Digital Commons Network^™

December 5, 2022, Faculty, Illinois Wesleyan University

2022-2023

No abstract provided.

Ritualidad Y Nuevas Tecnologías Entre Los Mayas: El Hetzmek En La Migración, El Trabajo Y El Turismo, Cristina Oehmichan Bazán, Consepción Escalona Hernández

Maya America: Journal of Essays, Commentary, and Analysis

En las últimas décadas las comunidades mayas de la península de Yucatán, México, han estado involucradas en procesos de cambio derivados de la globalización y la transformación económica y social. La migración, la incorporación masiva al trabajo asalariado y la expansión turística en sus territorios son algunos de los procesos más visibles y materiales del cambio. Hay, sin embargo, otras prácticas que tienen que ver tanto con los imaginarios y con la relación con nuevos actantes (Latour, 2005). Las nuevas tecnologías de la información y la comunicación (TIC) constituyen un actante que vasculariza el cambio sociocultural, cuya importancia se expresa …

An In Situ Afm Study Of Electrochemical Bismuth Film Deposition On A Glassy Carbon Substrate Electrode Using A Low Concentration Of Bismuth Ions, Ahmed Kreta, Samo B. Hočevar

Faculty Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

The Economics Of Altruism: An Exploration Of Self And Collective Identity, Catherine Krempasky

Honors Projects

There is a belief that students in college often pursue an undergraduate business degree due to the money that comes with the industry. Whereas students pursuing an undergraduate degree in health and human services are believed to be more altruistic, pursuing jobs such as social work, nursing, criminal justice, and other careers that give back to communities despite their often lower-than-average salaries. While this difference in altruism is a common belief, it has rarely been a proven one. Therefore, this study seeks to examine the difference in altruism between students from the Schmidthorst College of Business and the College of …

Behaviors For Which Deinonychosaurs Used Their Feet, Alexander King

Honors Projects

This paper seeks to show for what purpose deinonychosaurs used their feet. Fowler et al., (2011) showed that D. antirrhopus’s feet were closest in function to accipitrids, as they found it was more built for grasping prey than running.

I answered this question by using 2D images of the feet of three modern birds (Buteo jamaicensis, Phasianus colchicus, and Gallus gallus domesticus), one eudromaeosaur (Deinonychus antirrhopus), and one troodontid (Borogovia gracilicrus). I used ImageJ to apply 73 landmarks to each foot, capturing the variation between species in the metatarsals and pedal phalanges. These data were then uploaded to the software …

The Planets, Reimagined: Translating Science Into Music, Kaitlyn Wincup

Honors Projects

Inspired by Gustav Holst’s The Planets, this project analyzed the qualitative properties of the planets in our Solar System and translated them into a composition, created by Connor Gibbs, to represent an overall aural depiction of each planet. Where Holst created an astrological depiction of each of the planets, this piece is an astronomical depiction that broadens the perspectives of its listeners.

A Phenomenological Study On Trauma And Binge Eating Disorder Among African American Women In The State Of Virginia, Vester Appiah

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The primary goal of this research was to investigate trauma and binge eating disorders among African American women. This study is related to numerous research assessments on disordered eating even though they have majorly focused on binge eating among European American women, thus ignoring the African Americans. However, the investigation aimed to build on the previous research studies by conducting a more in-depth exploration of the adverse impact experienced by the minority groups and how traumatic events contribute to the situation. Besides, culturally specific models of binge eating among African American women were conducted in trauma survivors and possible mechanisms …

How Police Chaplains Can Facilitate Building And Maintaining Trust With Law Enforcement: Through The Ministry Of Presence, Marjorie Abrahams Dent

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

CPP Chaplaincy Corps is a ministry that provides spiritual, emotional, and mental support to its law enforcement personnel. Their function is to enhance the well-being and quality of life of the police officers as they serve and protect the citizens of their city, by offering a listening ear, a supportive presence, and providing individual pastoral care. This project seeks to determine if the newly organized CPP Chaplaincy Corps can be successful in facilitating the process of building trust with law enforcement through the Ministry of Presence and Pastoral Care. It also documents the progress and changes that have been made …

A Multi-Site Case Study Of Christian School Leaders And Teachers Who Provide A Welcoming And Inclusive Environment For Students From Low Ses Backgrounds And/Or With Learning Differences, Amanda Blake Champion

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this multi-site case study was to examine the intentional practices of Christian school leaders and teachers who strive to provide a welcoming and inclusive environment for students from low-socioeconomic (SES) backgrounds and/or with learning differences. The theory guiding this study is Bandura’s social cognitive theory. It connects the beliefs of self-efficacy held by school leaders and teachers to their values and philosophies, and their capability to include and welcome students from low SES backgrounds and/or with learning differences. This study investigated how school leaders and teachers welcome and include students from low SES backgrounds and/or with learning …

Educators’ Perspectives Of Student Outcomes, Rikki Jean Cook

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Individual experiences inform psychological adjustment, academic achievement, and trait-specific behaviors during adolescence. The formation of their identity is further dependent upon social and emotional interactions such as those experienced in the social learning environment. During the COVID-19 pandemic, mandated social distancing resulted in the closure of public schools state-wide, forcing students and educators to utilize online educational environments with no preparatory or transitionary periods to allow for adequate adjustment. It is necessary to assess and work toward an understanding of the consequences of this environmental shift, and of the adolescents’ modified social interactions. This descriptive qualitative phenomenological study explores the …

Prayer: The Effect It Has On Decreasing Marital Conflict With Heterosexual Couples, Michelle Corbett Brown

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The problem is not much research that shows whether prayer has a positive or negative effect on marital conflict; and which type of prayer is better at combatting marital conflict. The purpose of this quantitative study is to unveil the independent variables (IVs): religious strategies and prayer types that interact positively with the dependent variable (DV), marital conflict, in decreasing the marital conflict with heterosexual couples. The researcher created one survey to include questions from the Behavioral Religiosity Scale, Kansas Marital Conflict Scale, Poloma and Pendleton’s Prayer Types, and Prayer for Partner Measure for participants to answer. A sample size …

Middle School Teachers' Experiences Addressing Gifted Students' Basic Psychological Needs: A Phenomenological Study, Lorri Thibodeaux Caldwell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative, hermeneutic phenomenological study aimed to investigate teachers’ experiences addressing the psychological needs of gifted middle school students within a public school district in Louisiana. Psychological needs-supportive teaching was defined as the pedagogies teachers employ to build students’ perceptions of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. The study was grounded in Deci and Ryan’s self-determination theory (SDT), which posits that human beings seek growth as part of human nature. The participants were a sample of 12 middle school teachers of identified gifted students in a Louisiana school district. Data collection included personal interviews, artifact submissions, and a focus group discussion. The …

Implementing And Equipping A Fivefold Ministry With Theological Education To Defend And Uphold Biblical Doctrines In The Church, Kara Yvette Harris

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

God instructed believers to put forth their best work to rightly handle His Word of truth (2 Tim 2:15). Unfortunately, God’s truth is under attack and has been polluted with false teaching and incorrect understanding of Scripture. It is incumbent on the local church to combat this problem of incorrect biblical teaching head-on. Therefore, this action research project aims to demonstrate that through proper theological training in the church, this problem will be remedied. This action research assumes that arming the local church with theological training will strengthen its core. To this aim, this research project included teaching five theological …

A Study On Why People Lack Dedication And Focus During Church Worship And Service Time, Maxine Head White

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The researcher chose the topic of this thesis because members of Last Days Ministries (LDM) lacked dedication and focus during church worship and service. The project aimed to discover what caused LDM members to lack commitment and focus during worship and service time and to find a way to alleviate the problem among LDM members. This thesis project includes four themes from doing this project, of which three concern distractions. Those distractions came from cell phones, spontaneous distractions, and satanic distractions. Cell phone distraction was at the top of the list of distractions that disrupted the church and kept LDM …

Leadership Culture: An Effective Leadership Strategy For Church Growth And Spiritual Maturity, Sikiru A. Asifatu

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In every organization, leadership culture patterns require a constant assessment to ensure members adhere to corporate practices. In church settings, leadership culture not only creates change but also transforms ministry strategy. Often, church leaders do not perceive culture as the driving force behind effective ministry operations. At Gateway Church, the researcher encountered church growth issues that other ministries struggle with as well, from organizational structure to leadership style. These problems will continue to be a challenge unless the church reinvents an effective leadership strategy focusing on ministry development. This research aims to address the leadership development issue at Gateway Church …

The Relationship Between Rightness, Religiosity, And Marital Satisfaction Among Christian Spouses In The United States, Juan Arturo Paulino

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Marital satisfaction is paramount to a loving and long-lasting married life. The absence of marital satisfaction can lead to poor health, relational stress, and, eventually, divorce. This predictive, correlational study sought to research the relationship between the adoption of a position of rightness, the practice of extrinsic religiosity, and how these factors influence the levels of marital satisfaction among Christian spouses in the United States of America. The researcher used the Brief Version of the Religious Orientation Scale- Revised (ROS-R) to assess the level of intrinsic and extrinsic religious activity of the sample population. To measure the independent variable of …

Moravians Amongst The Cherokees: An Account Of The Springplace Mission, Ethan T. Smith

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This work is a study of the relationships that were built between two people groups that resulted in a harmonious culture being established between the Cherokees and the Moravians during the 19th century. Often, too little credit is given to the Moravians for their work amongst the Cherokees during a most tumultuous period for the Natives, however, this work highlights the cultural barriers that were broken as a result of the labor undertaken by the Brethren at Springplace, Georgia on James Vann’s Diamond Hill Plantation at the turn of the 19th century. Furthermore, this study concludes by showcasing the lasting …

The Decline And Absence Of Young Adults At Grace Place Christian Church, Michael Carnell Mcgill

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of the study was to address the problem of low attendance and engagement among young adults at Grace Place Christian Church. This topic is given consideration based on the researcher’s observation of the absence of this demographic within the local ministry context. The literature review revealed this is a common problem throughout the Body of Christ. Grace Place Christian Church is a predominately African American within a military community. The unique characteristics of this ministry context warranted research specific to it. The researcher interviewed twenty unchurched young adults and ten pastors and collected over one hundred nine questionnaires …

Focused Group Meetings To Promote Job Satisfaction For Emergency Department Advanced Providers, Kendra Osei-Wusu

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Objective: Over the last few years, the pattern of increased burnout, operating under adverse environments, and being under- appreciated as led to a decrease in job satisfaction among emergency room providers(physicians, advanced practicing nurses, and physician assistants). Therefore, this scholarly project examined if small focused group discussions among emergency room providers will help combat poor job satisfaction scores and increase the well-being of the practitioners that keep the emergency room functioning. Methods: Using a quasi-experimental design, 10 providers that work in the emergency department at Lifebridge Health were randomly selected. Baseline well-being and job satisfaction rates were measured prior to …

A Phenomenological Study Of Pastoral Leadership Development Behaviors In The Revitalization Of Small Evangelical Churches, Bart Lee Denny

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Church revitalization has received renewed interest in the last several years. Rainer (2014) says that a congregation’s failure to develop and empower next-generation leaders is one of the leading contributors to church closure. Likewise, Clifton (2016) and Stetzer (2007) highlight the importance of developing next-generation leaders during church revitalization. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the leadership development behaviors of senior or solo pastors who successfully led revitalization in a small evangelical church. This study defined a small church as one averaging 65 or fewer in attendance at the beginning of the pastor participant’s tenure (Rainer, 2022). …

Addressing The Impact Of Adverse Childhood Experiences Of Adults Through The Pastoral Counseling Ministry Of Victory Church, Joseph Randall Tapp

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Dr. Vincent Filetti's landmark 1998 study exposed the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on children and adults. His analysis determined that childhood traumatic experiences could strongly correlate to serious health issues in adults. Exposure to childhood adversity has been shown to correlate not only with mental health issues such as depression, suicide, and substance abuse but also with chronic, life-threatening health issues such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and immune system issues. This DMin study aims to address the impact of ACEs on adult clients of the pastoral counseling ministry of Victory Church, a large non-denominational Christian church located …

A Survey Of Teaching Methods Used To Relate To Generation Alpha Congregants In Central Texas, Shawna Mischell Dixon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The evolution of time and approaches to addressing the learning styles of students were influential in designing and redesigning educational programming to meet the needs of each generation. The theory that guided this study was the Strauss-Howe generational theory which proposes that each generation has a personality and characteristics that shape how they learn. However, literature described current-day youth congregants as being taught with the same or very similar teaching methods as those that were implemented to teach previous generations. The purpose of this quantitative descriptive study was to discover the teaching methods being used by youth ministry leaders and …

A Transcendental Phenomenology Of Teachers' Experiences With Common Referral And Assessment Practices Of Twice-Exceptional Minority Students, Margeaux Kittles

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to understand which common practices are perceived to be the greatest contributors to the disproportionate representation of 2E, minority students in gifted education programs in north Georgia. The theories guiding this study are the theory of cognitive dissonance and the theory of social cognitive development. The theory of cognitive dissonance asserts that some level of dissonance is unavoidable when individuals are deciding the best course of action for 2E minority students. The theory of social cognitive development describes the influence of peers, adults, and culture on the cognitive development of a child. The …

Differences In Career Development Progress Between Sixth-Grade General And Special Education Students After Completing A Career Development Curriculum, Talonne Renee Gungle

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Career development is a lifelong process that begins in childhood and continues throughout adulthood. Little effort has been devoted to childhood career development; the focus is generally for older adolescents. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the differences in career development between general education and special education students who participate in a career development intervention and students that do not participate in the intervention. The results of this study are important to special education, so adequate interventions can be completed to better assist these students in career development. The study is a quasi-experimental nonequivalent control-group design that compares …

Understanding Contemporary Postsecondary Parental Academic Involvement: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Research Inquiry, Dennis Allen Smith

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenology was to describe the experiences of college students who encounter negative parental academic involvement. The central question was, what are first- and second-year college students’ experiences with negative parental academic involvement? The theory guiding this study was the Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler (1995) parental involvement theory designed to analyze parents’ participation in a child’s education. The background includes the historical, social, and theoretical foundations warranting this study and the researcher’s motivations and philosophical assumptions. The participants were 14 first- and second-year students attending a community college, a public university, and a private university. Data collection …

Implicit Bias In The U.S. Air Force Criminal Justice System And The Excessive Punishment Of Black Airmen, Brandon Lanier Dinkins

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand whether implicit bias influenced disproportionate commander-imposed punishment of junior ranking Black Airmen from grades E1–E4 who previously served on active duty in the U.S. Air Force. The theory guiding this study is the implicit bias theory introduced by psychologists Mahzarin Banaji and Anthony Greenwald in 1995. This theory identifies that attitudes, perceptions, and stereotypes shape specific groups' associations and qualities, which can influence decisions. This qualitative study employed a hermeneutic phenomenology research design. This study used snowballing and purposeful sampling methods to recruit 16 participants. Data within this study was …

Crow's Nest, December 5, 2022, Crow's Nest Staff

Crow's Nest

The December 5, 2022, issue of the Crow's Nest.

J.N. Bobrowicz’S Grand Polonaise, Op. 24, Matanya Ophee

Soundboard Scholar

This article presents an edited version of a Grand Polonaise by the Polish guitarist-composer Jan Nepomucen Bobrowicz (1805–81), preceded by a short commentary and notes for performance. The commentary includes a translation of the biographical entry for Bobrowicz in Sowiński’s Les musiciens polonais et slaves (Paris, 1857).

Make Room, Joseph Khabbaz

The Main Thing Devotional

And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” (Luke 2:7, NKJV)

There was no space for Jesus in the inn, so that He could provide a place for you with Him.

Elements Of Early Warning Systems: Identifying Students Who Need Support Early Enough To Change Their Trajectory Towards Graduation, Samantha Mayse

Masters Projects

Student success initiatives have been a focus at many institutions of higher education to help with retention rates but identifying the students who need the student success resources most can be challenging. Scholarships increase access to higher education but do not necessarily contribute to student success. Thus, this research project sought to analyze early alert systems used by mid-sized universities in the U.S. Midwest to help similar institutions in developing their own early alert system. Using mixed methods, this study included a qualitative analysis of institution’s policies and procedures for early warning systems and a quantitative analysis of GVSU institutional …