Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring The Experiences Of Late Age-On-Arrival Multilingual Learners In Postsecondary Education, Robyn D. Ecklund

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Multilingual learners (MLs) are the fastest growing population in the United States public school system (Biondi et al., 2024; Kanno & Cromley, 2013; Perez & Morrison, 2016; Varghese & Fuentes, 2020). Within this population of students, there is a subset of students that arrive in the United States during secondary school. These “late age-on-arrival” students face significant linguistic, cultural and social challenges in their pursuit of postsecondary success after high school (Kanno, 2021; Kanno & Cromley, 2013; Perez & Morrison, 2016). This interpretative phenomenological analysis sought to answer the research question: what are the lived experiences of late age-on-arrival MLs …

Investigating The Impact Of School Leaders’ Leadership Style And Teachers’ Intrinsic Motivation For Improved Science Instruction In Elementary Schools, Leila M. Greene

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

A report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, determined that 69% of U.S. elementary teachers are not prepared to teach science, especially in the areas of earth/space and physical sciences. As a result, some elementary teachers avoid teaching science. School administrators play a key role in providing a supportive environment to inspire and motivate elementary science teachers. For this reason, the study utilized the Self-Determination Theory (SDT), to examine three types of school leadership styles (Transformational, Transactional, and Laissez-Faire) and how they impact the intrinsic motivation for elementary science teachers in three areas including autonomy, competency, and …

Contextual Influences On Algebra 1 Achievement In Florida: A Multilevel Analysis Of Fsa Data And Policy Implications For B.E.S.T., Alberto Leiro Jr

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

This study examined how school-level and district-level contextual factors are associated with Algebra 1 achievement in Florida using a multilevel modeling framework. Drawing on statewide publicly available data from the Florida Standards Assessments (FSA), the analysis included schools nested within districts to account for the hierarchical structure of educational data. School-level predictors included absenteeism, economic disadvantage, English language learner status, student mobility, and the proportion of students with disabilities, while district-level variables included poverty and crime rates. Results from the null model indicated that a meaningful proportion of variance in Algebra 1 achievement was attributable to differences among districts, supporting …

Towards An Understanding Of Learning In Immersive Virtual Reality: Investigating Learning Affordances To Bridge Theory And Practice, Gregory Mcgowin

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

This dissertation examines how modality-specific scaffolding shapes performance, presence, and transfer in immersive virtual reality (I-VR). Framed through theories of extended cognition, real-time guidance is conceptualized as cognitive scaffolding that structures perception and action by embedding task-relevant information within the environment. Situated within the learning sciences and informed by 4E cognition (embodied, embedded, enactive, extended), this work develops a framework for understanding how I-VR affordances relate to learning and performance.

The empirical study investigates how scaffolding modality (audio vs. visual) influences presence and performance in a VR racing simulation. Using a 3 × 2 × 2 mixed factorial design, 111 …

Two-Phase Transcritical Carbon Dioxide Flow At The Microscale For Thermal Management Applications, Soroush Niazi

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

High-power electronic and power-conversion devices now generate heat fluxes that exceed what conventional air- and single-phase-liquid cooling can dissipate, motivating the search for more capable coolants and cooling mechanisms. Carbon dioxide is an attractive candidate for this role: it is inexpensive, non-toxic, and environmentally friendly, and near its critical point its thermophysical properties change rapidly, which raises the heat-transfer coefficient. In addition, a large pressure drop produces strong cooling through the Joule–Thomson effect and phase change, so that the throttling element itself becomes a source of cooling. This dissertation studies the throttling, phase change, and choking of high-pressure carbon dioxide …

Well, If You Put It That Way Three Studies On Contract Framing In Incomplete Contract Environments, Garrison L. Nuttall

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

This dissertation contains three studies examining contract framing, with implications for how organizations structure and frame performance-based compensation systems. Across all studies, I compare penalty contracts to bonus contracts with gain framing and bonus contracts with loss framing. My first study examines how managers prefer to frame performance-based compensation systems on average and identifies how the traits trust propensity, empathy, personal norm of reciprocity, loss aversion, Machiavellianism, and critical thinking disposition are associated with certain preferences. I find that mangers prefer bonus contracts to penalty contracts on average and that empathy is positively associated with this preference. My second study …

Examining Principals' Perceptions Of Their Preparedness To Lead In Title I Schools, Tiffany Roebuck

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Principals serving in Title I schools face complex instructional, organizational, cultural, and community related demands that require specialized leadership preparation and support.  The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experience of principals serving in urban Title I schools regarding their preparedness, supports, challenges, and successes as instructional leaders. The study also examined principals' perceptions of culturally proficient leadership and principal preparation program attributes considered essential for leadership readiness in high-needs school settings. Guided by the Culturally Responsive School Leadership (CRSL) framework, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 10 principals serving in urban Title I …

Navigating Technology In The Secondary Ela Classroom: Written By Teachers For Teachers, David M. Grant, Alexandra Parham, Ashley Webb, Kimberly Cavalier, Erin Neebel, Amber Schouten

Faculty Book Gallery

This collection is a digital project of dedicated teacher-scholars who met in the summer of 2025 as part of the University of Northern Iowa’s graduate program in Teaching English in the Secondary Schools (TESS). Using the theoretical lens of multiliteracies, developed by the New London Group in the 1990s, students examined the impacts of several electronic and digital technologies on their students and their teaching, especially Artificial Intelligence, or A.I. Through fiction, nonfiction, and discussion, students considered the changes, the challenges, and the opportunities these technologies held. Most importantly, they investigated what these developments meant for their teaching, their districts, …

Part 2: Divergent Paths? Rising Defense Spending And Headwinds For The Port And Tourism, Dragas Center For Economic Analysis And Policy, Old Dominion University

State of the Region Reports: Hampton Roads

The most recent economic data shows that the three-legged stool is tilting under the weight of conflicting economic policies. National defense spending has continued to expand, and we expect that, as a result, defense spending in Hampton Roads will also rise in the coming years. Declines in federal civilian employment will limit these gains, and the defense industrial base in the region faces an existential threat from the rise of uncrewed systems on the modern battlefield. The Port of Virginia performed well, gaining market share, but higher tariffs have negatively impacted the dollar volume of trade flowing through the Port. …

The Role Of Adolescent Attachment In The Relationship Between Trauma And Identity, Ellie Mitova

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Traumatic experiences have been shown to influence identity development during emerging adulthood, a complex developmental period. However, research examining how trauma interacts with adolescent attachment qualities to shape identity processes remains limited. Previous studies have primarily focused on infant attachment styles and their long-term developmental outcomes, leaving a gap in understanding how attachment qualities developed through relationships with parents and peers during adolescence may influence identity development in emerging adults. Additionally, while traumatic experiences have been associated with maladaptive identity processes such as rumination and identity distress, some research suggests that trauma may also contribute to deeper identity exploration and …

Decreasing Risk Factors For Post-Intensive Care Syndrome Using Nurse-Led Rounds And A Novel Icu Liberation Bundle, Jennifer Kepler, Kenneth Moller

Publications 2026-present

Background: Critically ill patients are more likely to survive today than at any other time in history. As more patients recover from critical illnesses, however, many experience health impairments known as post-intensive care syndrome. The Society of Critical Care Medicine developed the ICU Liberation Bundle to decrease the risk of post-intensive care syndrome.

Problem: An audit of 100 patient charts identified complete ICU Liberation Bundle documentation in only 20% of eligible patient days, highlighting the need for increased consistency in bundle implementation. Since the ICU Liberation Bundle addresses modifiable post-intensive care syndrome risk factors, lack of consistency implementing bundle interventions …

Five Tensions Of Artificial Intelligence Adoption For Organ Allocation: Applying The Technology–Organization–Environment Framework, Amaneh Babaee, Daniel Burton Shank, Casey I. Canfield, Joely Grace Hall, Krista L. Lentine, Henry Randall, Mark Schnitzler

Psychological Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

Background: The US organ transplantation system is pursuing modernization of the allocation process through the integration of new technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI). However, the legal and ethical issues within the transplantation industry are still of concern. Objective: We explore the opportunities and challenges for Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs) to adopt AI. The US organ transplant system is a highly regulated industry yet open to innovation. Methods: Ten structured interviews were conducted with OPO representatives using the Extended Technology, Organization, Environment (TOE) framework. Results: Overall, we identified five core tensions in AI adoption: (1) misconceptions, (2) approach to training, …

Character Judgements Of Rap Music Fans, Kaila C. Putter, Dan J. Miller, Amy M. Belfi, James Rees, Amanda E. Krause

Psychological Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

Extending Fischoff, we used vignettes to examine people's perceptions of a hypothetical rap fan accused of murder. Study 1 (N = 300) used a 2 (murder accusation) x 2 (inclusion of rap lyrics) x 2 (fan gender) experiment, asking participants to judge how capable of murder and sexually aggressive they found the fan. The presentation of lyrics and murder accusation were associated with the fan being more capable of murder, while rap lyrics and participants' rap attitudes were associated with the fan being more sexually aggressive. Thematic analysis revealed that, in conditions containing both the lyrics and the murder accusation, …

Ambulatory Monitoring Of Biomarkers For Enhanced Recovery, Lucas Abrahamian, Gurman Dhami

Bioengineering Senior Theses

Oxidative stress, an imbalance of reactive oxygen species and antioxidants, serves as both a marker and progressor of several chronic and degenerative diseases. These conditions create a major global health burden, accounting for significant cost and deaths. The prevalence of oxidative stress–driven diseases highlights the need for improved strategies to detect the imbalance before irreversible damage occurs. However, despite its major role in disease progression, oxidative stress is typically assessed using static, invasive, or laboratory methods. These approaches are poorly suited for continuous monitoring and fail to serve high-risk groups, such as patients with a family history of disease or …

When The Internet Attacks, Craig Cowie

Cardozo Law Review

Courts have struggled with applying personal jurisdiction in cases involving intentional torts where the defendants act outside the forum, and the problem is particularly apparent and acute when the defendants use the internet to commit the tort. For example, is there jurisdiction when a defendant doxxes someone and calls for violence? What if they leave a bad Yelp review? Or tweet a defamatory statement? Courts have used many tests for determining whether personal jurisdiction is appropriate in these situations, but there has been relatively little recent scholarship on whether these tests are appropriate for analyzing personal jurisdiction in these contexts. …