Digital Commons Network^™

Preparing Relational Leaders In Teacher Education: Graduate Student Perspectives On Leadership Practices, Mary Louie Stahl Phd

Journal of Practitioner Research

This practitioner research study examines how graduate education students prioritize relational, professional, and reflective leadership practices within a leadership framework used in a graduate teacher education course. While scholarship on care-centered leadership emphasizes the importance of relational trust, authenticity, and kindness in educational leadership, little research has explored how aspiring educators interpret and prioritize these leadership practices during their teacher preparation programs. Institutional Review Board approval was obtained for this study. Ten graduate students enrolled in a Human Learning, Development, and Motivation course completed an optional structured reflective survey based on engagement with a leadership framework. Data were analyzed using …

Holy Cross Magazine, Vol. 60 No. 3, Fall 2026, College Of The Holy Cross

Holy Cross Magazine

Fellowship of the Spring
The mission of Holy Cross’ storied Spring Break Immersion Program? It’s not service.
Story by Abby Riviello
Photography by Avanell Chang

St. Ignatius Wouldn’t Care If You Went to the Gym
“Cura personalis” is widely used — and also widely misunderstood. What does the Latin term really mean in Jesuit life?
Reflection by Rev. Keith Maczkiewicz, S.J.
Illustration by Eva Vázquez

We Are Not Alone
William H. “Bill” Diamond Jr. ’78, president and CEO of the SETI Institute, says the truth is out there, but it’s likely not what you think.
Story by Marybeth Reilly-McGreen ’89 …

Impact Of Corporate Governance On Achieving Desired Corporate Hedging Outcomes, Shweta Chitalia

Harrisburg University Dissertations and Theses

Corporate derivative hedging is intended to manage financial exposures, stabilize cash flows, and support organizational risk-management objectives; however, limited public evidence exists regarding how governance structures influence hedge evaluation, approval, and timely execution. This qualitative descriptive study examined how corporate governance was publicly described in relation to derivative hedging among large U.S. nonfinancial corporations. The study analyzed one publicly available Form 10-K filing from each of 25 purposively selected S&P 500 nonfinancial firms reporting active derivative hedging programs. Data were collected from SEC filings and organized in an Excel-based audit trail containing a document log, excerpt-level coding records, codebook, firm …

The Genomic-Ready Nursing Student: Pilot Validation Of The N-Safe-9 Instrument, Amaris Aviles

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Genomic variation in drug metabolism significantly influences opioid safety, yet pharmacogenomics (PGx) remains minimally represented in pre-licensure nursing curricula, leaving graduates underprepared to interpret genetic results or apply gene-guided clinical decision-making. This pilot study introduces the Nursing Student Assessment of Pharmacogenomic Education (N-SAFE-9), a theory-informed, nine-item instrument designed to measure PGx knowledge, clinical confidence in opioid safety, and perceived system readiness to use clinical decision support (CDS). The instrument will undergo expert content validation followed by preliminary psychometric testing among pre-licensure nursing students at Northern Illinois University who have completed pharmacology coursework (target n = 45). Planned analyses include item …

The Prevention Of Unintended Hypothermia In Surgical Patients, S. Adam Robert Anderson, Jacqueline Hoying

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Hypothermia is a common perioperative complication and affects up to 70% of surgical patients undergoing general anesthesia. Hypothermia is preventable yet remains unaddressed in surgical settings throughout the United States. Complications include prolonged coagulation, increased surgical site infections, and delayed recovery, leading to additional costs between $2,500 and $7,000 per patient.

Purpose: This evidence-based quality improvement project aimed to implement a prewarming protocol using AORN thermal management guidelines and preoperatively prevent unintended hypothermia in adult surgical patients undergoing general anesthesia. Project goal was to increase organizational prewarming rates by 30% in the project’s timeline.

Implementation Plan: The implementation included …

What War Games Actually Teach: Threat Recognition, Not Prediction, Charles Edward Gehrke

Naval War College Press Preprints

Despite long-standing in-house and public interest in USN war gaming, new technologies and geopolitical realities have left the practice in waters of unknown depth and contours. Finding a way forward will require leaving behind the fog of unvarnished praise and criticism and answering the following question: What benefit do war games actually deliver?

Against Heaven And Against You: The Puzzle Of Promising On Divine Command Theory, Nathan Dowell

Faith and Philosophy: Journal of the Society of Christian Philosophers

No abstract provided.

On The Importance Of Moral Psychology To Bayesian Natural Theology, Luke Wilson

Faith and Philosophy: Journal of the Society of Christian Philosophers

No abstract provided.

[Excerpt From] Cultivating Compassion In Nursing: From Learner To Leader, Tim Cunningham, Rose L. Horton, Reynaldo Capucao Jr.

Sigma Publications: Book Excerpts

In a profession facing workforce shortages, burnout, technological disruption, and increasing complexity, compassion can no longer be assumed. It must be intentionally cultivated. Cultivating Compassion in Nursing: From Learner to Leader reframes compassion as more than an innate trait, presenting it as a teachable, measurable, and sustainable professional skill. Drawing on nursing science, neuroscience, leadership research, and real-world case studies, Tim Cunningham demonstrates how compassion strengthens human connection while supporting resilience in today’s healthcare environments. Through evidence-based research, reflective exercises, storytelling, art, and companion learning tools, readers learn to: 

• Develop compassion as a professional competency
• Build resilience and meaningful connections …

Chapter 4: Untangling The “Legal Vortex”: Transit, Tolls, And Truce In The Strait Of Hormuz, James Kraska

International Law Studies

No abstract provided.

High School Teachers' Experiences Working With Latino Immigrant Students Who Have Experienced Trauma, Collette Marie Jiménez Serra

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Latino immigrant students in U.S. public high schools are disproportionately exposed to trauma related to migration experiences, family separation, poverty, and acculturative stress, yet many teachers report feeling underprepared to address students’ trauma-related needs in culturally responsive ways. Limited research has examined high school teachers’ lived experiences implementing trauma-informed practices with Latino immigrant students, particularly from teachers’ own perspectives. The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore high school teachers’ lived experiences implementing trauma-informed practices with Latino immigrant students, including their perceptions of preparedness and the factors influencing implementation. Guided by principles of trauma-informed care (TIC) and relational-cultural …

Implementation Of A Standardized Social Determinants Of Health Screening And Documentation Workflow In Primary Care, Callistus Eze Okereh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The completed quality-improvement project addressed inconsistent screening and incomplete electronic health record (EHR) documentation of low-income, limited family support, and transportation barriers in a primary care clinic. The nursing practice problem can disrupt access, adherence, chronic disease management, and continuity of care. The practice-focused question examined whether an ADDIE-based education program would improve social determinants of health (SDOH) screening, EHR documentation, staff knowledge and confidence, and referral or follow-up documentation during a 6- to 8-week period. The project purpose was to develop, implement, and evaluate a role-based education program and standardized workflow for clinic staff. Evidence sources were drawn from …

Mental Well-Being Of Parents Who Have A Child With A Disability, Miracle Denae Adkins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Parents of children with developmental disabilities often experience elevated levels of stress and emotional burden associated with caregiving responsibilities, which can affect their mental health and overall well-being. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore the perceptions, experiences, and decision-making processes of parents of children with developmental disabilities regarding the use of resources to support their own mental health. Data were collected through semistructured interviews, and data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed that parents’ decisions to seek and use mental health resources were influenced by multiple factors, including accessibility and availability of services, financial …

Urban Secondary Teachers’ Perspectives On Their Experiences With Ai-Generated Lesson Plans To Support Instructional Practices, Jennifer Amend

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Urban secondary schools are increasingly encouraged to integrate AI tools into instructional planning. The problem many teachers remain uncertain about the effectiveness of AI-generated lesson plans. Grounded in Hall and Hord’s concerns-based adoption model, the purpose of this project study was to explore urban secondary teachers’ perspectives of their successes, challenges, and resource needs related to the use of AI-generated lesson plans to support instructional practices at PUHS. For this basic qualitative design, data were collected through semistructured interviews with 11 secondary teachers and analyzed using first-cycle coding and second-cycle pattern coding. Six themes emerged: AI as an Efficiency and …

Social Workers’ Experiences Navigating And Facilitating Advance Directives In Healthcare Settings, Shanice Kelley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Advance care planning and advance directives are essential to patient-centered healthcare; however, limited research has examined how social workers facilitate advance directive documentation in healthcare environments. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore how social workers describe and navigate the facilitation of advance directive documentation, including medical power of attorney, living wills, and out-of-hospital do-not-resuscitate orders, within healthcare settings. Guided by ecological systems theory, this study examined how procedural, relational, and contextual factors across interacting systems influence social workers’ facilitation practices. Data were collected through semi structured one-on-one interviews with eight licensed social workers with direct experience …

Access And Utilization Of Counseling For People With Sexual Offense Histories, Darrell Antonio Jones Jr.

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a gap in understanding the low rate of utilization of mental health support services among adult men and women with criminal sex offense histories, which worsened mental health challenges for this population. The purpose of this qualitative action research study was to explore human services professionals’ perceptions and recommendations about access and utilization of mental health counseling for formerly incarcerated adults with sexual offense histories. Grounded in the good lives model of offender rehabilitation, the research question was: How do human services professionals perceive access to and utilization of mental health, holistic, and wellness counseling for formerly incarcerated …

Examining The Challenges Of Providing Mental Health Treatment In Female Correctional Facilities From The Perspective Of Mental Health Professionals, Lacretia Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Women in correctional settings frequently experience significant mental health issues that are linked to histories of trauma, abuse, and victimization. Despite increased attention to trauma-informed and gender-responsive approaches, numerous obstacles continue to affect the delivery of mental health treatment within female correctional facilities. Existing literature focuses on systemic and policy concerns, overlooking mental health professionals' experiences. Guided by general systems theory, this qualitative study examined the challenges encountered by providers, including how organizational, environmental, and institutional factors influence treatment implementation. Data collected through semistructured interviews with 10 mental health professionals revealed multiple barriers to effective service delivery, including the complex …

Educators’ Perceptions Of The Challenges Of Reintegrating High School Students Returning From Suspension In A Western Suburban School District In Chicago, Rebecca Moss

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem that was addressed through this study was that Grade 9–12 educators face challenges in implementing effective behavioral support systems for students returning to school after a suspension. Grounded in Bandura’s social cognitive theory, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to investigate Grade 9–12 educators’ perceptions of the challenges they face and their recommendations when supporting students who return to school after a suspension in a western suburban Chicago district. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 11 purposely sampled Grade 9–12 educators including administrators, teachers, social workers, school counselors, and school psychologists. Through thematic analysis, four themes emerged. …

Project Management Frameworks For The Responsible Integration Of Ai In Luxury Interior Design And Ff&E Practice, Jade Alfstad Hachem

Harrisburg University Dissertations and Theses

The rapid integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into luxury interior design and furniture, fixtures, and equipment (FF&E) practice has outpaced the governance structures needed to protect creative authorship, craft traditions, and cultural intelligence. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to examine how project management frameworks could govern the responsible integration of AI in luxury interior design and FF&E specification. The study was grounded in the Adopt a Holistic View principle of the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) Guide, Eighth Edition, and addressed three research questions on governance frameworks, tensions between technology and handcraft, and art historical literacy. …

Implementation Of A Standardized Protocol To Improve Provider Documentation And Initiation Of Guideline-Concordant Hypertension Follow-Up Within 14 Days In Primary Care, Stella Williams

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Hypertension is a major modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, yet timely follow-up after elevated blood pressure (BP) readings is not consistently documented in primary care. This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) quality improvement project evaluated whether a standardized hypertension screening follow-up protocol improved provider initiation or documentation of guideline-concordant follow-up within 14 days. The faculty-approved PICOT population was primary care providers in a primary care clinic; we used eligible electronic health record (EHR) encounters as the analytic records to observe provider performance. We used a quantitative pre/post design and retrospectively reviewed 30 eligible EHR encounters: 15 pre-implementation …

Tech Oligarchs And Corporate Vigilantism, Joao Marinotti, Asaf Lubin

Articles by Maurer Faculty

Big Tech’s unchecked power has evolved from a regulatory crisis into one concerning the rule of law itself. Shielded by the First Amendment, Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act, corporate law, and contract law, technology giants have circumvented traditional government oversight, amassing a level of power that eclipses even that of some sovereign states. No longer guided by cautious boards of directors, today’s tech empires are often ruled by impulsive billionaire CEOs, who, through a single policy change or algorithmic tweak, can upend individual rights, destabilize global markets, and erode democratic governance itself.

The scale of such dangers …

Exploring The Current Landscape Of After-School Programs In 4-H, Theresa M Ferrari, Travis West

Journal of Extension

After-school programs have attracted considerable attention as a setting for positive youth development programming, and 4-H has been part of the growth of the after-school field. We undertook the current study to describe the extent of after-school programming in 4-H and to learn about the breadth of program offerings and their frequency, duration, and location. The 139 respondents to our 15-question Qualtrics survey were from all regions of the United States and conducted programs in diverse communities. The information gained from this survey provides a snapshot of how 4-H professionals are involved with after-school programs in their communities.

Strategies To Transform Natural Resource Extension With Inaturalist And Engage The Public In Biodiversity Conservation, Corey T Callaghan, Brittany M Mason

Journal of Extension

Participatory citizen science is an increasingly popular tool that provides nonformal education and learning activities. iNaturalist, a free, open-access, participatory citizen science platform, provides a place to engage the public in natural resource programming. Here, we explore practical applications for integrating iNaturalist into Extension programming. We highlight two approaches: (a) self-guided programming, where participants independently engage in biodiversity documentation and professionals contribute identifications, and (b) facilitated programming, which involves structured events and projects led by Extension professionals. We discuss the unique advantages of using iNaturalist in these contexts and offer recommendations for quantitatively measuring and reporting its impact in Extension …

Exact Formulas For Restricted Coprime Representations Of Even Integers, Andres Mauricio Salazar

Communications on Number Theory and Combinatorial Theory

Let p ≥ 5 be prime, and let g(2n,p) denote the number of unordered representations by positive integers 2n = h + k, with h ≤ k and gcd(h,6p) = gcd(k,6p) = 1. Every positive integer coprime to 6 belongs to exactly one of the families 6z + 1 and 6z + 5. In each family, divisibility by p excludes one explicit residue class of z modulo p. We use these two excluded classes to derive an exact formula for g(2n,p) from finite residue counts and nonnegative lift counts. The formula is valid for every positive integer n, including all …

Women Leaders In Higher Education Amidst Crisis: A Narrative Inquiry Exploring Ethical Decision-Making, Jacqueline Hawkins

Doctor of Education Program Dissertations

Women leaders in higher education navigate complex institutional environments in which ethical decisions are made under conditions of uncertainty, urgency, and competing responsibilities (Gigliotti, 2020; Riggio & Newstead, 2023). The problem addressed in this study was to explore how women leaders navigated ethical complexities, balanced competing responsibilities, and made meaning of crisis leadership experiences within higher education contexts. The purpose of this qualitative narrative inquiry was to explore how women leaders in higher education describe their experiences with ethical decision-making during crisis situations. Guided by the ethic of care described by Noddings (1984, 2013), the study examined participants’ ethical reasoning, …

Counselors-In-Training Attitudes Towards Social Justice Oriented Self-Disclosure, Kaitlyn Jones

The Bear Counseling Collective

The purpose of this phenomenological study will be to understand the attitudes towards social justice-oriented self-disclosure in counselors-in-training participating in their first practicum experience. By exploring their lived experiences and perceptions, this study seeks to illuminate how counselors-in-training (CITs) navigate the tension between clinical neutrality and social justice oriented engagement in therapeutic spaces.

Preparing For Effective Supervision: Considerations For First Time Supervisees, Mallory Radcliff, Laura Rivas

The Bear Counseling Collective

Supervision is an essential part of clinical training and serves as an essential support to students who are beginning to see clients for the first time (American Counseling Association [ACA], 2014; Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs [CACREP], 2024). To effectively utilize supervision, it is important to establish shared expectations and goals between supervisor and supervisee (Bernard & Goodyear, 2019). Without previous experience in supervision, it may feel challenging for first time supervisees to know what appropriate goals or expectations of supervision are. Current literature focuses primarily on effective supervision from a supervisory perspective and lacks a …

Mitigating Mental Health Disparities: Ethnic Matching As A Moderating Variable On Help Seeking Using The Theory Of Planned Behavior, Max Oishi

The Bear Counseling Collective

There are significant mental health treatment disparities for racially and ethnically minoritized (REM) populations (Lin et al., 2023; McGuire & Miranda, 2008; Thomeer et al., 2023). These disparities include REM populations seeking help for mental health treatment at differing rates compared to European Americans along with significant treatment underutilization for REM populations along with intergroup differences (Choi et al., 2019; Hosseini & Kubavat, 2022; Kim & Lee, 2022; Kwong et al., 2025; Schraufnagel et al., 2006; Sheehan et al., 2018 & 2024). Due to underutilization, research suggests ethnic matching and/or racial matching could mediate mental health disparities for REM populations …

Volume 3 (2026), The Bear Counseling Collective

The Bear Counseling Collective

A journal of student counselors' reflections on culturally attentive mental health care and advocacy.

Identité Ambiguë, Mémoire Traumatisée, Et Discours Postcolonial Dans Petit Pays De Gaël Faye, Israel Adégòkè Owóṣení

Tête à Tête: Journal of Francophone Studies

Les écrits autofictifs et semi-autobiographiques de la littérature postcoloniale francophone sont encore à explorer et à discourir, surtout dans le contexte littéraire du XXIe siècle où apparaissent des motifs récurrents et nouveaux tels que l’ambiguïté culturelle, l’hybridité, l’altérité, l’inclusion, la liminalité, le traumatisme et l’effet négatif souillé du postcolonialisme à la mémoire dans une nouvelle ère. Ainsi, cette étude est conçue pour examiner l’ambiguïté identitaire de Gaby et les legs de la colonisation émanant des conflits intertribaux, de la guerre, du génocide et de la violence, qui ont largement miné la perception psychologique du héros - Gaby.

Cette étude a …