Digital Commons Network^™

Practices That Improve Critical Thinking Development In Secondary Classrooms, Brian Mueggenberg

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This capstone examines how mathematics teachers can more intentionally develop students’ critical thinking skills through classroom instruction and how professional development can support that practice. The guiding question for the project was: How can secondary mathematics teachers intentionally design and implement instructional strategies that promote students’ critical thinking within the constraints of classroom instruction? A review of educational research identified a recurring problem with traditional instructional practices: direct instruction effectively supports procedural fluency, but often provides limited opportunities to develop higher-order thinking and conceptual fluency. Key influences on this project included research on thinking classrooms, productive struggle, and dialogic teaching. …

Rooted In Wonder: Cultivating A Connection To The Environment Through Nature-Based Learning In Central Mexico, Mikaela Tennis

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Children are spending less time outdoors and feeling increasingly disconnected from the natural world. This reduced exposure and lack of interaction limits opportunities to form early connections with nature, which have lasting benefits into adulthood. Nature-based learning approaches have been proven to increase a sense of nature connectedness, which in turn strengthens one’s environmental attitudes and behaviors while supporting mental health and well-being. To address limited access to nature-based learning experiences in Central Mexico, this capstone draws from research on nature connectedness, nature-based learning, and nature center design to answer the question, How can a nature-based learning center be designed …

Implementing Outdoor And Nature-Based Learning For Infants And Toddlers, Kelly Kazeck

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Many early childhood educators in Minnesota are expanding outdoor and nature-based learning opportunities because of the positive developmental benefits they offer children. Time spent outdoors supports social, emotional, cognitive, and physical learning while promoting positive relationships with peers and the natural world. This capstone research found that implementing outdoor and nature-based learning requires more specialized training, safety precautions, equipment, planning, and preparation than typical indoor programming. However, much of the research focuses on preschool-aged children, although implementation with infants and toddlers presents additional challenges and requires specific supports. Therefore, this capstone project answered the question, “What can infant and toddler …

Connecting Children To Urban Environments Through Picture Books, Sophie Taylor

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

More children than ever before live in urban locations, and many do not see their city streets and natural environments represented in picture books. In the midst of a climate crisis, educators and parents may be seeking environmental books and activities that seek to connect children to their natural communities. The purpose of this capstone project was to explore the importance of picture books in connecting children with their environment through the creation of an urban-based children’s book with embedded environmental terminology and concepts, as well as associated activities. A review of relevant literature uncovered five central themes: illustrated books’ …

Online Snap, Wic, And Nutrition Incentives In The United States: A Scoping Review Of Program Implementation And Evaluation Evidence, Richie Holmberg, Kin Anjani, Gabby Headrick

GW Research Showcase 2021-2026

No abstract provided.

Mapping The Global Landscape Of Youth-Onset Type 2 Diabetes Epidemiology: A Scoping Review, Margaux Whitehead

GW Research Showcase 2021-2026

No abstract provided.

Pulling Together At A Land Conservacy: Impacting Plants, Animals, And Humans, David W. Marlow, Matt Hagen

Engage Upstate

Our project has multiple goals in multiple domains: support for the environment - both flora and fauna, a significant influx of volunteers for our community partner, experiential learning opportunities for our students, gateways to deeper SL/CE connections for both students and instructors, and enhancement of a previously uninviting (even fear-inducing) public greenspace.

• Initiated over coffee & outlined on a napkin 
• Invasive plant species removal 
• Greenway 1 mile from campus 
• Minimal training. Maximum impact 
• Freshmen/Sophomore: First look at SL/CE SPACE SPARTANBURG AREA CONSERVANCY EST1989 To promote, protect, and preserve natural resources and open space. 
• Land Management & environmental outreach 
• A response …

Commencement Program: 2026, Governors State University

Commencement Documents and Videos

Lincoln Laureate: Jonathan Cooper

May 17, 2025
10 a.m.

Student Speaker: Journey Mae Manuel

College of Education and Human Development
College of Health and Human Services

May 17, 2025
4 p.m.

Student Speaker: Victoria Gómez

College of Business
College of Arts and Sciences

Do Purpleair Monitors Democratize Data For The Environment?, Christopher Rick, Kyla Lorden

Student Publications

PurpleAir monitors may serve a vital role in marginalized or under-monitored communities nationwide. These low-cost monitors—roughly $300—give communities the ability to monitor their air quality at local geographies in ways that are infeasible for expensive, regulatory-grade air monitors. They also have the potential to aid community advocacy efforts around environmental and transportation policy by giving community members literal ownership over the monitoring, including precise locations, and philosophical ownership over the advocacy efforts. To determine the potential democratization of air quality data by PurpleAir monitors in socially disadvantaged communities, we analyze the sociodemographic characteristics of neighborhoods with PurpleAir monitors. We find …

Colonial Ambivalence And The Self: The Psychological Legacy Of Colonization, Nazia Khan

Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

Colonization may disrupt a person’s sense of self by introducing conflicting identities, where one part of identity is tied to colonization while the other attempts to decolonize (David & Okazaki, 2006). This identity conflict may lead to psychological distress because these identities are often in opposition to one another. Although colonized individuals may have been forced to adopt the colonizer’s social norms, people may also incorporate colonization-influenced practices into their self and cultural identity with and without recognizing their colonial roots. Colonial ambivalence is introduced as the simultaneous holding of positive and negative feelings regarding one’s colonized background. Individuals from …

Life Experiences To Lyrics: What Mental Health Looks Like In Music, Ashley Salinas, Ashley De La Fuente

Posters - 2026

● Music conveys human emotion and mental states, often reflecting societal struggles such as depression and anxiety. Lyrics often shape how listeners experience these emotions, influencing mood, identity formation, and emotional processing in young adults (Gustavson, 2021; Chen, 2023). ● Depression, characterized by persistent sadness, loss of interest, and withdrawal is frequently expressed in music through explicit descriptions or metaphorical language (Shriram, 2015). Whereas, anxiety involves excessive worry, restlessness, and hypervigilance, is less studied yet similarly present in music (Kim, 2023). ● Previous studies have highlighted that pop lyrics often emphasize relational uncertainty, country songs depict fear of loss, and …

Bird Population Response To Abiotic And Biotic Stresses In Urban & Restored Oak Savannah Habitat, Annabelle Ball

Posters - 2026

Birds are heavily impacted by urban development. Many experience habitat fragmentation and removal of food sources. However, other species can adapt to and even thrive in urban environments, thanks to certain tree species, bird feeders, and buildings. In North America, the house sparrow and the European starling are invasive species that benefit from urban environments (Bartelt, 2011; Fitzwater, 2014). Meanwhile, many habitats across the continent are experiencing restoration/rewilding efforts for the benefit of birds. One such habitat is the oak-savannah, which is characterized by 10-30% canopy cover and a mixture of prairie & woodland vegetation, supporting a high diversity of …

Konglish, Abigail Escheveria, Juan Maurissio Gomez Gonzalez, Vanessa Vasquez Zavala

Posters - 2026

Konglish is a language variety resulting from contact between Korean and English

1.“Konglish is a blend of Korean and English found throughout South Korea, and often suffers or lack of prestige amongst Koreans” (McPhail, 2018)

2. “A creative, dynamic contact vernacular mixing English and Korean, including morphology, syntax, semantics, pronunciation, and discourse, but not a full language” (Lawrence, 2012)

3.  Konglish should not be understood as a distinct language variety; rather, it is a cultural practice through which Koreans draw on available linguistic resources to engage in communication and to interpret their position within the globalized world. (Park, 2021)

Obesity In The Rio Grande Valley: Applying An Evidence-Based Public Health Approach, Erika Pineda-Horta

Posters - 2026

What structural and social determinants drive elevated adult obesity rates in the Rio Grande Valley, and what evidence-based interventions can reduce adult obesity prevalence in Hidalgo County by 5% by 2030?

Objective: This study applies an EBPH framework to (1) characterize the burden and structural determinants of adult obesity in the RGV, and (2) propose a culturally responsive, evidence-based intervention targeting adults aged 18+ in Hidalgo County.

Adult obesity is clinically defined as a Body Mass Index (BMI) ≥30 kg/m² in adults aged 18 and older (CDC, 2022). It is a chronic, multifactorial non-communicable disease shaped by structural, social, and …

Medicaid’S Broken Promise To Children, Jerron R. Wheeler

Washington and Lee Law Review

In the United States, poor children’s access to necessary healthcare is determined more by geography than medical need. This variation is not the result of thoughtful local tailoring but of excessive state autonomy and passive federal oversight. The result is a fragmented and unequal system that obscures accountability and fails the Nation’s most vulnerable children.

Building on scholarship showing how decentralized implementation of federal social programs can erode America’s social safety net, this Article examines how one of Congress’s most ambitious entitlements for children—Medicaid’s Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT) benefit has been quietly undermined. In light of …

Morocco’S Liquid Gold: The Actual And Potential Role Of International Ip Law In The Protection Of The Traditional Knowledge Of Argan Oil, Christen Smith

Student Scholarship

This paper examines the actual and potential role of international intellectual property law in the protection of the traditional knowledge associated with argan oil, a product linked to the cultural heritage of the indigenous people in Morocco and increasingly commercialized globally. The paper starts with a background on the argan forest and the cultural significance of the argan tree. Then, the traditional production method used to extract argan oil is discussed. The paper also covers the rise of women’s cooperatives and how the argan oil industry has economically transformed in recent decades. The next section identifies problems in protecting traditional …

Queer Okayness & The Modernist Influence: A New Form Of Queer Poetics In Ocean Vuong’S Night Sky With Exit Wounds, Sophia Behnke

Audre Lorde Prize

This paper analyzes poems from Ocean Vuong's 2016 debut collection, Night Sky with Exit Wounds, as a contemporary evolution of queer modernist poetics from the early twentieth century. Using conceptual frameworks from Sara Ahmed and Audre Lorde, the author argues for the cultural power of poetics as an inherently queer art form which artists are constantly redefining. By studying how prominent lesbian and queer modernists disrupted heteronormative ideals through non-conformist poetic strategies, the author develops a comparison to Vuong's work as a contemporary queer poet who both draws from past forms and develops a more nuanced understanding of queerness …

Giovanni Da Legnano’S Reception Of Thomas Of Ireland’S Manipulus Florum (1306) In The Prohemium To The Somnium, Chris L. Nighman

History Faculty Publications

This article demonstrates the reception of the influential florilegium Manipulus florum in Giovanni da Legnano’s Somnium, a discovery that has major implications for future scholarship on not only this text, but all of this author’s surviving works. It also reports some very unusual, probably unique, contextual evidence for his reception of the Manipulus.

Teacher Perceptions On Culturally Responsive Teaching And Learning: Middle School African American Male Achievement And Implications, Richard A. Brown

Interdisciplinary Leadership Dissertations

Academic achievement gaps among African American male middle school students persist, raising concerns about educational equity and instructional effectiveness. This phenomenological qualitative study examined middle school teachers’ perceptions of culturally responsive teaching (CRT), focusing on how educators understood, implemented, and assessed CRT practices related to the academic engagement and achievement of African American male students. The study sought to identify the beliefs, instructional strategies, barriers, and supports that shape CRT implementation in suburban middle school settings. The research used a qualitative phenomenological design to capture the lived experiences of educators working with African American male students in the southern suburbs …

The History And Distinctives Of Liberty University In Training Pastors At The Undergraduate Level, Mason Andrew Hamilton

Senior Honors Theses

This thesis aims to demonstrate that the Pastoral Leadership major is a viable discipline that calls for appropriate consideration for all considering pastoral ministry. More specifically, this thesis documents the historical distinctiveness of Liberty University’s Pastoral Leadership major in preparing and training men and women for life in pastoral ministry.

The first section discusses the historical developments of pastoral ministry. Ample attention is given to the biblical roots and significant events in church history that discuss the progression of pastors and ordination. The second section discusses the establishment of professional pastoral ministry at Liberty University. The third section illustrates the …

A Comprehensive Marketing Plan For Calvary Christian Academy, Emily Piwowarski

Senior Honors Theses

Marketing strategies have been implemented by companies for years. The outline of a marketing plan requires businesses to do extensive research on the industry they plan to enter, including evaluating the political, environmental, social, technological, economical, and legal factors that are affecting it. This research helps to form the marketing mix–the product, price, promotion, and place strategies-–which determine what the business will offer the industry and how it will make this offer. A business will then use marketing tactics to reach its target audience. Tactics that have risen along with the advancement of technology are social media marketing and search …

Exploratory Evaluation Of Handler Performance And Processing-Related Outcomes During Cattle Handling, Morgan Marquardt

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

Animals have several critical roles in society, including the production of food and fiber, and companionship. Contact with animals has been shown to benefit human physical and mental health, yet little research has investigated the impact that humans have on animals. Handler skill may considerably affect the extent to which humans influence animal health and wellbeing, and this may be a critical consideration for animal agriculture. Objective assessment of cattle handler skill has received limited attention in the scientific literature, despite its importance to human safety and animal welfare. When compared to less skilled handlers, highly skilled cattle handlers may …

Beyond The Podium: Transformative Learning And The Student Experience In High School Debate, Daniel J. Sleiman

Education Doctorate Dissertations

This qualitative study explores how historically underrepresented high school debaters understood their experiences in an independent high school debate league, particularly in relation to growth, challenge, shifting self-perceptions, and belonging. Drawing on narrative inquiry (Clandinin, 2016) and interpreted through transformative learning theory (Mezirow, 2000) and currere (Pinar, 1994), this study focused on recently graduated students from Central High School’s debate program. Screening questions adapted from King’s (2009) Learning Activities Survey identified participants who self-reported perspective-shifting experiences. Semi-structured interviews informed by the phases of currere elicited reflective narratives, and reflexive journaling supported the research process. Data were analyzed thematically to identify …

Resonant Cracks In The Music Curriculum: Integrating Social And Emotional Learning In The Secondary Music Classroom, Margaret E. Lerch

Education Doctorate Dissertations

Music education has long been recognized as a subject that encourages student learning beyond the walls of the music classroom. While elementary music programs often foster language development and social awareness, secondary music instruction tends to emphasize performance skills and technical development. The explicit secondary orchestra curriculum for this middle school includes only instrument skill-development standards and learning-target descriptions. In this fourth-marking-period sixth-grade orchestra class, coursework—including students’ journal reflections, classroom dialogue, and comparison soundscape projects—operated intentionally “within the cracks” of the formal curriculum to create opportunities for the students to express and engage with emotions, identity, belonging, empathy, perspective-taking, and …

Young Life: A Philosophy Of Incarnational Youth Ministry In Grant County, Indiana, Symon Cater

Christian Ministries Senior Capstone

This paper presents a vision for Young Life ministry in Grant County, Indiana, framed around William K. Francena’s model of moral education, with the unifying theme that adolescents are transformed from the inside out when they encounter the reality of being known and loved. Box A establishes the ultimate purpose of human existence as being known by God, knowing God, and being with God — a purpose that anchors every subsequent section of the paper. Box B builds upon this foundation by articulating five theological and sociological premises touching on prayer, Scripture, human relationality, adolescent cultural formation, and identity development, …

Patient Views On Blood-Based Biomarker Tests For Alzheimer's Disease In Primary Care, Andrea Russell, Abigail Vogeley, Rebecca Lovett, Rachel O’Conor, Stephanie Batio, Jeimmy Hurtado, Morgan Bonham, Julia Benavente, Adam Brickman, Chinedu Momoh

Brain and Mind Institute

INTRODUCTION Blood-based biomarkers could offer accessible, cost-effective detection of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in primary care. This study examined patient attitudes toward AD biomarker testing.

METHODS Crosssectional surveys were conducted with 572 adults from Chicago-area clinics. Participants received brief education on biomarker tests before completing the survey.

RESULTS Most participants (83.8%) were unfamiliar with biomarker tests; 1.8% previously completed testing. After brief education, most (94.5%) supported offering tests to patients with memory complaints, and 85% were willing to complete testing if recommended by their clinician. Facilitators included tests informing clinical care, coverage by insurance, and education in advance. Barriers included cost …

The Benefits Of Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 Agonists In Adult Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, Bethany A. Johnson

Nursing Capstones

Background: PCOS is the most common endocrinopathy in women of reproductive age, affecting 5-6 million women in the United States. Symptoms include hirsutism, acne, hormone imbalances, menstrual irregularity, obesity, infertility, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. GLP-1s are being studied for their benefits in women with PCOS.

Purpose: To review the current evidence on the efficacy of GLP-1 receptor agonists in improving symptoms and complications of PCOS.

Methods: This scoping literature review used three databases, including CINAHL Ultimate, PubMed, and ClinicalKey. Inclusion criteria were women 18 and older diagnosed with PCOS and studies that evaluated any type of GLP-1 and their effect on …

Analysis Of Live Load Distribution Factors In Prestressed Concrete Girder-Bridges With Asymmetric Losses In Prestressing Strands, Mohamed T. Elshazli, Mohamed Elgawady, Ahmed Ibrahim

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Asymmetric loss of prestressing strands in concrete bridge girders presents a critical yet underrecognized threat to structural integrity, particularly in exterior girders subjected to impact or localized deterioration. This form of localized and unbalanced damage leads to eccentric reductions in prestressing force, rotation of the principal axis, and diminished flexural capacity, effects not explicitly addressed in current design standards such as the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications. This study presents a comprehensive numerical investigation into the structural implications of such asymmetric damage, focusing on its effect on live load distribution factors (LLDFs) across prestressed girder bridges. A parametric study of …

Disparities Between Chronological And Biological Age: A Biocultural Analysis Of Aging In Contemporary Populations, Nicollette S. Appel

Anthropology ETDs

This dissertation investigates how structural and cultural factors collectively influence the aging process and how these effects manifest in both hard and soft tissues. Chapter 2 used an AI-based CT body composition tool and a CT-based biological age model to examine the relationship between age discrepancy and demographic variables such as sex, race/ethnicity, and manner of death. Results demonstrate significant differences in age discrepancy, with females, Native Americans, and individuals who died of natural causes exhibiting greater discrepancies. Chapters 3 and 4 further evaluate whether anthropological approaches to skeletal aging can be improved by adopting a biocultural perspective. These chapters …

Summoning Models Of “Decolonization”: Performances Of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai’S Historical Poetry In Contemporary Pakistan, Muhammad Z. Abro

Anthropology ETDs

This dissertation examines how Shia communities in Sindh, Pakistan, mobilize the poetry of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai as counter-history within a postcolonial order that folds sectarian difference into homogenized national culture. In dominant state and literary discourse, Latif is cast as a universal Sufi poet whose spirituality transcends doctrinal division and secures Sindhi and Pakistani belonging. The performances studied here place pressure on that settlement by treating the Risalo as a medium through which Karbala remains historically present. Drawing on three years of ethnographic fieldwork at the shrine of Shah Abdul Latif in Bhitshah and related sites in Sindh, the …