Digital Commons Network^™

Doctoral Student Mentoring: A Quantitative Analysis Of Faculty And Student Perceptions And Expectations, Laura Margaret Look

Theses and Dissertations

Doctoral student success is heavily influenced by the quality of mentoring and advising relationships with graduate faculty, yet doctoral student completion rates remain at a low rate of around 50%. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the mentoring relationships of doctoral students by surveying doctoral students and graduate faculty who mentor graduate students to identify their expectations for the mentor and mentee in the mentoring relationship. Data were collected from 155 students and 68 faculty in the spring 2024 semester at the University of North Dakota, a Midwest R2 institution. Nonparametric statistical analysis revealed several misalignments between …

Mindfulness And Modification Therapy (Mmt) Group Feasibility And Acceptability Among Prison Residents With Dysregulated Behaviors, Leslie Unger

Theses and Dissertations

Mindfulness and Modification Therapy (MMT; Wupperman, 2019) is a transdiagnostic therapy that systematically integrates aspects of six empirically supported treatments for impulsive and dysregulated behavior. As such, MMT may offer an efficient approach to addressing a variety of dysregulated behaviors, thereby supporting increased safety within carceral settings and enhancing goals of rehabilitation. To date, MMT has demonstrated positive results in community settings when treating substance misuse and anger/aggression, but it has not yet been examined in a prison setting. The present research examines the feasibility and acceptability of using a 14-session version of group MMT as a voluntary treatment option …

Which University Faculty Are Successful Researchers? Developing And Testing Measures Of Research Competence To Predict Faculty Research Motivation And Success, Muhammad Salahuddin

Theses and Dissertations

University faculty play a pivotal role in producing research that leads to positive social change through the creation of new knowledge, enhancement of higher education quality, and improved university rankings. Faculty produce more when they feel competent, autonomously motivated, and acknowledged. Past studies have measured faculty research competencies using self-report scales that may contain biases, potentially leading to significant discrepancies in research outcomes. My program of research – a three-article dissertation – aimed to develop and validate the test-based measures of faculty research competence that can more reliably predict faculty research success. The three studies provide an enhanced understanding of …

Visible, Invisible: (Levantine) Arab American Men On Mental Health, Nesreen Jaber

Theses and Dissertations

To address the dearth in psychological research and practice in regards to Arab American men, this study examined the lived experiences of seven Levantine (Belad Al Sham) Arab American men with origins in Palestine, Lebanon, and Iraq. Semi-structured interviews, Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), and a Liberation Psychology framework were utilized to explore their definitions of mental health, their experiences of stigma, their experiences with mental health therapy, and their attitudes towards psychology and therapy. A total of seven superordinate themes emerged that highlighted the roles of gendered stigma, cultural incongruence in therapeutic praxis, Eurocentric norms in psychology, and conceptualizations of …

Examining A Year One Sor Implementation: A Mixed-Method Study Of Teacher Experiences And Student Literacy Scores, Christine Litzinger

Theses and Dissertations

With increasing national and legislative mandates prioritizing SoR practices, many schools are shifting their literacy practices to align classroom instruction, interventions, and screening to follow reading research, which can require a shift in pedagogy for individual educators and schools. This exploratory sequential mixed-methods study explored a year one implementation of the Science of Reading (SoR) in a mid-size midwestern school district during their first year of across-district literacy reform. Qualitative case study interviews were conducted of K-3 Classroom teachers (4) and literacy coaches (4). Emergent themes from the findings included value in high fidelity professional development, challenges related to resource …

Beyond All Possible Doubt? The Shifting Of A Juror’S Conviction Threshold In Criminal Cases Based On Charge, Sentence, And Evidence, Sophie Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

In criminal trials, jurors must make a decision that will forever change the defendant’s life (Couloute & Kopf, 2018), during which jurors may consider the impact that not convicting a guilty person may have (i.e., Type II error) or if the charge is worth the crime regardless of the defendant’s guilt (i.e., Type I error). Jurors may raise their conviction thresholds if they feel a type II error is favorable to a type I error. Researchers have discovered that in cases where charge severity (e.g., Kerr, 1978) or the perceived sentence (e.g., Kaplan & Krupa, 1986) is higher, jurors shift …

From Emily To Loralei To Rory: A Qualitative Textual Analysis Of Scripts From Gilmore Girls For Real-World Application, Erin Mccann

Theses and Dissertations

In the realm of interpersonal communication and intrafamilial research, one dynamic, the mother and daughter pairing, is especially poignant in exploring the ties of closeness, the openness of communication and the potential for long-term impact on a daughter’s development. When studying the mother and daughter dynamic through a work of fiction, patterns can be observed without bias, allowing for evaluation of the strength of relationship and identification of broader implication to the discipline of family communication. In this study, a textual analysis was conducted evaluating 21 exemplary episodes of the 2000s television show Gilmore Girls focused entirely on the interactions …

Adaptblur: Adaptive Linear Filter For Enhanced Deep Learning Classification Performance, Ganesha Thondilege

Theses and Dissertations

Image preprocessing is crucial in deep learning models for high performance and accuracy. This study implements AdaptBlur, a dynamic linear filter developed from a second-order partial differential equation using finite difference approximations, which enhances image quality while preserving the image structure with dynamic parameters that are optimized through the Nelder-Mead optimization, minimizing mean square error to improve the effectiveness of the filter. Moreover, the study evaluates the impact of the results on model performance on deep learning classification using publicly available datasets. Experimentally, image classifiers trained on preprocessed data with the AdaptBlur filter perform much better than those trained without …

Addressing The Impact Of Unlicensed And Under-Licensed Teachers In Pk-12 Schools: How School Administrators Offer Support, Taylor Topinka

Theses and Dissertations

As the impact of the teacher shortage grows, more teachers are entering classrooms with incomplete teacher licensure. Related literature affirms that new-to-profession teachers experience what Danielson (1999) described as a “sink or swim in the deep end of the pool” culture as they attempt to navigate the beginning of their teaching career with an incomplete license or no license entirely (p. 251). The influx of partially-licensed teachers engaging students is a dilemma created by the growth of the teacher shortage. The purpose of this study was to address the impact of unlicensed and under-licensed teachers on student growth and achievement …

The Wicked Problem Of Moral Distress: Exploring The Experiences Of Rural Clinic Nurses, Sydney Rae Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Moral distress is an occupational hazard for nurses that can negatively impact nurses, patients, and the healthcare system. Moral distress has been well documented in high-risk care environments. Each nursing care environment has its own unique triggers for moral distress, but these triggers are unknown in rural clinic nurses. Design and Purpose: This convergent mixed methods study sought to gain a broader understanding of moral distress in nurses working in rural clinic settings.

Methods: Convergent mixed methodology was used to gain a broader understanding of moral distress in nurses working in rural clinic settings. Following ethical approvals, informed by …

Applying The 4d Model Of The Country Image To Explore The Relationship Between Saudi Arabia’S Sport Diplomacy And Its Perceived Image Among American Adults, Ibrahim Bin Jaman

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the relationship between Saudi Arabia’s sports diplomacy and strategy of hosting major international sports events and its image among American adults. Notably, the Saudi government’s strategic use of hosting sports events aligns with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030, fostering economic diversification and promoting tourism. The conducted study examined American adults’ exposure to international sports events held in Saudi Arabian, this exposure’s correlation with the image of the country, and potential differences in the perception of Saudi Arabian between American adults who have been exposed to sports events in Saudi Arabia and those who have not. A …

Advanced Motor Control Using Td3 Model-Free Reinforcement Learning, Muhammad Azam

Theses and Dissertations

Motor control plays a critical role in industrial automation, ensuring the precise regulation of speed, torque, and position across various applications. Traditional motor control techniques, such as open-loop, closed-loop, and feedback control, have been widely used but face limitations in handling complex and dynamic systems. Recent advancements in machine learning (ML) offer potential improvements in motor control by enabling systems to learn optimal control policies autonomously. This research investigates the integration of Reinforcement Learning (RL) with Field-Oriented Control (FOC) for the control of Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors (PMSMs). The study aims to address a significant gap in reward function design, …

An Explainable Ai Framework For Detecting Harmful Algal Blooms (Habs) In Freshwater Lakes, Meera Gopinath Sujatha

Theses and Dissertations

The increase in economic impacts due to the rapid growth of harmful algal blooms (HABs) in freshwater lakes has prompted the development of monitoring and prediction systems. However, limited target data hinders reliable predictions on HAB formations. To address this limitation, this dissertation focuses on providing solutions through data-driven,interpretable, and explainable machine learning models. In Chapter 3, an interpretable multivariate regression model such as Vector Autoregressive (VAR) was used to analyze the important factors that contribute to the formation of cyanobacteria in lakes. The causality tests performed on multiple water quality data helped to determine Alkalinity, Chlorophyll-a (Chl-a), andWater Temperature …

Ai-Bms: Ai Battery Management System For Safe Uas Operations In High Electric And Magnetic Fields And Uncertain Conditions: Wind, Battery Drain, Temperature, And Payload, Tanzim Jim Hassan

Theses and Dissertations

Unmanned aerial systems/vehicles (UAS/UAVs) are increasingly utilized for inspecting high-voltage (HV) transmission (Tx) lines. However, operating in the vicinity of electric (E) and magnetic (H) fields can affect UAV control and battery performance. Pilots unfamiliar with high E/H field environments often struggle to accurately estimate remaining flight time, resulting in either premature mission terminations or crashes due to depleted batteries. To address these challenges, this thesis focuses on developing an intelligent Battery Management System (BMS) for UAVs to ensure safe and reliable surveillance operations under various uncertain conditions, such as wind gusts, temperature variations, E/H fields, battery drain, and payload …

Teaching Agroecology Through Play: A Board Game On Companion Planting Using Agroecological Principles, Ashmita Das, Julie Capito-Hernandez, Estelí Jiménez-Soto

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

Board games themed around environmental topics are promising tools for promoting awareness of complex sustainability issues, as the materiality, sociality, and multidimensionality of gameplay can help overcome some of the inherent limitations of more traditional learning formats. To explore the potential relevance of board games for communicating about agrifood system topics in particular, we designed and tested a game called Companion: An Agroecological Adventure, in which players take on the role of community gardeners who must apply both social and ecological principles of agroecology to cultivate a thriving garden plot. In this paper, we present the results of a study …

Mark 6:30-44, Calvin University

Campus Ministries Resources

No abstract provided.

Western Reserve Independent Living Center: Leaders In Disability Advocacy For Eastern Ohio, Lillie Greiman, Luke Santore, Rayna Sage

Independent Living and Community Participation

Western Reserve Independent Living Center (WRILC) is a Center for Independent Living (CIL) that provides services that promote independence, advocacy, and leadership among the people with disabilities they serve. WRILC's approach is rooted in a deep commitment to empowering individuals through personalized support, peer connections, and skills development. RTC:Rural researchers explore WRILC's relationship-based community advocacy approach through the Rural Community Living Development project.

Go Birds: Sports Fandom And Civic Identity, Benjamin Rotko , '25

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

No abstract provided.

Zachary Tripp, Plaintiff / Appellee, V. Zen Zone Homes Llc, Defendant / Appellant.: Brief Of Appellant

Utah Appeals Court Briefs

Appeal from the Third Judicial District Court of Salt Lake County The Honorable Robert P. Faust Chase Kimball Lewis Hansen Kevin B. Call Bond & Call, L.C.

Old Republic National Title Insurance Company, Appellee, V. Cap Fund 783 Llc, Matt Baker, And Fox Trot United Llc, Appellants.: Principal Brief Of Appellant

Utah Appeals Court Briefs

On Appeal from the Fourth Judicial District Court, Utah County The Honorable Derek Pullan,

Old Republic National Title Insurance Company, Appellee, V. Cap Fund 783 Llc, Matt Baker, And Fox Trot United Llc, Appellants.: Reply Brief

Utah Appeals Court Briefs

On Appeal from the Fourth Judicial District Court, Judge Derek Pullan

An Urban Discipleship Model For Young Adults Of The New Jersey Conference Of Sda Churches, Carl Rodriguez

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem.

The New Jersey Conference Young Adults Department presented three challenging areas to resolve before becoming a vibrant ministry: (1) a leadership succession pathway to train and develop state and area coordinators to plan regional and Conference-level events and initiatives; (2) training, nurturing, and discipling local church young adult leaders to discover their spiritual gifts while providing opportunities to serve; and (3) uniting the different young adult cultural groups to work together as a community of believers.

Method

A new urban approach was used to aid in changing the course of the Young Adults’ ministry for the New Jersey Conference. …

Programa De Evangelismo A Través De Las Redes Sociales En Tucson, Arizona, Cesar Sanchez

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The Northwest Adventist Church (IAN) in Tucson, Arizona, faces challenges in maintaining a meaningful missional presence within the local community. Despite the growing importance of digital platforms as communication tools, the church has neither developed nor implemented a comprehensive evangelism program that utilizes social media, nor has it provided a training program in this area. This lack of a digital program may be limiting its capacity to attract new members and to increase its relevance in today’s world. Without an appropriate intervention, the church risks continuing to miss opportunities to fulfill its evangelistic mission effectively.

Method

This project employed …

Volunteering And Spiritual Practices: A Cross-Country Analysis In The Seventh-Day Adventist Context, Elbert Kuhn

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Although the number of Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) volunteers worldwide has increased dramatically, the Church continues to face challenges in engaging people, particularly young adults, in volunteer and mission projects on a global scale. While interest in volunteering is growing, especially in countries within the southern hemisphere, the percentage of participation remains disproportionately small in comparison to the global church membership. Given this disparity, there is a pressing need to research the impact of the volunteer experience on spiritual practices and discipline. Understanding how volunteering influences young adults’ spiritual growth is critical to developing strategies that can effectively engage more …

A Strategy To Address The Challenges Of Intergenerational Conflict In The Haitian Churches At The Southeastern Conference In Florida, Nicolas Louis

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Haitian churches in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) of Florida, are severely affected by intergenerational conflict, persisting between young people and adults who cannot get along. Churches affected by this misunderstanding are facing a loss of young people, particularly college-educated members and people with vocational skills. This conflict has touched entire congregations, decreasing growth numerically and financially. Between 2013 and 2018, there was a 60 percent decline in members with college degrees and vocational skills. This study analyzes this intergenerational conflict, which manifests in disagreements over leadership preferences and worship styles.

Method

To address this problem, I established a series …

Developing A Mentoring Model For Nurturing Worship Leaders In The Berrien Springs, Michigan Area, Jonathan Paul Rosengren

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Pastoral observation suggests that the use of worship leaders in the area of music is gaining prominence in Adventist churches today. However, because this is a relatively undefined ministry, worship leaders often lack spiritual preparedness and support for ministry in the local church.

Method

As a pastor I want to learn from worship leaders so I can help develop mentoring models that nurture their calling and ministry. The theological basis for nurturing worship leadership is based on a Seventh-day Adventist understanding of worship being central to the everlasting gospel of Revelation 14:6-7. In a practical sense, two theological stories …

Developing And Implementing A Course On Homiletics To Enhance The Preaching Of The Seventh-Day Adventist Pastors In The Western Ontario Region, Laurentiu A. Prelipcian

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Pastors in the Western Ontario region are divinely entrusted with the responsibility of delivering contextually relevant sermons that foster spiritual growth and inspire transformation within their congregations. While these ministers are deeply committed to their calling and possess substantial theological training and pastoral experience, the continually evolving field of homiletics and the shifting expectations of contemporary audiences requires renewed engagement with current preaching methodologies. For many, formal instruction in homiletics iii occurred decades ago, and opportunities for sustained exposure to emerging current preaching strategies have been minimal or nonexistent. This project seeks to address this critical deficiency by designing …

Transforming Pathfinder Acculturation Gaps: Confronting Intergenerational Cultural Conflict Between First- And Second- Generation Immigrants With Family Strengthening Workshops Among Scottish Mission Pathfinders And Their Parents, Njabulo King Ndlovu

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The immigrant population in the UK is rapidly increasing along with correlated increases in the membership of both the British Union Conference (BUC) and the Scottish Mission (SM) of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The Scottish Mission Pathfinder clubs (SMPCs) have many immigrant children. However, as immigrants’ home culture comes into continuous contact with the British culture, acculturation gaps between first- and second-generation immigrants tend to form naturally as a result of the differing pace with which these two generations acculturate. Adolescents are generally thought to adapt quicker. Parent-child miscommunication and disagreement on critical matters such as values, beliefs, and …

A Cross-Cultural And Inter-Ethnic Awareness Strategy For Members Of Ipswich, Colchester And Clacton Adventist Churches, Robin Johannes Lewis

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The three multicultural, multi-ethnic (MCME) churches in my district were facing tension among members from diverse cultures, ethnicities, countries of origin, and languages. Factions formed cliques and vied for leadership roles, while some groups appeared to dominate the worship services. Certain members became upset when people with difficult accents from specific language groups led out in services and could not be understood. Others shared their distinctive foods only within their own groups. Some members felt isolated and believed they lacked a voice.

Method

Nine seminars and workshops were organised to raise awareness among the MCME congregants about the causes …

The Mordecai-Esther Mentorship Initiative: A Cross-Gender Mentorship Model For Commissioned Female Pastors In South Central Conference, Latina Carriger

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

In the South Central Conference of Seventh-day Adventists (SCC), while male pastors receive formal mentorship through the ministerial internship program leading up to ordination, female pastors—who are only commissioned and not ordained—often experience a lack of continued mentorship beyond commissioning. This absence hinders their professional development, limits leadership opportunities, and contributes to feelings of isolation. The current mentorship framework does not adequately support the ongoing growth of female pastors in a context where ordination is not extended to women, thereby creating a gap in pastoral leadership development and equity.

Method

This project utilized a qualitative case study design to …