Digital Commons Network^™

Poster: Reserve & National Guard Student Transitions, James Crotty

Doctoral Student Association Conference

A qualitative study of a subgroup of veteran students facing unique socialization challenges when transitioning from the military to academic environments. This qualitative, exploratory study will use narrative inquiry to examine the socialization challenges of RANG (Reserve and National Guard) military students in the higher education community college environment. By analyzing these challenges, the researcher hopes to contribute to a greater understanding of non-traditional students and how college administrators and instructors can more effectively support their academic and career goals.

This presentation would be of particular interest to students and candidates in the Instructional Design Leadership doctoral program.

Code-Switching Among Black Businesswomen, Latrice R. Small

Doctoral Student Association Conference

Code-switching, the practice of adjusting language, behavior, and self-presentation to align with dominant workplace norms, has been widely examined in sociolinguistics and critical race scholarship. However, much of the existing literature remains theoretical or descriptive, with limited attention to how these insights can be operationalized within organizational contexts. My dissertation study, completed in Fall of 2024, with Franklin University, examined the lived experiences of Black businesswomen in Arkansas to explore how code-switching functions as both a survival strategy and an organizational signal within professional environments.

Using a qualitative, phenomenological approach, my research centers the voices of Black businesswomen across industries …

Gen Ai And Academic Integrity, Valerie A. Storey, Tracy Greene, Lori Salgado

Doctoral Student Association Conference

This qualitative study explored online professional practice doctoral students’ and recent graduates’ (2022-2025) use of editing tools, examining their employment practices and institutional policy recommendations. Using ethical authorship theory, emphasizing attribution, autonomy, and authenticity, researchers analyzed responses from 29 participants. Thematic analysis revealed four themes, three key distinctions, and six commonalities in editorial resource usage. Findings indicate that Gen AI tools increasingly support academic writing processes, creating complex academic integrity implications. Participants demonstrated ethical authorship consciousness and emphasized the necessity for guidelines ensuring editorial technologies support, rather than undermine, academic integrity. Respondents opposed blanket bans on Gen AI tools, advocating …

Poster: Poster On Statistics/Data Analytics Workforce Pipeline, Julie Webb

Doctoral Student Association Conference

The dissertation topic is on the lack of awareness and exposure to statistics and data analytics by students in secondary education, specifically high schools to support business workforce demand for hiring data analytics professionals. Research methodology is a mixed methods explanatory sequential research study. The proposed cohort is students age 18+ in high school and college and educators/mathematics teachers in secondary education.

First-Generation Doctoral Student Book, Stacey Horn

Doctoral Student Association Conference

Thriving as a First-Generation Doctoral Student: How to Navigate Academia Without a Map is a useful, encouraging, and strategic guide for students who are the first in their families to go to college and want to get a PhD. This book talks about the problems that first-generation doctoral students often face but don't always see, like imposter syndrome, the hidden curriculum of academia, financial stress, mental health issues, and not having enough access to mentors and professional networks. It does so from the point of view of someone who has lived through them and as a scholar-practitioner.

Instead of seeing …

Lightning Talks: (1) Autism Care & Parental Burnout (Equity-Of-Support Lens) And (2) Exploring The Connection Between Learning/Training Opportunities And Employee Retention, Shayla De La Rose, Annemarie Kuhn

Doctoral Student Association Conference

Lightning Talks – (Short Presentation with Discussion)

1. Autism care & parental burnout – Track 3
   Shayla De La Rose
   
   
2. Exploring the connection between learning/training opportunities and employee retention - Track 2
   Annemarie Kuhn

Lightning Talk: Ai Adoption In The Workplace (Utaut Model), Arnetta Knight

Doctoral Student Association Conference

Lightning Talks (Short Presentation with Discussion)

• AI adoption in the workplace (UTAUT model) – Track 1
  Arnetta Knight

Poster: Experiential Learning For At-Risk Students, Alaina Desjardin

Doctoral Student Association Conference

From Experience to Persistence: Using Experiential Learning Theory to Support At-Risk College Students At-risk college students—those facing academic underpreparedness, financial strain, first-generation barriers, competing work/family responsibilities, or limited sense of belonging—often disengage when learning feels disconnected from real life. This presentation explores how experiential learning theory (ELT) can be intentionally applied to increase engagement, self-efficacy, and persistence among at-risk learners. Grounded in ELT’s cycle (concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, active experimentation), the session demonstrates how faculty and student-support professionals can redesign assignments and learning routines to create meaningful “learning-by-doing” experiences that are structured, supportive, and measurable. Participants will examine …

Critical Friends Groups (Organizational Intervention Angle), Valerie A. Storey, Amiee Wagner

Doctoral Student Association Conference

Online doctoral programs face a persistent crisis with completion rates of only 40-60%, and alarming attrition rates 10-30% higher than traditional programs. While research identifies social and academic isolation as primary factors, few studies examine actionable interventions that higher education institutions can implement to reverse the trend. This sequential mixed-methods study bridges the gap between knowing the problem and implementing a solution.

Our study investigates how a Doctoral Student Association (DSA) employs Critical Friends (CF) protocols to address the challenges faced by online doctoral students. Drawing on Tinto’s model of institutional departure and Astin’s student involvement theory, we examine both …

Lightning Talk: Beliefs About “Good Education”, Kaolin Boardman

Doctoral Student Association Conference

Lightning Talks (Short Presentation with Discussion)

• Beliefs about “good education” – Track 2 Kaolin Boardman

Librarian–Teacher Collaboration Study, Beth Kiernan Ferrigno

Doctoral Student Association Conference

Educational organizations in a suburban-rural county in the New York metropolitan region struggle to support systematic librarian-teacher collaboration despite evidence of its benefits for student learning. This proposed phenomenological study will examine the lived experiences of certified public school librarians regarding collaboration and the organizational conditions that enable or constrain collaborative practice.

All certified public school librarians (estimated N=200-250) across the county will receive an invitation to participate in the study. Phenomenological interviews with 15-20 certified school librarians will explore their lived experiences of organizational conditions, organizational learning systems, and the meanings they attribute to collaboration.

The study will integrate …

Mexican Gray Wolf Reintroduction: Community Impact & Policy Tension, Jennifer Boer Vis

Doctoral Student Association Conference

The reintroduction of the Mexican gray wolf under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) falls between a highly contested crossroads. Tensions in Catron County are felt in local ranches, hunting camps/communities, and rural living. In Catron County, ranching and hunting are the backbone of the economy. The reintroduction has proven to be a highly controversial topic among the communities, with most against the ESA.

Using a mixed-method approach to my research, this study unifies gathered data from government entities and oversight reports, and academically published articles. The qualitative evidence gathered during in-depth interviews with local Catron County ranchers and hunting guides …

Keynote Presentation + Q&A, Kasi M. Guillot

Doctoral Student Association Conference

Kasi Guillot, Ed.D. is a scholar-practitioner and performance strategist whose work explores what happens when research refuses to stay on the page. She earned her Doctorate in Organizational Leadership, where her dissertation, A Connectivist Approach for Introductory Biology Laboratory Courses: An Instructional Framework to Address STEM Education and Workforce Needs, examined how networked learning systems can bridge academic theory and workforce reality.

Rather than concluding with publication, her research became a catalyst. It evolved into the C-Link Framework, a connectivist-informed performance improvement model that integrates systems thinking, organizational behavior, and human performance technology to help leaders translate insight …

Écrire Pour Résister : La Littérature Francophone En Algérie Face Aux Enjeux Politiques Contemporains, Chiraz Amani

Department of French Studies Graduate Student Association Conference

Cette communication propose d’interroger le rôle de la littérature francophone en Algérie dans le contexte politique, social et mémoriel du XXIᵉ siècle, à travers l’analyse d’œuvres contemporaines de Hind Soyer, Kamel Daoud, Kaouther Adimi et Samir Toumi. À rebours des discours annonçant l’obsolescence des études littéraires, ces textes montrent que la littérature demeure un espace privilégié de réflexion critique, de résistance symbolique et de mise en récit des tensions qui traversent la société algérienne contemporaine.

Dans des genres variés — autofiction, roman historique, fiction politique ou récit mémoriel — ces auteurs interrogent les héritages de la colonisation, les impensés de …

“I Don’T Like Girls”: Centring Young Children’S Perspectives On Gender In Early Childhood Care And Education Settings., Chloe Hurley, Judith Butler, Jane O'Sullivan

Women+ in Early Career Research Symposium

Gender development begins in early childhood and is shaped through social interactions, cultural norms, and institutional practices. This paper explores how young children learn, reproduce, and at times challenge gender norms within Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) settings in Ireland. Drawing on Feminist Poststructuralist and Intersectional theory, the study centres children’s perspectives, addressing a gap in ECCE gender research that has largely prioritised adult voices. Using participatory, rights-based methods with children alongside educator interviews and setting observations, the study generated rich, child-led data. Preliminary findings indicate that children largely conform to traditional gender norms in play, interactions and self-expression, …

Gastrocritical Reading Questions: A Tool For Bridging The Interdisciplinary Gap Between Food Studies And Literary Studies, Anke Klitzing

Women+ in Early Career Research Symposium

Interdisciplinary work is increasingly valued in academia but carries intrinsic challenges, among them cross-disciplinary communication and jargon; disciplinary socialisation regarding the creation and transmission of knowledge; lack of a common foundation of knowledge or canon; lack of epistemological self-awareness; and the question of how to train scholars in the interdisciplinary space. Food Studies is an interdisciplinary field, examining food in society from various angles, including history, sociology, anthropology and folklore studies. Most scholars active in Food Studies have joined the field from their respective disciplines; however, there are also a small number of graduate programmes situated squarely in the interdisciplinary …

The Ripple Effect: How The Hse Data Breach Shaped Public Opinion, Mugdha Srivastava, Abhishek Kaushik, Roisin Loughran, Fergal Mccaffery

Women+ in Early Career Research Symposium

The digital world is rapidly evolving, and healthcare systems now depend heavily on data-driven and connected technologies. While these tools bring many benefits, they also increase exposure to data breaches and cyberattacks, raising concerns about privacy, security, and trust. Although earlier research has focused on technical and policy solutions for data protection, less attention has been paid to how major cyber incidents influence public attitudes. This study addresses that gap by examining how a major cyberattack relates to people’s views on data security and trust in digital health. We surveyed individuals about their personal cybersecurity practices and their opinions on …

Pelvic Health: Lived Experience, Needs And Resources For Women With Pelvic Organ Prolapse, Louise Carroll, Catherine Doody, Cliona O’ Sullivan, Carla Perrotta, Brona M. Fullen

Women+ in Early Career Research Symposium

Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) affects up to 50% of women and can substantially impact physical function, psychological wellbeing, and quality of life. Despite its prevalence, gaps remain in understanding the experiences and support needs of reproductive-age women, particularly within the Irish healthcare context. This thesis aimed to explore the lived experience of women with POP, examine knowledge and care gaps among women and healthcare professionals (HCPs), and develop an intervention to support self- management. A mixed-methods approach was used. A systematic review identified limitations in the use of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) and highlighted opportunities to better capture biopsychosocial characteristics …

Énumérer Pour Déjouer La Démémoration, Écrire Pour Pacifier Les Mémoires : Dans Le Ventre Du Congo De Blaise Ndala, Bilel Ben El Asker

Department of French Studies Graduate Student Association Conference

Il s’agit de montrer que Dans Le ventre du Congo de Blaise Ndala s’inscrit parfaitement dans le sillage de « la littérature remédiatrice »[1]. L’auteur congolais porte le fardeau d’un écrasant traumatisme collectif, celui de la disparition mystérieuse d’un groupe de congolais exhibés et présentés dans le cadre de l’exposition universelle de 1958, un traumatisme auquel il n’a pas assisté, puisqu’il a précédé sa naissance, mais qui resterait gravé dans sa mémoire. A travers la superposition de deux récits, celui de la tante disparue et celui de la nièce, l’auteur tâche de déjouer la démémoration, cet effacement …

Am I Walking Straight? Gait, The New Frontier Of Biometric Identification, Ruhi Anand Finn

Women+ in Early Career Research Symposium

Extended Reality (XR) is an umbrella term that integrates Virtual, Mixed and Augmented Realities. Each modality presents new forms of digital experiences, offering unique opportunities, benefits and risks. Additionally, newer iterations of XR leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance numerous applications. This enhancemen is sustained through new levels and contexts of data capture, including continuous biometric data collection (gaze, face and gait) and incidental bystander capture. This paper investigates the implications of XR technologies on data privacy, and the need for considerations of collective social privacy. The paper argues that, given the very narrow definition and categorization of biometric data …

Transcending Postcolonial Boundaries In Tierno Monénembo’S Saharienne Indigo, Aviana R. San Souci

Department of French Studies Graduate Student Association Conference

Tierno Monénembo’s Saharienne Indigo tells the life story of Véronique, a woman from Guinea with a past of violence and loss, told through her interactions with the annoying and persistent Frenchwoman madame Corre. Despite these two women’s opposing affiliations with a colonized country and the one that colonized them, the two develop a close friendship throughout the book. Theirs is a relationship that defies the claims laid out in Aimé Césaire's Discours sur le colonialisme that between the colonizer and the colonized, there is only space for negative sentiments and violent actions- never sympathy. The bond between Véronique and madame …

Beyond The Sayable: Wittgenstein, Theory Of Mind And Affective Simulation Of Llms, Haomiaomiao Wang, Lili Zhang, Tomás E. Ward

Women+ in Early Career Research Symposium

Wittgenstein’s distinction between what can be said and what can only be shown frames a limit of propositional language. Affect and aesthetic are not primarily matters of correct description but of how expressions function within shared forms of life. Large language models (LLMs), however, increasingly produce fluent language that resembles such understanding by reproducing the patterns through which people ordinarily talk about emotion and perspective.

This paper argues that apparent Theory of Mind (ToM) in LLMs is understood as competence in the publicly shared patterns of mental-state language, rather than as grounded understanding. Using abstract artworks, we show that LLMs …

Bridging Research And Practice: Your Guide To Implementing Evidence-Based Gender Equality Actions In Computing Education, Alina Berry

Women+ in Early Career Research Symposium

What if you could access proven strategies for promoting gender equality without spending months reviewing academic and grey literature? TechMate makes this possible. This free, open-access toolkit transforms scattered research into actionable guidance (actions) that anyone can use, whether you are a lecturer wanting to make your classroom more inclusive, a department head developing new policies, or a student advocate pushing for change. Actions are structured into four context-based categories and relevant subcategories. Each action comes with implementation instructions, where relevant, with ready-to-use templates, and links to the supporting evidence. While developed for computing higher education, TechMate’s research-driven approach is …

Incorporating Instructional Ai Tools In The Classroom – Student Experiences And Perspectives, Da'myah Lanea Buckner

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

As AI technologies have rapidly emerged over the past few years, conversations about their implementation in education have been at the forefront; given this, it’s important to consider student experience. The goal of this study was to elicit perspectives of students in relation to their experience with an AI-powered instructional tool called Packback, which was used for online class discussions. Through various features, Packback provides users with real-time AI-generated feedback on their work. The participants in this study were graduate level SLP students who at the end of the semester were able to share their thoughts about the tool through …

Integrating Hippotherapy Into Interprofessional Stroke Rehabilitation For Aphasia: A Feasibility Pilot Study, Bethany H. Wenger, Catherine Off, Julia E. Mazzarella, Laurie Slovarp, Leah J. Meloy

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Stroke is a leading cause of global disability, with approximately 94 million people living with the effects of stroke worldwide, impacting over 2.5 million individuals annually (Feigin et al., 2025). Stroke-related motor and communication deficits often co-occur, increasing challenges for recovery and increasing social isolation, depression, and dependency (Mitchell et al., 2021). Hippotherapy, the therapeutic use of equine movement, has emerged as a novel treatment approach for neurorehabilitation; however, its integration within interprofessional stroke rehabilitation targeting motor and communication impairments is limited (Koca, 2016; Viruega et al., 2022). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility, fidelity, and …

Forensic Implications Of Hydrochloric Acid (Hcl) Exposure On Dna Preservation In Human Teeth, Shaelyn Zimmerman

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Identity is a human right, and forensic anthropological methods aim to return identity to decedents. DNA methods are considered the gold standard because fingerprints and dental comparison may not be applicable in cases of unidentified individuals or those with no known records. Identification efforts also may be hindered when perpetrators attempt to obscure a victim’s identity with corrosive substances, such as hydrochloric acid (HCl).

Previous studies have shown teeth are an excellent source of DNA. Large posterior teeth are often preferred because they contain the highest concentration of DNA and are more likely to survive taphonomic processes due to their …

Identification And Management Of Necrotizing Fasciitis In A College Football Player: A Level Iv Case Study, Sarah Greene

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

An 18-year-old, male football player presented to urgent care with erythema and edema from his calf down to his right foot, with large hemorrhagic bullae on his anterior mid foot and an abrasion to the medial right hallux. Upon admission to the emergency department, the patient was diagnosed with necrotizing fasciitis and was treated for the condition. The patient underwent three surgical irrigation and debridement’s, was placed on broad-spectrum antibiotics until cultures were confirmed for a tailored approach, and received a skin graft from his anterior lateral thigh. This case involved a multidisciplinary team including trauma surgeons, orthopedic surgeons, physician …

Risk Of Factors Associated With Female Athlete Triad In Rowers: A Systematic Review, Lillian Scully

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Objective: Rowing is an endurance sport requiring athletes to optimally fuel their bodies to be able to perform at their highest capacity.  Coupled high stress activity with nutrient deficiency can lead to increased risk of injury and illness. The combination of low energy deficit, menstrual dysfunction, and altered bone mineral density is known as female athlete triad.  Any singular part of the triad can affect performance, but all three can lead to drastic performance deficits for athletes. The purpose of this study was to explore risk factors leading to diagnosis of female athlete triad in female rowers.

Data sources:  PubMed …

Using Community Based Participatory Research And Ripple Effects Mapping To Demonstrate Multi-Level Community Impact Of A Tribal Public Health Intervention, Eve Christensen, Samantha Morigeau, Chelsea Kleinmeyer, Ali Manuel, Taylor Stewart

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Introduction. Evaluating the impacts and outcomes of interventions is a priority in the field of public health. However, participatory evaluation approaches, especially those able to demonstrate impacts of community-based interventions (which are often complex and intended to address multiple social ecological levels of change), are scarce. Ripple Effects Mapping (REM) is a novel participatory qualitative evaluation method that can be used for this purpose. This presentation describes the application of REM to evaluate impacts of a fall prevention intervention within the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) Health Department. Methods. This evaluation took place within an ongoing community-based participatory research …

Exogenous Carbohydrate Form During Low Muscle Glycogen Conditions Has Minimal Impact On Cycling Performance, Ian R. Matthews, Alejandro M. Rosales Phd, Josey K. Walker, Noah B. Wilfong, Rachel E. Perez, Brent C. Ruby Phd, Dustin R. Slivka Phd

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Background: Skeletal muscle recovery is improved with immediate post-exercise carbohydrate feeding. Little is known regarding muscle recovery and performance when feeding is delayed between exercise bouts. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of varying forms of exogenous carbohydrate on skeletal muscle glycogen recovery and cycling performance with delayed feedings and low skeletal muscle glycogen. Methods: Following 60 minutes of cycling at 65% W_MAX and an overnight fast (12.1±0.4 hours), participants consumed 2.10±0.13 g·kg-1 bodyweight carbohydrate of one of the following: whole potatoes (POT), cooked pasta (PAS), energy gel (GEL), or remained fasted (control, …