Digital Commons Network^™

There’S A Crisis Brewing In Higher Education, Caroline M. Graham

Dissertations, 2020-current

This dissertation addresses the increasing need to enhance crisis preparedness among student affairs practitioners in higher education. With the growing frequency and complexity of campus crises—ranging from mental health emergencies to incidents of violence, the preparedness and self-efficacy of those in student support roles are paramount. This three-manuscript dissertation explores crisis intervention training, crisis self-efficacy, and the lived experiences of student affairs practitioners navigating campus crises. The first manuscript provides a conceptual overview of the gaps in current crisis intervention training within graduate programs, advocating for the integration of core competencies informed by accreditation standards and professional associations. The second …

Exploring Trauma Education And The Intersection Of Self-Efficacy, Ashlea Yearwood

Dissertations, 2020-current

Trauma education in counselor training programs is not only required for those accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), but a critical component in preparing counselors-in-training to work with clients who have been directly or indirectly impacted by a traumatic event. This three-article dissertation includes a conceptual manuscript, qualitative manuscript, and a quantitative manuscript regarding trauma education for counselors. The conceptual manuscript offers an approach to mitigating compassion fatigue through the utilization of attachment-based supervision when working with counselors-in-training. The qualitative manuscript aimed to utilize an interpretative phenomenological analysis to explore and understand what …

Ethics And Clinical Supervision: Understanding The Needs Of Counselors In Training And Self-Efficacy Development In Clinical Supervisors, Brooke Carroll

Dissertations, 2020-current

This dissertation examines foundational principles of ethics, clinical supervision, and clinical supervisor ethical decision-making self-efficacy development. Counselors-in-training, those who have completed their degrees but are not yet licensed, are profoundly impacted by their experience in clinical supervision. Therefore, it is imperative for the clinical supervisors who are leading this new generation of counselors to embody the highest respect and execution of ethical practice and ethical decision making. To do this, clinical supervisor ethical decision-making self-efficacy must be tended to, developed, and understood. When mastered, these clinical supervisors are better equipped to assist their supervisees through ethical dilemmas and critical incidents. …

Burnout And Self-Efficacy: Exploring The Rewards And Challenges Faced By Crisis Counselors Working In Emergency Department Settings, Ellen Dotas

Dissertations, 2020-current

This dissertation explores burnout and self-efficacy in counselors who work with clients in crisis in emergency department settings. Mental health and emergency departments are two areas that tend to report higher levels of burnout than are reported in other occupational fields. While much research has been done on the topics of burnout and self-efficacy, limited information is available about counselors who work in these crisis roles. This dissertation follows a three-manuscript format and includes a conceptual, qualitative, and quantitative manuscript. The conceptual manuscript explores the nature of the crisis assessment itself, focusing on the area of risk assessment. The qualitative …

Exploring Ecowellness And Attachment Dynamics: Understanding Parental Experiences, Youth Perceptions, And Counseling Implications, Katelyn Dolieslager

Dissertations, 2020-current

This dissertation investigated the way in which EcoWellness and Attachment Theory implications interact, specifically emphasizing how integrating these components can enhance clinical practice with caregivers and youth. The first component of the dissertation explored how EcoWellness principles could be applied to strengthen child attachment through family engagement in outdoor activities. The conceptual article discussed how shared outdoor play and recreation offer families the opportunity to bond, improve communication, and develop secure attachments. It provides a framework for clinicians to use EcoWellness to help children recognize their connection to the broader natural world, which fosters emotional growth and attachment. The second …

The Dynamics Of Us-Bangladesh Relations: Before, During And After The 1971 War Of Liberation, 1947-1975., Mdaminul Islam

Masters Theses, 2020-current

This thesis traces the dynamics relations between Bangladesh and the United States before, during and after the Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971. The thesis argues that during the Cold War era the US wanted to build good relations with Pakistan to curb communism in the Middle East and the South Asia. As a result, during the Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971, the Nixon administration did not support Bangladesh’s independence, even though US diplomats and other officials reported the ongoing genocide. Despite this fraught history and Bangladesh’s pro-Indian, pro-Soviet leanings, relations formed between independent Bangladesh and the United States …

The Performance Of Gender In Sound And Screen: Unpacking And Countering The Double Standards Of Women In Taylor Swift’S “The Man,” Brienne Of Tarth, And The Substance, Alexandra C. Ali

Masters Theses, 2020-current

This rhetorical analysis examines how femininity is constructed, policed, and resisted in popular culture through three case studies: Taylor Swift’s “The Man,” Brienne of Tarth from Game of Thrones, and The Substance, using the lens of Judith Butler’s theory of gender performativity. “The Man,” both the song and the music video, reveals the double standards working against women, incorporating an additional layer of analysis through Kenneth Burke’s perspective on incongruity. Brienne of Tarth from Game of Thrones defies gender expectations, blurring the line between the performance of masculinity and femininity. Additionally, this analysis embodies archetypes of women, such …

Confronting The Postcolonial Condition: A Study On The Blesser-Blessee Phenomenon In South Africa, Thandwa Maphalala

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Age-disparate relationships are causing a public health threat in South Africa and the region at large. However, these relationships and their effects are not unique to South Africa. There has been substantial research conducted to explore the social, cultural or economic meaning of this relationship type, its causes and effects in sub-Saharan Africa or in the interest of individual countries in the region. However, South Africa presents a special case for further study because the older men that adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) date and have sex with are commonly referred to as blessers.

The purpose of this …

College Golf Recruiting: A Qualitative Research Proposal Of Strategies, Challenges, Future Avenues And Best Practices, Nicolas Christian Schlickenrieder

Masters Theses, 2020-current

College golf recruiting is a complex process influenced by evolving factors such as Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) policies and new alternative professional golf pathways. This qualitative study aims to fill this gap by examining the key strategies, challenges, and best practices National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I college golf coaches use in their recruitment processes. Utilizing interviews with twelve NCAA Division I golf coaches, this study explores how coaches identify potential recruits, evaluate talent, and navigate limitations such as scholarship availability and regulation compliance. Findings highlight the importance of tangible factors, such as tournament performance and statistical analysis, …

Formula 1’S Drive To Environmental Sustainability, Xenia Chiles

Seattle Journal of Technology, Environmental, & Innovation Law

This article explores Formula 1’s (F1) evolving commitment to environmental sustainability, examining the regulatory, technological, and institutional shifts that support its goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2030. Despite its reputation as a resource-intensive sport, F1 has adopted meaningful reforms, ranging from hybrid power units and alternative fuels to eco-friendly manufacturing practices, without compromising performance. Through an analysis of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile’s (FIA) regulatory authority, stakeholder influence, and corporate social responsibility framework, the article argues that F1 is not merely greenwashing but genuinely redefining motorsport’s role in a climate-conscious era. It concludes that profitability and sustainability can—and increasingly …

Complexities Of Ai Trends: Threats To Data Privacy Legal Compliance, Esther Arokun

Seattle Journal of Technology, Environmental, & Innovation Law

This paper examines the intersection of artificial intelligence and data privacy, analyzing how innovations such as generative AI, large language models, and deepfakes are challenging current privacy laws and compliance frameworks. Through a comparative study of the GDPR and CCPA, this paper assesses regulatory gaps, identifies risks such as data misuse and security breaches, and proposes practical solutions, including privacy-by-design and stronger governance protocols. It offers a forward-looking approach to fostering legal and ethical accountability in AI deployment.

The Lived Experiences Of Covid-19 Grief, Loss, And Coping Strategies For Black Family Caregivers Of Covid Orphans, Allison Dalrymple-Mason

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Black family caregivers in the United States experienced disproportionately high mortality rates due to COVID-19, resulting in many Black children becoming orphans. The unexpected loss placed a burden on these family caregivers, who navigated their grief while taking on new caregiving responsibilities. Limited studies explored how Black family caregivers experienced the meaning of COVID grief, loss, and coping strategies. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to gain an understanding of the meaning of grief, loss, and coping strategies for Black family caregivers of COVID orphans, guided by Worden’s task-based approach to supporting people bereaved by COVID-19 and Folkman’s …

Feasibility And Acceptability Of Tap Dance As A Therapeutic Intervention For Adults With Lower Limb Amputation: A Pilot Study, Julianne Roser, Allison Strande, Bailey Taggart

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and potential efficacy of an 8-week adapted tap dance program as a therapeutic intervention for individuals with lower limb amputation (LLA).

Methods

Three participants with LLA (two with unilateral transfemoral amputation and one with bilateral transtibial amputations) attended weekly 1-hour tap dance classes, with movements adapted for their needs and mobility aids and dance barres available as needed. The Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale (PACES) and participant feedback assessed acceptability. Functional mobility, balance and quality of life were measured using the Activities-Specific Balance Confidence (ABC) scale, Timed Up-and-Go (TUG), Berg Balance Scale …

Efficacy Of Dorsal Application Of Kt For Carpal Tunnel Syndrome In Esport Gamers: A Randomized Clinical Trial, Anthony Foreman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This doctoral study investigated the impact of the dorsal application of kinesiotape on carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) symptoms and performance among Esport gamers. The study was conducted in controlled environments at the UNLV Esports Lounge, Black Fire Innovation, and the Musculoskeletal Lab using a randomized two-group pretest-posttest design. To maintain ecological validity, participants were permitted to use personally owned gaming peripherals (e.g., computer mouse), and all received brief instruction on proper body mechanics to promote consistency during testing. Participants (n = 11) were systematically assigned by order of registration to either an intervention group receiving dorsal application of kinesiotape on …

Gotta Be Fresh: Comedy Central’S Workaholics, Masculinity, And Paratextual Decay, Adamandrew Lenox

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This thesis examines social media marketing materials for Workaholics, a sitcom aired on Comedy Central from 2011 to 2017, to study paratextual temporality/ephemerality, the “brand as friend” social media strategy, and how masculinity is articulated through paratexts. The project incorporates theories from the fields of social media and internet marketing studies, television content and industry studies, and promotional paratext studies. Research centered on 100 Workaholics X (formerly Twitter) posts, published from January 2012 to March 2017. Posts were collected using Google Chrome extension TwExportly. Qualitative textual and content analysis of these paratexts results in three categories of findings. First, I …

Women And Stem − A 2025 Update, Robyn C. Blackburn, Susan R. Madsen

Marketing and Strategy Faculty Publications

Although the term STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) was coined in 2001 by Judith A. Ramaley of the National Science Foundation and had been used informally in the previous decade,¹ the push for STEM in the US began in the 1950s with Russia launching Sputnik and the US subsequently pouring billions of dollars into educating students to ensure the nation became a technological global power. However, the gender gap in STEM fields today reduces the innovation that could be achieved with more unique perspectives contributing to the field. Closing the gender gap in STEM is vital because scientific …

Unheard Voices: A Poetic Inquiry Into The Menace Of Child Abuse In Nigeria, Folajimi Kalejaye

Masters Theses, 2020-current

My project explores poetic inquiry as an arts-based methodology for evocatively representing stories and voices of survivors of child violence in Nigeria from 2013 – 2024. More specifically, I explore poetic inquiry for personal reflection and re/mediation of news stories, editorials, and documentaries that present child violence. Remediation is a practice of representing existing media content through affective forms so as to evoke a deeper meaning and encourage critical reflection of lived experiences. As such, rather than narrating these children's experience from conventional storied standpoints of pain, abuse, trauma, and violence, I poetically interpret their stories to amplify children's voices …

Collisions: The Enlivened Entanglements Of The Object-Self, Grace P. Smith

Masters Theses, 2020-current

This piece is a performance collage centered around objects and our entanglements with them. Through unpacking five objects in my life and their histories and interrogating three interwoven levels of narrative (the historical, the personal, and the aesthetic), I playfully displace the subject/object hierarchy to contribute to broader theoretical discussions regarding the agency of objects, resulting in novel insights through the collisions produced from the performance collage.

Sundown In Indiana: A Midwest Story Of Racism, Exclusion, And Memory, Kelsey A. Snyder

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Sundown towns were a prominent aspect of the northern life from the early 1900s till in some places till the 1970s but they have been lost to history. These towns have been silenced and erased not just from the history books but from public memory. Indiana is my home state and the three towns that will be discussed have all had an impact on my personal development especially in understanding race. Decatur and Huntington places I have called home, both have been classified as sundown towns. The third, Marion was the location of the one the last known lynchings in …

Grief As Slip: (How Little I Show) An Exploration In Clay, When Words Are Not Enough, Michelle A. Smith

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Grief as Slip (how little I show) implies that even as we acknowledge our mortality and the fleeting nature of life, we still only reveal a fraction of our true selves or our deeper realities. The ceramic artwork in this exhibition carries and conveys a journey through the present and remembered emotions of the artists’ personal narrative. By juxtaposing the tactile nature of clay with the ethereal quality of human experience, Smith contemplates the profound interplay between material transformation and emotional resilience. The exhibition’s intent is to translate the essence of complex emotional states into abstracted forms so they can …

Sacral Glitch, Kareena Naresh Solanki

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Growing up in a multifaith environment in Mumbai, I witnessed many religious sites and people with diverse beliefs. My parents always remained open-minded to other faiths, and my house remained replete with idols of deities of different religions. I studied Nichiren Buddhism, particularly the Lotus Sutra, as my mother began practising it along with her faith in Hinduism. Philosophical studies became a part of my life at the age of nine. Catholic prayers turned into rituals in my convent school days, and Islamic prayers resonated from afar. I often reflect on the influence of multiple religions in shaping my approach …

Misidentified Bodies And Missing Data: Exploring Forensic Disempowerment And Skeletal Narratives Of Transgender And Gender-Diverse Individuals In The United States, Taylor M. Flaherty

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The bodies of transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) individuals represent a physical nexus of contempt and scrutiny. In the United States (U.S.), TGD people experience disproportionate levels of violence and premature death, contributing to a persistent epidemic of harm. Institutionalized anti-TGD biases have reinforced systemic neglect, leading to the routine exclusion of TGD individuals from research, data collection, and historical archives. The absence of state or federal initiatives to track mortality trends and risk factors among this population further exacerbates their systematic erasure. In particular, forensic scientists have traditionally relied on dichotomous indicators of sexual expression which may fail to account …

Reconceptualization Of Corporate Governance For Fintech Firms, Isa Alade

Loyola of Los Angeles International and Comparative Law Review

The scandals involving some major fintech firms/platforms such as FTX, Wirecard, Celsius, TerraLuna and Lending Club raise questions about the efficacy of the current corporate governance architecture for fintech firms. Comparing some of the factors that contributed to these recent scandals in the fintech industry against the weaknesses in the corporate governance arrangements for traditional financial firms in the period leading to the global financial crisis (GFC), this paper argues that the unique characteristics of fintech firms amplify some of the weaknesses in the corporate governance arrangements in the financial services industry that contributed to the GFC. The ubiquitous nature …

Gambling-Related User-Generated Content: An In-Depth Analysis Of Slot Machine Vlogs On Youtube, Tiange Xu

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The growing popularity of social media platforms has transformed how gambling content reaches audiences, with gambling vlogs now attracting millions of viewers outside traditional marketing channels. Despite their reach and potential influence, these user-generated videos remain understudied in gambling research. This study sought to analyze slot machine vlogs by examining their portrayal of gambling experiences, assessing viewer engagement patterns, and identifying the video features associated with higher engagement metrics. Using a comprehensive mixed-methods approach, I analyzed 170 popular YouTube slot machine vlogs and 43,837 viewer comments through advanced analytical techniques. Latent Dirichlet Allocation topic modeling identified four themes in gambling …

The Relationship Between Positive And Negative Experiences With Sport Culture And Psychiatric Symptoms In Collegiate Athletes, Angelos Tsalafos

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Although mental health professionals have indicated their interest in understanding the relationship between sport culture and mental health, this relationship has yet to be examined using psychometrically validated scales. In this study, the Semi-Structured Interview for Consideration of Sport Culture in Therapy Scale (SSICSCTS; see Donohue et al., 2006) was administered to 59 Club and National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) athletes. This scale assesses how athletes experience importance (Sport Culture Importance Scale; SCIS) and negative experiences (Sport Cultural Problems Scale; SCPS) in sport culture. Participants were also assessed for psychiatric symptomology using a well-established scale, i.e., the Symptom Checklist 90-Revised …

On Efficient Position Dependent Computation Of Radiation Near Accretion Disks, Kara Jeanette Smith

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Accretion onto super massive black holes (SMBH) plays a vital role in explaining our observations of active galactic nuclei (AGN). One key aspect of observations of AGN is the prevalence of massive outflows which transport matter and energy away from the galactic core. These outflows are characterized by highly blueshifted absorption lines as radiation from the accretion disk is absorbed by gas which is moving toward us. Radiation pressure on spectral lines is expected to play a vital role in launching and accelerating these winds. At the other end of the spectrum of black hole masses, accretion disks in X-ray …

Teacher Perceptions Of Their Role In Aspiration Development With Diverse Students With Disabilities, Joseph Edward Simmons Jr.

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Aspirations stem from a humanistic perspective, emphasizing the person as a whole. They serve as a foundational and predictive component of an individual’s life. Teachers play a critical role in shaping the successes and challenges their students encounter (Zolkoski, 2019). Aspirations, as a cognitive process grounded in forward-thinking, are essential to personal development and evolve through experiences (Hart, 2016). However, students with disabilities often lack opportunities to explore their aspirations within schools. These students are frequently constrained by both teachers and systemic practices within the school environment (Gilmour et al., 2019). Aspiration exploration is crucial because children and youth need …

Gender Biases: The Interaction Between Children And Voice Assistants, Trà Hương Bùi

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Nowadays, children can access and interact with voice assistants (VAs) easily since the machines are more available in the family context. However, there is a gap in understanding how children conceptualize VAs when interacting with the machine. Specifically, this study aimed to examine whether children understand VAs as inanimate. Additionally, the study also compared how children and adults rate the VAs’ level of warmth and competence and the way they associate AI voices with feminine or masculine faces. Another goal was to explore how children and adults match the gender and competence/warmth of the VA with facial masculinity and femininity. …

Improving Independent Living And Quality Of Life For Dementia Patients With Open-Interface Sensor-Based Home Monitoring, Harish Kambampati, Damon Berry, Julie Doyle, Orla Moran, Jonathan Turner, Michael Wilson, Suzanne Smith, Dympna O'Sullivan

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

Living with dementia is a challenging journey for both those with dementia and their families. Besides memory loss and cognitive decline, persons with dementia often face challenges of independent living and loss of quality of life. To enhance and extend the period of independent living, an open-source software and commercial sensor-based home monitoring system is being developed. These sensors are relatively compatible with home environments, can be personalized for different users, and provide constant support including reminders, also allowing for early identification of physical or behavioural changes. They assist not only in managing everyday activities of people with dementia but …

Improving The Readability Of Dementia Information Documents Using Chatgpt, Jonathan Turner, Damon Berry, Julie Doyle, Harish Kambampati, Orla Moran, Suzanne Smith, Michael Wilson, Dympna O'Sullivan

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

There is much information available on dementia, but information may not be written at an appropriate level for a lay reader. One aim of the CoDESIGN project is to simplify information available for those who have lower levels of literacy. We investigate the potential to simplify documents to reflect the literacy abilities of the reader. We report on the ability of ChatGPT to modify documents to such target reading levels while retaining the accuracy and completeness of the documents, while avoiding the introduction of errors. Results suggest that human supervision is required before documents can be made available to readers.