Dopamine, Addiction, And Cocaine, Addison Delisle

2026 Student Academic Showcase

Cocaine is a powerful stimulant that strongly affects brain function by altering the dopamine system. This project examines both the short- and long-term neurological effects of cocaine, focusing on molecular, cellular, and brain-wide changes. Short-term use increases dopamine in the synapse, causing intense euphoria, heightened alertness, and impaired decision-making. Repeated use leads to long-term changes, including fewer dopamine receptors, structural changes in the prefrontal cortex and striatum, and reduced synaptic plasticity, which contribute to addiction, cognitive problems, and emotional instability. Drawing on neuroimaging, behavioral studies, and molecular research, this project highlights how cocaine progressively reshapes brain circuits. Understanding these effects …

Understanding Attachment To God And Close Relationships After Perinatal Loss, Alicia Mcconachie

2026 Student Academic Showcase

Experiencing perinatal loss is a singular type of grief that can profoundly affect someone’s thoughts, feelings, connections with others, and sense of faith (Brier, 2008). However, research on attachment processes related to adjustment after perinatal loss is sparse. The parent study from which the data for the current project were taken aimed to assess the psychological, interpersonal, and religious correlates associated with perinatal loss in adults who suffered miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant loss in the past three years. The current secondary study focuses on attachment-related measures and their relationships with posttraumatic growth and stress symptoms. Participants were recruited using Prolific, …

An Exploratory Analysis Of A Regional Nonprofit & Family Services Organization, Alison Schrumpf, Eleri Tye, Hailey Veninga

2026 Student Academic Showcase

Nonprofit organizations are essential in supporting youth's mental health in their communities, and the data they collect allows us to evaluate program effectiveness and how services can be improved to better support their communities. This project aims to evaluate program and provider outcomes, client demographics, and assessment scores for a regional nonprofit and family services organization to better understand client success, program effectiveness, and the impact of COVID-19. The dataset includes client demographic information, programs, zip codes, first and last session assessment dates and scores, discharge types, and provider IDs. To investigate score changes, we are analyzing the correlation between …

Sensory-Friendly Environments In Schools, Jocelyn A. Ashworth, Rebecca King

Spring 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

Sensory-Friendly Environments in Schools focuses on strengthening sensory-motor lab use and building educator understanding to support students with sensory processing difficulties. Implemented at Sparta Elementary School within Belton ISD, with the goal to enhance students' regulation, attention, and participation in daily school activities by equipping educators with practical, sustainable sensory strategies.

When Teachers Can’T Say Gay: Understanding Teacher Allyship In Lgbtq+-Restrictive School Environments, Judith Shaffer

Doctorate in Education

Research consistently shows that school-based support, safety, and inclusion are essential to the wellbeing of LGBTQ+ children and youth. Over the past decade, however, U.S. public schools have seen a sharp increase in anti-LGBTQ+ laws and policies that restrict or prohibit LGBTQ+ equity and inclusion. While the harm these policies inflict on LGBTQ+ students is well documented, far less attention has been given to their impact on teacher allies working in environments where allyship is viewed as inappropriate or unlawful. This phenomenologically informed qualitative study examined how public school teachers who identify as LGBTQ+ allies navigate their professional roles under …

Aggression And Fish Welfare: Challenges And Opportunities, Christine M. Soper, Peter D. Dijkstra

Animal Sentience

Oldfield & Bonano’s (2024) [O&B] target article discusses the wellbeing and sociality of bony fishes. Many fish species, such as cichlids, are not only social but territorial. Aggression is normal, but territorial aggression in a captive environment can have a negative impact on welfare. Aggression-related injuries and deaths are prevalent in pet stores as well as research settings. We discuss the need to develop effective methods to minimize the negative consequences of aggression.

Liminality And Space In The Iliad And The Heike Monogatari, Jade Simmons

Theses and Dissertations

Both the Iliad and the Heike monogatari have received scholarly attention throughout the years, though rarely in comparison with one another. A few scholars, such as Tyler Creer and Naoko Yamagata, have attempted to examine the two side by side, but very little work has been done beyond their respective analyses. This is unsurprising as a cursory glance at the two texts suggests that they are too separated by time and space to warrant closer examination. I argue, however, that there is great value in analyzing the two side by side. Indeed, a closer look at these texts reveals that …

Gratitude And The Second Language Writer: The Effects Of Gratitude Journaling In The English Language Writing Classroom, Lauren Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Gratitude journaling interventions have repeatedly been shown to enhance wellbeing when conducted in participants’ first language (Emmons & McCullough, 2003; Sansone & Sansone, 2010), yet no studies to date have examined these practices in second language (L2) contexts. This mixed-methods quasi-experimental study investigated the effects of a six-week gratitude journaling intervention on adult L2 English writers enrolled in an intensive English program. Eleven writing classes (N = 183) were randomly assigned to either a gratitude journaling group or a neutral-events control group, with 123 participants completing all four stages of data collection. Trait gratitude and subjective wellbeing were measured pre-intervention, …

Beyond Measurable Success: An Autoethnographic And Phenomenological Study Of Resilience And Educational Transformation After Incarceration, Robert L. Hudson

Graduate Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine how formerly incarcerated students make meaning of their higher education experiences as a means of navigating systemic barriers, fostering resilience, and reconstructing identity during post-incarceration reintegration. Existing scholarship on formerly incarcerated students in higher education emphasizes barriers, recidivism, and completion outcomes while paying limited attention to the subjective meaning making processes through which students interpret their educational experiences (Abeyta, 2022; Bozick et al., 2018; Donaldson & Viera, 2021). Formerly incarcerated learners have largely been positioned as subjects of inquiry rather than as knowledge producers about their own educational lives. This qualitative study …

Project Evaluation Of A Workplace Violence Prevention Program At A Rural Hospital, Stacy Ochoa-Sofoifa, Yolanda L. Rodriquez, Melissa Bowe, Teresa Mendoza

Publications 2026-present

No abstract provided.

An Examination Of The Value Of Study Abroad When Learning A Foreign Language: A Study Of Differing Student Outcomes. To What Extent Does Studying Abroad Enhance A Language Learning Experience?, Julie Syler

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to articulate the importance of learning a foreign language and examine the value of studying abroad when learning a foreign language, by conducting qualitative research on different study abroad experiences. There is an ongoing discussion of the importance of foreign language learning and whether or not it is a beneficial endeavor. This literature review explores the benefits of foreign language learning to demonstrate their impact and how they occur when studying abroad. Furthermore, this investigation examines how and why study abroad experiences promote language acquisition. The improvements in communication and understanding in a foreign …

Exploring The Impact Of A Brief Mindfulness-Based Intervention On Autonomic Functioning: A Multisystem Approach, Li Shen Chong, Rachel C. Bucher, Edward Merritt, Elana B. Gordis

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Previous work on brief mindfulness-based interventions (bMBI) reveals that they consistently alleviate stress, but their impact on biological stress response systems, such as the autonomic nervous system (ANS), varies. Nevertheless, most of this work has focused on only a single physiological response system or a specific biomarker, limiting insight into how multiple systems work together. The present study tested whether bMBI alters ANS markers and coordination across ANS subsystems. Participants were young adults (bMBI: n = 44, M age = 18.64 years; control: n = 47, M age = 19.00 years) who completed two sessions of either a brief mindfulness …

How Ai-Enabled Hiring Affects Organizational Health? Challenges And Future Direction, Shiza Hirani

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

In today’s competitive landscape of hiring, organizations are responsible to not only maintain ethical integrity, ensure fairness, and protect job applicants' privacy, but also uphold a more data-driven and streamlined approach to save time per hire. The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into the workplace presents opportunities such as enhanced productivity, efficiency, and creation of new roles. However, the widespread implementation of AI also raises ethical and privacy challenges that can deteriorate organizational health. AI-driven systems can inadvertently introduce biases and black box properties in hiring decisions which can erode trust and transparency, compromise employee privacy, and increase psychological stress …

Psychological Safety In The Classroom: Effects On Nursing Student Well-Being And Academic Success, Erica Frost, Kelli D. Whittington, Glory Omole, Chloe Birchett

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

In nursing education, fostering psychologically safe learning environments may support student well-being and academic achievement. Edmondson's Psychological Safety Framework (1999) provides the theoretical foundation for this study, framing classroom psychological safety as an environmental factor that influences student well-being and academic outcomes through its impact on learner engagement and interpersonal risk-taking. There is limited research exploring the relationship between classroom psychological safety and nursing student well-being, particularly in undergraduate face-to-face classroom settings.
The purpose of this study is to examine nursing students' experiences, perceptions, and academic outcomes to better understand how instructor behavior and the classroom teaching environment influence student …

Advancing Appropriate Staffing: One Element Of A Healthy Work Environment, Kiersten Henry

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

The session provides an update on the outcomes of recommendations made by The National Nurse Staffing Task Force. These include AACN’s Standards for Appropriate Staffing and the incorporation of appropriate staffing as a National Performance Goal by The Joint Commission. The inextricable link of appropriate staffing to the Healthy Work Environment standards will be discussed. Resources and exemplars for appropriate staffing are included, and audience questions and participation encouraged.

Rethinking Global Health Partnerships: A Global South Perspective, Patricia J. Garcia

Grand Rounds

At the conclusion of this activity, learners will be able to:

1. Maintain and advance knowledge and skills related to pediatric conditions seen in our region.
2. Increase collaboration across professions of the healthcare team.

Factors That Affect African American Representation In Cybersecurity Academic Programs In The United States, Damon Walker

Dissertations

The U.S. cybersecurity workforce continues to experience a critical talent shortage alongside persistent inequities in racial representation, particularly at the faculty level within higher education. This mixed-methods dissertation examines African American representation among faculty in cybersecurity academic programs designated by the National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-C) and investigates the factors that influence recruitment, retention, and advancement. Grounded in a transformative research framework, the study integrates quantitative analysis of national institutional data with qualitative interviews to illuminate structural patterns and lived experiences shaping representation.

Quantitative findings revealed pronounced underrepresentation: African American faculty comprise 2.57% (130 of 5,051) of …

Kenyon Collegian - April 23, 2026

The Kenyon Collegian

No abstract provided.

Weight Concerns And Body Image Dissatisfaction Elicit Maternal Psychological Control Through Escalating Appearance Anxiety Behaviors, Madeleine Guillont

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

The current study examines bidirectional associations between adolescent body-related concerns and maternal psychological control, and the behavioral mechanism through which these associations operate. Participants were 723 sixth- through ninth-grade students (350 girls, 373 boys; ages 11–15) attending all public middle and secondary schools in a mid-sized Lithuanian community. Self-report surveys were collected at three time points across the course of a school year. Results from full longitudinal mediation models indicated that higher body image dissatisfaction and weight concerns at the beginning of the school year predicted increases in maternal psychological control at the end of the school year, through increases …

April 23, 2026, The Daily Mississippian

Daily Mississippian (all digitized issues)

No abstract provided.

April 23, 2026, James Madison University

The Breeze, 2020-

The Breeze is the student newspaper of James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Exam Analysis: A Quantitative Approach To Software Pedagogy, Christopher Shepard

Theses

Software engineering exams serve as a tool for evaluating a broad range of skills in the classroom, including theoretical understanding, practical application, and process reasoning. Despite their importance, post-assessment analysis is often overlooked, and the absence of structured reflection by instructors can limit their effectiveness and mask patterns in student performance. By treating exams as data, educators can uncover trends that drive more effective teaching strategies, refine evaluation methods, and work to strengthen student support systems. We conducted a systematic analysis of existing exam data and administered a student survey to determine if student perceptions align with actual outcomes, asking …

Psychometric Analysis Of The German Version Of The Barriers To Healthcare Checklist-Short Form, Judith Peth, Nicole David, Sophia Duckert, Petia Gewohn, Daniel Schottle, Pascal Rahlff, Alexander Konnopka, Hannah Konig, Kai Vogeley, Christina Nicolaidis, Dora M. Raymaker, Holger Schulz

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Autistic people face multiple barriers to health care. To recognize specific barriers in a standardized way, autistic people, health care providers, and researchers need a suitable measure. The Academic Autistic Spectrum Partnership in Research and Education successfully developed the Barriers to Healthcare Checklist— Short Form (BHC-SF). It remains unclear whether (1) a German version of the BHC-SF performs well in terms of psychometric properties and (2) the BHC-SF consists of multiple constructs (i.e., assessing structural validity). Methods: We created a translated and culturally adapted version of the 17-item BHC-SF and used it with 345 autistic people in Germany. Psychometric …

The Effects Of Oleuropein In Olive Leaf Extract Alone Or Combined With Calcitriol On The Viability And Migration Of Human Endometrial Cells In Vitro, Katelyn Devereaux

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting approximately 10% of reproductive-aged women worldwide and is commonly associated with pelvic pain, infertility, and reduced quality of life. Current management strategies, including hormonal therapies and surgical intervention, often provide only temporary relief and are associated with recurrence and adverse effects. These limitations highlight the need for alternative, non-hormonal therapeutic approaches that target underlying inflammatory and cellular mechanisms of disease progression.

This study evaluated the effects of oleuropein, contained within an olive leaf extract, and calcitriol, the active form of vitamin D, on cellular viability and migration in immortalized human endometriotic epithelial (12Z) …

Exploring The Dual Advising System For Students’ Success: A Developmental Advising Model, Louisa Godwyll, Eugene Kwarteng-Nantwi, Pious Jojo Adu-Akoh

Mid-Western Educational Researcher

This qualitative study explored the dual advising system for student success at a U.S. higher education institution. Research has indicated that approximately 40–60% of students enrolled in doctoral programs do not complete their doctoral degrees. High attrition rates have led some institutions to adopt a dual advising system, a form of developmental advising, to support doctoral students’ success. Creamer and Creamer’s (1994) developmental advising model served as the conceptual framework of the study. The model defines the first stage of advising as defining task, where advisors engage in teaching and utilize strategies to help students attain educational, career, and individual …

Ex-04-142 Modeling Distress And Evaluating Chatbot Safety For Suicide-Related Social Media Texts, Rehma Razzak

C-Day Computing Showcase

This project addresses the urgent need for transparent chatbot safety evaluations amid rising concerns about AI-facilitated self-harm. Using public social media datasets, we simulate two tasks: (1) detecting suicidal ideation via emotion-based risk scoring, and (2) stress-testing a support-style chatbot against 888 high-risk prompts, including euphemisms and “for a story” framing. A multi-label classifier trained on GoEmotions feeds emotion profiles into a logistic regression model to generate suicidality risk scores. These scores guide a local chatbot built with Ollama’s llama3, which analyzes user messages and steers responses toward safe, empathetic behavior. Evaluation shows ~90% of replies were safe or supportive. …

Historical Development Of Vaccines And The Public's Response, Kristen Montgomery, Samantha Prince Bsn, Rn, Melissa Ealey Bsn, Rn, Jarrad Morelock Bsn, Rn, Shelby Johnson Bsn, Rn, Kokeshia Crosby Bsn, Rn, Stephanies Himes Bsn, Rn, Theresia Hinton Bsn, Rn

Epsilon Sigma at-Large Research Conference

Purpose: Vaccines, which have become one of the most important medical accomplishments in the prevention of communicable diseases, have a history that dates to the use of variolation as early as the 11th century. The purpose of this study is to explore the historical development of vaccines and to determine the characteristics that emerged when new vaccines were developed.

Aims: The specific aim of this study is to understand if all vaccines have been received about the same by the general public or if there are certain different or diverse characteristics associated with the introduction of different vaccines.

Methods: A …

The Impact Of Social Interaction On Patient Well-Being With Transition Into Long-Term Care Settings: A Review Of Interventions For Improved Patient Outcomes, Helen Whitney Harmon

Epsilon Sigma at-Large Research Conference

Abstract

Purpose: When individual patients are transitioned from home or acute care settings to more long-term care environments such as skilled nursing units or assisted living facilities, the residents are at an increased risk of experiencing loneliness, which is linked to depression, anxiety, and increasing cognitive decline, and other detrimental outcomes.

Aims: Combinations of peer-reviewed qualitative and quantitative research studies were analyzed to determine what factors contributed to changes in patient well-being, mental health and overall quality of life during these transitions.

Methods: One article focusing on preventable healthcare transitions in patient population was able to link higher medical acuity …

Does Mandated Paid Maternity Leave Affect Postpartum Depression?, Amaya S. Hall, Shay Y. Bullwinkel, Loran M. Hurley, Sara Cook

Epsilon Sigma at-Large Research Conference

This project analyzes the effects that paid maternity leave has on postpartum depression. Upon reviewing multiple studies, it has been demonstrated that unpaid maternity leave is associated with postpartum depression. Throughout researching postpartum depression rates, it has been proven to be much higher in unpaid leave compared to paid maternity leave. Mothers that have the burden of staying home with their infants and having to juggle time off work, without being compensated, are at an increased risk of experiencing postpartum depression. It has been shown that when a mother is able to focus on her child and her healing after …

Epistemological Skepticism, Certainty, And How Knowledge Is Still Possible, Dominic Attiliis

Liberty University Research Week

This paper evaluates epistemological skepticism and its implications for the concept of knowledge. Philosophers such as David Hume have advanced skeptical challenges that call into question the possibility of knowledge, while others have sought to resist his conclusions. At its core, this debate concerns the nature of certainty in epistemology. I argue that, when properly understood, epistemological skepticism does not undermine knowledge; rather, it introduces a necessary intellectual humility. First, I clarify a working definition of knowledge as employed in contemporary philosophical discourse. I then examine classical arguments for skepticism to demonstrate the seriousness of their challenge. Following this, I …