Digital Commons Network^™

School Deserts And Education Deserts: Systemic Underfunding, Spatial Inequality, And The Case For Reforming School Finance Law, Tyler Riggs

Student Works

No abstract provided.

Multidisciplinary Practices (Mdps) In Elder Law, Bryan Koslow

Student Works

No abstract provided.

Tackling Climate Disinformation: A Comparative Analysis Of Enforcement Power V. Remedial Strength, Sebastien Decker

Student Works

No abstract provided.

Threaded Belonging: Strengthening Cultural Identity Through Armenian Embroidery In The Diaspora, Krysten A. Lee

Art Therapy | Master's Theses

The current study examined the impact of an Armenian textile arts workshop on cultural identity among members of the Armenian diaspora in the Bay Area of California (n = 25). Grounded in relational-cultural theory, it explored how culturally grounded, community-based, traditional art practices may strengthen cultural identity and reduce cultural disconnection resulting from forced displacement following the Armenian Genocide of 1915. A mixed-methods, arts-based design was implemented where participants engaged in an embroidery workshop centered on traditional Armenian textile practices. Data was collected through pre- and post-intervention Inclusion of Other in the Self (IOS) scale (Aron, Aron, & Smollan, 1992) …

Art As Activism: Emotional Expression And Collective Empowerment Among Muslim Participants Creating Protest Posters, Menhal Sheikh

Art Therapy | Master's Theses

Muslim Americans are among the most underserved populations in mental health care in the United States. In the wake of the ongoing genocide in Gaza, many Muslim Americans have experienced intensified psychological distress, including anxiety, grief, and a heightened sense of helplessness, while continuing to show up in the streets in protest. This mixed-methods study examined whether the collective process of protest poster-making leads to emotional expression among Muslim American participants. Eleven Muslim American participants across two groups in the San Francisco Bay Area completed a pre and post Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) to measure changes in affect, …

Spiritual-Soul Care: Art Sacralization, Active Imagination, And Eco Therapy, Andrea N. Miller

Art Therapy | Master's Theses

This thesis reasons that spiritual-soul care is, at times, an ethically necessary dimension of mental health care for many individuals yet remains underdeveloped within the field. In response, this research aims to articulate a foundational, non-dogmatic “baseline” language that is simple and accessible, while remaining nuanced enough to capture the depth and essence of spiritual-soul care. This study proposes a culturally flexible approach for individuals who identify outside of traditional religious frameworks. This multidimensional model includes three domains—the self, spirit-soul, and the transpersonal levels—each contributing to wellbeing through developmental themes.

Using a qualitative design, 9 participants engaged in contemplation, Jungian …

Loneliness And Social Isolation: Finding Connection Through Art, Elijah K. Wong

Art Therapy | Master's Theses

This study explored whether creativity might help alleviate feelings of loneliness and social isolation. The COVID-19 pandemic was an extraordinary event that significantly impacted people's emotional, physical, psychological, and social health globally. To gain insight into these impacts, the research focused on participants’ creative activities and their experiences of loneliness during and after the pandemic. The aim was to find possible links between making and viewing art and reducing feelings of loneliness and loneliness-related experiences. Ten participants were surveyed and asked about their artistry, their time during the COVID-19 pandemic, and their sense of belonging to a community. This investigation …

Goalkeeping, Not Goaltending: Young Athletes’ Welfare And The Necessity Of Minimum Age Limits In Professional Sports, Melissa A. Tan

Student Works

No abstract provided.

The Roles Of Trauma, Secrecy, And Epistemic Mistrust In Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder On Socioemotional Outcomes, Rina Goldstein

Selected Full-Text Dissertations 2020-

Former research has shown that attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has significant negative implications for people’s socioemotional functioning. Additionally, trauma and ADHD have been biologically and bidirectionally connected in the literature. A notable gap exists in the literature regarding how ADHD and trauma interact to affect socioemotional functioning. The following study sought to examine epistemic mistrust as a potential mediating factor between ADHD and socioemotional functioning, when moderated by trauma. Specifically, childhood interpersonal trauma was expected to amplify ADHD’s negative impact on socioemotional functioning, partially explained by epistemic mistrust. Additionally, disclosure of trauma and others’ reactions to disclosure were examined as …

Evaluating Suicidal Ideation Measures: A Comparative Review Of Characteristics And Accessibility, Eliza Hope Laves

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

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Measures of suicidal ideation have been included within both research and clinical settings to help medical and mental health professionals alike address and prevent suicide related deaths, especially since the rise of suicide as one of the leading causes of death in the United States. However, many people across different …

Imsa 2027 Profile, Office Of College And Academic Counseling

IMSA Profile

The nationally-ranked Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA) develops creative, ethical leaders in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. As a teaching and learning laboratory created by the State of Illinois, IMSA enrolls academically talented Illinois students in its tuition-free residential Academy for grades 10-12. Students are challenged with a rigorous curriculum designed to develop them into problem solvers and critical thinkers.

Notable IMSA students include YouTube Co-Founder Steve Chen, PayPal Co-Creator Yu Pan, Yelp Co-Founder Russell Simmons, SparkNotes and OkCupid Co-Founder Sam Yagan, and Hearsay Social Founder Clara Shih.

Shadow Garments: Costume Creation For Integrating Alienated Parts Of The Self, Mega M. Galvin

Art Therapy | Master's Theses

This study explores costume creation as a narrative-based intervention for integrating "shadow" parts, or aspects of the self that are repressed or alienated due to shame, trauma, or social pressure. Grounded in Jungian analytic psychology, narrative therapy, and expressive arts theory, the research addresses the limitations of traditional talk therapy in accessing somatic memory and proposes costume making as a pathway for externalization and re-authorship. Using a qualitative, participatory study inspired by Pat B. Allen’s Open Studio Process, four adult participants engaged in a three-session workshop to design, construct, and wear costumes representing their identified shadow aspects. Data was collected …

Restorative Environments And Therapeutic Artmaking: A Strengths-Based Art Gallery Workshop To Enhance Well-Being In Emerging Adults, Jeannine Case

Art Therapy | Master's Theses

Emerging adults aged 18 to 29 face increased mental health risks yet encounter considerable barriers to traditional care, which highlights the need for accessible, preventive alternatives. This mixed-methods pilot study investigated whether an art gallery environment could serve as a supportive setting for a strengths-based, positive art therapy-informed wellness workshop aimed at promoting well-being for this population. Six participants between the ages of 20 and 27, all enrolled in post-secondary education, took part in this study. Five identified as female and one as male. Three participants (50%) identified as Hispanic/Latino, one as Asian, one as White, and one as Hispanic/Latino …

Logupdater: Automated Detection And Repair Of Specific Defects In Logging Statements, Renyi Zhong, Yichen Li, Jinxi Kuang, Wenwei Gu, Yintong Huo, Michael R. Lyu

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Developers write logging statements to monitor software runtime behaviors and system state. However, poorly constructed or misleading log messages can inadvertently obfuscate actual program execution patterns, thereby impeding effective software maintenance. Existing research on analyzing issues within logging statements is limited, primarily focusing on detecting a singular type of defect and relying on manual intervention for fixes rather than automated solutions.To address the limitation, we initiate a systematic study that pinpoints four specific types of defects in logging statements (i.e., statement code inconsistency, static dynamic inconsistency, temporal relation inconsistency, and readability issues) through the analysis of real-world log-centric changes. We …

Generalizing Unsupervised Lidar Motion Estimation Via Patch-Aware Feature Reweighting Under Snowy Conditions, Beibei Zhou, Zhiyuan Zhang, Zhenbo Song, Jianhui Guo, Tongpo Zhang, Shaojing Song, Qinge Wu, Hui Kong

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Unsupervised LiDAR motion estimation has attracted significant attention in pattern recognition and robotic vision. However, ensuring robust performance under adverse conditions — particularly structured noise like heavy snowfall — remains a challenging problem. Existing models struggle with domain generalization due to the sensitivity of feature extractors to spatial outliers, limiting their reliability in complex real-world scenarios. In this work, we present an unsupervised LiDAR motion estimation framework via patch-aware feature reweighting to mitigate the domain shift between clear and snowy conditions. Our approach prioritizes reliability-aware reweighting to reduce the influence of snowflake noise and outlier points on pose estimation, while …

Southern Adventist University Undergraduate Catalog 2026-2027, Southern Adventist University

Catalog, Undergraduate

Southern Adventist University's undergraduate catalog for the academic year 2026-2027.

Southern Adventist University Graduate Catalog 2026-2027, Southern Adventist University

Catalog, Graduate

Southern Adventist University's graduate catalog for the academic year 2026-2027.

Bee Positive Missoula, Sophia Mahoney, Mckenna Hill, Olivia Cornwell, Lucas Hardoerfer, Brandon Quamme

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Bees are an essential species that support the growth of plant communities and enhance human agricultural success. Urbanization is associated with increased impermeable surfaces, large-scale land-use change, and changes in plant and animal community assemblages. Urban expansion exacerbates habitat fragmentation and loss, which has a particularly negative impact on wild or native specialist bee pollinators and the plant species they pollinate. Global and local research indicate the widespread nature of these negative trends; however, there are abundant opportunities to mitigate the impacts on bee pollinators by restoring wild bee habitat in urban areas. Habitat includes nesting and floral resources, and …

The Relation Between Stress, Self-Esteem, University Belongingness, And Disciplinary History In Undergraduate Students, Emily R. Brown

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

This study examined the relation between student conduct history and psychosocial characteristics, including university belongingness, perceived stress, and self-esteem, among undergraduate students at West Chester University. A total of 392 students ages 18–25 completed self-report measures via Qualtrics, including the University Belongingness Questionnaire (UBQ), the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-14), and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES). Participants were recruited through the SONA system and in collaboration with the Office of Student Conduct to include students with and without a documented conduct record. Results from independent samples t-tests indicated that students with a conduct record reported significantly higher levels of university belongingness …

The Benefits Of Mindfulness And Nondual Awareness In Tibetan Mind-Body Practices, Michael E. Szczechowski

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

There is abundant research on the various benefits of different mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) in both clinical and non-clinical populations, but research investigating variables related to the beneficial effects on wellness often linked to mindfulness has been limited to investigating a select few MBIs such as Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). Additionally, little research exists currently on non-dual awareness (NDA) (Hanley et al., 2018). In many traditions from which mindfulness practices are derived, NDA is conceptualized as an experience in which one achieves a transient state of profound awareness, often through meditation practice. Although NDA is often seen as a powerful and …

Hurricane Impacts Compounded By Sea Level Rise: An Illustrative Case Study Of Economic Impacts And Workforce Resilience Analysis, Juita-Elena Yusuf, Yin-Hsuen Chen, Robert M. Mcnab, George M. Mcleod

School of Public Service Faculty Publications

Expected sea level rise will increase the probability of extreme flooding events, such as those associated with hurricane surge and/or heavy rainfall. Projecting the economic impacts of a significant hurricane is necessary for weighing the costs and benefits of potential mitigation actions. Accounting for the compounding effects of sea level rise is critical, given the challenges elevated sea levels pose to coastal communities in the U.S. and worldwide. This chapter asks: How can we comprehensively estimate the economic impacts of a hurricane event that is compounded by sea level rise? To address this, we offer a methodology for conducting an …

Likelihood-Based Inference For The Poisson–Tweedie Family, Si Chen

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This thesis develops likelihood-based methodology for flexible modeling and inference for heterogeneous count data within and adjacent to the Poisson–Tweedie family. A mean–dispersion regression framework is introduced to jointly relate the mean and dispersion to covariates, enabling separation of covariate-driven heterogeneity from distributional parameters. Likelihood inference is implemented using recursive probability mass function evaluation, and performance is assessed through simulation and applications including RNA-sequence counts. The framework is extended to accommodate excess zeros via zero-inflated Poisson–Tweedie models, with full likelihood-based estimation and improved risk estimation illustrated using insurance claim data. Finally, boundary behaviour is investigated through the discrete stable distribution …

Medical Distrust And Willingness To Engage In Mental Healthcare: The Moderating Roles Of Mental Health Literacy And Stigma Among Rural Populations, Alex Cudd

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Healthcare and mental healthcare disparities among rural communities in the United States remain a persistent and growing public health concern, driven by both structural barriers and sociocultural factors that continue to compromise rural community members’ utilization of healthcare services. Though structural barriers to rural healthcare are well-documented, there are continued gaps in the literature related to the understanding of sociocultural mechanisms contributing to these disparities. The present study investigated the influence of medical distrust, mental health literacy, and perceived public stigma on attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help among rural adults living within the United States. A sample of 240 …

Faculty Handbook, Georgia Southern University

Faculty Handbooks

Faculty Handbook for Georgia Southern University for the 2026-2027 academic year. The Faculty Handbook is published online by the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs and archived in Digital Commons@Georgia Southern.

Push-Pull Farming System Helps Insure Smallholder Maize Production Under Climate Change, Yann Clough, Wilhelm May, Timothy Luttermoser, Dickens Nyagol, Nikolaos Alexandridis, Frank Chidawanyika, Mattias Jonsson, Charles A.O. Midega, Katja Poveda, Zeyaur R. Khan

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Agroecological approaches harnessing in-field biodiversity have been highlighted as a sustainable way to reduce yield gaps, but long-term assessments of their ability to buffer production from weather extremes and increasing interannual and intraseasonal climate variability are scarce. Here, we analyze a 12-year dataset from 642 control vs. push-pull maize field pairs in western Kenya, where long-term climate trends include increasing temperatures and intensifying drought and rainfall. In push-pull, maize is intercropped with a fodder legume that improves soil fertility, suppresses weeds, and deters pests, and is bordered with fodder grasses attracting and suppressing the pests. We assess interactions between push-pull …

The Presence Of Orthorexic Eating Behaviors In Students Studying Health Sciences, Sophia Weiner

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

Orthorexia nervosa is a novel type of disordered eating characterized by a hyper fixation on the consumption of clean, healthy, and morally pure foods as delineated by the individual (Dunn & Bratman, 2016). Previous studies have suggested that individuals studying physical health-related subjects such as nutrition and exercise science endorse more orthorexia nervosa symptoms than those in non-physical health-related areas (Malmborg et al., 2017; Plichta & Jezewska-Zychowicz, 2019). The present study sought to explore the relationship between college major, gender, and levels of body appreciation in the frequency of orthorexia nervosa symptomatology. It also aimed to assess orthorexia nervosa's relationship …

Breaking The Silence: Investigating The Impact Of Stigma On Help-Seeking Behaviors Among Adults With A History Of Adverse Childhood Experiences In Ghana, Deborah Amoako-Atta

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

In Ghana, cultural beliefs often silence open discussion about mental health. Many view emotional struggles as spiritual weakness, leading to stigma and avoidance of care. For adults who experienced Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), this silence can worsen the long-term impact of trauma. While Western research links stigma to reduced help-seeking and shows that trauma knowledge can promote openness, little is known about how these relationships function within Ghana’s cultural context. This cross-sectional study examined how stigma and trauma knowledge influence help-seeking behaviors among 103 Ghanaian adults (ages 19-62, M = 30.0; 49% women) with childhood adversity histories. Participants completed anonymous …

The Impact Of Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention In Rolling-Admission Format On Mental Health Outcomes Of Adults In Residential Treatment For Opioid Use Disorder, Alice Laughlin

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

Opioid use disorder is associated with serious psychological, social, and public health consequences. Co-occurring mental health difficulties further complicate recovery, underscoring the need for interventions that address psychological well-being alongside substance use. This study examined the impact of Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention adapted for rolling admission (MBRP-RA) on trait mindfulness, global mental health, and abstinence self-efficacy among adults in residential treatment for opioid use disorder. Participants were randomly assigned to adjunctive MBRP-RA plus treatment as usual (MBRP+TAU) or treatment as usual (TAU) only. Two-way mixed analyses of variance indicated significant treatment condition × time point interactions for trait mindfulness and global …

Emotion Regulation In Relation To Cumulative Stress And Cortisol For Children Attending Head Start Preschool, Emily Schnarr

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

The present study examined the relations among cumulative poverty-related stressors, emotion regulation (ER), and cortisol functioning among children attending Head Start preschool through a bioecological framework and tested whether children’s ER moderated the association between cumulative poverty-related stressors and cortisol functioning among low-income preschool children attending Head Start. Approximately 288 children attending one of two Head Start preschools participated in the study. Cumulative poverty-related stressors included primary caregiver high school dropout, unemployment, relationship status, disrupted primary caregiving, residential instability, and family size. Child ER was measured via teacher reports, and salivary cortisol was sampled five times across the day. Hierarchical …

The Moderating Role Of Perceived Resource Abundance In The Links Between Self-Compassion, Self-Coldness, Coping Strategies, And Mental Health, Evan E. Ozmat

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Undergraduate students increasingly present to college counseling centers with pre-existing mental health concerns, including depression and suicidal ideation, emphasizing the urgent need for effective interventions and a deeper understanding of contributing factors. Self-compassion—responding kindly to oneself amid suffering—and its theorized counterpart, self-coldness—characterized by self-judgment and isolation—have emerged as key constructs influencing mental health. The two-factor model of self-compassion, grounded in Gilbert’s (2005a) Theory of Social Mentalities (TSM), posits that self-compassion and self-coldness are distinct unipolar continua shaped by evolved safeness and threat-defense systems that regulate social behaviors and mental health outcomes. The present study examines the mediating role of prosocial …