Digital Commons Network^™

Considerations For Cherenkov Radiation Imaging In External Beam Radiotherapy For Diverse Populations In A High Throughput Cancer Clinic, Diego A. Hernandez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cherenkov radiation imaging is a burgeoning field of optical imaging that has become a promising, non-invasive, technique that allows the visualization of radiation delivery during external beam radiotherapy. This form of imaging has opened the door to real-time and retrospective treatment verification and sparked a plethora of research aimed at improving the utility. This dissertation investigates possible clinical implementations and limitations of Cherenkov radiation imaging within a high-throughput cancer clinic serving a diverse patient population. The central motivation is the need to advance Cherenkov radiation imaging as a reliable tool for clinical use by improving its quantitative accuracy and applicability …

Development And Feasibility Testing Of A Video-Based Virtual Reality Bullying Safety Skills Intervention For School-Aged Children With Disabilities, Trevor C. Maxfield

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Virtual reality (VR) technology has emerged as a promising instructional tool for children with disabilities; however, research on using VR to improve safety skills in this population remains limited. The present study employed a 2-phase approach to develop and evaluate a video-based VR bullying safety skills intervention for children with disabilities. In Phase 1, bullying and applied behavior analysis experts reviewed and validated the intervention content, including the response to bullying steps, school-based scenario storyboards, and embedded behavioral procedures, rating the content as valid and technically adequate. Expert feedback informed refinements to the intervention content and the decision to transition …

The Philosopher Of The Future: What Is It To Us That Herr Nietzsche Has Become Well Again?, Erli Mertika

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation argues that Nietzsche thought he was a genuine philosopher despite seeming at times to suggest that he was not. I arrive at this conclusion by comparing his thoughts on genuine philosophers with his thoughts about himself in an effort to show that his self-professed task is identical to theirs.

There are two types of genuine philosophers in Nietzsche’s late works: an old species that relied on a belief in “God” to legislate their values, and a new one that must do so without it. The former cannot perform their task after the death of God, which is why …

Theory And Applications Of Natural And Nature-Based Solutions In Estuarine Environments, Elizabeth L. Royer

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on the theory and application of Nature-based Solutions (NbS), through three unique case studies. This study explores how the broad and interdisciplinary NbS framework can be applied to mitigate common coastal hazards. This framework considers the environment, economics, and social wellbeing, equally in the design and implementation of a solution. The current paradigm, working against nature, which is commonly seen in more passive approaches to hazard mitigation, like grey infrastructure (e.g. a seawall to protect a shoreline against wave action) does not accommodate the extremely dynamic environment. As perspectives shift to “working with nature” NbS can be …

Iron Deficiency And Depressive Symptoms: Effects Of Racial And Ethnic Disparity In Two Reproductive-Aged Us Women, Alexis Monkhouse

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Problem: Reproductive- aged women are one of the populations most at risk for iron deficiency and depression in the United States. While many studies have looked at the relationship between these two illnesses, none have explored it from a biocultural framework, examining how race/ethnicity affects this relationship. Using data from NHANES, this thesis examined the relationship between iron status (total body iron) and depressive symptoms (PHQ-9) among reproductive-aged women in the U.S. and how race/ethnicity affects it. Methods. NHANES survey data from 2005-2010 were pulled. Demographic and laboratory data were used to determine eligibility, total body iron, and depressive scores. …

Novel Electrical Interfaces For Bionic Limbs, Matthew Aaron Melton

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Advancements in neural interfaces are pivotal for enhancing the functionality and longevity of implantable biomedical applications, particularly in the field of neuroprosthetics. This dissertation is focused on the continuing development of a novel neural interface fabricated from silicon carbide (SiC). SiC has demonstrated superior performance over traditional silicon-based material systems due to its exceptional biocompatibility, hemocompatibility, and electrochemical stability. The research herein explores silicon carbide’s semiconductor properties, with a highlighted focus on a unique and innovative design structure - centered around a p-n junction. This work examines detailed fabrication steps of an all-SiC device, acute-style packaging (for future in vivo …

Prosecutorial Philosophy And Racial Disparities In Arrest Rates, Carl L. Reeds

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The prominent issue of racial disparities in arrest in the criminal justice system is well documented. One proposed mechanism for addressing these disparities in the criminal justice system is the emergence of progressive prosecutors. Progressive prosecutors are vastly different than traditional prosecution through the approach to their roles in the criminal justice system. Traditional prosecutors prioritize convictions and punishment, often seeking maximum sentences for defendants and relying on the traditional model of tough-on-crime policies. Progressive prosecutors pledge to reform the criminal justice system by declining to prosecute certain low-level offenses, expanding diversion programs, and explicitly addressing racial and socioeconomic disparities. …

District Leadership Influence On The Sustainability Of Dual Language Bilingual Education Programs, Jessica Hessler

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Dual language bilingual education programs operate within policy environments that often constrain their long term viability, despite their deep historical roots in the United States. This qualitative study examined how district/central office leadership systems supported the sustainability of these programs. While prior research has emphasized school site collaboration between principals and teachers, limited attention has been given to the district/central office level leadership systems and strategies that shaped program coherence, implementation, and endurance. Guided by a framework integrating social justice leadership with principles of sustainable leadership, the study examined the research question: How do district or central office leadership systems …

Riemann-Hilbert Problems For A Class Of Planar Orthogonal Polynomials, Abril Arenas

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Planar orthogonal polynomials of degree n are monic polynomials defined by the orthogonality relation,

∫cPn(z)Pm(z)e-V(z) dA(z) = hnδn,m.

where the integration is over the whole complex plane with Lebesgue area measure dA, and hn is a positive norming constant. In this thesis we consider the potential V: CR of the type,

V(z) = |z|2p-2Re Σm j=1 tjzj

we characterize the planar orthogonal polynomials using novel matrix Riemann-Hilbert problems. We pro-pose a Riemann-Hilbert problem of size 2px 2p when the maximal degree satisfies m ≤ p. For m = 2p, we propose a Riemann-Hilbert problem of size 3px 3p for the …

Clinical Features, Laboratory Characteristics, And Outcomes Of Covid-19 Patients In A Tertiary Care Reference Hospital In Panama City, Panama. A Retrospective Observational Study, Santiago E. Hernandez Bojorge

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Latin America experienced some of the world’s highest COVID-19 mortality rates, yet data on in-hospital outcomes and their social and geographic determinants remain limited. This dissertation investigated multilevel baseline factors associated with in-hospital mortality among adults with COVID-19 at Panama’s largest public tertiary hospital (Hospital Santo Tomás), integrating survival, mediation, and spatial-temporal modeling within a causal-inference framework.

A retrospective cohort of 1,526 RT-PCR–confirmed COVID-19 hospitalizations (May 2020–November 2021) was analyzed using multivariable Cox proportional-hazards, Fine–Gray competing-risk, mediation, and Bayesian spatial models. Directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) pre-specified causal relationships and minimally sufficient adjustment sets. DAG-guided models quantified total effects without conditioning …

Challenging The Deliberative Consensus: Participatory Strategies, Transparency And Citizen Trust Across Municipal Contexts, Fadel Al-Marsoumi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the relationships between participatory governance strategies and multidimensional citizen trust in municipal contexts. Although local governments have implemented deliberative forums, digital platforms and hybrid participation approaches to restore declining public confidence, inconsistencies between theoretical predictions and empirical outcomes have raised questions about participatory governance effectiveness. Motivated by this gap between deliberative democracy theory's optimistic predictions and limited empirical support, the study investigates the psychological, political and contextual mechanisms that shape trust formation through civic engagement. Drawing on an integrated framework combining organizational trust theory and deliberative democracy frameworks, the research conceptualizes trust as a multidimensional construct involving …

A New Great Game?: Great Powers Content Re-Sharing And Media Influence In The South Caucasus, Emma A. Lowery

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the new digital era of geopolitics, competing great powers support internationally oriented state-sponsored media as integral parts of public diplomacy, seeking to reach foreign publics in an increasingly digital age of information sharing. Leveraging local outlets provides an avenue to influence local publics through pre-approved news. Targeted foreign news outlets actively engage with and re-share content from said media. This research focuses on foreign-originated content from the world’s great powers - the People’s Republic of China, the Russian Federation, and the United States of America. The purpose of this project is to provide insight into how the great powers …

Temporally Modulated Acoustic Environment Alters Inferior Colliculus Tonotopy And Improves Neural Gap Encoding In Aged Cba/Caj Mice, Luis Franco-Waite

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Age-related hearing loss (ARHL) is an omnipresent and progressive decline of hearing that occurs later in life and affects a significant majority of the aged population. While the current accommodations for hearing loss focus on improving comfort and quality of life, they do not address the underlying neural aspects of ARHL. A novel approach for treatment is the augmented acoustic environment (AAE) which utilizes the innate plasticity of the nervous system in response to the external environment. The work presented here documents the research performed on passive noise exposures which target neural aspects in animal models of age-related hearing loss. …

Exploiting Chaotic Antenna Arrays For Rf Fingerprint Authentication And Physical Layer Security In Wireless Communications, Joshua K. Thomas Ranstrom

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Modern wireless networks support a wide range of applications including consumer devices, healthcare monitoring, industrial automation, smart grids, and military platforms, in which transmitted information is often highly sensitive and subject to stringent confidentiality and integrity requirements. As wireless communication operates over an open broadcast medium it exposes systems to physical layer (PHY) threats such as eavesdropping, in which an adversary passively intercepts transmitted information, and spoofing, in which a forged transmission misleads the receiver about device identity. Cryptographic defenses address both threats but require computational assumptions and key management infrastructure that may not scale to dense or resource-constrained deployments. …

Implementing A Brief Dialectical Behavior Therapy-Informed Skills Group In A County Jail: A Mixed Methods Approach To Understanding Feasibility And Acceptability, Meaghan E. Brown

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Correctional institutions unintentionally function as one of the largest mental health providers in the country. Short-term facilities, like jails, present an opportunity to provide mental health care to those who will quickly reenter our communities. Despite this, evidence-based practices and treatments in correctional settings have been implemented at slower rates compared to community settings and mental health institutions. Regulating emotions, refraining from impulsive maladaptive behavior, and communicating effectively are considered primary treatment needs among jail inmates. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT; Linehan, 1993) can address these deficits and is commonly implemented in a skills training group format in correctional settings; however, …

It’S Not Me, It’S U(Niversity): A Longitudinal Study Of The First-Generation Graduate Student Experience Navigating Privacy And Identity During Socialization, Melissa L. Mccormick

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This longitudinal study examines the experiences of first-generation graduate students (FGGS; students whose parent(s) do not hold a 4-year undergraduate degree). Specifically, it considers how FGGS manage their private information throughout the first year of their graduate program, and how the intersection of their FGGS status with other aspects of their identity may shape those experiences (e.g. the overlapping of FGGS status, race, and socioeconomic status). While there is substantial research on the first-generation student experience at an undergraduate level, FGGS have largely been left out of the conversation (exception: Levin, 2022). Guided by theories of organizational socialization (Jablin, 1985), …

“Why Does My White Coat Feel So Tight?”: A Program Evaluation Of Well-Being Support For Physician Assistant Students, Danielle Castro

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents a program evaluation of the Wellness Initiatives (WI) Program in the University of South Florida’s Physician Assistant (PA) Program, an accelerated 24-month graduate curriculum. The problem of practice is that PA students reported burnout, feeling overwhelmed, and difficulty navigating support within a year-round structure that did not consistently align with centralized university services. Guided by Theory of Change as the theoretical framework and Improvement Science as the conceptual framework, the evaluation examined how iterative wellness supports shaped students’ perceptions of well-being across six implementation cycles (May 2023–March 2025). A convergent parallel mixed methods design integrated survey data …

Mentoring Mentalities Made Manifest: Toward A Better Understanding Of Secondary Teacher Mentor Professional Learning, Practice, And Self-Efficacy, Maggie L. Wilson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Teacher shortages are becoming increasingly problematic nationwide. Teacher mentoring has been found to be an effective method of curbing teacher attrition, but little attention has been addressed to ensuring that teacher mentors are receiving the most relevant professional learning experiences to bolster their self-efficacy and mentoring practice. This qualitative study, drawing on research traditions such as grounded theory and case study, seeks to illuminate the mentor self-efficacy and practice of secondary teacher mentors and to understand the role their professional learning plays in how and how well they enact their mentor roles. Through qualitative interviews, including artifact-based interviews, this study …

Secure Machine Learning In Networking Systems, Wenwei Zhao

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

With the rapid integration of Machine Learning (ML) into networking systems, ensuring the security and trustworthiness of these intelligent frameworks has become a paramount concern. While ML offers unprecedented capabilities in spectrum management and collaborative learning, it also introduces novel vulnerabilities that can be exploited by sophisticated adversaries. This dissertation investigates and addresses critical security challenges across three key dimensions of ML-driven networking: adversarial spectrum sensing, the security of privacy-preserving unlearning processes, and efficient post-attack model recovery.

First, we address the threat of adversarial spectrum attacks in cognitive radio networks, where malicious nodes manipulate sensing reports to disrupt spectrum access. …

Critical Discourse Analysis Of Turnaround Leadership Competencies Using A Transformative Leadership Framework, Kevin D. Mcdonald

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

School turnaround leadership has become a leading strategy to address school underperformance emphasizing rapid and dramatic improvement in a school within the bottom five percent of schools as measured by gains in both mathematics and English Language Arts. However, prevailing turnaround leadership discourse largely centers technical and managerial competencies, often marginalizing leadership practices oriented toward equity, advocacy, and social transformation. This narrowing of leadership is particularly consequential for Black male principals, who are disproportionately assigned to low-performing and turnaround schools and whose leadership practice frequently reflects core elements of transformative leadership.

The purpose of this dissertation was to explore current …

The Molecular Determinants Of Deglycation And Substrate Specificity In Fructosamine Kinases, Jenet Matlack

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Protein glycation is a universal, non-enzymatic modification that occurs when a sugar covalently attaches to a primary amine. These spontaneous modifications may have deleterious or regulatory effects on protein function, and their removal is mediated by the conserved metabolic kinase fructosamine-3-kinase (FN3K). Despite its crucial role in protein repair, we currently have a poor understanding of how FN3K engages or phosphorylates its substrates. Additionally, the molecular basis for the distinct yet overlapping substrate specificities of FN3K and its paralog, ketosamine-3 kinase (KT3K), remains unresolved. By integrating structural biology, biochemistry, and ancestral protein reconstruction (APR), this thesis elucidates the catalytic mechanism …

Teachers' Perspectives On The Inclusion Of Children With Autism In Preschool And Kindergarten Programs Within Inclusive Classrooms In Saudi Arabia, Budur Alsalamah

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, Saudi Arabia has witnessed a significant increase in the number of students with autism being integrated into mainstream classrooms. This is thanks to laws and regulations enacted to provide appropriate education for students with special needs, particularly those with autism, in less restrictive environments. This is a positive step towards providing equal educational opportunities for students with special needs. However, teachers' views on integrating children with autism into mainstream education remain varied. Studies have shown that teachers with positive attitudes towards inclusion are more likely to provide inclusive education in the classroom (Dev & Hayes, 2015). This …

2,000 Years Of Occupational History And Cultural Change At The Pierce Mounds Complex, An Estuarine Center In Northwest Florida, Hui Xiao

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Decades of research on Woodland and Mississippian heartlands in the Midwest and Mid-South have greatly enriched our understanding of these ancient societies. More recent studies increasingly emphasize regional variants, recognizing that various environmental settings and local traditions can produce cultural patterns distinct from those of major centers. The Pierce Mounds Complex offers a valuable case for exploring these regional dynamics through an approximately 2,000-year occupational history in an estuarine setting in northwest Florida.

Located at the mouth of Apalachicola River, Pierce is a Woodland and Mississippian center characterized by thirteen burial and platform mounds, extensive shell middens, and associated habitation …

Coat Of Many Crises: Dolly Parton's Brand Storytelling Through Compassion And Consistency, Riley M. Hunt

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examined Dolly Parton’s crisis communication across four major crisiscontexts: the 2016 Gatlinburg wildfires, the 2021 Middle Tennessee flooding, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the 2025 Hurricane Helene floods. Using a qualitative multiple case study approach, the research analyzed media coverage, public statements, institutional communications, foundation announcements, and philanthropic records to identify recurring patterns in how ethical leadership and stakeholder responsibility were communicated during these crises. Guided by ethical communication theory, ethics of care, stakeholder theory, Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT), and values-driven reputation management, the study explored how values were enacted through both communication and material action.

Findings indicated …

The Power Of A Princess: Rebranding For A New Generation, Victoria A. Heath

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The lyric “Well, that sounds an awful lot like princess problems” from Snow White (2025) reflects Disney’s evolving portrayal of its princesses as more self-aware and independent. This shift is echoed in earlier live-action adaptations, such as Beauty and the Beast (2017), where Belle’s longing for “adventure in the great wide somewhere” signals her rejection of a limited, traditional role. Guided by Feminist Film Theory and media framing, this study examines how Disney’s rebranding of princess characters in Beauty and the Beast (2017), The Little Mermaid (2023), and Snow White (2025) reflects contemporary ideals of empowerment. Through narrative content and …

How Do Water Utilities Meet Growing Demand And Maintain Resilience Through Water Reuse? A Systems Thinking Approach, Elizabeth F. Vicario

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Water and wastewater utility management is becoming increasingly complex due to factors like urbanization, climate change, new regulations, and rising costs. Utility leaders must balance competing political and financial pressures while managing aging infrastructure, rising demand, climate resilience planning, and customer concerns about affordability. Reuse of treated wastewater has emerged as a promising solution to address scarcity, declining source water quality, and new regulations on wastewater discharge in the United States. However, water reuse is not one-size-fits-all, and bespoke solutions are needed to optimize economic, environmental, and social returns from this finite resource. Despite growing interest, little is known about …

Making Sense Of The Body: Cognitive Science, Disability, And Embodiment, Cheyne L. Joslin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project is to analyze different methodological approaches in the philosophy of cognitive science, with the goal of determining their usefulness for explaining and understanding bodily awareness and skill-acquisition over time. The examples of skill-acquisition are limited to motor control, impaired by various kinds of disability—but then acquired over time, via technological or rehabilitative means. These phenomena of motor learning are then viewed through the lens of two competing theoretical approaches in cognitive science: neuromechanical cognitive science, and radical enactivist cognitive science.

The strengths of the neuromechanical framework are found in its historical pedigree, and in the …

The Theatrics Of Political Representation: Homestyle, Boundary Work, And Emotional Labor Among Florida Legislators, Donald E. Mullins

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines how political representation is performed and sustained in the Florida Legislature. Rather than treating representation primarily as votes, bills, or policy outcomes, it approaches it as interactional work through which legislators remain believable, accessible, and authoritative across overlapping audiences. Grounded in an interpretivist epistemology and Goffman’s dramaturgy, the study develops an ethnographic account of representation through three analytic anchors: Fenno’s homestyle, Lamont’s boundary work, and Hochschild’s emotional labor. Methodologically, the project draws on ~100 days of participant observation during the 2025 legislative season, hundreds of pages of fieldnotes, and semi-structured interviews with ten Florida legislators. The findings …

“Makes Me Wanna Holler”: Psychological Safety In Program Development Under Anti-Dei Legislation, Derrick B. Johnson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This evocative autoethnographic study explores the professional and emotional experiences of a Black male higher education administrator who developed a college success program for Black male students at a mostly White institution in Northeast Florida. The research took place as new state laws against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) were introduced, showing how these changes disrupt DEI efforts. By using narrative inquiry, the study emphasizes how laws, campus culture, and racial expectations directly affect the emotional intelligence and professional identity needed to support Black male student success.

By focusing on the author's personal experiences, this evocative autoethnography shows the emotional, …

Encouraging A United Response: A Systematic Review And Mixed-Methods Collaborative Evaluation Of Co-Responder Model Effectiveness In Florida, Kelsey Greenfield

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Even before the deinstitutionalization movement caused the influx of state hospital patients into communities ill-prepared to navigate their needs, law enforcement has been responsible for responding to persons in crisis (PIC) due to mental illness. In response to the high rates of incarceration for persons with mental illness (PMI), a growing number of law enforcement agencies have adopted diversion strategies referred to as police-mental health collaboration (PMHC) models to divert PMI away from the criminal justice system and towards community mental health services. Despite nearly forty years of research, there are still considerable knowledge gaps regarding who benefits from PMHCs …