Digital Commons Network^™

Project Portfolio: From Here To Home: A Proven Pathway From Visitor To Member In Our Church Community, Leon Mckenzie

Doctor of Ministry

Through my role as a pastor in my local church and dean in my diocese, I’ve learned of a growing concern about the lack of hospitality within the local churches. Hospitality holds significant importance in the Bible and is a central aspect of the Church's mission. Thus, I have the opportunity to assist churches in evaluating their readiness to welcome strangers and provide them with a practical framework to apply this concept in their specific contexts.

Through my research, I have found that most perspectives on hospitality focus on its application in the business field or creating a comfortable environment …

Epic Preaching: Making Sermons More Participatory And Experiential To Maximize Engagement, Retention, And Transformation, Zach Fitzpatrick

Doctor of Ministry

Over the last three years, I have sought to answer the question: Given today’s technologically-sophisticated, experiential-learning world, how can preaching best engage hearts and minds in simultaneous virtual and in-person worship services? The past three years have taught me that people are hungry for participatory, experiential elements in sermons on occasion and that it does promote engagement, retention, and transformation.

This project was almost entirely conducted within the membership and ministries of Elizabeth Lee Methodist Church in Chickamauga, Georgia. Chickamauga is a small, Northwest Georgia town located in the heart of the Bible belt. The church is a medium-sized church …

Defeating Racism And Overcoming Generational Poverty: Re-Educating African American Youth, Adrian D. Ware

Doctor of Ministry

After the 2023 U. S. Supreme Court ruling that diluted President John F. Kennedy’s Executive Order Number 10925, commonly known as Affirmative Action, this research proposes viable strategies that could afford African American society solutions to re-educate its youth to advance future generations toward an educational and cultural evolution. Evolution suggests a systematic process toward improvement that takes time, strategy, effort, and resources. America’s founding fathers brought Africans to the United States to build an economic empire. While Florida Governor Ron DeSantis puts forth that enslavement was a form of apprenticeship where enslaved persons trained for lucrative careers, a more …

Always Christmas, But Never Winter: A Guided Companion For The Season Of Advent, John Lemons

Doctor of Ministry

This Project Portfolio will display my attempt to address the following NPO: To help Young Adults (ages 18-39) recognize the beauty in their lives and friends’ lives and identify where God is working so they can engage in authentic conversations about faith and fulfillment in Jesus. The overall insight that emerged from my research was the desire among Young Adults to understand and articulate their faith from a perspective of desirability. This awareness blossomed in my current ministry setting – as a Young Adult Minister at an established church in the Southern United States. My project is step one of …

New Wine: A Spiritual Approach For The Intervention Of High-Functioning Alcohol Use Disorder, Elias J. Suddarth

Doctor of Ministry

Considering the approximately 29 million adults in the United States struggling with Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), we have discovered 85-90% do not seek available recovery options for alcoholism because a significant percentage do not see themselves within the typical narrative of a conventional recovery program. Most recovery approaches, whether secular or those involving spiritual principles, follow a century-old template for how any addict at any level ought to approach an abstinence-only treatment for their habitual misuse of a particular substance or behavior. Treatment for alcohol addiction has remained largely unchanged since the 1930’s even in the face of tremendous cultural …

Women Senior Pastors In The Black Baptist Church: A Study Of Pathways To Access And Model For Sustainability, Wendy Vanhosen

Doctor of Ministry

The thesis of this research is that the continued survival and influence of the Black Church hinges on the level of access and sustainability of women in senior leadership roles, emphasizing the historically protected position of senior pastor. It has become urgently necessary to move the needle beyond engaging in the perpetual debate about the role of women in ministry, and towards solutions that address the unique issues of this contemporary era. This era is characterized by a collision of the rise in women occupying senior leadership roles, increases in social justice concerns, and the unanticipated post-pandemic ramifications that have …

Formational Living: A Blueprint For Spiritual Formation Within A Virtual Church Community, Darcy Lynn Shepherd

Doctor of Ministry

An opportunity exists to design and develop an educational and experiential spiritual formation website for the virtual E-Church community at The Potter's House to create safe fellowship space, offer formational resources and inspire the community to "Live More Like JesusTM."

Three key insights emerged upon completion of the research: (1) 100% of respondents found The Daily Clay to be a helpful resource to learn more about spiritual formation; (2) 100 % of respondents thought The Daily Clay would be a helpful resource for a church community; and 100% of respondents indicated that they would subscribe to The Daily Clay. Collectively, …

A Discipleship Model For Oral Preference Learners: Specifically Related To The Turkana People Of Kenya, Theresa Lynn Pottenger

Doctor of Ministry

The Turkana people of Kenya are primarily oral learners, processing information in oral ways. Oral learners are completely reliant on what they hear, see, and experience because they cannot or choose not to read.¹ Missionaries from highly literate western cultures unwittingly burdened these oral learners with literacy dependent teaching methods and discipleship practices. This has particularly left Turkana Christian leaders with few options for deepening their own Christian spirituality or leading others in discipleship. Additionally, a cultural disconnect between western spiritual categories taught by the missionaries and Turkana spiritual categories have left several Turkana spiritual needs unmet. The Turkana …

Transition Programming For Mild To Moderate Students With Intellectual Disabilities, Danielle Boisvert

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The transition process for students with disabilities is a crucial part of their academic careers. Students with intellectual disabilities need the skill set to have an effective transition from high school to adulthood. They need to be given the resources and opportunities in order to succeed. In fact, it is the law that educators address all areas of transition through the legal document of the individual education plan. Educators and parents need to be aware of how to better ensure effective outcomes for transition for students with mild-moderate intellectual disabilities. This can provide students with mild-moderate intellectual disabilities with higher …

The Neuroscience Of Reading And Implications For Early Reading Instruction, Edward J. Barron Jr

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The following literature review investigates current research focused on the neural networks involved in reading and the implications of the research on early literacy education and instruction. The neural network is located in the left hemisphere of the brain and consists of two distinct pathways utilized during word reading, a decoding pathway and a sight-recognition pathway. As a reader learns to read they primarily utilize the decoding pathway and as their proficiency increases the more efficient sight-recognition pathway is used more frequently. It is clear from the research that the most effective way to move students toward the use of …

Life Space Crisis Intervention: A Comprehensive Approach To Supporting Students In Crisis, Mackinzee A. Hayes

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This paper explores the behavioral model Life Space Crisis Intervention (LSCI). It is a trauma-informed approach designed to address the behavioral and emotional needs of students who are impacted by trauma that are displaying challenging behaviors. A review of existing literature highlights LSCI’s effectiveness in reducing disruptive behavior, improving emotional regulation, and facilitating the reintegration into less restrictive educational settings. However, the research also reveals gaps, such as the need for longitudinal studies, more diverse settings of sample groups, and clearer mechanisms for successful implementation. In response, this paper presents two practical tools: a brochure and a professional development PowerPoint. …

The Formation And Impacts Of Student Self-Efficacy In The Secondary Science Classroom, Alan Daniel Swanson

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Student self-efficacy is a student’s belief that they can perform the tasks required to be successful in an academic setting. The focus of this research is how those beliefs are formed, how they impact student performance, and how teachers can increase student self-efficacy in the classroom. Self-efficacy foundations are examined as well as the impact positive self-efficacy beliefs have on student behavior and achievement. Educational practices that increase student self-efficacy are also summarized. A guide to implementing these strategies in the science classroom with an example is given, and connections to other research and future considerations are discussed.

The Impact Of Visuals And Graphic Organizers On Student Learning Of Social Studies, Nicole Eldred

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This literature review examines the impact of nonlinguistic teaching methods on enhancing student learning. The review covers studies on using visuals, Content Acquisition Podcasts (CAPs), videos, and animations to improve vocabulary and content comprehension. Additionally, it investigates graphic organizers in both interactive and pre-made formats as tools to support learning. The findings indicate that combining nonlinguistic and linguistic approaches can significantly increase student understanding. Complex visuals should be paired with verbal explanations and sufficient processing time. Videos are particularly effective for illustrating complex vocabulary. Graphic organizers require careful scaffolding to minimize cognitive load. Premade graphic organizers are effective tools, especially …

The Impact Of Multicultural Literature On Empathy In A Covid-19 World, Jack Kevin Hageman

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This review investigates the isolated nature of distance learning caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and its impact on learners in regard to their empathic abilities. This review looks into the socio-emotional growth of the youth and possibilities to rebuild and reinforce the ability to understand and sympathize with the perspectives of others. In part, careful, considerate, and intentional instruction is required to help students establish increased empathy through the critical reading and discussion of multicultural literature. This thesis explores the evidence pertaining to the negative effects of distance learning, investigates the benefits teaching of multicultural literature, and identifies pedagogical approaches …

Smart Installation Weather Warning Decision Support, Martin Tran, Samuel Kreinberg, Eric Specking, Gregory S. Parnell, Brenda Hernandez, Ed Pohl, George Gallarno, John Richards, Randy Buchanan, Christina Rinaudo

Industrial Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Army installation commanders need timely weather information to make installation closure decisions before or during adverse weather events (e.g., hail, thunderstorms, snow, and floods). We worked with the military installation in Fort Carson, CO, and used their Weather Warning, Watch, and Advisory (WWA) criteria list to establish the foundation for our algorithm. We divided the Colorado Springs area into 2300 grids (2.5 square kilometers areas) and grouped the grids into ten microclimates, geographically and meteorologically unique regions, per pre-defined microclimate regions provided by the Fort Carson Air Force Staff Weather Officers (SWOs). Our algorithm classifies each weather event in the …

Change In Rape Myth Acceptance As A Function Of Sexual Assault Experiences: A Prospective Analysis, Danielle Suzanne Citera

Theses and Dissertations

In the United States, one in five women reports experiencing sexual assault while in college. Rape myths, or stereotypical beliefs that serve to blame survivors (i.e., “She Asked For It” and “She Lied”) and exonerate sexual assault perpetrators (“He Didn’t Mean To”), may influence how women conceptualize their own sexual assault experiences and relatedly, their post-assault functioning. Several demographic characteristics, including race and ethnicity, generational status, education level, sexual orientation, and religiosity, have been found to be associated with rape myth acceptance (RMA). Researchers have reported mixed findings, however, regarding the association between sexual assault history and RMA. This study …

Coping With The Covid-19 Pandemic: Examining Meaning-Making In A Socioecological Framework, Emilia Eva Mikrut

Theses and Dissertations

During 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic emerged as a threatening, unpredictable, and uncontrollable stressor. Meaning-making, or one’s ability to make sense of a stressful life event, integrate the event into one’s narrative of the world and meaning in life, and accordingly revise life goals, is a salient intrapsychic process contributing to psychological adjustment in the face of very stressful or traumatic experiences such as chronic health issues, interpersonal grief, and natural and man-made disasters. Early findings provide evidence for the critical role of meaning-making in coping with stressors associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Though meaning-making is a universal process, one’s capacity …

Bigfoot: From Folk Legend To Commercialized Symbol, Samantha Pate

Charles R. Barnum History Award Papers

No abstract provided.

A Bibliography Of University Of Nebraska College Of Law Faculty Scholarship 2019-2023, Stefanie S. Pearlman, Genesis M. Agosto

Marvin and Virginia Schmid Law Library: Faculty Publications

This bibliography lists faculty scholarship from 2019-2023. It updates "A Bibliography of University of Nebraska College of Law Faculty Scholarship 1892–2013" and "A Bibliography of University of Nebraska College of Law Faculty Scholarship 2014-2018." This bibliography includes publications from law, law library, and law clinical faculty. It also includes assistant deans, directors, faculty with courtesy appointments at the College of Law, and visiting faculty teaching at the College of Law for three or more years. Although we did not include the scholarship of faculty who visited for less than three years or adjunct faculty, we did include a list of …

Theoretically Queer, Practically Straight: Linguistic Negotiations Of Identity And Same-Sex Attraction Among Mormon Men, Chris Vanderstouwe

Linguistics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Contemporary popular representations of sexuality have begun to include more non-exclusively heterosexual conceptualizations of sexual identity. Viral media articles and op-ed pieces have sprung up with claims that “surprising numbers of straight men” have had same-sex encounters, promoting a representation of younger generations coming of age as more frequently rejecting identity labels entirely (e.g., DiDomizio 2016; LGBTQ Nation 2016). Many of the recent statements about this seemingly surprising phenomenon are based on a 2016 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that highlights the disparities between sexual identity and sexual practice in men and women ages 18 …

An Analysis Of Corporate Social Responsibility And Real Earnings Management, Rachel Brassine

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Real earnings management (REM) is costly in the form of intense loan restrictions, increased interest expense, and public scrutiny. Nevertheless, companies still practice REM. Based on agency and stakeholder theories, this research predicts that as a company’s CSR score increases, REM will decrease, and this association will become more negative when a critical mass of females on the board of directors exists and when a board-level CSR committee is present. This study also predicts that when a company offers an executive incentive plan based on CSR metrics, REM will decrease, and the relationship will become more negative with a critical …

Process-Oriented: A Creative Approach To Transformative Learning, Dorit Netzer

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies Advance Publication Archive

In this intrinsic case study, the author explores the value of creative expression as a process-oriented approach to transformative learning through her experience of designing and facilitating a graduate art-therapy studio workshop. The author grounds her teaching in a humanistic view of creativity and transpersonal, transformative learning theories pertaining to expressive ways of knowing. Excerpts from one group of students’ responses to the course in terms of its impact on their personal-professional identity were grouped under four major themes: Purposeful Encounter; Authenticity; Expressive Mediums for Self-Care; and Shared Discovery. Conclusions from this case may be relevant to other educational settings …

The Monstrous In Our Techno-Social World: Black Mirror Season 6. Produced By Charlie Brooker And Annabel Jones. Netflix, 2023, John Anthony Dunne

Seminary Faculty Publications

The sixth season of the technologically-dystopian anthology series, Black Mirror, was released on Netflix on June 15, 2023. The five new episodes, or films as producers Charlie Brooker and Annabelle Jones prefer to call them, were the first offerings of Black Mirror to appear on our respective “black mirrors”since before the start of the global pandemic. In the latest installment of eerie reflections about how technology saturates and shapes our social worlds,the showrunners both provide vintage Black Mirror and a new trajectory of what is possible for the series, even to the point of ostensibly breaking some of theirown rules.

The 4 Ps Of Marketing In Film: Examining The Relationship Between Power, Perspective, And Product Placement On Consumer Perception, Julia Haddad

Honors Projects in Marketing

In today's society, automobiles are the most used type of transportation and with that comes vast marketing opportunities for vehicles. However, with the growing popularity of media forms of television and film, marketing techniques such as the use of product placement have also become more common. This paper analyzes the effects of power through point of view in product placement, specifically through automotive advertising. By showing the population movie and television clips both from a driving, 1st-person perspective or an out of car, 3rd-person perspective, after a power priming question, it portrays the relationship between them. Additionally, the data collected …

Ua19/16/2 Volleyball Press Releases, Wku Athletic Media Relations

WKU Administration Documents

Press releases and game statistics for WKU volleyball team in 2024.

Defining And Establishing A Restaurant Wine Culture, D. Christopher Taylor, Michelle Russen, Mary Dawson, Dennis Reynolds

Marketing Faculty Publications

Purpose

Applying signaling theory to Schein’s organizational culture framework, this study aims to explain how restaurants communicate that their establishments value wine through multiple cultural attributes. Design/methodology/approach

A phenomenological research design was adopted to conduct three focus groups with 14 restaurateurs about wine culture. Conversational analysis with Straussian coding was used. Findings

A comprehensive definition of wine culture was provided, and five factors emerged that signal the presence of a wine culture. A wine presence includes a wine list, marketing efforts, community involvement and restaurant aesthetics. Employee traits are defined by individual attributes, communications skills and overall knowledge (training). Restaurant …

Sorry, Kid, You Have No Rights Here: How Can We Protect Unadjudicated Youth In Private Residential Treatment Facilities From Harmful And Unnecessary Strip Searches?, Amanda Simmons

Children's Legal Rights Journal

No abstract provided.

Policing Morality: The Inconsistent Application Of The Moral Fitness And Fitness Factor, Ariana D. Meyers, Gabrielle C. Wolf

Children's Legal Rights Journal

No abstract provided.

Extended Jurisdiction Juvenile Prosecutions: "One Last Chance" Or A False Promise?, Ari Seckler

Children's Legal Rights Journal

No abstract provided.

The Future Of Activism Is Youth-Full: How Youth Around The World Are Carrying The Torch For Gazans, Sierra Garcia

Children's Legal Rights Journal

Throughout history, many successful nonviolent action campaigns have been led by young people, from the Free Speech movement to the Civil Rights movement to the Black Lives Matter movement. Recent social movements worldwide - from Latin America to Hong Kong and beyond - have drawn on the strength of mass youth mobilization. It is difficult to imagine the landscape of social activism today without the efforts of young people.

Today, social movements are meeting the pressing crises of our time with unique vision, scale, and infrastructure - pointing the way toward transformation, with youth leading that charge. Studies show that …