Digital Commons Network^™

It’S A Slippery Slope: A Journey Of Questioning Religion And Building Homeplace, Emily Richardson-Dion

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Homeplace (Whitlock, 2007) describes the place where we live most comfortably. It is not confined to a physical place, but is constructed by the culture, customs, beliefs, and messages, implicit and explicit, that we absorb over the course of our lives. In this study, I utilize the method of currere, a method of self-study established and then reimagined by Pinar (2023), and Critical Race Feminist Currere introduced by Baszile (2015) to examine my educational experiences and more fully understand what has contributed to my personal construction of homeplace. My experience, like that of Baszile (2015), reflects the need to examine …

Principal Perceptions Of Leadership Preparedness To Promote Family Engagement In Urban Title I Elementary Schools, Marcus Kimber

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This qualitative research examines urban Title I elementary school principals’ perceptions of their family engagement readiness based on university leadership preparation and/or district-level professional development. Based on Epstein's Theory of Overlapping Spheres of Influence, this research examines how educational leaders overcome socioeconomic inequities, trust problems, and communication failures to develop equitable relationships with families. Themes that revealed preparation deficiencies and prospective high-impact family engagement methods emerged from semi-structured interviews and ongoing comparison analysis. Principals value family engagement and recognize its impact on student achievement and school climate, but most feel unprepared to implement systematic, sustainable student engagement strategies. Leadership training …

Assessing The Impact Of Environmental Health Risk Communication On Cancer Screening Intentions Among Private Well Owners In Rural Communities, Victoria A. Clower

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Background: Cancer is a leading cause of death in Georgia, with rising incidence in rural counties where many residents rely on unregulated private wells. These wells may contain contaminants such as radon, lead, nitrate, and arsenic, all linked to increased cancer risk. Limited research has explored how environmental exposure awareness influences cancer prevention behaviors such as screening. Guided by the Champion Health Belief Model, this study examined psychosocial and environmental predictors of screening intent among private well owners. Methods: Well Aware was an 11-week quasi-experimental study among 60 private well owners in southeast Georgia. Participants who attended educational listening sessions …

2024-2025 Annual Security And Fire Report – Weatherford Campus, Southwestern Oklahoma State University

ANNUAL SECURITY & FIRE REPORTS

This is the 2024-2025 Annual Security and Fire Report of the Weatherford Campus by Southwestern Oklahoma State University.

2024-2025 Annual Security And Fire Report – Sayre Campus, Southwestern Oklahoma State University

ANNUAL SECURITY & FIRE REPORTS

This is the 2024-2025 Annual Security and Fire Report of the Sayre Campus by Southwestern Oklahoma State University.

Student Centers: The Intersection Of Campus Ecology And Sense Of Community, Caitlyn A. Wine

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Student centers are more than physical structures as they function as dynamic environments that serve as the hearthstone of campus, providing spaces for students to gather, connect, and engage. However, their role in fostering students’ sense of community remains underexplored. Grounded in campus ecology theory, this study explored whether time spent in the student center and specific forms of interaction predicted students’ sense of community. A quantitative survey design was employed, the Student Center and Sense of Community Intersection Survey (SCSCIS), to assess student center usage and perceived sense of community. Results indicated that time spent in the student center …

A Critical Examination Of Scent Avoidance And Olfactory Development After Neonatal Predator Scent Exposure, Cynthia Ware

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The long-standing assumption that predator odor avoidance in rodents is an innate survival mechanism has shaped decades of behavioral neuroscience research and underpins translational models of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, developmental systems theory (DST) posits that behaviors emerge from dynamic interactions across physiological and environmental systems over time, rather than from fixed genetic programs. This study critically evaluates the developmental plasticity of predator scent aversion by examining whether early-life exposure to red fox urine (a natural predator odor) can attenuate avoidance behaviors in Long–Evans rats. Seventy-one rats were bred into three conditions: Control (no exposure), Partial (exposure from birth), …

An Introduction To U.S. Groundwater Law: Domestic And Transboundary Considerations, Caleb Cook, Gabriel Eckstein

Faculty Scholarship

In light of the scientific and historical factors that have shaped the development of groundwater law and policy, this chapter seeks to provide a primarily descriptive account of its current state in the United States and to lay a foundation for future efforts to address gaps in the regime. Section 8B.02 considers the importance of groundwater in modern American society, with a particular focus on its uses and the threats these resources face. Section 8B.03 describes the U.S. framework for the domestic governance of groundwater resources. Section 8B.04 describes the mechanisms for transboundary governance of groundwater between the United States …

Life Stories Of Garment Workers In India: Toward A Labor-Centric Labor Regimes Framework, Siobhán Mcgrath, Madhumita Dutta

Geography

This article contributes to a recent wave of literature formulating a renewed labor regimes framework as a means to understand the processes, relations, actors, and institutions through which conditions of work are produced under contemporary capitalism. This scholarship (partially) incorporates a feminist lens highlighting the centrality of social reproduction to the construction and persistence of particular labor regimes, and further calls for “labor-centric” analyses to counter a “capital-centric” tendency. We take up this call through analyzing the life stories of three garment workers in India, centering their own perspectives about their labor and motivations for entering and exiting particular labor …

Physiological Structure, Activity, And Interactions Of The Formin, Human Diaphanous Homologue 1, Aaron Premo

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Human Diaphanous Homologue 1 (DIAPH1) is a 143 kDa functional protein that plays a critical role in the regulation of actin dynamics within eukaryotic cells. As a formin, DIAPH1 facilitates the assembly of actin filaments from globular actin monomers, a process essential for cellular structure, motility, and other fundamental cellular processes. Beyond its structural role in actin polymerization, DIAPH1 is implicated in several diseases, including diabetes, cancer, and inflammation, as well as complications like hearing loss. Despite its significance in human health, the functional and structural properties of DIAPH1, particularly in human cells, remain less explored compared to related proteins, …

The Potential For Albedo-Induced Climate Mitigation Using No-Till Management In Midwestern U.S. Croplands, Xian Wang, Mallory Barnes, Landon Yoder, Christopher A. Williams, Jennifer Tank, Todd Royer, Shellye Suttles, Kim Novick

Geography

No-till management is often recognized for its environmental and economic benefits, but its potential to reduce climate warming is still uncertain. Beyond ongoing debate over its effects on soil carbon storage, no-till also leaves plant residue on the surface, which can reflect more sunlight. This increase in surface reflectivity, called albedo, may help mitigate climate change by reducing the energy absorbed by the land. Here, we assessed this climate benefit of no-till across the U.S. Corn Belt using conservation survey records, county-level tillage data, and satellite observations. We found that no-till increased land surface brightness during the dormant season, reducing …

Towards Human Explainable Digital Forensics: Generating Human Interpretable Evidence For Semantic Understanding In Manipulated Images And Text, Yuwei Chen

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Detecting and characterizing manipulations in digital media continues to pose a significant challenge within the field of digital forensics. Despite notable advancements, the discipline often remains in a reactive stance against emerging threats. Current state-of-the-art methods, typically evaluated within academic settings, fails to mirror the complexities of real-world disinformation scenarios. These methods generally prioritize high performance based on quantitative metrics, yet they demonstrate a considerable dependency on training data and lack adaptability to new novel attack signatures. With the rapid evolution of attack methodologies, the dependency on highly accurate models that do not generalize or adapt well to unseen threats …

Justice And Law, Saul M. Kassin, Amy Douglass

All Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Development And Validation Of The Mealtime Behaviors Self-Report Questionnaire, Taylor Rae Perry

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Disturbances in eating are a hallmark feature of eating disorders (EDs). However, these disturbances extend beyond dietary patterns, as clinicians have long observed aberrant mealtime behaviors in individuals with EDs. Despite these observations, research on aberrant mealtime behaviors has been limited to a small case study of individuals with anorexia nervosa. Clinically, however, individuals across all ED diagnoses appear to exhibit these behaviors. Notably, there is currently no existing measure designed to assess aberrant mealtime behaviors. Developing such an assessment could provide clinicians with valuable information to inform mealtime interventions. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the prevalence of …

Temporal And Spatial Dynamics Of Urban Heat In The City Of Córdoba, Argentina, Florencia Sangermano, María Lila Asar, Andrés M. Visintin, Elisabet Benítez, Francisco F. Ludueña-Almeida, Elizabet L. Estallo

Geography

Introduction: Climate change is expected to exacerbate the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect in the coming decades by altering the structure and function of urban ecosystems and impacting human health. Methods: This research assesses the dynamics of the UHI effect in the city of Córdoba, Argentina, by analyzing temperature trends over the past 19 years. Urban areas were classified into five classes using satellite imagery. Monthly average daytime and nighttime MODIS Land Surface Temperature (LST) were used to assess thermal differences across urban classes and temporal trends. Results: Daytime urban cooling occurred during the winter and heating during the summer, …

Understanding How County Governments Strategically Plan And Strategize Technology: A Multiple Case Study In New York State, Battulga Buyannemekh

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Embedded in the communities they serve, local governments increasingly leverage technology to modernize processes and operations to digitally transform public services and interactions with stakeholders to create and add value. Concomitantly, they must ensure that the use of technology does not threaten the rights and safety of individuals and organizations. Digital transformation requires alignment of technology with institutional, organizational, and environmental factors in addition to persistent innovations in technology, policy, and management. This balancing act hinges on governments’ capacity for strategic technology decision-making. As technology’s value propositions expand and local governments become more reliant on it, there is a growing …

“Broken Things: An Archive”, Kristen Mccallum

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

This creative thesis starts from the idea that memory is shaped as much by the present as by the past. It explores the emotional and personal complexities of family estrangement, grief, survival, and love. Inspired by Saidiya Hartman’s idea that “every generation confronts the task of choosing its past,” the project moves away from more traditional storytelling and instead is constructed as a collection of archival elements, that includes prose. What originally intended to be a collection of short stories gradually became a fictional family archive—made up of letters, text messages, and other everyday items—that reflects the messy, often conflicting …

Understanding Spatiotemporal Heterogeneity, Sources, And Health Risks Of Outdoor And Indoor Particles And Volatile Organic Compounds In Residential Neighborhoods, Sanchita Paul

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

In the United States, community-level air quality observation networks often fall short in characterizing the wide array of air pollutants that influence human exposure from regional to neighborhood scales. While ambient air quality is routinely monitored in major urban centers, indoor air quality particularly within residential neighborhoods remains understudied, despite the fact that people spend the majority of their time indoors. This study presents a comprehensive assessment of outdoor and indoor air quality in the New York State (NYS) Capital Region and Hudson Valley communities of New York State, with a focus on fine particulate matter (PM_2.5), volatile …

Differences In Mental Health Outcomes In Immigrant Vs. U.S.-Born Populations In Urban Vs. Rural Areas In The United States, Zoë Gentles

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Background

The immigration process to the United States creates distinct mental stressors. These stressors are influenced by socioeconomic factors including income, education level and insurance status. In rural America, these factors are intensified due to a poor healthcare infrastructure that is limited. This study examines the relationship between urban-rural residence and mental health outcomes among immigrants vs. native-born residents in the United States.

Methods

Data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) from 2019 and 2022 were used to examine the relationship. The exposure of interest was place of birth, and the outcome of interest was the presence of clinically …

Epithelial Responses And Remodeling In The Submandibular Gland Post-Irradiation, Victoria Gellatly

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Radiation therapy for head and neck cancer often causes irreversible salivary gland dysfunction, resulting in chronic xerostomia. Understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying this dysfunction is essential for developing regenerative therapies. Given the cellular complexity of the salivary gland single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) provides a powerful approach to investigate cell-type-specific injury responses to ionizing radiation (IR) and uncover transcriptional changes that may be masked in bulk analyses. This study investigates the cellular and molecular responses of the murine submandibular gland (SMG) to irradiation, with a focus on epithelial loss and remodeling, and regenerative failure. In order to effectively use …

Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis Of Single-Case Experimental Design Data: A Comparison Of Bayesian And Restricted Maximum Likelihood Estimation, Yukang Xue

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Two-stage individual participant data (IPD) meta-analysis can be used to synthesize intervention effects from single-case experimental design (SCED) studies with multilevel modeling. However, various challenges exist at both stages, including standardizing the intervention effect size, accounting for autocorrelation, and estimating the between-study and between-case variances. While both restricted maximum likelihood estimation (REML) and Bayesian estimation can be used to estimate model parameters, REML has been more commonly applied despite the potential advantages offered by Bayesian methods. Moreover, no methodological studies have focused on Bayesian estimation in the context of meta-analysis of SCED studies, let alone when IPD meta-analysis (often recommended …

Applying The Ecological Model Of Medical Encounters To Understand Patient-Centered Communication For Older Korean Migrants In The U.S., Seulgi Park

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Patient-Centered Communication (PCC) is defined as an approach that places patients at the center of communication with healthcare providers. PCC has been recognized as a strategy to address disparities experienced by minority populations. However, despite its associations with positive health outcomes and ethical significance, there has been a paucity of research on PCC in minority populations such as older Korean migrants in the U.S. Understanding PCC within this group may contribute to improving healthcare communication tailored to their needs. This dissertation aimed to (1) explore the expectations of PCC in primary care settings among older Korean migrants in the U.S., …

Personal Characteristics, Goal Setting, And Academic Thriving, Hedayat Ghazali

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Abstract

This dissertation examines if pre-existing personal characteristics influence the effectiveness of a reflective goal-setting intervention on credits completed among first-year university students. Grounded in goal-setting theory and self-regulated learning frameworks, the study investigates the roles of self-efficacy, intrinsic motivation, metacognitive strategies, and autonomy in shaping students’ academic outcomes. Using hierarchical cluster analysis, four distinct learner profiles were identified based on these personal characteristics. A two-way repeated measures ANOVA was conducted to evaluate whether the intervention significantly affected students’ academic performance—measured in credits completed —over three time points (T0, T1, T2) across intervention and control groups.

The results revealed a …

Base Building Evaluation: Three Opportunities To Improve Its Use And Relevance, Katie Fox, Margaret Post

Sustainability and Social Justice

Philanthropic support for grassroots organizing, power building, and community-led social change strategies has increased over the last 15 years. The election of Barack Obama in 2008 sparked greater interest in community organizing, and, with it, increased philanthropic investment in organizing as a strategy for social change (Rebanal, 2022; Suárez, 2012). With that has come a growing interest in evaluating and learning about practices of “base building,” a cornerstone of organizing efforts (Pastor et al., 2020). However, not all base building is the same, and there is a lack of understanding and clarity about base building definitions and practices within the …

Social Communication Skills Moderate The Relationship Between Family Quality Of Life And Parenting Stress, Hanna Kent

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Parents of newly diagnosed autistic children face elevated levels of parenting stress due to the unique demands associated with raising an autistic child and the challenges of navigating the early intervention systems which often impact their family functioning (Rivard et al., 2023). This study aimed to investigate how autistic traits and demographic variables are associated with parenting stress and family quality of life (FQOL) in caregivers of recently diagnosed autistic children. Data were obtained from 118 caregivers enrolled in a family education program within one year of their child’s autism diagnosis. Measures included the Parenting Stress Index, Short Form, The …

Why They Stay Or Go: The Impact Of Job Satisfaction On Nurse Practitioners’ Intent To Leave, Ebony Harris, Mercades Hill-Dooley, Trisha Potter, Chelsea Shirley, Doni Ulmer

MSN Research Projects

The healthcare system continually faces challenges due to an aging population, increased chronic disease diagnoses, and expanding provider shortages, particularly in states like Mississippi. Nurse Practitioners (NPs) are critical in addressing provider gaps; however, high turnover rates are threatening workforce stability and quality of care. This research study aimed to explore the relationship between job satisfaction and the intent to leave a job among Mississippi NPs. Guided by Herzberg’s two-factor theory and Benner’s novice to expert theory, we conducted a descriptive, quantitative study with convenience sampling utilizing the validated Misener Nurse Practitioner Job Satisfaction Scale (MNPJSS). A total of sixty-two …

Silent Epidemic: Exploring Syphilis Knowledge Gaps Among Mississippi College Students, Birva Bhatt, Jessica Followell, Marly Kate Foster, Whitney Harris, Kimberlee Smith

MSN Research Projects

Syphilis disease has recently re-emerged and can result in serious, life-altering consequences, making it a significant public health concern. Untreated syphilis can have devastating effects, including brain damage, blindness, and paralysis. Congenital cases can cause miscarriage and infant death (Winny, 2024). The U.S. had its lowest rates of syphilis in 1999, potentially due to the efforts against the HIV epidemic. However, in the last two decades, syphilis transmission has been on the rise. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there was an 80% increase in reported syphilis between 2018 and 2022 (Centers for Disease Control and …

Interlocking Directorates In The United States, Yaron Nili

Faculty Scholarship

In corporate America, directors wield increasing influence across multiple companies, often within the same industry (“horizontal directors”), which creates tension between antitrust laws and corporate governance. Horizontal directors are well-positioned to bring industry expertise and potentially increase higher profits, benefiting shareholders but also possibly enabling potential collusion. This chapter provides an overview of the prevalence of horizontal directors, the regulatory grey space in which they exist and the connection to some recently debated issues, including that of common ownership by institutional investors. To inform this debate, this chapter provides a thorough overview of horizontal directors from corporate and antitrust perspectives …

The Savings Mirage, Sara Sternberg Greene

Faculty Scholarship

In the past, we did not worry much about elderly poverty because retirement was short for most Americans – a brief jaunt of post-work life was soon met with death. But with the 100-year life becoming a reality for more Americans, an elderly poverty crisis looms. The American dream of abundant retirement savings remains elusive for many, particularly low-wage workers. While government initiatives emphasize individual responsibility and financial education as a way toward retirement success, the reality is that governmental policies are barriers, including asset limitations that prevent those who receive public benefits from saving. This chapter urges reform in …

History And Tradition As Heightened Scrutiny, Andrew Willinger

Faculty Scholarship

The Supreme Court is turning to methodologies privileging text, history, and tradition, or THT, to interpret and implement various constitutional provisions. The Court has recently endorsed historically-focused approaches to determine how the Second Amendment protects the right to keep and carry a firearm, how the First Amendment protects the rights to free speech and freedom of religion, and whether the Due Process Clause protects reproductive autonomy, among other questions.

Much scholarship and popular commentary surrounding THT portrays the methodology as sui generis: presenting unique analytical challenges and impervious to direct comparison to existing doctrinal approaches. However, the jurist most …