Behind Prison Walls: Unmasking The Victimization Experience Of A Transgender Inmate: A Narrative Study, Kevin E. Hemminger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Transgender individuals experience disproportionately high rates of victimization within the U.S. criminal justice system, at rates some studies estimate as four times greater than those of cisgender individuals (Marchi et al., 2025). Victimization may occur at the hands of correctional officers, institutional staff, or fellow inmates. This narrative study focuses on the life story of a formerly incarcerated transgender woman, tracing her experiences before incarceration, throughout her time at two different correctional facilities in two different states, and her life following release. While Community Based Research (CBR) was not adopted as a formal methodological framework, its principles — centering lived …

"It Was Time To Go": A Case Study In Occupational Culture, Tiffany M. Kline Costa

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abundant examples of negative community-police interactions demonstrate strained relations between marginalized community members and police across the United States. Likewise, nationwide data demonstrates discrepancies in how officers interact with People of Color versus White citizens. To gain insight into influences on officer behavior, this research shines a spotlight on the occupational culture of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police (PBP) and the ways this specific occupational culture informs officer thoughts and behaviors. Via the analysis of the experiences of four former PBP officers, this research explores how culture impacts officer perspective, thoughts, and behaviors. Utilizing an interpretative phenomenological approach, data analysis …

Empowering Women Journalists’ Preparedness: An Evaluation Of Hostile Environment First Aid Training (Hefat) And Its Implementation In Academic Journalism Programs, Vanessa Charlot

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This Dissertation in Practice examines the potential integration of gender-sensitive Hostile Environment and First Aid Training (HEFAT) into journalism education to enhance the preparedness of women journalists for high-risk reporting contexts. Manuscript I investigates existing gaps in curricula, highlighting the distinct physical, psychological, and ethical risks encountered by women in hostile environments. Manuscript II outlines a framework for qualitatively evaluating an adapted HEFAT program, considering how identity-informed and trauma-sensitive approaches might strengthen student safety, resilience, and ethical decision-making. Manuscript III explores leadership strategies for implementing inclusive, trauma-informed HEFAT curricula, emphasizing reflexive practice and self-authorship as mechanisms for fostering transformative, equity-driven …

The Impact Of Career And Technical Education Teacher Certification Preparation Programs On Student Industry-Based Certification Examinations, Kaneesha Chameka Celestin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs are designed to prepare students for high-wage, high-demand industry jobs. However, there is limited research on Career and Technical Education teacher preparation programs (traditional, alternative, and industry-based) and the impact on student outcomes on industry-based examinations, such as ACT WorkKeys. This quantitative study analyzed Career and Technical Education (CTE) teacher preparation programs (traditional, alternative, and industry-based) and 12th -grade students’ outcomes on the 2023-2024 ACT WorkKeys examination and whether relationships exist between the two. Additionally, the research examined each Career and Technical Education teacher certification preparation program individually to determine the differences among traditional, …

Right (Or Wrong) To Bear Arms: Regional-Campus Women Students' Perceptions Of Campus Carry, Daniel Christian

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Campus carry legislation remains one of the most contested higher education policy issues in the United States, particularly in states where concealed carry permit holders may legally carry firearms on public college campuses. Although prior research has included women as one of many demographics, there is a dearth of scholarship that focuses on college women exclusively to investigate their response to campus carry. This gap is concerning given documented gender differences in attitudes toward gun policy and the disproportionate impact of sexual violence and safety concerns on women in collegiate settings.

To fill a gap in the literature, the proposed …

Extreme Precipitation Events And Population Exposure: Site Recommendations For The Future Tennessee Mesonet, Victoria G. Redlund

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines frequency of and population exposure to extreme rainfall events in Tennessee to guide the placement of future mesonet weather stations. Using 1991-2021 daily nClimGrid precipitation records, extreme events were defined as events of rainfall ≥50 mm. These events were collated on an annual scale and normalized alongside square-root-scaled population densities derived from Landscan to develop extreme rainfall vulnerability maps. Results highlight where extreme rainfall is most frequent relative to population densities in each county. The findings were compared with models of mesonet suitability and feasibility to determine how meteorological needs correlate with siting needs such as land …

Investigating The Synergistic Effects Of Mental And Physical Exhaustion On Learning And Attention In Emergency First Responders: An Eye-Tracking Study, Kayla Page

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Exhaustion is known to impair cognitive functioning and performance, yet its effects on learning during video-based instruction among first responders and military service members remain underexplored. This study examined how mental, physical, and combined exhaustion independently influence learning outcomes and visual attention in a physically active sample drawn from military, public safety, and emergency service roles. Visual attention was measured utilizing eye tracking, focusing on fixation duration (FD) and fixation rate (FR). Participants completed instructional tasks under each exhaustion condition, allowing comparison of learning and gaze behavior across fatigue states. Results indicated that mental and physical exhaustion were associated …

Exploring The Personal Management Interview Program As A Burnout Prevention Strategy In Policing: A Qualitative Case Study, Lance C. Arnold

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Police officers in the United States experience severe burnout at rates exceeding other service professions, with approximately 75% experiencing burnout symptoms. Current interventions predominantly focus on individual coping mechanisms rather than addressing organizational and leadership factors contributing to burnout. This qualitative single-case study explored the perceptions and experiences of police leaders and officers concerning the utility of a personal management interview program to foster positive leadership behaviors as a resource-oriented preventive strategy against burnout in a midsize municipal police department in Texas. The study employed semistructured virtual interviews with eight participants: four police leaders and four police officers who had …

Hoarding And The Hoarded Home: A Phenomenological And Psychoanalytic Study, Brianna Stich

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

While research on hoarding tends to isolate hoarders from the homes they hoard and in which they live, the hoard and the hoarder share a life in the home. This study explores how hoarders live with and live through their hoard at home. It combines psychoanalysis and phenomenology within a unique methodological framework to provide a hermeneutic reading of the psychological significances of the hoarded home. In this study, the contemporary conceptualization of hoarding is historically situated and critiqued from a phenomenological perspective, and the view that hoarding is a single, behaviorally-defined syndrome that is explainable by a cognitive-behavioral model …

(Un)Intended Consequences Of Race In Medicine: The Ethics Of Race-Based Medical Practice And The Perpetuation Of Structural Racism, Allegra Merriweather

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation proposes that race-based medicine acts as a form of structural racism that is ethically indefensible. While it may be claimed to be a neutral diagnostic tool, the medical use of race as a biological proxy only further enforces the very hierarchies it purports to remediate, reinscribing inequity from conception to death. Building off Jacques Ellul’s work on Technique, we interpret race-based medicine as a self-perpetuating system that values procedural expediency over moral accountability. In nine chapters, the analysis follows the ways this technique is manifested in genetics and assisted reproduction, where commodified racial selection preserves social hierarchies; in …

Explainable A.I. For Analysis And Interpretation Of Heterogeneous Crime Data., Sadaf Ahmed

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the problem of fragmented data in the context of crime and cybercrime analysis. While both domains generate substantial public data, these sources vary widely in format, structure, and coverage, making it difficult to perform consistent inference or develop reliable predictive models. To address these limitations, this work proposes a layered integration framework grounded in ontology-driven modeling and data fusion. The approach is applied to two distinct but related case studies, each focused on constructing a coherent representation of criminal activity from heterogeneous sources. The first case study explores the integration of drug and human trafficking data from …

From Policy To Practice: How Institutional Interpretations Of Ferpa Shape The Campus Safety Conversation, Britney Deaver

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a foundational federal law designed to protect the privacy of student education records. FERPA includes exceptions—such as for health and safety emergencies—that institutions may interpret and apply in varied ways. This qualitative study explores how higher education professionals across diverse institutional contexts conceptualize and apply the health or safety exception, and how those interpretations influence campus safety practices and policy-making. Through semi-structured interviews with compliance officers and administrators, the research examines the intersection of federal policy, institutional culture, and individual judgment.

Findings reveal a range of interpretations shaped by institutional risk …

The Role Of Law Enforcement In Sexual Assault Kit Submissions: A Statewide Analysis Of Decision-Making Processes & Focal Concerns In Kentucky., Rychelle Elizabeth Wilks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sexual assault case attrition persists throughout the criminal justice system, partly due to inconsistent Sexual Assault Kit (SAK) submission decisions. This dissertation examines factors influencing police officers' decisions to submit SAKs for forensic testing, applying the focal concerns perspective to understand how legal and extra-legal characteristics shape these decisions. Using statewide Kentucky data from July 2007 to March 2018, this study analyzed 2,194 adult sexual assault cases from 192 law enforcement agencies. Of these cases, 1,520 (69.3%) resulted in SAK submission. Logistic regression analyses examined the full sample, as well as four subsamples. Results provide mixed support for focal concerns …

The Impact Of Career Development Education In Rural Communities: A Program Evaluation, Hayden S. Austin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the impact of a regional career development education program using a post-test-only, exploratory descriptive design with middle and high school students from rural and urban school districts in West Central Texas. Students who participated in the Career and Education Outreach (CEO) program received four classroom sessions focused on labor market information, high-demand industries, employability skills, and career pathways. The purpose of this research was to explore whether students’ perceptions of the value of career development education differed based on geographic region, economic level, educational level, ethnic composition of the district, and the students’ own demographic characteristics. A …

The Heart Of Policing: Exploring The Essence Of The Phenomenon Between Organizational Culture And Police Officer Job Satisfaction, Charles C. Palmer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological qualitative study was to explore the essence of the phenomenon between organizational culture and police officer job satisfaction among rural law enforcement agencies in Oklahoma. Retaining police officers has become an increasingly challenging task for law enforcement organizations across the United States, as high turnover, costly recruitment, and voluntary resignations continue to strain departments. While previous research has primarily examined demographic and occupational variables influencing satisfaction, limited attention has been given to how organizational culture affects the lived experiences of U.S. police officers. Guided by Edgar Schein’s organizational culture theory, this study examined how …

“My Body Was Never Mine”: An Arts-Based Phenomenological Analysis Of Queer And Trans Adolescent Involuntary Psychiatric Hospitalization Experiences, Megan Doyle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Involuntary psychiatric hospitalization has life-saving and crisis-stabilizing intentions for queer and trans adolescents experiencing mental health crises; however, there are significant concerns about the adverse effects of this practice. This study employed two interwoven qualitative methods, interpretative phenomenological analysis and arts-based research, to gain a deeper understanding of queer and trans individuals’ adolescent experiences of involuntary psychiatric hospitalization. The theory of abolition was applied to examine the carcerality and identity-based oppression embedded within this procedure. Participant narratives and artwork revealed how involuntary psychiatric hospitalization is non-affirming for queer and trans young people in crisis, and the impacts of experiencing coercion, …

An Investigation Of Parental Involvement In The Safe Passage Initiative (An Anti-Violence Program), Danielle King

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the issue of parental involvement in Safe Passage, an anti-violence initiative operating within seven Pittsburgh Public Schools. Recognizing the involvement of parents is critical for successful violence prevention, this study explores the barriers hindering meaningful participation and identifies strategies to enhance parent-school-community collaboration.

Utilizing qualitative research methods, the study captures insights from parents, educators, and community stakeholders through a reflective Journey Line activity and focus group discussion. Data collected revealed several significant barriers such as inconsistent communication, limited parental availability due to demanding work schedules, mental and emotional exhaustion, cultural disconnects, and a lack of clarity regarding …

Reentry For Formerly Incarcerated Individuals: A Focus On Workforce Reentry And Recidivism In Appalachia, Margaret E. Francisco

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Formerly incarcerated individuals face challenges to successful reentry, a critical component of reducing recidivism and improving public health outcomes. These challenges are particularly acute in rural Appalachia, where structural disadvantages such as limited economic opportunities, healthcare access, and public transportation intersect with stigma and systemic barriers related to prior incarceration. This dissertation addresses these gaps through a mixed-methods examination of reentry and recidivism, grounded in public health frameworks and focused on the unique context of rural Appalachia.

This work includes three studies. First, a PRISMA-guided systematic review synthesized qualitative research on barriers and facilitators to employment following incarceration. Findings highlighted …

Empowerment Through The Sisters Lifting As We Climb Network: Examining The Organization’S Impact On Black Women, Sharnay Hearn Davis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological case study examines the role of empowerment within the “Sisters Lifting as We Climb Network” through the experiences of Black women participants in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Utilizing in-depth semi-structured interviews, the research investigates the organization's origins, evolution, and social support mechanisms that foster empowerment, as well as participants' experiences with programs and activities over the past nine years. Additionally, the study identifies areas for organizational improvement to further enhance participant empowerment.

The findings of this research support the empowerment theory framework by clarifying the preconditions, processes, and outcomes of empowerment within the Network, which fosters sisterhood and enhances participants' …

An Examination Of Legal Status, Law Enforcement Perception, And Crime Victimization And Reporting Among Hispanic Immigrants, Guadalupe C. Cabrera

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study relied on in-depth interviews with naturalized citizens and lawful permanent resident Hispanic immigrants to explore their perceptions of law enforcement and experiences with crime victimization and reporting. Past literature has explained that the absence of legal status may deter crime reporting. We added to this body of work by investigating relationships among legal status, trust, and reporting behaviors. This study finds that direct experiences with law enforcement and acquired knowledge may be a better indicator of law enforcement trust and crime reporting compared to legal status. While most participants expressed trust in law enforcement, others felt neutral due …

Trauma Network Design Considering Patient Safety And Cost., Lin Lin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Trauma, as the leading cause of mortality and morbidity for those under the age of 45 in the US, incurs trillions in annual economic costs. The time-sensitive nature of trauma treatment necessitates an effective, coordinated regional trauma system to optimize patient safety. However, the financial burden associated with trauma care, especially due to low-insured population, presents a significant challenge to the financial health of trauma centers (TCs). To address critical challenges in this domain and provide much-needed insights to trauma decision-makers regarding their trauma system cost, network design, and subsidy policy, this dissertation proposes 3 contributions. First, we introduce an …

Benefits Of Extended Unemployment Insurance On Post-Unemployment Outcomes, Alyssa Roche

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates how unemployment insurance (UI) affects individuals during and after unemployment. Drawing on historical evidence from recent recessions in the United States, publicly available data, behavioral insights, and mathematical modeling, it argues that the benefits of extending UI outweigh the potential costs. The analysis incorporates a wide range of sources, including empirical economic studies using regression models and psychology and business research that highlight behavioral responses to financial stress and job insecurity. By combining quantitative data with behavioral context, the thesis offers a more comprehensive understanding of how extended UI influences job search decisions, wage outcomes, and overall …

Everyday Justice And Neighborhood Associations., Rebecca Wells-Gonzalez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the lived experiences of residents in marginalized neighborhoods, focusing on the impact of neighborhood associations on perceived justice and resilience. Utilizing a feminist qualitative approach, the Everyday Justice and Neighborhood Associations (EJANA) framework integrates Human Capabilities, Everyday Life Experiences, and Resilience Justice frameworks. Semi-structured interviews across three distinct neighborhoods (Bashford Manor, Oakdale, and Shelby Park in Louisville, Kentucky) revealed that neighborhood associations were often perceived as inaccessible and ineffective, failing to address prevalent inequities. Participants reported feelings of alienation and marginalization, highlighting a disconnect between association activities and community needs. This study emphasizes the need for inclusive, …

Heterotopias Of Confinement: Zoo Architecture And The Loss Of Elephant Agency, Clayton Gill Beasley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Zoos functions as a site where human-animal relationships are structured through built environments that mediate control and representation. This study examines zoos as heterotopias—spaces where power and surveillance are negotiated between human observers and captive nonhuman animals. While zoos are often framed as spaces of conservation and education, their architectural design reinforces hierarchies of observation and confinement, shaping both human perceptions of nature and the lived experiences of nonhuman animals. This research focuses on Asian elephants as a critical species within this framework, exploring how their captivity illuminates tensions between human-imposed structures and nonhuman autonomy. Drawing from theories of heterotopia, …

From Self To Society: How Threat Type And Message Mode Affect Environmental Intentions Among Young Audiences, Lucas Vogt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the influence of threat type (personal vs. societal) and message mode (narrative vs. utilitarian) on young adults’ environmental intentions. Using the extended parallel process model (EPPM), this study argued for expanding the theory to include threat type (societal vs. personal) to clarify how threat is understood. A 2 x 2 factorial design was utilized to test the effects of threat type and message mode on environmental behavioral intentions. A sample of 266 university students participated in an online survey. Based on prior research, this study hypothesized that personal threats would yield the highest levels of environmental behavioral …

A Framework For Fair And Trustworthy Multimodal Video Anomaly Detection: Fusion, Dataset Quality Auditing, Explainability, And Fairness, Omeshamisu Judith Anigala

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Data-Driven Modeling Of Levee Failure: A State-Of-The-Art Approach For Integrating Artificial Intelligence Techniques With Hydraulic Erosion And Geotechnical Characterization, Haitham O. Saleh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Flooding is one of the most destructive natural disasters in the United States, often resulting in catastrophic damage to communities and infrastructure. The primary flood-protection structures, earthen dams and levees, are critical for mitigating these impacts. In Mississippi alone, there are over 2,800 dams and 3,750 miles of levees along the Mississippi River and its tributaries. Of this, nearly 2,200 miles are along the mainstem Mississippi River, with the remaining levees situated along backwaters, tributaries, and floodways. Understanding the erosion behavior of these structures during overtopping events is essential for accurate failure prediction and risk assessment. This study focuses on …

Public Attitudes Toward The Nigerian Police: An Examination Of Trust Indicators At Micro Levels, Bassey Kooffreh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation comprises three studies that collectively contribute to understanding public trust in the Nigerian police. The first study applies three major policing theories namely performance theory, procedural justice theory, and social capital theory to explain the factors that influence trust in the police. The second study offers a comparative analysis of the predictors of public trust in both the police and the courts. The third study examines how individual quality of life, neighborhood structural characteristics, and civic engagement affect public trust in the police. Using nationally representative data from Afrobarometer Round 9, the first study reveals that citizens who …

Beyond Guns Vs. Butter: Gendered Dynamics In Security Policy Preferences, Elaine Elizabeth Tagert

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation challenges the foundational assumptions of the “guns versus butter” debate by recentering gender, insecurity, and state legitimacy in the analysis of public opinion. Drawing on over 300,000 individual responses across 80 countries, and original survey data from post-conflict Colombia, it demonstrates that the commonly held belief that women are more likely to prioritize welfare over security is both context-dependent and empirically unstable. Rather than reflecting innate preferences, gendered policy attitudes emerge from lived experiences of violence, inequality, and institutional trust.

The first empirical chapter reveals a striking reversal of conventional expectations in the Global South: in regions where …

Buried Pipeline Performance Under Surface Loading Using Finite Eelement Analyses And Innovative Soil Box Testing Methodologies., Adam Gabreil Cantrell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Buried pipelines are used extensively in the utility industry to deliver natural gas to customers. Reasonable estimates indicated that there are approximately 26,000,000 miles of pipeline, of various diameters throughout the United States (PHMSA, 2018). For protection, and to relieve urban congestion, these pipelines are nearly always buried under ground. After the pipes are installed, however, there is little opportunity for inspection, or for supplemental protection, when needed. Thus, to reduce the likelihood of rupturing a natural gas pipeline, design guidelines that ensure consistent, minimum protection of these utilities, have been developed and implemented. Pipeline design and installation regulations for …