Digital Commons Network^™

Little Bighorn Days 2026, Hardin, Montana, Emma Keinath-Lopez

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

This study was conducted for Little Bighorn Days to provide insight into the characteristics of attendees of the 2026 Little Bighorn Days event hosted in Hardin, Montana. Seventy attendees of the event completed the survey. Results show that the majority of respondents were Montana residents, with 66% residing in Montana and 85% of Montana respondents residing in Big Horn County. Respondents from outside Big Horn County spent an average of five nights in Montana and reported a total spending of $24,994.00, with the highest expenditures occurring in hotel/motel/bed and breakfasts, restaurants/bars, retail goods/services, and gasoline/diesel. Overall, attendees reported high levels …

River City Roots Festival 2026, Missoula, Montana, Emma Keinath-Lopez

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

This study was conducted to provide insight into the characteristics, spending patterns, and satisfaction levels of attendees at the 2026 River City Roots Festival in Missoula, Montana. A total of 251 attendees completed the survey. Approximately 85% of respondents were Montana residents, including 72% who resided in Missoula County. Among respondents from outside Missoula County, 74% spent at least one night away from home. Visitors spent an average of 3.9 nights in Montana and 2.9 nights in Missoula. Fifty-six respondent groups from outside of Missoula County provided expenditure information, reporting an estimated $44,397.38 in total visitor spending in Missoula. The …

Dnp Student Implementation Of Pc4 Model In A Pregnancy Resource Center To Improve Quality Of Care, Priscilla A. Outlaw

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Pregnancy resource centers (PRCs) play a critical role in supporting women from underserved communities but often struggle to consistently meet clients’ emotional, cultural, and psychological needs. The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project was to evaluate the impact of implementing the Person-Centered Care and Communication Continuum (PC4) Model—an evidence-based framework designed to enhance respect, communication, and individualized attention in maternal healthcare—on client satisfaction and service engagement at a local PRC.

Guided by Watson’s Theory of Human Caring, this mixed-methods quality-improvement project assessed antenatal client satisfaction and service delivery before and after PC4 implementation. Surveys and structured observations …

Supporting Socialization & Expression In Ltc: A Scoping Review Of Language Barriers & Older Adults, Christina Oleynikov, Amanda Mcintyre

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Communication is central to socialization and the expression of cultural identity [7]. In multilingual societies such as Canada, language barriers can hinder full integration, affecting social participation and overall quality of life [6,7,9]. The proposed study focuses on language barriers faced by minority older adults in long-term care settings. Non-English speaking residents who face barriers in communication and lack the adequate support necessary to overcome them, become vulnerable to impaired meaningful interactions and social isolation [3,11]. This study plans to gather and review existing scientific literature on how these barriers affect older adults and impact their socialization needs. A scoping …

Examining Covid-19 Vaccination Attitudes And Behaviors Among Undergraduate Nursing Students, Nicele Catherine Medel Arana

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

As COVID-19 transitions into endemic management, understanding vaccination behaviors and beliefs among nursing students is critical given nurses’ roles in patient education and vaccine advocacy. This descriptive, cross-sectional study examined COVID-19 vaccination attitudes, booster uptake, infection history, and advocacy confidence among undergraduate Bachelor of Science nursing students at a public urban college. Forty-six students across three cohorts completed an anonymous online survey informed by the Health Belief Model (HBM) and the Vaccine Hesitancy Scale (VHS) following institutional review board (IRB) approval (IRB #2025-0805-York). Findings demonstrated near-universal completion of the primary COVID-19 vaccine series, contrasted by lower booster uptake. A majority …

Grieving While Becoming: Examining Where Grief, Whole Person Formation, And Student Support Meet, Tynia J. Albea

Papers

College is often a pivotal period in young adults’ lives. Adulthood may seem like a distant concept. However, grief and trauma appear to affect young adults significantly, often without a safe space to digest or comprehend. Thus, current student support may limit and disrupt a student’s ability to understand their emotional regulation, virtues, and identity. This analysis aims to understand how student support services provide resources and spaces for students experiencing grief and/or trauma and identify how grief intersects with student success. Using student development theory with an empathetic, trauma-informed lens, faculty and staff will be able to support students …

Ceftaroline Pharmacokinetics On Ecmo, A Pediatric Case Report., Kathryn Pavia, Ashton Bellamy, Alaina Burns, Allison Scott, Ethan A. Poweleit

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: In-vitro studies suggest that patients on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) may struggle to achieve therapeutic ceftaroline exposure to treat infections due to antibiotic sequestration within the ECMO oxygenator; however, there are no published data regarding ceftaroline concentrations from patients supported by ECMO.

PATIENT PRESENTATION: Here we present an analysis of ceftaroline pharmacokinetics in a 5-y-old patient supported on ECMO due to influenza-associated necrotizing pneumonia.

RESULTS: A total of nine concentrations were analyzed, including three concentrations prior to cannulation and six on ECMO. ECMO cannulation was associated with a relatively small change in the volume of distribution (0.17 L/kg to …

Public Rhetoric And Private Strategy: The World Bank's Relationship With Mexico Through The 1980s Debt Crisis, Phillip Purcell

Holster Scholar Projects

This project investigates how the World Bank's relationship with Mexico changed through the 1980s debt crisis and whether the institution's internal assessments differed from its public presentation. Drawing on archival memoranda, correspondence, briefing papers, and publicly available reports, the study compares World Bank deliberations with official statements and publications. It demonstrates that examining these private and public records together provides a clearer understanding of how the Bank formulated policy, exercised influence over Mexico's economic strategy, and responded to the challenges of debt, adjustment, and reform. More broadly, the project contributes to understanding the role of international financial institutions in shaping …

Hidden Patterns: Revealing The Noise Exposure Habits Of College Musicians Throughout The Year, Maya Vallejo

Holster Scholar Projects

College musicians face elevated risk for noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) due to extensive rehearsal, headphone use, and performance activity, yet most objective sound-exposure studies rely on personal dosimeters that capture only brief windows (1–3 weeks) during the academic year, and overlook headphone-specific exposure. This study leveraged historical Apple Watch and AirPods sound data from participants in the ongoing AMI study (Skoe lab, University of Connecticut) to compare environmental and headphone noise exposure between academic-year and academic-break periods in college-age lifelong, former, and non-musicians. Sound levels (dBA) were calculated using duration-weighted, log-power averaging to account for the logarithmic nature of decibels. …

Complete Issue, David R. Dunaetz

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Using Demographics And Psychographics To Advance The Great Commission: Lessons From The National Association Of Free Will Baptists, Edward E. Mooody Jr.

Great Commission Research Journal

For decades, marketers have used demographics and psychographics to engage different segments of the population. Psychographics refers to the study of people’s activities, interests, opinions, values, attitudes, and lifestyles to better understand and predict behavior beyond what can be learned from demographic characteristics alone (Demby, 1974; Wells & Tigert, 1971). This paper examines whether these strategies can be effectively adapted to advance the Great Commission. The practices of the early church, particularly those of the Apostle Paul, reflect principles that are consistent with contemporary demographic and psychographic analysis. In this paper, the process of using an approach to help churches …

Retention Rates: A Qualitative Study Exploring Teachers’ Perspectives Of Teaching In Northeast Florida, Dawn J. Kell

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

This qualitative phenomenological study explored workplace experiences and motivational factors influencing teacher retention among Northeast Florida charter school educators. With nearly half a million teachers leaving the classroom annually and approximately 41% leaving within their first five years, understanding why educators remain in the profession is imperative for sustaining student success and educational quality. The purpose of this study was to explore motivational factors that lead teachers to remain in the profession despite current challenges. Using a purposeful sampling method, 12 certified Northeast Florida charter school teachers participated in 30-minute semi-structured interviews conducted via Zoom. Each 30-minute interview was recorded, …

Guided By Innovation: A Phenomenological Study Of Virtual Elementary Teachers’ Perceptions Of Generative Artificial Intelligence Integration, Lisa M. Berry

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of elementary virtual teachers who integrate generative artificial intelligence (GAI) tools in their pedagogical practices at a large elementary virtual school. Participants were purposively sampled because those in the specified virtual school program provided relevant, experience-based insights and allowed the researcher practical, feasible access (Creswell & Poth, 2018). The participant sample for this study consisted of virtual elementary teachers who taught students in kindergarten through fifth grade. The researcher conducted semi-structured interviews with 10 teachers. The researcher followed Creswell and Poth’s (2018) data analysis spiral to systematically …

Beyond Satisfaction: Predictors And Correlates Of Marital Health, Erin C. Smalley

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

This quantitative, nonexperimental, cross-sectional study evaluated factors associated with and predictive of marital health. Marital health was identified as a more holistic evaluator of marital connection and commitment, moving beyond individual satisfaction. The original sample was taken from the archived Marriage Health in America survey data. The sample included 3,808 United States adults. Participants completed a marital satisfaction index and a marital health measure, while simultaneously ranking 32 identified factors of marital health. The results found that love for each other was the strongest predictor of marital health, followed by communication through listening, respect, trust, and sexual intimacy. These findings …

Enrollment Profile Report Fall 2026, Systems Intelligence And Data Analytics, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Enrollment Reports

No abstract provided.

Dipl 1711ac: Introduction To International Relations, Brendan J. Balestrieri Ph.D.

Diplomacy Syllabi

This course aims to familiarize students with the foundational literature and theoretical frameworks that underpin the field of International Relations. We will integrate these elements by examining contemporary issues and significant historical events through the perspective of IR theory. The course starts with a basic historical review of International Relations study, progressing to the practical use of these theories to understand and interpret major occurrences in global politics.

By the end of this course, you will have:

- Obtained a working knowledge of the “big three” theoretical approaches to international relations and their constituent theories as well as the ability …

Dipl 1711: Introduction To International Relations, R. Joseph Huddleston Ph.D.

Diplomacy Syllabi

This course aims to familiarize students with the foundational literature and theoretical frameworks that underpin the field of International Relations. We will integrate these elements by examining contemporary issues and significant historical events through the perspective of IR theory. The course starts with a basic historical review of International Relations study, progressing to the practical use of these theories to understand and interpret major occurrences in global politics.

By the end of this course, you will:

• Discuss the crucial events of contemporary world politics (WWI-present).

• Argue the main schools of international relations theory and use them to analyze …

Dipl 4170 Aa/Na Topics In Economic Development, Omer Gokcekus Ph.D.

Diplomacy Syllabi

This course provides students with an in-depth analysis of five major areas of economic development: poverty, inequality, and social protection; gender and economic opportunity; education and human capital; institutions, governance, and corruption; and food security, agriculture, and development. For each topic, students will engage with scholarly research, learn how key development concepts are defined and measured, and examine what major development indicators capture—and what they may miss. Particular attention will be given to country specificity and initial conditions, recognizing that development problems and the effectiveness of policy interventions depend on a country’s economic, social, and institutional circumstances. Students will then …

Dipl 6031 International Environmental Policy, Philip Moremen Ph.D.

Diplomacy Syllabi

This course will address the nature, content, and structure of international environmental policy and law.  The course will first familiarize students with international environmental problems and basic principles.  The course will then take up various specific topics, such as global warming, stratospheric ozone depletion, trade and environment, and forest protection.  Throughout, the course will apply interdisciplinary tools to help understand the international environmental regulatory system.  The course will explore the roles of different actors in that system, as well as the difficulties of negotiating and implementing agreements that form the rules of the system.

In terms of the learning goals …

Rethinking Behavior - Fall 2026, Midwest Symposium For Leadership In Behavior Disorders

ReThinking Behavior Magazine

A magazine for professionals serving children and youth with behavioral needs.

Fall 2026, Volume 10, Issue 1

Vol 71 #5, Rebecca Chavez

MPLA Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Statement From The Indiana Academy Of The Social Sciences And Board Of Directors

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

Volume 29, Issue 1 Full Contents

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

You’Ve Got Junk Mail: Prevalence Of And Factors Related To Sending And Receiving Unsolicited Nudes, Aimee Adam, Brittany Sizemore, Todd Manson

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

Unsolicited nudes are common, but most of the research in this area has focused on the motivations of men sending such images and the reactions of women who receive them. In this online study, we attempted to investigate the prevalence of sending and receiving unsolicited sexual images in a broader population, and variables related to this behavior. In our sample of 357 participants, we found few people (less than 20%) acknowledged ever having sent such images, and no difference in whether people had ever sent unsolicited nudes based on gender identity. However, we found that most people (almost 68%) had …

Social Bonds In Specialized Courts: An Expanded Integrated Model Of Treatment Court Effectiveness, Christopher Salvatore

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

Specialized court programs, which began with drug treatment courts, now include reentry, domestic violence, prostitution, mental health, veterans, and other problem solving courts, have been shown to reduce recidivism and provide improvements in participant outcomes. Over the last thirty years, scholars have provided theoretical explanations for these programs, including therapeutic jurisprudence, life course theory, deterrence, risk-needs-responsivity, and procedural justice. These theoretical paradigms have not fully integrated the central role of relationships and prosocial connections in specialized courts. This article extends the integrated theoretical model presented by Kaiser and Holtfreter by integrating social bond theory as a critical mechanism connecting specialized …

Learning By Doing To Teach Research Skills In Econometrics, Christie Byun

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

This paper examines a revision in an introductory econometrics course at an undergraduate liberal arts college. The instructors have incorporated extensive use of data from the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series from the Current Population Survey (IPUMS-CPS), with applied examples that demonstrate econometric theory. The key element is a short empirical paper assignment in which all students work on a common research question, but with different data sets. The paper assignment includes a series of scaffolding assignments using IPUMS-CPS data. This approach has several benefits, including ease of implementation into any course that has an empirical paper component, significantly streamlined …

From Classroom Conversations To Public Dialogue: Preservice Teachers Engaging With Diverse Children’S Literature, Janell Pycior

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

Preservice teachers often engage with issues of diversity, equity, identity, and representation within the safety of their university classrooms; however, opportunities to extend these conversations into public and professional settings may be less common. This practice-based reflective article examines the experience of moving seven undergraduate preservice teachers enrolled in an upper-level Diversity in Children’s Literature course beyond their familiar classroom environment and into a professional academic conference. The students, majoring in early childhood, elementary, or special education and minoring in reading, participated in a roundtable discussion at the Indiana Academy of Social Sciences focused on diversity and representation in children’s …

Author Biographical Notes

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

Lgbtq+ Identity Among Young Adults With Autism, Meg Hoffer-Collins, Mixalis Poulakis, Lauri Hyers

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

Our qualitative study examined the sexual orientation and gender identity experiences of LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other sexual and gender minority identities) identified young adults on the autism spectrum. In one-on-one semi-structured qualitative interviews with thirteen participants (ages 18-33), we explored three questions: (1) How do young adults with ASD characterize their LGBTQ+ identity; (2) How have they navigated the disclosure of their LGBTQ+ identity and coming out to others; and (3) How has their LGBTQ+ identity impacted their relationships. Qualitative coding of interviews revealed that most participants began considering their LGBTQ+ identity before adulthood and settled …

The Survival Of Sugar In Post-Emancipation British Guiana: East Indian Indentured Immigration And The Cheapening Of Labor, Wazir Mohamed

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

This Paper revisits the post-emancipation changes in the labor market of British Guiana. British Guiana, Mauritius, Trinidad and Tobago, Fiji, and several other locations were spaces where East Indian Indentured Immigrants from Idia became pivotal in the economy.[1] In the decade after emancipation (1838-1848), the rise of global free trade in sugar spurred by the equalization of duties in sugar factored in the search for a cheaper and the importation of a more pliable labor force to keep the wheels of sugar turning in British Guiana. With this background in mind this paper focuses on indentured immigration of East …