Digital Commons Network^™

A Statewide Study Of Burnout Among School Board Members, Nicole V. Schilling, Kyle Wagner, Taylor N. Pawliski, John Gillham

Mid-Western Educational Researcher

Statement of the Problem: School board members maintain influential power in public school systems, yet they face political turmoil, community backlash, and role ambiguity (Plough, 2014). While this stress has increased in recent years, little to no research has been conducted on them (Diem et al., 2015).

Purpose of the Study: The purpose of this study was to explore P-12 school board member burnout.

Methodology: The researchers requested P-12 school board members complete the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI) which addresses three constructs: 1.) personal burnout, 2.) work-related burnout, and 3.) client-related burnout.

Findings: The school board member participants …

The Contested Terrain Of Sport For Development And ‘Peace’ Amidst Persistent Global Aid Cuts And Geopolitical Tensions, Derrick Charway, Umair Asif, Zohreh Khani, Mazen Alkhatib

Journal of Global South Sport Studies

Sport for Development and Peace (SDP) has emerged as a global concept for advancing humanitarian, peacebuilding and social benefits, particularly in disadvantaged communities and conflict-affected regions of the world. Yet, its promise is often entangled with the broader contradictions of international aid, which in the Global South often shifts from solidarity to systems shaped by power asymmetries, geopolitics and self-interests. Drawing on critical aid theory and decolonial thought, foregrounded in the Palestine context, we argue that SDP offers potential benefits but remains constrained by the very systemic issues it purports to redress. Further, we critique the International Olympic Committee’s stance …

Evaluating The Feasibility And Preliminary Effectiveness Of A Tailored Diabetes Education Program For Rural Residents, Brittany L. Smalls, Oluwatosin Leshi, Suraksha Khanal, Grejika E. Abram-Erby

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: Diabetes is a top ten Rural Healthy People 2030 priority for health improvement among rural Americans. Socioeconomic, environmental, geographic and political barriers contribute to the type 2 diabetes (T2D) prevalence and its disparate impact in rural communities. However, promoting proper self-care behaviors via self-management education can help people with diabetes better manage their condition.

Purpose: To account for the social environmental factors that affect rural residents, a tailored diabetes education program was developed, and the program’s effectiveness in improving diabetes knowledge and T2D-related health outcomes was assessed.

Methods: Using data collected from Appalachian Kentucky residents enrolled in a six-week, …

Rural Community Perspectives On Hurricane Helene In Western North Carolina, Jennifer A. Horney, Lilly Moreau, Search Wnc

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: After making landfall on the Florida Gulf Coast in September 2024, Hurricane Helene impacted Western North Carolina (WNC) with historic flooding, landslides, and hurricane-force winds. More than 100 deaths in the region were attributed to the storm’s direct impacts.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess community perspectives of long-term recovery in Mitchell and Yancey Counties, two rural WNC counties severely impacted by Hurricane Helene.

Methods: A 14-question interview guide was developed based on prior disaster research and the community engagement work of Sustaining Essential and Rural Community Healthcare (SEARCH). Questions covered post-Helene experiences related to access …

Exploring Systemic Challenges In The Western North Carolina Dental Safety Net: A Qualitative Analysis, Blaire Mirmow, Bill Milner, Nadia Laniado

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: Despite statewide growth, rural communities in Western North Carolina (WNC) face persistent barriers to oral health care driven by chronic dental workforce shortages and systemic geographic disparities. Within this Appalachian region, the dental safety net serves as a vital yet strained support system, struggling with limited financial resources and a lack of provider participation that leaves many underserved populations without essential oral health services.

Purpose: This study aims to explore the experiences of individuals working within the WNC dental safety net to identify barriers and strategies required to strengthen the delivery of oral health care in high-need rural settings. …

The Effects Of Hurricane Helene On Mental Health And Physical Activity, Hunter Smathers, Robyn York, Jarrett Walbolt

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: Hurricane Helene brought widespread damage to Southern Appalachia, disrupting utilities, health care, and recreation. While natural disasters are linked to declines in mental and physical health, few studies have examined their effects on distinct types of physical activity (PA).

Purpose: This study evaluated the effects of Hurricane Helene on perceived stress, depressive symptoms, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomology, and intentional (exercise for health benefits) and incidental (physical labor or transportation) PA. Evacuation status influence was also explored.

Methods: Twenty participants completed assessments four weeks before (BASE), immediately after (0POST), and four weeks after landfall (4POST). Measures included the Perceived …

Starting With Story, Not Symptom: Narrative Collapse And Cultural Repair In Appalachia, Wayne Coombs Ph.D.

Journal of Appalachian Health

Appalachia’s opioid crisis reflects uneven burdens, especially in distressed coalfield counties, and it cannot be solved by symptom tracking alone. This commentary argues for a narrative shift, starting with story and cultural repair alongside clinical care. Narrative collapse is defined here as the loss of shared, dependable public meaning across groups, not the absence of storytelling in families, churches, and recovery circles. Trauma science suggests that chronic threat reshapes nervous systems across generations, making safety a prerequisite for renewed trust. Drawing on narrative identity research, the piece proposes peer story work as infrastructure that can reduce shame, support treatment engagement, …

Pengembangan Paket Pembelajaran Dasar-Dasar Peternakan, Sri Suryaningsih

Jurnal Pendidikan Humaniora

Tujuan penelitian pengembangan ini adalah untuk menghasilkan paket pembelajaran dasardasar peternakan yang sesuai dengan karakteristik siswa dan mata pelajaran tersebut dan menguji tingkat kelayakan paket pembelajaran yang dihasilkan. Pengembangan paket pembelajaran menggunakan model Dick, Carey & Carey (2001). Hasil penilaian produk paket pembelajaran dasar-dasar peternakan ini termasuk dalam kualifikasi sangat layak dan valid, sehingga dapat dipakai sebagai bahan ajar di lingkungan SPP-SPMA Provinsi Kalimantan Barat. Produk pengembangan yang dihasilkan mempunyai ciri khas yang membedakan dengan produk lain, diantaranya menggunakan model pengembangan paket pembelajaran Dick, Carey & Carey, perwajahan dirancang secara menarik, materi dilengkapi foto, disusun secara terorganisasi, disajikan lebih dinamis …

Tindak Immediacy Guru Dalam Pembelajaran Di Sekolah Dasar, Ahsan R. Junaidi

Jurnal Pendidikan Humaniora

Fokus penelitian ini adalah: (1) bagaimana manifestasi tindak immediacy guru di sekolah dasar dalam konteks meningkatkan keterlibatan emosional siswa dalam berbagai situasi pembelajaran; (2) bagaimana motif tindak immediacy guru dalam pembelajaran di sekolah dasar. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif dengan mengikuti tradisi penelitian phenomenology. Pengumpulan data melalui observasi dan wawancara mendalam. Sumber data penelitian adalah lima orang guru dan dua belas siswa. Analisis data kualitatif merujuk pada empat tahap analisis data pada interpretative phenomenological analysis. Penelitian ini menemukan bahwa tindak immediacy guru di SD dimanifestasikan dalam lima tindakan, yaitu (1) memberi penghargaan, (2) memberi sentuhan, (3) membantu siswa, (4) sikap …

Keefektifan Teknik Relaksasi Untuk Menurunkan Stres Akademik Siswa Sma

Jurnal Pendidikan Humaniora

This study aims at examining the effectiveness of relaxation techniques to release students’ stress and tension regarding academic within Senior High School Assádah in Gresik City. This study employed quasi-experiment design using one group pretest-posttest model. The data of this study were obtained through academic stress inventory to attain a depiction of stress level encountered by the subject. The subjects of this study were seven students of Tenth Graders in SMA Assaadah Bungah Gresik who experienced low to average stress regarding exam preparation. The data were, then, analyzed by using Wilcoxon Statistic Analysis. The result of the study indicated that …

Factors Contributing To Learners’ Autonomy In Efl Reading, Sri Endah Tabiati

Jurnal Pendidikan Humaniora

This study aims to discover factors that assist learners develop their autonomy in EFL reading. The approach employed is qualitative involving EFL learners in an English Department of the Faculty of Cultural Studies, Brawijaya University Malang. There are two stages in the study: the subject selection stage intended to gain potential subjects and the main study intended to find the answer of the research questions. The findings of the study show that the autonomy of EFL learners in reading is influenced by 14 internal and 14 external factors. These factors appear to happen naturally. It seemed that autonomy in reading …

Showpony, George T. Ellington

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

The poetry collection Showpony focuses on the real-life experiences of a twenty and thirty-year-old woman —pseudonymously known as Mrs. G — during the 1970s, who is treated by psychiatrist Dr. Robert J. Stoller at UCLA in a desperate attempt to make her normal. Mrs. G struggles with homicidal and suicidal thoughts, psychosis, as well as her homosexuality and transgender identity. Showpony examines the ways in which psychology has pathologized these experiences and the ramifications for patients, particularly those who have been publicly showcased as examples of their conditions used to train future students. The collection critiques the exploitation of patients …

The Gamification Of Investing: Young Investors And The Dopamine Desktop, Calvin Caplis

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

ABSTRACT

While traditional methods of investing remain, such as utilizing established financial advisory services and trading applications, neo-brokerages have gamified their trading platforms. These platforms have become increasingly popular among younger generations. The “gamification of investing” is a phenomenon that involves the integration of game-like features (e.g., haptic feedback, neon colors, confetti) into brokerage applications. This “gamification” has lowered the barriers to entry for investing in capital markets for younger generations but has simultaneously coaxed them into being more risk-tolerant and potentially unaware of the consequences of high-risk investing strategies. This is partly because neo-brokers make it easy to gain …

Dissecting Word And Song: Observing The Interplay Between Linguistic Analysis And Ethnomusicology, Dashiell Elliot Schindler

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Ethnomusicology is a subfield within cultural ethnography that aims to provide detailed, descriptive analysis on contemporary music culture, applying cross cultural comparison to trace musical lineages and identify sounds significant to a select society. The field serves as an interdisciplinary measure to accurately index musical styles that serve as a cultural marker to the heritage to which they are ascribed. Linguistic analysis aspires to many of the same goals. It is one of the four major disciplines within anthropology, and has its sights focused critically on the examination of language in its spoken form. Linguists apply research methods such as …

Mindful Machines: Do Children Trust Ai More When They Think It Has A Mind?, Juhi Singh

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Children are increasingly interacting with Artificial Intelligence (AI) to seek information. Yet little is known about how children discern whether to trust AI responses. This study investigates two related questions. First, children prefer to learn from confident over hesitant people, but do they similarly prefer to learn from confident AI? Second, individual differences in children’s attributions of human-like mental states to non-human entities (anthropomorphism) predicts their social conceptions of AI-embedded technologies. Accordingly, are individual differences in anthropomorphism related to their learning from AI?

Child participants (N=64; ages 5-8) viewed videos of AI and human informants answering questions. Across …

Variations Of Individual Behaviors Of Betta Splendens When Exposed To Fluoxetine, Sophie Currier

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Fluoxetine, a common antidepressant, often ends up in rivers and lakes, exposing aquatic life to the drug. This study examined the effects of fluoxetine on Betta splendens (Siamese fighting fish) at levels found in the environment. Fluoxetine is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) that blocks the presynaptic reuptake transporter and increases endogenous signaling postsynaptically (Coreia, et al 2022). When Betta splendens absorb fluoxetine, it interacts with more than 90% homologous receptors in fish. This matters because it acts as a pollutant in aquatic environments, threatening fitness, reproduction, changes to their nervous system, and ultimately their behavior. When exposed to …

Reclamation Of Native Identity: An Examination Of Language Revitalization Efforts, Brittney J. Wagner

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

The Native American peoples of the United States have faced a history shaped by systemic oppression with the government since European settlers landed in the North American continent. This project focuses on Native American community efforts in revitalizing their languages, cultures, and ways of being. One of the traumatic long-lasting events that have affected Native American communities and individuals is federally and/or church run boarding schools. In the United States, there were approximately 300 schools that were open from 1860-1978. My hope with this project is to explore the history of assimilation and oppression the federal government attempted with these …

Postpartum Depression, Anxiety, And Psychological Flexibility In Nicu Mothers: Implications For Acceptance And Commitment Therapy, Riya Desai, Alexa Bonacquisti

Research Day

Pregnancy and the postpartum period may be physiologically and psychologically demanding for women as they navigate a multitude of factors. This experience may be further complicated by stressful reproductive events, such as newborn admission into the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Having a baby admitted to the NICU is often particularly challenging for mothers from a psychological perspective, serving as an added layer that may contribute to postpartum depression and anxiety. Psychological flexibility is the concept of openness, adaptability, and readiness in the face of adversity. For NICU mothers, psychological flexibility serves as a possible therapeutic target to address postpartum …

Factors Associated With Concussion Knowledge And Misconceptions In Students Depending On Athlete Status, Joseph Fontanals, Ruta Clair

Research Day

Introduction: Concussions represent a significant public health concern, with widespread implications across various populations from athletes and military personnel to the general public. Despite increased attention in both research and public discourse, substantial gaps in knowledge and persistent misconceptions continue to influence concussion recognition, reporting, and management behaviors. Research consistently demonstrates variable levels of concussion knowledge across different populations. Misconceptions about concussions persist even among populations with higher general awareness. Despite education and public awareness campaigns many adults have surface knowledge of symptoms and misunderstand injury and recovery. These identified knowledge gaps and misconceptions have significant implications for public health, …

Evaluating Motivation In Stem Education: A Positive Self-Talk Intervention, Tiffany Copeland, Richard Allen, Sophia Pham, Kristin Gagnier

Research Day

INTRODUCTION: This study evaluated a social-emotional learning intervention that taught positive self-talk to high school students from underrepresented minority groups in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The setting of this study was a place-based program that immersed students in hands-on STEM activities while located in Philadelphia’s life science hub. Before taking a science assessment, students set effort-based goals and learned to say self-talk statements such as “I will give my best effort” and “Even when it's hard, I will give 100%.”

METHODS: This mixed-methods program evaluation compared pre- and post-intervention data using a paired-samples t-test, linear regression, and correlation …

Music To Move You: Comparing Effects Of Music Genre On Subjective Performance Of Football Players In A Practice Setting, Devin Deturk, David Rubenstein, Robert A. Ditomasso, Bruce Zahn

Research Day

Introduction

Optimizing athletic performance has increasingly expanded beyond traditional physical conditioning to include psychological, health-related, and environmental interventions aimed at improving both mental and physical readiness. However, many advanced performance enhancement strategies, such as specialized recovery technologies, individualized sport psychology services, and sophisticated monitoring systems, are not accessible to all athletic programs due to cost, infrastructure, or staffing limitations. As a result, there is a growing need for practical, low-cost, and ethically sound methods that can be implemented easily within everyday training environments. Music represents a potentially valuable yet underutilized tool in applied sport settings. Prior research suggests that music …

The Relationship Between Social Media Use And Motivation For Psychological Services, Nicki Nazarski, Richard Allen, Sophia Pham

Research Day

Prior research has linked social media use to psychological distress and shifts in help-seeking attitudes. However, the literature is limited on how social media engagement relates to motivation to seek formal psychological assessment. The current study will examine the relationships between social media use, in regard to time spent on social media, with attitudes, intentions, and motivation to seek psychological assessment among individuals aged 18 to 29. It is hypothesized that greater social media use and increased exposure to mental health-related content will be associated with more positive attitudes towards psychological support, increased intention to seek help, and higher motivation …

The Trauma-Informed Gynecological Visit, Samantha Stolker, Alexa Neiderer, Vittoria Tarquini, Alex Finkel, Alexa Bonacquisti

Research Day

Trauma-informed care (TIC) has emerged in recent years as a patient-centered culture of care delivery that emphasizes physical and psychological safety for all in the healthcare setting. Utilizing a TIC framework could be especially impactful in reproductive healthcare settings due to the invasiveness of certain examinations and the way trauma presents itself in these settings. Best practices in these settings include intentional and continuous confirmation of consent, appropriate and sensitive screening as a part of the gynecological visit, and prioritizing the patient’s autonomy through shared decision making. Principles can be integrated into all parts of internal and external pelvic examinations, …

A Persistent Penance: Repetition, Memory, And Moral Stasis In Ethan Frome, Nicholas Howard

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

My project examines Edith Wharton’s novella Ethan Frome through the lens of purgatory. I argue that the story is less a tragedy of failed love than a story about being trapped inside one’s own mistakes, unable to move forward. Rather than reading Ethan’s sled crash as a failed suicide followed by a bleak but ordinary life, I explore the interpretation that the “present-day” Starkfield is a form of purgatory—an endless winter in which Ethan continues the emotional patterns that destroyed him.

My guiding question is: What changes if we read Ethan Frome as already dead, living inside a self-made purgatory? …

Serving To Learn, Learning To Serve: Integrating Volunteerism Into Interprofessional Healthcare Education, Stephanie H. Felgoise, Ashley Poole, Natalie Zychlinski, Elizabeth R. Felgoise, Marissa L. Ferrito, Anastasia Skliros, Leanne Purcell, Florastine Byrams, Larry Finkelstein

Research Day

Research on volunteerism has been shown to increase happiness in medical students; improve self-esteem, self-efficacy, and social connectedness; lead to better well-being; improve physical well-being, decrease stress, and improve overall quality of life in general adult populations. Volunteerism also creates fellowship and fosters community connections. Thus, volunteerism helps to address the wellness of the healthcare team (quadruple aim of healthcare), and bring future healthcare professionals closer to the populations they aim to serve. An IPE module focused on volunteerism, including PCOM’s Community Wellness Initiative Office, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and a Wish recipient. Interprofessionally facilitated small-group activities with learners from 3 …

A Multiple Baseline Evaluation Of Training Medical Residents In Indirect Functional Behavior Assessment Procedures: A Proposed Study, Samantha Murphy, Amanda Fisher

Research Day

INTRODUCTION: Pediatric primary care is a critical access point for children’s behavioral and developmental health needs. Families commonly turn to pediatricians for guidance when behaviors interfere with learning or family well being. Behavioral concerns are frequent in these settings; however, many pediatricians report feeling unprepared to give direct and effective behavioral advice. Pediatricians have the opportunity to identify and intervene early for children with behavioral concerns. Training in residency has historically emphasized biomedical explanations that can overlook the environmental factors influencing behavior. Without the practical tools for understanding why behavior occurs, preventative intervention may be missed. There is a continued …

Development And Validation Of The Liebelt Attitudes, Knowledge, And Engagement Scale (Lakes) Among Rural Adults, Anna Morrison, Robert A. Ditomasso

Research Day

INTRODUCTION: Adults living in rural regions experience mental illness at rates comparable to those in urban areas yet utilize mental health services significantly less often. Underutilization of psychotherapy in rural populations has been attributed to structural barriers (e.g., geographic inaccessibility, limited provider availability, reduced anonymity) and sociocultural factors such as stigma. However, rural adults may also remain reluctant to initiate treatment due to attitudes toward psychotherapy, limited help-seeking engagement, or inaccurate knowledge about psychotherapy services. The present study developed and examined the psychometric properties of the Liebelt Attitudes, Knowledge, and Engagement Scale (LAKES), a self-report measure designed to assess psychotherapy-related …

The Role Of Teacher Confidence In Shaping Student Outcomes, Riley J. Crews

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Teacher characteristics play a critical role in shaping students’ academic, social, and behavioral outcomes. Understanding which teacher characteristics or qualities support positive student development is essential for improving instructional practice and student success. Prior research suggests that teachers’ competence in key instructional processes and their confidence in implementing specific programs may influence student performance. The present study examined whether elementary teacher confidence in supporting students’ academic and social development predicted student academic and social risk behaviors. Archival data were analyzed as part of a larger study evaluating a collaborative social-emotional learning curriculum implemented in a primarily Indigenous elementary school. Linear …

How Emergency Medical Service (Ems) Work Is Understood: A Study Of Public Perceptions And Provider Perspectives, Lisel Keller

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

This project aims to examine whether a gap exists between how the general public perceives Emergency Medical Services (EMS) work and how EMS providers experience it. EMS is widely recognized as a stressful profession, and public narratives often focus on the emotional intensity without an understanding of the different sources of stress. Providers work extended shifts, respond to unpredictable incidents, are frequently woken from sleep, and complete operational tasks while fatigued. Although these demands are expected, their cumulative impact shapes the day-to-day reality of the profession. While stress in EMS work has been discussed broadly, less attention has been given …

Literature Review: Long-Term Effects Of Circumcised Neonates Vs Uncircumcised Neonates, Jada M. Glenn, Daphne Mlachila

Research Day

INTRODUCTION:

Circumcision is a widely practiced procedure, but as research has progressed, its value beyond a purely cosmetic or cultural purpose has come into question. Outside  of a religious context, circumcision has been popularized by the belief that it has significant medical benefits that justify the permanent removal of the foreskin in a neonate. These benefits include, but are not limited to, a reduction in urinary tract infections, transmission of sexually transmitted diseases, and penile cancer. However, recent studies have shown that these reductions are minimal, especially in countries where AIDS is no longer an epidemic. Other studies have also …