Digital Commons Network^™

“Now I Know The Kind Of Leader I Want To Become”: Leadership Development And Professional Growth Through The Lens Of Transformational Leadership Theory, Manuel Angel Saenz

Theses and Dissertations

Organizations increasingly rely on leadership development programs to strengthen succession planning and prepare middle managers for expanded responsibilities, yet limited research has explored how participants experience these initiatives in fast-paced, customer-centric environments. This qualitative descriptive case study examined the lived experiences of 11 middle managers and directors participating in the LEAD Forward program within a Government Contact Center. Guided by Transformational Leadership Theory, the study investigated (a) how participants perceived the program’s impact on their professional development and leadership skills and (b) the challenges and opportunities they encountered during participation. Data was collected through two written narrative reflections and 11 …

Voices From The Classroom: Elementary Teachers’ Perspectives On Teaching And Learning During The Covid-19 Pandemic – A Case Study And Autoethnography, Alicia Lopez-Hernandez

Theses and Dissertations

Guided by constructivist learning theory and sociocultural theory, this qualitative case study and autoethnography examines how bilingual educators constructed knowledge, adapted instructional practices, and utilized mediational tools within face-to-face, online and hybrid learning environments. These frameworks informed the study’s design, data analysis, and interpretation of findings related to pedagogy, technology integration, and student engagement. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews, naturalistic observations, and autoethnographic reflective journaling.

Faculty Perspectives On Co-Teaching Mathematics: A Focus On Corequisite Education, Aleksandra Shchelkunova

Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to contribute to the literature by expanding the knowledge on coteaching practices to the area of higher education. Traditionally, co-teaching was considered uncommon in college courses. However, with the increasing popularity of corequisite courses - often structured as linked classes taught by two different instructors - co-teaching has become a new popular trend in higher education. In this research, I compared co-teaching models utilized in K-12 settings with those applied at the college level mathematics courses and analyzed the reflections of faculty members who have experience with team teaching.

This qualitative single-case study was conducted using convenience …

Chatbots In The Classroom: Understanding The Impact Of Chatbot Integration In Writer’S Workshops On High School Students’ Writing, Gabriel Cerda

Theses and Dissertations

Writing is a complex developmental skill, and much research has been conducted to understand in which ways to best close the gaps that national data indicates exist for students in K-12 education. This quasi-experimental study explored how integrating chatbots as dialogue agents within a writer’s workshop framework influences the quality of written compositions among Grade 12 students. The research was grounded in the Direct and Indirect Effect Model of Writing (DIEW) and the Writer(s)-Within-Community (WWC) model, which emphasize both the cognitive and social-emotional dimensions of the writing process.

Participants received real-time, individualized feedback, with pre- and post-test essays evaluated using …

Curriculum, Power And Pedagogical Becoming: An Autoethnographic Inquiry Into Lived Curriculum, Teacher Agency And Institutional Constraints, Norma Ochoa Urban-Palomarez

Theses and Dissertations

My dissertation, Curriculum, Power, and Pedagogical Becoming, examines the complex relationship between institutional curriculum structures, teacher agency, and the lived realities of classroom practice within U.S. public schooling. Situated at the intersection of curriculum theory and critical pedagogy, the study investigates how power operates through scripted curricula, pacing mandates, and fidelity-driven instructional models, and how these mechanisms shape pedagogical decision-making, professional identity, and the educational experiences of Hispanic students of poverty, language, and color. While standardization is frequently framed as a vehicle for equity and accountability, this research explores how institutional constraints may simultaneously regulate teacher practice and delimit possibilities …

Inclusive Perspectives In Early Childhood Special Education: Navigating Experiences Of Families And Educators In The South Texas Community, Jessica Ann Garza

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the relationship between family systems and inclusive outcomes in Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) programs in South Texas. Guided by Family Systems Theory and the family life cycle perspective, the research explores how family structures, cultural values such as familismo, bilingualism, and cross‑border healthcare access influence educational engagement and student progress. The South Texas region, characterized by its majority Hispanic population, bilingual households, and proximity to the U.S.–Mexico border, presents a unique context for understanding how cultural assets and systemic barriers shape ECSE collaboration. Using a convergent parallel mixed‑methods design, the study integrates quantitative survey data on …

Elementary Teachers' Culturally Responsive Strategies For Fostering Critical Thinking In Science Instruction With Emergent Bilinguals, Lydia Stella Ratel

Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of bilingual and English as a Second Language (ESOL)-certified elementary teachers as they fostered critical thinking among emergent bilingual (EB) students in grades 3–5 science classrooms. Grounded in culturally responsive pedagogy, translanguaging, funds of knowledge, and critical thinking theory, the study examined how teachers made sense of instructional decision-making and EB students’ scientific reasoning within accountability-driven educational contexts.

Data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with elementary teachers serving emergent bilingual students in South Texas public schools. Phenomenological analysis was used to identify shared meanings across participants’ descriptions of instructional practices, language use, …

The Effects Of Ai Adoption On Digital Entrepreneurial Intention: A Meta-Analysis, Xandra Precious Okori

Theses and Dissertations

AI adoption and its widespread use have sparked debates about the future of work, job displacement, and the evolving entrepreneurial landscape. While AI is often seen as a threat to traditional employment, research shows that this emerging technology is more likely to change task structures rather than eliminate entire occupations or industries. This shows that there are new entrepreneurial opportunities, particularly digital, that potential entrepreneurs can venture into. This thesis uses a meta-analytic approach to study the relationship between AI adoption and digital entrepreneurial intention, addressing inconsistencies in current research.

Following PRISMA guidelines, a comprehensive search was conducted across Web …

The Effect Of Drought On Avian Migratory Patterns And Stopover Through Texas And Louisiana, Ian Becker

Theses and Dissertations

Extreme weather events pose a massive threat for native ecosystems. As precipitation and temperature patterns are altered due to climate change, drought may become an incredibly severe event on the landscape. Drought directly impacts resources that migratory birds need during stopover en route to breeding and non-breeding grounds. Here, I quantify the impacts of drought on migration through Texas and Louisiana using 26 years of weather surveillance radar data. To understand how drought interacts with the local environment to impact migration, I tested 4 hypotheses displaying drought’s ability to impact migrants in conjunction with climatic and habitat level characteristics. Fall …

From Witness To Weapon: How Elizabeth Barrett Browning’S “The Cry Of The Children” Embodies And Transforms The Rhetorical Situation, Elyssa Vianey Solis

Theses and Dissertations

Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s “The Cry of the Children” employs trauma-driven rhetoric to expose Victorian child labor exploitation.

Combining literary analysis with rhetorical theory, this research contextualizes the poem within 19th-century industrial exploitation, showing how Browning transforms documentary evidence like the 1842 Children’s Employment Commission Report into emotional testimony. Visceral imagery, ironic juxtaposition, and embodied suffering weaponize pathos to reveal systemic abuse and moral urgency. Applying Lloyd Bitzer’s and Richard Vatz’s theories, we can posit that Browning both responds to and defines the crisis, merging poetic protest with social reform as civic intervention.

By engaging Bitzer and Vatz, this paper argues …

Use Of Complementizer That Among English-Spanish Bilinguals, Aziz Abraham Quenun

Theses and Dissertations

Languages vary in how they signal the presence of an embedded clause. Both English and Spanish use what are termed complementizers—that in English and que in Spanish—but in English, the complementizer is often optional while in Spanish, it is generally required. This thesis tested if the presence of que in a Spanish sentence could induce a bilingual speaker to insert a previously omitted that into an English sentence using a syntactic priming task. The results of these trials showed that this was the case, finding a statistically significant priming effect, supporting the idea that syntax is cognitively shared across languages …

Vision-Based Vibration Monitoring Of Civil Structural Damage Detection Using A Low-Cost Autonomous Uav, Javier Antonio Becerril

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents the development and experimental validation of a low-cost autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for non-contact vibration-based structural damage detection. We extract structural vibration signals directly from video recordings captured by the onboard camera during flight. The extracted vibration signals are analyzed in the frequency domain to identify natural frequency shifts associated with structural degradation and damage.

To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, a laboratory-scale steel frame structure is tested under both healthy and simulated damage conditions. In contrast to advanced commercial UAV inspection systems, the developed UAV achieves comparable inspection capability at a significantly lower …

Developing A Qpcr Method For Evaluating Parasitoid Wasps As A Potential Means Of Control Of The Southern Cattle Fever Tick Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) Microplus In South Texas, Abbey Abalos

Theses and Dissertations

Ixodiphagus spp. wasps are natural enemies of ticks that have been reported to cause mortality in multiple tick species. Parasitoid wasps may represent a potential biocontrol alternative to traditional chemical tick control methods, which are challenged by non-target toxicity and the development of pesticide resistance in species of concern such as Rhipicephalus microplus, a pest of livestock that causes billions of dollars in loss to the livestock industry worldwide. Rhipicephalus sanguineus s.l. is a congeneric species of R. microplus, and parasitism of R. sanguineus by Ixodiphagus sp. in areas of co-occurrence has been observed. It is unknown if R. microplus …

Academic Anxiety, Anxiety Sensitivity, And General Mental Health In Collegiate Student-Athletes, Finley Gabrielle Elkins Sims

Theses and Dissertations

Collegiate athletes’ mental health is on the decline, and they have unique experiences that can influence the prevalence of mental health struggles. This study examined academic anxiety, comorbid forms of anxiety, and predicting factors in 187 collegiate student-athletes across 29 U.S. colleges. Athletes had significantly higher levels of academic anxiety and general anxiety compared to a college nonathlete population. There were significant gender differences in athletes, with females having greater levels of anxiety sensitivity, academic anxiety, sport anxiety, general anxiety, depression, and a history of depression than male athletes. Gender, history of depression, anxiety sensitivity, and depression were significant predictors …

Pesticides And Poverty: How Socioeconomic Factors Relate To Pesticide Application In The Continental Us, Reed Smetter

Theses and Dissertations

Pesticides are often used to help reduce the populations of weeds, insects, and pathogens in agricultural and urban settings, reducing the risk of outbreaks and losses of agricultural yield. The communities that surround agricultural areas often bear the brunt of the negative community and environmental health effects of these chemicals, and are frequently rural, poor, and lack critical infrastructure resources. Pesticide application volumes are often linked closely with specific health effects. In this study, I apply social vulnerability theory to compare the potential connections between the application rates of pesticides and socioeconomic variables across the United States using a nationwide …

A Visit-Count-Based Complete Foraging Strategy For Robot Swarms, Arturo Yahir Gonzalez

Theses and Dissertations

Swarm robotics systems often rely on a balance between exploration and exploitation to perform tasks like Central Place Foraging. While exploitation methods such as pheromone trails and site fidelity are well-studied, the efficiency of the underlying random search exploration remains a challenge, frequently leading to redundant coverage and wasted time as multiple agents repeatedly search the same fruitless areas. This thesis introduces a memory-enhanced exploration strategy designed to improve the efficiency of random search in a swarm of simple robots.

In our proposed algorithm, each robot, constrained with limited memory, periodically logs its recent locations while exploring. This spatial data …

The Impact Of Nutrition On Insecticide Resistance And Gene Expression In Aedes Aegypti, Esmeralda Guadalupe Rosas

Theses and Dissertations

The development of insecticide resistance in Aedes aegypti, a major vector of dengue and Zika viruses, threatens vector control efforts, particularly in endemic regions such as South Texas. Insecticides remain widely used; however, their overuse has accelerated metabolic resistance mediated by cytochrome P450 enzymes. Environmental factors such as larval nutrition may influence mosquito physiology and resistance-associated gene expression, yet this relationship remains poorly understood. This study examines how larval nutritional conditions affect the expression of cytochrome P450 genes linked to pyrethroid resistance in Aedes aegypti. Larvae were reared under five dietary treatments differing in lipid and protein ratios, and adults …

Spatiotemporal Evolution Of Flow Decline And Water Consumption In A Highly Regulated Transboundary River: The Lower Rio Grande/Bravo, Ana Yarely Casillas Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations

Long-term flow variability in transboundary rivers reflects the combined influence of water availability, infrastructure development, and binational water use. Integrating historical discharge with evolving water-use data remains challenging due to fragmented records and nationally bounded assessments. This study reconstructs a 125-year discharge record (1900–2025) from historical Water Bulletins and modern observations at 12 gauging stations, providing a spatiotemporal assessment of flow evolution and water-budget components in the Lower Rio Grande/Bravo (LRG).

Discharge records were grouped into four hydrologic regimes—natural (1900–1913), pre-dam (1935–1950), post-dam (1974–1989), and modern (2010–2025)—and analyzed alongside binational water-use data across major sectors. A basin-scale water budget, using …

Leading For Impact: An Explanatory Sequential Mixed Methods Study On Leadership Actions Driving Academic Gains Beyond Mock Projections, John Martinez

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined how principals lead schools to achieve academic outcomes that exceed projected performance. Using an explanatory sequential mixed methods design, the study first identified campuses that demonstrated statistically significant improvement between projected outcomes based on mock assessments and actual performance on state accountability measures. Quantitative analyses, including paired-samples t-tests, repeated measures ANOVA, and correlation analyses, revealed significant differences between projected and actual outcomes, variation across assessment cycles, and increasing alignment between mock and summative assessments over time. Standardized mean difference scores were used to identify campuses that demonstrated the greatest positive deviation from projected performance.

In Phase 2, …

Probing The Dynamic Behavior Of The Androgen Receptor In The Presence Of Heptyl And Methyl Parabens, Edgardo De Leon

Theses and Dissertations

The androgen receptor (AR) mediates physiological signaling from endogenous androgens, a function that can be disrupted by endocrine disruptors with serious reproductive and developmental consequences. Parabens, widely used preservatives, inhibit AR signaling in cell-based assays, with inhibitory potency correlating with alkyl chain length: heptylparaben exhibits stronger antagonism than methylparaben, which shows no effect. We hypothesize this differential potency arises from allosteric modulation at the AR Binding Function 3 (BF-3) site, altering dihydrotestosterone (DHT) binding dynamics. Docking calculations using antagonist-bound AR crystal structures, followed by molecular dynamics simulations, show that methylparaben fails to remain bound at BF-3, whereas heptylparaben maintains stable …

A Testimoniando On Tutoring Practices In A Predominantly Latine Writing Center: How Drawing From Tutors’ Memories Fosters Reflective Practices, Emily Michelle Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations

The student body of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) consists primarily of Latine students, a population that is reflected in the Writing Center’s tutor demographics. Tutor practices connect to the training sessions that are based on disciplinary expectations but also incorporate each tutor’s epistemology, cultural beliefs, and lived knowledge experiences. To reflect on the practices, memories, and experiences that tutors collected at the Writing Center, the concepts of testimoniando and testimonios will serve as the praxis and means of sharing the experiences and lived knowledge of tutors who identify as part of a marginalized group; this allow …

Parasites Of Meaning: When Interpretation Becomes Infection, Kimberly Medrano

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the impulse to seek moral certainty in morally ambiguous first-person confessional narratives and argues that such certainty is unnecessary. When confronted with narrators whose moral positions remain unclear, readers often project their own moral frameworks onto the text to place the narrator within specific moral binaries. This impulse reveals the reader’s discomfort with ambiguity. This study analyzes the confessional narration, No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai. The thesis will explore how its confessional narrator resists moral clarification. Drawing on Friedrich Nietzsche's critique of moral binaries and J. Hillis Miller’s concept of the “Critic as Host,” this thesis …

Identification Of Peptides For A Muc13 Cancer Vaccine, Abigail Olivia Gomez

Theses and Dissertations

Mucin 13 (MUC13) is a transmembrane glycoprotein that is frequently overexpressed in epithelial cancers. Its extracellular domains and cytoplasmic signaling potential contribute to disrupted cell adhesion, increased invasion, and cancer-promoting pathways, making MUC13 a promising target for immunotherapy. This project used an in-silico approach to identify MUC13-derived peptides predicted to bind HLA class I molecules and support CD8+ T cell-mediated immune responses. Bioinformatics tools were used to screen candidate epitopes for HLA binding affinity, antigenicity, toxicity, IFN-γ-inducing potential, and population coverage, allowing rational prioritization of peptide candidates for experimentation. Selected peptides were evaluated in THP-1-derived macrophages using RT-PCR, Western blotting, …

Teaching At The Ai Crossroads: Educators’ Experiences, Ethics, And Practice In Pharmacy Education, Crystal Marie Zuniga

Theses and Dissertations

Artificial intelligence (AI), including emerging generative AI tools, is increasingly influencing healthcare workflows and reshaping expectations for workforce preparation. Pharmacy technician education must respond to these shifts while maintaining academic rigor and prioritizing patient safety, ethical practice, and professional accountability. This qualitative study examined pharmacy educators' perspectives on the integration of AI within the Pharmacy Technician Program at Southern Valley College, with attention to how educators interpret AI’s relevance, risks, and instructional implications in pharmacy education.

Data collection included one focus group and individual semi-structured interviews with four pharmacy educators with diverse professional experiences in pharmacy practice and education. Data …

Sub-Ghz Propagation Along Freight Trains For Wireless Onboard Communications, Dario Hinojosa

Theses and Dissertations

With the increasing length of freight trains, maintaining reliable wireless communication for onboard sensors has become increasingly challenging. Sub-GHz communication bands are a promising solution due to their long-range capability and suitability for rural railway environments. This study analyzes radio wave propagation around freight railcars to evaluate path loss and determine how antenna polarization affects wireless communication performance.

Time-domain full-wave electromagnetic simulations were performed using simplified railcar models and later validated through field testing using a vector signal generator, vector network analyzer (VNA), and spectrum analyzer. Various antenna polarization configurations were evaluated within the Sub-GHz Long Range (LoRa) frequency band …

La Panza: Un Acto De Rebeldia Para Los Atravesados Y Los Que Siguen Despues / The Panza: An Act Of Rebellion For The Inbetweeners And Those Who Follow After, Abigail Guadalupe Cantu

Theses and Dissertations

Our ancestors, family members, and ourselves that live in the borderlands have embodied knowledge, and/or an innate intuition that comes from the pit of our soul, particularly from our “panza”; hence, the creation of a panza consciousness as the focus for my thesis. I’m trying to “rediscover” the embodied knowledge that has been taken from us and how we can learn to harness these forms of knowledge into a societal shift ( i.e. how we interact with others, how we see our bodies, how see the creation of knowledge, and how we see the world). Although, Eurocentric ideals sought to …

A Case Study Of One-To-One Mobile Teaching And Learning Environments Measuring Creativity In A Rural Elementary School In Deep South Texas, David Warren Hernandez

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study examined how creativity is enacted within rural one-to-one mobile teaching and learning environments in Deep South Texas. Grounded in the frameworks of mobile learning affordances (Klopfer et al., 2002), the Technological, Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework, and the SAMR model, the study explored how instructional practices, student agency, and contextual conditions influenced creative learning experiences in an elementary school setting. Data were collected from five elementary teachers at a rural South Texas district and included semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and samples of student-created artifacts. Data analysis followed a systematic process of first-cycle coding, second-cycle axial …

Soil Water Content Beneath Agrivoltaic Installations In A Subtropical Semi-Arid Climate, John Justin Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations

Agrivoltaics (AV) not only beneficially influences agricultural microclimates in the field, AV systems can generate on-site energy to offset operational costs, diversify income sources, and improve overall resilience, while providing environmental co-benefits such as reduced heat stress on plants and improved resource use efficiency. This thesis evaluated agrivoltaic shading effects on SWC and soil temperature using high-resolution in situ measurements collected over one year in an active vineyard, incorporating row type, soil depth, shading, and time of day. With precipitation as the primary water source, shaded soils exhibited up to 24.53% lower SWC relative to sun-exposed soils, likely due to …

Developing Bilingual Expressive Language Tools For Spanish-Speaking Families In The Rio Grande Valley, Edessa Xcarlet Reyes

Theses and Dissertations

This pilot study examines the development of dialect-sensitive expressive language tools for bilingual children in the Rio Grande Valley. A cross-sectional survey design was used to examine Spanish-speaking caregivers’ confidence, language use, and perceptions of communication support across home, school, and medical settings. The study focuses on culturally and linguistically responsive practices that account for regional Spanish dialectal variation. Findings from this research are intended to inform the development of family-centered expressive language resources and contribute to equitable assessment and intervention practices for bilingual children in speech-language pathology.

Structure–Property Engineering Of Sn-Based Hybrid Perovskites Via Bulky Organic Cation Incorporation: From 3d To 2d Architectures, Kevin Alejandro

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates tin-based hybrid organic/inorganic perovskites (HOIPs) as a lead-free alternative to silicon solar cells. To manipulate optoelectronic and efficiency of the semiconductors, methylammonium was substituted with bulky propylammonium and tetrabutylammonium cations to induce quasi-2D/3D Ruddlesden-Popper phases. X-Ray Diffraction confirmed 2D layered phases in propylammonium hybrids (5-15%), while tetrabutylammonium hybrids faced steric limits, triggering vacancy ordered perovskite phases at 1% concentration. Optical analysis showed a bandgap narrowing from 1.30 eV to 1.26 eV with increased substitution. Although photovoltaic performance generally declined, the 10% propylammonium hybrid achieved the highest fill factor of ~0.79, indicating superior internal charge transport. This work …