Digital Commons Network^™

A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of The Social Support Systems Of First-Generation Immigrant Nursing Students Attending A Private University Post-Covid-19, Karlens Edmond

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the social support systems experiences of immigrant students at a private, four-year university in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. The theory guiding this study was social support theory, specifically its relationship to the attrition of nursing students. This theory was the lens through which the influence of social support factors on academic persistence was explored. Social support, framed through four key constructs, plays a vital role in the well-being and retention of nursing students. The central research question was: How do immigrant nursing students at a private university …

The Canonical Use Of The Psalter In The Formal Quotations Of Jesus, Didactically Applied To His Self-Identification As Messiah, Andrew W. Richardson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation investigates the canonical use of the Psalter in the formal quotations of Jesus, focusing on how he uses these citations didactically in his self-disclosed explication of a holistic, Old Testament Messiah. Rather than treating Jesus’s use of the Psalms as isolated prooftexts or rhetorical devices, this study contends that Jesus interpreted and applied the Psalter as a unified canonical whole whose theological trajectory assimilates disparate Old Testament messianic expectations. These layered expectations are encapsulated in Jesus’s own self-disclosure as that Messiah. This study adopts a canonical methodology that emphasizes the final form, theological unity, and intertextual development of …

A Critical Examination Of Visions, Dreams, And The Authority Of The Holy Spirit In Biblical Prophecy, Michael Turner-Muhammad

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Holy Spirit's function as the mediating agent of perceptible prophetic encounter remains underdeveloped in the works surveyed for this study. Scholars in pneumatology, prophetic studies, and divine embodiment have each addressed at least one of these dimensions. Pneumatology explains the Spirit’s role in inspiration but not how revelation becomes perceptible; comparative studies provide context, but not its pneumatological structure; and embodiment scholarship affirms anthropomorphic encounters but does not identify the Spirit as their mediating agent. The result, in the works examined here, is the absence of a unified theological account of how the Spirit mediates perceptible divine communication across …

A Community College Entry Apparatus, Ann Knezetic

Dissertations

This study explores the conceptualization, enactment, and navigation of a community college entry apparatus. This research views these questions through a single institution case-study, with 17 participants - eight faculty/staff and nine students. Each participant groups brings a distinct view as faculty/staff conceptualize and enact entry as students navigate and experience entry. Findings illuminate how faculty/staff conceptualize entry through offices or programs while students experience entry through their needs being met. Further, these findings complicate entry, particularly in the ways students experience entry multiple times during their college career such as when moving locations across a multi-campus college or when …

Proceedings Of The 2026 International Conference On Decision Support System Technology (Icdsst 2026), Huilan Chen, Dulekha Kasturiratne, Guoste Pivoraite, Xinyi Li, Xiaoning Chen, Shaofeng Liu

More Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Research

No abstract provided.

From Tradition To Transformation: Cultural And Musical Inclusivity In Sda Worship Practices, Alicia Raquel Jones-Lumbuz

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation examines worship inclusivity within multicultural Seventh-day Adventist congregations in the greater Houston, Texas, area, focusing on the experiences of migrants, first-generation Americans, and long-standing members. It highlights how their diverse cultural backgrounds, theological beliefs, and worship expectations shape congregational life. The study fills a gap in Adventist worship scholarship by exploring the lived experiences of worshippers in multicultural settings, particularly the perspectives of migrants whose attitudes toward worship are influenced by cultural heritage and traditional views of reverence. Data were collected through surveys, semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and ethnographic observations. Thematic analysis reveals eight interrelated themes, showing that …

The Perceptions Of Social Workers On The Mental Health Needs Of Immigrant Hispanic Males In New York City: A Phenomenological Study, Mauline Lawrence-Jackson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this research was to describe the experiences of social workers as they provide services to meet the mental health needs of Hispanic immigrant males in New York City. The study was based on Bronfenbrenner's (1979) Social Ecological Theory and Vygotsky's (1978) Social Constructivism to examine how social workers in New York City perceived and addressed the mental health needs of Hispanic immigrant men, while accounting for the influence of cultural and systemic factors. The main research question used in the study was: How do social workers in New York City describe their experiences providing services to Hispanic …

Trauma, Myth, And Sacred Memory: How Narrative Gives Form To Suffering, Theology, And Meaning, Jacob M. Tannehill

Masters Theses

This thesis explores the relationship between trauma, myth, and narrative meaning through academic and creative works. Drawing upon trauma theory, cultural memory studies, and mythopoeic fantasy, this thesis examines how communities remember catastrophes, preserve identity, and struggle to transform suffering into coherent narratives. The critical portion focuses on J. R. R. Tolkien’s account of Númenor’s destruction in The Silmarillion, reading the Downfall as a model of cultural trauma whose meaning persists through inheritance and contested narration. The creative portion, drawn from excerpts of The Adia, extends these concerns into a mythic world in which language, memory, and theological inheritance shape …

God’S Design For Human Nature: Paul’S Biblical-Theological Use Of Creation Theology In Romans 1:18–32, Eunsoo (Daniel) Seo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The world in which the Apostle Paul ministered was not a theological vacuum, but a sophisticated marketplace of competing worldviews and diverse moral frameworks. Within the specific milieu of first-century Rome, the cultural forces of Stoic philosophy, Roman imperial ideology, and pagan polytheism created an environment where complex expressions of human nature and sexuality emerged. Dominant Roman social stratifications often celebrated or normalized same-sex relations and blurred the distinctions of the created order. Paul found himself proclaiming a message of a Sovereign Creator in a society that had been conditioned for centuries to view the human nature through the lens …

Social Networking Influences In The Challenges Of West African Immigrant College Students In Kentucky – A Hermeneutical Qualitative Study, Martin Chukwusolum Akwari

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative hermeneutical phenomenological study is to explore how social network groups modulate the lived experiences of West African immigrant students in colleges and universities in Kentucky. Grounded in Bourdieu’s social capital theory and informed by a social constructivist interpretive framework, this study explored how shared experiences within social network groups influence how West African immigrant students interpret their academic and social environments during college years. The study is anchored on a central research question: How does social interaction with others influence how immigrant students of West African origin interpret their lived experiences in higher education institutions …

Genesis 1:1-11:9 Shows That Humanity Is The Object Of God's Love: A Dissertation, Donna R. Dilworth

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Most scholars turn to the New Testament when exploring the concept of divine love, citing passages such as John 3:16 and 1 John 4:8 to illustrate God’s sacrificial love through Christ. However, this dissertation reexamines the Primeval History of Genesis 1:1–11:9 as a foundational witness to divine love, arguing that these early chapters reveal humanity as the object of God’s enduring affection, even in the absence of the Hebrew term ʾāhāḇ (“love”). Rather than focusing solely on the term “love,” it is crucial to consider the nature of God himself. Scholars widely agree that the assertion “God is love” (1 …

Beyond Stabilization: Biological Healing, Structural Exclusion, And The Recovery Gap After Border-Fall Trauma At The U.S.-Mexico Border, Julia Robinson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This honors thesis examines the biochemical, ethical, and public health consequences of insufficient post-operative follow-up care for undocumented immigrants injured in border falls. Discussing pathways of inflammation resolution, wound healing, and bone remodeling, this thesis argues that recovery depends on tightly regulated molecular and cellular processes that are highly vulnerable to disruption without continued monitoring and rehabilitation (Loi et al., 2016; Maruyama et al., 2020). When follow-up care is absent, these processes can be predicted to derail, leading to infection, impaired healing, and permanent disability (Chung & Sohn, 2025; Howard et al., 2020; Kruidenier et al., 2018). Framed through principles …

The Lived Experience Of Immigrant Chinese Parents Navigating The Iep Process For Children With Austim, Mei Yu Cheung

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to understand how immigrant Chinese parents navigate the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) process for their children with autism within public schools in King County, Washington. The theory guiding this study is Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory, as this study explores parents’ lived experiences, challenges, and advocacy strategies as they engage with school professionals and systems of support. Through semi-structured interviews with participants, the research seeks to identify shared meanings and patterns that shape parental engagement and empowerment in special education contexts. The findings aim to inform culturally responsive practices and improve parent–school collaboration for …

A Phenomenology Study: Exploring The Lived Experiences Of Latino Women In The South Of California With Symptoms Of Depression And The Influence Of Faith And Religion In Their Recovery, Ivette G. Perez-Paquien

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This is a qualitative study of a phenomenological nature that explores the phenomenon and experiences of Latina women with depressive symptoms residing in Southern California, as well as the influence of faith and religion on their recovery. The investigation of this phenomenon was conducted using the theoretical model of descriptive research proposed by Husserl, along with the data analysis technique for descriptive phenomenological research based on the approach designed by Richard Krueger. The research question posed to guide this study was: What are the experiences described by Latina women suffering from symptoms of depression regarding faith, religion, and their recovery …

Exploring The Role Of Self-Efficacy In Undergraduate Nursing Students: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Dorothy Elaine Rolling

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the role of self-efficacy for nursing students whose primary language was not English and who were enrolled in higher education in the northeastern area of the United States. The theory guiding this study was Bandura’s theory on self-efficacy. The major tenets of the self-efficacy theory aligned with the metaparadigm of nursing (person, health, environment, nursing) and with the study’s focus, which was to explore how English as a second language (ESL) nursing students could successfully complete the registered nursing program at an institution of higher learning. The central research question was: …

Covenantal Allegiance In The Epistle Of James: An Integrative Critical-Covenantal Interpretation, Lorpu Davis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation argues that the Epistle of James presents faith as covenantal allegiance enacted through communal practices under social and theological pressure. While scholarship on James has frequently separated socio-historical analysis from theological interpretation, this study proposes an integrative reading through the Integrative Critical-Covenantal Method (ICCM). ICCM employs a three-step procedure comprising close textual analysis, text-triggered socio-historical diagnosis, and theological analysis, with integrated adjudication. The dissertation examines seven strategically selected “pressure texts” in James: 1:9–11; 1:27; 2:1–13; 2:14–26; 3:13–18; 4:1–10; and 5:1–6. These passages reveal how James addresses status competition, patronage expectations, economic vulnerability, partiality, rivalry, and injustice within diaspora …

Ethnicity And Evangelism: Understanding The Crucial Role Of Ethnic, Social, And Cultural Factors In Proclaiming The Gospel, Bernardo Salcedo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation examines the pivotal role of ethnic and socio-cultural backgrounds in proclaiming and expanding the gospel to the nations during the early church's formative period. Building upon the theological foundation of God's overarching mission plan throughout Scripture, the research examines how these factors influenced the development of early Christian evangelism, particularly concerning the context of Jewish, Samaritan, and Gentile cultures. The study argues that the early church’s approach to spreading the gospel was profoundly influenced by the ethnic and cultural contexts of the people it encountered. Thus, the dissertation proposes that understanding these cultural dynamics is essential for a …

A Qualitative Single Case Study To Understand What Types Of Support Best Enable Early Childhood Teachers In A Mid-Atlantic State To Achieve Curriculum Fidelity, And How These Supports Benefit Teacher Practice And Classroom Outcomes, Tatiana Rizzotto Queenan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to understand what types of support best enabled early childhood education teachers achieve curriculum fidelity and how these supports benefited teacher practice and classroom outcomes in a mid-Atlantic state. The theory guiding this study was Domitrovich et al.’s conceptual framework for maximizing the implementation of quality of evidence-based preventive interventions in schools. The central research question that was answered during this case study was: What support best enables early childhood education teachers in a mid-Atlantic state to achieve curriculum fidelity, and how do these supports benefit teacher practice and classroom outcomes? …

Second Temple Period Foundations Of The New Testament: A Teaching Model At Longview Evangelical Community Church, Stephen T. Dixon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This action research project examined whether a structured Bible study focused on the Second Temple Period could improve participants’ ability to recognize historical context in the New Testament and apply that knowledge to a more Christocentric understanding of Scripture. The project was conducted at a local church and involved adult participants from diverse educational and spiritual backgrounds. The study used a six-week instructional model that integrated historical background, theological reflection, and guided discussion. Data were collected through an initial questionnaire and Likert-scale surveys administered before the study began, observational notes and recordings during the study, and a final assessment after …

Church Attendance, Post-Pandemic Stress, And Resilience Factors, Pavel Bugriyev

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Stress levels among adults increased, and a sense of community loss occurred due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent events. Despite previous studies establishing an association between religious practice and psychological well-being, much remains unknown about the differences in religious practice format (i.e., in person, virtually, and not at all) with post-pandemic stress and resilience-related traits. This quantitative cross-sectional study examined whether the format of church attendance (in-person, virtual, or no church attendance at all) was related to post-pandemic stress and resilience-related traits. Also, whether hope, making meaning out of hardship, and perceived social support statistically mediated the difference in …

Evaluating The Efficacy Of The Nazarene Course Of Study For Developing Lay Leaders In Virginia District Hispanic Ministries: A Competency-Based Assessment, Jeffrey A. Hernandez

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Hispanic ministries within the Virginia District of the Church of the Nazarene continue to experience sustained membership growth; however, leadership development has not expanded proportionally, creating emerging capacity gaps. Many Hispanic pastors serve bi-vocationally, limiting capacity to meet increasing congregational demands, and lay leaders are leveraged to meet those needs. Using an assessment tool designed to measure lay leadership competencies, this research project evaluates the effectiveness of a Nazarene Course of Study to function as a leadership development framework for laity within Hispanic church contexts. The study examines the implementation of a pastoral-level ministerial education program among Hispanic laypersons and …

Inadequate Access To Healthcare In Low-Income Hispanic Communities In Brooklyn, Joanna Marie Garcia

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative research was to understand healthcare disparities using the Solar and Irwin conceptual framework and to shed light on healthcare disparities as the reason low-income Hispanic patients, male and female, from the ages of 20-90 in Brooklyn, New York, received inadequate access to healthcare. Healthcare disparities represented a critical issue in providing adequate patient care for adult Hispanic patients within the United States healthcare system. Research into healthcare disparities has been conducted; however, detailed information about the causes of the disparities was lacking, especially concerning inadequate access to healthcare in low-income Hispanic communities. This qualitative research …

One Body Many Members: Toward A Vision Of Individual And Corporate Maturity In The New Testament, Rebecca Mohr

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The apostle Paul and the author of Hebrews both discern within the early Christian communities a critical deficiency: some individual believers did not realize the value they would bring to the corporate Church body by maturing and remaining committed to the fellowship. For Paul, growth in Christ is inherently ecclesial; the believer’s Christian maturity contributes to the edification and unity of the body, as articulated in Ephesians 4, where maturity in faith and knowledge safeguards the church from fragmentation and instability. Spiritual immaturity, therefore, is not merely an individual shortcoming but a communal liability that threatens the integrity of the …

A Phenomenological Study Of Early Educator Experiences Regarding The Educational And Developmental Benefits Of Play-Based Learning For Children Identified With Special Needs In Inclusive Early Education Classrooms, Karen Renée Gallagher

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study is to understand what are the lived experiences of early childhood educators with providing play-based learning experiences in inclusive classrooms. The theory guiding this study is Jean Piaget’s Cognitive Development theory. This phenomenological study focused on understanding the perceptions and experiences of early childhood educators in regard to how play-based learning supports school readiness within early care and education environments. The focus of the study included educators who care for and teach children between the ages of birth to five years old within inclusive, state licensed early childhood learning environments located in the …

The Effects Of Narrative Identity Awareness On The Relationship Between Adult Attachment, Shame, And God Attachment, Jacqueline H. Watson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative study examines the interconnectedness of adult attachment, shame, God attachment, and narrative identity awareness. Insecure adult attachment has been shown to result in increased shame experiences and has been linked to insecure God attachment. Awareness of narrative identity has been used to improve left-right brain integration and correct problematic narratives that often lead to shame. This research employs Likert scale-style questionnaire data, parallel mediation, and linear regression-based models to assess the connections between study variables. More specifically, it examines whether narrative identity awareness moderates the relationship between adult attachment, shame, and God attachment. Participants included self-identifying Christian adults …

Turn Your Expertise Into Income Through Goal, Russell Stein

Staff Professional Development Week

Russell Stein introduces staff to GOAL and the Learning and Training Center as a simple way to turn their knowledge into short, online learning modules. The main idea: staff already have valuable knowledge, and this workshop shows how to share it in a way that helps others and may also bring in income.

Participants will learn how GOAL supports lifelong learning and may offer ways to earn money in the future. The workshop will also introduce a flexible profit sharing model and explain how Instructor Design Services makes things easier. Staff do not need to build a full course. They …

Make Your Office Globally Accessible Without Adding To Your Workload, Rowena Winiarczyk, Fiona Grugan

Staff Professional Development Week

CORE’s Rue Winiarczyk and ACS’s Fiona Grugan often see that in today’s increasingly global campus environments, staff interact daily with students and colleagues from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Many common challenges, such as misinterpreted email tone, delayed responses, or unclear expectations, often come from small, everyday communication habits.

This session offers practical, low-effort strategies to make routine interactions more globally accessible without adding to staff workload. Rather than focusing on theory, the session centers on real scenarios staff already encounter, including writing emails, responding to questions, and navigating misunderstandings. Participants will learn simple adjustments that can immediately improve clarity …

Transcription Methodology For Soteria Simulator Scenarios, Joseph O'Brien, Inga Agustsdottir

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Understanding resilient performance in routine operations depends upon exploring new data sources to capture positive performance. The NASA SOTERIA test bed was used to conduct seventy-two simulated descent and approach sequences, into Charlotte Douglas International Airport, using six different scenarios with twelve flight crews. Audio and video recordings of the flights were captured. Processing of the audio content for further analysis was conducted. Transcription of the recorded audio involved a multi-step process using both human and automated transcription to prepare the data for further analysis. The methodology described in this paper applies to recording and processing of any audio data, …

The Rhetoric Of Airline Safety After Major Incidents, Martyna Wojcik

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Airline accidents are pivotal events that not only test the safety frameworks of the aviation industry but also challenge how airlines manage their public image. Rhetoric by airlines in the wake of major incidents plays a vital role in setting public perception about airline safety and corporate accountability. Airlines respond differently to accidents and use different strategies to manage public perception, influenced by whether the crash stemmed from human error or technical failure. This research investigates three study cases: the Germanwings Flight 9525, Lion Air Flight 610, and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashes for interpreting how airlines frame crisis discourse …

Pa 146: What Is Clear, What Is Fuzzy, And What Should We Do Next?, Jenelle Williams, Nicole Peterson

Michigan Reading Journal

Michigan’s Public Act 146 (PA 146), the state’s K–12 Literacy and Dyslexia Law, establishes new requirements for screening, evidence-based instruction, structured literacy practices, professional learning, and strengthened multi-tiered systems of support to improve reading outcomes. While the law provides detailed and prescriptive guidance for elementary schools—particularly regarding decoding-focused instruction aligned to the science of reading, universal screening, and intervention planning—its implications for grades 4–12 are less clearly defined. This article examines what is explicit in the legislation, what remains open to interpretation in secondary contexts, and how districts can move forward strategically as they prepare for full implementation by 2027–2028. …