Their Lived Experiences, Shani R. Wyllie

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The problem addressed through this study was the underrepresentation of African American women superintendents in the public-school districts of Texas, despite women making up a majority of the public-school workforce. The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of African American women superintendents regarding the support and barriers they encountered as they navigated their journeys to the position of public school district superintendent in Texas. The study was grounded in the Black feminist thought framework. Five semistructured interviews were conducted with currently serving African American women superintendents in Texas. The participants had been in the …

School Leaders’ Perceptions Of Restorative Practices On Student Behavior, Jennifer Mary Herold Fontenot

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

United States public schools turned to a zero-tolerance approach to school discipline with hopes of improving school safety and climate in the 1990s. Administrators dispensed consequences such as suspension and expulsion without considering the whole student, regardless of the student’s conditions, motivations, or background. Many schools today focus on punitive measures rather than a holistic approach that considers the root causes of behavior, such as socioeconomic factors, mental health issues, or the student’s home life. Such actions can lead to disproportionately harsh punishments for marginalized students, particularly those from low-income backgrounds or communities of color, exacerbating existing inequalities. Thus, the …

Nursing Education For Type 2 Diabetes And Nutrition Using Individual 1:1 Sessions In Rural Health Care, Meagan F. Wheat

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

What if proper nutrition were a nonpharmacological treatment for health problems? Nutrition is an important key to overall wellness. When patients receive the right education, they not only get the proper nutrition in their diet but also can manage their diabetes and live a better quality of life. In rural U.S. health areas, lack of access to nutrition is a barrier to patient care. Rural areas are at an even higher risk due to a lack of resources for good nutrition. One-to-one nutrition education with a nurse specialized in diabetes helps teach patients at a learning level they will comprehend. …

Pre-K Teachers’ Perceptions About Professional Learning: Influence On Instructional Methods, Classroom Management Skills, And Student Outcomes, Victoria Abakah Korsah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive phenomenological study was to solicit pre-K teachers’ perceptions about professional development and its influences on instructional methodology, classroom management skills, and student outcomes. Interviews conducted with 11 teachers from childcare centers in a major urban city of Illinois provided insight into experiences of types of PL and development engagement, such as online courses, webinars, learning communities, coaching, mentoring, professional conferences, and content selection. Other experiences involved social-emotional learning, lesson planning, project-based learning, and how to teach children with special needs. The interview data collected from the participants yielded five themes using Colizzi’s data analysis …

Differences In Peer Social Connections Between Traditional And Online Nurse Residency Programs, Tatum Leonard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The anticipated retirement of baby boomer nurses by 2030 will intensify the global nursing shortage, a crisis that demands innovative strategies for onboarding and retaining new graduate nurses. Nurse residency programs (NRPs) are designed to ease the transition from student to practicing nurse, reduce turnover, and foster professional resilience. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, many NRPs rapidly transitioned from traditional, in-person seminars to synchronous, online formats. This study explored differences in peer social connections between traditional and online NRPs, focusing on three constructs: sense of community, collaborative learning, and peer social support. Using a quasi-experimental, mixed methods approach, this secondary data …

Impostor Phenomenon, Psychological Safety, And The Intent To Leave Of Novice Pa Faculty, Barbara J. Quillin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The growing healthcare demands of the aging population in the United States, along with the growth of physician assistant (PA) educational programs, has created a pressing need for qualified PA educators. This study examined the role of impostor phenomenon and psychological safety in shaping PA faculty members’ intent to leave. Grounded in the job demands-resources framework, the research explored how individual psychological experiences and perceptions of the organizational climate relate to faculty turnover intentions in PA education. This study aimed to provide PA program administrators with information that may reduce faculty attrition and improve the overall well-being of novice faculty. …

Navigating Barriers: The Experiences Of First-Generation, Low-Income, Hispanic Male Stem Majors Enrolled In Texas Universities, Katherine L. Autry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative descriptive study explored barriers, strategies, and career aspirations of 10 firstgeneration, low-income Hispanic male STEM students at Texas universities. Prior research highlighted systemic inequities affecting this group’s academic success. The study addressed how these students described educational barriers, strategies to overcome them, and influences on their STEM career aspirations. Data were collected via 10 semistructured Zoom interviews, online questionnaires, and open-ended questionnaires from participants at four Texas-based universities. Reflexive thematic analysis with NVivo software identified five themes: sociocultural and economic barriers, academic and institutional challenges, resilience and coping strategies, support systems, and influence on career aspirations and identity. …

Comparing Ordinary Least Squares And Quantile Regression: A Causal-Comparative Approach To Modeling Conditional Relationships, Samuel Nnorom

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression has traditionally been the preferred quantitative method for estimating linear relationships. However, it assumes that the effect of a predictor variable remains constant across the entire outcome distribution, which can miss important insights when data are heterogeneous. Quantile Regression (QR), on the other hand, offers a more detailed analysis by focusing on the full response variable distribution, thereby revealing different relationship patterns at various quantiles within the outcome. This study compares how OLS and QR perform in modeling conditional relationships within a causal-comparative framework based on ex post facto research. Using the mortality data from …

Supervisee Barriers To Disclosure And The Supervisory Working Alliance, Rachel G. Hughitt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated barriers influencing supervisees’ willingness to disclose clinical errors in mental health training contexts, with a focus on the supervisory working alliance (SWA) as a potential moderating factor. Participants read two vignettes – one describing a clinical error and the other a client concern – and were asked to indicate which case they would discuss with their supervisor. They also completed the Brief Supervisory Working Alliance Inventory–Trainee Form (BSWAI-T) and the Supervisee Disclosure in Supervision Scale (SDSS), which assessed the quality of the supervisory alliance and perceived barriers to disclosure, including fear of negative evaluation, lack of confidence, …

Transgender Individuals’ Experiences Of Ruptures And Repairs In Group Psychotherapy, Gabrielle W. Kaufman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As the political climate across the United States worsens for transgender and gender diverse (TGD) individuals (Harmon, 2025), it has become increasingly important to attend to the mental health needs of this population (James et al., 2016). Group therapy is a widely used treatment modality that is often more accessible than individual therapy (Burlingame & Strauss, 2021) and provides unique interpersonal opportunities (Burlingame et al., 2016). While it is expected that TGD individuals face unique challenges in group therapy due to their gender identities (Chen et al., 2020), very little is actually known about the experiences of TGD individuals participating …

The Experiences Of School Psychologists Serving Students With Traumatic Brain Injuries: A Phenomenology, E. Grace Ritchie

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a complex experience associated with a diverse constellation of symptoms and challenges. TBI scholars have extensively explored the varying needs of youth in the aftermath of a head injury. Likewise, recent literature details recommendations for school psychological services in support of these students. Such recommendations largely reflect insights drawn from broader TBI and disability research, integrated with the established scope of school psychologists’ practice (e.g., the National Association of School Psychologists Practice Model). Nevertheless, school psychologists’ perceptions of these students’ challenges have been inadequately examined. Such perspectives are likely valuable, given school psychologists’ unique training …

Illness Terminable And Interminable: A Lacanian Exploration Of Medical Assistance In Dying, Matthew Devine

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

More and more people worldwide are requesting euthanasia, physician-assisted suicide (PAS), or medical assistance in dying (MAiD). Arguments in favor of expanding access to MAiD tend to prioritize the rational, competent, autonomous subject who has the right to make decisions about their body, including their death. Some have argued that this perspective – common in biomedical and bioethical literature – tends to neglect the fact that requests for assisted dying involve a relational structure: a relationship between the subject who requests an assisted death and the Other to whom this request is addressed. After reviewing relevant psychoanalytic approaches to suicide …

Exploring The Self-Efficacy And Experiences Of Caregivers Using Thickened Liquids To Manage Pediatric Dysphagia, Jaimee E. Conmy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Pediatric dysphagia affects 1 in 37 typically developing children under five, with increased prevalence in at-risk populations. Thickened liquids are often used as an intervention despite limited evidence supporting their effectiveness in the pediatric population. Caregivers play a critical role in managing their child’s dysphagia, yet their experiences, self-efficacy, and challenges with thickened liquids remain underexplored. This mixed-methods study surveyed 57 caregivers of children on thickened liquid diets, to assess their self-efficacy, education, perceptions of effectiveness, and overall impact on their quality of life. Findings highlight gaps in caregiver training, concerns about preparation, and benefits and/or challenges experienced by caregivers. …

The Protective Role Of Resilience In Indirect Aggression Perpetration And Victimization, Amelia Klass

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the relationship between resilience and indirect aggression, specifically relational and social aggression, utilizing a sample of 104 females aged 18–22. Indirect aggression, characterized by behaviors such as social exclusion, gossip, and manipulation, is associated with significant emotional and interpersonal difficulties. Using a theoretical basis that includes gender schema theory, social learning theory, and social information processing theory, this study investigates whether resilience has a significant relationship in both the perpetration of and victimization through the use of indirect aggression. Participants completed self-report measures, including the Adult Resilience Measure – Revised and the Young Adult Social Behavior Scales …

Identifying The Experiences And Perceptions Of School Psychologists On Racial Disparities In Autism Spectrum Disorderidentifying The Experiences And Perceptions Of School Psychologists On Racial Disparities In Autism Spectrum Disorder, Anna Marie Paolicelli

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This paper investigates the experiences and perceptions of school psychologists who identify as experts in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) regarding racial and ethnic disparities in ASD identification. Utilizing a convergent embedded mixed-methods design grounded in Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR), the study explores how school psychology practices may have contributed to recent changes in ASD outreach and assessment, as well as persistent disparities, particularly for Black children with co-occurring intellectual disability (ID). Thirteen credentialed school psychologists with extensive experience in diverse educational and clinical settings participated in semi-structured interviews and binary survey items. Findings reveal perceived progress in ASD awareness and …

The Influence Of Visualization Type And Gender On Multimedia Learning Performance: An Experimental Study, Ziji Wang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The widespread availability of multimedia learning resources, driven by technological progress, presents both opportunities and challenges in education. While these resources, often designed with animations to aid learning, their effectiveness in learning across STEM and non-STEM fields remains controversial. Besides, researchers have increasingly turned their attention to understanding how individual learner characteristics such as gender and spatial ability influence effectiveness of multimedia learning.

This dissertation examined the impact of visualization type and gender on learning algorithms (STEM) and Chinese characters (non-STEM) after accounting for the effect of spatial ability, focusing on learning outcomes and cognitive load. The fact that males …

Under What Conditions? A University Pathway Program Evaluation, Michael Burke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As U.S. universities face a declining domestic applicant pool, commonly referred to as the “enrollment cliff,” international student recruitment provides a practical strategy for offsetting domestic enrollment shortfalls. One such strategy for increasing international student enrollment is through the establishment of university pathway programs that grant conditional admission to international applicants who fail to meet English language proficiency requirements but are otherwise academically admissible. As a baseline program evaluation, this study utilized a quantitative methods approach employing logistical regression analysis to determine if incoming standardized English language proficiency test scores, English as a Second Language (ESL) course GPA, and student …

Narrative As Story And Ground: Toward A Dialogic Communication Theory Of Narrative Care, Preston Carmack

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

We live in a historical moment when a nuanced understanding of narrative as both ground and story is essential. In examining the work of two primary scholarly voices working with narrative and operating from a communicative lens, Walter R. Fisher and Ronald C. Arnett, this project lays a theoretical foundation for understanding the dialogic interplay of narrative as story and narrative as ground. Through tracing Fisher's and Arnett's contrasting interpretations of the work of Alasdair MacIntyre, a preeminent neo-Thomistic philosopher whose work has significantly contributed to the study of ethics and narrative construction of human rationality, coordinates related to telling …

The Application Of Macrophage-Targeted, Anti-Inflammatory Celecoxib Nanoemulgel For Nerve Regeneration In Peripheral Nerve Injury, Lu Liu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Peripheral nerve injury (PNI) refers to damage to the nerve located outside the brain and spinal cord. PNI is commonly caused by a physical accident (trauma) or medical operation^{1, 2}. The impact on the quality of life of PNI patients is directly correlated to neuropathic pain, resultant depression, and increased stress². Even after recovering from the PNI, patients still experience phantom pain and lose the ability to work due to the loss of tactile sensory or motor function^2-4. However, unlike damage to the central nervous system (CNS), peripheral nerves can regenerate because macrophages clean …

Effect Of Histidine Tag On The Enzymatic Activity Of Pseudolysin And Its Interaction With The Streptomyces Metalloprotease Inhibitor (Smpi) Protein, Adewale Adeboye Adewole

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Pseudolysin (PLN) protein is a major virulent factor in Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection. PLN belongs to the family of zinc-dependent metalloproteases. It is naturally inhibited by a smaller protein called streptomyces metalloprotease inhibitor (SMPI), secreted by Streptomyces nigrescens. Previous and current studies demonstrate that the interaction between PLN and SMPI offers unique mechanistic insights for drug development against infections caused by P. aeruginosa. This study investigated the effect of N-terminal Histidine (His) tag on the enzymatic activity of PLN and its interaction with SMPI. His-tagged PLN and SMPI proteins were expressed in bacteria and purified by affinity chromatography …

Rural Roots, Academic Roads: Exploring College Persistence Among Rural Students, Misty Wilburn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the financial and social challenges faced by first-generation college students from rural backgrounds as they transition from K-12 to four-year regional institutions. Using quantitative analysis of secondary data from the class of 2024 at a selected institution, this study examines factors influencing graduation rates and financial aid needs. Key metrics include geographic origins, high school backgrounds, academic assistance, and financial support. By highlighting these challenges, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of the structural and social barriers that first-generation rural students encounter.

Enumerating Escherichia Coli (E. Coli) Concentrations And Evaluating Optical Brighteners As A Potential Indicator Of Human Wastewater Contamination In La Nana Bayou, Banita Creek, And Their Tributaries, Nacogdoches, Texas, Swastika Acharya, Matthew Mcbroom, Yuhui Weng, Yanli Zhang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

La Nana Bayou was added to the Texas 303(d) list in 2000 after it failed to meet water quality standards set by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for primary contact recreation due to elevated Escherichia coli (E. coli) levels. E. coli is a bacterial species commonly found in the intestines of humans and warm-blooded animals. It serves as an indicator of fecal contamination in freshwater, though its presence alone cannot identify the contamination source. Optical brighteners (OBs), chemicals found in laundry detergents, cleaning agents, toilet papers, and clothing, are unique to human wastewater. This study aimed …

Examining Parent Accommodation Of Anxiety And Irritability In Preschool-Aged Children., Anna Olczyk

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Anxiety and irritability are common developmentally normative emotions in early childhood, yet are also related to risk for psychopathology in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Parenting behaviors, including parent accommodation, may influence this risk. Parent accommodation is the parent modification of child/family routines and/or avoidance of activities to reduce child distress and has been documented widely in the anxiety literature. Although some research has examined parent accommodation of anxiety in preschool-aged children, most research has investigated accommodation of anxiety in clinical samples of school-aged children. Further, despite high rates of co-occurrence between child anxiety and irritability, research on parent accommodation of …

Dementia Caregiving Styles: Characterizing Dementia Caregivers Via A Novel Framework., Darby M. Simon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As dementia rates increase, effective family caregivers are crucial to meeting the increasing demand for dementia care. However, dementia caregiving is a demanding experience, and caregivers have varying strategies for providing care, leading to positive and negative outcomes and appraisals of their caregiving experience. Limited research explores this relationship, and extant work is qualitative with no clinical measure. This study adapted a pre-existing framework/measure from a different caregiver population (parents) to explore a) if the same framework applied to both caregiving populations and b) the associations between the styles and psychological well-being and other caregiving variables. Exploratory Factor Analysis tested …

Metabolic Regulation Of Cardiac Fibroblast Phenotype And Function., Collin Kleis Wells

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cardiac fibroblasts are central effectors of cardiac repair after myocardial infarction (MI). In response to signaling cues, they differentiate to a range of phenotypes with robust capacities to synthesize and secrete extracellular matrix (ECM) and signaling molecules. Although activated fibroblast phenotypes are associated with pronounced changes in metabolism, it remains unclear how the metabolic network upholds the effector functions of fibroblasts in the post-infarcted heart. Here, we identified that critical enzymes in the phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) cycle, i.e. pyruvate kinase muscle-2 (PKM2) and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase-2 (PCK2), are elevated in the heart after MI and examined their role in regulating post-MI remodeling …

Hybrid Geographies And Nature In The City: A Tale Of Two Greenspaces In Louisville, Ky., Rebecca Dixon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many conservation initiatives position nature and the urban as opposing constructions, which means the possibilities where cities can work with nature are often overlooked. This study uses the lens of relational geographies to examine nature in the city by comparing two greenspaces in the Beargrass Creek watershed in Louisville, Kentucky: Waterfront Botanical Gardens and the Louisville Nature Center. The two organizations are compared by using a combination of content analysis, discourse analysis, and GIS flood analysis methods to determine how their geographical location and history affect the ways in which the dynamic between nature and culture is reproduced. Results show …

Recent Studies On The Reactions And Synthesis Of Nitrogen And Sulfur - Containing Heterocyclic Pharmacophores., Bernard Louis Adjei

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nitrogen and sulfur-containing heterocycles remain significant classes of compounds in the field of medicinal and organic chemistry due to their unique structural features and diverse biological activities which make them of considerable interest for drug discovery and development. Notable examples of the nitrogen containing heterocycles include the phthalimide and glutarimide rings present in thalidomide. Thalidomide, a potent small-molecule therapeutic agent, precipitated a significant global drug crisis due to its teratogenicity, causing congenital malformations in phocomelia infants, which remains unrivaled over half a century ago. Currently, thalidomide derivatives are extensively utilized in the therapeutic management of various hematological malignancies. Recent investigations …

Ecosystem Services Of Urban Green Spaces In Louisville, Ky., Julia Kachanova

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Accelerating urbanization poses critical challenges to urban green spaces (UGS), vital for ecological balance and human health. Rapid development often results in fragmented habitats, biodiversity loss, and diminished ecosystem service delivery. There is an urgent need to explore and evaluate novel strategies capable of enhancing urban resilience, such as implementing urban orchards, and managing existing parks and gardens in sustainable ways. This dissertation explores how different forms of urban green spaces (UGS) contribute to the provision and maintenance of critical ecosystem services that support human well-being and urban biodiversity. By analyzing UGS impact on ecosystem service provisioning and long-term sustainability, …

Queer Convergence: Figurative Abstraction In Contemporary Art., Vincent Young

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is an exhibition text for the exhibition of the same name held in Schneider Hall Galleries from May 15 to August 21st, 2025. This exhibition explores the work of three contemporary artists – Joshua Jenkins, Drew Scanlon, and Lalana Fedorschak – and analyzes their artwork through the lens of Queer Convergence. Queer Convergence is an exploration of abstracted images of bodies and how we can read these bodies through a queer lens, arguing that the visual language of bodily overlap, melding, and transformation shows the physical form as a site of continual change shaped by shared experience and …

A Toi Rna Editing In Three Members Of The Microbotryum Violaceum Fungal Complext And Characterization Of Adar Genes Of Microbotryum Superbum., Shikhi Baruri

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A-to-I RNA editing is a process that occurs post-transcriptionally. Through this process, adenosine (A) is replaced by inosine (I) in RNAs by adenosine deaminase enzymes that act on the single-stranded RNA. These enzymes, also known as ADARs, act on RNA. The translation and splicing mechanisms subsequently interpret inosine as guanosine (G), which effectively alters genetic information. This kind of RNA alteration can cause both nonsynonymous and synonymous changes in codon, which may have an impact on protein function. A group of over 89 basidiomycete fungal species known as the Microbotryum violaceum complex infects a similarly large group of plant host …