Digital Commons Network^™

Recidivism Reduction Through Collaboration For Those With Serious And Persistent Mental Illness, Marion Joseph Fowler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this quantitative descriptive study was to investigate the levels of collaboration between mental health agencies in Hamilton County, Tennessee, which provide services to individuals who were arrested at least five times between 2018 and 2021, released from jail, and who were diagnosed with serious and persistent mental illness (SPMI). The primary research question revolves around the problem: in Hamilton County, Tennessee, despite available resources for those with SPMI, the current system for continuity of care does not include collaboration, which assists with holistic services to reduce recidivism. Respective services focus on single risk/need areas, leaving other issues …

Mca 10100 Oer/Ztc Syllabus, Daniel Gilmore

Open Educational Resources

This is a syllabus for the MCA 10100 Introduction to Media Studies course taught at City College in the Media & Communication Arts department. It is an OER & ZTC compliant syllabus.

The Crucial Role Of Grassroots Social Organizations In Advancing Immigrant Legal Protections And Reshaping Immigration Policy, Isabella Reynolds

McNair Summer Research Program

This research project examines how grassroots social organizations contribute to the advancement of immigrant legal protections and shape immigration policy, with a particular focus on formerly incarcerated migrants in California. I focus on case studies and the personal experiences of organizers from Homies Unidos, Border Angels, and other organizations that operate near the San Diego–Tijuana border region. The study illustrates how these groups provide essential services, mental health support, and community-based initiatives for vulnerable and formerly incarcerated immigrants. By conducting oral histories and ethnography as methods for preserving emotional labor and shared memory, this research challenges prevailing narratives that criminalize …

Urban Wildlife In Your Backyard: Community Experiences With Coyotes And Outdoor Cats, Clarissa Emma Cressotti

Dissertations and Theses

Urbanization reshapes ecological processes by fragmenting habitat and altering patterns of human-wildlife interaction, often reducing biodiversity. However, at the household scale, residential yards can either enhance or inhibit ecological connectivity - functioning as informal habitat stepping stones or barriers to wildlife. This thesis examines how residents' environmental attitudes, wildlife experiences, and socio-demographic characteristics influence yard-level behaviors and shape the presence of urban-adapted wildlife species, particularly coyotes and domestic cats, across the Portland, Oregon metropolitan region. A mixed-methods, social-ecological framework guided the analysis, integrating survey data from 244 households with wildlife detections from motion-triggered cameras (Urban Wildlife Information Network, UWIN), citizen …

Unmasking The Shadows: A Comprehensive Exploration Of Serial Killers, Erica D. Lewis

Master of Arts in Criminal Justice Leadership

Using a mixed-methods approach that combines quantitative literature review and qualitative case study analysis, this capstone investigates the developmental pathways of serial killers. The study investigates a variety of biological, psychological, and sociological elements—such as genetic predispositions, neurological disorders, childhood traumas, and environmental stressors—interact to shape serial killers. The study offers a multidisciplinary perspective, grounded in criminological models such as routine activity and labeling theories, sociological frameworks such as social disorganization and strain theory, and psychological theories such as psychopathy and attachment theory. Theoretical findings are contextualized through case studies of notorious serial killers like Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, and …

Set Up For Success: The Lived Experiences And Perceptions Of Nonviolent Offenders And Their Challenges Of Successfully Reentering Society, Ciera Lee'nette Day

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This dissertation firmly highlighted the critical necessity for effective diversion plans tailored to nonviolent offenders, presenting a compelling qualitative analysis of the lived experiences of 12 former nonviolent offenders and their views on diversion centers. The research employed in-depth interviews as the primary data collection method, engaging participants aged 18 and older who had committed nonviolent offenses, had no pending legal cases, and had been released from incarceration or probation within the past six months. To analyze the data, NVivo 15 and MAXQDA software were utilized, ensuring a rigorous and systematic approach to organizing and interpreting unstructured data, developing robust …

Preventing Injuries In Cdl Drivers: An Occupational Therapy Approach, Jerika Eumecha Arnsworth, Cassandra Nelson, Lee Ann Hoffman

Summer 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

Commercial drivers are at heightened risk for musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) due to prolonged sitting, inadequate ergonomic environments, and limited access to health education. This doctoral capstone project aimed to address these challenges through the development, implementation, and evaluation of a five-week educational program focused on improving ergonomic awareness and occupational health among CDL drivers. Grounded in the Person-Environment-Occupation (PEO) model, the program was implemented in collaboration with a small commercial logging company in Texas and featured weekly modules on hydration, preparatory movements, assistive technology, seating posture, and mental health.

A needs assessment revealed limited ergonomic knowledge among participants and a …

Enhancing Response Through Occupational Therapy: Neurodiversity & Mental Health Training For First Responders, Haley De Los Santos

Occupational Therapy Student Capstones

Problem Statement: Lack of specific training protocol in the following areas; complex neurological, physiological, cognitive, and physical diversity. First responders are not adequately trained respond to complex, diverse calls within the community.

Edna Surveillance And Population Genomics Of The Invasive Loaches Introduced To The United States, Tobin J. Davidson

Theses and Dissertations

Invasive species represent a growing threat to the ecosystems and economies of the United States. The southeastern United States is an aquatic biodiversity hotspot, and the decline of multiple native species already facing extinction is attributed to a rapidly growing number of nonindigenous freshwater fishes. Next-generation sequencing was used to analyze the population genomics of several populations of Pond Loach (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus) introduced to the United States. Three evolutionarily significant units of Misgurnus loaches were found, suggesting the invasion of multiple different species in the United States. Additionally, noninvasive environmental DNA (eDNA) protocol designed for early detection of invasive freshwater …

Regulating Artificial Intelligence In The U.S.: A Historical-Innovation-Inspired Framework, Di Kevin Gao

Theses and Dissertations

The emergence of OpenAI\textquotesingle s ChatGPT has marked the dawn of a new Artificial Intelligence (AI) era, unleashing a wave of user excitement, moral panic, and apocalyptic warnings. Yet, these concerns have done little to slow the breakneck pace of AI development and deployment. Should the United States adopt the European Union\textquotesingle s top-down, legislation-first approach, or follow the United Kingdom\textquotesingle s bottom-up, court-driven model? This research draws from historical legislative parallels in the U.S. By examining past regulatory frameworks for disruptive technologies, including electricity, automobiles, the telephone, broadband internet, nuclear technology, cryptocurrency, commodity futures, modern pharmaceuticals, and social media, …

Academics Vs Athletics: Prioritizing The Students In Student-Athletes And The Importance Of Their Return To The Classroom, Stephen Walker

Theses and Dissertations

The Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) aims to enhance student- athletes' educational experiences but Law 6.5.1 inadvertently causes students to miss 300 hours of academic instruction annually. This dilemma forces school districts to choose between robust sports programs and rigorous academic schedules, ultimately creating a disadvantage for students. While participation in sports has been linked to improved academic performance, the current structure disproportionately allocates resources to athletics over academics, with only 51% of schools offering after-school academic programs compared to 77% for sports. This paper discusses the benefits of sports, including higher attendance and graduation rates, but also highlights …

Designing Speculative Probes: Narrating Menstruation With Cultural Sensitivity And Care, Canan Akoglu, Sofie Kinch, Linda Domke

Nordes Conference Series

This paper explores the design of speculative probes as a situated, exploratory, and critical practice for engaging with intimate and stigmatized topics in specific socio-cultural contexts. It examines how designers navigate cultural sensitivities with care, demonstrating how speculative design can foster alternative spaces for dialogue rather than directly confronting taboos. Drawing on a case study in Tunisia, which addresses cultural stigmas around menstruation among young men and women, the paper highlights the importance of narrative-driven and culturally sensitive speculative design in fostering non-judgmental spaces for dialogue and mutual learning, thereby supporting systemic and cultural transformation. This paper advocates for design …

Prisoner Re-Entry Into Society And Criminal Justice Social Work Practice, Aleeyah S. Norvell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study explores the challenges faced by social workers in supporting the successful reintegration of formerly incarcerated individuals. Social workers play a critical role in the U.S. criminal justice system, yet they often encounter systemic barriers that limit their ability to meet clients’ basic needs, such as housing, employment, and healthcare. Using a generic qualitative research design, the study was conducted using semi-structured interviews with a sample of eight licensed social workers, using open-ended questions to gather rich, detailed accounts of their experiences. Guided by social learning theory and using thematic analysis, the findings reveal significant obstacles in adapting to …

October 7 And International Police Cooperation: The Silence Of Interpol, Mathieu Deflem

Faculty Publications

Aim: The aim of this study is to explore the background and interpretation of Interpol’s silence following the terrorist attacks committed by Hamas against Israel on October 7, 2023. The author examines the international policing im-plications of the events, with special attention to why the world’s largest police organization failed to issue any substantive response.

Methodology: The research is based on asociological analysis combining ahistorical and institutional overview of Interpol’s counterterrorism activities with the examination of the organization’s communications and institutional decisions. It relies on qualitative sources and an interpretive, case study-based approach using public documents, records, and statements.

Findings: …

Stressors Causing Career And Technical Education Teachers To Experience Burnout: Hermeneutic Phenomenology, Christina C. Perez

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the stressors and coping strategies for Career and Technical Education (CTE) teachers in career and technical education in Texas’ public education system. The theory guiding this study was the transactional model of stress and coping proposed by Richard Lazarus and Susan Folkman. The use of this theory will impact the lives of CTE teachers facing challenges in their current roles and taking on extra duties compared to non-CTE teachers. The central research question focused on how CTE teachers experience major sources of stress and burnout. In addition, the sub-questions will support …

A Phenomenological Study Exploring The Indirect Impact Of Killings Of Unarmed African Americans By Police On African American Women, Deantonie E. Price

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the indirect impact of police killings of unarmed African Americans on the mental and emotional well-being of African American women. This research aimed to fill a significant gap in the literature, which has been largely overlooked by focusing on the specific experiences of African American women. The central research question explored how these women articulated and experienced the emotional and psychological effects of police killings within their communities. A qualitative phenomenological approach was used to explore the complexities of individuals' perceptions, emotions, and lived experiences. Data collection included in-depth interviews, a …

A Comprehensive Review Of Frugal Artificial Intelligence: Challenges, Applications, And The Road To Sustainable Ai, Nancy Girdhar, Aditya Raj, Deepak Sharma, Vinay Singh, Antoine Doucet, Matthias Renz

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has demonstrated its transformative impact in creating learning models, processing extensive datasets, and executing intricate calculations rapidly. Nevertheless, achieving optimal performance with AI models demands substantial investment in powerful and expensive high-end hardware. The learning models running on the hardware are complex, requiring massive data and huge training time. However, the race to achieve higher accuracy and computational limitations of AI further poses a threat to the environment and thus provides motivation to develop AI technology that is cost-effective, scalable, and suitable for resource-constrained environments, Frugal Artificial Intelligence, or Frugal AI. The objective of this paper is …

Rotor Interaction Aerodynamics: Influence Of Phase And Spacing On Wake And Pressure Behavior, Nathan D. Welker

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the aerodynamic behavior and interactions in the flow-fields of dual rotor systems. The experiments used Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) combined with pressure and force measurements to characterize the flow with an emphasis on side-by-side rotor flows at small separation distances. This work is separated into six main chapters: first, the topic is introduced with a thorough literature review in Chapter 1, the methodology and details of the experiments are discussed in detail in Chapter 2; the effects of phase offset on dual-rotor rotor flows is explored in Chapter 3; the influence of separation distance on the side-by-side …

Establishing Operational Foundations In A Faculty-Led Clinic: Workflow Design, Role Development, And Service Planning, Rebecca Wensmann

DNP Projects

A Central Minnesota College, in collaboration with local community partners, sought to provide access to medical care for an underserved population while offering opportunities for graduate and undergraduate nursing education. They achieved this by establishing a faculty-led clinic in a high-poverty level area in Central Minnesota, where nearly 7% of the population under the age of 65 lacked health insurance (U.S. Census Bureau, 2024). Research was completed on clinic workflows and processes, as well as many interviews with clinics and community members throughout Minnesota. With this data, a clinic workflow, job description list, and services offered were created. This information …

The Shorthorn: October 13, 1961

The Shorthorn Newspaper Collection: 1960s

No abstract provided.

African American Men's Perceptions Of Law Enforcement, Dr. Dedrie Reshell Leonard-Francis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American Black men are more likely to report unreasonable, unnecessary, and unwarranted experiences with U.S. law enforcement than men of other racial groups, and they higher mistrust toward law enforcement than any other racial group. These experiences have been described as unjustifiable due to the level of force used by police. In some cases, excessive force by law enforcement has resulted in the death of Black men. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore Black men’s perceptions of law enforcement and to understand their distrust. The study centered on the facilitators and barriers to Black men trusting …

Lanthorn, Vol. 60, No. 01, August 4, 2025, Grand Valley State University

Volume 60, August 4, 2025 – April 20, 2026

Lanthorn is Grand Valley State's student newspaper, published from 1968 to the present.

The Challenges Faced By Postrelease Offenders In Rural Mississippi, Whitney Starks

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Reintegration after incarceration has long been a subject of scholarly inquiry, particularly regarding barriers to employment, housing, and mental health services. However, limited research addresses the reintegration experiences of postrelease offenders in rural regions, where access to essential resources is often restricted. This qualitative single case study is an exploration of the challenges and service needs of formerly incarcerated individuals living in rural Mississippi. Using purposive and snowball sampling, six participants were selected based on residency in rural counties, a nonviolent criminal history, and at least one year of successful community reentry. The conceptual framework was guided by the assess, …

Beyond The Individual: Community Socioecological Correlates Of Mass Shootings In A Cross-Sectional Analysis, Barbara (Basia) E. Lopez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mass shootings represent an urgent and persistent threat to public safety in the United States, yet most research has focused on individual-level characteristics, leaving community-level socioecological conditions comparatively underexamined. This study addressed this gap in knowledge through an examination of the statistical correlations between community-level characteristics and mass shooting incidence using Ostrom’s social-ecological systems theory as a guiding framework. A cross-sectional quantitative design was employed using secondary data from The Violence Project, the U.S. Census Bureau, Neighborhood Atlas National Data Archive, and publicly available law enforcement and policy records. Multiple regression analysis was performed to test both main and interaction …

Beyond The Badge: Exploring Perceptions Of School Resource Officers' Self-Efficacy And Role In Arkansas Public Schools, Bradley M. Reeves

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

School and student safety remain urgent issues that school leaders and law enforcement face across the United States. This quantitative study examined the perceptions of School Resource Officers (SROs) and building-level administrators across public schools in Arkansas regarding their implementation of the Triad Model, which outlines SROs’ primary roles as educators, informal counselors, and law enforcement officers. This study also examined SROs’ perceived self-efficacy and the collaboration between SROs and building-level administrators. A Likert-scale survey was administered to 104 participants (including 65 building-level administrators and 39 SROs). The collected data were then analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test to identify …

Building Smarter Roads: Using Ai To Strengthen Climate-Resilient Transportation Infrastructure In Belém, Abdelrahman Sherif Kamel Fattouh Mohmed Abdelmenam

COP30

No abstract provided.

Policy Library- 745 Motor Vehicle, Parking And Other Traffic Regulations, Indiana State University, General Counsel

Policy Library

Policy 745 Motor Vehicle, Parking and Other Traffic Regulations

Crisis On The Frontlines: Recruitment And Retention Challenges In Ems, Bruce J. Moeller, Michael Lozano

Florida Center for Emergency Medical Services Research Reports

Florida’s emergency medical services (EMS) and fire service agencies face an unprecedented workforce crisis. Compounded by demographic shifts, rising call volumes, and mounting mental health challenges, many EMS agencies are struggling to recruit and retain qualified personnel. Existing models of recruitment—centered on short-term bonuses or messaging emphasizing sacrifice—are failing to resonate with new generations of workers, who prioritize mental wellness, career progression, and work-life balance. Additionally, outdated training pipelines and a decline in volunteerism, especially in rural areas, have weakened the traditional workforce structure, creating gaps that threaten the stability of emergency response systems statewide.

To address these challenges, the …

Reentry For Formerly Incarcerated Individuals: A Focus On Workforce Reentry And Recidivism In Appalachia, Margaret E. Francisco

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Formerly incarcerated individuals face challenges to successful reentry, a critical component of reducing recidivism and improving public health outcomes. These challenges are particularly acute in rural Appalachia, where structural disadvantages such as limited economic opportunities, healthcare access, and public transportation intersect with stigma and systemic barriers related to prior incarceration. This dissertation addresses these gaps through a mixed-methods examination of reentry and recidivism, grounded in public health frameworks and focused on the unique context of rural Appalachia.

This work includes three studies. First, a PRISMA-guided systematic review synthesized qualitative research on barriers and facilitators to employment following incarceration. Findings highlighted …

August 2025 Annual Report, Perlmutter Center For Legal Justice At Cardozo Law

Perlmutter Center Reports

The August 2025 Annual Report documents the Perlmutter Center for Legal Justice’s work at Cardozo Law during Spring and Summer 2025, highlighting major legal victories, partnerships, student clinical programs, policy advocacy, community outreach, and staff achievements. Prepared for The Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Foundation, it details the Center’s efforts to address wrongful convictions, challenge flawed forensic science, expand pro bono collaborations, and advance criminal justice reform, while also providing staff updates, financial information, and program impact summaries.