Digital Commons Network^™

Enhancing The Care Of Patients With Bone And Joint Infections Through Educational Interventions, Neel B. Shah, Jessica Seidelman, Katherine Belden, Elizabeth Thottacherry, Allison Lastinger, Priya Nori, Ronald M. Beaulieu, Don Bambino Geno Tai

Division of Infectious Diseases and Environmental Medicine Faculty Papers

Musculoskeletal infections represent a significant proportion of the clinical workload for infectious diseases (ID) providers, often presenting complex diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Many providers may feel inadequately prepared to manage these conditions, which require a nuanced understanding of microbiology, musculoskeletal anatomy, surgical intervention, and orthopedic hardware. We implemented a pair of educational interventions including an online library of high-yield musculoskeletal ID literature and an educational podcast. © The Author(s) 2025. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America.

Advancements In Diversity In Dermatology: A 5-Year Retrospective Analysis Of Racial And Ethnic Trends In U.S. Dermatology Residency Programs (2020-2024), Devin Barzallo, Afua Ofori-Darko, Larissa De Souza, Precious Nwanwa, Timmie Sharma

Student Scholarship

Diversity in residency programs is important for achieving health equity. Although targeted initiatives have led to some progress, dermatology residency trainees do not proportionally reflect the growing diversity of the U.S. population. We analyzed data from the Association of American Medical Colleges on residents from 2020 to 2024 to evaluate evolving diversity trends.

Quality Improvement Project The Role Of Targeted Education And Its Impact On Self-Efficacy And Cognitive Impairment Recognition Among Medical Assistants, Jicky Guzman

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Primary care teams develop lasting relationships with patients that can reveal subtle cognitive changes during routine visits (e.g., identity verification and brief mobility checks). Yet, cognitive decline often goes unnoticed and poorly documented, which can lead to delayed care. This quality improvement (QI) project addressed a gap in the detection of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), among frontline staff. It assessed whether an educational intervention could improve self-efficacy in recognizing early cognitive impairment, measured by the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES). Guided by Bandura’s Self-Efficacy Theory and Lewin’s change model, a quasi-experimental pretest–posttest study was conducted at …

Privately Provided Equitable Services Root Out Unconstitutional “Secular, Neutral, And Nonideological” Restrictions From Education Law, Nicole Stelle Garnett, Sean Tehan

Books

Manhattan Institute Issue Brief

Balancing Acts: Student Rights, Parental Authority, And State Interests In Modern Sex Education, Linda S. Anderson

Marquette Benefits and Social Welfare Law Review

The article explores the complex interplay between parental rights, state authority, and student interests in the context of sex education in American public schools. It highlights the ongoing tension between abstinence-only and comprehensive sex education approaches, emphasizing the need for a student-centric framework that balances the rights and responsibilities of all stakeholders. The current legal landscape is examined through historical development, seminal court decisions, and recent legislative trends. Empirical evidence is presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of comprehensive sex education in promoting public health and supporting adolescents' development. The article advocates for a framework that incorporates student autonomy, age-appropriate content, …

Sustaining Progress—Investing In Adolescent Girls Amidst Global Challenges: Learnings From A Donor Roundtable, Coalition For Adolescent Girls, Akili Dada

Adolescents and Young People

The Coalition for Adolescent Girls (CAG), hosted by the Population Council, in collaboration with Akili Dada, convened a high-level donor roundtable on June 4, 2025. Against the backdrop of funding freezes, policy shifts, and widening global crises, this convening brought together funders, grassroots organizations, adolescent and youth leaders, and global experts, to reflect on emerging trends, lived experiences, and actions needed urgently to ensure adolescent girls remain at the center of global development priorities. This knowledge brief synthesizes key insights from the roundtable discussion. It underscores the critical need for long-term, flexible, and intersectional funding approaches that center adolescent girls …

Latinos In Massachusetts Selected Areas: Boston, Phillip Granberry, Florita Coto Tristán

Gastón Institute Publications

The City of Boston Planning Department has found that Boston’s population was undercounted in the 2020 Census by as many as 25,000 people and that subsequent population estimates continue to understate the population.1 The Planning Department’s Research Division has developed a tool to display limited demographic data, but these population estimates are insufficient for purposes of this report.2 Therefore, this report uses 2019-2023 American Community Survey and may therefore undercount Boston’s population. Boston, the largest city in the Commonwealth, is home to an estimated 126,647 Latinos. This is the largest Latino population in the state, though other smaller cities (Lawrence, …

Promising Strategies For Impacting Youth Development Systems From Christian Summer Camps, Rachael Botting, Jacob Sorenson, Karen K. Melton, Rob Ribbe Dr.

Journal of Youth Development

As research on summer camp continues to expand and both scholars and practitioners gain a better understanding of the impact of the experience, it has become important to explore how the experience of summer camp is connected to the larger ecology of youth development. This study explores strategies of Christian summer camps for impacting faith in the home through interviews with 20 Christian summer camp leaders across three faith-based camping organizations: Christian Camp and Conference Association (CCCA), Lutheran Outdoor Ministries (LOM), and United Methodist Camp and Retreat Ministries (UMCRM). Using semi-structured interviews and an appreciative inquiry approach, this study identified …

A Review Of The United States Global Surgery Program Landscape By Website Analysis, Lauren E Cox, Cassandra M D'Amico, Shriya Bhoothapuri, Joseph A Q Karam, Rachel W Davis, Mike M Mallah

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Over the past decade, since the 2015 Lancet Commission on Global Surgery (LCoGS) highlighted the global burden of disease attributable to a lack of safe surgical care, medical degree-granting institutions across the United States (US) have worked to increase engagement in global surgery. The research team aimed to analyze the current landscape and provide an overview of all US-based global surgery programs. It was predicted that most medical institutions in the US would not have established programs. For those with global surgery programs, their mission statements and demonstrated output were classified according to a list of five domains, including …

Design And Implementation Of An Interdisciplinary Course: “Communicable Disease Control And Prevention – Ethics And Laws”, Pei-Chun Chan, Chi-Tai Fang, Yu-Wei Hsieh

Journal of Medical Education

This interdisciplinary course, Communicable Disease Control and Prevention: Ethics and Laws, brings together medical, legal, and public health perspectives to examine the ethical and regulatory challenges of infectious disease governance. Through lectures, case analyses, debates, and simulated public hearings, students–primarily from law, public health, medicine and social science–engage with issues such as isolation, quarantine, vaccination responsibilities, communicable diseases-related stigma, and broader health inequalities. The curriculum emphasizes translating academic knowledge into public reasoning and advocacy, using diverse outputs including oral presentations, debates, and infographic-based policy proposals. By engaging with legal professionals, judges, and aff ected communities, students broaden their perspectives beyond …

Native Spaces: The Struggle For Colleges To Incorporate Native Frameworks Into Curriculums, Eleanor A. Gelb

Honors Scholar Theses

Out of the thousands of universities in America, there are only thirty-seven Native American Serving Nontribal Institutions (NASNTIs), schools with ten percent or more of the total student population being of Native American descent. While many typical American colleges offer courses on Native American history for students with Native American studies majors and minors, the students involved in these programs are often taught through the lens of traditional schooling, which negates the full effectiveness of these classes. Native leaders across the country are pushing for Native frameworks to be adopted by universities so that past and contemporary Native histories may …

Troubling Trigger Warnings: Toward An Informed Praxis Of Care Within Intercollegiate Forensics, Grace P. Smith, Mallory L. Marsh

Studies in Debate and Oratory

In light of widespread (mis)use of trigger warnings, content warnings, and content notes in intercollegiate competitive speech, in this essay we interrogate the implementation of these devices and propose an intervention to ensure the activity moves toward a better-informed praxis to accomplish its goal of community care. By identifying the activity’s current propensity for misused warnings, missed messages, a misrepresentation of safety, and misguided performances, our intervention aspires to ensure these important warnings are more thoughtfully employed so as to limit potential harm to our messages, our community members, our activity, and our collective educational aim toward advocacy.

From Anxiety To Action: Understanding Financial Worries And Strategies To Boost Insurance Take-Up, Hui Shan Lee, Kee Seng Kuang

International Journal of Management, Finance and Accounting

In developing countries, inadequate insurance and financial planning have led experts to call for government intervention to avoid potential financial crises. In Malaysia, where increasing insurance uptake is a national priority, this study examines how education and socioeconomic factors influence financial concerns. Using a regression model, this study analyses data from 1,000 survey responses from Malaysia in the Global Findex database, examining the effects of education, income, gender, age, and urbanicity on various financial worries, including retirement, medical expenses, monthly bills, and education costs. Findings show that higher education levels are associated with reduced financial anxiety around medical expenses and …

A Content Analysis Of The Cultural Content Of Reading Texts And Dialogues In Action Pack Eight, Considering The Inclusion Criterion, Bassmah Fraihat

Jordan Journal of Applied Science-Humanities Series

This study aimed to analyze the reading texts and dialogues in the Student's Book of Action Pack Eight to determine the extent to which they incorporate cultural content. Frequencies and percentages were used to present the results related to the study’s questions. The findings revealed that the reading texts in Action Pack Eight include all types of cultural content: target cultural content, intercultural content, Arab-Islamic cultural content, and national (Jordanian) cultural content. On the other hand, the dialogues in the Student's Book include all types of cultural content except for the Arab-Islamic content. Overall, the presence of Arab-Islamic content in …

Awake And Alive: An Investigation Into Content For A Music Course Incorporating The Sciences, Harrison Boraas

Masters Theses

The purpose of this qualitative, instrumental case study was to identify the content for an interdisciplinary course about music and the brain that educates collegiate students about the benefits of lifelong music engagement. Despite increasing awareness of musical relevance to the human brain, many institutions of higher learning continue to teach music as its isolated area of study without connecting it to other fields that could benefit from incorporating it or vice versa. The sample size consisted of four to seven experts that were either community experts or Liberty University faculty in the fields of science, medicine, or music within …

Evaluating Mental Health Providers’ Knowledge And Attitudes Towards Stigma Among Teenagers Aged 13 To 19 Years With Mental Illness, Fredrica Murray-Johnson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Limited knowledge and poor attitudes among mental health providers contribute to stigma towards individuals with mental illness, adversely affecting treatment experience and outcomes. This study evaluated the effectiveness of an educational intervention in improving mental health providers’ knowledge and attitudes toward stigma-based practices. The clinical question stated: Among mental health providers, does an educational intervention, compared to standard practice, improve knowledge and attitudes of stigma and promote evidence-based care delivery to teenagers aged 13 to 19 with mental illness within six weeks? The Iowa Model of Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) was used as a framework for implementing this study. The quasi-experimental …

A Phenomenological Qualitative Study: The Lived Experiences Of Women Diagnosed With Substance Use Disorders And The Stigma Associated With Their Disorder, Emily E. Fitzgerald

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of women with the stigma of being diagnosed with substance use disorders within the Northeastern United States. Women diagnosed with substance use disorders who experience significant barriers to recovery were defined as a vulnerable population that experiences significant adversities and hardships navigating stigma and the wellness process. Substance use disorders have been a rising public health issue that affect millions of Americans across the United States, and societal and self-perceived stigma have continued to mitigate recovery efforts and individuals’ access to treatment and healthcare. This study focused …

The Impact Of Cello Training On Spatial Orientation Abilities In Adult Learners, Circe Diaz Gamero

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Academic discourse lacks exploration of the effects that musical training during adulthood has on spatial orientation abilities through their connection between cognitive science and music education. This study seeks to address this knowledge gap through research that evaluates cello training effects on spatial orientation abilities in adult learners. The rising interest in non-medicine-based methods for brain function improvement and recovery establishes the urgent need to research possible cognitive advantages that occur when adults participate in music education. This research study adopted a convergent mixed-methods approach that studied adults with minimal musical background in an eight-week structured cello training program, aiming …

Exploring The Effects Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On The Biblical Organizational Culture Of A K-12 School In Kansas, Michael Jacob Wiebe

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative research design was to understand the lived experiences of K-12 Christian school teachers regarding the perceived impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the biblical organizational culture of a school in Wichita, Kansas. A qualitative interview methodology was utilized for teachers to answer questions pertaining to their own experiences in changes within the school, the school’s environment, and the school’s level of involvement in a biblical culture during and post the COVID-19 pandemic. The data were analyzed to understand the effects and the changes the COVID-19 pandemic has had on K-12 Christian school biblical organizational culture, …

Comparing The Effects Of Numerical Versus Syllable-Based Pedagogy On Kindergarten Academics, Tocorey C. Johnson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of numerically based and syllable-based pedagogical approaches on kindergarten students in a school located in Duval County, Jacksonville, Florida. The Kodály Method, a well-established and effective music education strategy, offers numerous classroom benefits. Teachers can utilize both numerically based and syllable-based approaches within the Kodály framework. However, additional data are required to ascertain whether these approaches can enhance academic performance among kindergarten students. A quasi-experimental design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of syllable-based music training on kindergarten reading scores and numerical-based music training on kindergarten math scores. The initial …

Analyzing The Relationship Between Diabetes Duration And Self-Management In Adults With Diabetes, Caroline Noel Stroo

Master's Theses

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disease that affects 14.7% of adults in the United States (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2023). Prevalence of diabetes increases with age, with rates for adults aged 65 and older reaching 29.2% (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2023). Factors such as age, race, obesity, physical activity level, and genetics strongly increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2DM) (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease, 2016). Diabetes requires complex and comprehensive management to reduce the risk of developing comorbidities (Al-Shabeeb et al., 2021). Factors such as education, familial support, …

Master Of Social Work Portfolio, Kyla Wright

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

Identifying all learned ten competencies of social work incorporated into educational settings. Utilizing theoretical practices and an integrated, justified intervention for mental health success.

Pride Or Prejudice: An Examination Of Queer Content In Florida High Schools, Niamh L. Harrop

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This thesis explores how queer individuals reflect on the presence—or more often, the absence—of queer content in their high school education. Despite increasing visibility of LGBTQ+ people in popular culture and legal reform, formal educational spaces remain largely heteronormative and cisnormative structured from a heterosexual and cisgender standpoint. Through a critical qualitative approach, this study draws on semi-structured interviews with 13 queer participants who attended high school in Florida in the years between the legalization of same-sex marriage in 2015 and the passage of Florida’s H.B. 1557 (“Don’t Say Gay” law) in 2022. Using thematic analysis, four key themes were …

Evaluating Current Practices In Operative Nontechnical Skills Training And Feedback In General Surgery Residency: A Mixed Methods Approach, Madeline Cloonan

Theses & Dissertations

Background: Non-technical skills (NTS) are the interpersonal and cognitive abilities that are critical to accomplishing high-risk tasks. Deficiencies in NTS, including communication, teamwork, leadership, and decision-making, are linked to errors in the operating room. Structured training and feedback in NTS remain inconsistent and have not been integrated into daily training. This dissertation addresses this gap by evaluating current NTS training and feedback practices and developing a rubric to enhance the effectiveness of NTS feedback.

Methods: We conducted five complementary studies to assess current NTS training and feedback. The first was a systematic review aimed at identifying intraoperative NTS training interventions …

A Web-Based Review Of Global Training In United States Ophthalmology Residency Programs, Shalini Shah, Chris Raif Alabiad, Zubair Ansari

Journal of Academic Ophthalmology

Purpose: To review the currently publicly available information on global ophthalmology experiences during residency training.

Methods: All 122 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)–approved ophthalmology residency programs’ websites were evaluated.

Results: Of the 122 ophthalmology residency programs, 30 (25%) list global ophthalmology experiences on their websites. Of these 30, 21 (80%) offer electives and 12 (40%) list the experiences as a mix of clinical and surgical exposure. One-third of these programs 2 weeks or less in length; one-third of programs do not list the duration of the experience. In total, 21 programs (80%) work with partner …

Illinois Model Programs Of Study Guide: Education, Education Systems Center

Reports, Analyses, and other Publications

First published in October 2020. Significantly revised in October 2022 to reflect credentialing changes, and in September 2024 to incorporate updated labor market information. An update in April 2025 included minor corrections. In August 2025, two new sections were added: key terminology and the relationship between concepts.

Impacting Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk Screening In The Primary Care Setting, Rosalyn Primus

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Cardiovascular disease continues to be the leading cause of death worldwide. Despite the availability of evidence-based guidelines recommending routine cardiovascular risk screening, tools such as the atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) Risk Estimator are underutilized in primary care settings. This quality improvement project implemented an evidence-based educational intervention to enhance healthcare providers' knowledge, self-efficacy, and consistent utilization of the ASCVD Risk Estimator within a primary care setting. The project employed a quasi-experimental design involving four primary care providers. Data was collected through various methods, including a knowledge questionnaire, the Evidence-Based Nursing Practice Self-Efficacy (EBPSE) Scale, a retrospective chart review, and a …

Educational Lifecycle: Transitioning From Undergraduate To Graduate-Level Expectations, Khalil A. Mrabe, Rosie Defeo, Arlenys Loffredo

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

The World Health Assembly has recognized the current and future place of education, training, and development within their 2030 global strategy. While education in allied health professions continues to evolve, limited information is known about the challenges graduate students face when transitioning into these programs. In response to recent societal and educational shifts, a systematic review was conducted to explore the academic, psychological, social, and professional barriers affecting first-term allied health students. Utilizing the SPIDER framework along with searching across different platforms (Psychinfo, Web of Science, and ProQuest) to locate peer-reviewed studies published within the last five years. Forty-seven studies …

Learning To Treat The Whole Person: Assessing Spiritual Care Curriculum Inclusion At Faith And Non-Faith-Based Doctor Of Physical Therapy And Master Of Athletic Training Programs In Texas, Tricia Blalock, Heather Hudson, Andrew R. Meyer, Ryan Hebdon

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Given the identified importance of assessing the spiritual domain of health as a component of cultural competence and holistic care in physical therapy and athletic training and the importance that their governing bodies have indicated that spiritual care should play in treating patients, this current study examined how faculty, at entry-level Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) and Master of Athletic Training (MAT) programs in Texas, perceive the importance and inclusion of spiritual dimensions of care in their programs. Methods: We disseminated an online, cross-sectional, mixed-methods survey to a total of 289 faculty members from a total of 27 programs …

Celebrating 20 Years Of Abriendo Oportunidades: Transforming The Lives Of Indigenous Girls In Guatemala, María Isabel Mayorga

Adolescents and Young People

This blog post originally appeared on the Population Council’s website in August 2025.