Digital Commons Network^™

Dr. Eric Angel Ramos - A Shooting Star That Inspired Marine Mammalogists And Beyond (1987 – 2024), Laura J. May-Collado, Jeremy J. Kiszka, Nataly Castelblanco-Martínez, Beth Brady, G. Rieucau, Daniel Gonzalez-Socoloske, Renata Sousa-Lima, Diana Reiss, Macelo Magnasco, Roderic Mast, Wayne Sentman, Joy S. Reidenberg

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Belongingness And Science Identity Of Underrepresented Students In Aerospace Sciences, Bella Hettich

Theses and Dissertations

Despite efforts to support underrepresented individuals—specifically those from racial, ethnic, and gender minority groups—they continue to face unique challenges that affect their belongingness in aerospace sciences, leading to issues with retention in educational programs and subsequent professional pathways. Such hindrances to personal achievement can also impede broader organizational goals. Addressing these challenges is critical, as supporting the success of underrepresented individuals fosters diverse perspectives, which are essential for driving innovation and maximizing organizational productivity. Just as importantly, ensuring that every individual, regardless of background, has access to opportunities and the support needed to succeed fulfills an ethical obligation. Upholding the …

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 …

Mental Health Stigma Among Latiné Adolescents: Help-Seeking Intentions And Recommendations, Brenda D. Barragan

Theses and Dissertations

Latiné adolescents in the United States face increasing mental health challenges, including elevated rates of depression, suicidal ideation, and emotional distress, particularly in underserved regions such as the Midwest. Despite these needs, Latiné adolescents remain underrepresented in mental health research, particularly with respect to how cultural values and intersecting identities—such as gender, immigrant status, and perceived socioeconomic status—influence stigma and help-seeking behaviors. Grounded in the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), this study explored how mental health stigma and cultural factors shape help-seeking intentions and recommendations among 95 self-identified Latiné adolescents in North Dakota and Minnesota. The study examined two primary …

Exploring The Concepts Of Rematriation And The Sugpiaq/Alutiiq People’S Traditional Values And Ways Of Being To Address Historical Trauma: A Qualitative Study, Tara Lynn Christiansen-Stiller

Theses and Dissertations

This study is a collaborative exploration of the intersection of traditional Sugpiaq/Alutiiq values, historical trauma, and the process of rematriation. It aims to understand how these elements contribute to healing, resilience, and identity restoration within the Sugpiaq/Alutiiq community. Utilizing a qualitative research approach grounded in Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), the study engages in in-depth interviews with Alutiiq elders, cultural leaders, and community members. Their lived experiences and perceptions are integral to the research process. The study seeks to uncover how Sugpiaq/Alutiiq cultural values, such as community solidarity, connection to land, and spirituality, protect against the impacts of historical trauma. Additionally, …

Congolese Refugee Narratives Of Belonging, Grief, And Cultural Continuity In Appalachia, Kayla Davis

Theses and Dissertations

This research examines the communicative challenges that Congolese refugees face after resettlement, particularly as they strive to reconstruct a sense of belonging in the United States that reflects their experiences in either their home country or secondary countries where they endured protracted displacement in refugee camps. Narrative qualitative research methods were used to conduct interviews with five Congolese refugees in Appalachia. Through qualitative thematic and lexical analysis derived from the interviews, the study reveals patterns of linguistic isolation, community continuity, and emotional displacement. A key finding is that participants often conceptualize community not as a geographic entity, but as an …

Exploring Refugee Students’ Experiences In Midwest Higher Education Environments: Culturally Responsive Practices For Educators, Rohana De Silva

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study examined the teaching and learning strategies used by highereducation faculty to support refugee students at a Midwestern university. Recognizing that refugee students bring diverse cultural, linguistic, and experiential backgrounds to academic environments, this research examined how instructional practices can either promote or hinder their educational success. Traditional teaching methods often fall short in addressing the complex needs of this student population. Using Yosso’s Community Cultural Wealth Framework, Bourdieu’s Theory of Cultural Capital, and Resilience Theory, this study analyzed the narratives of refugee students to uncover how their lived experiences influenced their educational journeys. Findings revealed that refugee …

Measuring The Clinical Effectiveness Of Telenutrition Medical Nutrition Therapy Among American Indian And Alaska Native Adults Newly Diagnosed With Type 2 Diabetes, Charisse Lindsey Holiday

Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 global pandemic was the impetus of the transition from in-person medical nutrition therapy (MNT) visits to telephone MNT. This occurred without evaluation of its clinical effectiveness, especially for American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN). It is known that in-person MNT is clinically effective at lowering hemoglobin A1c (A1c) and that people with diabetes who experience food insecurity have poorer health. However, research characterizing food insecurity among AI/ANs is limited. This retrospective observational analytical study was conducted at the Phoenix Indian Medical Center (PIMC) in Phoenix, Arizona to assess the clinical effectiveness of telephone delivered MNT services by a …

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 …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Motivations, Persistence And Challenges Of African Immigrant Adult Learners In Community Colleges In Minnesota, Saah Jackson Delu Kpakar

Theses and Dissertations

African Immigrant Adult Learners (AIAL) are considered an exclusive demographic group who left Africa and obtained permanent residency in the United States. They experience a wide range of challenges in their quest for postsecondary education, which impact their access, persistence, and academic success. The purpose of this qualitative study based on a phenomenological approach was to explore the factors that motivate African Immigrant Adult Learners and enable them to persist and remain resilient in their pursuit of higher education at community colleges in Minnesota. The theories that guided this research are the Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and Schlossberg’s Transition Theory (STT). …

Why Can't We Just Be: Native American College Student Sense Of Belonging At The University Of North Dakota, Gavin Michael Nadeau

Theses and Dissertations

Sense of belonging is a primary indicator of retention and persistence to graduation forNative American college students. Though more than doubling in the past 30 years, Native American college student enrollment has decreased since 2010 (197,000 in 2010 to 107,000 in 2021) (PNPI, 2021; NCES, n.d.). In 2020, Native American students’ 2nd year retention rate was more than 20% lower than their white peers at the University of North Dakota (UND, 2020). When college students of color feel like they belong, they are more likely to retain, persist, and graduate (Mowreader, 2024; Hurtado & Carter, 1997; Hurtado et al., 1999). …

Association Of Item-Level Responses To Cognitive Function Index With Tau Pathology And Hippocampal Volume In The A4 Study, Idris Demirsoy, Elham Ghanbarian, Babak Khorsand, Bhargav T Nallapu, Kellen K Petersen, Richard B Lipton, S Ahmad Sajjadi, Laura A Rabin, Ali Ezzati

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: Alzheimer's disease (AD) has a long preclinical phase in which individuals may accumulate amyloid beta (Aβ) and tau pathology without noticeable cognitive impairment. Subjective cognitive impairment reports can provide early insights into cognitive decline.

METHODS: In the A4 Study, 339 cognitively unimpaired, Aβ-positive individuals underwent tau positron emission tomography imaging. Tau status was classified based on medial temporal lobe tau standardized uptake value ratios (tau

RESULTS: Higher tau

DISCUSSION: These findings support the utility of participant- and study partner-reported concerns as early indicators of preclinical AD pathology, with potential value for early detection and trial enrichment strategies.

HIGHLIGHTS: Higher …

Transcultural Courts, Scott Dodson

Faculty Scholarship

Although countries commonly divide their judicial systems along geographic and subject-matter divisions, the idea of creating specialized courts based on culture has not taken root. Instead, courts are generally transcultural. Functionally, the lack of culture-specific courts is surprising because cultural diversity within a population often creates legally significant distinctions. Focusing primarily on the U.S. judicial system, but incorporating attributes of other judicial systems where appropriate, this paper offers three explanations for why courts tend to eschew cultural specializations in favor of transculturality. It also hazards some opportunities for experimenting with cultural specializations in discrete areas of the law that most …

“Fish In Different Water, To Survive Or To Thrive?” Understanding Direct-Entry Pre-Sessional Chinese Students’ Learning Experiences During Covid-19 And Its Aftermath, Lingyuan Osgathorpe

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences Theses

This thesis explores the learning experiences of direct-entry pre-sessional Chinese students in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath, using Pierre Bourdieu’s theoretical framework. Through the metaphor of students as "fish in different water", the research examines how these learners navigate and adapt to new educational environments that often starkly contrast with their prior experiences.The study employs a two-stage semi-structured interview process with student participants, first in China during their online pre-sessional courses and later in the UK during their degree programmes. All interviews were conducted in Mandarin Chinese to ensure linguistic and cultural accessibility. Additionally, expert interviews …

After Courts: Democratizing Statutory Law, Ryan D. Doerfler, Samuel Moyn

Michigan Law Review

In Federalist No. 78, Alexander Hamilton argued for locating interpretive authority over law separately from those institutions tasked with formulating it. Hamilton’s vision, never accurate as a description of American practice, has not been credible for a long time. To the extent enormous power is still allocated to judges, our legal institutions have been out of step with our legal theory, which has long regarded them as political actors and policymakers. More practically, every term it is clearer and clearer that the role of the Supreme Court in statutory cases (including checking administrative rulemaking and other processes) is, if anything, …

The Use Of Music Therapy And Various Mechanisms Of Diversion To Aid Caregivers Of Those With Alzheimer’S Disease And Dementia, Sarah Elizabeth Kane

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia inhabit an increasingly alarming number of individuals within the United States with the majority of their caregivers being loved ones with limited to no healthcare education. This DNP project was designed to specifically educate caregivers of those with Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia. The goal of this project was to increase the knowledge of the disease while also increasing the ability and confidence to better care for their loved ones. In using the resources outlined in this project, such as music therapy and diversional tools, the caregiver would see a decrease in emotional outbursts and …

Exploration Of Occupational Therapy's Consultative Role For Social Emotional Development In The Rural Childcare Setting, Katherine M. Conley

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Little research has been conducted investigating the consultative role of occupational therapy (OT) in childcare, especially their role in supporting the social and emotional development of children aged 1 – 5 years. This project takes place in a rural childcare setting where a needs assessment found gaps in classroom routines' functionality, the accessibility of center-wide age-appropriate resources, and the use of social and emotional supports in the classroom. The occupational therapy doctoral student utilized the coaching model, evidence-based research, and the foundations of occupational therapy with the intention to improve teachers’ confidence in implementing social and emotional content in the …

Romantic Materialities And The Politics Of Care: Negotiating Movement In A More-Than-Human World, April J. Mcginnis

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation explores the ecological politics of movement in Romantic literature. It contributes to a growing body of scholarship that investigates the important role that walking played in nineteenth-century literary culture. Many authors from this period cast walking as a practice that frees up not only the body but the mind as well, as the steady rhythm of the feet lulls the walker into a state of self-absorbed introspection and heightened creativity. Because of this, walking was a celebrated part of the creative process for many writers. The freedom they celebrate is possible, however, only in spaces that are level, …

The Quick Dash Reformed: Increasing The Holisticity And Occupational Nature Of Upper Extremity Therapeutic Evaluation, Lauren E. Garcia

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background: The QuickDASH is one of the most common upper extremity (UE) focused patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) utilized within current practice. Despite its high utilization rate, there are still many concerns surrounding the QuickDASH, including its applicability to certain populations, difficulty with cross-cultural adaptation, and limited psychosocial evaluation. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop and implement a reformed version of the QuickDASH, the OT-DASH, that included modernized and occupation-focused language to achieve increased client applicability and yield more accurate comparisons between client perceptions of dysfunction and their true clinical presentations. Theoretical framework: The Person-Environment-Occupation-Performance model was utilized …

Media Power And Racial Representation: A Critical Discourse Analysis Of Football Player, Tyreek Hill’S Police Encounter, Paulina Serwaa Gyamfi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis critically examines how mainstream media outlets construct and perpetuate racial narratives through their coverage of high-profile incidents involving Black public figures. Using the case study of NFL player Tyreek Hill’s encounter with Miami-Dade police on September 8, 2024, the research employs Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) and Critical Race Theory (CRT) to analyze news articles from six major outlets: The New York Times, NBC News, CBS News, ESPN, Fox News and CNN. The study explores how language choices, framing techniques, and contextual elements in media reporting influence public perceptions of race, celebrity and criminal justice. Findings reveal that while …

Improving Hospital Discharge Readiness Among Caregivers Of Children With Complex Medical Needs, Megan M. Bruce

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Advancements in medicine and technologies have led to an increase in the population of children living with complex and chronic health conditions. Children with medical complexities (CMCs) and their caregivers frequently have challenges navigating home life after transitioning from hospital to home-based care. A 14-week doctoral capstone project was conducted at Dayton Children’s Hospital to improve caregiver readiness for hospital discharge. Project participants included caregivers of CMCs (n = 6) admitted to the hospital and pediatric acute care occupational therapists (n = 4). The Pediatric Readiness for Hospital Discharge Scale – Long Form (Peds-RHDS) was used as a pre-and post-intervention …

Peace Education: Exploring Educational Possibilities, Erica Ferrer Ariza

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Peace Education is a growing field of study that includes different approaches to understanding and promoting peace, conflict resolution, and social justice. Peace education can be a strategic area for societies that have experienced various forms of direct or indirect violence as is the case of Colombia, South America, which has undergone prolonged periods of violence and internal conflict. Considering that peace is contextual and should be defined and decided on by the people involved in the target context, this work aims to illuminate how a peace education process can be experienced by teachers and students and the forms it …

Predictors Of Success In Whole-Classroom Narrative Interventions For Elementary School Children, Malia Sayavong

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

ABSTRACT

Predictors of Success in Whole-Classroom Narrative Interventions for Elementary School Children

Malia Sayavong

Purpose:

Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) is a neurodevelopmental communication disorder that significantly affects a child’s ability to acquire and use language for speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Children with DLD often experience persistent difficulties with vocabulary, grammar, comprehension, and narrative construction, which can interfere with academic achievement and social interaction. Classroom-based narrative interventions have shown promise in supporting language growth in this population, yet not all students benefit equally. Multiple individual characteristics—including language profiles, cognitive abilities, and environmental factors—may influence intervention outcomes. Therefore, the purpose of …

Apostrophes And Archimedes, Evan J. Clough

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis explores how digital collage and printmaking can be used to develop images through acts of subjective response, intentional and unintentional acts of appropriation, and parodic re-use and comparison pushed to absurd extremes. It looks at the history of creating art for parodic re-use and examines “Pataphysics”, developed by and for art appropriation of pattern, form, and process. These concepts are explained and related to visual artwork that was made for the thesis exhibition Apostrophes and Archimedes Cast Shadow Puppets. The exhibition invites viewers to experience the phenomenon of observation, automatic transformation, and creation using multiple modalities of exaggerated …

Searching For The "Tender Places": Shoddy, Knowledge, And Material Culture In The Civil War Era, Robert William Novak

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In the American Civil War era, shoddy was difficult to understand. It was simultaneously seen as evidence of advancing western civilization as well as a disgusting amalgamation of refuse and disease that threatened those who touched it. Made from shredding woolen rags and tailors’ clippings, the recycled woolen fibers could by applied in myriad woolen blends that came to dominate the ready-made clothing industry that developed through the first half of the nineteenth century. Its application could soften coarse blends and refine the appearance of cheap cloth. When the American Civil War erupted in 1861, however, shoddy came to define …

Artificial Intelligence Approaches For Membrane Fouling Prediction, Yazhou Jiang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Abstract

Membrane fouling is a persistent and critical challenge in membrane-based separation processes, resulting in reduced performance, higher energy consumption, and increased operational and maintenance costs. Addressing this issue is essential for improving the long-term sustainability and efficiency of membrane systems. This report provides a comprehensive overview of membrane fouling mechanisms—such as organic, inorganic, particulate, and biofouling—and explores the growing role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in tackling this problem. Specifically, it reviews three widely adopted AI techniques: Artificial Neural Networks (ANN), Fuzzy Logic (FL), and Support Vector Machines (SVM). Each method is examined through a series of literature-based case studies, …

Global China In Pakistan: Mixed-Methods Analysis Of Symbolic Domination, Social Media Geopolitics, And Security Corridors, Davide Giacomo Zoppolato

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation explores the discursive and material dimensions of China’s global rise through a case study of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Pakistan. As China becomes a leading provider of development finance, its infrastructure-led approach is reshaping geographies across the Global South. Focusing on the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)—the BRI’s flagship project—I examine how Chinese and Pakistani actors co-produce development through discourses, infrastructures, and security regimes. Structured around three articles, the dissertation analyzes: (1) the official diplomatic discourses of Chinese state institutions and their reception by Pakistani media outlets; (2) the curated geopolitical discourses of Chinese social media …

Application Of Machine Learning And Natural Language Processing To Understand The Partisan Mobilization Of Ethnic Minorities, Ani Tepnadze

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation explores how competing interests across secondary dimensions of identity shape marginalized groups' capacity to institutionalize their grievances, particularly ethnic minorities. More specifically, I explore two mechanisms, intragroup cohesiveness and distinctiveness, as a driving force of grievance mobilization. This research is interdisciplinary, drawing on theories from political sociology, political communications, and computational social science. I examine the question of ethnic group particization in two stages. In the first stage, I developed an original machine learning pipeline to process large text corpora and identify the indicators of the strength of collective ethnic grievances in online group discussions. In the second …

The Effects Of Operatic Voice Type On Singer Identity, Adelaide J. Mcdonald

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Within Western art music, voices are typically classified using the Fach system, which is based upon vocal characteristics and separates singers into the categories of soprano, mezzo soprano, contralto, counter tenor, tenor, bass, and baritone. Over time, these categories have become embedded with social and cultural meaning within the operatic world, leading to the development of stereotypes and expectations surrounding singers, as well as social categories and identities, referred to in this study as “sociocultural vocal categories” and “sociocultural vocal identity,” respectively. Currently, there are limited explorations of the sociocultural vocal categories and their associated stereotypes, with research on singer …