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Improving Expository Reading Comprehension In College Students, Danielle M. De Lucia, George Noell

Psychology Faculty Publications

This study investigated the impact of the Collaborative Strategic Reading (CSR) method on reading comprehension and psychological well-being among college students, addressing a gap in research on expository reading comprehension at the post-secondary level. A total of 47 students from Introduction to Psychology courses participated in the study. Participants initially completed pre-test assessments, including a cloze test, the Wide Range Achievement Test, and scales for self-worth, depression, anxiety, and stress. Of these, 23 students underwent CSR intervention sessions, conducted over three weeks with bi-weekly 50-minute sessions using their course textbook. Post-intervention data from 44 students were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA. …

Reward Deficits In Co-Occurring Social Anxiety And Depression: The Roles Of Anhedonia, Boredom, Loneliness, And Covid-19 Social Restriction, Nathan M. Hager, Alicia L. Milam, Hannah C. Hamrick, Benjamin Swanson, Matt R. Judah

Psychology Faculty Publications

Prior research points toward reward deficits as crucial to the link between social anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder. However, studies have not explored specific types of reward deficits or how social-environmental factors may impact them. The current study examined whether the indirect effects of three reward deficits (anhedonia, boredom, and loneliness) accounted for the connection between social anxiety and depression. Questionnaires were collected in a sample of college students (N = 523) during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing examination of environmental stressors (i.e., remote learning and current friend network size) on reward deficits. Indirect effect models …

2026-2029 Strategic Plan, Susan Davies

Documents of the Brain Health Collective

No abstract provided.

Construction Industry Preparedness For Generation Z And Millennials: Aligning Industry Characteristics With Workforce Job Preferences, Ameenullah Amiri, Dhaval R. Gajjar, Jason D. Lucas

The Professional Constructor

The construction industry in the United States suffers from workforce shortages, partly due to younger generations being hired more slowly than baby boomers retire. Generation Z’s (Gen Z) lack of interest in joining the construction industry, coupled with the retirement of older workers, has amplified the problem. This paper investigates existing literature to identify the work and career preferences of Gen Z and Millennials and determine where the industry may focus efforts to attract these two generations. Through a systematic literature review, this study identified overlaps and gaps between the current construction industry workforce’s perceptions of the industry and the …

School Girls; Or The African Mean Girls Play

Theatre and Performance Studies Programs

School Girls; or the African Mean Girls Play

Winter 2026 Otterbein Connections, Institutional Advancement

Otterbein Connections

In this issue:

• Welcome Letter by Floyd Akins
• Students Helping to Strengthen Bonds by Jordan Helphrey
• Volunteer Spotlight
• Division Name Update
• Year-End Giving by Jordan Helphrey
• Summer Fun at the 'Bein by Dana Viglietta '96
• Understanding Donor Advised Funds by Kathleen Bonte
• Class of 1975 Celebrates 50th Golden Reunion by Stephanie Clark
• Alumni Spotlight by Michael Hickin '25
• Reminders
• Words of Encouragement by Valerie Gruber '84

Interest, Self-Efficacy, And Belonging In Classroom Learning, K. Ann Renninger, Lux K. Barton , '21, Gia Bautista , '23, Mary Garcia-Barrios , '24, Iyinoluwa Ogunyinka , '24, Kathryn R. Riley

Educational Studies Faculty Works

Students’ interest, self-efficacy, and belonging are considered essential for classroom learning, as each has been shown to promote sustained engagement and school achievement. However, our review of the literature suggested that research on interest, self-efficacy, and belonging is largely siloed. To address practitioner questions about supporting classroom learning by working with the three variables, we added a mixed-method pilot study to the review process. Pilot participants were Black, middle-school-age youth living in a low-income community, who were enrolled in a five-week, inquiry-informed science workshop facilitated by a Black professor. Findings showed that during learning, interest, self-efficacy, and belonging were increasingly …

Oligarchy And Democratic Decline: A Platonic Framework For Analyzing The Contemporary American Political System, Jonah Huskey-Wright

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

This paper explores the idea that there is a meaningful philosophical connection between Plato’s account of oligarchy and the development of the modern American political order. Rather than approaching American politics only through constitutional design, electoral procedures, or institutional mechanics, the paper argues that political systems must also be understood as reflections of the values and motivations of the people who inhabit them. Drawing on Plato’s framework that links the ordering of the human soul to the ordering of political regimes, the project examines how the priorities a society places on certain goods—particularly wealth, economic achievement, and material success—can shape …

Examining The Relationship Between Sleep And Physical Activity Among University Students, Maddie Stock

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Sleep and physical activity (PA) are important factors for maintaining overall health and are positively associated. The relationship between sleep and PA is well-documented for the general adult population, but there is less research on college students who are in a formative stage of developing lifelong health behaviors. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between aerobic PA and sleep in college students. College students at a Midwest University were invited to participate by completing the American College Health Association’s National College Health Assessment evaluating students’ health behaviors over the previous 1-2 weeks. These values were used …

Enhancing Healthcare Accessibility For Maya Immigrants In Northeast Ohio, Ellen D. Barnes

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

This research considers the efforts of healthcare practitioners and community workers in enhancing healthcare accessibility for Maya immigrant communities in northeast Ohio. Through ethnographic interviews and participant-observation research, I analyze how practitioners interpret their work with community members to navigate economic disparities and questions of legal standing, as well as cultural and linguistic differences. I also consider ways in which healthcare providers have sought to promote institutional change. This research gives insight into how institutional structures shape efforts for culturally informed care and how healthcare providers and healthcare seekers negotiate relationships within these confines.

Zero Tolerance Discipline In American Schools: Racial Injustice In The Age Of Youth Disposability, Trinity J. Perkins

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

This study critically examines how neoliberal social controls and school-based criminalization efforts emerged in response to a series of moral panics surrounding perceived increases in school violence and mass shootings. Largely, this response manifested in the form of rigid zerotolerance disciplinary policies focused on deterrence and retribution. However, research reveals the application of these policies produce racial and income-based disparities in how school discipline is administered, which contributes to the school-to-prison pipeline (i.e., a pathway for youth to be funneled out of education and into incarceration). As such, it is believed that racial threat dynamics may be contributing to the …

“If You Think This Vilifies The Police, Then You Think The Police Are Villains”: Teaching Reparations Won As An Antidote To Copaganda, Kaitlyn Selman, Hannah Carson Baggett, Justin Turner

Faculty Publications - Criminal Justice Sciences

Building on prior research about copaganda and pro-police socialization, we argue that the Reparations Won curriculum in Chicago Public Schools is an antidote to police legitimization efforts in K-12 schools. Specifically, the curriculum affirms student experiences that are not accounted for nor deemed possible in a world built by and for policing; it emphasizes relationship-building and centers definitions of community that resist the alienation required for such a world; and it facilitates an understanding of local histories as inseparable from broader social structures. We conclude that in an era of contested curricula, Reparations Won provides the structure needed to grapple …

The Trial Of Socrates, Jonathan Van Patten

Faculty Publications

In many important ways, the trial of Socrates was not just the trial of the century, nor even the trial of the millennium. It predated the trial of Jesus, which is important for many other reasons, but Socrates’ contribution to how we think about justice and the rule of law is without equal. This Article explores the ways that this fifth-century B.C. trial, located geographically on the margin of what came to be known as the West, is at the center of what makes us a civilization. It is not simply about the drama, nor the politics of free inquiry, …

Interreligious Dialogue Between Christianity And Islam In Macedonia And The Balkans: Historical Development, Contemporary Challenges, And Perspectives, Nikolche Gjurgjinoski

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This paper examines the key problems, challenges, and perspectives of interreligious dialogue between Christianity and Islam in Macedonia and in the broader Balkan region, drawing on contemporary research, relevant theoretical models, and regional studies. The historical legacy of the Ottoman period, the establishment of modern nation-states, and the Yugoslav socialist context have shaped a distinctive ethno-religious landscape in the Balkans, where religion operates simultaneously as a spiritual category and as an identity marker. The analysis demonstrates that the politicization of religion, nationalist discourses, media-driven stereotypes, and the absence of institutionalized mechanisms for dialogue constitute the most significant obstacles to the …

Comparative Analysis Of Youth Religiosity In Kazakhstan And Poland: Navigating Faith In Modern Societies, Arailym Zhanabayeva, Myrzakhmet Juzei, Nagima Baitenova, Zhanna Zhurgenbayeva

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This paper explores the complex relationship between religion and youth culture, focusing on Kazakhstan and Poland. Kazakhstan, with its ethnic diversity and dominant Islamic faith, is navigating a post-Soviet search for identity and renewed interest in traditional spiritual practices. Poland, deeply rooted in Catholicism, is experiencing secular trends and global influences that are reshaping youth religious engagement. The research aims to enrich discussions on youth religiosity and the evolving interplay between spiritual belief and modern life across different political and cultural contexts. The primary objective of this study is to examine the evolution of modern Kazakh society's approach to religion, …

I And Ai: Human Personhood In An Age Of Artificial Intelligence, Jonathan A. Powers, Daniel H. Strait

Academic Books

No abstract provided.

Responding To Suicide Loss: A Guide For Clinicians In Therapy With Suicidal, Grieving Adolescents, Brianna Jurosic

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

Psychologists have spent years attempting to conceptualize what causes individuals to become suicidal and ultimately understand why individuals choose to die by suicide. Dr. Thomas Joiner (2005) developed the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide in an attempt to summarize and build upon previous models. The Interpersonal Theory of Suicide is built upon three factors: perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness, and the acquired ability to enact lethal self-injury. Joiner theorized that perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness together create the desire for suicide, and the ability to enact lethal self-injury adds the final piece that moves the desire toward action (i.e., a suicide attempt). …

Thrive Together: A Culturally Responsive Group Intervention To Support Emotional Regulation And Behavioral Health Among Underserved Middle School Youth, Cherish Harris

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

Mental health concerns among children and adolescents continue to represent a significant public health concern, particularly among underserved and minority youth who experience disproportionate exposure to systemic inequities, chronic stressors, and barriers to mental health care. Schools frequently serve as primary points of contact for youth experiencing emotional and behavioral difficulties; however, many settings lack accessible interventions that adequately address both internalizing and externalizing concerns. The purpose of this doctoral project was to develop Thrive Together, a culturally responsive group intervention designed to support middle school students experiencing emotional, behavioral, and interpersonal challenges. The intervention was developed in response …

Subversion By Design, Daniel Nicastro

Loyola Consumer Law Review

Dark patterns, in the words of the design expert who coined the term, are ".. . tricks used in websites and apps that make you do things that you didn't mean to, like buying or signing up for something."¹ The FTC, in its 2022 Staff Report on the subject, defined them similarly as ". . . design practices that trick or manipulate users into making choices they would not otherwise have made and that may cause harm."² Endemic to the digital retail space, dark patterns subvert consumer decision making, resulting in inflated spending, widespread privacy violations, and the …

The Limits Of Privacy Protection: Why Ai Chatbots Demand Coppa Changes, Jacob Yeskis

Loyola Consumer Law Review

No abstract provided.

Multidisciplinary Teamwork And Education, Lila Martin Md

Faculty Development Tips

No abstract provided.

Aging On The Fringes: Understanding Inequities Among Older Adults Impacted By Poverty, Mental Health Challenges, And Drug Use, William O’Leary, David Howson-Jan, Marjorie Knight, Soo Chan Carusone

Lyle S. Hallman Social Work Faculty Publications

This report provides an overview of government reports and academic literature examining aging and its intersection with poverty, homelessness, drug use, and mental health challenges. It pairs national and Ontario trends with data from Waterloo Region to illustrate how aging on the fringes is unfolding locally.

Throughout the report, “Local Lens: Waterloo Region” callouts highlight key regional indicators and their implications for programs and policy. The purpose of this report is to support discussion and action to advance equity-informed research and advocacy for people aging on the fringes. It is written for community members, service providers, and organizations seeking to …

Portal To The Possible: Naming The Liberatory Classroom Applications Within Afrofuturist And Queer-Futurist Ya Literature, Westley Wrenn Cardani

English Honors Papers

This thesis is an intertwining of disciplines and chronologies. Using English and educational theories, I employ thematic literary analysis, close readings, and lesson plan design to answer the following question: How do works of Afrofuturist and queer-futurist Young Adult literature present us with liberatory possibilities, and how can those stories be effectively pedagogically employed in classrooms to cultivate ‘future imaginings’? In this work, although it pertains to all students, I am especially concerned with the capacity of Black, Brown, queer, and trans* students to dream and construct futures given the operations of systems of oppression which attempt to tell them …

Unpacking K-12 Teachers’ Creative Identity, Ariana Mungia

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Despite increasing emphasis on creativity as a core competency in K-12 education, limited research has examined how teachers understand their own creativity and how these perceptions shape their professional identities and instructional practices. Existing scholarship has largely focused on pedagogical strategies, curriculum design, and student outcomes, often overlooking the role of teachers’ beliefs, experiences, and self-perceptions. Addressing this gap, this study unpacks how K-12 teachers construct their creative identity and how this identity informs their approaches to teaching for creativity. Guided by a constructivist grounded theory methodology, this qualitative study explores the lived experiences on current K-12 teachers in Southern …

Entre Nos: A Three-Part Study Exploring The Experiences Of The American Association Of Hispanics In Higher Education Members, Monique Posadas

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Membership and participation in national associations or professional societies are the cornerstone of academic and career advancement in higher education. These organizations allow faculty and career professionals to connect and grow their networks. However, like other social structures, they can also reflect, reinforce, and reify exclusionary colonial, hegemonic norms. Professionalization for people of color in the academy, through formalized organizations and societies, was grossly delayed, despite the emergence of “mother societies” at the turn of the century. Academics of color took matters into their own hands to build professional networks. While associations are assumed to be academic and professionally rich …

Blazing Turquoise And Coral Light Jewels Of Veiled Empowerment: Buddha Ye Shes Mtsho Rgyal (ཡེ་ཤེས་མཚོ་རྒྱལ) And Saint Hildegard Von Bingen In The Lotus Of Ever-Excellent Feminist Dialogue, Janice Leigh Poss

CGU Theses & Dissertations

This Women's and Gender Studies in Religion dissertation seeks to restore awareness of women's religious leadership using the actual embodied experience of Yeshe Tsogyal and Hildegard von Bingen embedded in the philosophical terms Erlebnis (German), Padartha/Bhava (Sanskrit), and srid pa (Tibetan). Brief definitions are: Erlebnis as enthusiastic, lived experience and awareness, Padarthas as categories of real things or actualities, Bhava as the act of emotional or spiritual feeling, and Srid pa as becoming in possibility. Drawing on the above four terms encapsulated in a feminist transnational and intersectional methodological framework, this project reinforces women’s authority and influence in religion as …

Institutional Responses To Racial Incidents In California Public Higher Education: A Qualitative Historical Document Analysis, Shannon Dominique Quihuiz

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Despite stated commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion, racial incidents remain a persistent structural problem on college and university campuses. These incidents encompass a wide taxonomy of racialized harm, ranging from bias-motivated violence and hate symbols to controversial White supremacist speakers, structural inequities, and interpersonal microaggressions. Administrators responding to these incidents must navigate complex, often competing tensions between fostering safe, inclusive learning environments and upholding civil liberties protections, all while operating under intense political scrutiny, public relations pressures, and legal risk. To understand how these tensions are rhetorically managed, this qualitative historical document study examined how California public higher education …

The Emergence Of Violent Extremism: Threats To Social Identity And Psychological Motivations Underlying Identity-Defining Extreme Aggression, Austin Leigh Shockley

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Building on the framework of social identity (Tajfel & Turner, 1979, 1986) and uncertainty-identity (Hogg, 2007, 2012, 2021a, 2025) theories, the following research analyzed threats to social identity and psychological motivations underlying identity-defining extreme aggression. The two main motivations associated with social identification a) self-esteem via collective enhancement and b) epistemic knowledge via uncertainty-reduction are first reviewed and subsequently incorporated into the proposed empirical design. The role of identity-uncertainty (i.e. Study 1) and superordinate identity-uncertainty (i.e. Study 2) in social identity-defining processes toward extreme aggression were also examined (Hogg & Wagoner, 2016; Wagoner & Hogg, 2016; Hogg & Rast, 2022; …

Institutional Reform In Support Of Xi’S Anti-Corruption Campaign, Rixin Wen

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Corruption remains a pervasive challenge that distorts markets, undermines public service delivery, destabilizes social order, and erodes governmental legitimacy. In China, anti-corruption has been a recurring policy priority since 1949, culminating in Xi Jinping’s sweeping campaign launched in late 2012. Conceptualizing corruption through a principal–agent framework, this dissertation argues Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption campaign represents not merely an institutional inflection point in China’s supervisory architecture substantially enhancing enforcement capacity and elite discipline, but also the enforcement–perception interactive change, reproducing an asymmetry between punishment and public perception under the unvarying political foundation. This study employs a multi-method research design that integrates institutional …

Pathways To (Prevent) Radicalization: How Uncertainty And Identity Complexity Shape Vulnerability, Michelle Blaya Burgo

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Violent radicalization and politically motivated violence are pressing concerns that threaten global peace, security, and social cohesion. Violence is costly, in both lives and resources, and reactive measures have failed to decrease its occurrence. In a world marked by uncertainty where some degree of conflict is unavoidable, the focus should be on preventing violence. Previous research had demonstrated that various group- and individual-level factors can lead people to radicalize; this work extends that research by introducing social identity complexity (Roccas & Brewer, 2002) as a potential buffer against radical pathways. The current research proposed that complex identity structures – defined …