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It's All The Same, Lauren A. Bedevia

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

It’s All the Same is a collection of short stories that center around lesbian characters. The stories explore themes such as ambition, morality, karma, mental health, exploitation, and relationships. The collection opens with “Forget Her Inc.,” a short story that juggles an ensemble cast of lesbians and examines whether memory eraser therapy is an ethical practice for treating a broken heart. “It’s All the Same,” the titular story, uses lyricism to present the parallels between two women in terms of family dynamics, interests, and attachment styles; the story explores a loving friendship between a lesbian and a straight woman.

“Fun …

'But George Floyd Wasn't A Saint': A Critical Discourse Analysis Pre And Post George Floyd, Raya Berkley-Jacobs

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

May 25, 2020, George Floyd died at the hands of former police officer Derek Chauvin after he placed his knee on George Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. His death sparked outrage, protests, and calls for accountability, justice, and reform. This study addresses the impact of George Floyd’s death as a focusing event that created a policy window under which federal legislation was introduced as a response to his death. Drawing on Punctuated Equilibrium Theory and Social Construction Theory, the study utilizes a critical discourse analysis to test how the death of George Floyd impacted the amount and …

An Integrated Framework For Last-Mile Delivery Optimization Using Reinforcement Learning And Social Media-Based Traffic Prediction In Underdeveloped Megacities, Vasanth Bhat

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Supply chain management has become increasingly critical as transportation costs rise and urban delivery systems place additional pressure on already congested networks. Last-mile delivery—the movement of goods from distribution centers to end users—represents the most expensive and operationally complex segment of the logistics process, particularly in underdeveloped megacities characterized by unpredictable traffic, limited infrastructure, and sparse real-time data. This dissertation proposes an integrated framework for optimizing last-mile delivery in such environments by combining social media–based traffic intelligence, machine learning, and deep reinforcement learning. The framework leverages unstructured, real-time data from social media platforms to enhance traffic prediction and incorporates these …

Professional Identity Development Among Nursing Students: The Impact Of Structured Reflective Practice, Abdelmonim El Fadely, Kamal Takhdat, Charaf-Eddine Ahraiba, Rahma Bouali, Sabah Selmaoui, Boujemaa Agorram

Health Professions Education

Purpose This study aimed to assess the impact of a structured reflective practice intervention on the development of professional identity among nursing students. Method A mixed-methods design was adopted. The intervention, based on guided reflective practice, was implemented with a voluntary sample of 58 participants. The evaluation relied on a quasi-experimental quantitative approach using the Macleod Clark Professional Identity Scale, with a comparison group and both pre-test and post-test measurements. A qualitative component was also included to explore the dimensions of the studied concept in greater depth. Results Quantitative findings showed a statistically significant difference between the post-test means (p < 0.001), indicating that the reflective practice intervention had a positive effect on the experimental group compared to the control group. The qualitative results further illuminated students’ reflections, which were organized into ten themes corresponding to the study’s conceptual framework: professional knowledge and skills, values and ethics, the nursing role, leadership, professional self-image, social image of the profession, sense of belonging, identification with role models, theory–practice integration, and career choice. These dimensions provided a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of professional identity, capturing the complexity of the concept. Conclusion These results support the integration of reflective practice as a pedagogical approach to fostering the construction and development of a positive professional identity. Professional identity, as a rich and multidimensional concept, goes beyond the process of professionalization—it represents its ultimate achievement.

Developing A Framework To Enhance Medical Student Well-Being: A Cross-Sectional Study Exploring The Interplay Between Stress, Resilience, And Quality Of Life, Omayma Hamed, Elshaimaa Ahmed, Lamiaa Mohsen, Patricia S. Sexton

Health Professions Education

Purpose: Medical training imposes significant stress on students, often leading to burnout, anxiety, and/or diminished quality of life (QoL). Resilience has been identified as a critical factor in mitigating these challenges. However, there is limited research examining how stress and resilience interact to shape QoL in undergraduate medical students. This study expands upon Lazarus and Folkman’s Transactional Model of Stress and Coping by introducing a synthesized framework that integrates resilience as both a mediator and moderator of stress, advancing the understanding of these relationships.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 194 first- and second-year medical students at a private …

Assessing The Effectiveness Of The Well-Being Through Occupational Participation (Wbop) Intervention In Promoting Well-Being In Occupational Therapy Students From A Philippine University: A Convergent Mixed-Methods Study, Elena Wong Espiritu, Maria Concepcion Dc. Cabatan, Guia Allyza D. Rabacca, Marlowe Eriberto P. Acuña Jr, Jay Allen B. Villon, Peñafrancia E. Ching

Health Professions Education

Purpose: Filipino occupational therapy students experience decreased well-being during their educational experience. However, there is a limited amount of literature describing their well-being and a scarcity of culturally specific interventions to promote student well-being. The Well-Being Through Occupational Participation intervention is an evidence-based, manualized program consisting of a variety of occupation-based activities. The objective of this study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a modified version of the intervention in promoting undergraduate Filipino occupational therapy student well-being.

Methods: A convergent mixed-methods approach was used, specifically longitudinal survey for the quantitative design and qualitative descriptive for the qualitative design. Data was …

Factors Associated With Academic Outcomes And Leave Of Absence Among Health Professions Graduate Students, Laura Plummer, Emile Boutin, Hien Nguyen, Devashish Tiwari, Sanah Chatiwala, Deborah Altsher, Nara Gavini, Keshrie Naidoo

Health Professions Education

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to examine the extent to which health professions graduate students' demographic, academic, and environmental factors influence time to graduation. It also aimed to explore the experiences of graduates who took a leave of absence (LOA), including their perspectives on the factors contributing to delayed graduation and the strategies that supported their reintegration and eventual success.

Methods: A mixed methods explanatory sequential design with the qualitative analysis providing deeper context to the quantitative data. The qualitative arm of the study utilized a phenomenological approach. Descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviations for the continuous variables, …

Applying Harm Reduction To Binge-Eating Disorder: Protective Behavioral Strategies Against Uncontrolled Eating, Emily Burr

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Binge-eating disorder (BED) is a highly deleterious mental illness, with ramifications ranging from psychological impairment to premature mortality. Despite the awareness of intervention urgency, treatment strategies to manage BED have limited long-term efficacy. Therefore, it is of high necessity to illuminate other methods of reducing the potential effects of binge eating (BE), either by combatting severity or frequency of the behavior. Protective behavioral strategies (PBS), first identified in the substance use field, are methods by which an individual attenuates potential harm from a behavior without expectation of abstaining (i.e., a harm reduction approach). Given high likelihood of treatment relapse for …

The Bite Model And Multi-Level Marketing: How Monat Propagates, Lilly D. Cheung

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

This study aims to understand how MONAT Global Corp, a Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) company, utilizes rhetoric that aligns with Steven Hassan’s BITE Model of Authoritarian Control. Hassan is a cult expert and cult survivor whose work primarily explains undue influence and thought control with BITE representing Behavior, Information, Thought, and Emotional control. The MLM MONAT is a haircare brand that operates through a recruitment-and-sales-based hierarchy, in which sellers sign up and work under one another in a layered marketing structure. To meet quotas and maintain ranks, representatives will use rhetorical strategies to recruit new sellers beneath them in their ‘downline’ …

Motivational Interviewing Impact On Provider Burnout, Julie Cook

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

The study of patient–provider communication rarely considers the impact of provider–patient dialogue on providers themselves. This dissertation explores why motivational interviewing (MI) has been shown to reduce burnout among health care providers who use it. Using the empathic communication model (ECM) as a lens, it examines possible explanations for how MI contributes to lower burnout in providers. A mixed‑methods approach was used, consisting of a survey‑based quantitative study and a qualitative study using semi‑structured interviews. The quantitative study surveyed physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. Participants were asked questions assessing their knowledge of MI, the types of empathy they experience …

Participatory Systems Modeling In Implementation Research: Exploring Benefits, Facilitators, And Future Needs, Natalie Riva Smith, Jennifer L Cruz, Jessica Gannon, Stephanie Mazzucca-Ragan

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Implementation science increasingly uses participatory systems modeling (PSM) approaches to handle the complexity inherent to implementation science issues. To support the process of integrating PSM with implementation science, we aimed to understand and explicate the benefits, facilitators, and future needs of applying PSM to implementation research.

METHODS: We conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with 23 researchers (n = 18) and practitioners (n = 5). We purposively sampled participants and identified additional participants through recommendations. Interviews were inductively analyzed. Key concepts were identified via iterative description, comparison, and conceptualization.

RESULTS: Engagement with people in the system was typically focused in earlier …

Relationship Among Sleep Disturbance, Stress, And Suicidal Ideation In Clinical High Risk For Psychosis, Heather M Wastler, Daniel Mamah, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS: Sleep disturbance is a well-established risk factor for suicide, though few studies to date have examined whether sleep disturbance contributes to suicide risk among individuals at clinical high risk for psychosis (CHR). The current study addressed this gap in the literature. We hypothesized that sleep disturbance would have a unique relationship with suicidal ideation/attempts when accounting for other variables in the model. We also hypothesized that the interaction between sleep disturbance/attenuated positive symptoms and sleep disturbance/stress would be related to suicidal ideation/attempts in CHR.

STUDY DESIGN: The current study used data generated by the Accelerating Medicines Partnership® …

Reliability Of Remote Self-Administered Web-Based Digital Cognitive Measures And Comparison To In-Person Neuropsychological Tests: Stricker Learning Span, Symbols Test, And The Mayo Test Drive Screening Battery Composite, Morgan A Hughes, Jason Hassenstab, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: We describe the reliability of remote self-administered digital cognitive measures completed via the Mayo Test Drive (MTD) web-based platform.

METHODS: A total of 1846 participants (mean age = 70, SD = 12, range 31-101; 48% male; 96% White; 99% non-Hispanic; 97% cognitively unimpaired) with two to four complete MTD sessions at ∼7.5-month intervals were included. Test-retest reliability was assessed using single-rating, absolute-agreement, and two-way mixed intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) with 95% confidence intervals. ICCs for in-person-administered traditional neuropsychological measures were compared to MTD for a subset of 244 participants. Analyses also compared reliability across demographic, residential, and session context …

Visual Cues Of Human-Likeness, Not Salience, Impact Trust-Related Human-Computer Interaction, Jordan Schotz

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

As interactions with digital agents become increasingly integrated into daily life, understanding how visual representations influence social decision-making is critical. Previous research in human-computer interaction has frequently confounded the psychological effects of an agent's perceived human-likeness with the underlying visual salience of the stimuli. To address these persistent gaps, the present study systematically isolated the effects of human-likeness and visual cue trustworthiness on trust behavior while controlling for objective image properties. The present study expanded on and normed the Virtual Avatar Facial Stimuli Set (VAFSS), a comprehensive database comprising hundreds of identity-matched photographs and computer-generated avatars varying across a spectrum …

The Lived Experience Of Special Education Director Retention: A Phenomenological Study Of Motivational And Organizational Influences, Matthew R. Taylor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The stability of leadership in special education is crucial for ensuring regulatory compliance, programmatic quality, and equitable services for students with disabilities. However, U.S. public schools face persistent challenges in retaining special education directors, resulting in a loss of institutional knowledge, service fragmentation, and increased risk of compliance failure. Drawing on self-determination theory and job embeddedness theory, this phenomenological study explored the intrinsic and extrinsic aspects that influence special education directors’ decisions to remain in their roles. Ten experienced special education directors from diverse public school settings in Texas participated in semistructured interviews and follow-up quantitative questionnaires. The analysis revealed …

Finding Value In Professional Learning: Developing Teacher Learning That Is Internalized And Implemented In Practice, Stephanie Dossett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

This study was designed after the researcher engaged in multiple mandated professional learning experiences with faculty members who expressed dissatisfaction with their learning experiences, did not desire to engage in learning on the mandated topics, and wanted to engage in different types of learning opportunities. The problem was centered around dissatisfaction with professional learning among teachers and the lack of implementation of their professional learning in the classroom. The goal was to gather feedback that could help leaders design mandated learning for teachers that they would find satisfaction in and implement in their classroom. The study used semistructured qualitative …

Faculty Perceptions Of Engaging Generation Z Students Through Positive Education In The Classroom, Ashley D. Ragsdale

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study examined the engagement gap between Generation Z students and faculty in higher education, emphasizing how positive education approaches can help faculty become more confident and effective instructors. Generation Z students prefer instant internet access and digital learning, have shorter attention spans, and tend to be disengaged when instructors rely on traditional teaching methods. After the COVID-19 pandemic, this engagement gap became more evident. This basic qualitative study used semistructured interviews, reflexive journaling, and nonparticipatory observations. Participants included full-time health science faculty at a private university in central Texas. Each had at least 2 years of teaching experience …

The Impact Of Synchronous And Asynchronous Preference On The Performance Of Distance Learning Students, Christopher A. Wilson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Distance learning is a growing part of education. The transition to distance learning was underway at higher education institutions, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced institutions of all types to rapidly transition to distance learning. The technology that was adapted during this emergency distance learning remained in the classroom once normal instruction resumed. This quantitative study examined two aspects of distance learning technology in education. The study examined student preference for either synchronous or asynchronous instruction through the framework of expectancy theory. Students who were more familiar with the course material were hypothesized to have a higher expectation of success and …

Accessing Campus Mental Health Services In A Nigerian Southwestern University: Barriers To Academic Success, Caroline Dada

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mental health disorders are a significant health concern among higher education institutions in sub-Saharan Africa, including Nigeria. A substantial treatment gap exists in the Nigerian healthcare system, and this gap is further worsened by cultural and religious barriers, which reinforce stigma that discourages students from seeking professional help. This qualitative narrative inquiry explored the barriers students encountered when accessing mental health services at a university in Southwestern Nigeria, to increase service access. Qualitative semistructured interviews were conducted with seven professional mental health providers at a university counseling center between March and April 2025. Inductive thematic analysis was used to identify …

Psychological And Clinical Risk Factors For Substance Use In People With And Without Hiv, Joanna M Hobson, Shameka L Cody, Shannon R Gilstrap, Michael A Owens, Myles D Moody, Dyan M White-Gilliam, Stephen Justin Thomas, Emily J Bartley, Burel R Goodin

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BackgroundDespite growing concerns, limited research has demonstrated how psychological factors influence substance use in people with HIV (PWH). Therefore, we examined the association between heightened vigilance and substance use outcomes in people with (PWH) and without HIV (PWoH), while accounting for key risk factors.MethodsParticipants (n = 138) were recruited from an HIV clinic and the surrounding community, completing a urine drug screener (UDS) and questionnaires.ResultsPWH reported greater insomnia (

Characteristics Of Cerebral Palsy In The Midwestern Us, Susie Kim, Kelsey Steffen, Lauren Gottschalk-Henneberry, Jennifer Miros, Amy Robichaux-Viehoever, Karen Taca, Bhooma R Aravamuthan

2020-Current year OA Pubs

OBJECTIVE: Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common lifelong motor disability worldwide. Yet, data is limited on how CP manifests in the US. Our objective was to characterize and determine factors affecting functional outcomes in a large population of young people with CP in the Midwestern US.

METHODS: We integrated caregiver and clinician-facing standardized data entry into routine clinical care at a tertiary care CP center (https://bit.ly/CP-Intake-Methodology). We extracted this data for people with an ICD10 diagnosis of CP seen between March 22, 2023 and December 28, 2023 and used it to describe CP characteristics and determine factors affecting the …

Perception Of Dementia Risk Among Black Adults: An Ecological Analysis Of Causal Loop Diagrams With A Structural And Social Determinant Of Health Composite Index, Jean-Francois Trani, Ramkrishna K Singh, Alexis Ib Walker, Semere Bekena, Yiqi Zhu, Ganesh M Babulal, Robbie Hart

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: To investigate drivers of dementia risk disparities among older Black Americans using a community-based system dynamics (CBSD) approach.

METHODS: Over 18 months, 234 participants created 36 causal loop diagrams (CLDs) on dementia risk. An ecological analysis compared structural differences across groups based on scores on a structural and social determinants of health composite index (S/SDOH-CI).

RESULTS: Groups in the highest SDOH-CI quantile were more likely to identify key protective pathways linking mental health, substance use, exercise, medication, and community support to reduce dementia risk. In contrast, fewer than 25% of low-SDOH-CI groups identified these connections, and under 15% recognized …

The Association Between Major Depressive Disorder, Plasma Biomarkers Of Alzheimer's Disease, And Mild Behavioral Impairment Among Older Adults, Yiqi Zhu, Jean-Francois Trani, Ramkrishna K Singh, Semere Bekena, Jonathan Williams, Eric J Lenze, Ganesh M Babulal

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: Plasma biomarkers and mild behavioral impairment (MBI) are associated with dementia risk, but their relationships with major depressive disorder (MDD) are understudied. This study aimed to examine associations between plasma biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and MBI among older adults with and without MDD.

METHODS: Older adults aged ≥65 were recruited from longitudinal studies of depression and AD (

RESULTS: Older adults with MDD were more likely to endorse MBI. After adjustment, Aβ42/Aβ40 and p-tau217/np-tau217 positivity were associated with MBI among those with MDD but not among those without.

DISCUSSION: Neuropsychatric symptoms (NPS) and biomarkers are AD risk factors. …

Criterion And Convergent Validity Of Plasma Biomarkers In Early-Onset Alzheimer's Disease: Initial Findings From Leads, Dustin B Hammers, Kyle Womack, Erik Musiek, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

No abstract provided.

Transitioning To Life After Sport: Empowering Former College Varsity Athletes To Live More Healthfully, Linda Piacentine, Taylor L. Wolf, Jacob J. Capin

Physical Therapy Faculty Research and Publications

Introduction: 

The transition out of competitive sport comes with a range of psychosocial challenges for athletes, particularly when retirement is involuntary (e.g., due to injury). Little is known about the health of former athletes who often manage prior injuries and changing biopsychosocial factors.

Purpose: 

Identify the unique experiences of varsity athletes during college and as they transition to life after college sports and determine the facilitators, barriers, and needs of college varsity athletes to engage in a physically active and healthy lifestyle after competitive sport retirement.

Methods: 

Thirty former college varsity athletes (15F, 15M; mean age 23 ± 1 yrs; …

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 …

Lost Innocence, Found Martyrdom: Childhood War Exposure, Narratives, And Militancy In Hezbollah, Léa Faure

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

What explains participation in armed insurgent groups? Existing literature has examined psychological, individual, structural, and organizational dynamics of mobilization, but rarely looks at all three in tandem. This can be problematic, since these explanations cannot on their own explain variations in participation. Research on the effects of individual exposure to war-related violence also cannot explain why in conflict-ridden, organizationally dense environments, mobilization is still relatively rare despite widespread violent exposure. This study creates a unified theory of participation around the interaction between childhood exposure to war-related violence and relatable timely group narratives. Focusing on the case of Hezbollah in Lebanon, …

Two Studies Exploring Signal-Environment Fit In Ai-Assisted Managerial Decision-Making Under Uncertainty, Oleksandr Kondrachuk

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

This dissertation examines how the fit between the characteristics of artificial intelligence systems and the uncertainty environment shapes managerial reliance on AI advice. Organizations increasingly deploy different AI systems, such as predictive and generative, to support management accounting decisions. However, the accounting literature has mainly treated AI as a single undifferentiated entity. This dissertation addresses this gap through two related studies. In the first study, drawing on signaling theory and ecological rationality, I develop a signal-environment fit framework proposing that the reliance on a certain AI system depends on the match between system characteristics (input, process, output) and uncertainty characteristics. …

Adapting Dramaturgical Pedagogy Into A Practical Framework For Young Dramaturgs, Kirby Lee

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Dramaturgy, while more established as practice in professional theatre, remains inconsistently applied and often underutilized in university theatre contexts. Despite its historical significance and continued evolution, some theatre companies and many academic institutions still struggle to clearly define or effectively integrate the dramaturg’s role. This thesis hopes to create a framework for novice dramaturgs by examining the origins and development of dramaturgy, analyzing its shifting functions in contemporary theatre, offering my own dramaturgical experiences through the lens of three quite different plays and finally, establishing basic principles of the discipline. Beyond its historical and professional contexts, this study investigates the …

The Odyssey Of Emotion Regulation In Extremis: How Challenges Lead To Team States Through Regulation And Psychological Safety In Ice, Andres Kaosaar

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Isolated, confined, and extreme (ICE) teams experience challenges that require continuous emotional adaptation. Although emotion regulation (ER) has been recognized as critical for functioning in these contexts, little is known about how specific challenges shape regulatory responses, how team climate influences those responses, and how individual regulation accumulates into team-level outcomes. This dissertation develops and tests a multilevel framework linking challenge exposure, perceived psychological safety, individual ER, team emotions, and team viability in space analog environments. Data were collected from 36 crews (N = 184) participating in two-week missions at two space analog stations, yielding 2,577 daily observations and …