Digital Commons Network^™

Curiosity For The Common Good: A Catholic And Marianist Approach To Artificial Intelligence, Meghan R. Henning, Lee J. Dixon, Amanda Shannon, Esther Brownsmith, Kim Conde

Books and Book Chapters by University of Dayton Faculty

This book is not a book; it is an invitation. As many institutions of higher education have gone into panic mode about how to respond responsibly and with pedagogical grounding to the rapid technological changes of our time, members of the University of Dayton community came to the table to talk.

The writings in this volume reflect the hopes, fears, observations, and tested strategies that were shared and developed by faculty and staff addressing the challenges of our times in an atmosphere of trust and solidarity.

These short reflections are meant to continue the conversation in our community and others …

The International Adoption Movement From South Korea: A Sociological Analysis Of Its Rise, Fall And Relevance Today For Children’S Rights Issues, Madeline H. Engel

Sociology Between the Gaps: Forgotten and Neglected Topics

No abstract provided.

Determinants Of Antenatal Care Utilization: A Community-Based, Cross-Sectional Study In Morang And Sunsari Districts, Eastern Nepal, Sunil Shah, Chandra Jha

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

This study examined the factors influencing antenatal care (ANC) utilization in the eastern region of Nepal, focusing on the Morang and Sunsari districts, with the aim of identifying key determinants affecting ANC uptake and assessing the extent of ANC service utilization among mothers. Using lot quality assurance sampling, a community-based, descriptive, cross-sectional design was employed, surveying 164 mothers who had given birth within the previous 12 months; data were collected from June through November 2023. Data were collected through a semi-structured questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS, with descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and logistic regression. Findings revealed that 80.5% of respondents …

Past The Watchful Dragons: How C. S. Lewis’S Fiction Humanizes The Analytical Framework Of The Problem Of Pain, Charlotte L. Hambrick

Masters Theses

C. S. Lewis was one of the 20th century’s greatest Christian apologists. Writing across multiple genres—from academic literary criticism to lay sermons, and from philosophical and theological analysis to several kinds of fiction—his impact on Christian thought remains profound. This thesis analyzes Lewis’s approach to the intellectual problem of evil in The Problem of Pain and demonstrates how he makes those starkly cold, prickly concepts more warm, human, and relatable in several of his works of fiction. It will first consider Lewis’s personal history with death, abuse, war, and grief, showing how his lived experiences with pain shaped his thinking …

Co-Dominion: The Changing Nature Of The Adamic Covenant In An Age Of Artificial Intelligence, Corey Hastings

Masters Theses

Theologians and religious bodies attest to the rising influence of artificial intelligence (AI) in governments, the economy, and the lives of the people of God. Through the covenant with Adam, God gave humans the blessing of dominion and capabilities unique to creation to till the earth. Today, humans retain the image of God but AI increasingly displaces human functions with coordinated agency. Using Hebrew language exegesis of passages from Genesis, Exodus, and Leviticus, this study compares capabilities gifted to humans with the scope of current and near future AI models. It incorporates direct artifact analysis of a large-language model as …

Seeing Through Students’ Eyes: Photo-Elicitation For Research And Program Evaluation In Nursing, Megan P. Williams

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Photo-elicitation invites participants to capture and share photographs representing their lived experiences. It offers a meaningful way to evaluate how nursing students integrate knowledge, skills, and attitudes across cognitive, psychomotor, and affective domains of learning. Grounded in visual sociology (Harper, 2002) and expanded through nursing pedagogy (Linz, 2011; Kronk et al., 2015), this approach helps students express ideas and emotions that are difficult to articulate or assess. Prior research indicates that photo-elicitation supports empathy, critical thinking, and self-awareness through learning experiences such as aging (Chonody, 2018), community health (Cooper et al., 2017), and academic challenges (Steenfeldt et al., 2019). …

The Doctrine Of Salvation In The Old Testament: Elective Grace Through Faith In The Triune God, Yoojeung Kim

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The doctrine of salvation in the Old Testament (OT) remains a contested topic in biblical theology, particularly its coherence with New Testament (NT) soteriology. Much of this debate centers on the tension between distinct redemptive administrations across history and the specific means of salvation, such as the relationship between covenantal obedience and elective grace. This dissertation addresses whether OT believers were saved differently from NT believers or if a unified redemptive pattern spans both Testaments. The dissertation asserts that Old Testament believers were saved in the same manner as New Testament believers: by God’s elective grace through faith in YHWH, …

A Qualitative Case Study Exploration Of Secondary Educators' Implementation Of Multicultural Education In A Public School District, Chiquita Apollos

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this case study was to discover how multicultural education influences teaching practices for secondary educators at Achieve School District in the southeastern United States. The theory guiding this study was James A. Banks’ multicultural education theory, as it provided the framework for implementing the histories, customs, and perceptions of ethnic minority and racial people into the curriculum. The central research question was: How does multicultural education influence the teaching practices of secondary teachers in the Achieve School District? Data were collected through individual interviews, observations, and journal prompts. Thematic analysis of the data revealed multicultural education influenced …

Interstellar Faith: A Phenomenological Exploration Of Christian Reconciliation With Uaps And Nonhuman Intelligence, Christian Pedersen

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The researcher examined how Christian leaders interpret, respond to, and navigate questions surrounding Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) and nonhuman intelligence (NHI) within their theological and ministerial contexts. Despite growing cultural and governmental attention to these phenomena, little empirical research has explored how Christian leaders engage these questions pastorally or theologically. Using a transcendental phenomenological design informed by Moustakas (1994), the researcher conducted semi-structured interviews with twelve Christian leaders across multiple traditions. Analysis produced ten major themes organized around three research questions addressing theological interpretation, pastoral ministry, and lived experience. Findings revealed a participant group marked by intellectual humility, theological seriousness, …

Forbear That Wicked Cant: Malthusian ‘Zero Sum’ Theory, Eugenics, And World Population Control, Aidan Grogan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation traces the history of an idea: the “zero-sum” theory of human nature and humanity’s relationship with the natural world that lies at the core of the Malthusian worldview. Grounded in the belief that life is a ruthless struggle over scarce resources and that human beings are destined to reproduce beyond the earth’s “carrying capacity,” Malthusianism provided the key intellectual foundations for Darwin’s theory of evolution, which later informed the rise of eugenics. Although eugenics lost much of its scientific legitimacy and moral authority after the Holocaust and the Nuremberg Trials, many American eugenicists and eugenics organizations remained committed …

Sovereign Borders: John’S Deuteronomic Framework For Israel And The Nations In The Apokalypsis, Kevin W. Mullen

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation concludes that John’s imagery of Israel and the nations in the Apokalypsis is distinctly shaped by his interpretation and incorporation of Deuteronomic theology. It employs a canonical and intertextual approach to inductively argue that Deuteronomy presents three pillars, or roles, for biblical nationhood: (1) objects of and instruments for divine judgment, (2) custodians to restrain evil, and (3) revelations of God’s sovereignty. These three Deuteronomic pillars establish the foundation for biblical nationhood and are expressed by John throughout his Apokalypsis. Moreover, this dissertation concludes that John’s imagery for the nations is due to his reliance upon the Deuteronomic …

Tracing God’S Plan To Restore Eden In Biblical Theology: The Edenic Restoration Of Man And The Land, Jared Crossno

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study is characterized by the assertion that the restoration of the earth is inextricably linked to the restoration of humanity and that the biblical narrative consistently portrays these realities as interdependent. By defining the restoration of Eden as both an eschatological hope and a present process, biblical theology is advanced in three ways. First, there will be a clarification of the canonical trajectory from Eden to the new creation. Second, soteriology will be reframed to a holistic perspective, rather than an anthropocentric one. Finally, there will be an emphasis on the ethical implications of God's mission to renew humanity …

A Qualitative Descriptive Study Of Secular And Christian-Based Correctional Operations: Exploring The Impact On Recidivism, Reintegration, And Spiritual Transformation, Cullen B. Burch

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative descriptive study examines the effectiveness of secular versus Christian-based correctional programs in reducing recidivism among offenders and enhancing reintegration outcomes. The primary purpose is to explore perceived limitations of secular correctional methodologies, given observed challenges such as rising recidivism and limited offender transformation. In contrast, Christian-based programs, grounded in biblical principles and spiritual transformation, are posited to foster meaningful change among offenders. The study focuses on the perspectives of formerly incarcerated individuals who participated in secular and faith-based initiatives while incarcerated in Texas. Data collection is exclusively qualitative, involving semi-structured interviews with these formerly incarcerated individuals and a …

Cultural Fidelity: An Exploration Of Oral Tradition And Its Role In Preserving Cultural Identity In Nigerians Of The Diaspora, Veronica L. Graham

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Oral tradition is a dynamic communicative practice through which diasporic individuals construct meaning, transmit memory, and sustain intergenerational belonging. Against the backdrop of cultural displacement, linguistic adaptation, and identity negotiation, this study examined the role of oral tradition in preserving cultural identity amongst Nigerians of the diaspora. It also interrogated how oral practices—often considered antiquated or informal within Western paradigms—function as enduring technologies of cultural continuity. Guided by multi-generational voices that reflect the evolving nature of oral expression across diasporic contexts, the findings of this study indicate that oral tradition remains a powerful mechanism through which diasporic Nigerians preserve cultural …

Bridging The Gap: Enhancing Sixth Grade Beginning Band Rhythm Pedagogy Through Second-Language Education Strategies, Eliú Nolberto Santos

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation investigated the implementation of second-language education strategies by middle school band directors, drawing on the theories of Jean Piaget, Noam Chomsky, Benjamin Bloom, Howard Gardner, and Lev Vygotsky, among others. This study sought to examine participating band directors' perceptions regarding the implementation of second-language education practices for beginning band students. In parallel, this dissertation sought to quantify the competition results of the surveyed middle school band directors, particularly in sight-reading competitions. The study employed a robust mixed-methods design, commencing with a qualitative survey of middle-school band directors to gather data on the implementation of various second-language acquisition strategies, …

Mobilizing The Church For Whole-Person Transformation In Addiction And Mental Health Recovery, Jacqueline A. Gillespie

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Individuals experiencing chronic addiction or mental health conditions are often separated from the broader church community and placed into isolated treatment programs, creating a disconnect between recovery efforts and long-term spiritual formation (Amos, 2023). Many churches that emphasize deliverance struggle to provide sustained discipleship, while congregations grounded in spiritual growth frequently lack the skills and structures needed to serve highly vulnerable populations. This mixed–methods study will explore how the local church can be mobilized to offer whole-person transformation for individuals affected by addiction and mental health challenges. Guided by the biblical vision of ongoing spiritual renewal—“being transformed into the same …

Exploring Resilience And Religion’S Influence On Addiction Recovery: A Qualitative Phenomenological Study, Nicole Mason-Dye

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Substance use disorder (SUD) continues to be a pressing public health crisis in the United States, marked by complex mental, physical, and spiritual consequences. While evidence-based treatments are well developed, relapse rates remain high, highlighting the need for integrative models that incorporate spiritual and psychological resilience. This qualitative transcendental phenomenological study described individuals recovering from SUDs’ experiences sustaining long-term sobriety in the Southeastern United States within a 100-mile radius of a metropolitan city as well as understand how spirituality and resilience interact to sustain sobriety and encourage personal transformation. Guided by resilience theory and framed within a constructivist-phenomenological paradigm, the …

A Comparative Analysis Of Educator And Parent Perspectives Of Catholic High School Athletics, Kevin J. Calkins

Journal of Catholic Education

This study surveyed parents to compare their perceptions of the role of athletics in the Catholic high school environment with those of educators, and to examine the degree to which athletics influences parental enrollment decisions. Educators and parents mostly agree on the role of interscholastic athletics in Catholic high schools. The most noticeable difference between educators and parents is about the perceived role of athletics in student formation. While the strength and health of a Catholic high school’s athletic program are important considerations when parents choose a Catholic high school for their child, the results indicate that academic quality is …

Trauma-Informed Coaching: An Application Of Catholic Social Teaching To Formation And Healing Through Sport, Kristin K. Sheehan, Peter Piscitello, Elaine Cassidy

Journal of Catholic Education

Mission-driven athletic programs aim to form the whole athlete—physically, emotionally, socially, morally, and spiritually. A critical component of this mission is equipping coaches to serve as ministers of the Church while embracing trauma-informed practices. This paper introduces the rationale, process, and techniques for trauma-informed coaching as a research-based approach to supporting athlete mental health. Grounded in Catholic Social Teaching, this framework emphasizes community, participation, and the dignity of the human person, particularly care for the vulnerable. Drawing on neuroscientific and psychological research on trauma alongside Church documents and papal pronouncements, the paper demonstrates how trauma-informed coaching fosters healing and resilience …

Sporting Educational Pedagogy In Catholic Western Europe In The 19th And 20th Centuries: What We Can Learn From The Past, Dries Vanysacker

Journal of Catholic Education

This article presents a historiographical overview of the development of the role of sport within the Western European Catholic education in the 20th century. Since the late 19th century, combining gymnastics with new sport disciplines was a huge challenge for Catholic schools. Within the 20th century, changing political situations and educational policies by governments continuously influenced the Catholic education theories and practice. Catholic schools also depended on the Holy See’s policy concerning education and its attitude toward sport. As the Catholic pedagogy is part of a broader theological concept of the human being, and the latter changed in the 1950s/1960’s, …

Introduction, Max T. Engel, Matt Hoven

Journal of Catholic Education

Sports are a big deal in Catholic schools. But their educational, communal, and even spiritual elements within participating school communities are often underestimated in the research. This introduction firstly offers a concise survey of the theoretical foundation for Catholic endorsement of sports. It then provides a framework for understanding the major authors in the field and the key issues that scholars confront in the area. It concludes by outlining the articles presented in this special issue and invites readers to consider engaging with this expanding community of scholars and practitioners. Overall, this introduction explains the purpose and rationale for this …

Unaccountable Archives: A Review Of Underwriting Souls, Samantha Stephens

archipelagos: a journal of Caribbean digital praxis

No abstract provided.

Measure By Measure: Reflections On Building A Quiz Map For Critical Caribbean Digital Pedagogy, Ra Bacchus, Medardo G. Rosario, Alexander S. Butler

archipelagos: a journal of Caribbean digital praxis

This article reflects on the web development of a digital quiz map designed to help students critically engage with the representation of the Caribbean in digital space. Emerging from workshops organized by Visiones del Caribe—a digital humanities initiative using digitized maps and archives to teach Caribbean history, culture, and cartography—this tool responds to students’ inquiries about the region’s spatial boundaries. The quiz invites students to select on a map those countries and territories they consider part of the Caribbean, prompting reflection on the diversity of perspectives shaping Caribbean identity. Drawing from the discourse of critical cartography and digital pedagogy, we …

Tracing Caribbean Narratives At The Intersection Of Language, Identity, And Social Media, Juan-Carlos M.E. Goilo

archipelagos: a journal of Caribbean digital praxis

This article delves into how the creole language of Papiamentu navigates the complexities of cultural identity and decolonial praxis within the social media landscape. Drawing from literature reviews, digital ethnography, content analysis, and an interview with social media influencer Gerald Lijde, I explore Papiamentu’s deep-rooted colonial ambivalence—a legacy that shapes its contemporary online use. While digital platforms offer new avenues for celebrating and formalizing Papiamentu, they also risk commodifying its radical, anti-colonial roots into tourist-friendly narratives. By linking online content production to theories of agency and digital culture, the article illuminates Papiamentu’s enduring role as a vessel of resistance and …

A Metadata Analysis Of Anthropological Scholarship About Haiti And The Dominican Republic, Tess Kulstad González, Pauline Kulstad González, Zoe Grubbs, Hongyuan Zhang

archipelagos: a journal of Caribbean digital praxis

This article presents the results of a metadata and content analysis of anthropological research about Haiti and the Dominican Republic available in the Anthropological Literature database and in the Journal of Latin American and Caribbean Anthropology. This analysis shows that anthropological knowledge about Haiti and/or the Dominican Republic, produced in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, is included less than scholarship published outside the island. In addition, our analysis indicates that research that pertains to both countries, or that considers transnational and/or inter-island processes has been infrequent. Furthermore, that which exists is not as discoverable or visible as research that focuses …

“Un Compromiso Con La Tierra”: Digital Placemaking In The Art Of Rosaura Rodríguez’'S Instagram Stories, Jeannine Murray-Román

archipelagos: a journal of Caribbean digital praxis

From a recording of a hot pink flower on a foggy hillside, its leaves trembling slightly in the wind, to the ink made from its petals pooling onto white cardstock, Puerto Rican artist Rosaura Rodríguez shares her experimental processes on Instagram stories, fifteen seconds at a time. Instagram is a fraught platform that encourages aesthetic homogeneity, and yet, continues to function as a site for developing micro-poetic techniques. This article focuses on Rodríguez’s in-process Instagram Stories, and particularly the “Highlights” feature which allows her to archive her working processes for two of her projects: 1. Temporada, a self-published comic that …

Infrastructure Of Lack: Defining Caribbean Vernacular Networks, Luis Rivera Jiménez

archipelagos: a journal of Caribbean digital praxis

This article offers a theoretical reflection on the forms and meanings of networks in the Caribbean, moving beyond traditional definitions rooted in computation and formal infrastructure. By turning to vernacular, improvised, and culturally embedded modes of exchange—such as in "Club Nintendo" culture and BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) in the Dominican Republic, the DIY internet practices of Cuban users, and the ubiquity of memes and WhatsApp threads across diasporic communities—this piece reframes the concept of the “network” through a Caribbean lens. Rather than seeing the Caribbean as disconnected or technologically incipient, this approach understands the region as a space of creative, strategic, …

We Don't See Race, We See Blue: A Case Study Of Police Unions As Racialized Organizations, Sarahfina Aubrey Peterson

Dissertations and Theses

In the late 1960s, police began to unionize. Today, they are the most well-organized labor force in the United States, with 70% to 80% of sworn officers now represented by a union. Though it has been decades, little scholarship has developed about how police unions affect policing. Much of the research that does exist uses race-neutral frames to address an organization steeped in racial history. This study aims to address this gap in scholarship, in part, by introducing race as a motivation for and explanation of organizational output.

This research applies Victor Ray's racialized organizations theory to police unions. I …

Spaces Of Transformation, Love, And Poetry: Autoethnographic Reflections On Learning During The 2024 Student Solidarity Encampments And The 2019 Lebanese Thawra, Anna Wessels

Gatherings

This paper utilizes autoethnographic modes to reflect on the student movement in solidarity with Palestine, specifically the spring 2024 student encampment in Washington, DC. I frame this reflection through my experience as a student in a Women and Gender Studies class during the semester of the encampment, as well as through feminist theories of teaching and learning as liberatory practices. I analyze two sites of learning that moved beyond the ideological and physical boundaries of the university into public protest spaces during times of political mobilization: downtown Beirut during the October 2019 Lebanese thawra (revolution) and the student encampments for …

"In-Dialogue” As Feminist Praxis: Palestine, Poetry, And Affective Knowing, Besan Jaber, Natalie El-Eid

Gatherings

Presenting a methodological praxis of being “in dialogue,’ this essay questions what it means today to be in feminist solidarity with Palestine via an intimate conversation inspired by a set of poems written by [one of the authors to this piece]. In this conversation, two feminist Arab scholars reflect on their professional and lived experiences in the US amidst the ongoing genocide in Gaza, the friendships and love they found, including with one another, as well as the paradoxical feelings of disappointment and frustration they experienced watching many feminists in the West completely abandon their feminist values when it came …