Digital Commons Network^™

Effective Leadership Strategies Used To Retain Volunteers In Nonprofit Organizations, Celine Ejoh Njeck

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract Nonprofit organizations provide critical services that address social, cultural, and economic needs within communities. Nonprofit leaders who cannot retain volunteers risk reduced organizational capacity, interruptions in program delivery, and weakened ability to achieve program objectives. Grounded in servant leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry project was to identify and explore the effective strategies nonprofit leaders use to retain volunteers to support their program objectives. Participants were six nonprofit leaders in north Texas who have successfully retained volunteers to support their program objectives. Data was collected using semi structured interviews and a review of publicly available documents …

Social And Contextual Factors Influencing Hypertension Among Latino Men Living In California, Leslie Ivett Ortega

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hypertension remains a critical and often silent public health issue that disproportionately affects Latino men in California. This quantitative, retrospective cross-sectional study explored the social and contextual factors influencing hypertension among this vulnerable population. Using the 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System dataset, which included a sample size of 2,060 participants, the study examined the relationship between hypertension and key variables including primary care utilization, health insurance, smoking, physical activity, mental health, and marital status, while controlling for age, education, and income. Guided by the health belief model, binary logistic regression analyses found health insurance and primary care utilization significantly …

Teaching Dental Public Health Using A Socially Accountable Approach, Anastasios Plessas, Martha Paisi, Nilufar Ahmed, Zoe Brookes, Robert Witton

Peninsula Dental School

Traditional approaches to dental public health education across Europe remain dominated by lecture-based learning which often fail to cultivate critical reflection on inequities, privilege, and the broader social determinants of oral health. Social accountability has been recognized as core competency for dental graduates, requiring dental professionals to align professional practice with the health needs of communities. Community-engaged education is a promising pedagogical model that situates learning within real-world contexts, fosters empathy, cultural competence, and advocacy skills, and strengthens professional identity formation. This paper discusses the Peninsula Dental School’s innovative model, which integrates community engagement, reflective practice, and interprofessional education within …

Strategies For Improving Supported Employment Services For Adults With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities, Janelle Latoya Bailey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a growing need for supported employment services and improved programming among people with intellectual/developmental disabilities (I/DD). The research question for this study was; what are human service staff and administrators’ experiences and perceptions of what is working well in supported employment programs, and how to improve the services offered to adults with I/DD in a northeastern county? The tenets of Kurt Lewin’s change model form the theoretical framework for the study, to serve as a foundation for effective change. A force field analysis approach was used to gather narrative written data from open ended questionnaire responses to grasp …

Attrition Experiences Among Officers In A Texas Correctional Organization, Dewanou Frejus Aisse

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) faces employee retention challenges, and recruiting and retaining correctional officers remains TDCJ’s most significant challenge and highest priority. Correctional facility leaders need to understand these challenges as indicators of workforce sustainability. Grounded in job embeddedness theory, the purpose of this general qualitative study was to explore the turnover experiences of Texas correctional officers, to understand why officers left their jobs, and the factors that contributed to their decisions to stay in their jobs. Participants comprised 11 former correctional officers who had worked between 5 months and 6 years for the TDCJ. Data were …

The Rising Age Of The First-Time Homebuyer: A Comprehensive Analysis Of Barriers For Emerging Adults, Stephanie Miller

Honors Projects

The average age of a first-time homebuyer in the United States was 38 years old in 2024. This is a significant increase compared to previous generations, who often achieved homeownership in their late twenties. This project examines structural, economic, and sociological barriers that prevent emerging adults, particularly recent college graduates, from entering the housing market. Through an analysis of national data from the National Association of Realtors, the U.S. Government Accountability Office, and Freddie Mac, this paper examines how inflation, limited housing inventory, stagnant wages, restrictive zoning policies, and increasing debt amounts have had disproportionate effects on young buyers. Regardless …

Medical Education Conference 2025, Sultan Qaboos University

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

Neighborhood Disorder And Psychosocial Functioning: Evidence Of Resilience Among Racial/Ethnic Minority Groups, Maverick E. Morales

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Perceived neighborhood disorder has been linked to poor well-being. In the United States, racial/ethnic minorities are more likely to live in disordered neighborhoods than non-Hispanic White residents. However, it is unclear whether this exposure changes the relationship between perceived neighborhood disorder and psychosocial functioning. Racial/ethnic minorities may draw upon sources of resilience (e.g., religiosity/spirituality), protecting them from neighborhood disorder. Using data from the Health and Retirement Study, the present study examined perceived neighborhood disorder and psychosocial functioning (i.e., life satisfaction, anxiety, perceived stress, and loneliness) to test the following hypotheses: (1) higher perceived neighborhood disorder will relate to worse psychosocial …

Fall 2025 Student Scholar Symposium Abstract Volume, Chapman University Center For Undergraduate Excellence

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

No abstract provided.

Nativism As The Engine Of Fear Toward “Illegal” Immigrants, Amilie Cai

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Contemporary concerns about “illegal” immigration reveal deep-seated anxieties about race, cultural, and national identity in the United States. In this paper, I examine how xenophobia, media consumption, and Christian nationalism collectively shape fear of illegal immigrants. I build upon previous literature, such as the Group Threat Theory, which posits that dominant groups mobilize to preserve social hierarchies when their status is threatened, and the Agenda-Setting Theory, which emphasizes the media’s power to shape public perceptions. Using Wave 11 of the Chapman Survey of American Fears–a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults collected in 2025–I provide a comparative analysis of these …

Revisiting The Link Between Metacognition And Social Cognition, Mia I. Gaffoglio, Jojo Widi, Aaron Schurger

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Research has suggested that the ability to think about our own thinking (metacognition) and the ability to understand others’ mental states (mindreading) may rely on the same cognitive resources. A study by Nicholson and colleagues (2021) found that people’s metacognitive accuracy decreased when they performed a mind-reading task at the same time, implying that the two processes interfered with each other. However, that conclusion is dependent on the assumption that the mind-reading task and a control task were equally difficult. If the mind-reading task was more difficult, having a lower performance could reflect general task difficulty rather than shared cognitive …

Loneliness And Support For Political Violence Within The United States, Kellen Downey

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Although loneliness is a growing public health issue in the United States, its political effects remain understudied. This paper seeks to understand the relationship between loneliness and the support of political violence by utilizing the Chapman Survey of American Fears (CSAF Wave 11). This survey, which is a component of the 2025 Chapman Survey of American Fears, includes the three-item UCLA Loneliness Scale, as well as two separate items specifically measuring political violence. Using a national survey (N=1,015), I address the following questions: (1) Are lonely individuals more likely to support violence on political grounds? (2) Does strongly identifying with …

Investigating Dysfunctional Cognition Change As A Putative Mechanism Of Cbt For Youth Anxiety, Ocd And Ptsd: Protocol For An Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis, Ivana Buric, Anke Klein, Ronald M Rapee, Brooke Levis, Philip C Kendall, Eric A Storch, Lynn Mobach

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Introduction: Anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are common in children and adolescents and can lead to significant impairment. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) with exposure is the first-line treatment, yet approximately half of treated youth do not achieve full remission. Dysfunctional cognitions-negative automatic thoughts, maladaptive beliefs and distorted interpretations-are considered key targets of CBT, but evidence in youth is mixed and underpowered. This study will examine whether change in dysfunctional cognitions mediates treatment outcome in anxiety, OCD and PTSD symptoms and whether this association varies across individual characteristics.

Methods and analysis: An individual participant data meta-analysis …

Medicaid Funding And Health-Related Social Needs: A Policy Analysis, Passion Ilea

Dissertations and Theses

The U.S. has disproportionately high health care spending compared to other high-income nations and comparatively poor health outcomes. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have recently increased emphasis on addressing Medicaid member social needs. CMS believes addressing health-related social needs (HRSN) may reduce costs and improve health outcomes for Medicaid members. CMS has begun to test theories regarding the impact of member HRSN on health care by designing federal mechanisms to address HRSN, such as in lieu of services and settings-funded services, and by encouraging state Medicaid programs to develop their own approaches, such as Flexible Services. Information …

Effects Of Ghost Energy Drink On Muscle Strength, Psychomotor Vigilance, And Mood., Jason M. Curtis, Jose J. Rojas, Flavia F. Pereira, Cassandra Evans, Elizabeth Espocito, Alyana Andal Andal, Gavin Poulshock, Hena Thakkar, Taila De Castro, Alexandra Jimenez, Antonio Cristanti, Antonella V. Schwarz, Juan Carlos Santana, Jose Antonio

Journal for Sports Neuroscience

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a commercially available energy drink (Ghost®) compared to a caffeine-matched control on measures of mental and physical performance.

Methods: In a randomized, double-blind design, 62 participants were assigned to receive either the energy drink (Ghost®) or a caffeine-matched control (200 mg caffeine). Assessments were conducted at baseline and approximately 45 minutes post-ingestion, including the Psychomotor Vigilance Test (PVT), CNS Tap Test, handgrip strength, and the Profile of Mood States (POMS).

Results: Participant demographics are presented in Table 1. No significant between-group differences were observed for any performance measures. Both groups …

Exploring The Potential For Data Storytelling Practices In Healthcare Communication, Shafaq Zehra, Naomi Jacobs, Dan Richards

IASDR Conference Series

The key challenges associated with the design of doctor-patient communication mainly include time constraints, cultural and language barriers and health literacy of the patients accessing care. The implications of the gaps in effective doctor-patient communication may lead to lack of compliance to treatment, weakened rapport building and lack of trust in the healthcare services. This paper qualitatively explores the context of the challenges associated with doctor-patient communication from a health care provider perspective. The main themes identified by in-depth interviews with clinicians were issues related to lack of trust, validity of patient’s information, lack of patient engagement and empowerment, and …

A Practical Introduction To The Method Of Blending Through Pattern In Weft-Knitted Stripe Structures To Improve The Overall Tactility Of Breed-Specific Wool Fibres., Wilmott Julia, Gaston Elizabeth, James Alana

IASDR Conference Series

The paper introduces ‘blending through pattern’, a method for significantly enhancing the tactile qualities of individual British broad wool fibres when combined in knitted fabrics. This approach is an alternative to traditional blending processes, such as spinning and twisting, because it utilises weft-knitted pattern structures to combine two, three or more yarn types together. Each yarn type is knitted through a single feeder, with the blending occurring in the same way that a pattern on the knitting machine combines different colours. Successfully blended fabrics exchange yarn types regularly to incorporate different fibre types effectively. This material-led approach to textile design …

Designing For Interprofessional Collaboration: Integrating Data And Communication In Health Care Teams, Tzu-Ling Huang, Ko-Chiu Wu

IASDR Conference Series

As holistic health care gains momentum within medical systems, interdisciplinary collaboration has become crucial to improving the quality of patient care. In practice, however, cooperation among professionals is often hindered by fragmented information, differences in professional language and logic, system discontinuities, and the lack of structured processes. This study investigates the needs and challenges of information integration and task tracking in interdisciplinary teams through qualitative interviews and a card-sorting method with seven types of healthcare professionals— physician, nurse, medical social worker, clinical psychologist, dietitian, physical therapist, and dentist. The findings highlight issues such as insufficient information integration, fragmented goal-setting and …

From Function To Culture: Exploring Senior-Centered Design Principles In Korean Context, Sujin Song, Miso Kim, Min Ju Kang, Ye In An, Soojin Jun

IASDR Conference Series

South Korea, as the fastest-aging country in the world, occupies a critical position in aging research. Designing for older adults requires a multidimensional understanding; however, existing studies on design principles for aging have tended to adopt functionalist approaches focused primarily on physical and cognitive decline. In response, this study proposes design principles that center on values systems rather than offering directly prescriptive or procedural guidance. Specifically, we introduce culturally responsive principles grounded in Korea’s unique socio cultural context. Drawing on a co-design workshop with Korean older adults and caregivers, our analysis engages narratives through the lenses of Korea’s rapid industrialization, …

Designing Personalized Digital Self-Control Tools To Address Procrastination Through Co-Design, Youngsoo Shin, Jeremy D. Faulk, Jungkyoon Yoon

IASDR Conference Series

Procrastination, a pervasive challenge among college students, significantly affects mental health, academic performance, and overall well-being. While Digital Self-Control Tools (DSCTs) are commonly used to manage procrastination, existing solutions and studies often fail to address the nuanced, individualized factors that drive this behavior. This study employs a co-design approach to explore how DSCTs can be personalized to better support college students. Over a nine-week co-design project, twenty-two students in the HCI field collaboratively developed personalized DSCT concepts, guided by the Motivation, Engagement, and Thriving in User Experience (METUX) model. The METUX model provided a theoretical basis for designing interventions that …

Co-Living With Intelligent Artifacts: An Experiential Participatory Speculative Design Method, Boyu Zhang, Jiaxin Xiao, Li Zhang

IASDR Conference Series

With the advancement of artificial intelligence and robotics, intelligent artifacts are increasingly integrated into human life. Traditional user-centered design approaches focus on optimizing interaction experiences but often overlook potential ethical issues. This study employs a participatory speculative design approach, engaging the public in co-constructing future scenarios to foreground ethical reflection at the early stages of the design process. Building on this approach, we propose an extended model of the Experiential Future Ladder and implement it through a workshop involving eight Chinese youth participants. Thematic analysis identifies three categories of ethical issues in future human–intelligent artifact interactions: dilemmas between emotion and …

From Trauma To Transformation: A Cognitive-Embedded Design Framework For Responsive Healing Environments, Xiujun Chen, Ziyuan Jiang

IASDR Conference Series

Post-conflict architectural interventions often overlook survivors’ altered cognitive and emotional landscapes. This paper introduces cognitive-embedded design—a framework that reconceives architecture as an active participant in collective healing. The study adopts a speculative, research- through-design approach integrating conceptual inquiry with spatial and technical prototyping. Using the redesign of Sarajevo’s Grbavica Market as a case study, it demonstrates how sensor-driven spatial systems can support trauma recovery when orchestrated through Judith Herman’s three-phase model and 4E cognition principles. The project integrates responsive boundaries, bio-adaptive narratives, and culturally rooted craft spaces that attune to healing rhythms while preserving user agency through community governance. While …

Legal Design For Legal Aid: Rethinking Inclusivity And Trust In The Digital Age, Luodan Liang, Liuxi Jiang, Zhang Linghao

IASDR Conference Series

Against the backdrop of rapid digital development, legal aid services are undergoing a profound transformation from a system-oriented approach to a people-centered approach. While emerging digital legal aid platforms have shown initial success in resource matching, service efficiency, and diverse access, over reliance on institutional logic and technological layering has left vulnerable groups facing issues such as a lack of inclusivity and trust in actual use. This paper introduces the concept of Legal Design, emphasizing the critical role of human-centered design thinking in enhancing the in clu siv it yand trustworthiness of legal aid services. Through literature reviews, process analysis, …

Making In Metaphor: Critical Intersectional Outfitting Framework, Eduardo Féteira, Danika Van Kaathoven, Tomohide Mizuuchi, Daijiro Mizuno

IASDR Conference Series

Strategies that allow for an in-depth and multi-layered analysis and approach to wicked problems are increasingly crucial in today’s design education environment. Intersectionality presents itself as an articulated and analytical tool that effectively frames interconnected and mutually-reinforcing forces. But within design practices, it still lacks visual ising and making processes that allow for a more tangible understanding of its core principles and highlight its benefits in identifying inflexion points of action within problem spaces. This paper introduces the Critical Intersectional Outfitting (CIO) framework, an educational tool which aims to facilitate wider visualisation of problem spaces through a compartment ali sed …

Process Designing For Creative Well-Being: How Cultural Prescribing Emerges Through Community-Based Art Practice At Machino Zukoushitsu In Nabari City, Japan, Rui Fukumoto, Takakazu Yamaguchi, Hideaki Kawabata, Sawako Inaniwa, Tatsuya Ito

IASDR Conference Series

As societies around the world confront aging populations and growing social isolation, Cultural Prescribing has emerged as a promising approach to community-based care beyond institutional systems. While social prescribing has primarily been implemented through clinical referral models, this study examines how Naturally Emergent Creative Well-being, the interaction between individual creativity and community culture, can generate care organically through everyday practice. The research focuses on Machino Zuko ushitsu, a community art studio in Nabari City, Japan, which serves as a hub for creative participation, intergenerational exchange, and informal support. Using a participatory action research framework, qualitative data were collected through interventional …

A Study On The Current Status Of Technology Application And Learning Models In Senior Citizens' Participation In Ceramic Craft Experience Activities, Tien-Li Chen, Ting-Yu Hsu, Rui Zhu

IASDR Conference Series

Global population aging has brought increasing attention to the quality of later life and physical and mental health. Relevant studies have shown that craft-based art activities can enhance well-being and fine motor skills, and provide older adults with a means of non-verbal communication. In addition, as technology has become integrated into daily life, its impact on elderly learning has also drawn interest. This study aims to explore the actual situations and effects of technology use during older adults’ participation in ceramic craft experience activities, further understanding how elderly learners access learning resources, their level of acceptance toward technological tools, and …

Aesthetic Responses And Ai Anxiety: Experimental Analysis Of Public Perception Toward Ai Artworks Across Different Styles, Rui Xu, Yen Hsu, Xinyan Wang, Hanlin Mi

IASDR Conference Series

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools can reproduce various art styles by deep learning to efficiently produce stunning artworks that seem artistic and arouse emotional resonance among the audience. However, do these AI artworks go beyond the levels of human artists in the present era, will the AI artworks go beyond the levels of human artists in the future, and will these artworks undermine the status of anthropocentrism and trigger anxiety? In response to these questions, experiments were launched to check the representative artworks at different times. In this paper, the experimental research method and the data analysis method were applied to …

Teaching Design In The 21st Century: New Studio Pedagogies For Emerging Challenges, Wonjoon Chung

IASDR Conference Series

The rapid integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and other advanced technologies is driving a new paradigm shift in design education, calling for a re-examination of traditional studio pedagogies. This paper argues that current design curricula, often constrained by rigid academic schedules and a focus on polished final deliverables, inadvertently foster a fear of failure and discourage the iterative, exploratory processes that are essential for creativity. To address these systemic issues, this paper proposes a pedagogical framework that reconceptualizes the design studio as a space for cultivating creative confidence, adaptability and resilience in the face of uncertainty. Drawing on Edward de …

Reframing Everyday Accessibility Through Inclusive Micro-Design: Empirical Evaluation Of Braille Buttons As Socio-Cultural Interfaces, Yuhe Wei, Qiong Zhang, Yuanyuan Liu

IASDR Conference Series

Mainstream accessible design often prioritizes functional usability for people with disabilities, overlooking its social and symbolic dimensions. This study introduces an inclusive micro- design paradigm by exploring how braille-integrated buttons, a seemingly traditional tactile interface, serve as socio-cultural micro-signals that deliver tangible social impact. Usability trials with blind users confirmed error-free interaction, and follow-up studies showed enhanced certainty and comfort among sighted participants. Although the public perceived only moderate necessity, they widely acknowledged the symbolic and societal value of braille buttons. Thematic interviews further revealed how these tactile micro-signals foster shared visibility and everyday dignity. Grounded in low-cost, multi-sensory accessibility, …

Co-Creating Futures Of Communication: Three-Phase Speculative Co-Design With Adults Of The One-Child Generation, Ines Ziyou Yin, Xinjun Miao, Yirong Jiang, Yijun Yin, Kin Wai Michael Siu

IASDR Conference Series

Traditional linear models of human communication inadequately address emotional and social dynamics in everyday contexts. This study explores speculative futures of interpersonal communication through research through design (RtD) paradigm, integrating participatory co-creation, speculative design, role-playing, and Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI). Situated within the socio-cultural context of China’s one-child generation in the Greater Bay Area (GBA), the research transcends linear transmission metaphors in existing information communication technologies (ICTs) to address subtle interpersonal needs among friends. The study adopts a three-phase methodology, including a co-design workshop to generate speculative scenarios, designer-AI collaboration to refine scenarios, and a role- playing session to generate …