Digital Commons Network^™

School-Based Peer Mentoring Programs To Support New Teacher Retention, Denisha Logan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An increased rate of attrition among new educators underscores the urgency of addressing the challenges faced by early career teachers. The problem addressed in this study was the high attrition rate of new teachers in middle-low-income urban schools in Maryland. Guided by Kram’s mentoring theory and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of new teachers regarding how the school-based peer mentoring program contributed to them remaining at their schools. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 10 novice teachers who had fewer than 3-years of experience teaching at the study site. Thematic …

Trade Association Leaders’ Successful Strategies For Increasing Racial Diversity Within Their Respective Industries, Nicole A. Singleton Norman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the architectural, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry, innovation thrives on diverse perspectives. Without effective diversity and inclusion strategies, AEC industry leaders may hinder innovation opportunities, which could result in reduced profitability and employee morale in a highly competitive market. Grounded in institutional theory and resource-based view theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry research project was to identify and explore successful strategies AEC trade association leaders use to assist association members in enhancing their organizations’ performance through workforce diversity to increase innovation, profitability, and employee morale. Data were gathered from six participants from various AEC trade associations across …

Perspectives Of Black Male Administrators On Gaining Administrative Roles At Community And Technical Colleges, Marcusantonio Gunn

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem that was addressed in this study is that there is a low number of Black male administrators at community and technical colleges (CTCs) throughout the United States, despite widespread organizational practices of adopting diversity and equity policies, implementing mentoring programs, and providing professional development. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore Black male administrators’ perceptions of hiring barriers and their recommendations to improve the professional pathway to employment at CTCs. Guided by critical race theory in education, data were collected through semistructured interviews with eight Black male administrators who are serving or have served in …

Lived Experiences Of Newly Graduated Social Workers Transitioning Into The Field Of Child Protective Services, Chantrese Oliver

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lived Experiences of Newly Graduated Social Workers Transitioning Into the Field of Child Protective Services by Chantrese Oliver MPhil, Walden University, 2024 MS, Walden University, 2014 AA, National Paralegal College, 2012 BS, Fayetteville State University, 2010 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Psychology Walden University August 2025

Re: Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) Final Insufficiently Reclaimed Sites Field Sampling And Investigation Plan (Fsp) For Ur-19 – Butte, Anaconda & Pacific Railway From Montana Street To South Arizona Avenue – Montana Street Adjacent Parcel, Mike Mcanulty

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Tuition Assistance On Employee Retention: Cybersecurity Employee Perceptions Of National Security Agency’S College Tuition Assistance Program, Marta I. Benitez-Guzman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

U.S. employers spend considerable sums on employee skill development, including investments in college tuition assistance programs (CTAP). Based on a review of recent literature, measuring employer return on investment can be difficult. The literature contained varying results on the effectiveness of employer-provided incentives on retention decisions and provided insufficient empirical or evaluative data on employee perceptions and the influence on retention. The purpose of this qualitative evaluative case study was to examine how cybersecurity employees at the National Security Agency (NSA) who participated in CTAP (2019–2023) perceived the program's effect on their career development and retention decisions. The theoretical framework …

Counselors’ Competency Development In Suicidal Ideation Assessments Of Black American Adolescents, Salita Mcclelland Wynn

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Black American adolescents have increased rates of suicidal ideation above what is noted in the general U.S. youth and adolescent population. An in-depth literature supports the notion that many counselors and mental health clinicians, post-graduation from their training programs, feel ill-equipped to assess suicidal ideation in Black American adolescents. The purpose of this qualitative, hermeneutic phenomenological study was to examine the lived experiences and competence of counselors who have clinical experience working with Black American adolescents who have suicidal ideation. Prior to the inception of this research, no other documented study addressed counselor competence with assessing suicidal ideation in Black …

Staff Education Program On Medication Reconciliation In Primary Care, Virginia Ann Bloomer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Medication errors represent a persistent threat to patient safety, particularly during transitions of care in outpatient settings. Despite recognition of the problem, standardized medication reconciliation practices among primary care physicians and nurse practitioners (NPs) remain inconsistent, hindered by varied workflows, unclear responsibilities, and knowledge gaps. To address these issues, a staff education program focusing on medication reconciliation was introduced to seven NPs and three physicians in a primary care clinic. Pre- and post-intervention surveys measured participants’ knowledge and confidence in conducting medication reconciliation and documenting medications in electronic medical records. The average test score improved from 68% to 92%, demonstrating …

2025 Fall Convocation Program, Morehead State University. Office Of Communications & Marketing.

Communications and Marketing Publications Archive

The 2025 Morehead State University Convocation Program from August 13, 2025.

Documents From The August 13, 2025 Meeting Of The University Of Montana Staff Senate, University Of Montana--Missoula. Staff Senate

University of Montana Staff Senate Meeting Minutes

Agenda and meeting minutes from the August 13, 2025 meeting of the University of Montana Staff Senate.

Highlights include:

Guests: UM Dining Representative Clay Meissner

Discussions on Bylaws, confirmation of senators, and finding of the Data and Research Committee Survey.

Csf-Exosomal Mirnas And Delayed Cerebral Ischemia: Insights Into Pathophysiology But No Definitive Biomarkers, Chathathayil M Shafeeque, Devin W Mcbride, Yuanqing Yan, Hussein A Zeineddine, John P Hagen, H Alex Choi, Jude P Savarraj, Ari Dienel, Spiros L Blackburn, Peeyush Kumar Thankamani

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) is notoriously known for its high mortality and morbidity. Approximately one-third of the patients who survive aneurysm rupture are reported to develop delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI), which contributes to a poor clinical outcome. Currently, there are no biomarkers for identifying which aSAH patients are at risk of developing DCI. We aimed to determine the feasibility of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) exosomal microRNAs (miRNAs) for predicting DCI post-aSAH.

Methods: aSAH patients were prospectively enrolled, and CSF samples were collected at two time points (< 24 h and 72 h post-aSAH) from individuals undergoing external ventricular drainage. Exosomal miRNAs were isolated from the CSF for analysis. In the initial group of patients (discovery cohort), an exploratory analysis was conducted using a CSF panel containing 84 miRNAs, assessed by quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR). Based on this analysis, 27 miRNAs were selected for further evaluation in a second group of patients (validation cohort). Among these, 10 miRNAs had previously been reported in SAH-related CSF studies, supporting their relevance for continued investigation.

Results: In this study, RT-qPCR analysis of 84 miRNAs in CSF samples from …

Orbital Maneuvers And Interplanetary Trajectory Design Via Reinforcement Learning, Roberto Cuéllar Rangel

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

This dissertation investigates the application of reinforcement learning (RL) to the design and optimization of low-thrust spacecraft trajectories, with an emphasis on autonomy, adaptability, and robustness in the presence of system uncertainties and unmodeled perturbations. Classical approaches to low-thrust trajectory design are predominantly grounded in optimal control theory, which relies on the availability of precise dynamical models and often requires problem-specific reformulation and solver tuning. While optimal control methods offer high accuracy under deterministic conditions, their sensitivity to stochastic disturbances and computational limitations in highly nonlinear or uncertain environments pose significant challenges for future autonomous space missions.

To address these …

The George-Anne

The George-Anne

No abstract provided.

Exploring Knowledge, Attitudes, And Practices Of Healthcare Providers In Addressing The Care Needs Of Individuals Who Identify As Lgbtqia+ : A Mixed-Method Study, Seda Karakaya Çataldaş, J. Anneke Rummens, Erin Ziegler, Fahriye Olfaz, Esra Ummak, C. Hürrem Ayhan

Sigma Foundation for Nursing Research Grant Reports

This mixed-methodological study explores the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of healthcare providers (HCPs) and also gathers and analyzes their narrative experiences addressing the care needs of individuals who self-identify as LGBTQIA+. A s ociodemographic form, Knowledge and Practices to Address the Care Needs of LGBTQIA+ Individual Survey, and the Implicit Association T est ( Sexuality IAT and Transpictures IAT) were used as to collect quantitative data from 278 nurses and physicians. S emi-structured in-depth interviews were then held with 15 of these study participants.Quantitative findings revealed slight implicit attitudes favoring heterosexual and cisgender individuals, with education level and personal connections …

Rational Tactical Nuclear First Use In Asymmetric Dyads And The States' Calculus Of Costs In An Era Of Interdependence : A Game-Theoretical Approach, Chi Cheong Chiu

Lingnan Theses (MPhil & PhD)

Classical nuclear deterrence theory suggests that nuclear powers could be tempted to strike first in asymmetric dyads (dyads in which only one side is a nuclear power). However, in the Ukraine war, a nuclear-armed Russia has not deployed tactical nuclear weapons on the battlefield, even at times when its military struggles on the ground with unfavorable balance. Why has Russia not used its nuclear weapons, especially after repeated threats of using them? What conditions make it rational for states to cross the nuclear threshold in asymmetric dyads? What discourages them from using nuclear weapons while possessing nuclear monopoly?

Expected utility …

Cybersecurity: Digital Stewardship In A Violent World, Rocky K. C. Chang

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

This paper defines cybersecurity based on the principle of biblical stewardship. The focus of this principle is God, not the technologies, who is the creator and owner of cyberspace and everything in it. Humankind is called by God to steward them by protecting the digital property of our neighbors in cyberspace from malicious attacks. In the context of cybersecurity, a neighbor can be any individual cyber user, practitioner, educator, organization, tech company, or even hacker. However, as argued from the perspectives of human sin and human finitude, the defending stewards can never win over evil in this spiritual battle. Instead, …

An Exciting Future For Microbial Molecular Biology And Physiology, Andrew A Bridges, Leah Guthrie, Mckenzie Lehman, Elizabeth H Kellogg, Samantha Wellington Miranda, Andrew Pountain, Anthony L Shiver, Andrew Varble, Molecular Biology And Physiology Community Of The Council On Microbial Sciences, Heidi B Kaplan, Elizabeth A Shank, Gisela Storz

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Continuous advances in technologies ranging from deep sequencing and genetic manipulation to mass spectrometry, single cell imaging, and structural biology have led to previously unimaginable advances in our understanding of microbial physiology and the molecular mechanisms underlying microbial responses in a multitude of environments. Simultaneously, these advances are revealing how much more there is to learn. At the 2024 virtual retreat of the Molecular Biology and Physiology (MBP) Community of the Council on Microbial Sciences (COMS) of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM), eight early-career investigators, along with retreat attendees, discussed some of these astounding advances, as well as the …

Military Launching! To Adulthood: A Cultural Adaptation Of A Group Therapy Program For Military-Dependent Young Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder Transitioning To Adulthood, Antonio F Pagán, Jordan Kenemore, Linda Hernandez, Stephen Armstrong, Katherine A Loveland, Mark Ahlenius, Ron Acierno

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objectives: The transition to adulthood poses distinct challenges for young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (ages 18-25), particularly in establishing and achieving long-term goals. This is further complicated for those within the military and veteran communities. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and cultural fit of "Launching! to Adulthood," a 12-week telehealth intervention, adapted for military-dependent young adults with ASD and their military/veteran parents.

Methods: Building on previous research and incorporating stakeholder feedback, the intervention addressed key transition challenges such as executive functioning, mental health, vocational skills, and social engagement, while also aligning with military cultural values. …

The Relation Between Systems Of Support And Self-Regulated Learning On Academic Achievement In Middle Schoolers, Emma Claire Gunnett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

The purpose of this study was to examine the closest and most important systems of support available to middle school students, their parents and teachers, and to better understand how specific aspects of parenting (support for autonomy and involvement) and teaching (support for autonomy, and emotional and academic support) may contribute to the student’s self-regulated learning and achievement in mathematics. Previous research has focused primarily on evaluating students as individuals or looking at only one relationship, whereas this study sought to expand on the current literature by evaluating the relationships between students and teachers as well as students and their …

Explorerit: An Interactive Timeline Of The History Of Rit, Melson Miranda

Theses

Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) has a rich architectural and cultural history spanning over 57 years and the Henrietta Campus has more than 75 buildings, yet there is no central, engaging platform for exploring this heritage. This thesis, exploreRIT, addresses that gap by designing an interactive timeline that showcases the evolution of the campus through detailed building stories, architectural milestones, and contextual events. Using a Microsoft Surface Studio as a kiosk and a custom interface, the project integrates micro-interactions inspired by Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines, visual storytelling, and clear information architecture to create a tactile, accessible experience. Through iterative prototyping, …

Structural Insights Into Ssna1 Self-Assembly And Its Microtubule Binding For Centriole Maintenance, Lorenzo Agostini, Jason A Pfister, Nirakar Basnet, Jienyu Ding, Rui Zhang, Christian Biertümpfel, Kevin F O'Connell, Naoko Mizuno

2020-Current year OA Pubs

SSNA1 is a fibrillar protein involved in dynamic microtubule remodeling, including nucleation, co-polymerization, and microtubule branching. The underlying molecular mechanism has remained unclear due to a lack of structural information. Here, we determine the cryo-EM structure of C.elegans SSNA-1 at 4.55-Å resolution and evaluate its role in embryonic development. We find that SSNA-1 forms an anti-parallel coiled-coil, with self-assembly facilitated by an overhang of 16 C-terminal residues that form a triple-stranded helical junction. The microtubule-binding region is within the triple-stranded junction, suggesting that self-assembly of SSNA-1 creates hubs for effective microtubule interaction. Genetical analysis elucidates that SSNA-1 deletion significantly reduces …

Effect Of High Solar Activity On The Orbital Decay Rate Of The 3u Cubesat Dora, Joseph Dubois, Daniel Jacobs, Siddharth Vaidyanathan

Small Satellite Conference

CubeSats developed at universities seldom have propulsion due to cost and complexity constraints and are very commonly deployed from the ISS into orbits where atmospheric drag is significant. Without propulsion, the time to re-entry is a function of the cross section to mass ratio and the space weather. Many cubesats have limited ways of decreasing ram cross section, e.g. pointing into the wind. Hard radiation from solar activity inflates the atmosphere and increases drag. Since the beginning of the cubesat era, the Sun has been unusually quiescent, at a level not seen for 200 years, which has biased expectations for …

Advancing Earth Observation With A Novel Polarimetric Sensor: The Garai-A Satellite And Satlantis’ Next-Generation Systems, Daniel Luque, Leire Benito, Aitor Moriñigo, Aitor Conde, Xavier Lopez, Jon Paul Babio, Fernando Mariño, Lucas Dubois, Wafaa Bousaid, Antonio Checa

Small Satellite Conference

Polarimetric sensors introduce great imaging enhancements to current Earth Observation capabilities, by improving target discrimination, material recognition, and atmospheric components filtering. Satlantis has recently launched its cutting-edge polarimetry technology onboard its GARAI-A satellite, which will soon demonstrate its advanced capabilities in orbit. This paper presents the design of the polarimetric channel, its calibration process, the first polarimetric images, and an initial assessment of their potential applications.

GARAI-A, launched in January 2025, carries an innovative polarimetric channel designed by Satlantis on an iSIM-90 sensor to capture multi-angle polarization data at a very high spatial resolution. Unlike other EO payloads, this novel …

Mission Highlights From Deep Purple And The Pathfinder Technology Demonstrator-R, Lance Simms, Jordan Smilo, Frank Ravizza, Waswa Peter, Wim De Vries, Brian Bauman, John Ganino, Ben Bahney, Kyle Kung, Brendan Smith, Shawn Joseph, Luis Andrade, Declan King, Emily Milne, Christopher Laurent, David Mayer, Jan Stupl, Roger Hunter, John Hanson

Small Satellite Conference

Deep Purple is a satellite payload equipped with co-boresighted Ultraviolet (UV) and Short-Wave Infrared (SWIR) telescopes. The payload is hosted on the 6U Pathfinder Technology Demonstrator-R (PTD-R) CubeSat. PTD-R launched on August 16, 2024, into a Sun-synchronous orbit with an altitude of 520km. After successfully exercising basic inertial and Earth-based imaging with Deep Purple, more sophisticated modes that involve tracking Resident Space Objects (RSOs) were demonstrated. This paper highlights the unique sensing capabilities of PTD-R and outlines some of the mission successes achieved over its 10-month campaign. The latter include follow-on imaging campaigns coordinated with LLNL’s other on-orbit SDA demonstration …

Prometheus-1: A Satellite Framework For Research And Educational Access To Space, Pedro Reis Andrade, Alexandre Ferreira Da Silva, Paulo R. M. Fisch, Neil Khera, Zachary Manchester, Diogo Luis, Rui M. Rocha, Rodrigo Ventura

Small Satellite Conference

In this work, we present the PROMETHEUS-1 satellite mission, a 1P PocketQube designed to validate its development pipeline, to perform onboard Machine Learning tasks on photographs taken by onboard cameras, and to evaluate its active Attitude Determination and Control System implementation. PROMETHEUS-1 was developed under a collaborative initiative involving the University of Minho (UM), Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), and Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), conceived to address the current lack of a unified and streamlined infrastructure for low-cost educational satellites. The project covers the lifecycle of a satellite mission, including the development, assembly, licensing, certification, launch, and operation of a flight …

Veery, A Flat Satellite Scatterometer For Global, Hourly Refresh Of Ocean Surface Vector Winds, M. Patrick Walton, Alex R. Laraway, David G. Long

Small Satellite Conference

Care Weather is developing Veery, a small satellite scatterometer for monitoring ocean surface vector wind (OSVW) with state-of-the-art performance. Veery uses a rotating fan-beam C-band radar to provide a 1,050 km swath with 25 km resolution and more than 70% uptime. Veery’s dynamic range covers 3–27 m/s with speed errors below 1.6 m/s and directional errors below 11^°, matching the performance of previous scatterometers from a much smaller satellite. Veery’s small size is enabled by a flat satellite form factor that vertically integrates the instrument and bus. That small size makes it affordable for deployment in a constellation …

Innocube – First In-Orbit Results Of The Fully Wireless Satellite Data Bus, Tom Baumann, Erik Dilger, Sergio Montenegro, Felix Sittner, Moritz Arbab, Thomas Walter

Small Satellite Conference

The Innovative CubeSat for Education (InnoCube) mission is a technology demonstration CubeSat that relies entirely on a wireless data bus for intra satellite communication. It was launched in January 2025 onboard SpaceX Transporter-12. This paper presents the mission objectives and initial results, with a particular focus on the performance and reliability of the wireless system.

InnoCube is a collaborative project between the University of Wuerzburg and Technische Universität Berlin in Germany. Its primary objectives are to demonstrate the feasibility of a fully wireless data bus for intra-satellite communication, provide a testbed for new technologies, and offer students hands-on experience in …

Climate - Commercial And Scientific Instrument Opportunities For Small Satellite Constellations, Alex Da Silva Curiel, Rob Elliott, Tony Canas, Stephanie Mottershead, Andy Palfreyman, Martin Sweeting Sir

Small Satellite Conference

There is an economic and social impact in many areas in the world due to lack of information on local climate, and better understanding is widely believed to lead to cost savings and improved living standards. Despite the wealth of spacecraft data available today, many climate variables are still poorly monitored. Small satellites in constellation can help in filling data gaps, and also provides the important temporal resolution required. Such missions could be highly complementary to the NASA NEO and EU Copernicus programs, and their data can be commercially valuable, opening up the potential for novel business models and services. …

Launch Fast Learn Fast: Lessons Learned From The R5-S2 And R5-S4 Missions, James Berck, Sam Pedrotty, Jack Wisbiski, Morgan Alexander, Kathryn Knesek, Ruth May, Jacob Nunez-Kearny, Rob Stoddard, Thomas Kirven, Robin Onsay, Roger Hunter

Small Satellite Conference

The Realizing Rapid, Reduced-cost high-Risk Research (R5) project is pushing the envelope on minimizing cost and schedule for complex spacecraft that support low Technology Readiness Level payload demonstration in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). R5 has recently designed, built, launched, and operated multiple spacecraft that are iteratively and incrementally delivering improved payload hosting capabilities while maintaining cost targets (< $100k in materials per bus) and schedule targets (launching at least two spacecraft per year). This paper will describe the unique architecture, approach, technological advancements, and lessons learned from the project. The primary stakeholder for R5 is the Small Spacecraft Technology program within the Space Technology Mission Directorate at NASA with the project based out of Johnson Space Center.

To achieve the aggressive cost and schedule targets, R5 is redefining the understanding of how much rigor, quality, and robustness are required to succeed in high-risk LEO missions. Starting with a clean-slate for process and system design, R5 has charted a path, …

Using Capstone’S Mission Extension To Navigate The Future Of Cislunar Technology, Alec Forsman, Michael Caudill, Anthony Zara, Matthew Givens, Rebecca Rogers, Lauren De Moudt, Ethan Kayser, Thomas Gardner

Small Satellite Conference

Launched in late June 2022, the Cislunar Autonomous Position System Technology, Operations, and Navigation Experiment (CAPSTONE) has been operating in the Earth-Moon, Southern L2 Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit (NRHO) for more than two years. After successfully completing its primary mission objectives, CAPSTONE was awarded a 15-month mission extension in September of 2024. The goal of this extension was to continue to use CAPSTONE to provide valuable and informative data to the NASA Gateway program and leverage the platform to raise the TRL of several cislunar technologies. This paper presents a detailed analysis of the operational data obtained throughout the mission, …