Digital Commons Network^™

Farmworker Mental Health: Identifying Environmental And Occupational Factors, Lizette Alvarez, Lizette De Loera, Melissa Zambrano

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Farmworkers have an extensive history of contributing to the economic development of the United States. However, research has paid limited attention to this population. From the ecological systems theory approach the purpose of this study is to contribute to the limited amount of research literature available on the implications of farmworkers mental health due to the experiences they encounter in regards to their occupational, environmental, psychosocial and community factors they face. This study will use a mixed methods approach, because of the researcher’s interest in detailed information about farmworkers’ environmental and occupational factors that impact their mental health. One hundred …

What Kind Of Foster Care Parent Training Leads To A Reduction In Foster Care Maltreatment?, Itzel K. Alcaras

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This research proposal would identify the gaps in foster parent training and how caregiver maltreatment increases the risk of re-traumatization of foster children. While foster care is designed to promote safety, protection, and stability for children, existing literature continues to show that inadequate trauma-informed and evidence-based training may hinder caregivers' ability to respond to their complex needs, leading foster children to continue experiencing emotional and psychological harm. To further assess this concern, an exploratory qualitative study would be implemented utilizing a semi-structured interview that will include demographic questions then transition to open-ended questions format that will examine caregiver perceptions of …

Gaps In Therapeutic Services For Foster Youth In Short Term Residential Therapeutic Programs, Kaniqua Tainiaja Stewart, Maria Del Rosario Sanchez, Rachelle Hernandez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study examines rehabilitation outcomes among foster youth who are currently or were previously placed in Short-Term Residential Therapeutic Programs (STRTPs), also known as group homes. With more than 400,000 children are in foster care in the United States, and approximately 39,000–57,000 residing in group homes, limited research has explored why rehabilitation efforts in these settings often fall short. Existing literature emphasizes policy reforms, compliance, and placement outcomes under California’s Continuum of Care Reform, but gives less attention to youths lived therapeutic experiences and the consistency and quality of mental health services delivered within STRTPs. This study addresses this gap …

Foster Youth Success In Higher Education, Brianna Mosqueda, Ana Gutierrez Perez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This proposed study explores the topic of foster youth and their personal experiences, identifying influential factors in career choice at higher levels of education. Emphasized factors include overall motivation levels, personal experiences, financial factors, support, and potential challenges. Results of this proposed study could identify resources to better understand current gaps in educational success using two theories, such as Social Cognitive Career Theory and Self-Determination Theory. Study data would be analyzed using a quantitative approach, implementing non-probability sampling, specifically quota sampling, to identify and recruit foster care youth participants. Survey responses collected via scaling questions would be transferred from the …

Foster Youth Perspectives On The Effectiveness Of School-Based Academic Support, Stephanie Monroy

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This research aims to explore how foster youth perceive the effectiveness of various evidence-based interventions that have previously been used to support their education. Due to the various barriers that foster youth face, they often experience significantly lower academic performance than their non-foster youth peers. Consequently, high school graduation rates among foster youth remain significantly lower than those of their non-foster youth peers. Much of the existing literature is outdated and does not adequately reflect current educational realities for foster youth. Additionally, existing literature primarily focuses on measurable outcomes and program evaluations, with less emphasis on ensuring the lived experiences …

Parental Rejection, Identity Development, And Mental Health Among Lgbtqia+ Youth, Litzy Rodriguez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Compared to their heterosexual and cisgender peers, LGBTQIA+ youth continue to experience increased rates of anxiety, depression, suicidality, and identity development distress. Parental rejection has been identified as the central impact of these outcomes. However, limited research has examined the influence of parental responses on identity development and the role of micro-level supports, such as counseling and support groups, and macro-level supports, such as inclusive policies and community protections. The purpose of this proposed study is to examine the relationship between early parental rejection or acceptance and LGBTQIA+ youth’s mental health outcomes, identity development, and perceived effectiveness of support systems. …

Mental Health Outcome Disparities In Children With A History Of Maltreatment: A Qualitative Study, Anna V. Echaury

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Child maltreatment is a widespread social issue that leads to lasting effects that include perpetuating cycles of violence and can lead to long term problems in adulthood. The presented study aims to focus on describing the mental health outcome disparities in children who have experienced child maltreatment. Although existing studies have addressed mental health outcomes, previous work has overlooked the disparities between children who have experienced maltreatment and children who have not. This qualitative study will collect data using interviews and utilize thematic analysis to analyze the collected data. This research will enhance understanding of the impact of child maltreatment …

Human Trafficking Of Children Efficacy Of Counter Trafficking Programs For Youth, Alma Rodriguez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Human trafficking is a global problem, and it is a significant problem within the United States. Children are a vulnerable group that become victims of human trafficking operations. Human trafficking prevention programs are available to address this issue, but there is much needed research to test the effectiveness of the countertrafficking programs for high-risk children. This study is a systematic review of studies on countertrafficking programs. This study will use a mixed methods approach to analyze quantitative and qualitative data from selected studies. This study hopes to find if current counter-trafficking programs are effective in preventing at-risk youth from becoming …

Reducing Hospital Readmissions Through Post-Discharge Follow-Up Programs, Gurjeet Singh

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Within 30 days of the discharge, hospital readmissions continue to be one of the significant problems in healthcare organizations and are commonly seen as the measure of care quality, coordination, and efficiency. The high readmission rates indicate the disconnect between inpatient and outpatient settings, patient education, medication reconciliation, and discharge planning. They also have high financial implications in value-based reimbursement settings. The proposed project will be a descriptive and analytical literature review studying the effects of structured post discharge follow up interventions such as scheduled telephone calls, telehealth visits, and home based outreach on preventing unnecessary hospital readmission and enhancing …

Training And Working In Police And Public Safety Psychology: A Survey Study, Sana K. Vora

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Police and public safety psychology (PPSP) entails assessment, intervention, operational support, and organizational consultation services rendered by psychologists to public safety agencies and personnel. In some ways, PPSP is a more recently recognized specialty area within health service psychology. While there have been occasional surveys of PPSP professionals in the past, relative to other specialty areas in health service psychology that share certain similarities with PPSP, such as forensic psychology and clinical neuropsychology, less is known about the experiences, broadly considered, of PPSP professionals and trainees. The current study sought to address this comparative gap in the literature by soliciting …

A Case Study Of Experiential Learning In A High-Poverty Middle School, Diona F. Brown

Dissertations

This study examined the impact of experiential learning on student achievement in a high-poverty Title I middle school and explored how school leaders perceive and support its implementation. Grounded in experiential learning, active learning, and social justice theories, this research aimed to better understand how instructional practices can improve outcomes for students facing economic and educational challenges. A convergent parallel mixed-methods design was used. Quantitative data were collected through pre- and post-assessments administered to two groups of eighth-grade mathematics students: one receiving experiential learning instruction and the other receiving traditional instruction. Qualitative data were collected through surveys of school administrators …

Clawing Our Way To Inclusion: Identifying Minority Students’ Barriers To Entering The Veterinary Medicine Profession, Danielle Reeves

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Veterinary services are being utilized more each year as pet owners are increasingly viewing and treating their pets like family members. Due to this changing perspective, the veterinary profession has grown significantly. Yet, despite this change, there is a lack of ethnic/racial diversity within the veterinary field. The purpose of this study was to determine the factors and/or barriers associated with minority students' desire or lack of desire to pursue a career in veterinary medicine. This study used an online survey tool to collect qualitative and quantitative data from 423 undergraduate students at the University of Arkansas during the spring …

Narrating Experience: How Undergraduate Social Work Students See Themselves In The Social Justice Curriculum, Emily C. Soener

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Social justice is widely recognized as a foundational value of the social work profession, yet research indicates inconsistencies in how social justice is defined, taught, and experienced within social work education. This study examines how undergraduate social work students make meaning of social justice learning in relation to their own lived experiences. Using a critical narrative inquiry approach grounded in constructivist qualitative methodology, this study explores how students narrate their experiences of social justice education and how those narratives reveal tensions between professional ideals and classroom realities. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with eleven undergraduate social work students enrolled …

Community Justice Advocates: Increasing Access To Legal Resources In Utah, Natalie Maria Rust

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

A large access to justice gap exists among defendants in debt collection cases. The gap arises from steep legal fees, a lack of accessible resources, and the complexity of the legal system. The Community Justice Advocates of Utah was founded in 2024 through the Utah Regulatory Sandbox and authorized under the Supreme Court of Utah to bridge this gap. Community Justice Advocates (CJA) are trained human service professionals authorized to provide limited-scope legal advice in various areas. The Transforming Communities Institute (TCI) at Utah State University joined this network in 2025, launching a pilot program training human service professionals in …

Exploring The Experiences Of Adult Children Of Parents With Addiction: A Qualitative Support Group Approach, Brooke Stanton

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Adult children of parents with addiction often grow up having to navigate emotional instability, inconsistent caregiving, and long-term relational impacts that continue into adulthood. Many individuals report limited access to supportive care and spaces where they can share their stories. This capstone project addresses the gap by designing and facilitating a support group specifically for adult children of parents to build connection and healing. Through this qualitative study, participant feedback, and analysis, this project examines how structured peer support can create meaningful change for this population. The following paper outlines the development of the group, the theoretical foundations that guided …

Interprofessional Education For Teachers: Exploring Adult Learning Of Collaboration Through Cultural-Historical Activity Theory, Berenice Peralta Matus

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This qualitative study examines how participation in an Interprofessional Education (IPE) simulation event influenced participants' understanding of collaboration. Grounded in Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT), the study examined how participants made meaning of collaboration, and the barriers to collaboration and interdisciplinary work both at their graduate program and their work environment. Data was collected in three phases and included semi-structured interviews with teachers before and after the event, observation fieldnotes and video of the event. I analyzed the data using CHAT as the interpretative conceptual framework for thematic interpretation of concepts such as mediation, contradictions, division of labor, and activity systems. …

How Do Students Experience And Make Meaning Of Their Participation In A Community-Engaged Work-Study Internship At A Border Hsi?, Heriberto Jose Garcia

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

At Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), students often juggle financial need, job obligations, family duties, and academic persistence. In these settings, access to meaningful and equitable experiential learning opportunities is critical for student development, belonging, and professional growth. This qualitative study examines how undergraduate students experience and interpret their participation in a community-engaged work-study internship program at an HSI on the U.S.-Mexico border. The study is guided by the research question: How do students experience and make meaning of their participation in a community-engaged work-study internship at a border HSI? It explores how students interpret their experiences within institutional and community contexts …

Implementing Mtss In Hispanic Serving Middle Schools From The Concept Of Rurality: A Qualitative Case Study On School Mental Health And The Role Of Social Work, Rosario Elena Olivera

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the implementation of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) and the integration of mental health services within two middle schools in a suburban-rural mix, predominantly Hispanic school district in Southwest Texas, referred to as Desert View Independent School District. The study explored how educators and school-based mental health professionals perceive, interpret, and operationalize MTSS within their school contexts. Methods: The study employed a qualitative case study design grounded in implementation science and ecological systems theory. Data were collected through purposive sampling and included semi-structured interviews with teachers, counselors, and a district-level school …

The Intersection Of Occupational Therapy And Optometry In The Treatment Of Visual Impairments: Addressing An Unmet Need, Grace Bannon

Capstone Projects

The prevalence of visual impairments in the United States is substantial and anticipated to increase in severity over the coming decades. These impairments have wide-reaching consequences on an individual’s occupational performance in daily living. While both occupational therapists and optometrists focus on the relationship between visual function and engagement in meaningful and purposeful occupations across the lifespan, only a limited number of optometrists offer specialized vision therapy services. This gap emphasizes a growing demand for vision services to manage the needs of individuals with visual deficits. Therefore, this Doctoral Capstone Experience (DCE) sought to bridge this gap by exploring the …

The 2026 Mda Award Winners: Recognizing Outstanding Service, David Foe

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This article lists the recipients of the 2026 MDA awards, highlighting their contributions to the dental profession and public health. Notable winners include Dr. Christopher Smiley, recipient of the Meritorious Award for a lifetime of achievement in dental journalism and leadership, and Dr. Charles Burling, honored as Dentist Citizen of the Year for his community service. The feature also recognizes educators, legislative advocates, and volunteers in the Donated Dental Services (DDS) program who provide care to vulnerable populations.

Pictured And Framed: A Media Analysis Of Local News Coverage Of The Unhoused In Fayetteville, Sabine Skoch

School of Social Work Undergraduate Honors Theses

Amid a growing housing crisis in Fayetteville, local media serves as an influential force in shaping public understanding of homelessness. This study examines how homelessness is framed in local news coverage through a reflexive thematic analysis of ten randomly selected articles published between May 2022 and November 2025. Guided by media framing and attribution theory, this analysis explores how causes, consequences, and solutions to homelessness are constructed within a rapidly growing Southern city.

Three central themes emerged. First, local reporting centers empathy through lived experiences and community testimonies, emphasizing dignity, vulnerability, and structural precarity rather than individual failure. Second, coverage …

Self-Directed Violence In Athletes, Adela Vavrinova

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Self-directed violence (SDV) in athletes comprises a spectrum of behaviors, including non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), suicidality, and self-harming behaviors that can be embed- ded within sport contexts. Competitive sport environments may intensify psychological vulnerability through factors such as performance demands, body-image pressures, injury and rehabilitation stress, and norms that discourage help-seeking. This thesis synthesizes existing literature on SDV among athletes with the aim of clarifying how SDV is concep- tualized and measured, summarizing what is known about prevalence patterns, functions, and contextual risk factors, and identifying prevention and intervention strategies relevant to athlete systems. The reviewed evidence suggests the SDV literature …

Epanorama May 2026, Southern Adventist University

Panorama Parent Newsletter

This digital issue of Panorama includes an article featuring backpacking students aiding an injured hiker, Asian cultural night, journalism students earning a CMA Award, and Campus Research Month.

A Loud, Fearless Voice: Louise Thompson Patterson, Triple Exploitation, And Intersectionality, Bethany Brooke Champlin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Louise Thompson Patterson, in her life as an activist, represented an extraordinary few who found the world she existed in lacking, and spent her life trying to change it, not only to better her own life, but to focus on the lives and problems of those who were seemingly disconnected from her. By following Louise Thompson Patterson’s political development, and examining her work as an activist of class, race, and gendered issues, her own development of the idea of “triple exploitation” or “triple oppression” is clear not only in her actions but in her writing. Through her experiences in the …

Finding Home: Evidence For Change, Ellie E. Eichhorn

Architecture Theses

In the Fargo-Moorhead metropolitan area there are an average of 957 people who are facing homelessness on any given night. On their journey to permanent housing they usually start at emergency shelters, which provide short-term housing and stability. Though these shelters work for some, most people leave without getting the permanence they need, causing a revolving door effect. So what is a possible solution? The problem of homelessness has inflicted the modern world for as long as it’s been around with very few solutions being 100% effective. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t keep trying for those in need. This …

Designing For Neurodivergent Learning In Early Education, Brooklyn Wegner

Architecture Theses

This architectural thesis explores the redesign of a 4K-4th-grade school to foster an inclusive, safe, and supportive learning environment for neurodivergent learners. Recognizing that traditional classrooms and makeshift special education spaces fail to meet diverse student needs, this research analyzes the learning processes associated with ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Dyspraxia, and Dyscalculia. By integrating Montessori and Erikson’s pedagogical theories, the study advocates for universal and flexible design frameworks. The primary outcome of this project is a proposed classroom module and comprehensive school redesign in Osceola, Wisconsin, focused on five key environmental elements: colors, lighting, acoustics, textures, and zoning. …

Illinois State University, One Hundred And Sixty-Seventh Annual Commencement, May 2026, Illinois State Universtiy

Commencement Programs

Illinois State University

One Hundred and Sixty-Seventh Annual Commencement

May 2026

2026 May, Morehead State University. Office Of Communications & Marketing.

Morehead State Press Release Archive, 1961 to the Present

Press releases for May of 2026.

Using Picturebooks In Elementary School To Support Discussion, Connection, And Community Action, Polly Parkinson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Children are in school to acquire knowledge, so the books they read are a significant influence on how they see themselves and others. School curricula often lack diverse voices, which may limit students’ views of themselves and how they relate to their communities. The research objective of this study was to examine the potential for fostering empathy in students, to encourage societal benefits of positive community behaviors, deepen understanding of history, and future contributions to an engaged democratic society.

The problem identified was that although much research exists discussing children’s literature and empathy, little explores whether that empathy leads to …

“It’S Hard To Look At All Our Trauma All At Once”: What Personal Narratives Reveal About The Triple Burden Of Intimate Partner Violence, Substance Use, And Homelessness, Céline E. Guedj

All Student Scholarship

Scope of the Problem

Intimate partner violence constitutes a pervasive public health issue, impacting nearly half of all women in the United States, about 61.7 million, over the course of their lifetime (Leemis et al., 2022). For Black, Latina, Indigenous and Asian Women, these rates are even higher. The majority of women of color will experience intimate partner violence, including nearly 2 out of 3 mutiracial women, demonstrating a grave overrepresentation amongst victims (Leemis et al., 2022). A study of college students found that LGBTQ women are even more likely to be targeted by abusive partners than their cis and …