Digital Commons Network^™

Investigating Lack Of Black Students Enrolled In Advanced High School Classes: Choices And Vision, Diane Marie Vrobel

Theses and Dissertations

This action research study utilized a phenomenological qualitative design to examine reasons that eligible Black students use to not register with advance classes. This project investigated how a community of inquiry with adult participants identified and mitigated or removed barriers in a secondary education setting. This eleven-week study during the spring semester incorporated change theory while employing a community of inquiry. Qualitative data from student participants obtained from audio recordings of focus group interviews was transcribed and then shared with the community of inquiry. Adult participants then analyzed student participant data to pinpoint reasons students chose not to register. Next, …

Belonging In Context: An Exploration Of Sense Of Belonging Among College Students, Ladonna L. Gleason

Theses and Dissertations

Feeling a sense of belonging is essential to human health and functioning and has been well documented in the literature. However, questions of context remain. Research in belonging has focused on social aspects of belonging, leaving broader contextual frames unexplored. There has been little work in identifying and differentiating the contexts in which belonging is experienced or in developing an understanding of how the experience of belonging differs across contexts. Current belonging theory lacks this important contextual perspective that could inform the ways in which belonging is constructed and reconstructed through disruption. With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, new …

Gis Analysis Of Housing Delinquency After Repeated Flooding In Horry County, South Carolina, Andrew White

Theses and Dissertations

How communities react and change after disaster has been well-studied in recent decades. Knowledge around time scales, spatial scales, and specific facets of the built environment, such as housing recovery, have all developed largely around the opportunities that disasters have provided in understanding societal functions. This research has given policy makers and institutions insights into shortcomings of disaster specific recoveries, but these shortcomings are generalized beyond the scope of the originally studied areas. This thesis adapts this body of knowledge to a GIS methodology to help localize understanding to the coastal South Carolina context of Horry County. This low-lying area …

Gratitude Buffers The Effects Of Stressful Life Events On Early Adolescents’ Life Satisfaction And Externalizing Behaviors But Not Internalizing Behaviors, Mimi Scott Webb

Theses and Dissertations

Identifying psychological strengths that foster healthy development in youth has become a topic of exploration in the field of positive psychology (e.g., Suldo & Huebner, 2004; Valle et al., 2006). Gratitude is a promising trait-like characteristic with qualities indicative of a potential psychological strength that may serve as a protective factor for early adolescents in the face of stressful life events. This study utilized data from a sample of 1,880 middle school students from the Southeastern United States. Hierarchical regression analyses investigated gratitude’s role as a moderator in the relationship between stressful life events and adolescent well-being. Specifically, gratitude’s ability …

Closed Form Implicitly Integrated Models For Computationally Efficient Simulation Of Power Electronics, Andrew Wunderlich

Theses and Dissertations

This work describes novel closed-form, implicitly integrated (CF-implicit) models of switched-mode power converters which feature implicit integration but require no iterative numerical solving algorithm for evaluation because they are explicitly solved prior to model execution. The derived models capture the large-signal dynamic behavior of the power converters, so their use and accuracy are not limited to any one set of operating conditions. These models can be implemented in any computational environment, including directly on an existing embedded controller as a digital twin. Since no iterative solver is required, the models are highly computationally efficient and have a very predictable worst-case …

The Divine Consumptive: The Depiction Of Tuberculosis In Jane Eyre, Haley Highfield

Theses and Dissertations

Disease was a constant and unavoidable facet of life in British society during the Victorian Era. Despite the overwhelming prevalence of disease, the true cause of these illnesses remained mysterious until the turn of the century. With the origins of many of these diseases being either unknown or ascribed to mistaken sources, effective treatment was an impossibility. Tuberculosis is a prime example of this conundrum. Even with an estimated twenty-five percent of the British population dying from this particular disease during the nineteenth century, the actual provenance for infection was not discovered until 1882 with Robert Koch’s identification of the …

Perceived Sexual Intent: Power, Relationship Status, And Gender, Joseph Eric Padgett

Theses and Dissertations

Does lacking power cause people to think potential partners are less interested in engaging with them sexually? Do men and women perceive the interests of potential sex partners differently? Does the amount of sexual intent perceived by people who are in a romantic relationship differ from that of singles? Power has been shown to impact perceptions in other contexts, and the way people rate the attractiveness of potential mates is shown to differ depending upon their own relationship status. Similarly, gender differences are a central theme in discussions of sex related perceptions, preferences, and behaviors. In this study, I utilize …

Exploring African American Girlhood Perceptions And Experiences Of Self Esteem, Monica Wade

Theses and Dissertations

Furthering the cultural competence of counselors around emotional wellness for minority groups, this research explored the intersectionality of race and gender through counter storytelling of experiences of Black girlhood that are often not told. To fill the existing gap in literature describing perceptions of emotional wellness, I explored African American adolescent girls perceptions and experiences of self esteem for girls who participated in an empowerment organization called Dream Girls. This qualitative study used a phenomenological analysis to gain understanding of the influences that impact the way these adolescents understand themselves.

The Effects Of Trauma And Statelessness On Refugee Employment Outcomes, Seth Hershberger

Theses and Dissertations

An empirical study, this paper examines the relationship of pre-resettlement refugee characteristics on their respective economic outcomes post-resettlement. In particular, it places special focus on the correlation that a refugee’s level of trauma and duration of statelessness, or time spent in a temporary country of asylum, have with that refugee’s real wages, probability of being employed at 180 days post-resettlement, and duration of initial unemployment in the country of final resettlement. Through the development of three sets of models, this paper finds a quadratic relationship between the length of a refugee’s statelessness and real wages post-resettlement, where increases in duration …

When And Why Targeted Products For Underserved Consumers Backfire, Ruoou Li

Theses and Dissertations

As the demand for creating and embracing a diverse marketplace increases, marketing strategies that over-generalize the needs of different consumer groups are no longer viable. Thus, many brands and companies have begun offering inclusive products that accommodate the specific needs of historically underserved consumers (e.g., women, people of color). One important question for marketers to answer is how these inclusive products should be promoted to appeal to these previously undervalued consumers. While prior research suggests that consumers will favor products with more explicit descriptions of the target consumer (i.e., blatant targeting) because doing so makes the targeted identity salient, I …

“The Time Has Not Been Wasted”: The Accounting Diaries Of Marian Evans And Louisa May Alcott, Ashley A. Alvarado

Theses and Dissertations

In the nineteenth century, the Victorian desire for utility, respectability, and self-improvement became deeply ingrained in daily life, and consequently, the diary grew to be a popular tool to measure and evaluate time management and personal development. Accounting diaries, in particular, set out to provide a record of activity and achievement (or conversely, inactivity and failure). This thesis performs a case study of the accounting diaries of Marian Evans (George Eliot) and Louisa May Alcott, exploring how they document progress towards their personal goals of utility, morality, and productivity. Specific diary-writing techniques—such as an efficient style, income tracking, illness recording, …

Cocreating A Strength-Based Behavioral Intervention Plan With Twice-Exceptional Students: A Youth Participatory Action Research Approach, Kristy L. Garrett

Theses and Dissertations

Twice-exceptional students are dually identified as academically gifted and talented and learning or medically disabled. These students face greater challenges to success in school and often have social and emotional issues that require accommodations and supports beyond those available in the general classroom. These students may not be receiving social and emotional supports through IEP or 504 Plans, or these supports may use a deficit rather than a strength-based approach. This study used a youth participatory action research method to empower twice-exceptional students to cocreate a strength-based, behavioral intervention plan to help them self-modulate strong emotional responses that hindered their …

Physico-Mechanical Characterization Of Prototype Earth Block Material For Constitutive Modeling, Erika Lorena Rengifo-López

Theses and Dissertations

The comprehensive understanding and experimental characterization of the overall compressive behavior of earth masonry block materials, such as compressed and stabilized earth blocks (CSEBs), are essential for developing analytical and numerical tools to predict the mechanical response and designing earth masonry structures. Furthermore, advancing the understanding of the extent of the influence of testing parameters on the material's response, such as specimen geometry, is a critical step towards standardization.

CSEBs are produced by compressing a mixture of soil, water, and a stabilizer (e.g., Portland cement). The heterogeneity of the material accrues from the variety of soil particle morphology and potential …

Association Of Prior Periodontal Disease With Cancer – Exploring Epidemiologic Evidence Of Periodontal Exudate-Exposed Site Cancer Risk Versus Remote Gastrointestinal Sites, Asma Alzahrani

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Periodontal disease, a chronic bacterial infection of the gums, if untreated, causes chronic inflammation over years and eventual tooth loss. The associations between periodontal disease (measured by missing teeth) and certain sites of cancer have been established, in epidemiological studies, and attributed to systemic inflammatory impacts causing carcinogenic change over decades. Because periodontal exudates are toxic, containing locally bioactive bacteria and toxins, this study hypothesized and studied the potential higher cancer risk of anatomic sites exposed to oral exudates (exudate-exposed site cancers (EEC); head and neck, oral, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, stomach). The study studied the risk of exudate exposed …

Motivation And Interest In Participation In Stem Beyond The Classroom Experiences: Effects Of Blended Learning Systems On High School Students, Michael Owdij

Theses and Dissertations

Beyond the classroom experiences are useful learning endeavors designed to help students connect classroom learning to the real world (Kilgo et al., 2015). The purpose of this action research was to evaluate the effect of a technology-based blended learning system on student motivation and interest in participation in beyond the classroom experiences. The blended learning system was offered to STEM-focused junior and senior students who attended a New Jersey high school. The focus of the study was centered around the following questions: How does interest in participation in beyond the classroom experiences change after STEM-focused high school students participate in …

Identifying And Understanding Factors Which Affect Persistence In Academically At-Risk Minority Prelicensure Nursing Students: An Action Research Study, Christina L.K. Eaton

Theses and Dissertations

Increased representation of minority groups is imperative for professions like nursing and education. With the growing rate of minority racial and ethnic groups within the United States, there should be corresponding changes within these professions, however there is not. This action research study seeks to explore the factors that affect persistence in academically at-risk minority nursing students at a small Midwestern Christian University. The main research question for this study asks, “What factors do at-risk minority nursing students identify as affecting their ability to persist in our nursing program?” The use of Urie Bronfenbrenner’s Social Ecological Model and Critical Theory …

Behavioral And Neurophysiological Measures Of Speech Auditory Feedback Processing Impairment In Left Hemisphere Stroke, Stacey Sangtian

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify behavioral and neural correlates of impaired speech auditory feedback processing in people with a history of left-hemisphere stroke (LHS). To do this, we used the altered auditory feedback (AAF) paradigm to externally induce speech errors by randomly shifting the pitch frequency of the online auditory feedback up or down at ±100 cents in 38 LHS and 27 neurologically intact control participants under two experimental conditions: 1) active vocalizations of a steady speech vowel sound “ah,” and 2) passive listening to the playback of the same self-produced vocalizations. Randomized control trials were included …

The Binge Viewing Index: Creating And Testing A New Measure, Larry J. Webster Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Television Binge Viewing is a media consumption behavior that is in its research infancy. To date, researches have used a dichotomous variable to measure binge viewing. That measure is based on operationalizing binge viewing as having watched two to six episodes of the same television program in one sitting. This research project created and applied a continuous measure by creating the Binge Viewing Index (BVI), which is based on the duration (number of episodes) and the frequency (weekly average) of binge viewing sessions. These dimensions are structured similarly to measures for binge drinking. A national survey demonstrated the intensity of …

The Impact Of Arrest History And Unemployment On Depression And Anxiety, Jennifer Alexis Beard

Theses and Dissertations

Literature has shown that individuals who have been incarcerated have difficulty in obtaining jobs after incarceration; therefore, ex-convicts are predicted to have an increased rate of depression and anxiety symptoms as opposed to the overall general public. However, little literature supports this theory, and little to no literature has been published with regards to individuals who have been apprehended. This study investigates the depression and anxiety levels of those who have an arrest record and have difficulty maintaining or finding employment. The sample’s arrest history and unemployment history were measured through self-reporting measures. Additionally, depression was measured through Beck’s Depression …

Examining Executive Dysfunction In Dementia: Vascular Etiology As A Contributor To Greater Impairment, Julianne Szemko

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: The present study examines executive functioning and overall neuropsychological functioning within a memory disorder clinic population with a specific focus on examining performance on the Modified Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (M-WCST) among individuals with and without cerebrovascular disease. Method: This study utilized test data collected between 2018-2022 from the research database at the Health First Memory Disorder Clinic (HFMDC) in Melbourne, Florida. Participants were included if they completed a brief neuropsychological evaluation (BNE) at the HFMDC with the M-WCST, Trail Making Test - Form B (TMT-B), and Color/Word subtest of the Golden Stroop as part of their battery and …

The Role Of Internalized Homophobia On Conflict Resolution In Same-Sex Couples, Micaela Dawn Magee

Theses and Dissertations

A majority of LGBTQ+ members experience sexual minority stress on a near daily basis (Sue et al., 2007). These stressors may foster higher rates of internalized shame towards one’s sexual orientation, commonly known as internalized homophobia (Frost & Meyer, 2009; Khaddouma et al., 2015; Meyer, 2013). Internalized homophobia has been found to negatively impact both mental health outcomes and relationship satisfaction in same-sex couples (Frost & Meyer, 2009; Totenhagen et al., 2018). Higher rates of internalized shame about one’s sexuality may in turn increase relational conflict (Frost & Meyer, 2009; Mohr & Fassinger, 2006). Despite the growing amount of research …

The Role Of Village Savings And Loan Associations In Poverty Graduation Programs: A Process Analysis, Noha Abdel Hamid

Theses and Dissertations

Ten percent of the global population live in extreme poverty under $1.90 a day. To combat chronic multidimensional poverty, the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC)created the Graduation Approach, which consists of a Big Push effect implemented through a series of interventions including asset transfer, mentoring, saving groups and a series of service provisions, to push ultra-poor households to exit poverty sustainably. Implemented so far in over 50 countries, the model has shown positive results even after ten years of the first interventions. Sawiris Foundation for Social Development partnered with BRAC and the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Laboratory (J-PAL) to …

Helpful Or Harmful: The Impact Of Shame And Guilt On Concealment In Adulthood Following Childhood Trauma, Xiomara Vanessa Senior

Theses and Dissertations

The current study aimed to examine the moderating role of shame and guilt in the associations between types of childhood maltreatment and levels of self-concealment. Childhood maltreatment has been linked to emotions such as shame and guilt that elicit schemas of self-doubt, incompetence, and failure (Cohen et al., (2011). When an individual internalizes these thoughts and emotions, they may act in maladaptive ways such as avoidance, fear, dissociation, and possible concealment within adulthood (Dorahy & Clearwater, 2012, Smetana et al., 2019). De Seve et al. (2020) recently found that shame proved to be a mediator in the relationship between self-concealment …

An Examination Of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-3 (Mmpi-3) Profiles Of International Saudi Arabian College Students, Emily Alyssa Leonard

Theses and Dissertations

Research has shown that culture can contribute to differences in personality and shape the way individuals perceive and function in the world. International students are among those affected by cultural differences as they arrive in a new country and go through a period of adjustment. Saudi Arabian students currently make up a large proportion of international students in the United States. Due to wide-spread prejudiced American beliefs about Middle Easterners, they may be exposed to higher levels of discrimination, which can contribute to adjustment problems and increased levels of distress. As a result, some of these students may seek out …

What's Hope Got To Do With It? The Role Of Hope In Sexual Abuse Treatment, Marian Kay Amundsen

Theses and Dissertations

Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) is an evidence-based treatment approach for children suffering from trauma-related symptoms (; Cohen et al., 2018 Cohen et al., 2022; de Arellano et al., 2014; Slalom et al., 2022). Throughout treatment, the primary focus is to reduce the negative symptoms after experiencing a traumatic life event (Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2012). The role of hope in the aftermath of trauma survivors has been supported as a strength contributing to the well-being of the individual (Munoz et al., 2020). However, research has not yet examined the role of hope as a predictor of completing trauma-focused treatment. …

Investigation Of Adhesion, Deformation Mechanics, And Electrical Properties Of Ag/Sio2/Pdms Tri-Layers For Stretchable Electronic Applications, Rhandy Joe Paladines

Theses and Dissertations

The motivation behind this research is to improve the interfacial layer bonding of metallic thin films to PDMS substrates with the aid of a buffer layer. The physical vapor deposition (PVD) technique of sputtering was used to deposit bilayer thin films of silver (Ag) and silicon dioxide (SiO2) on PDMS. Two chamber pressures were used in this work, 5 and 20 mTorr, to investigate the role of this parameter in determining the interfacial adhesion and the role in determining the resistance sensitivity. Studies of the surface energy and increased bonding strength for metallization are carried out. Surface characterization using atomic …

Towards Environmentally Sustainable, High-Performance, Lightweight Composites For Automotive Applications, Jasmin Zamudio Vasquez

Theses and Dissertations

The increasing public demand in the world automotive industry to improve the environmental sustainability of their manufactured vehicles without sacrificing drivers' comfort and safety and the high cost of lightweight materials have driven researchers to reconsider materials used in the automotive application. Thus, this work aims toward the production of environmentally sustainable, high-performance, lightweight composites, utilizing recycled carbon fibers (RCFs) and pyrolyzed tire particles (PTPs) reclaimed from pyro-gasification of CFRP wastes and end-of-life tires (ELTs), respectively, as reinforcements for cardanol-based epoxy resins. The fabricated composites exhibited rubbery-like behavior at 25 °C. Spectroscopic, rheological, physical, thermal, thermomechanical, and mechanical characterizations were …

Investigating The First/Last Mile Problem In Underserved Communities: A Case Study In Camden City, Nj, Ruqaya Alfaris

Theses and Dissertations

The first/last mile (FLM) is defined as the distance a transiting person should complete before boarding or after alighting at a transit station. The FLM trip is one of the major barriers to access transit, which significantly affects individuals' accessibility to critical services. Specifically, this is prevalent in underserved communities in which public transportation constitutes the major mode of travel. As a case study, the current study discusses the FLM barriers in Camden City, NJ. The study comprehensively reviews the existing literature of the FLM practice to identify the lessons learned from previously conducted plans and programs. To supplement the …

Mental Health And Religious Beliefs About Salvation: Associations And Structural Equation Modeling, Anthony Edward Rose

Theses and Dissertations

In Christianity, there are two major perspectives of how one attains eternal life: by faith in Jesus Christ alone, or by necessary additional works/ordinances, such as baptism, or obedience to commandments. Though beliefs about salvation may reasonably be thought to have an influence on mental health and behavior, research on the subject has been slow to accumulate. This project examined the association between beliefs about salvation and mental health, as well as whether this association is mediated by other variables, including Religious Involvement, Scrupulosity, and Perfectionism. A sample of 1,556 Protestants/Evangelicals and Latter-day Saints (who generally hold distinct views about …

Collegiate Recovery Programs Serving As An Opportunity For Student Affairs, Marium Waqar

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the current Collegiate Recovery Program (CRP) at Rowan University and the effects it had on the recovery student population. The study was designed to ask questions that would yield results about the effectiveness of the current CRP on Rowan's campus. Previous research indicates a need for more awareness about CRPs, and professionals in higher education need to be knowledgeable about students in recovery and their invisible disability. Findings suggest some Rowan students in recovery do not feel supported on campus, but many of them are not even aware of the resources that …