Digital Commons Network^™

Becoming A Counselor: Applying Critical Phenomenology To Uncover Narratives From Black Women Counselors About Wounds And Healing, Linzy Sunshine Andre

Dissertations - ALL

The purpose of this Critical Phenomenological dissertation study was to explore the lived experiences of becoming a counselor for Black women with self-identified personal histories with woundedness and engagement in processes of healing. In doing so, the experiences of becoming a counselor were explored for 11 Black women counselors at various points in their professional counselor identity development journey (e.g., counselors-in-training, practicing counselors, pre- and post-doctoral counselor educators). Data collection followed Seidman’s critical-in-depth interviewing model and the three main areas of Critical Phenomenological inquiry – The Life History, Experiences in Details, and Reflection on Meaning. Three individual semi-structured interviews were …

Disabling Structures: Disability And Graduate Student Professionalization, Gabriella Wilson-Kopko

Dissertations - ALL

While scholarship on graduate education and graduate teacher assistant training has emerged as a growing trend in the field of rhetoric and composition, perspectives from disabled graduate students about their navigation of academic spaces remain understudied and undervalued (Lutkewitte, Kitchens, Scanlon; Macaulay; Badenhorst, Amell, Burford; Brown). An often neglected and precarious student population, disabled graduate students’ experiences are critical to graduate education scholarship because their lived experiences offer insight into critiques of normative and disabling academic structures. This IRB-approved study contributes to scholarship on graduate education by carefully analyzing the cultural expectations of normativity, ability, and productivity that are implicitly …

Black Girls Graduating High School: Advanced Courses, Career Technical Education, And Extra Curricular Opportunities, Tara Michelle Gourdine-Jennings

Dissertations - ALL

Abstract This dissertation examines the impact of advanced coursework, Career and Technical Education (CTE), and extracurricular participation on the graduation outcomes of Black girls in a midsized urban school district in Central New York. Grounded in Quantitative Critical Race Theory (QuantCrit), this study addresses how systemic barriers and inequities influence access to educational opportunities that are often gatekeepers for postsecondary success. Despite the longstanding underrepresentation of Black girls in Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), and STEM-based CTE pathways, this study highlights the academic and social benefits of these experiences when access is equitably provided and supported. Using district-level data …

Exploring The Interplay Of Restorative Justice, Mental Health, And Support Structures In Shaping Student Outcomes, Harneet Kaur

Dissertations - ALL

In recent years, educational policymakers and researchers have increasingly recognized the complex interplay between school discipline, mental health, and the availability of support personnel, and their cumulative impact on student outcomes. My dissertation aims to investigate these interrelated factors through the lens of three distinct but complementary studies. Each study examines different aspects of this multifaceted issue: the effectiveness of Restorative Justice (RJ) reforms in school discipline, the influence of access to mental health resources on student disability diagnosis, and the long-term economic impact of mental health issues on young adults. The first study of my dissertation, titled "Moving Away …

Commonplace Revelations: Quaker Women Amid Reformation And Revolution In 1770s Pennsylvania, Emma Grace Waney

Theses - ALL

This thesis looks to further our understanding of the Quaker experience in Pennsylvania in the 1770s amidst the Quaker reformation and American Revolution. By including the voice of Quaker Women through their commonplace books, the period is highlighted as one of negotiation and fear, as Quakers struggled to realign themselves within stricter Quaker doctrine whilst fearing disownment and exile at the hands of Quakers and non-Quakers. Due to increased surveillance, many felt strain on their families and friendships, fearing their possible dissolution and the possibility of being perceived as failing to practice Quaker values. Over the course of three chapters …

How Toxic Communications In Chinese Online Fan Groups Affect Fan Engagement, Tian Xia

Theses - ALL

Abstract The study used a Self-Determination Theory (SDT) theoretical framework to explore how toxicity impacts fan engagement in online fan groups in China. An online survey method in China with a sample size of 205 participants was used to measure the hypotheses 1)Toxicity causes fans to feel less autonomy in online groups, 2) Toxicity causes fans to feel less skilled (competence) in online groups, 3) Toxicity causes fans to feel less relatedness in online groups and research questions and the research questions 1) How will autonomy, competence, and relatedness relate to specific fandom behaviors? 2) What is the difference between …

Exploring Rupture Through Documentary And Narrative Filmmaking, Luca David Higonnet - Faithfull

Theses - ALL

This thesis examines the theme of rupture—familial, cultural, and personal—across three films by the author: the documentaries 8 Years and 90 Miles (2023) and La Atrevida (2025), and the narrative short Family Practice (2026). I explore how my personal/family life and cross-cultural background shape my cinematic investigations of identity, resilience, and belonging. 8 Years and 90 Miles traces Cuban athlete Bruno Rendon’s defection, revealing how the experience of exile fractures a person emotionally and physically. La Atrevida redefines Reggaeton’s history by telling the story of Excenia Knights, the first woman on the Reggaeton scene. It highlights the cultural shifts and …

Resisting (Un)Accountability: Rhetorical Strategies Of Forgetting Denmark’S Iud Campaign In Greenland, Cæcilie Paarup Madsen

Theses - ALL

This thesis explores how colonial amnesia manifests rhetorically in media representations and public discourse about Denmark’s IUD campaign in Greenland. Beginning in the mid-1960s, this state-led initiative systematically targeted Greenlandic Inuit girls and women, fitting them with IUDs as part of a nationwide birth control campaign, some without their consent or knowledge. During the campaign’s most intensive years from the mid-1960s to mid-1970s, approximately 4,500 girls and women – half of the fertile female population – were subjected to this reproductive violence. The spiral campaign was largely forgotten by the Danish public until an investigative podcast, Spiralkampagnen, brought it to …

Flexible Rate: A Motor-Learning Based Treatment For Childhood Stuttering, Jenna Renee Sherry

Theses - ALL

Abstract Purpose: This study examined the efficacy of a novel teletherapy speech restructuring treatment, Flexible Rate, grounded in motor learning principles and delivered within the Challenge Point Framework. The following variables were evaluated: stuttering frequency (percentage of stuttered words), perceived stuttering severity (rated by participants, parents, and the researcher), perceived speaking control, and communicative attitudes. Methods: A series of single-case studies utilizing an ABA design was used to examine the effects of Flexible Rate treatment in two children who stutter, ages 10 and 13. During treatment (B), participants completed two 30-minute virtual sessions per week for eight weeks. Participants were …

The March Towards A Totalitarian Ecology: Making Sense Of 'Ecofascism' Through The Political Ecology Of German Nazism, Cassidy Glen Thomas

Theses - ALL

In recent years, the topic of ‘ecofascism’ has been increasingly engaged in both scholarly and popular contexts, but often with little clarity or consistency in how the term is defined—sometimes detaching the concept from historically-based understandings of ‘fascism’ altogether. This thesis intervenes on this front, thoroughly grounding the concept of ecofascism in fascism through an explication of the political ecology and economy of interwar and Nazi Germany. As this thesis shows, while it is inaccurate to speak of a cohesive ‘green-wing’ within the Nazi Party, the nascent German conservation movement played a key role in cultivating a range of ecologically-themed …

Harnessing Llms To Detect Hate Speech, Weibin Cai

Theses - ALL

Hate is a sentiment, while hate speech refers to the expression of hate in a form that targets and attacks specific groups, such as race, religion, or gender. With the rise of the internet and social media, hate speech has spread rapidly, gaining wide exposure and posing threats to individual well-being, the profits of major tech companies, and social stability. As a result, both industry and academia have turned their attention to the study of hate speech. One of the most active areas is hate speech detection, which involves training models to predict whether a given piece of content is …

Parent Engagement And Preschooler Development In Suriname: Unveiling Patterns, Predictors, And Outcomes Through Latent Class Analysis, Corinne Blake

Dissertations - ALL

Despite the fact that different aspects of parent engagement with preschool aged children have a significant impact on children’s social and cognitive development, this area of research is still emerging in global majority contexts, such as the Caribbean. This study identified parenting engagement patterns in a Surinamese sample and examined the relationship between parent engagement patterns and child social and cognitive development. Propositions within sociocultural theory, parenting and literacy models, and the developmental niche model guided the formulation of research questions and hypotheses. A sample of 1765 mothers/caregivers of 3- and 4-year-olds interviewed in the UNICEF Multiple Indicators Cluster Surveys …

Curricular Reconciliation: Equitable, Inclusive, And Accessible Approaches To Professional Writing Through Coalition-Led Technical Communication, Lerie M. Gabriel

Dissertations - ALL

This dissertation examines the process of revising a core professional writing course to integrate anti-ableist and anti-racist pedagogies throughout its design. Focusing on the pragmatic and theoretical aspects of this collaborative curriculum redesign, this dissertation examines how an intersectional, Black feminist approach to professional and technical communication curricula disrupts neoliberal legacies. In addition to limiting students’ critical thinking skills, interdependence, and imagination of workplace ethos, these legacies affect instructors' experience of teaching professional and technical writing (PTW), particularly those individuals who hold (multiply) marginalized identities. Through archival research and interviews, this dissertation contextualizes these revisions by exploring the rhetorical history …

The Politics Of Artisanal And Small-Scale Gold Mining (Asgm) In Tanzania In The 21st Century., Eliud Atugonza Kabamanya

Theses - ALL

This study investigates the politics of Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining (ASGM) in 21st-century Tanzania, focusing on the organization of miners towards access to key resources, namely land, capital, markets, geological information, technology, and examining environmental degradation, health, and safety concerns affecting miners and surrounding communities. Grounded in historical and dialectical materialism, the research traces ASGM’s evolution from the pre-colonial period through colonial exclusions, post-independence reforms, and neoliberal restructuring. The study employs qualitative methods, including interviews, field observations, and document analysis, conducted over two months across key mining sites in Tanzania. Findings reveal that ASGM is shaped by systemic exclusion, …

Scrolling Through Chaos: Examining Tiktok For Sensemaking And Resiliency Information Behaviors During Lebanese Crises, Christy Khoury

Dissertations - ALL

The rise of the video-sharing application TikTok was rapid during the COVID-19 pandemic, as government-mandated isolation drove many to find comfort and fun indoors. Originally, the application was known for its entertaining content but has grown to be a space where conversations about critical, international events occur. With its unique application structure and behavior norms comes the opportunity to examine the application as a source of crisis discourse. This dissertation leverages a sociotechnical perspective and mixed methods analysis to investigate multimodal crisis discourse and information behaviors on the application concerning two recent Lebanese crises: the August 4, 2020, Port of …

Personalized Learning And Transformative Literacy Learning And Teaching: A Case Study Of Students' 20time/Passion Projects In English 8, Kim Fontana

Dissertations - ALL

This is a narrative case study of 20time or passion projects in English 8. The study explores how traditional educational hierarchies and practices, as well as perceptions of agency and competence, may be transformed in a personalized context by examining a single case comprising 17 students drawn from four sections of eighth grade English in which students are engaged in sustained 20time or passion projects as a fundamental part of their curriculum. The data comprise teacher, student, and administrative products, participant interviews and observations, and memos. Data analysis employs general qualitative methods and critical narrative analysis. This personalized, 20time thirdspace …

Behavioral Self-Regulation In Context: Timing, Types, And Changes Of Material Hardship Across Childhood, Qingyang Liu

Dissertations - ALL

Behavioral self-regulation in childhood lays the foundation for lifelong adaptive functioning, including academic achievement, social relationships, and psychological well-being. While early poverty is consistently linked to worse behavioral self-regulation, less is known about how the timing, types, and changes in material hardship (i.e., daily experiences of deprivation), shape children’s development of behavioral self-regulation. This dissertation addresses these literature gaps through three interconnected studies that examine the dynamic association between material hardship and behavioral self-regulation across childhood, including (1) how early exposure to distinct patterns of material hardship in infancy shapes children’s behavioral self-regulation developmental trajectory from early to middle childhood; …

Essential Knowledge For Serving Bilingual Youth: The Perspectives Of Adult Former English Learners, Maneka Deanna Brooks

Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study, framed by dignity-focused language policy and intersectional anti-adultism, investigates how 74 adults misclassified as English learners (ELs) during U.S. K-12 education conceptualize essential knowledge for educating bilingual students. Through semi-structured interviews, participants stressed two key areas for schools that serve bilingual students: recognizing students’ nuanced linguistic histories and acknowledging students as education partners. The findings emphasize centering impacted individuals’ perspectives, advocating for eliminating racial bias in EL policy implementation, and addressing institutionalized adultism in EL policy. Implications include the need for professional learning, policy, and practices prioritizing EL youths’ perspectives.

Submission Of Papers, James W. Gallagher

The Geographical Bulletin

Submission of Papers

Hops In The United States, Edgar M. Hadley

The Geographical Bulletin

For more than a thousand years the virtue of the hop has been recorded, and it is possible that hops have been cultivated since prehistoric times. More than five hundred years have passed since the domesticated hops were brewed in middle Europe, but wild hops were used much earlier, and are brewed in Syria even today. Hops were introduced to England in the wild, but much later came into prominence after being introduced into Kent by Flemish immigrants about 15241.

Volume 1 Complete Issue, James W. Gallagher

The Geographical Bulletin

Volume 1 Complete Issue

Reminiscences, James W. Gallagher

The Geographical Bulletin

Most of my professional geographer acquaintances have expressed to me at one time or another that they feel they were brought into the field of geography largely as a result of one man's influence. It is presumed that most of us came into the field that way and my experience is no exception. After stumbling through a freshman year in college in 1947, with no particular professional goal in mind and sti ll looking for that one thing which would show me the direction I wanted to go for my life, I enrolled in a geography class which was being …

Changing Orientations:Elements Of New Zealand'spolitical Geography, David B. Knight

The Geographical Bulletin

New Zealand's economic, political, cultural, ties and orientations have changed through time. This paper briefly examines the historical development of these orientations as influenced by Briti sh and Pacific-rimland considerations and notes some of the problems now faced by New Zealand as it readjusts to its new and conflicting orientations.' Three factors have historically dominated new Zealand's external orientations-geographical setting in the Southwest Pacific, membership in the Briti sh Empire and subsequently the Commonwealth of Nations, and the country' s commercial ized pastoral economy. Without doubt, all of these factors are interwoven and are each in themselves complex with far …

Ultrasound-Guided Sciatic And Femoral Nerve Block For Perioperative Pain Management In A Thai Crossbreed Dog Undergoing Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy (Tplo): A Case Report, Wutti Bunjerdsuwan, Sirirat Niyom

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

This case report presents the use of ultrasound-guided sciatic and femoral nerve blocks as an alternative analgesic technique for perioperative pain control in a Thai crossbreed dog undergoing left tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO). The orthopedic examination revealed a 4/5 left hindlimb lameness score, with positive results on both the tibial compression test (TCT) and cranial drawer test (CDT). Radiographic evaluation showed the absence of a fat pad sign and osteophyte formation around the left stifle joint. A definitive diagnosis of left cranial cruciate ligament rupture (CCLR) was made. The dog underwent CCLR correction via TPLO, with perioperative pain managed …

The Perceptions Of Junior High School Students And Parents On Parental Involvement, Hope E. Bratton

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

The purpose of this study was to determine whether there was a difference in perceptions between junior high school students and their parents regarding the level of parental involvement in their child's education using Goulet’s Student-Rated Parent School Involvement Questionnaire (SR-PSIQ). It was to educate them about the positive effects that their child’s education has, as well as the negative ones. Educational achievement is built by a team of members from the school district and the guardian working together for the child’s best interests. The study included Jersey Junior High Independent School District participants in Jersey, Texas, and Lizard Hill …

Perceptions Of Professional Learning Communities By K-5 Alternative Licensure Teachers In Arkansas Elementary Schools, Brandy A. Howell

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

ABSTRACT

PERCEPTIONS OF PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES BY K-5 ALTERNATIVE LICENSURE TEACHERS IN ARKANSAS ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

Brandy Howell

The ongoing teacher shortage in the United States has prompted an increased reliance on alternative licensure pathways to fill vacancies, particularly in elementary education. Alternatively licensed teachers bring diverse experiences and backgrounds to the classroom, but their professional development and integration into school communities remain critical challenges. Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) have emerged as a widely adopted model for teacher collaboration and professional growth; however, little research has explored how alternatively licensed K-5 teachers perceive their participation in these communities. This qualitative phenomenological …

Science Of Reading Professional Development: The Perceptions Of Secondary Teachers In Arkansas, Teresa R. Moka

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

ABSTRACT SCIENCE OF READING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: THE PERCEPTIONS OF SECONDARY TEACHERS IN ARKANSAS

Teresa R. Moka

The study addresses the critical issue of low literacy proficiency among secondary students in Arkansas, where National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) data reveals declining reading scores. Despite scientific consensus on reading instruction, many teachers lack professional development in evidence-based reading strategies, particularly at the secondary level. Although Arkansas secondary teachers have received initial Science of Reading (SoR) professional development from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), the perceptions of secondary teachers regarding SoR professional development is not well documented. The purpose …

Empowering Student Leaders: A Collaborative Approach To Professional Development In Higher Education, Kasandra J. Vela

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

The purpose of my research was to explore how integrating students as partners in professional development enhances student leader training. The study addressed gaps in student participation in training session planning, guided by two research questions: How can integrating students as partners in student leader professional development initiatives contribute to training success? And, what insights can be gained from including undergraduate student leaders in curriculum development for professional training? Research cycles included a survey, workshops, and reflective journaling. Themes that emerged were the importance of staff–student collaboration, student empowerment as co-creators, and the value of diverse perspectives. Findings showed that …

Spring Commencement, 2025, Marshall University

Marshall University Commencement

Program for the Commencement of Marshall University, Saturday, May 10, 2025 held at the Mountain Health Arena in Huntington, West Virginia.

Surface-Electromyography Characteristics Of Clonic Seizures With No Scalp-Eeg Correlate: A Comparative Analysis With Tremors, Akshaya R. Sivaji, Shwetank Singh, Zachary Scicchitano, Roohi Katyal, Neel Fotedar

Faculty Scholarship

Introduction: Clonic seizures are characterized by twitching movements at a frequency of 0.2–5 Hz. The clonic “twitch” is produced by a brief synchronized contraction of agonist and antagonist muscles, followed by a synchronized silent period. In this study, we aimed to compare the surface-electromyography (sEMG) characteristics of scalp-EEG negative clonic seizures with those of nonepileptic movements like tremors that can resemble clonic seizures. Methods: We retrospectively identified patients who were diagnosed with scalp-EEG negative clonic seizures or tremors. We only included patients (n = 6) who were monitored simultaneously with video-EEG and sEMG electrodes. sEMG was placed on agonist and …