Digital Commons Network^™

The Dance Of Human Affairs: Public Administration Leaders’ Perceptions Of Candor’S Impact On A Sense Of Belonging, Aaron Dimmock

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines public administration leaders’ perceptions within the executive branch of the state government studied to determine if the components of radical candor, care personally and challenge directly, are associated with the sense of belonging in a public administration setting. Questions from surveys conducted by the state government studied were used to create the variables analyzed in this study. To the researcher’s knowledge, this is the first study to apply components from the Radical Candor® Framework to determine a relationship with sense of belonging in a public administration setting.

The significance of these components was tested through a quantitative, …

Sunlight, Veiled, Sina Ahmadkhani

Theses and Dissertations

Sunlight, Veiled is a narrative short film exploring themes of displacement, class, and identity through the lens of an Iranian intern navigating a morally ambiguous company party in the United States. This written component traces the evolution of the project from development through post-production, while reflecting on the personal and political frameworks that shaped the creative process. Through cinematic references, cultural analysis, and production insight, the paper aims to contextualize the film within a diasporic experience and a growing awareness of social power dynamics. It also reflects on the challenges of filmmaking as an outsider, where self-doubt, cultural translation, and …

Exploring The Stem Career Identity Development Of Black Women Across Their Lifespan, Veronica Hurd

Theses and Dissertations

Although STEM is the fastest-growing career sector, Black women are grossly underrepresented as they account for 2.5% of the workforce. Research highlights that this underrepresentation is due to racialized structures in K-12, postsecondary, and career settings that restrict Black girls’ and women’s STEM opportunities. While macrosystems such as hegemonic ideologies, attitudes, and social conditions shape Black girls’ and women’s opportunities in STEM, they continue to persist and achieve their career goals. To explore these barriers and Black women’s persistence in this industry, this study draws from the autobiographical memories of 10 Black women in the field or formerly in the …

Navigating Acculturation: Opportunities, Challenges, And Community Support For African Immigrants In The U.S., Sharitah Nalule

Theses and Dissertations

African immigrants in the United States encounter complex acculturation challenges that are often shaped by systemic barriers such as language exclusion, financial insecurity, limited employment access, and time-restricted support services. This qualitative study explores how African immigrants experience the acculturation process and how community-based programs support or fall short in supporting their acculturation. Semi-structured individual interviews with Somali immigrants and community practitioners in the Midwest. While most African immigrant narratives reflect the experiences of Somali immigrants, practitioners provide insight into the broader African immigrant population based on their work with diverse African immigrant clients. Findings revealed three central themes: (1) …

Attitudes And Perceptions Toward The Qassimi Dialect, Fahad M. Alwehaibi

Theses and Dissertations

This study explores attitudes and perceptions surrounding the Qassimi dialect within Saudi Arabia. It addresses two primary questions: What are the attitudes of Qassimi speakers toward their own dialect? and What are the perceptions of non-Qassimi Saudi citizens regarding the Qassimi dialect in terms of stereotypes and its speakers? To investigate these questions, the research employed two population-specific surveys—one for Qassimi speakers and another for non-Qassimi participants—alongside semi-structured interviews with selected Qassimi individuals to gain deeper qualitative insights. The findings reveal that Qassimi speakers generally express strong pride and a positive emotional connection to their dialect, viewing it as a …

Driving The Green Agenda: Examining Individual Preferences For Vehicle Emissions And Inspection Programs, Vera A. Ackah

Theses and Dissertations

This research paper examines the factors influencing individual preferences for vehicle emissions and inspection programs. Drawing on the Value-Belief-Norm theory and Rational Choice Theory, the study examines how environmental attitudes, concerns, and the cost of inspection programs shape an individual’s support. The study analyzed survey responses from 326 individuals at Illinois State University and found that individuals with greater environmental concern and belief in the effectiveness of emissions testing were more likely to support requiring annual vehicle emissions and inspection programs. Furthermore, funding the cost of vehicle emissions and inspections through state taxes, rather than requiring individual vehicle owners to …

Exploring Childcare Leaders’ Perspectives On Program Philosophies At The Intersection Of Care, Education, And Business: A Multi-Method (Qual + Qual) Study Using Simon Sinek’S Golden Circle, Megan Kybartas

Theses and Dissertations

This multi-method (QUAL + qual) study explores childcare leaders’ perspectives on program philosophies at the intersection of care, education, and business, which I call The Childcare Tripartite. Recognizing the significant dependency on high-quality childcare services and the foundational role of program philosophies in achieving this quality, this research addresses a notable gap in the literature regarding how early childhood leaders communicate and prioritize their program philosophies within the complex American childcare landscape. Employing semi-structured interviews, documentary materials, and demographic forms, and analyzed through both thematic and deductive content analysis, drawing on Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle, the study uncovers how philosophical …

Theoretical Frameworks Used To Conceptualize The Intersection Of Deafness, Emotional/Behavioral Disabilities, And Language In The Literature: A Scoping Review, Jeremy M. Peterson

Theses and Dissertations

The prevalence rate for emotional/behavioral disabilities (EBD) among d/Deaf and hard of hearing (d/DHH) students has consistently been reported as statistically elevated in the literature, but the exact reason for this high prevalence has not been determined. Factors such as diagnostic shadowing, language proficiency, and difficulties in interfamilial communication have been identified; however, recent research suggests that language deprivation may also be a contributing factor. The intersection of language deprivation and EBD among d/DHH students has been studied by numerous researchers, but, to date, no one has explored how these topics are conceptualized together in the literature. As such, I …

A Word Is Worth A Thousand Words: Sustained Alphabetic Narratives And The Academic Success Of English Language Learners At The Secondary Level, Ricardo D. King Jr

Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, English Language Learner (EL) education, more commonly referred to as English as a Second Language (ESL) or Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), has advocated for a multimodal approach to classroom instruction. At the same time, higher level English Language Arts (ELA) classes continue to use sustained alphabetic narratives without explicit references to multimodal practices (i.g., graphic novels, graphic narratives, comics, picture books, etc.). This disconnect in teacher advocacy and in educational practice has positioned EL students outside of the opportunities offered by higher level ELA coursework and the sustained alphabetic narratives that are taught …

Understanding The Influence Of A University-Based Reading And Literacy Center Literacy Tutoring Program On Students’ Literacy Behaviors, Beliefs, And Skills: Stakeholder Perspectives, Wanda D. Turk

Theses and Dissertations

A convergent mixed-methods study designed with a networked systems theory framework investigated the influence of a university-based reading and literacy center literacy tutoring program on students’ literacy behaviors, beliefs, and skills. The study examined stakeholder perspectives of changes in students following their participation in the literacy tutoring program. A convergent mixed-methods design collected and analyzed quantitative and qualitative data separately before merging for interpretation. Quantitative data came from students’ pre-assessment scores and post-assessment scores. The results indicated that students’ scores increased, decreased, or remained the same from pre-assessment to post-assessment. Qualitative data came from tutor interviews and parent surveys. The …

The Impact Of Coaching On Teachers' Implementation Fidelity Of Goal Setting Strategy, Brandi M. Greene

Theses and Dissertations

Educational settings are filled with educators who have varying experiences in working with students who have disabilities and students who are considered at-risk. Typically, students who have disabilities or are considered at-risk struggle with self-regulation skills and require interventions to improve. However, literature has shown that there is very little training for teachers that will help them implement evidence-based strategies with fidelity. One of the strategies that can be used to improve self-regulation is goal setting, however, within the literature for the goal setting strategy, teachers are not well equipped to implement the strategy. Coaching has been deemed an effective …

A Comparison Of Involved And Uninvolved College Students' Stress And Coping During Covid-19, Abbie Alsene

Theses and Dissertations

In this study, I compare the stress and coping of involved students and uninvolved students at liberal arts colleges during COVID-19. The study seeks to understand if there are differences between the two student populations. Three research questions guide the study. First, how has COVID-19 affected the stress levels of involved students compared to uninvolved students at liberal arts colleges? Second, how do involved students cope with their stress related to COVID-19 compared to uninvolved students at liberal arts colleges? And lastly, what is the relationship between how involved college students view COVID-19 and their levels of stress in comparison …

“The New Force”: The Rhetoric Behind Nana Kwame Bediako's Masked Campaign, Emmanuella Ama Gyamfi

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines Nana Kwame Bediako’s unconventional masked campaign in Ghana’s 2024 presidential election using Norman Fairclough’s three- dimensional Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). The research analyzes how Bediako employed anonymity through a masked persona on billboards before revealing his identity as a strategic political innovation. The study examines two key moments: Bediako’s unveiling speech after the government of Ghana cancelled his planned convention event, and his subsequent televised interview with JoyNews. The analysis reveals how the mask functioned as a complex symbol that generated public curiosity, challenged Ghana’s NPP- NDC political duopoly, and connected pan-African identity. Through the textual, discursive …

Utilization Of Golden Pennycress In Broiler Diets, Marley M. Knowles

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to evaluate performance in broiler chickens fed diets containing golden pennycress meal (GPCM), with and without a flavor additive. Golden pennycress (Thlaspi arvense) is a winter cover crop grown in the Midwest that is rising in popularity as a cash crop used for biofuel production. After oil is pressed out of the seeds, a meal remains that is usually discarded. Incorporation of this meal (23% protein, 15% fat) into feedstuffs for broilers would be an efficient way to make biofuel production more sustainable. In one study, Cornish Cross three-day-old chicks (n=12) were …

Enterprise Social Media And Employee Engagement: A Study Of Internal Public Relations, Daniel Sherrick Apambila

Theses and Dissertations

Workplace communication technology remains a tool for effective internal public relations practice in a postmodern business environment. Understanding how workplace communication tools function to enhance employees’ engagement, the role they play in forming employees’ perception of the company while fostering employees’ sense of belonging, when they are performing their organizational roles are critical to talent retention, sustained business operations, and maintaining organizational success in a competitive marketplace. However, research on the types of content posted on workplace communication platforms, and how the content shape intra-organizational members’ perception, while instilling a sense of belonging in their technical performance at the workplace …

Voices From Within: Employees' Sensemaking Of Corporate Volunteerism, Janet Laadi Anani

Theses and Dissertations

Corporate volunteerism is a key component of the philanthropic pillar of CSR, shaping employee engagement and organizational identity. This study employed the social exchange and sensemaking theories to explore how employees make meaning of their experiences in corporate volunteer initiatives and how their experiences influence their perceptions of their organizations. Data was gathered from in-depth interviews with employees with varied corporate volunteer experiences across multiple organizations. The findings show that despite employees’ strong motivations to engage in corporate volunteerism, they face challenges such as time and workload constraints and limited variety of volunteer opportunities. The study also found that employees’ …

From Uncertainty To Alignment: The Role Of Internal Public Relations In Supporting Employee Adjustment During Leadership Transitions, Margaret Ny Asare

Theses and Dissertations

Frequent leadership transitions in today’s organizations present complex challenges that disrupt employee engagement, productivity, and overall organizational stability. This study explores how internal public relations (iPR) functions as a strategic communication mechanism to support employee adjustment during these pivotal transitions. Drawing on Lewin’s change management model (CMM) and uncertainty reduction theory (URT), the research examines three interrelated areas: the impact of early internal communication on employee attitudes, the role of informal employee networks in fostering readiness, and the adaptation of communication strategies to align with incoming leadership styles.

Using qualitative methods, the study conducted semi-structured interviews with internal communication professionals …

Investigating Meaningful Reflection Through Teacher Research, Brandon Hillary

Theses and Dissertations

This practitioner research study explores strategies for inviting high school students into meaningful sustained reflection during a semester-long civic inquiry project in the ELA classroom. The study examines how engaging students in a structured, inquiry-based reflection process can foster deeper, more meaningful reflection outcomes. Specifically, the study explores a process for facilitating student engagement in critical reflection, considers how students respond to process-oriented reflection prompts, and analyzes their reflective engagement across both written and verbal mediums.

Through a qualitative research design incorporating student reflections, classroom observations, and teacher-researcher analysis, the study identifies key patterns in how students navigate and articulate …

Listening To The Body: Attunement And Advocacy In Women's Experiences Of Endometriosis, Rebekah E. Greenslaugh

Theses and Dissertations

Endometriosis is a chronic, inflammatory condition in which tissue similar to the endometrial lining grows outside the uterus, leading to severe pain, fatigue, and other debilitating symptoms. Despite its significant impact on daily life, many women with endometriosis report that their symptoms are dismissed in medical encounters, as their pain is minimized or normalized as an inherent aspect of womanhood. This medical dismissal, combined with a lack of definitive diagnostic tools and effective treatments, leads many to turn to online support communities to make sense of their symptoms, share experiences, and develop ways to cope with the condition. Drawing on …

Slovakian Migration In The Aftermath Of The Velvet Revolution: A Qualitative Study Exploring Gender Relations Through Migration To The United States, Taylor A. Kanuk

Theses and Dissertations

Two million Eastern European immigrants have come to the U.S. in the latter part of the twentieth century, yet there is little research exploring their experiences. Slovakian immigrants represent one group whose presence in the U.S. has not been studied. This thesis investigates how Slovakian immigrants navigate their immigration experience in the aftermath of what is known as the Velvet Divorce, focusing on economic-driven and family-driven migration and transnationalism. Using a qualitative approach, data were collected through ten semi-structured interviews with Slovakian immigrants within the greater Chicago area. The informants in this study recalled their reasons for leaving Slovakia, which …

Investigation Of The Human Temporal Styloid Process As A Bony Indicator Of Speech, Sommer A. Martin

Theses and Dissertations

The temporal styloid process in humans serves as an attachment point for the styloglossus, stylohyoid, and stylopharyngeus, which are involved in tongue movement and deglutition. I hypothesized that the length of the ossified styloid process in humans is the result of selection for increased musculature that would support tongue movements involved in speech. This hypothesis assumes that the relative length of the ossified temporal styloid process is unique to humans. A comparative analysis of the presence or absence of the temporal styloid process was conducted on ten genera of Old-World primates, and it was found that the length of this …

Centralized Deep Reinforcement Learning For Homogeneous Multi-Component Maintenance Optimization, Joseph W. Wittrock

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores an application of reinforcement learning (RL) in maintenance optimization. Recent advances in hardware-accelerated computation and deep learning have made RL a powerful tool for solving optimization problems which are too complex for traditional methods. Maintenance optimization involves improving the efficiency and effectiveness of maintenance activities through data-driven approaches, ultimately reducing costs and increasing asset availability. Making informed maintenance decisions is crucial to long-term sustainability.

A desirable maintenance policy maximizes a utility signal while minimizing the cost of maintenance. Techniques in sequential decision making such as dynamic programming (DP) and RL have found success in optimizing these maintenance …

Scrolling For Two: An Exploration Of Pregnant Women's Social Support And Information Seeking Behaviors Using Technology During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Sarah Knowlton

Theses and Dissertations

Pregnant women faced additional challenges in accessing reliable support and pregnancy- related information, leading to increased distress during the COVID-19 pandemic. Quarantine measures limited doctor’s appointments and isolated pregnant women from their families, which meant that meaningful connections and convenient information was important.

The purpose of this study is to explore the implications of COVID-19 social distancing on pregnant women, with a focus on three questions: 1) what digital technologies did pregnant women use for support and information seeking purposes during the pandemic? 2) how did pregnant women use technology to seek social support during the pandemic? 3) how did …

Warriors Of Faith Vs Passive Men: Gender Binarism And Performance In Evangelical Christian Masculinity, Alexander Koch

Theses and Dissertations

My thesis examines communications and reflections of self (gendered and religious) in Midwest Evangelical Christian men. The focus was on how these groups perform their gender and religion with each other, and the tactics that were used to reinforce an acceptable notion of masculinity. Drawing upon literature on gender and masculinity studies, feminist philosophy, and hierarchical systems, my project aimed to analyze acceptable gender performance pushed by patriarchal gender norms and evangelical Christian groups. I incorporated multiple settings in my ethnographic study across the Midwest. Methods included semi-structured interviews and participant-observation of men’s conferences and Christian men’s groups, while reflecting …

Influence, Confidence, And Interest In Mathematics: The Route To Increasing Female Participation In Stem, Lisa Galbreath Neaton Black

Theses and Dissertations

Women are underrepresented in STEM professions despite initiatives to encourage young women to pursue these financially rewarding careers. Studies show this divide is not due to inability or lack of female participation in higher education, as women tend to outscore their male counterparts on standardized tests and make up approximately 59% of the postsecondary student population. Rather, the disconnect in the high school-to-college STEM pipeline for young women seems to center on mathematics. In response, this action research study focused on addressing societal influence and mathematical confidence and interest using a constructivist approach in an honors Algebra 2 class.Hands-on activities, …

Digital Twins For Flexible Manufacturing, Drew Brandon Sander

Theses and Dissertations

With the establishment of Digital Twins as an enabling technology for Industry 4.0, it is time to transition from the previous foundations to works that implement and highlight the capabilities Digital Twins present. The Industry 4.0 paradigm has recentered the focus on customizability, leading to reemerging goals of flexibility within manufacturing. Empowered through new cyber-physical systems, new enabling technologies are driving the revolution. To identify how Digital Twins as an enabling technology contribute to flexibility within manufacturing, a comprehensive investigation is conducted along with a detailed case study. A systematic literature review is conducted to analyze quality Digital Twin implementations …

Factors Influencing Adherence To Surveillance Guidelines In Individuals With Tuberous Sclerosis Complex, Kashish Khanna

Theses and Dissertations

Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC) is a genetic condition that is caused by pathogenic changes in either the TSC1 or TSC2 gene and is characterized by multiple benign tumors, otherwise known as hamartomas, in various organs such as the brain, skin, lungs, and kidneys. Because of the many different clinical manifestations of TSC, extensive surveillance guidelines are recommended for individuals with TSC. Past studies have shown that there has been a gap in knowledge of these surveillance guidelines. These studies also suggest projects that measure adherence to surveillance guidelines and address specific challenges hindering surveillance guideline adherence. This study aims to …

The Effects Of Schema Therapy On Shame In Victims Of Intimate Partner Violence, Annette Ibarra Skeen

Theses and Dissertations

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is prevalent in the United States and worldwide. Despite the deleterious effects of IPV on personal and societal wellness, there is limited research on effective interventions for IPV victims. Among the detrimental effects of IPV on mental health, shame is a common emotion experienced by IPV victims. Shame can contribute to an array of mental health concerns, such as depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, PTSD, substance abuse, and suicidality. Using a multiple baseline, singe case design, the aim of the current study was to evaluate the effects of Schema Therapy (ST) on shame on IPV victims. Based …

Utilizing Evisits To Increase Access To Genetic Services For The Hearing Loss Population: A Tailored Service Delivery Model, Ansley Roberts

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: Patients referred for genetics services have specific barriers decreasing accessibility, such as communication difficulties, long wait times, and misconceptions about the utility of genetic testing. We assessed a new tailored service delivery model used by the Greenwood Genetic Center to evaluate patients referred for hearing loss to determine if this model increases access to genetics services for individuals with hearing loss. Methods: Data points such as wait times, testing plan, and diagnostic yield were compiled from patient medical records. Comparison and analysis of data was completed by visit type, in-person, virtual, and electronic visits (eVisits), between October 2023 – …

Knowledge And Ontology Enhanced Approach To Natural Language Understanding (Koe-Nlu) In Computational Social Media And Healthcare, Naga Usha Gayathri Lokala

Theses and Dissertations

Natural Language Understanding (NLU) faces both opportunities and challenges as the amount of social media and healthcare data grows. This is particularly evident in context-sensitive applications such as evaluating cognitive health, identifying mental health symptoms, and monitoring drug abuse. Even though traditional NLU models work well for processing language in a wide range of areas, they often lack the ability to understand language in a specific domain, reason in context, and incorporate structured external knowledge. This dissertation talks about the Knowledge and Ontology Enhanced Approach to Natural Language Understanding (KOE-NLU), a new framework that is meant to make NLU systems …