Digital Commons Network^™

Sensemaking By Rural Community College Mid-Level Academic Leaders During Localized Disruptions: A Critical Incident Technique Study, Donata Worrell

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Mid-level academic leaders in community colleges play a critical role in the success of community colleges. Beyond performing administrative tasks, they advocate for faculty, staff, and students as well as implement directives. Their work is affected by localized disruptions. However, limited research has examined how these leaders experience such disruptions. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how mid-level community college leaders experience and make sense of those unexpected operational disruptions and their emotional responses to those events. Guided by Weick’s theory of sensemaking, this study used the critical incident technique (CIT) to collect detailed accounts of the …

"On The Same Rope": An Exploratory Study Of Staff Experiences At The Mountain Seed Foundation's Healing Base Camp Program, Jill C. Kivikoski

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Since the escalation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Ukrainians have faced significant social and public health challenges, particularly among Service Members, Veterans, and their Families (SMVF), including disability, traumatic stress, and barriers to mental health care (Kostenko et al., 2024; Krasnodemska et al., 2023; O’Grady & Galouchka, 2023). Retreat based programs grounded in shared military identity may offer an accessible form of support (Barrett & Currin, 2024). Mountain Seed Foundation’s (MSF) Healing Base Camp (HBC) was developed to promote healing and resilience among Ukrainian SMVF (Mountain Seed Foundation, n.d.).

This qualitative dissertation used a single-case study design (Yin, …

The Physiology Of The Work: Chronic Stress, Allostatic Load, And Faculty Wellness In Counselor Education, Ajayla S. Evins

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Counselor educators embody multifaceted professional roles across teaching, supervision, research, leadership, and service, exerting a profound influence on the formation of counselors and the ongoing development of the profession (CACREP, 2024; Calley & Hawley, 2008). While wellness is recognized as a core professional value in counseling (ACA, 2014), research has focused almost exclusively on emotional and psychological dimensions, leaving the physiological consequences of chronic stress largely underexplored (Bovee, 2024; Faheem et al., 2025; Lewis et al., 2022). In neighboring fields, such as public health and medicine, chronic stress has been linked to dysregulation in cardiovascular, neuroendocrine, immune inflammatory, and metabolic …

The Lived Experiences Of Master's Level Counselors In Professional Counseling Association Leadership, Catalina R. Kraft

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Leadership and advocacy are essential for all counselors (Lewis, 2022; McKibben, 2016; Paradise et al., 2010; Sweeney, 2022). However, within research and professional counseling associations, there appears to be a bias in which counselor educators are the expected, default leaders within the counseling profession (Burns, 2015; Kleist, 2018; Speciale & Goodrich, 2020). While counselor educators may have experience as counselors, they primarily work in academia, so their experiences do not authentically represent the needs of professional counselors. Counseling leaders need to represent and understand the people they serve: counselors. Therefore, this study sought to understand the lived experiences of master’s …

Considering Special Education Program Performance Analysis And Teacher And Student Involvement In Transition Planning: A Delphi Study To Prioritize Student Interests, Strengths, And Transition Assessment, Charles S. Thull

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

Individualized education program (IEP) transition plans are required to be based on student interests and strengths, and use age-appropriate transition assessments, yet limited guidance exists on how to prioritize these elements. Despite decades of transition planning research and policy development, students with disabilities continue to experience poor postsecondary transition outcomes, special education teachers report limited readiness to support transition planning, university special education programs lack transition focused coursework, and transition plans are created for compliance and lack transition assessment information. Considering these concerns, this study used a modified Delphi method, informed by Human Performance Technology (HPT) and Ecological Systems Theory …

Exploring The Physical Education Experiences Of Blind And Visually Impaired Hispanic Multilingual Learners In Integrated Settings, Sheyla G. Martinez-Rivera

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

Although students with visual impairments (VI) are increasingly placed in integrated physical education (PE) classes (U.S. Department of Education, 2023), the embodied experiences of those who also identify as multilingual learners (MLs) and as Hispanics remain largely unexplored. This retrospective qualitative study examined how these students experience integrated PE during their K-12 education, focusing on how language and disability identities shaped their participation. Participants included seven Hispanic students, all MLs, and identified under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) as blind or visually impaired. At the time of the study, participants were between 18 and 33 years old and …

Perceptions Of Virginia Dentists And Dental Hygienists Towards Emerging Alternative Dental Hygiene Workforce Provider Models, Lauren B. Mangum

Dental Hygiene Theses & Dissertations

Background: A perceived shortage of dental hygienists in the United States has been linked to delays in preventive care and concerns about declining oral health outcomes. In response, some states have proposed alternative pathways permitting internationally trained dentists, dental students, and oral preventive assistants (OPAs) with limited or inconsistent education requirements to provide dental hygiene services. Limited evidence exists regarding whether these strategies would effectively address access to care and workforce challenges. Concerns have also been raised about the potential effects of expanding scope of practice for providers with limited education or training on patient safety and quality of care. …

The Effects Of Covid 19 Job Demands On Public Sector Employees’ Organizational Commitment: The Mediating Roles Of Work Engagement And Job Burnout, And The Moderating Role Of Supervisor Support, Benjamin R. Kaufman

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

United States citizens rely on state government employees to provide essential public services. During the COVID-19 pandemic, these employees responded by administering both routine and novel procedures to protect public health, often placing them on the frontlines and at increased risk of contagion. Concurrently, the pandemic-driven economic downturn created budget shortfalls that threatened the job and financial security of the state workforce. Together, these conditions substantially increased job demands for state government employees.

Guided by the Job Demands–Resources (JDR) Model, this study examined how COVID‑19-related job demands influenced state employees’ work engagement, job burnout, and organizational commitment, and whether supervisor …

A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of The "Intervention Implementation Experience" With Department Chairs And Program Coordinators During A Performance Improvement, Courtney W. Schoolmaster

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

Minimal research has been conducted on the experiences of department chairs and program coordinators with the implementation of performance improvement in learning outcome assessment. Focusing on a multidisciplinary college that offered associate degrees, technical diplomas, and certificates, located within the SACSCOC region, this transcendental phenomenology aims to understand the lived experiences of department chairs and program coordinators in a community college during the implementation/maintenance phases of a performance improvement initiative for the college’s program and general learning outcome assessment process.

This phenomenological study was conducted with eighteen department chairs and program coordinators, and two semi-structured interviews were conducted via Webex. …

Fabrication Of Flexible Laser-Induced Graphene-Based Non-Enzymatic Glucose Sensor For Diabetes Management, Reagan Aviha

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This research focuses on developing a flexible non-enzymatic glucose sensor to address the issues of cost, stability, and limited sensitivity associated with enzymatic glucose sensors. Regular monitoring of glucose levels is required to manage the global health challenge of diabetes. The sensor is built on a cost-effective, durable, flexible, conductive, and high-surface-area substrate acting as a scaffold for modification with easily tunable and electroactive species to enhance glucose detection. The electroactive materials used are zinc oxide (ZnO), palladium (Pd) and platinum (Pt). Laser-induced graphene (LIG) is created by laser engraving. ZnO, Pd and Pt are electrochemically deposited and optimized based …

Effects Of Cross-Language Instructional Design On Foreign Language Learners' Cognitive Load: Approaching The Redundancy Principle Of Multimedia Learning, Leonor Mendiola Adams

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

Because conceptualizations of cognitive resources play a critical role in determining the effectiveness of instructional design (Greeno, 2011; Greeno et al., 1996; Mayer, 2011, 2019), this study explores the effects of cross-language instructional design on learners’ perceived intrinsic, extraneous, and germane cognitive load content corresponding to content complexity, instructional presentation demands, and depth of understanding and schema construction, respectively.

Grounded in the redundancy principle of the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning, this research further investigates whether the principle operates differently when learners’ native language is strategically incorporated into foreign language learning contexts. According to the cognitive theory of multimedia learning, …

Personality Predictors Of Cybersecurity Vulnerability: Insights From Self-Reports And Stimulated Threat Scenarios, Saroja Roy Grandhi

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

In this cyber dependent and enabled era, understanding the role of human factors in digital security is essential. This study investigates the relationship between Big-Five personality traits and cybersecurity behaviors by examining both self-reported and stimulated behaviors in security threat scenarios. Participants completed validated questionnaires to report their personality traits, cybersecurity practices and engage in task-based stimulations to capture behaviors such as phishing detection, password creation, and response to security alerts. The study tested whether higher conscientiousness, openness, and agreeableness would be associated with stronger cybersecurity practices and smaller discrepancies between self-reported and observed behaviors. And, whether greater extraversion and …

Mechanisms Of Synergy Between Nanosecond Pulsed Electric Field (Nspef) And Cold Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Discharge (Cap) In Pancreatic Cancer: The Role Of Ros-Mediated Oxidative Stress And Apoptosis, Zobia Minhas

Theses and Dissertations in Biomedical Sciences

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is a highly lethal malignancy characterized by poor prognosis and resistance to conventional therapies. Novel treatment strategies are needed to overcome this resistance. Non-thermal physical modalities, including nanosecond pulsed electric field (nsPEF) and cold atmospheric pressure plasma discharge (CAP), have emerged as potential anticancer approaches; however, the mechanisms underlying their combined effects remain unclear.

This study evaluated whether nsPEF enhances CAP-induced cytotoxicity and investigated the associated molecular mechanisms using the murine Pan02 pancreatic cancer cell line. Cell viability was assessed by WST-1 metabolic activity assays and electric cell–substrate impedance sensing (ECIS). Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) were …

Social Capital As An Intervening Explanatory Mechanism Linking Socioeconomic Status And Deliberative Decision-Making In Citizen Advisory Boards In California Municipalities, Christopher Gerry

School of Public Service Theses & Dissertations

Citizen advisory boards (CABs) are widely used in local government as institutional mechanisms for participatory governance and public input. While these bodies are intended to promote inclusive and deliberative decision-making, persistent socioeconomic inequalities raise concerns about whether CABs mitigate or reproduce disparities in participation and influence. This dissertation examines how socioeconomic status (SES) shapes deliberative decision-making within CABs and whether this relationship operates indirectly through board-level social capital.

Integrating perspectives from participatory governance, deliberative democracy, and social capital theory, the study conceptualizes deliberative decision-making as a collective, board-level process shaped by relational and institutional dynamics rather than individual attributes alone. …

“Recollecting The Told Story”: Storytelling, Activism, And The Black Maternal Health Emergency, Lamaya C. Williams

English Theses & Dissertations

Storytelling is a foundational component of Black knowledge creation and transmission. This dissertation centers Black women’s stories of birth and mothering—drawing on both primary source birth stories and fictional narratives—to examine the United States’ Black Maternal Health Emergency (BMHE). The BMHE is a complex and urgent issue wherein structural racism, medical bias, and intersecting social determinants disproportionately endanger the health of Black mothers. As such, Black mothers in the United States are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related condition compared to their white counterparts.

This study examines the birth stories of women who survived the BMHE and …

Electronic Resource Updates - 2026 Q1, Brigitte Galauner, Gregg Harris

Electronic Resources Quarterly Updates

No abstract provided.

Durham Town Hall Meeting Discusses Guns On Campus, Delaney Nickerson

Digital Edition

No abstract provided.

Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles And Chitosan Exhibited Synergistic Protection Against Diabetic Nephropathy In Mice Model, Abdulkader M Shaikh Omar, Zainab M Al Aamri, Salim M El Hamidy, Muhamed A. El Nobey

Journal of King Abdulaziz University: Meteorology, Environment and Arid Land Agriculture

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a progressive complication of diabetes mellitus characterized by oxidative stress, impaired glucose metabolism, and renal dysfunction. This study explored the protective effects of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs), chitosan, and their synergism on renal function disorders, oxidative stress, and histopathological alterations in a streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice model. Mice treated with STZ exhibited marked hyperglycemia (284.08 ± 0.76 mg/dL), elevated HbA1c (17.35 ± 0.13%), and reduced insulin levels (3.09 ± 1.00 μI/mL), along with increased levels of renal biomarkers: urea (46.01 ± 0.28 mg/dL), uric acid (8.09 ± 0.19 mg/dL), and creatinine (1.79 ± 0.06 mg/dL). …

Multistage Community Intervention In Lung Cancer Screening Awareness And Uptake In Washington D.C., Shelly Dimri, Santoshi Puvvadi, Shweta Raman, Sam Schwartz, Rhea Sharma, Olivia Turcio

GW Research Showcase 2021-2026

No abstract provided.

The Influence Of Intramural Funding On Cultivating Innovation Withing A Research Ecosystem: A Case Study At The George Washington School Of Public Health (2014-2022), Imomotimi Imomotebegha, Deborah Nyonator, Bridget Martin, Paul Ndebele, Adnan Hyder

GW Research Showcase 2021-2026

Background: Intramural funding plays a pivotal role in strengthening research ecosystems by providing the flexibility and resources necessary for researchers to pursue novel ideas. Unlike external grants, internal funding enables organizations to rapidly support strategic priorities, foster cross-disciplinary collaborations, and catalyze early-stage projects that may later secure competitive external funding. The George Washington School of Public Health (GWSPH) Research Innovation Award (RIA) program provides a strong case study of the long-term impact of such investments.

Methods: This analysis draws on findings from the RIA Phase 2 Impact Report (2014–2022), which synthesizes data from annual surveys, final reports submitted by awardees, …

Alcohol And Cannabis Use And Co-Use In Relation To Problematic Use And Driving Under The Influence Among Us Young Adults, Diane Ndisbuye, Vaishnavi Galinde, Cassidy R. Loparco, Carla J. Berg

GW Research Showcase 2021-2026

No abstract provided.

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.

Herblens: A Multilingual Retrieval-Augmented Generation (Rag) Framework Integrating Cross-Cultural Herbal And Nutritional Knowledge Bases, Lilly Shaw, Benjamin Wilson, Hana Mossaddad, Daniel Tehrani, Dezhao Fu, Ali Rahnavard

GW Research Showcase 2021-2026

No abstract provided.

Evaluating Dietary And Behavioral Risk Factors For Diabetes In Asian American Populations, Rob Van Dam, Cecily Phua, Andrew Han, Mariam Chaudry, Rachel Cook

GW Research Showcase 2021-2026

No abstract provided.

The Workforce Production Function Of Medicare Acos: Evidence From The Mssp Public Use File, Jing-Jer (Amadeus) Chen, Avi Dor

GW Research Showcase 2021-2026

No abstract provided.

The Prevalence Of Generalized Joint Hypermobility And Its Association With Gastrointestinal Symptoms In A College Population, Nikhil Ahuja, Leslie F. Davidson

GW Research Showcase 2021-2026

No abstract provided.

The Relationship Between Academic Stressors And Mental Health Among Undergraduate Students At The George Washington University, Emma Leonard

GW Research Showcase 2021-2026

No abstract provided.

Comorbidity Burden Among End-Stage Renal Disease Patients In A Nationwide Study, Anne M. Mamish, Diana Clynes, Paul T. Conway, Jerome Bailey, Maria H. Harris, Dominic S. Raj, Katie M. Applebaum

GW Research Showcase 2021-2026

No abstract provided.

Impact Of Group Antenatal Care On Pregnant Women's Knowledge, Attitudes, And Behavioral Outcomes Toward Postpartum Family Planning In Nigeria, Taiseer Zaman, W. Douglas Evans

GW Research Showcase 2021-2026

No abstract provided.

Non-Communicable Diseases (Ncds) Pilot Project: Health Screening And Care Access Among Indonesian Immigrants In The Dc-Maryland-Virginia (Dmv) Area, Valerie Addams, Amylee Anyoha

GW Research Showcase 2021-2026

No abstract provided.