Digital Commons Network^™

Rooted Transformations, Ricardo D. Moctezuma

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

In my ventures through art I realized that I underwent an experience that was tailored to my process of release. As I struggled to share my emotions, I became distant and dissociated, I felt detached from others and even from myself. This process was something I visualized in my art from, the Tears, to Self Destruction, to the Release and onto the Garden. I’ve always felt myself in a state of Release, partly healed and partly damaged. All I knew was that the garden represented a new beginning for me, I just never knew what that Garden was. Time passes …

From Consejos To College: A Dual-Perspective Study Of Latino/A Parental Involvement In Elementary Education, Maritza Valencia

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Latino/a students represent one of the fastest-growing populations in U.S. schools, yet significant disparities in academic attainment persist. While parental involvement is widely recognized as a critical factor in student success, the literature has disproportionately focused on secondary and postsecondary contexts, leaving the elementary years, when foundational habits, skills, and aspirations are formed, unexplored. Furthermore, existing research frequently frames Latino/a parental involvement through deficit lenses that highlight barriers such as language limitations and socioeconomic constraints, rather than focusing on the cultural strengths and strategies families employ.

This qualitative study addresses this gap by examining how Latino/a parental involvement during elementary …

¿Cómo Anda La Chamba?/How’S Work?, Alexander Valdez Jr.

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

¿Cómo Anda La Chamba?/How’s Work? explores the conditions, experiences, and broadness of what labor is and how we see labor currently. Alexander draws on his lived work experiences to question how companies operate and to challenge the way workers are often undervalued and treated as disposable. Raised in a working-class family, Alexander’s view of labor was shaped not only by his lived experiences, but also his parents’. Each artwork communicates a different work environment and experience that he’s had. These places and interactions have influenced his work by making him question the definition of labor and how the working class …

Nasty, Mya L. Correa

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

I am exploring artwork about women’s power and sexuality, centering on hair. I’m interested in how hair carries history and how it has been used to control and frighten women. I’ve been reading feminist artists’ books and researching their findings alongside my own work. Drawing on my personal history, my mother’s story, and the experience of raising my daughters, I consider how my children’s lives differ from mine and my mother’s, and what those differences reveal.

Hair has long been wielded as a weapon to enforce expectations on women’s bodies by a society afraid of losing control. As creators of …

Heirlooms Of Virtu, Santos Nunez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Heirlooms of Virtu explores familial history as a mode of self-study. By examining childhood, the more possible it can be to navigate the contemporary. Research into the self becomes the bridge between two states of being, allowing for a better understanding and a more purposeful approach to the future.

As an artist working primarily in photography and video, I am recontextualizing key nostalgic concepts with technology through interactive sculptures and video installations. My research alludes to classic toys and technologies specific to my childhood in an effort to find and understand the self. Nostalgia as an idea not only exists …

Latino Men’S Experience Of Dui Conviction In Imperial County: A Narrative Theory Approach, Jhonathan Fajardo

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

According to California Department of Justice data, Latino drivers accounted for the largest share of any racial or ethnic group for Driving Under the Influence (DUI) arrests. Latino men are disproportionately affected by DUI arrests and alcohol-related harms in California, yet little is known about how they themselves understand and navigate life after a DUI. This study examines Latino men’s narratives of life before, during, and after a DUI conviction. Prior scholarship has largely relied on quantitative data to show that Latino men are overrepresented in DUI statistics. What remains underexplored are Latino men’s first-person, culturally grounded narratives of what …

Evaluating Social Work Intervention Effectiveness Among Veterans Seeking Ptsd Treatment, Ashlyn Gaines

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This proposed study will examine how social work interventions are associated with PTSD symptom severity and treatment engagement among veterans. Veterans frequently experience ongoing psychological distress, and inconsistent engagement in treatment remains a significant concern for social work practice. Understanding whether specific social work interventions are linked to reduced PTSD symptoms and improved treatment participation will contribute to strengthening evidence-informed services. A quantitative, descriptive, and correlational proposed research design will be used to survey veterans regarding their treatment experiences and symptom levels. Data would be analyzed using descriptive statistics, bivariate tests, and multiple regression analyses to determine relationships between interventions …

A Phenomenological Study Of Educators' Perceptions Of The Impact Of The Building Assets, Reducing Risks Program On Foster Youth, Kelly S. Daly

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This phenomenological study explored educators’’ perceptions of how the Building Assets, Reducing Risks (BARR) program supports foster youth during the transition into ninth grade.  Ninth grade is an important year for later school success, but foster youth often experience school changes, disrupted relationships, and other challenges that can make this transition more difficult. Although BARR has shown positive results for ninth-grade students generally, limited research as examined its role in supporting foster youth.

This study focused on educators with experience working with both BARR and foster youth.  Data were collected through interviews and analyzed for shared meaning and themes.  The …

The Parental Experience: First-Generation Students In The Transition From High School To College, Angelica Agudo

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This qualitative phenomenological study examined the lived experiences of parents and guardians of first-generation Latinx students as they navigated the transition from high school to college in the Inland Empire region of Southern California. Despite increasing attention to first-generation student success, limited research has centered parental perspectives, particularly within regionally underresourced Latinx communities. This study addressed this gap by exploring how parents access and interpret institutional resources, the roles they assume in shaping college choice and family dynamics, and how educational institutions can better support families during this critical transition.

This study was guided by Schlossberg’s Transition Theory and Bronfenbrenner’s …

Task-Dependent Modulation Of The N170 Erp Component In Facial Perception, Mary M. Krdikashyan

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The N170 component plays a key role in face perception, but how attention influences it remains debated. In a series of five electroencephalography (EEG) experiments, we examined how attention to different facial features (holistic versus feature-based) affects the N170 amplitude. This study aims to determine whether perceptual competition explains these effects. In a preliminary study (Experiment 1), participants were primed to focus on either gender, age, emotional expression, race, or no specific task. This study showed a larger amplitude for gender and age, followed by emotion, with minimal differences for race, and no task was assigned. Since all these conditions …

Haunting As Heritage: Mapping The Interior And Indigenous Ghosts, Koda L. Animkii

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Within Stephen Graham Jones’ novella Mapping the Interior, the connections between history and identity are analyzed and emphasized through the exploration of identity formation and the impacts of settler colonialism on the self. These connections are heightened through the novella’s use of horror, as the rhetoric of the normative and monstrous within the genre holds the potential for both resistance and oppression. Looking at the genre of horror as a whole, and at the subgenres of ghost stories and hauntings more specifically, the shifting structures of the Self and the Other as established by Robin Wood’s “An Introduction to …

The Relationship Between Telecommuting, Autonomy, And Burnout, Aniko Nagy

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

With flexible work arrangements becoming more common, the need to expand our understanding of the relationships between flexible work arrangements and employee health and wellbeing outcomes, such as employee burnout, continues to grow. The purpose of the present study is to explore the relationships between flexible work arrangements, autonomy, and employee burnout. The Job Demands-Resource (Bakker and Demerouti, 2007) and Conservation of Resources (Hobfall & Freedy, 2017) theories propose that job resources such as flextime, flexplace, and job autonomy are vital, and that the loss of or failure to acquire job resources can lead to stress and burnout. The Self …

Factors Contributing To The Effectiveness Of Reentry Programs For Formerly Incarcerated Adults, William Lopez Jr, Falina Rose Gonzales

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Reentry into society following incarceration represents a critical transition that significantly influences long-term stability and recidivism outcomes. Formerly incarcerated adults frequently encounter structural barriers related to housing, employment, behavioral health access, and social reintegration, highlighting the need for effective reentry programming. The purpose of this qualitative study is to examine factors that contribute to the effectiveness of community-based reentry programs for formerly incarcerated adults and to understand how participants and service providers perceive successful reintegration outcomes. Guided by ecological systems theory and empowerment theory, this study employs a qualitative phenomenological design using semi-structured interviews with approximately 15 formerly incarcerated adults …

Serotonin 7 Receptor Modulation On Measures Of Working Memory And Anxiety, Antonio Gutierrez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Serotonin (5-HT) function is critical in the regulation and homeostasis of several neural systems. Alterations in 5-HT levels can directly impact the presence of neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia. With a wide range of 5-HT receptors, the potential impact each of these modulators have on behavior is important to better understand. The 5-HT7 receptor is the most recently identified 5-HT receptor. 5-HT7 receptors can be found in the thalamus, hypothalamus, and several areas of the hippocampus. Modulation of these receptors impact circadian rhythms, hormonal regulation and memory function. Previous research has that 5-HT7 antagonist compounds lead to conflicting results, highlighting …

Interrupting Intergenerational Trauma, Teresa Iribe-Arroyo, Demiana Adel Shenouda

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are traumatic events that occur during childhood, the ages of 0 and 17. Many individuals may have experienced ACEs without fully recognizing how these early experiences continue to affect their daily lives. These inhibitors can include mental health struggles, physical health problems, academic and behavioral functioning. In contrast, Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs) can serve as protective factors, helping to buffer against some of the negative outcomes associated with childhood trauma. This proposed study seeks to better understand how both ACEs and PCEs shape individuals into adulthood, particularly in their roles as parents.

This proposed research would …

Effects Of Weight Loss Medications In Combination With Psychotropic Medications, Emily A. Hoffman

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Background and aims: The obesity epidemic has been well-documented and weight loss medications are becoming increasingly popular. Patients with psychiatric conditions often suffer metabolic side effects from psychotropic medications and are often prescribed weight loss medications to mitigate these side effects. When treating patients on these medications concurrently, understanding their potential side effects is essential for developing an effective care plan. Registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs), pharmacists, and mental health professionals working in mental health facilities should be aware of these potential side effects to better care for their patients.

Methods: After completing a thorough literature review, a handbook …

Raising Resilient Children: Parent Video Guide To Support Children’S Emotional Development, Perla F. Nunez-Chavez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Social-emotional learning (SEL) in early childhood plays a critical role in

children’s ability to recognize emotions, regulate behavior, build relationships,

and succeed in academic settings. During the preschool years (ages 3–5),

children experience rapid emotional development and rely heavily on parents for

co-regulation, emotional modeling, and guidance. Research consistently shows

that when parents engage in emotion coaching practices, such as labeling

feelings, validating emotions, and modeling regulation strategies, children

demonstrate stronger emotional competence and improved developmental

outcomes. However, despite strong evidence supporting parent involvement in

SEL, many existing interventions are delivered through structured, in-person

programs that are often inaccessible to …

Effects Of Western Beauty Ideals In Social Media On Latina Women's Body Image, Angel S. Espinosa, Lizette Casillas-Rodriguez, Dalia Osorio

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The proposed study would utilize a quantitative design to examine the relationship between social media use and body dissatisfaction among Latina college students from ages 18-25. The purpose is to investigate the correlation between social media engagement and body dissatisfaction with particular attention to the impact of Westernized beauty standards on Latina women.

Data will be collected through an online Qualtrics survey utilizing standardized measures of appearance-related social media behaviors. On a micro level, results may inform culturally responsive clinical interventions. At a mezzo level, findings may support the development of community-based support groups and prevention programs for Latina communities. …

Self-Care At The Organizational Level, Rosa Gallegos-Valades, Viviana Hummel

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Self-care in the social work profession is commonly framed as an individual responsibility; however, organizational environments play a critical role in shaping workers’ ability to engage in sustainable self-care practices. This study will focus on understanding how workplace environments influence professional self-care among social workers. Much of the existing literature emphasizes personal coping strategies while overlooking structural and organizational supports that enable or constrain self-care. Previous research has largely failed to address the importance of professional self-care at the organizational level, which can unintentionally place responsibility solely on individuals and contribute to feelings of inadequacy when self-care is difficult to …

Face Representations In The Fusiform Face Area, Krisha Orgo

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Faces are among the most socially significant stimuli humans encounter, requiring recognition not just at the category level but at the level of individual identity. While the fusiform face area has been established as a dedicated region for face processing, whether it encodes distinct representations for different individuals or simply detects the presence of a face remains an open question. Evidence for identity-specific coding in the brain has come primarily from invasive single-neuron recordings in epilepsy patients, leaving open whether the same principles govern face processing in healthy populations. The present study addressed this gap using scalp electroencephalography to examine …

The Effects Of Lgbtq+ Inclusive Education On High School Students, Cristal Dirzo, Lizzette A. Padilla

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Many schools across the United States exclude LGBTQ+ topics from required curriculum, which limits a student’s understanding of diverse identities and underrepresents marginalized communities in the world. The absence of LGBTQ+ topics in education may impact levels of inclusivity within school culture as well as student attitudes towards LGBTQ+ individuals. While past research has focused on teacher perspectives and barriers to implementing LGBTQ+ topics in classrooms, little research has explored the student outcomes and perspectives on how LGBTQ+ inclusive curriculum influences their attitudes and perceptions of inclusivity within school culture. This study examines how LGBTQ+ inclusive education affects 9th-grade high …

Culture, Context, And Change: How California Community Colleges Counseling Units Interpret And Enact Transformation, James A. Grabow

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study examines how practitioners experience and implement transfer-related reforms within the California Community College (CCC) system. Guided by sensemaking theory (Eddy, 21013) and organizational change frameworks (Kezar, 2014), this qualitative intrinsic case study explores how administrators, counselors, and student services professionals interpret and enact statewide transfer policies within a single institutional context. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with seven participants and analyzed using thematic analysis.

Findings reveal that policy implementation is a complex, non-linear process shaped by three primary factors: sensemaking and communication, organizational structures, and human and relational dynamics. Participants described navigating information overload, inconsistent messaging, and …

Access, Equity, And Achievement: The Impact Of Student Support Programs On First-Generation College Students Through Their Lived Experiences, Veronica Carrero

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

First-generation college students often enter higher education while confronting significant systemic inequalities that limit their academic preparedness, confidence, and sense of belonging. These challenges deeply intertwined and often overlooked intensify gaps, the complexity of their college process, and underscore the urgent need for support structures that nurture both cognitive development and socio-emotional well-being. This qualitative, exploratory, phenomenological study examines the lived experiences of ten first-generation college students enrolled across California State Universities (CSU), focusing on how access and equity initiatives shape their academic journeys.  Student Support Programs such as the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), TRIO Student Support Services (SSS), and …

Game On! Level Up Your Teaching: A Digital Game-Based Learning Guide For Preschool Teachers, Scarlett Flores Marin

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Although digital game-based learning (DGBL) has emerged as a

promising technological advancement in early childhood education by offering

many developmental benefits for children, its effective implementation remains a

challenge. The integration of digital technologies in early childhood education has

led to the growing use of DGBL as an effective instructional approach with

research indicating that well-designed educational apps and games can enhance

young children’s cognitive, literacy, and social development by promoting active,

meaningful, and interactive learning experiences. DGBL encourages problem-

solving, critical thinking, and collaboration, aligning with how children naturally

learn through exploration and engagement. When used intentionally, technology

and …

Social Media’S Impact On School-Aged Children's Mental Symptoms, Tiffany Espinoza

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

With the increased usage of social media among individuals, this has raised concerns about its impact on the mental health symptoms of the younger population. Previous research has shown the impact of social media on adolescents' depression and anxiety; however, there is limited research showing the impact on younger school-aged children. The purpose of this study will be to examine the relationship between social media use and mental health symptoms among school-aged children from kindergarten through twelfth grade. The proposed research study will seek to address gaps in previous research by analyzing a wider age range and more diverse subgroups …

Strengthening Parent Participation In Iep Goal Development And Decision-Making, Jenny Chu

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This project examined how public-school districts support parent preparation and communication prior to Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings. Grounded in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), a special education law which identifies parents as equal members of the IEP team (IDEA, 2004), this project focused on how structured, open, and transparent communication practices can strengthen parent readiness to actively participate in IEP meetings and engage in collaborative decision-making. A document analysis was conducted using publicly available information from ten public school districts in the Inland Empire region of Southern California. District websites were systematically reviewed to identify the availability …

Centering Lgbtqia2s+ Voices: A Proposed Needs Assessment Of Unhoused Adults In California’S Inland Empire, Karina L. Martinez, Sade D. De La Espriella

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

LGBTQIA2S+ homelessness remains a critical yet underexamined issue within California’s Inland Empire. While existing research has documented elevated rates of homelessness among LGBTQ+ populations in major urban centers, particularly among transition-age youth (TAY), there is limited understanding of the specific service needs of unhoused LGBTQIA2S+ adults, including older adults, within this region. This research proposal outlines a community-based needs assessment designed to address this gap. The proposed study will utilize trauma-informed, fully structured interviews with standardized, closed-ended questions administered to LGBTQIA2S+ adults who are currently experiencing or have recently experienced homelessness across the Inland Empire. The instrument will assess barriers …

Tips For Health Care Practitioners: A Guide For Adolescent Obesity, Regina Santana

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Adolescent obesity continues to be a significant public health concern that is associated with long term physical consequences. The purpose of this project was to develop an evidence based, user friendly guidebook that supports healthcare professionals in the education of adolescents with obesity and their families. A structured literature review development process was used to inform the current development of the guidebook. The guidebook includes components of obesity management such as nutrition and physical activity recommendations. The validity of the content was established through the evaluation of five healthcare professionals that include registered dietitians and licensed therapists. The guidebook was …

Effectiveness Of Independent Living Programs On Preparing Transition-Age Foster Youth For Higher Education And Employment., Naomi Cailipan, Jasmine Nevarez, Emily Matias

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Transition-age foster youth face significant barriers to higher education and stable employment, increasing their risk of housing instability, unemployment, and long-term economic hardship. Independent living programs (ILPs) aim to support the youth develop life skills and connect them to resources that prepare them for a successful transition into adulthood, however, there is limited research that explores the youth’s perspective on the effectiveness of ILPs. This study seeks to provide insight by interviewing current and former foster youth who participated in an ILP by conducting combined research, integrating both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Quantitative data will be collected through a Likert-scale …

Investigating Fentanyl-Xylazine Interactions: Implications For Opioid-Induced Hyperalgesia And Affective Dysregulation In Rats, Alejandra R. Lujan

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The growing prevalence of fentanyl adulterated with xylazine presents a major public health concern, yet the behavioral and physiological effects of this combination remain poorly characterized. This study examined the effects of acute fentanyl administration, alone and in combination with xylazine, on opioid-induced hyperalgesia, affective behavior, and mortality in male and female Sprague-Dawley rats (n=80). Rats received four fentanyl injections (60 µg/kg) administered at 15-minute intervals, with or without xylazine (0, 0.1, 0.333, or 1.0 mg/kg), as well as a saline control condition. Pain sensitivity was assessed using a hot plate assay at 6.5, 12, 24, and 48 hours post-injection. …