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Exploring The Transformative Effects Of Executive Coaching On Leaders: A Qualitative Study, Dwayne Norman

Theses & Dissertations

This qualitative dissertation examines the transformative effects of executive coaching on leaders’ development, personal growth, decision-making, and overall effectiveness across varied organizational contexts. Grounded in authentic leadership theory and employing a generic qualitative inquiry design, the study investigated how leaders who completed executive coaching describe changes in their behavior and mindset. Eleven experienced leaders participated in semi-structured interviews selected through purposive sampling. Thematic analysis, guided by the cyclical and inductive coding methods of Saldana (2021), generated 187 initial codes, which were distilled into 72 final codes. These final codes were then further refined into twelve categories and four overarching themes: …

A Case Study Of Doctoral Students' Perspectives Of The Drastic Move From An In-Person To Virtual Environment During Covid-19, Martha Patricia Cias

Theses & Dissertations

This qualitative case research study investigated the students’ perspectives during the drastic transition from an in-person to a virtual environment during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2021) at the doctoral level. The findings were grouped into six themes and revealed (a) the loss of structure and increased isolation, (b) development of online literacy and increased flexibility, (c) social movements stress and peer/professor support, (d) emotional resilience and resource use, (e) recognition of hybrid and mentorship models, and (f) the need for institutional preparedness considering students as stakeholders/customers. Concluding with the acknowledgement of the capacity of doctoral students to adapt in an unforeseen …

The Faculty's Perception Of The Role Of Equity In The Formation Of Cooperative Learning Groups In University Classrooms: A Qualitative Inquiry, Ethel Nwogu

Theses & Dissertations

THE FACULTY’S PERCEPTION OF THE ROLE OF EQUITY IN THE FORMATION OF COOPERATIVE LEARNING GROUPS IN UNIVERSITY CLASSROOMS: A QUALITATIVE INQUIRY

Submitted by Ethel K. Nwogu A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy The University of the Incarnate Word San Antonio, Texas December 2025

This study investigates how university faculty perceive and apply equity in the formation of cooperative learning groups. It examines the beliefs guiding instructional decisions and the practical strategies used to ensure fairness and inclusion. The central purpose is to understand how equitable group formation practices influence student …

2026 Spring Commencement, Tennessee State University

TSU Commencements 2025-Present – Mr. Dwayne Tucker, President

No abstract provided.

Processing Conditions In Narrative Interpretation: A Structural Account Of Cf/Ef Divergence In "The Clerk's Tale”, Griselda Poe

Publications and Research

This paper applies the framework established in Paper 19, "Cognition Is Not Content: A Structural Account of Processing Conditions," to re-describe Chaucer's "The Clerk's Tale" from The Canterbury Tales.

The same narrative produces two incompatible interpretations: a record of domestic violence, and a story of genuine love. This divergence does not arise from differences in ethical judgment or emotional response. It arises from structural differences in the conditions under which information is reconstructed.

This paper does three things. First, it analyzes the characters Walter and Griselda in terms of CF (Core-foregrounded) and EF (Modulation-foregrounded) processing conditions. Second, it describes …

From Preparation To Performance: Assessing The College And Career Development Program's Role In Goal Setting And Act Success, Tambra Sweet-Hayes

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The transition from high school to post-secondary paths represents a critical juncture in students’ lives, often influencing their future academic and career success. Despite its impact, many students struggle to make informed and confident decisions about their futures, especially those from rural and low socioeconomic backgrounds. The College and Career Development Program (CCDP) at York Institute in Jamestown, Tennessee, was established to address this gap by providing students with the knowledge, resources, and support necessary to navigate this complex transition. Findings from this study determined the effectiveness of the CCDP in supporting students’ academic and career aspirations, focusing on student …

An Examination Of School Counselors' Self-Efficacy For Promoting College Knowledge, Kimberly E. Norfork

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

In this study, the researcher examined how professional, demographic, and school-level factors relate to high school counselors’ self-efficacy for promoting college knowledge across five domains. Using survey data from counselors in Georgia, the researcher evaluated the extent to which factors such as professional development frequency, membership in professional organizations, school characteristics, and counselor demographics predicted differences in self-efficacy through multivariate and univariate analyses. The results indicated that schools tracking first-generation student status had counselors who exhibited higher self-efficacy in assisting students with college applications and working with disadvantaged populations. Additionally, there were notable broad multivariate effects related to membership in …

An Examination, Analysis, And Evaluation Of The Employee Onboarding Process In A Southeastern University, Julie G. Brown

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The onboarding phase is one of the most impactful moments in an employee’s life cycle (Baker & DiPiro, 2019; Kumar & Pandey, 2017; Ritz et al., 2023). New employees’ ability to adjust to their jobs, develop working relationships, and feel a sense of belonging during onboarding influences their decision to remain with the organization (Hassan, 2020; Kumar & Pandey, 2017; Narayansany & Isa, 2021). Creating a positive and engaging experience for employees at the beginning of their time with the organization could help increase job satisfaction and create a better sense of belonging and organizational commitment (Blount, 2022; Pike, 2014). …

Tennessee County Commissioners' Perception Of The Relevancy Of The University Of Tennessee Extension Agriculture Program, Walter Battle

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The University of Tennessee Extension (UTE) receives 15% of its funding from county governments (University of Tennessee Extension, 2021a). According to Blevins, Jayaratne, Bruce, Bradley, and Stumpf-Downing (2020), the relationship between Extension and county commissioners is vital to the success of county-based programming. Extension agents and specialists program the education services required for agriculture producers to qualify for State Department of Agriculture grants. This study assessed 60 county commissioners’ perception of UTE agriculture education programming efforts. Participants completed a modified version of the instrument utilized by Koon (2006) to assess state legislators’ perception of UTE. Findings suggested there were no …

Assessing Tourism-Induced Impacts In Communities Around The Indiana Dunes National Park, Charles James Kovacs

Masters Theses

This project aims to examine the effects of the tourism industry in and around a new National Park within the United States’ National Park system (NPS). The Indiana Dunes National Park (IDNP) received National Park designation in 2019. The park, situated on the south shore of Lake Michigan, is a roughly fifty-minute drive east of Chicago. This project seeks to ask and answer how the tourism industry has grown and continues to impact the lives of residents near the IDNP. Two communities, Michigan City and Chesterton, serve as the primary study areas along with the park itself. Qualitative methods, centered …

Moral Injury Among Healthcare Chaplains: Responding To Systemic Racism Through Ethical Advocacy And Spiritual Care, Stephanie Drew

Doctor of Ministry Projects and Theses

Systemic racism against minorities has woven its way into every facet of everyday existence, especially for Black Americans, and Healthcare is no exception. There are numerous proven instances of unfair and inequitable treatment of marginalized patients throughout the Healthcare system, and some have even caused Black patients to lose their lives. The mistreatment of Black and Brown people during perhaps one of the most vulnerable times of their lives is well documented dating back centuries. There are massive cuts to Medicaid, and insurance premiums are steadily going up making it very cumbersome for the poor and disenfranchised to navigate the …

The Role And Impact Of Servant Leaders In The Clinical Physical Therapy Space, Amelia Moor

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Servant leadership is an approach that is committed to improving the lives of others. The patient-centered model, commonly taught in healthcare courses, follows a structure that resembles the practice of servant leadership. Through this study, the clinical application of servant leadership was explored further. Physical therapy was the primary focus of understanding servant leadership in healthcare settings. Qualitative research was conducted using a phronetic iterative approach. Results displayed a recognition and usage of the servant leadership model in physical therapy settings, despite administrative and structural barriers.

Curriculum Evaluation For Imagiedu, Madison Leigh Marchand

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

This research examines whether or not ImagiEdu's curriculum aligns with the Indiana Academic Standards for K-8 Computer Science, and to determine if it meets the requirements to be approved as "High-Quality Curricular Materials" by the Indiana Department of Education (DOE). ImagiEdu is an award-winning technology education startup from Sweden, and provides inclusive coding education tools designed to help students imagine their future in the tech world. In this project, the DOE's 2024-2025 High-Quality Curricular Materials Rubric was used to evaluate ImagiEdu's curriculum, including its Scope and Sequence, Teacher Handbook, and over 25 Lesson Plans. The evaluation focused on four main …

Partners In Crime: Unraveling Accomplice Involvement In Jury Verdicts, Daphne A. Murray

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

The present study is only the second investigation to examine the effects of accomplice witness testimony on jury decision making. For this study, participants read a trial transcript of an assault case in which the defendant was accused of starting a physical altercation. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions where we varied the level of involvement of the accomplice. The three conditions included Accomplice-Altercation where the accomplice was directly involved in the altercation and threw a few punches, Accomplice-Lookout where the accomplice served as a lookout for police arrival, and a No Accomplice condition. The results of …

Illuminating Success: Student And Teacher Perception On Media Center Brainlit Lighting, Jase M. H. Ide

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Lighting plays a critical role in shaping learning environments, yet its influence on students’ cognitive, emotional, and physiological functioning is often overlooked in educational research. This study examined the perceived impact of BrainLit’s biocentric lighting, a daylight-simulating system designed to support circadian rhythms, within an educational setting. The research focused on Sycamore School, the first early childhood through eighth-grade school in the United States to implement BrainLit biocentric lighting. Using a qualitative research design, data were collected through interviews with third- and eighth-grade students and faculty members in the school’s Media Center. Transcribed interviews were analyzed thematically to identify patterns …

Group B Streptococcus In Pregnant Women: Universal Guidelines And Protocols, Dania Presteguin

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Background: Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a leading cause of maternal sepsis and neonatal mortality globally. Variability in screening and treatment guidelines influences global disease burden.

Objective: This study uses a cross-national analysis to compare screening and treatment guidelines and their impact on prevalence, screening, intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis (IAP), and maternal-neonatal clinical manifestations Methodology: A systematic review of secondary literature was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, and CINAHL (2010-2025). Inclusion criteria include maternal GBS colonization and one or more measures of interventions and neonatal infection rates. No geographic or demographic restrictions were applied. A total of 67 studies were screened, and …

Cyanine Dyes As Next-Generation Fluorophores: Applications In Cell Sorting And Fingerprinting Technologies, Super-Multiplexed Spectroscopy, Biomedical Imaging, And Beyond, Lucas Allen Davis

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

As biochemical, pharmaceutical, and medical sciences advance, the demand for technologies capable of probing multiple cellular targets simultaneously continues to increase. Super-multiplexed spectroscopic techniques offer a pathway toward comprehensive cellular fingerprinting by overcoming the spectral limitations of conventional fluorescence labeling. By circumventing the traditional “color barrier,” cyanine-based Raman tags enable the simultaneous discrimination of numerous cellular morphologies, allowing spectroscopy and imaging to be integrated for high-dimensional cellular analysis. Technologies developed in Goda Lab—including high-throughput flow cytometry, virtual freezing fluorescence imaging (VIFFI), Fourier-transform coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy (FT-CARS), and MERdot nanoparticles—address longstanding trade-offs between throughput, resolution, sensitivity, and multiplexing capacity. Central …

The Wide World Of Sports: Athlete Political Opinions And Fan Support, Sarah Kay Finnicum

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Over the years, the media has seen many instances of athletes using their platforms to speak out on certain issues, one of the most memorable in recent times being Colin Kaepernick kneeling during the national anthem when he was with the San Francisco 49ers. Instances like Kaepernick’s emphasizes how different groups of people respond to these forms of political protest., with some finding his actions as disrespectful to America and ignoring the true purpose of his protest. This study aimed to determine how college students respond to athletes sharing their political stances, and whether these responses from the students change …

From Viewer To Participant: Building Emotional Stakes And Audience Advocacy Through Original Film Marketing In The Internet Age, Andy Joshua Pal

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Film marketing has always been a vital part of engaging audiences with motion pictures, particularly for original intellectual property (IP) projects striving to build a passionate fanbase. In the 1950s and 1960s, filmmaking pioneers Alfred Hitchcock and William Castle revolutionized original movie campaigns, laying the foundation for audience engagement through two main, opposite strategies: secrecy for horror and horror-adjacent releases and transparency for non-horror releases. The Blair Witch Project (Sánchez and Myrick, 1999)’s marketing became the defining film campaign of the internet age, drawing upon Hitchcock and Castle’s secretive approaches by pioneering alternate reality games (ARGs). This strategy, which lets …

The Role Of Reflection In Shifting Motivations To Confront Racial Prejudice, Keira Nicole Salt

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Confrontation is shown to reduce expressions of racial prejudice. However, a person’s motivations to confront can change how effective the confrontation is in shifting attitudes. Confronting prejudice can be driven by internal motivations, such as personal values, or external motivations, like social approval. Through two studies, I investigated whether reflecting on the drawbacks of performative activism (motivation condition) affected individuals' motivation to confront prejudice. I hypothesized that individuals (especially those with the strongest external motivations) would shift to be more internal when reflecting on the issues of performative activism compared to a control condition. In online Study 1A, I found …

Understanding First-Name Diversification In The United States, 1910-2020, Riley Nicole Mehall

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

This study investigates how demographic and cultural changes influenced first-name diversification in the United States between 1910 and 2020. Three main explanations are proposed: Solidarity and Diffusion, Multiculturalism, and Familial Modernization. The normalized Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) was employed to track name diversity for each state–year–sex group. Then, statistical analysis, including two-way fixed-effects linear regression, was completed. This analysis finds a clear correlation between first-name diversity and measures of population density, ethnoracial diversity, and household structure. This supports the conclusion that shifts in socio-demographic composition and cultural values over time played a significant role in shaping naming practices. Ultimately, this study …

Analyzing Media Conversations Around Sports Gambling Within The Context Of Vulnerable Audiencestrevor Fox, Trevor Fox

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

This study examines how newspaper coverage of sports betting (2023–2024) shapes public discourse around gambling. Through mixed-methods content analysis of 105 randomly sampled articles, guided by agenda-setting, framing, and cultivation theories, findings reveal that coverage prioritizes regulation and scandals over vulnerable populations, frames betting positively at the macro level but negatively at the individual level, and largely omits the academic evidence base on gambling harms.

Mapping And Evaluating Butler University's Dining And Accommodation Messaging For Students With Dietary Restrictions, Cassia Belle Campbell

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Food-centered traditions are central to campus belonging, yet for students with medical dietary restrictions (e.g., celiac disease, severe food allergies), shared meals can become sites of stigma, exclusion, and heightened self-monitoring. Prior research frames these conditions as “invisible disabilities” (Davis, 2005) and highlights dynamics such as hypervigilance and disclosure fatigue (Schelly et al., 2022), which can be intensified when institutional processes are unclear or inconsistently communicated. This project examines how institutional messaging shapes the navigational burden students may experience when seeking safe participation in dining and campus life.

This study uses an artifact-based analysis of existing Butler University communication materials …

Are Documentaries Entertaining Or Informative? Perceptions Of Expert Interview Testimonials On False Evidence Ploys, Audrey R. Ecelbarger

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Media depicting wrongful convictions is growing in popularity, especially for false confession cases. Documentaries often interview individuals connected to the suspect or evidentiary experts, but rarely provide testimonials from confessions experts. Does the content and expertise of these documentary interviewees impact the viewer’s understanding of the risks that certain interrogation tactics pose to innocent suspects? In this experiment, participants learned about a false confession elicited by the “false evidence ploy,” where an interrogator falsely claims that there is evidence against the suspect that proves their guilt. They then watched an interview testimonial from either a confessions expert, the suspect’s lawyer, …

Snitch Switch: Does Gender Affect The Credibility Of Jailhouse Informants?, Claire Katherine Yontz

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

The testimony of jailhouse informants (JIs)—individuals who claim to have gained knowledge about a crime while incarcerated with a defendant—is considered a leading cause of wrongful convictions. The present study examined how the gender of the JI affects participants’ rating of the informant’s credibility by adapting a trial summary from Wetmore et al., 2014. In the trial summary, a male defendant, whose wife recently filed for divorce, returns home fro the bar one night to find the dead bodies of his wife and her alleged new romantic partner. Included in the trial summary, is the testimony of the defendant, numerous …

Performing (For The) Guru: A Performance Studies Approach To The Study Of Cults, Todd M. Brown

Dissertations

This project approaches a long-term experience of living in a cult through a performance studies lens. Utilizing autoethnographic methods, it explores personal insights and observations from years within the inner-circle of a coercive religious environment under tyrannical leadership. A variety of systems and relationships are narrated and analyzed according to three categories: ritualization, deployability, and occupation. Ritualization explains how a body becomes imbued with the rhythms and mantras of a cultic milieu. Deployability describes how this body is put into action at the service of the leadership. Occupation, as a metaphor, illuminates how a cultic subject becomes filled with the …

Assessing The Conservation Needs Of Native Texas Crayfish Species Through Distribution Analysis And Species Distribution Modeling, Elizabeth J. Croft

Biology Theses

Crayfish have essential roles in ecosystems because they are ecosystem engineers and keystone species. However, crayfish species are threatened by degradation and loss of habitats, introduction of invasive species, and high levels of endemism. Texas provides no legal protections for crayfish, despite its large number of species and endemics in the state. The overall goal of this study is to clarify the distributions of native Texas crayfish species using literature records, citizens science, and field sampling data, and highlight species in need of more conservation research. Occurrence records from all collected data were combined to visualize the distributions of species …

Workplace Monitoring Platforms Are Sharing Your Data: An Investigation & Roadmap To Address Data Abuses, Stephanie T. Nguyen, Levi Kaplan, David Choffnes, Alan Mislove, Seth Frotman, Erie Meyer

Center for Law and the Economy

This report investigates the data collection practices of nine widely used workplace monitoring platforms to determine the extent to which they track and analyze employee activity, behavior, or performance during work, including how these platforms transmit worker information and to which third-parties. This report finds that (1) nine out of nine workplace monitoring platforms studied directly shared identifying worker data to third parties, (2) nine out of nine workplace monitoring platforms studied shared information about workers’ online activities with third parties, and (3) three out of nine workplace monitoring platforms studied utilize features to track workers’ precise location. This report …

Tiktok Usage And Cyberbullying: A Systematic Review Of Existing Studies To Identify Correlations., Emma Willett

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

TikTok has rapidly become a pivotal part of adolescents' lives, and arguably one of the most influential social media platforms by creating unique patterns of communication and interaction. This short-video format platform has a uniquely designed, algorithm-driven “For You Page”, as well as a distinct environment for interaction and comment culture.

With the rise of popularity around TikTok, cyberbullying has also emerged as a significant concern (Guimetti, 2022). This thesis aims to conduct a systematic literature review of existing studies on TikTok usage and cyberbullying to determine whether or not there is a significant positive correlation between the two.

This …

Personality Meets Possibility: Exploring Cognitive Engagement For Older Adults In A Changing World, Kalvry A. Cooper

All Theses

Engagement in cognitively stimulating activities (CSAs) is critical for maintaining cognitive health in older adults. While existing research has examined the benefits of CSAs, less is known about how factors such as personality traits, education, and technology proficiency influence engagement, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to explore older adults' participation in online versus in-person CSAs during the pandemic and identify key predictors of engagement. Using secondary data from the EFIT and ENACT studies, this research investigates how variables like marital status, education, personality traits, and mobile device proficiency shape older adults' decisions to engage in online or …