Digital Commons Network^™

Margaret Cantu-Sanchez, Megan Angelo, Elizabeth Perez

Latinx Civil Rights

Dr. Margaret Cantu-Sanchez discusses her experience with education starting as early as elementary school all the way up until she received her Ph.D. in English from the University of Texas at San Antonio. She describes the obstacles she faced throughout this experience and acknowledges the privileges that helped her along the way. Dr. Cantu-Sanchez offers a unique perspective on higher education for Latinx communities as she is now a professor at her alma mater, St. Mary’s University, which is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). She also plays an important role in cultivating the Mexican American Studies program at this university and …

Elisha Carillo, Madeline Emke

Latinx Civil Rights

Elisha Carrillo talks about their motivations for being involved with MOVE Texas and serving as a deputy field organizer. Elisha explains their first interactions with MOVE as a student at St. Mary’s University and finding an interest in voter advocacy through local elections in the area. Elisha discusses their current position working with MOVE Texas in the San Antonio area as the Bexar County Regional Coordinator and organizing community events regarding local elections and voter education.

Charles Cotrell, Analyssa Gracía, Gabriella Parra

Latinx Civil Rights

Dr. Cotrell discusses the motivations for his activist work and the experiences he faced as a professor and community leader. He recalls cases from his time serving as an expert witness in voting rights lawsuits and notes the importance of telling stories of voter intimidation. Dr. Cotrell shares his thoughts on staying proactive in politics, gives advice to young activists, and describes how university faculty can support students in their activism. He also reflects on his personal interests and those that occupied most of his time as a professor.

Marian Fernandez Hernandez, Nadia Abulbaki

Latinx Civil Rights

Marian touches on cultural topics like the stereotypes or expectations descendants of a Hispanic American origin are placed under concerning social skills, education, occupation, etc. In addition, Marian discusses her family origins and education levels. The interview concludes with a comparison of Marian's views and experience of learning about Hispanic American history in Honduras to traditional American school learning.

Alex Hidalgo, Paul Garza

Latinx Civil Rights

Dr. Alex Hidalgo discusses his unique educational trajectory and his arrival to his current faculty position at Texas Christian University. Dr. Hidalgo provides some background information and how his Latino identity has informed his experience in higher education. Reflecting on his time as both a student and faculty, Dr. Hidalgo shares some of his struggles and triumphs.

Meghann Peace, Calie Brame

Latinx Civil Rights

Dr. Peace discusses the process of becoming a volunteer at RAICES and the training she received through the organization. She recounts personal stories about the poor conditions immigrants endured in detention centers. Dr. Peace also explains how RAICES helps people through the legal process of immigration

Amir Samandi, Megan Angelo, Elizabeth Perez

Latinx Civil Rights

Amir Samandi describes his high school experiences including attending a predominately white school as a person of color. He mentions the efforts of teachers who supported him in pursuing higher education. Amir also discusses his undergraduate education at St. Mary’s University and the environment of the community. He then explains how his career led him to create a nonprofit that focuses on young students and how his personal experience connects with the organization's mission.

Arturo Vega, Paul Garza

Latinx Civil Rights

Dr. Arturo Vega, a tenured professor at St. Mary’s University shares about his educational experience as a Latino student. He discusses coming from El Paso, Texas and how it informed his journey as a student and a faculty member. Dr. Vega explores what it is like to teach at a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and challenges he has faced doing so.

Christine Cabrera, Grace Ibarra

Latinx Civil Rights

The interview touches on her background, both educational and personal and outlines how she got to the point she is today. She speaks on how she became passionate about teaching Mexican American history and teaching to students like the ones at Memorial High School. We also talk about her classroom dynamic and her plans to expand the course

Jimmy Segura, Grace Ibarra

Latinx Civil Rights

Jimmy recalls attending public schools in the Westside of San Antonio and discusses the perception of the area. He reviews his years in college and his experience of marginalization in higher education. Jimmy also explains how his teaching style is impacted by his own former teachers.

Aaron Arguello, Madeline Emke

Latinx Civil Rights

Aaron Arguello speaks about his work as a campaign organizer for MOVE Texas. He talks about the issues of apathy and education among voters. He shares examples of the successes and challenges that come from the often draining work of campaigning.

Impact Of Co2 Storage On The Geomechanical And Geophysical Properties Of Bakken Formation, Ogochukwu Ozotta

Theses and Dissertations

The world is currently experiencing a higher demand for low-carbon technologies, and carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS) is an important CO₂ emissions reduction technology. Studies have shown the potential for CCUS in shale formations either as a caprock or as a reservoir storage unit. However, there is limited knowledge of the changes in shale reservoirs after long-term exposure to CO₂, and the resulting impacts on storage permanence. This study coupled experimental and numerical modeling methods to investigate how long-term CO₂ storage in shale formations might alter pore structure and minerals, which might cause a resultant …

Oscar Lazaro, Ashton Jeffers

Latinx Civil Rights

Oscar Lazaro shares his experience working as a fellow for the Student Voting Network as well as his observations about voting and democracy. He describes how he started his podcast as well as lessons he has learned from producing it. He also details how he addresses difficult topics with others who may disagree with him.

Human Service Professionals’ Perceived Ability To Support Title I Schools During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Michael Dewayne Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Human service professional practitioners (HSPPs) who work in Title I schools help students overcome challenges including absenteeism and behavioral problems and serve as liaisons between the school, family, and student. The pivot to online education during the COVID-19 school shutdowns meant that HSPP services also pivoted. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to understand how HSPPs perceived their ability to serve Title I students during the pandemic through the lens of Bandura’s self-efficacy theory. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 15 HSPPs who delivered services to Title I students before and during the pandemic. Participants reported their service delivery …

Models And Professional Development For High-Quality Goal Writing Among Special Education Team Members, Sonya Holman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Special education team members have shown an inability to write rigorous individualized education program (IEP) goals that meet students’ needs. Researchers have focused on special education team members’ ability to write IEP goals, and the phenomenon continues to be a vital concern. This basic qualitative study was conducted to examine the abilities of special education team members in writing IEP goals that align with student needs. The research questions focus on how IEP teams currently develop goals for students that align with best practices in the local setting. Gathering and analyzing data from special education team members regarding their experiences …

Life Experiences Of Head Start Teachers In A Midwestern Region Pursuing Higher Education, Jeanette O. Keyes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe 2007 Head Start Reauthorization Act mandated that all Head Start teachers have at least an associate degree and 50% of teachers within each Head Start program should have a baccalaureate degree in early childhood education. The problem addressed in this study was that Head Start teachers from a Midwestern region encountered barriers as they pursued higher education to meet mandated requirements to continue employment. The purpose of this study was to explore the life experiences, barriers, coping strategies and views of support needed by Head Start teachers who were completing their degrees. Tinto’s academic and social integration model and …

Nurses’ Role In Reducing Mental Health Stigma In Health Care, Angel Vivian Mbome

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many patients with mental illness around the world face mental health-related stigma. Compared to other health care workers, nurses express the highest level of stigmatizing attitudes toward mentally ill patients. The purpose of this project was to change staff nurses’ attitudes in a long-term care facility by educating them on mental health stigma. The practice-focused question guiding this study was whether educating staff nurses on mental health stigma changed nurses’ attitudes and behavioral intentions towards people with mental illness. This project was guided by the constructivist theory of learning. Seventeen staff members voluntarily participated in a 30-minute nursing staff education …

Effects Of Socioeconomic Status, Demographic Characteristics, And Education On Sarcopenic Obesity, Moruf Oladele Olaleye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The general problem is that although the body of research about obesity is robust, there is a lack of research addressing the problem of sarcopenic obesity. Specifically, there is a lack of research examining the statistical significance of the relationship between the independent variables of socioeconomic status, demographic characteristics, and education and the dependent variable of sarcopenic obesity. This research may advance practice and policy by lending support for developing interventions to address factors that have a statistically significant relationship with sarcopenic obesity. The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative study was to identify independent variables among socioeconomic, demographic, and education …

Terrorism Preparedness, Collaboration, And Organizational Culture In The National Capital Region, Anderson Percival Padmore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract Terrorism preparedness is essential for federal, state, and local governments. However, literature indicated that local governments may not be ready to respond to a terrorist event. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine terrorism preparedness levels related to collaboration in the National Capital Region (NCR) of the United States to determine first responders’ perspectives regarding challenges of organizational change. The research questions for this study concentrated on the evaluation of terrorism- preparedness and organizational changes among first response agencies since 2014, Schein’s ideas of organizational cultural change were the theoretical foundation. Four NCR public safety agencies were …

Retention Of African American Male Teachers In Elementary And Middle Schools, Marla West

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe representation of African American male teachers in elementary urban schools has decreased. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to investigate administrators’ and African American male teachers’ perceptions of how administrators are challenged to support the retention of African American male teachers in elementary and middle schools in the focus urban school district. Social, cognitive, and transformational leadership theories were used as a framework to guide the study. Research questions addressed how administrators perceive the ways they support the retention of African American male teachers and how African American male teachers perceive that support. Purposeful sampling was used …

Kindergarten Teachers' Perspectives On School Readiness In Children Who Attended Military Installation Childcare Centers, Juliana Wilson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Limited literature exists on the effectiveness of prekindergarten programs located on military installations in the United States. The children who attend these programs may not receive school readiness preparation equivalent to that received by their peers who attend community-based prekindergarten programs, which follow different guidelines. The purpose of this study was to gain insight into the kindergarten readiness of children who attended preschool on military installations as described by teachers in community-based kindergarten classrooms. Pianta's work on school readiness formed the conceptual framework of this basic qualitative study. The research question addressed how kindergarten teachers describe school readiness in children …

Gestational Weight Gain, Level Of Education, And Infant Mortality Among African American Women, George Lee Amanambu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

African American (AA) women in Mississippi have a higher burden of infant mortality, especially those with low income and educational levels, as compared to other regions of the country. However, it is unknown if abnormal gestation weight gain (GWG) is contributing to this increased burden. This quantitative cross-sectional study examined the association between GWG (25-35lbs), level of education, income, and infant mortality among AA women with normal prepregnancy body weight who were between 30 to 47 years old in the state of Mississippi from 2016 to 2018. Biopsychosocial and ecosocial models were used as the theoretical foundation to design …

Strategies Of Successful Project Managers Leading Virtual Teams, Allison Harris Bean

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some project managers lack strategies to effectively lead virtual project teams, which can result in a lack of clear project direction, collaboration and communication, and empowerment to solve problems within the team. Grounded in transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore strategies project managers use to lead virtual teams effectively. The participants were three project managers in. the United States who worked exclusively with virtual teams and had a minimum of one year of experience leading a virtual project team. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis. Three themes emerged: …

Developing Real-World Evidence From Real-World Data: Transforming Raw Data Into Analytical Datasets, Lisa Bastarache, Jeffrey S Brown, James J Cimino, David A Dorr, Peter J Embi, Philip R O Payne, Adam B Wilcox, Mark G Weiner

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Development of evidence-based practice requires practice-based evidence, which can be acquired through analysis of real-world data from electronic health records (EHRs). The EHR contains volumes of information about patients-physical measurements, diagnoses, exposures, and markers of health behavior-that can be used to create algorithms for risk stratification or to gain insight into associations between exposures, interventions, and outcomes. But to transform real-world data into reliable real-world evidence, one must not only choose the correct analytical methods but also have an understanding of the quality, detail, provenance, and organization of the underlying source data and address the differences in these characteristics across …

Higher Amyloid Is Associated With Greater Loneliness Among Cognitively Normal Older Adults During The Covid-19 Pandemic [Version 2; Peer Review: 2 Approved], Abigail Kehrer-Dunlap, Rebecca Bollinger, Szu-Wei Chen, Audrey Keleman, Regina Thompson, Anne Fagan, Beau Ances, Susan Stark

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Loneliness has been associated with several consequences, including increased risk of developing Alzheimer disease (AD). Loneliness may arise during the preclinical phase of AD, but little is known about the relationship between loneliness and amyloid accumulation consistent with preclinical AD. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between amyloid accumulation and subjective experiences of loneliness among cognitively normal older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS: A global Clinical Dementia Rating

RESULTS: The 108 participants had a mean age of 75.0 and an average amyloid accumulation of 22.2 ± 31.9. Mean UCLA Loneliness Scale scores were …

An Autoencoder-Based Deep Learning Method For Genotype Imputation, Meng Song, Jonathan Greenbaum, Joseph Luttrell, Weihua Zhou, Chong Wu, Zhe Luo, Chuan Qiu, Lan Juan Zhao, Kuan-Jui Su, Qing Tian, Hui Shen, Huixiao Hong, Ping Gong, Xinghua Shi, Hong-Wen Deng, Chaoyang Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Genotype imputation has a wide range of applications in genome-wide association study (GWAS), including increasing the statistical power of association tests, discovering trait-associated loci in meta-analyses, and prioritizing causal variants with fine-mapping. In recent years, deep learning (DL) based methods, such as sparse convolutional denoising autoencoder (SCDA), have been developed for genotype imputation. However, it remains a challenging task to optimize the learning process in DL-based methods to achieve high imputation accuracy. To address this challenge, we have developed a convolutional autoencoder (AE) model for genotype imputation and implemented a customized training loop by modifying the training process with a …

A Computational Method To Track The Evolution Of Business Models In The Digital Economy, Z Wood, D Walker, G Parry

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

Companies within the Digital Economy are evolving their business models as they take advantage of the opportunities afforded by emerging digital technologies. There is a need to develop methods that will allow researchers and policy makers to understand the existence of, and relationships between, the different business models within the Digital Economy and track their evolution. Such methods could also help quantify the size and growth of the Digital Economy. This paper presents a computational method, which utilizes machine learning and web scraping, to identify new business models, and a taxonomy of organisations, through the analysis of a firm's webpage. …

Experiences Of Paediatric End-Of-Life Simulation In Undergraduate Children’S Nursing Students: A Qualitative Study, Nicola Fielding, Jos M. Latour, Janet Kelsey

School of Nursing and Midwifery

No abstract provided.

Snake Community Ecology And Conservation In Cusuco National Park, Honduras, George Lonsdale

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

The Mesoamerican biodiversity hotspot is threatened with agriculture related deforestation and global climate change, both of which drive widespread changes in forest composition. As the forests change, so too does the community of animals they can support; of which many reptiles have evolved micro-niches specific to these forests. Studying how these anthropogenic pressures affect the assemblages of animals that can persist there, could be vital in understanding how biodiversity will be affected on a global scale. Cusuco National Park (CNP), Honduras, is one of the most important protected sites worldwide for herpetofauna biodiversity, due to having such a high diversity …

Real-World Smartphone-Based Gait Recognition, Hind Alobaidi, Nathan Clarke, Fudong Li, Abdulrahmanalruban

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

No abstract provided.