Digital Commons Network^™

Thermal Properties Of Novel Materials, Wilarachchige D.C. Bhagya Gunatilleke

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Thermal properties play an important role in various aspects of applications of technology startingfrom the materials property determinations to device performance improvements and their safety and stability. Measurements of the thermal properties of such materials of interest pose challenges due to the demands of these measurements for determination of intrinsic materials properties. The research included in this dissertation involved both synthesis of novel materials and their measurement of thermal properties. Solid-state materials synthesis involves various synthesis and processing techniques, while specific technological applications demand synthesis of defect-free single crystals. Such synthesis techniques were explored for the research included in this …

Communicating The Truth-Telling And Space-Making Of Black Women In Higher Education: A Trap Feminist Study, Chazman Deira Mckoy

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation adopts a “for Black women, by Black women” approach to examine how Black women’s lived experiences and performances of racialized gender become communicative acts of agency as they navigate the intersecting challenges of race and gender within pedagogical contexts.

Grounded in Black Feminist Pedagogy and expanded through Trap Feminism, this study celebrates the complexity of racialized gender performances and theorizes them as intentional communicative acts of resistance. These acts not only confront dominant ideologies but also create ongoing spaces for truth-telling, spaces where Black women can reframe how their stories, labor, and brilliance are recognized in academic contexts …

Mathematics And Growth Mindset: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Of Interventions At The Post-Secondary Level, Sean E. Murphy

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Growth mindset interventions have been implemented in academic settings for over three decades (C. S. Dweck et al., 1995a). One academic field where growth mindset may be most needed is mathematics, as it is not unusual for a student to claim, “I’m not a math person.” Notably, no meta-analysis of mindset interventions in post-secondary mathematics classrooms existed prior to the current study. To close this gap in the literature, the present study included a systematic review and meta-analysis, drawing on two search methods: Boolean and snowballing. The results from both methods were screened using inclusion/exclusion criteria. Snowballing search was hypothesized …

Investigating Whether Giving Or Receiving Support Impacts Caregivers Who Were Maltreated Or Not Maltreated Differently, Tara D. Matta-Singh

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Caregivers can experience higher levels of stress, anxiety and depression compared to non-caregivers. However, a growing body of literature is beginning to show that while caregiving may be stressful, there may also be benefits to the caregiver, such as feeling closer to the care recipient, a sense of purpose or personal growth. Further, research now demonstrates that giving support to others can be more beneficial than receiving support from others in terms of mental health and even mortality. While these are important advances in the literature, understanding the impacts of giving and receiving support on individuals who were maltreated by …

Middle School Counselors' Perceptions Of Meeting Career Counseling Needs Of Middle School Students, Mario Oscar Garcia

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examined middle school counselors' perceptions of their effectiveness in delivering career counseling to students. Middle school is a pivotal time for career exploration and planning, yet disparities in guidance persist, particularly for students not on a traditional college pathway. Guided by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) National Model, this study employed a survey method. An online survey developed by the researcher assessed counselors' time allocation across academic, career, social-emotional, and duties unrelated to their essential school counseling roles. Additionally, the survey inquired about counselors’ perceived effectiveness in meeting the career needs of diverse student populations (advanced academic, …

Geographic Patterns Of Educational Achievement: A Methodological Case Study Of Regression Modeling Approaches, Leokadia Lipien

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This methodological case study introduces a novel approach to investigate the impact of student, teacher, and geographic factors on the academic achievement of virtual school students in Florida. Traditional linear regression models, and even multilevel models, often overlook spatial dependencies, which can lead to biased estimates and incomplete inferences. This research addresses this limitation by comparing a cross-classified multilevel model (CCMM) with a novel cross-classified spatial model (CCSM) that incorporates coefficients from geographically weighted regression (GWR). Utilizing secondary data from a statewide virtual school, including student demographics, teacher characteristics, and standardized test scores, along with U.S. Census Bureau data, the …

Separating Memory And Attention In Secondary Tasks, Anne Olsen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Memory and attention are intricately intertwined throughout life. How these processes interact and effect the encoding process shows to be just as complex and intricate. A recent study by Sahakyan and Malmberg (2018) revealed that when cognitive resources are strained during encoding, long-established retrieval patterns in both recall and recognition alter. These patterns found were suggested to be the result of an altered mechanism in strengthening processes that eliminated trace strengthening when cognitive resources were strained. This work investigates those claims through a direct replication of the original experiment (Experiment 1) as well as investigating the components of the secondary …

Literacies Of Resistance: How Florida Teachers Story Policy Navigation And Response, Katharine E. Hull

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Teachers are inundated with education legislation and the policy texts and discourses that surround them. Over nine months beginning in March 2024, I collaborated with three Florida P-12 teachers to explore their literacy practices and stories as they engaged with policy in a state that has recently passed an astounding amount of education legislation. This study explored how (1) teachers story the current policy context and their roles within it; (2) teachers use literacy practices to understand and respond to P/policies that impact their labor/working lives; and (3) teachers’ literate identities, agency, and collectivity intersect and shape one another. Guided …

Leveraging Dna Methylation Profiling And Microrna Sequencing To Characterize The Epigenomic Landscape Of Major Depressive Disorder Disease Trajectory, Jan Dahrendorff

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common and debilitating mental disorder associated with a significant disease burden and economic cost. Despite ample evidence documenting the efficacy of a diverse array of established MDD therapies, a large proportion of patients are inadequately responsive to initial treatment attempts, with first-line treatments leading to remission in only ~30% of the patients. Importantly, about a third of patients even fail to achieve symptom improvement after two or more antidepressant trials, resulting in what is commonly defined as treatment-resistant depression (TRD). The ability to identify which treatments are most likely to elicit a positive response …

From Past Pain To Present Unity The Role Of Trauma In Shaping Collective Identity Within Refugee Communities, Shahd Alasaly

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation I explore the social dimensions of trauma and resilience among Syrian refugees resettled in the United States. Drawing on in-depth interviews and focus group data collected at a resettlement center in Tampa, Florida, I aim to understand how displacement reshapes identity, disrupts traditional gender roles, changes social bonds, and how healing occurs within one’s community. I frame my work within Social Identity Theory, Identity Theory, and the sociology of trauma. My research highlights the gendered expressions of trauma, the transformation of masculinity under forced migration, and the role of spirituality in community healing.

This project includes three …

Breaking The Cycle: A Teacher And Mother’S Examination Of Multi-Tiered Systems Of Support, Jessica Hinton

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The 2004 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) included Response to Intervention (RTI) as an option for determining eligibility for learning disabilities. However, there is no required structure to follow for RTI implementation. This lack of guidance leads to a lack of clarity in implementation at district and site levels. Many states use RTI as the primary indicator of whether a student needs special education services for a learning disability. RTI is a model for delivery of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). The terms RTI and MTSS are often used interchangeably. For clarity, I use MTSS-RTI to …

The Relationship Between Perceived And Actual Knowledge Of Multi-Tiered Systems Of Support/Response To Intervention (Mtss/Rti) In Middle School Principals In Florida, Susan L. Sanger-Miller

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Principals play a crucial role in implementing MTSS/RtI (Multi-Tiered Systems of Support/Response to Intervention), yet little is known about their understanding of the RtI component. This quantitative survey examined Florida middle school principals’ actual and perceived knowledge of MTSS/RtI, as well as how training and demographic factors—such as special education certification, education level, Title I status, administrative experience during rollout years (2006–2010), district training hours, and college coursework—relate to that knowledge. Data from 54 principals were collected through perception scales, training background, and knowledge-based questions. Results showed principals rated their perceived knowledge higher than their actual knowledge, with a moderate …

Enhancing Nitrogen Removal In High Permeability Bioretention Media: The Combined Role Of Biochar, Wood Chips And Hydraulic Design, Joshelyn Guimaray

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Urban stormwater runoff can transport high nutrient loads to receiving waters, leading toeutrophication, harmful algal blooms, and the formation of hypoxic zones. Bioretention systems are a form of green infrastructure designed to mitigate these impacts, but their application in dense, ultra-urban environments is often limited by large land area requirements. This has led to the adoption of high permeability media (HPM) to accommodate higher hydraulic loading rates (HLRs) and reduce the system footprint. However, conventional HPM systems often show inconsistent removal of dissolved nitrogen species due to short hydraulic retention times (HRTs), a lack of organic carbon, and insufficient anoxic …

Improving Coral Restoration Outcomes Through Novel Molecular Applications, Matthew H. Gamache

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Coral reef ecosystems are declining globally from numerous stressors, including localized pollution, disease, and marine heatwaves induced by climate change. To preserve these ecosystems, it is critical to identify corals that can withstand stressors—primarily future marine heatwaves—and prioritize them for coral restoration efforts until these stressors are mitigated. Coral responses to thermal stress can be influenced by several partners, including mutualistic microalgae and a vast prokaryotic community. Here, I use advanced molecular techniques to examine which partners (coral host, algal symbiont, and microbial communities) are associated with coral health, how they contribute to holobiont physiology, and their potential to increase …

Advancing Power System Reliability And Security With Efficient And Resilient Graph Neural Network Frameworks, Seyed Hamed Haghshenas

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Enhancing the reliability and security of smart grids is critical for ensuring their seamless operation and resilience against disruptions. The increasing integration of distributed energy resources, advanced measurement devices, and cyber-physical elements introduces both opportunities and challenges for grid management. While these advancements provide enhanced visibility and operational control, they also expose the grid to vulnerabilities from cyber-physical stresses, such as cyber-attacks, equipment failures, and fluctuating power demands. Traditional methods for reliability assessment and threat detection often rely on model-based approaches that struggle to adapt to the complexity and dynamic nature of modern smart grids. These limitations necessitate novel data-driven …

The Relationship Between Physical Activity And Cognitive Performance In African American Older Adults, Rio S. Tate

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The number of older adults in the United States is expected to increase in the years to come. As we age, cognitive performance is noted to decline. African American older adults are more likely than non-Hispanic Whites to experience cognitive impairment and dementia. It is known that physical activity is a modifiable risk factor for dementia. It is not known the extent to which physical activity engagement is related to cognitive performance in African American older adults, and which variables, if any, moderate this association. To answer this question, the authors examined the association between three intensities of physical activity …

Struggle For Economic Plurality; Economies Of Belonging: Subsistence, Indigneity, And The Contradictions And Margins Of Capitalism In The Andean Highlands, Mario Renato Cavani Quevedo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the collective-oriented economy of the Viacha Highlands, a Quechua community in Cusco, Peru, to show how subsistence agriculture, reciprocity, and ritual practices constitute a coherent non-capitalist system of provisioning and belonging. Drawing on one year of ethnographic immersion, the study situates Viacha’s economy within the Community Economies framework, foregrounding its three commitments: anti- essentialism, pluriversality, and ethical–political praxis. Findings reveal that practices such as ayni-ayni (reciprocal labor exchange) and faina (communal work) resist reduction to wage labor, coexist alongside monetary and capitalist dynamics, and ground social reproduction in responsibility and care. At the same time, capitalist schooling, …

Recruitment, Retention, And Attrition Of Special Education Teachers At Title 1 Schools: How Administrators Perceive Their Role, Sherry Jane S.

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The United States needs more special education teachers. Although this shortage affects many schools nationwide, the effects can be particularly harmful at Title 1 schools. Although there is a large body of literature on teacher attrition and retention, enlarging it focuses on teachers' viewpoints. Through semi-structured interviews, this research examines the perceptions of school administrators at Title 1 schools about their role in the recruitment, attrition, and retention of special education teachers. The context of the research is one large district in central Florida

Exploring Perceived Parental Vulnerability In Pediatric Cancer Survivors: A Comparative Thematic Analysis Of English And Spanish-Speaking Families., Yusnavi Martinez Pineiro

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examined how perceived parental vulnerability is expressed among parents of pediatric cancer survivors and explored potential differences between Spanish-speaking and English-speaking families. Data were drawn from an existing ongoing clinical trial in the IHOPE lab of the University of South Florida, who collaborates with over 10 pediatric cancer survivorship clinics across the country. The study used a total of 26 (13 Spanish-speaking and 13 English-speaking) structured interview transcripts from parent participants. The transcripts were the first session with the parent participant, the interventionist spoke the parent’s preferred language (English or Spanish), perceived parental vulnerability was one of six …

Drowning In Data, Starved For Insight: How Leadership Decision-Making Shapes Prescriptive Analytics Adoption In Traditional Retailers, Erica Mangino Giuliani

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Traditional retail organizations are increasingly investing in data collection and analytics, yet they often remain at the descriptive and diagnostic levels, lacking the prescriptive capabilities necessary for actionable recommendations. This research examines the influence of leadership on the adoption of prescriptive analytics within U.S.-based brick-and-mortar retail establishments. Utilizing surveys from 329 respondents, including management personnel, departmental leaders, and analytics professionals, and conducting qualitative analyses of open-ended responses, key leadership factors such as Decision Maturity & Support, Resistance, Data-Driven Commitment, and Analytics Proficiency were identified. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) results revealed that leadership behaviors significantly forecast analytics maturity, with executive analytics …

The Ruling Relations Of Care: An Institutional Ethnography Of High-Risk Prenatal Care Experiences, Nicole L. Harris

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Disrespect during pregnancy, labor, and delivery is common in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has estimated that approximately one in five women overall, and over 30% of Black women, report being ignored, dismissed, or verbally mistreated during their care. Public health efforts have primarily focused on individual-level interventions to improve patient-provider communication or reduce provider bias; however, these strategies have been critiqued for their limited scope and effectiveness in shifting outcomes. Instead, researchers and advocates have called for an examination of the structures that shape clinical encounters, including policies, protocols, workflows, and organizational culture. This …

Mosquito Classification And Explainability From Image Data Via Deep Learning Techniques, Farhat Binte Azam

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), mosquitoes are the deadliest animals on Earth, responsible for more human deaths annually than any other species. Mosquito-borne illnesses continue to pose severe risks to global health. In 2015 alone, there were an estimated 214 million malaria cases worldwide. Similarly, a 2016 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed that Puerto Rico’s Department of Health received over 62,500 suspected cases of Zika, with 29,345 confirmed positive cases. In 2019, Southeast Asia experienced its worst dengue outbreak in recorded history. Of the approximately 4,500 mosquito species distributed across 34 genera, …

English, Lamia Saad Alnomei

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

It is crucial to integrate technologies into childhood education and teaching digital citizenship, but there are certain barriers to this integration in Saudi Arabia. Elicitation interviews were conducted in the context of this study with six participants, including kindergarten teachers and school leaders. They showed different levels of understanding the concept of digital literacy and citizenship and various levels of valuing technologies as tools for education. For instance, some expressed the need for more awareness and training, and other exhibited a deep understanding of digital citizenship. The study used Rogoff’s sociocultural theory, explored the influence of culture and parents on …

Dissecting The Intrinsic And Extrinsic Regulators Of Prostate Cancer Dormancy In The Bone Microenvironment, Mostafa M. Nasr

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Metastatic disease is the primary driver of cancer-related mortality. In prostate cancer (PCa), patient survival decreases dramatically once the disease spreads to distant organs, with over 80% of metastases occurring in the bone. This dissemination is often followed by a clinically silent period of tumor dormancy that can last for years, creating a critical reservoir of cells poised for lethal relapse. A significant barrier to understanding and targeting this dormant phase has been the lack of robust experimental models. This thesis first addresses this challenge by establishing a novel stress-induced model of PCa dormancy, validated across multiple murine and human …

Promoting Sophomore Progression: Academic Advocates’ Perceptions Of Holistic Interventions And Data Analytics, Sarah Angela Wray Marshall

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study explored academic advocates’ perceptions regarding holistic student interventions and data analytics utilization to enhance sophomore success at their institution. This study contributes to the literature on sophomore success by providing an academic advocacy perspective and to the emerging literature using data analytics to enhance retention, persistence, and graduation rates in higher education. Multiple methods of data collection were employed, including four academic advocate interviews, document analysis, and reflexive journaling. A hybrid thematic analysis approach was used to analyze the data. By exploring practitioners’ narratives, the research addressed a gap in scholarship on how academic advocates enact their …

Rattlesnakes And Enlightenment Science: An Unlikely Epistemology Of Early American Herpetology, Sahir Hismiogullari

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the hybrid epistemologies developed by early American naturalists, such as Hans Sloane, Pehr Kalm, John and William Bartram, and Benjamin Smith Barton that blended empirical observation, spiritual frameworks, and Indigenous ecological knowledge. These figures, implicitly or explicitly challenging the dominant mechanistic and reductionist models of Enlightenment science, pioneered a more holistic ecological thinking, even as they operated within colonial power structures.

Through historical and textual analysis based on letters, natural histories, and other written sources, the study reveals how these naturalists synthesized multiple ways of knowing, particularly in their encounters with New World peoples and environments. Within …

A Political Ecological Exploration Of The Caracol Road Project In Belize, Lorenzo A. Pantano

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Caracol Road Project is a new BZ$148,100,000 (US$74,050,000) road infrastructure development in the Cayo District of Belize and financed largely by foreign sovereign wealth funds. The areas adjacent to the road, broken into two phases include: communities, forest reserves, national parks, recreational areas, private lands and estates, and archaeological sites. This paper seeks to ask the questions: (i) For whom is the CRP being developed? (ii) For what is the CRP being developed? (iii) What visual evidence exists of sacrifice zones because of the production of the CRP? I sought to answer these questions through ethnographic observations, interviews, and …

Building Insight One Tray At A Time: A Systematized Review Of Sandtray Expressive Arts On Counselor Trainees’ Self-Awareness, A'Lyse M. Miranda

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the impact of sandtray expressive art interventions on the self-awareness of counseling students, recognizing the vital role self-awareness plays in counselor development. It is essential for counselors to practice self-awareness so that they may connect effectively with clients, make ethical decisions, and enhance their professional competence. Self-awareness is best identified as a transformative and reflective integration process. While traditional methods like journaling and supervision are commonly studied, the use of sand tray therapy as an expressive art intervention has received limited attention. This review synthesizes existing literature on self-awareness and sandtray expressive art interventions in counselor education, …

Community, Autonomy, Irony: Lessons From Historic Rosenwald Schools, Ronald B. Matus

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Growing evidence suggests the Rosenwald schools of the American South, which anchored thousands of Black communities for a half century before desegregation, boosted academic outcomes for generations of Black students and helped fuel the civil rights movement. The research literature, however, is thin on what specifically made these schools successful. My research attempts to narrow the gaps by asking the Rosenwald alums themselves. Through semi-structured interviews, 10 alums in Florida identify defining features of their schools, including seamless community connections; a culture of high expectations for academic achievement and character development; and especially caring and committed teachers. The alums’ insights …

Ai-Assisted Spectral Fingerprinting Of Mg-Doped Zno Tracer Phosphors: Tuning Photoluminescence Emission And Investigating Lifetime Via Sol-Gel Synthesis Parameters, Thomas M. Brandte

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Plastic sorting remains a major driver of recycling costs, and existing infrared (IR) optical identification systems cannot determine material prominence or quality, nor reliably identify dark polymers [1]. This work explores a PVA-stabilized sol–gel and thermal synthesis route for magnesium-doped zinc oxide (Mg:ZnO) as a tunable photoluminescent tracer phosphor.

Lattice-defect control forms the foundation of phosphorescent emission tuning, enabling unique spectral fingerprints to be generated based on synthesis parameters—Mg molar ratio (Mg%), PVA mass (g), and calcination temperature (°C). Photoluminescence (PL) spectra (400–850 nm) were analyzed using Gaussian peak fitting and principal component analysis (PCA), reducing hundreds of spectral features …