Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring The Perception And Experiences Of California Female Superintendents, Stacey Ridgeway

Theses and Dissertations

When examining the modern-day gender distribution of the American K-12 public school district superintendent role, women remain underrepresented at 26.7% (Tienken, 2021). Based on the model of superintendents ascending from the teacher and principal workforce, the educational pipeline is robust, with 77% female teachers and 56% female principals (Irwin et al., 2023; National Center for Education Statistics, 2023). Factors preventing a higher percentage of female teachers from attaining the superintendency are unknown, and there is a need for a better understanding of the barriers female educators face as aspiring superintendents. California is second in the U.S. for female superintendent representation, …

Analyzing Students’ Long-Term Motivational And Emotional Effects On Achievement Performance Within And Across Diverse Socioeconomic Backgrounds, Hyejin Kim

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines how students’ motivational and emotional factors influence their future educational and professional achievements within and across diverse socioeconomic status (SES) groups. This study leverages a quantitative longitudinal study methodology employing a publicly available sample of 16,197 U.S. students from 10th grade through age 26. The theoretical model of this study is grounded in the situated expectancy-value theory (SEVT; Eccles & Wigfield, 2024) and generalized control-value theory (CVT; Pekrun, 2024), encompassing five latent constructs: expectancies for academic success, subjective task values, assurance about academic success, assurance about career success, and SES-related achievement performance. To investigate the relationships between …

Black Adolescents' Mental Health And Identity Formation: The Role Of Discrimination And Racial Socialization - A Systematic Review, Tsahai Jenkins

Theses and Dissertations

This systematic review examines the impact of racial discrimination on mental health and racial identity development among Black adolescents, focusing on anxiety, depression, self-esteem, and identity formation, as well as the protective role of racial socialization. Analysis of 19 qualitative and quantitative studies revealed that Black adolescents frequently experience discrimination across various settings, including schools, public spaces, and online platforms, with significant effects on mental health and self-concept. Gendered patterns were evident, with females more likely to internalize stress as anxiety and depression, while males showed externalizing behaviors such as aggression. Racial socialization, especially cultural pride messages, emerged as a …

A Systematic Review Of The Outcomes And Efficacy Of Complementary And Alternative Non-Pharmacological Interventions In Youth With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Kelly M. Kohler

Theses and Dissertations

A number of behavioral and pharmacological treatments have been widely accepted as evidenced-based approaches to treating symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and adolescents. While pharmacological approaches are safe and effective at managing symptoms, a large subset of caregivers do not have access to medication, refuse it, or find it ineffective, necessitating the need for non-pharmacological treatments. Such behavioral interventions are also generally effective approaches to symptom management and reducing the functional impairment of ADHD and may even demonstrate better parent satisfaction than medication alone. However, these interventions are often difficult to access and burdensome to implement, especially …

From Intent To Invent: An Exploration Of The Entrepreneurial Learning Strategies Of Entrepreneurially-Intentioned Individuals When Navigating Social Media As An Informal Learning Environment, Joshua Lyndon Gray

Theses and Dissertations

The journey from entrepreneurial intention to entrepreneurial invention involves various considerations for individuals with an intention to start a business in the next 3 years. While some individuals with entrepreneurial intentions pursue higher education prior to starting a business, some start businesses without graduating from a degree program—prompting an exploration of various entrepreneurial learning options. This study uncovered the learning strategies employed by individuals with entrepreneurial intentions when navigating informal learning environments, particularly social media, through a phenomenological qualitative approach. The study explored the phenomenon of entrepreneurial learning experiences through investigating the use of social media platforms as informal learning …

Write What You Know: Serving Others Through Purpose Driven And Honest Storytelling, Breanna Porter

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Cognitive And Positive Aspects Of Language Brokering Among Latinx Individuals: An Integrative Systematic Review, Jacqueline Juarez

Theses and Dissertations

English has been the prominent language spoken in the United States; however, with the rise of the Spanish language, it is imperative to address how Spanish speakers navigate spaces. Research has found mixed findings about the outcomes of serving as a language broker. This integrative systematic review aimed to identify and analyze literature on Latinx language brokers regarding cognitive strategies and abilities and the positive processes and perceptions that contribute to enhancing mental health. This review also sought to focus on factors that may contribute to resiliency over time for Latinx language brokers. A total of 31 studies were included …

Effective Onboarding For C-Suites, Ming Hwee Low

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative research explored what constituted effective onboarding for C-suite leaders, particularly CEOs and their direct reports, to support their rapid integration and effectiveness within organizations. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 10 C-suite leaders across multiple sectors, the study aimed to contribute to the fields of organizational development and leadership development by identifying key onboarding practices that facilitate a new leader’s success. The research employed a grounded theory approach, coding and analyzing quotes from participants to derive central themes. Findings indicated that effective onboarding at the C-suite level extended beyond the initial weeks of orientation. Participants emphasized the need for …

The Inner Emotional Landscape Of Nascent Od Entrepreneurs: A Qualitative Study Of Women Founders, Jordan Alexandra Davies

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the inner emotional landscape of nascent female entrepreneurs in the field of Organization Development (OD), illuminating the paradoxes they encounter as they build values-based businesses in a field that socializes deep personal alignment. Through semi-structured interviews with 10 founders of boutique OD firms, the research surfaced tensions between authenticity and performance, empowerment and dependency, coherence, and emotional dissonance. The findings suggest that becoming an OD entrepreneur involves working through paradox, not erasing it. In doing so, the study contributes to a more nuanced understanding of emotional labor, legitimacy, and the quiet cost of performing congruence in a …

Identifying The Best Practices Of Wilderness-Immersion Programs To Support Veterans’ Transition From The Military To College, Catkin Kilcher Burton

Theses and Dissertations

This study identified best practices for designing and implementing wilderness-immersion programs to support student veterans transitioning from military service to college. It used a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design. Phase 1 of the study involved a Delphi approach wherein an expert panel of program facilitators, university staff, mental health providers, and student veterans rated and refined an initial set of best practices drawn from literature. Veterans Affairs directors provided feedback in a focus group format to refine the framework. This study contributes practical, evidence-based guidelines to enhance the academic, social, and emotional success of student veterans through wilderness-immersion interventions. Findings from …

Impacts Of Artificial Intelligence On The Human Workforce, Dwayne A. Henry

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study explored how artificial intelligence (AI) implementation was experienced by employees across organizations with varying levels of AI maturity. Drawing from semi-structured interviews with fifteen professionals across twelve organizations, including technology firms, government agencies, and healthcare providers, the research examined perceptions of AI's impact on daily work, role evolution, organizational culture, and employee learning. Thematic analysis revealed seven major themes: trust and transparency in AI, productivity and job security, training and learning support, organizational culture, customer-centric use of AI, ethical and environmental concerns, and evolving roles. While participants recognized AI’s potential to enhance efficiency and innovation, they also …

Symptom Presentations And Effective Mental Health Interventions For Those Experiencing Homelessness: A Systematic Review, Abraham Sloves

Theses and Dissertations

Homelessness is a present and concerning issue without a clear solution due partly to barriers in public policy, as well as challenges in homelessness research. Research seems to indicate that barriers to effective research on homelessness include inconsistent and incomplete data on homelessness prevalence, a lack of consistency in defining homelessness, and lack of generalizable research (Hossain et al., 2020). This is especially true when it comes to the intersection between homelessness and mental illness. While research has been done on interventions for unhoused individuals (Morton et al., 2020; Ponka et al., 2020), studies often fail to address the complex …

Analysis Of Dual Roles: Work-Life Balance Experiences Of Female Professors And Mothers In California, Lu Liang

Theses and Dissertations

The study aims to discover and understand the work-life balance experience of mothers who are also professors working in higher education institutions in California. The research reveals the unique challenges, needs, and motivations to manage work and family responsibilities. The literature review indicates that mother professors encounter conflicts of roles and responsibilities from academic work and domestic duties. Moreover, mother professors experience persistent gender disparity and systemic barriers as an underrepresented group in academia, hindering their personal and professional advancements. This qualitative study utilizes quantitative ethnography (QE), an incorporated research methodology to examine mother professors’ work-life balance experience. Additionally, the …

How To Encourage Consumers’ Adoption Of Clean Energy? The Interplay Of Framing, Loss Aversion, And The Unexpected Role Of Socioeconomic Status., Bradley A. Gray

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation and its underlying hypotheses seek to determine what factors play a role in U.S. consumers’ adoption of clean energy. Consumer adoption of clean energy plays an important role as part of the long-term clean energy transition. How to encourage consumers to adopt clean energy? The findings of the dissertation about how framing effects, loss aversion, and socioeconomic status affect clean energy perceived value present evidence that a one-size-fits-all approach to boosting adoption is unwise. The research adopted an explanatory sequential quantitative approach. In phase 1, a series of cross-sectional surveys examined the best predictors of current and future …

Ai For The Common Good: Exploring Global Nonprofit Framing Of Artificial Intelligence, Kathleen Teresa Scott

Theses and Dissertations

As artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes nearly every sector, global nonprofits face a distinct challenge: embracing innovation without compromising their core missions. This study investigated how three leading nonprofit organizations--the National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the Brookings Institution, and the Center for Creative Leadership--publicly framed their AI implementation approaches between 2018 and 2025. These organizations span the fields of humanitarian aid, policy research, and leadership development, offering a cross-sector perspective on how mission-driven institutions navigate technological transformation.Using a mixed-methods document analysis, this research examined both internal implementation narratives and outward-facing thought leadership. Findings revealed that while all three organizations …

Exploratory Study Of Selected Paintings Of Jesus Christ, Sarah O'Brien Laverone

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study employs digital artifacts to explore paintings of Jesus through iconography, semiotic analysis, visual culture/visual studies, ancient Christian history, the importance of digital pedagogy, and digital preservation of the artwork of Jesus, thereby digitally preserving culture and the religious culture of Jesus as a transformational leader. Paintings, frescoes, and other art media such as sculpture or ancient books are the educational tools and the elements of exceptional, invaluable, and immeasurable historical legacy. Cultural heritage preservation is a growing demand; digital technology reduces costs and allows for a broader application of techniques (Stanco et al., 2011). Paintings of Jesus …

Cultural Matching And Treatment Utilization And Outcomes In Asian Americans: A Systematic Review, Ryan Lim

Theses and Dissertations

Research regarding cultural matching in clinician and client dyads as a means of improving care for underserved populations has become less prevalent over the past two decades. This review sought to examine and synthesize the existing literature on the relationship between three forms of cultural matching (i.e., racial matching, ethnic matching, and language matching) and mental health treatment utilization and outcomes for Asian Americans. Following an extensive database search process, we identified a total of 10 peer-reviewed studies as relevant to the review's topic. Overall, results from the studies suggest that ethnic and language matching were associated with an increased …

Belief Systems Amongst Black Women: A Qualitative Study Of Social Supports And Factors That Facilitate Pathways To Leadership Positions Within Professional Sport, Rachel Lofton

Theses and Dissertations

Despite notable advancements made by Black women in both athletic and professional settings, their representation in leadership roles within the sports industry remains disproportionately low. The underrepresentation of Black women in leadership positions within professional sport organizations underscores the need for research to identify the social supports and factors facilitating their career progression. This study addresses the gap in the literature through qualitative interviews with twelve Black women who hold director-level positions or higher in professional sports teams or leagues. Grounded theory was employed to gather, examine, and interpret the data from the interviews. Critical race theory, standpoint theory, intersectionality, …

The Use Of Humor In Mental Healthcare: A Systematic Review, Blake Song

Theses and Dissertations

Humor has been observed, practiced, and documented as an essential feature of society for thousands of years. However, there is still no formalized or widely referenced clinical guidance on how to effectively and appropriately utilize humor in mental healthcare despite ample research over the last 70 years noting the many potential benefits. This lack of guidance may, at least in part, be due to unresolved concerns pertaining to the use of humor in counseling and healthcare settings. For instance, humor is believed by some to be potentially distracting or undermining to the counseling process if used inappropriately. This continued absence …

How Does Organization Growth Affect The Organization’S Culture, Megan Howe

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand how organization growth affects the organization’s culture. Culture was generally defined as the behavioral norms and ways of working at an organization. Following interviews with 28 people in an organization that had been growing and was expecting to grow further, the results of the study suggested that organization growth did not have a noticeable impact on culture. Instead, the data suggest that the longer a person is a part of a culture, the more opportunity there is to see evolution or how things like growth, the passing of time, generational differences, and …

Self-Compassion And Leadership Effectiveness At Work, Janette Muñoz

Theses and Dissertations

Leaders are currently facing unprecedented times in the workforce, with rapid technological advancements, complexity with geopolitical implications and economic fluctuations, and employee disengagement. Through these changes, leaders are expected to make business decisions, guide their teams, and deliver business results. To navigate these complexities, the role of business leaders is evolving, making self-compassion and associated practices potentially important for leaders. Complexity and the speed of change may lead to an increase in challenges and mistakes experienced at work, actual or perceived, which may lead to decreased internal capacity, higher stress and potentially burnout. This study explores the relationship between self-compassion …

Reflection & Reciprocity: The Role Of Community In The Career Decision-Making Processes Of Indigenous & Non-Indigenous College Students, Amanda M. Langhorst

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the complex role of community in the career decision-making of college students. Our career decisions impact our life in many ways; individualistic cognitive models provide some insight but miss the important relationships and interaction we have with our communities and the role of culture. Through 45 interviews across a primary sample and two contrast samples with public university college students and student service professionals, this research revealed two key processes in how we utilize community in our career decision-making, reflection & reciprocity. The data resulted in a Community-Embedded Career Decision-Making Model showcasing the process of “how” we …

An Exploration Of Compassion Fatigue In Organization Development Practitioners, Ciara Henschke

Theses and Dissertations

Compassion fatigue is well-documented in helping professions but remains underexplored in the field of organization development (OD). This qualitative study examines the contributing factors, manifestations, and mitigation strategies of compassion fatigue among OD practitioners. Findings from interviews with experienced practitioners reveal that leadership dysfunction, large-scale change, role-based emotional labor, and personal vulnerability contribute to fatigue. Manifestations span emotional, cognitive, physical, and relational domains, sometimes spilling into practitioners’ personal lives and diminishing professional effectiveness. Common coping strategies include physical regulation, boundary-setting, peer support, and reframing — similar to those in other helping fields, yet uniquely adapted in the absence of formal …

Exploring Perceptions Of College Completion Obstacles Among First-Year Students With Disabilities, James Roshone Evans

Theses and Dissertations

Students with special needs encounter significant challenges that affect their development, social mobility, and ability to achieve personal and professional goals. Despite efforts to improve post-secondary education outcomes, enrollment rates among students with learning disabilities remain below average. This study examined the experiences of first-year college students with mild to moderate cognitive impairments to gain a deeper understanding of the barriers to degree completion. It examines mandatory education, California's special education laws, social support systems, and the theoretical frameworks of Tinto's theory on retention, Wahlberg's theory of academic achievement, and Astin’s scholarly roles theory. Interviews with 25 students with disabilities …

Mathematical Modeling Of Cyber-Physical Attacks In Iot Systems: An Epidemiological Approach, Tunde Alesinloye

Theses and Dissertations

The Internet of Things (IoT) has made electronic devices more interconnected, which has increased cybersecurity threats while also bringing previously unimaginable convenience. In this study, we explore the dynamics of malware transmission in IoT systems using a mathematical modeling methodology that draws inspiration from epidemiological approaches. To better characterize contemporary cyber-defense tactics like honeypots and proactive device hardening, we specifically suggest the SEIR-DX model, which expands the traditional SEIR framework by adding two extra compartments: Deceptive (D) and Secured (X).

The transitions between the six compartments Susceptible, Exposed, Infected, Recovered, Deceptive, and Secured are described by a system of nonlinear …

News Mediated Reporting And Governmental Narratives About The Enforcement Of Elite Criminality: Exploring The Social Construction Of Financial Frauds And Discrepancies In Punishment, Dominic J. Zicari

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines how financial crime enforcement decisions are socially constructed through a qualitative content analysis of news articles and government communications pertaining to two specific cases: the Enron scandal of 2001 and the subprime mortgage crisis of 2008. The study was guided by a theoretical framework that utilizes Barak’s (2017) theory of state-routinized crime control. The rigorous analysis of 394 news articles and government communication documents revealed that the media and the state rarely framed the subprime mortgage crisis as a criminal issue. Although the Enron scandal was frequently described as financial crime, journalists and government communicators were often …

Sex-Specific Regulation Of Mash And Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Role Of Sphk2 In Females, Bria Pierre

Theses and Dissertations

Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Fatty Liver Disease (MAFLD) is characterized by excessive fat accumulation in the liver, with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) representing a more severe form that can progress to cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The sphingosine kinases and the S1P signaling pathway are key regulators of MASH and HCC progression. While much is known about the mechanisms contributing to MASH-HCC in males, less is known for females. Nevertheless, we previously identified sphingosine Kinase 2 (SphK2) to protect females from MASH-driven HCC. This study first performed differential gene expression analysis on human liver cohorts to examine sex-specific differences in gene expression …

The Diseased Extracellular Matrix In Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Modeling, Leigh-Ann M. Antczak

Theses and Dissertations

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is currently the fourth leading cause of death in the world, with an increasing prevalence as the world’s population ages. In the distal regions of the lungs, COPD is characterized by progressive emphysema due to an imbalance of proteases that continuously degrade essential extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins within the alveolar walls, causing fatal tissue impairment. This dissertation examines the unique properties of this diseased lung ECM in two parts: (1) As a key constituent in inflammatory signaling that leads to increased inflammation and progression of COPD, and (2) as a tool in three-dimensional (3D) in …

Wiring Attachment, Alexander K. Bacon

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis began with a question: can diagrams create understanding, or only reflect it? Through paintings that layer automotive wiring schematics with family photographs, I explore how the human attachment system resists easy mapping. Using digital tools like Photoshop and scanning, alongside analog methods such as papier-collé and photo transfer, I examine how systems built for clarity—like wiring diagrams—contrast with the layered, often messy realities of human relationships. Drawing from attachment theory’s empirical foundation, rather than the metaphorical leanings of psychoanalysis, my work investigates how emotional bonds form, falter, and repair over time. Material loss and layering are not flaws, …

Feeling Foreign / Foreign Feeling: Affect In Southeast Asian Diasporic Short Story Collections, Francys Aerin Fortes

Theses and Dissertations

Affect studies have long been saturated with scholarship investigating the fluidity of emotions, though a larger turn in the field now prioritizes the felt experiences of marginalized peoples. Sianne Ngai’s work is one part of this turn that seeks to unpack the effects of oppressive systemic forces on Black, Brown, and queer bodies. Sianne Ngai reexamined the nature of emotions in her seminal text Ugly Feelings (2005), particularly concerned with how negative feelings are disproportionately felt by marginalized bodies as a result of conditions of obstructed agency, systems of power, and wage labor capitalism. Drawing from Ngai’s writing, this thesis …