Digital Commons Network^™

Black Protection: Black Social Media Competency And Urban, Black Adolescents On Social Media, Taylor A. Williams

Dissertations

While urban, Black adolescents interact with racial identity content on social media, their identity is primarily shaped through offline experiences and later reflected or reinforced online. Through the concept of Black social media competency (B-SMC), this study examined the relationships between Black urban adolescents’ social media use, exposure to race-related content, and experiences navigating the digital environment. The study used a qualitative design, grounded in the phenomenological and ecological frameworks, with 21 adolescents recruited from two urban, Midwestern schools and programs to participate in semi-structured interviews, and data were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify patterns in how the participants …

The Relationship Between Depression And Cognitive Proficiency Index Across Biological Sex, Angela N. Ferdinardo

Dissertations

Depression is a widely studied mood disorder, and understanding its effect on cognitive functioning has become an important area of research. While research has examined relationships among depression, working memory, and cognitive deficits, limited research has explored depressive symptoms and cognitive proficiency across biological sex. Depression manifests similarly in men and women, though men are more likely to experience irritability, impulsivity, and anger, while women tend to experience sadness, stress, and sleep disturbances (Johns Hopkins Medicine, 2023). Women are also more likely to seek treatment and cope differently than men. This study examined the relationship between depression and cognitive proficiency …

The Legacy Of Trauma: Exploring The Effect Of Generational Stress On Gut Health And Mental Well-Being In Black Women, Jocelynn Jones

Dissertations

This dissertation examines how generational trauma and chronic stress may relate to gut health and mood outcomes among Black women. Using a literature review design, this work brings together research on intergenerational trauma, gendered racism, Superwoman Schema, weathering, allostatic load, mood disorders, reproductive health disparities, and the microbiota-gut-brain axis. The central argument is that depression, anxiety, gastrointestinal symptoms, fatigue, reproductive vulnerability, and healthcare mistrust should not be understood as fully separate concerns when they may be shaped by shared stress conditions. The proposed integrated model does not claim that trauma directly causes gut dysbiosis or mood disorders. Instead, it suggests …

Pathways To The Streets: A Proposed Model Examining The Factors Influencing Gang Affiliation And Involvement Among Young Black Men In The United States, Ceauna L. Juarez

Dissertations

This literature review examined gang involvement among young Black men in the United States and explored the factors that contribute to joining gangs and the consequences that may follow. The first chapter provides a brief history of gang involvement in Black communities and introduces Erikson’s development model, self-determination theory, and the minorities’ diminished returns as the three theoretical frameworks. The second chapter discusses common challenges faced by young Black men who are currently involved in gangs or are at risk of joining. The chapter explores issues such as life expectancy after gang involvement, adverse childhood experiences, mental health concerns, and …

The Influence Of Leadership On Leader Retention, Ruiwei Li

Dissertations

Prior research provided limited insight into how mid-to-senior leaders experienced and interpreted leadership in relation to retention. This interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) study explored how mid-to-senior leaders in a U.S. retail organization experienced and interpreted upper management leadership in relation to their retention decisions. Five leaders with at least four years of tenure participated in semi-structured, in-depth interviews. Each account was analyzed idiographically before patterns of convergence, variation, and divergence were examined across cases. Findings showed that willingness to remain reflected continued internal growth and meaningful influence, supportive leadership that affirmed personal value while preserving agency, and relational and cultural …

Distributed Coordination And Optimization Of Utility-Scale Battery Energy Storage Systems Via Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning, Parthiv Debnath

All Theses

The increasing integration of renewable energies into modern power systems has created significant operational challenges, including transmission congestion, renewable energy curtailment, and increased real-time supply-demand variability, which makes effective coordination and optimization of multiple distributed Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) across power systems a critical problem, a useful solution, yet an unresolved challenge. Existing centralized optimization methods require perfect future information and are incompatible with the confidentiality constraints of deregulated electricity markets, while rule-based approaches fail to capture the multi-objective complexity of real-world power grid operations. This thesis proposed a Multi-Agent Proximal Policy Optimization (MAPPO) framework with Centralized Training and …

More Than A Movement: The Mental Health Toll Of Activism And The Shield Of Social Support At Hbcus, Feyisayo T. Oluwalana

All Theses

Student activism has historically contributed to sociopolitical change, with college campuses serving as important contexts for civic engagement and identity development (Ballard et al., 2024; Cabrera et al., 2017; Conner, 2020). At Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), activism is often connected to students lived experiences and efforts to challenge systemic inequities (Byon et al., 2022; Patterson, 2021). Although activism may promote empowerment and collective identity, sustained advocacy may also contribute to psychological distress, including anxiety and depression, particularly among students of color (Chen et al., 2024; Hope et al., 2018). However, limited research has examined culturally relevant protective factors …

Scope: Deep Learning-Based Side-Channel Evaluation Across Classical And Post-Quantum Cryptographic Implementations, Nouf Nur Nabilah

All Theses

A cryptographic algorithm that is mathematically secure can still be broken since its hardware implementation leaks secret information through power consumption or electromagnetic emissions. These vulnerabilities are applicable to widely deployed classical encryption schemes as well as emerging post-quantum schemes which are standardized to provide quantum resistance. This thesis evaluated how deep learning changes such side-channel attacks across both through a unified study of four attacks, spanning a classical block cipher and two protected post-quantum schemes, and tested learned methods against the conditions that separated a laboratory result from a practical attack. Profiled deep-learning attacks recovered keys efficiently under favorable …

Evaluating The Motivations Of Participants In Online Equine Extension Courses, Sarah Vos

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Traditional program evaluations emphasize participant demographics, knowledge gain, behavior change, and program impact. However, evaluating participant motivation can provide addition insight into why participants enroll in extension programs and help explain participant engagement and persistence throughout a program. The purpose of this study was to evaluate participant motivation in two online equine extension courses and examine potential relationships between motivation, demographics, and course delivery method, and describe participant engagement in Virtual Horse Judging Camp (VHJC). This cross-sectional study utilized convenience sampling of participants in two online equine extension courses, Horse Adult Leader Training and Educational Resource (HALTER) and VHJC. The …

A Brand With A Brand: Constructing Lived-In Identity In Kylie Cosmetics And Khy, Nicole Obiukwu

Communications and Digital Media Theses

Celebrity-owned brands benefit from the visibility and recognition of their founders, but celebrity ownership alone does not necessarily establish authenticity. This study examines how celebrity-owned brands communicate authenticity through a comparative case study of Kylie Jenner’s Kylie Cosmetics and KHY. Using directed content analysis, 75 Instagram posts from Kylie Cosmetics, KHY, and Jenner’s personal account were analyzed alongside relevant contextual materials. The analysis focused on four dimensions identified through existing literature: Consistency of Self, Evidence of Use, Environmental Alignment, and Evolution Over Time. Findings showed that Kylie Cosmetics demonstrated greater accumulated continuity with Jenner’s established public identity, drawing on shared …

Faculty Tenure Program Book Selections 2026, Leatherby Libraries, Office Of The Provost

Faculty Tenure Program Book Selections

The Leatherby Libraries Faculty Tenure Program, in collaboration with the Office of the Provost, recognizes Chapman University faculty who have recently been awarded tenure. Each newly tenured faculty selects a book of their choice and a brief statement on why this book was selected. This collection of monographs are accessible in physical format and located in the Book Nook on the 1^st floor of the Leatherby Libraries.

Discussion Of Text Revisited: Encouraging Chatting In The Classroom, Melissa Jessup, Ruth E. Jefferson Dr.

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Discussion of text in language and literacy instruction has historically been studied with small samples of learners. The study described in this article investigated the relationship between instructional practices associated with discussion of text (chatting about it) and the reading achievement of several subgroups. A large sample of readers (N = 148,800) from the National Assessment of Educational Progress was the subject of the study. Several subgroups, including students with disabilities and students eligible for the National School Lunch Program (students experiencing poverty), were statistically disaggregated; subgroup data and results of analyses are discussed. Suggestions for classroom application are included.

Empowering Future Educators: How Service-Learning Shapes Teacher Candidate Self-Efficacy And Understanding Of Book Access, Nancy F. Hulan, Morgan S. Major

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Literacy rates are historically low in areas where access to books is limited. Thus, students with limited exposure to books prior to school pose a unique challenge to teachers, who often feel unprepared to teach students from underserved populations. To help remedy this, teacher candidates need preparation that builds their abilities to provide both access to books and quality literacy instruction for students who live in poverty. The study described in this article investigated the impact of literacy-related community engagement on teacher candidates’ self-efficacy, their understanding of book access, and their perceptions of teachers’ roles in providing book access. Participants …

Salary Report. 2026 August, Eastern Michigan University

EMU Salary Reports

No abstract provided.

Making Sense Of The Iep: Teacher Perspectives In Implementation In Suburban Schools, Siranda J. Patchel

All NMU Master's Theses

The Individualized Education Program (IEP) is a legal requirement and instructional framework to support students with disabilities. However, inconsistency among IEP classroom implementation is a challenge. The purpose of this study was to explore the implementation of IEPs for students with disabilities as reported by general and special educators in suburban settings, in addition to examining educators’ perceptions of their preparedness and comprehension of IEP-related responsibilities.

The qualitative research design incorporated a survey and follow-up interview response analysis of educators who worked in suburban schools. The responses were analyzed using a thematic analysis approach that consisted of open coding and …

The Stories We Tell About Wolves, Olivia Lubig

All NMU Master's Theses

This study investigated the connections between wolf stories, wolf history, and educational theories: critical literacy, schema theory, reader response theory/transactional theory, and the use of intertextual approaches in the classroom. In this study, I used a mix of transactional theory as the theoretical framework, self-study methodology, and living educational theory research methods to study myself as an educator, methods of teaching in a classroom, and children’s literature. My first finding, detailed in Chapter One, was discovering the connection between wolf stories and wolf history. I argue that the relationship between wolves and humans is represented in literature, and the representation …

Investigation Of A Novel Behavioral Assessment Of Challenging Behavior In The Context Of Medical Necessity And Disability Theory, Madison S. Walker

All NMU Master's Theses

Individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities often engage in challenging behaviors that interfere with daily functioning and community participation. Many standardized assessments focus on indirect, descriptive measurements that emphasize frequency, while providing limited information about medical severity, ongoing management strategies, and functional outcomes. This misalignment may limit the clinical utility of assessments, as scores may not consistently align with medical necessity criteria or arguments supporting the maintenance of current treatments. The first study extends on Reyes-Martín et al. (2022), which reviewed 24 assessments of challenging behaviors, by further evaluating assessment characteristics relevant to clinical decision-making and treatment justification. Findings highlight variability across …

Facilitating Occupational Participation In Older Adults With Chronic Pain, Emily K. Ruesch

Occupational Therapy Capstone Presentations

This capstone project developed doctoral-level clinical skills in the management of chronic pain. This capstone project also implemented a six‑week chronic pain management program for independent community‑dwelling older adults at Dow Rummel Village. Eleven adults aged 50–95 participated in weekly 45‑minute group sessions addressing adaptive equipment use, graded exercise, energy conservation, nervous system regulation, stress management, and sleep hygiene. Seven participants completed pre‑ and post‑intervention measures using the Brief Pain Inventory–Short Form and the Pain Self‑Efficacy Questionnaire. A paired samples t‑test assessed changes in pain severity, pain interference, and self‑efficacy. Results demonstrated a decrease in pain severity (t(6) = −3.96, …

Feasibility And Acceptability Of An Occupation‑Based Telehealth Intervention For Cancer Survivors: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial, Bernard A. Muriithi, Milan Bimali, Mario Schootman

Occupational Therapy Faculty Scholarship

Introduction

Cancer survivors frequently experience occupational performance challenges during early survivorship, and telehealth may offer a feasible approach to deliver interventions during this period.

Methods

This pilot randomized controlled trial included 17 adults in the first year following breast or prostate cancer diagnosis, assigned to the ActiveHeal Cancer Program (ACP) or a control group. ACP consisted of six 75‑minute occupation‑focused virtual group sessions and weekly follow‑up telephone calls delivered by occupational therapists over 12 weeks. Control participants attended three brief virtual meetings without therapeutic intervention. Feasibility and acceptability were assessed using validated measures, attendance, and completion rates. The exploratory outcomes …

Analysis Of The Cannabinoid Compositions, Byproducts And Heavy Metals In Unregulated Cannabinoid Products By Hplc-Ms/Icp-Ms, Simone K. Melle

All NMU Master's Theses

The rapid expansion of unregulated hemp-derived products has created a need for analytical methods that characterize both cannabinoid composition and contaminant occurrence. This thesis used liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to quantify cannabidiol (CBD), Δ8-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ8-THC), and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to measure Al, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Ni, Pb, and Zn in commercial hemp-derived products, laboratory-prepared hemp oils, cultivated hemp tissues, extracted material, and post-harvest soil. Commercial products showed wide cannabinoid variability, with several samples containing more than one target cannabinoid, while laboratory-prepared plant oils showed a more consistent profile dominated by …

The History Of Poro College From 1902-1965, Chajuana V. Trawick Ferguson

Dissertations

This study investigates the development, operation, decline, and historical erasure of Poro College, the first multimillion‑dollar, minority‑owned higher education institution and vertical beauty‑culture enterprise, founded by Annie Turnbo Malone in St. Louis, Missouri. Drawing on Poro College documents, Black newspaper archives, National Trust for Historic Preservation records, and interviews with individuals knowledgeable about the institution, the research addresses four central questions: how Poro College was developed; its impact on students, employees, and the surrounding community; its relevance for current and future minority women educators and entrepreneurs; and the factors that contributed to its closure and eventual demolition. Evidence from the …

Parkinson's Disease: Immunometabolic Control Points Across Neural, Vascular, And Peripheral Systems, Y Narvaez Irizarry Felix, Alondr M. Bermudez Adorno, Boris Ermolinsky, Lilia Kucheryavykh, Mikhail Inyushin

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder most associated with degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta. Increasing clinical and experimental evidence, however, indicates that PD is a multisystem disease in which immune, metabolic, vascular, and peripheral nervous system dysfunction precede and shape motor circuit failure. Nonmotor manifestations, including olfactory impairment, sleep and autonomic disturbances, gastrointestinal dysfunction, and cognitive decline, often arise years before motor diagnosis, highlighting pathogenic mechanisms beyond dopamine deficiency alone. In this review, we synthesize evidence supporting the view that PD represents a disorder of chronic immunometabolic dysregulation rather than isolated neuronal loss. …

Commitment To Community (2026), University Of Dayton. Campus Ministry, University Of Dayton. Student Development

Student Development Documents

Catholic Marianist vision of education makes the University of Dayton community unique. It shapes the warmth of welcome we experience and the family spirit we treasure. It calls us — across a variety of faith traditions and perspectives — to a learning and working environment where faith and life are integrated. It challenges us to take up the hard work necessary to build the spiritual, moral, physical and social dimensions of our community.

Behavior, expectations, policies and relationships at UD are guided by the Catholic moral tradition. This Commitment to Community highlights three Catholic Marianist principles for learning, working and …

Recover Well: Reducing Readmissions Through Nurse-Led Follow-Up After Urologic Surgery – A Quality Improvement Project, Candace Brigette Mike

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Hospital readmissions within 30 days following urologic surgeries are often associated with catheter complications, infections, poor pain management, and limited patient understanding of discharge instructions and therefore represent a significant quality and safety concern for patients and institutions alike. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to evaluate whether implementing structured, nurse-led telephone follow-up in conjunction with standard discharge education reduced unplanned 30-day hospital readmissions among adult patients undergoing urologic surgery. Guided by the Logic Model framework, this project used a quasi-experimental, two-group pre- and post-intervention design to compare outcomes at a high-volume outpatient urology clinic in Houston, Texas. …

Content Mapping: An Experimental Analysis Of Missing Message Content, Jeannette Sutton

Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security, and Cybersecurity Faculty Scholarship

The Warning-Response Model recommends the inclusion of five key content areas in warning messages to reduce information seeking that can lead to warning response delay: the message source, hazard (including its impact), affected location, recommended guidance, and time. Research has found that complete messages, that is, those that include all of five recommended content areas, help people make decisions about the protective actions they may take.  Unfortunately, a large majority of WEA messages omit information from one or more of the recommended content areas. This study examined the impact of omitting each of the five recommended content areas on message …

Why Technical Readiness Is Not Enough: Institutional Barriers To Full Harvest Strategy Adoption In The International Pacific Halibut Commission, Evelyn Roozee, Owen Temby, Gordon M. Hickey

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Harvest strategies are increasingly promoted as a mechanism to reduce political discretion and align fisheries management with pre-agreed scientific objectives. While substantial progress has been made in tuna regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs), non-tuna RFMOs have lagged behind. Existing research has focused primarily on technical modeling challenges, with comparatively limited attention to the governance dynamics shaping adoption. Using the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) as an instrumental case study, we examine the progress and delays in the development of a harvest strategy policy (HSP) through semi-structured interviews and participant observation. We find that the IPHC successfully addressed commonly cited barriers, …

Kytc’S Digital Project Delivery Phase 2 Summary, Catherine Keathley

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Begun in 2020, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s (KYTC) Digital Project Delivery (DPD) Initiative is working to expand the use of digitally formatted plan and project information throughout transportation asset life cycles. A primary goal of the initiative is to provide users with access to accurate data on design intent, as-built records, and maintenance operations in a connected data environment. This report reviews work completed during Phase 2 of the initiative. Thirteen pilot projects are ongoing or have been completed. In response to the initiative’s growth, the Division of Professional Services no longer issues formal requests for proposals to solicit pilot …

Sufi Exceptionalism In Senegal: The Role Of Brotherhood In Preventing Religious Extremism, Hamdy A. Hassan

All Works

This study examines ‘Sufi exceptionalism’ in Senegal, highlighting the role of Sufi Brotherhoods—particularly the Tijaniyya and Muridiyya—in fostering democratic resilience and preventing radicalism. Contrary to the assumption that religion inhibits democracy, findings show Sufi leaders have acted as stabilizing forces during political crises, advocating peace and democratic values. The research explores the relationship between Sufism and governance, the contributions of Sufi orders to societal stability, and their alliances with state authorities. Through qualitative analysis of secondary sources and comparative case studies of the Tijaniyya and Muridiyya orders, the study traces interactions between religious institutions and the Senegalese state over time. …

Financing Transition In A Hydrocarbon Economy: The Uae Case, Suzanna Elmassah, Mahmoud Elrefai

All Works

The objective of this paper is to examine the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as a test case of Gulf energy transition finance by analyzing how a hydrocarbon-dependent economy is constructing the financial, regulatory, and institutional architecture required to move from net-zero pledges to climate finance flows. Rather than treating climate finance as a set of isolated instruments, the paper conceptualizes the UAE’s approach as a state-led transition-finance model shaped by Gulf state capitalism, sovereign wealth accumulation, national oil company strategy, financial regulation, and post-COP28 climate diplomacy. Using a qualitative policy and institutional review, the paper maps the UAE’s transition-finance architecture …

Modeling The Psychological And Technical Factors Influencing The Use Of Artificial Intelligence Tools Among Non-Native Arabic Learners: A Comparative Study In Egypt, Saudi Arabia, And Jordan., Mohammad Odeh, Alaa Al Din Musa, Ahmed Ragab Ali Ghalish, Montaser Adel Sayed Ahmed

All Works

This study aimed to develop a predictive longitudinal model of the psychological and technical factors influencing the use of artificial intelligence tools among non-native Arabic learners (international students) in three Arab countries: Egypt, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Jordan. The study adopted an extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) incorporating two psychological variables: trust in artificial intelligence and artificial intelligence anxiety. A quantitative longitudinal design with two time waves (T1 and T2) over a full academic semester was employed using Hierarchical Multiple Regression Analysis and PROCESS Macro for mediation. The sample consisted of 812 international students from public universities in …